Interview with Alain, Belgian Expat

As soon as Indonesia is like Europe, I move. If it becomes, “Life is a big competition, you have to be number one,” I move.

Alain van den Bossche, a gregarious Belgian, owns one of Jepara’s newest resorts, a 16-villa resort named Coconut Lodge steps away from Coconut Beach. Interestingly, his name contains the term ‘bos,” meaning “wood” in Dutch. Impressed with the construction—much of it with local wood—and details of his resort, I had the opportunity to talk with Alain, who speaks Indonesian, French, English, and some Flemish.

Q: This is one of the best-designed hotels I’ve seen. You’re also in the furniture business, a common profession in Jepara because of its well-regarded woodworking reputation, but how did you learn design? Almost all the details are perfect here. For example, the straw I’m using is bamboo, not paper (which interferes with taste) or metal (which rusts). The song playlist features beautiful Spanish songs I’ve never heard before, like Alma Corazón y Vida by Los Panchos and Azúcar Amargo by Fey.

Alain: I do it myself, by traveling, by seeing different countries, combining everything, mixing it all together, [and] trying to make something look the way I want. I want to make this place feel like home. It’s not important to make something big. Most places [in Indonesia] are more like a market. They call it in Indonesia, the “target,” [but] I don’t really care about [business] targets. Number 1, be happy, enjoy, and if you make a little bit of money, it’s good. I’m already 51 [years old], the train is already passing. If I want to be a millionaire, it’s too late.

Q: You had mentioned construction to me. Were you a subcontractor or foreman in Belgium?

A: I wanted to be an actor, but I was a teacher for mentally disabled people like [you see] in the Special Olympics. I re-made a very old home [using my time] every weekend and on my holidays, but I left Europe without sleeping a single night in the house. I was supposed to get married, but my father had just passed away. She [my ex-fiancée] didn’t want to wait a few months. [Instead of re-scheduling,] She canceled the wedding a month before… she was Italian. [Alain throws his hands in the air to communicate he should have known the result.]

I took my rucksack, put my house on the market, told the agent just to get me my costs back—it actually sold much higher than I expected but I let him keep the difference--and I was free. I spent a year traveling, went to Bali, where I made friends with an English guy who advised me to go into the furniture business. By then, I had not much money left, and although I had a ticket to Australia, I threw the ticket away, stayed in Bali, and went into furniture import-export. [Back then,] I used to sell on the flea market, too. I would go to Europe once a month, pick up quality items [from the trash], refurbish, and sell. I opened a shop in Belgium doing import/export, then I came back to Jepara, made my first small company with my then-girlfriend. We rented a small place for three years. It was really tough that time. That was 24 years ago.

Q: 24 years?

A: Yes, 24 years ago.

Q: You mentioned the [property] foundation to me earlier. Can you tell me more about your strategy in achieving stability while being so close to the beach?

A: River stones are the best for foundation. Take stones from the river, put them all the way around the property, fill it up with dirt, use a leveling system [Alain draws a three-pronged tool in the air resembling a self-leveling tool] every 4 meters, [and you] gotta do your pillars all the way around the full space.

Q: Why did you choose this location? It’s a bit isolated and far from the town centre.

A: This is my fourth [constructed] property in Jepara. I like the social life, [but] I also like my privacy, privacy here is like having gold. If you have a house in the village, someone will knock on your door all the time [to make social visits]. In Europe, [if you want to be alone] you go to the back portion of your home, but here, four guests will come [to say hello], and when they leave, another four [neighbors] come. The reason [I chose this location] is [for the] quiet. You have rice fields and the ocean.

[Indonesian businesses] like to be near the road… the beach idea is only the last 10 years. Before, [Indonesians] wanted to go to the mountains. They didn’t want to get sunburned, they enjoyed the cooler weather, but tendencies are changing. [Local] Movie stars are getting tanned and influencing others to enjoy the beach. [And] Indonesia is booming completely. Middle class is exploding. 20 years ago, the only thing you saw were foreigners or government or criminals but now you see young entrepreneurs. 20 years ago, it was just business hotels. But you look on Instagram now, they [young Indonesians and Europeans] go everywhere [and as a result, businesses are diversifying].

We have a saying in Belgium: “Belgian people have a brick in their stomach.” [Editor’s note: the exact phrase in English is, “Every Belgian is born with a brick in the stomach.” It means every Belgian wants to build their own house.] In Europe [today], no one [young] wants to take [mortgage] credit for 20, 25 years [anymore]. They want to travel. [In my case,] I met the right person at the right moment, it’s all luck. I always say, “I’m the luckiest guy on the planet.” If I could, I’d give some of my luck to other people.

Q: How do you motivate your employees?

A: I try by explaining to them [how things should be, instead of giving orders.] I also give them attractive salary, about 50% above minimum salary. Here, minimum wage is about 1.8 million [rupiahs] monthly. I give them 2.5 million [rupiahs], [and] I would like to give them more. I tell them, if you can take the stress off my shoulder, then I’ll pay more. I want to sell this place and build another one with no debt.

Q: Did you get a euro-denominated loan or one from a local bank?

A: We got a local loan, [equivalent to] 100,000 euros loan in rupiahs. I owe about 1,000 USD a month for 20 years. I think it’s about 10% [annual] interest. You know, foreigners cannot buy property here, they can only buy through a local [Indonesian citizen] or a company. I already have a furniture company but I don’t want to mix it [so I have an arrangement with a local]. I live all the way in the back on this property. [10% interest sounds high] But here, savings deposits pay out 7% net [interest] in your pocket. If you bargain, you might even get 8%. [For me] it’s all about the rupiahs because I live in rupiahs. I sell in euros, but I live in rupiahs [so currency fluctuations don’t impact me as much].

Q: What was the banking experience like?

A: [Because it’s through a local] They base the loan on the manager’s salary, not on the project. They are thinking that the loan amount should be based on money the manager will receive each month. If it’s through a company, it’s different. [Since we didn’t go through a company] We opened as a homestay, [and the local] used a personal tax number to pay the tax.

[When I first came here 24 years ago,] you needed 200,000 euros in the bank or something like that to get a loan. So what the banks did, they would loan you the 200,000 for a day or a week, get a notary to certify the amount [in your account], and collect a 500 USD fee for the “service.” Now, of course, it’s stricter. [President] Jokowi is very good for people who want to invest. Compared to the old days, you can do a lot online now because of Jokowi, and you can even get your visa online. 24 years ago, it was the “Wild West” here. At that time, it was, “Give a little [money] on the left side and the right side [to get things done],” but that time is over.

Q: Most Westerners don’t know much about Indonesia. What made you choose this country over others in the entire world, including your native Belgium?

A: I fell in love. When I arrived in Medan [Sumatera], I fell in love. In Europe, people only complain. I like to talk, I like to have a lot of friends. I know people everywhere, rich, poor. You can mix here with all types of people.

Q: What have been the challenges for you, as an outsider, opening a business in Jepara? Has it been easier or harder being in a small town rather than big city like Jakarta or Semarang?

A: I arrived here as a backpacker. I don’t have the mentality of a businessman. I know other people who have the fiber of business in them, but they’re struggling. This is really funny in life. The more you run after it, the more difficult it is to achieve it. It [the better path] is actually, “Take it easy, don’t have too much big plan, [then] everything goes smoothly.” I’ve been lucky to meet the right people and to be in the right spots, but it hasn’t always been smooth. In the beginning, some locals were angry I was paying higher salaries. I had people coming after me with tire irons. Some people are still angry foreigners are paying better salaries because foreigners are able to sell in Europe and get higher prices. I think they should be happy [about the higher salaries] but it’s not that way.

Q: How did you get your contacts in shipping and import/export?

A: I was a real tourist—I didn’t even know about emails. My French friend told me about import/export in a bar in Bali. It’s really easy. You need an agent. The agent does everything for you. Most of my customers are in Belgium, including my brother [so I already have contacts in Belgium]. I’ve changed agents a few times [but the key is to find a good import/export agent].

Q: What advice can you give to Westerners who want to fit into Indonesian society?

A:  First, don’t try to make the people [here] understand your way of things. Try to find a middle way. You have to make the effort. You have to adapt, and locals have to adapt. Don’t expect people to adapt 100%. You will learn a lot, and they will learn your personal professional standards. They have a saying here: “Alon alon asal klakon.” It means, “Going slow is not a problem--you will still get there.” A bit like the old [Aesop] story of the rabbit and the tortoise. In Europe, they teach kids they have to have a lot of ambition, they have to be perfect. But in Indonesia, people seem to ask themselves, “What do you really want in life?” What is more important than having friends and being able to sit and have a coffee? But this [attitude] will change because of us [Westerners] bringing our culture here. But I’ve always said, as soon as Indonesia is like Europe, I move. If it becomes, “Life is a big competition, you have to be number one,” I move [someplace else].

Q: At the same time, you’re obviously competitive, and you have a strong desire to compete well. Where does that come from? Did you play professional or semi-professional sports?

A: I play sports and I love sports. I play futsal and football/soccer. Indonesians would tell me, “It is more important to sweat than to win,” but I told them, “The most important [goal] is to win.” They’d respond, “We sweat, that’s good already.” My workers, now they play, they go 1,000%, I like that. Age makes you change. Before I was like a piece of fire. But now… this place, I want to make sure everyone happy. It’s “ramah” [strictly translated, it means “friendliness”], it’s the reason everyone likes Indonesia, because of the politeness. If they lose that, it’s like losing the thing that makes you different. I want to see that ramah thing here [at the resort.]

Q: What do you think of President Joko Widodo's idea to move the capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan?

A: I would have a better idea. Jakarta is so crowded [and that’s the reason for the move]. Right away, I would fix a minimum salary for all of Indonesia. Big cities give a higher [minimum] salary than villages. That’s why you have so much movement, where people go to Jakarta to find opportunities. We have a lot of broken homes because of that, because of men leaving their hometowns to work in Jakarta. Reduce Jakarta salary [to bring it in line with an appropriate national minimum wage], shift workers to Semarang [and other cities], and people would say, “Why should I go to Jakarta?” Then migration to other cities would increase [thereby reducing pressure on Jakarta’s infrastructure]. He [President Jokowi] wants to move [the capital] because it’s too crowded in Jakarta, so it’s difficult to find water resources [and other problems arise because of overpopulation in one place]. Life in Jakarta is expensive, but of course it’s because salaries are expensive. But if you change from 5 million [rupiah] to 2.5 million a month…

[Interview held on August 29, 2019 in Jepara at Coconut Lodge. Transcript above has been condensed/modified from original conversation. No compensation, directly or indirectly, was received or due for this interview as of August 2019.] 

Update/Correction on September 2, 2019: Alain informed me today he was the one who broke off the wedding: [paraphrased] "She did not want to move the date [after my father's death], and she demanded I move forward or cancel. She did not expect I would choose to cancel when she gave me the ultimatum."

Interview with Matteo of Semarang's Gelato Matteo

The Italians may not be the envy of the European Union when it comes to economic growth, but their traditions of excellent food and fashion continue. I met Matteo of Gelato Matteo, and we discussed his journey from Italy to Indonesia. 

Q: Semarang, Indonesia seems like an odd choice to open any restaurant or cafe. It's not well-known to tourists. 

A: I came here for furniture because my mother was in the furniture business. Then I met my wife. So it's not totally a business decision, but I think it's much easier here than Jakarta. There's more opportunity in Jakarta but costs, such as rents, are higher than in Semarang. I've always wanted to do an ice cream shop, even when I was in Paris. 

Q: But you don't have an ice cream shop. You have a gelato shop. 

A: Ah, but in Italian, gelato is the word for ice cream. Sorbet has a water base. Gelato has a milk base. 

Q: You opened your first location in the old town area [Kota Lama]. Why did you open a new place about two miles away? 

A: Actually, my first shop was in Jalan Mataram, and the old town location is my second shop. The second shop has been open for two months. 

Q: What do you look for when opening a location?

A: Indonesia is more difficult than Italy. In Italy, we say there are three things to make success: location, location, location. Here is different. You can open in a mall [and get guaranteed pedestrian traffic], but it's very expensive. Outside [air-conditioned] malls, there's no pedestrian traffic, so my first location was a gamble. I just liked the place. I wanted to make sure people felt like they were in Italy as soon as they came in. I wanted people to stop with their cars and come inside. 

Thinking backwards, there are other areas that were more suitable. For example, this new location is in a touristy area. Kota Lama Semarang applied to be a UNESCO heritage site, so they're re-doing everything, including the roads. Soon you'll see the roads filled with stones used in the old time. We hope to obtain this [UNESCO] certification. 

Q: What are your recommendations to aspiring businessowners who want to minimize risks in case they want to move? Obviously, the longer the lease, the more leverage you have, but what criteria do you look for when opening a store? 

A: You need to have someone local. Best thing. My local person is my wife. She's the owner. I cannot own in my name. Actually, I could own a business here, but I would need to change my company and bring more capital. 

Q: You mentioned your work visa costs 1700 USD for only one year. What was the process like?

A: Even though I'm married to an Indonesian woman, Indonesia does not allow dual citizenship, so I'm retaining my Italian/EU passport. The process for my visa was not difficult because I speak the local language and my wife assisted me.  

Q: What are your most popular gelato flavors? 

A: The basics: chocolate and vanilla. I think our pistachio flavor is the most interesting. When we make a flavor, we sometimes use a water rather than a milk base, which brings out the flavor more. You cannot mask the flavor in a sorbet. Without egg yolks and excessive cream, the flavor will stand out. [Interviewer's note: I liked the pistachio flavor, but the dark chocolate and coffee impressed me the most.] 

Q: Funny you mention that. I just tried the avocado flavor and was turned off by it. I tasted unripe avocado, but if you had added more cream, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. 

A: [holds hands up in apology] Before my gelato cafe, I used to run a restaurant. I hated TripAdvisor. We would check it all the time, and it became a distraction. Some people are just mean for no reason. You can also buy reviews or get your friends to post positive reviews. 

Q: What's the most reliable review site?

A: Word of mouth. If I tell you I went to a place and enjoyed the food, that's the best [way]. Instagram is extremely popular in Indonesia, so we use that as much as we can. 

Q: What is the most frustrating aspect of being a businessowner in Indonesia? 

A: The electricity goes up and down, on and off. You need a generator. The employees here also need motivation. 

Q: Some people say employees aren't motivated because the compensation structure doesn't give them an ownership interest or some other personal interest in the business. 

A: I give a percentage of income to my employees. Like in the States, instead of having a tip, I give a commission. It's called a service charge, and it's automatically added to the bill, whether customers eat-in or take-away. Also, the employees who stand out, I give them extra salary. I have six employees in one shop, something I could never do in Italy or America--it would be too expensive. 

Q: What are the biggest cultural differences between Europeans and Indonesians? Both seem family oriented. 

A: People here are not encouraged to take risks. They never had a French Revolution here. They are not used to criticizing institutions, practices, each other, or leaders. Look at what happened to Ahok [Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, former Chinese-Christian mayor of Jakarta]. Two years' jail for blasphemy. In Italy, we criticize everything and everyone, even the Pope. 

Interviews

Interviews

John Adler in California (2010): The Good Doctor

Asian Games' Wrestling (2018): Wrestlers

Fazal Bahardeen in Singapore (2018): Muslim Travel

Alain van den Bossche in Jepara, Indonesia (2019): Belgian Expat in Indonesia

Ellen in Cebu, Philippines (2018): Single Mom, Three Degrees

Matteo of Gelato Matteo in Semarang, Indonesia (2018): Came for Business, Stayed for Love

Lan Haiwen in Silicon Valley (2008): Ultizen: Developing Games with Chinese Creativity.

Noman Md Ariful Haque in Kuala Lumpur (2018): A Muslim Engineer in Japan 

Derrick in Katy, Texas (2018): Old Katy Coffee on good coffee 

James McRitchie in San Francisco, CA (2016): Shareholder Activist 

Sara Mendelsohn in Hanoi, Vietnam (2018): Personal Trainer and English Teacher 

Ayu Nuarida in Semarang, Indonesia (2018): A Woman for All Seasons 

Bruce Nguyen in Saigon, Vietnam: (2018): Third Wave Coffee. 

Marco Paulo in Cebu, Philippines (2017): Influencer 

Sulistiansyah Rahmadi in Palembang, Indonesia (2018): Indonesian Traveler

Auron Tare in Tirana, Albania (2018): Albania's Bill Bradley    

[Statements have been edited for clarity and condensed.] 

A Muslim in Japan: Interview with Engineer Noman Md Ariful Haque

Born in Bangladesh, Noman studied computer science in the University of Dhaka. He knows C++ and now programs in Android Java. He has lived in Japan for 10 years and currently works in product management for a well-known Japanese company. I met him while we were both in transit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

Q: What’s been your experience being a Bangladeshi Muslim engineer in Tokyo?

NH: Most people [immigrants like me] come to Japan for higher education or to find work. People with science backgrounds don’t have as many job opportunities in their own countries, and Japan offers opportunities.

Q: You are a pious Muslim and visibly so. Have you ever experienced discrimination in Japan?

NH: Many Japanese don’t like people outside of Japan, and it is still a very closed society. Nevertheless, there are over 300 mushollas [informal prayer places] in Japan. I speak Japanese, but it’s difficult because the Japanese [people] are not direct in their communications. They don’t like making direct demands, and their communication style is indirect. At the same time, no one bothers anyone else because of religious or other differences. I have heard in the USA, some people might bother you because of the way you look, but in Japan, no one bothers you. Personally, I’m an introvert, and Japan is a good fit for me.

I suppose the older Japanese generation is less friendly than the younger generation. When I've sat next to senior citizens on the train, they've assumed I don’t speak Japanese [and made derogatory comments], and sometimes they've gotten up and walked to a different seat.

Q: What do you like about Japan, as someone who’s lived there for 10 years?

NH: It’s very clean, and most of the people are very gentle. In general, the Japanese are very disciplined, very honest, and good at customer service. I also like Tokyo’s train system very much. And of course, no one bothers you if you’re different.

Q: What attracts you to Islam?

NH: I was born into a Muslim family, and my parents would talk to me about Islam. They would talk about the Creation. I was very impressed when I asked questions about the Creation from scholars at several mosques, and they provided me with the answers I was seeking. Let me try to explain. Think about the soul. The physical body passes away or atrophies. Islam helped me understand everything is there even after the physical body has departed, and even if we do not actively see it. That something is the soul, which enters into a different world.

So this world is very short, and there are really two worlds: one we live in now, and an afterlife. We humans can be remembered at most for three or four generations, so the purpose of life, if we are humble enough to admit it, is to act in a way that comes from true intentions. If we think of ourselves as having a purpose of worshipping Allah, it can give us a different perspective. For me, no other theory explained what happens when the physical departs. This world, the one we live in now, is a time for being tested. God has made different kinds of people, white, black, rich, poor. This is Allah’s way of giving us an exam and finding out which souls are more obedient to Him.

Interview with Sulistiansyah Rahmadi, Indonesian Traveler

Q: You've visited over 20 countries so far, mostly in SE Asia, right? 

SR: Yes. 

Q: What made you start traveling? 

SR: My first country was Singapore, and it's quite the opposite of Indonesia. They're organized, the language is different, and it blew my mind that we have things so different from my [Indonesian] culture. When I visited Australia, I thought it would be all-white, but it's multi-racial. Whenever I travel, it's the opposite of what I expect. For example, I felt accepted in Australia, in contrast to Georgia [the Caucasus], where I felt discriminated against as an Asian. 

Q: Which cities did you visit in Australia?

SR: Melbourne and Sydney, but I liked Melbourne the most. 

Q: Did you travel mostly alone or with groups?

SR: Alone. Previously, I traveled with groups, but not recently. I changed because when I go alone, I get more. More wisdom... I get a lot more. With a group, it's mostly fun things, and they are doing fun stuff, but after that... [shrugs his shoulders] 

Q: You traveled to Iran recently?

SR: April 2018 for two weeks. I visited Tehran, Kashan, Isfahan, Shiraz, Kerman, and Yaz. Usually, I make an organized itinerary with a budget, and in this case, I followed my schedule 70%. It was quite tight but I stuck to my schedule. Mostly I traveled over land--hitchhiking, by car, or by train, because I like seeing the scenery. 

Q: Iran has an image in the West of being a desert country. 

SR: [laughs] Iran in the north is mountains and snow, and four hours from Tehran is a place named Tochal, a ski resort. You can even see snowcapped mountains from Tehran. Kerman, in contrast, is desert, and they call it a "dead zone," because nothing can live there. 

I enjoyed Shiraz the most because I like history. You can call me a history geek. Shiraz has Persepolis, and Alexander the Great conquered the city. After Iran, I visited Istanbul, Izmir, Seljuk, Konya, Antalya, Ankara, Pamukkale, and Cappadocia, Turkey. 

Q: How long did you spend in Turkey? 

SR: I spent 12 days, mostly one or two nights in each city. If you want know about the people, it's not a good way to do it, but my goal was to visit the ruins. 

Q: When I visit ruins, whether it's Stonehenge or Rome, I'm usually disappointed, because either the ruins are literally rocks in the ground, or they've been renovated to the point of looking fake. Only Ephesus in Turkey has impressed me.

SR: For me, it's more than rocks. When I touch the same stone that people touched three thousand years ago, I'm following in the footsteps of the people back then. It's history in the earth, right in front of my face. 

Q: What top three places would you recommend for history buffs?

SR: 1) Egypt (Cairo, Alexandria, Thebes, Memphis, Luxor, Saqarra, Abu Simbel); 2) China (Xi'an and the Terracota Warriors in the Shaanxi province); and 3) Latin America (Aztecs in Mexico, Mayans in Peru, Incas in the Andes). 

So far, I've only managed to visit China. LatAm is much harder for me, because it's so far away, less traveled by Indonesians, and therefore very expensive. Egypt is far away, too, but we [Indonesians] go to Hajj, and Egypt is near Saudi Arabia, so it's more popular. 

Q: What made you interested in archaeology?

SR: My parents are both teachers, and through storytelling, they opened my mind about the history of different countries. I was exposed to history through storytelling in elementary school and since then, I've wanted to see things I did not know about. The future is fascinating, but the past is more fascinating. Did you know the name "China" is derived from  Emperor Qin [Shi Huang] three thousand ago? People today still use the name of this one emperor to recognize themselves, a man who died three thousand years ago! 

Q: How do you afford to travel so much? The Indonesian rupiah is not a strong currency. 

SR: I do not say it's easy. I'm just a medium-level freelancer [graphic designer]. I have advantages because my clients are foreigners, so I get paid in US dollars or Euros. I cannot afford to travel all year long, but I can afford to make two trips every year, as long as I travel cheaply. I hunt for cheap flights, and I sometimes buy tickets one year before. I stay mostly in dorms and hostels--it's like one room you share with six to eight people with a shared bathroom. You have to do your homework and make your itinerary as clear as possible to make it possible. 

Q: What are your favorite travel accessories?

SR: My holy grail is my backpack. It's a cheap backpack--it's actually used for cameras, but I put country flag patches on it and take it with me everywhere. I'll have to replace it soon. 

Q: I find the Indonesian people very friendly and open compared to other cultures. What do you think is the source of such friendliness, especially after Suharto's Communist purges?

SR: I think that's one of many reasons. Because of our history political corruption, we want to forget much of our past. And when you look to the future, you have to be open, especially if the goal is to make a new, better future in contrast to the violent one your parents knew. 

Also, we are not one entity. We are the opposite of homogenous. We are already used to differences. Here in my province (South Sumatra aka South Sumatera), we have about six or seven dialects. Different people, different tribes. so it's not new for us to embrace new movements or different people. 

Sulistiansyah Rahmadi lives in Palembang, Indonesia. His blog is https://sulisbae.com/ and he can be contacted through his Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/baesulis/