Lebaran Annoyances

I've said multiple times on this blog that I believe Indonesia does a better job assimilating and accepting religious differences than any other country in the world.  I still believe that.  And in my efforts to fit in, I've worked very hard to be accommodating with the various religious and cultural differences we've encountered.  This Ramadan season has been a challenge.

Indonesia operates on a 13-month payroll system consisting of the standard 12 calendar months, and an extra month's pay for the Lebaron (Idul Fitri) holiday.  This is the Muslim holy month with fasting all month and a large celebration at the end.  It's the time when all the domestic staff return to their villages for a week to celebrate with their families.  It's a time when those who have are required to give to those who have not. 

 

 

I had no issue giving our domestic staff - nannies, drivers, maid, security and gardener - an Idul Fitri bonus, even though it was $1,000 out of my pocket.  It's in their contracts.  I didn't like paying extra to the trash collector or the "neighborhood security" (whom I think just collects money without providing any service), but I paid them anyway.  I did have problems with:

 

 

1)  The pool company adding an Idul Fitri bonus to their invoice.  I refused to pay this one.  I had my secretary call them and tell them that I considered it inappropriate for a vendor to charge me for the bonuses for their employees.  If I want to tip our pool guy over the holidays, that's my choice.  Trying to formalize it in the invoice from the vendor was ridiculous.  I half expected to see a charge on my cable and electric bills.

2)  We purchased some stone carvings from a "friend" of our driver.  One of the carvings had a splash of white paint on it.  I told the vendor I didn't want them unless they were clean.  He agreed to come back the next day to clean them, but wanted me to pay him today.  Reluctantly, I agreed and paid him.  The next day he did return to clean them, but brought someone with him to do it.  When finished, he asked me to pay the man.  I told him no way.  I wasn't buying a dirty statue and it wasn't my problem he had to pay someone else to clean it.  Then he said I should help him out and pay as part of an Idul Fitri bonus.  He became so insistent, and had been such a pain over the last few days, I finally asked security to remove him and ban him from returning.

 

 

3)  Our staff get this next week off.  It's the norm in Indonesia, and it's in their contracts.  They all asked for additional time off - with pay - and without wanting to makeup the hours somewhere else.  As expats, we pay our staff twice what they would make working for a local.  We just paid them two months of wages while we were in Singapore and the US (meaning, they didn't work).  Our generosity is tapped out.  I felt this request was out of line (the locals I spoke with agreed and were surprised I paid them while I was gone).

Maybe I'm just cranky.  Traffic this time of year is horrendous.  During the fasting month, Muslims get up very early and have a huge meal before sunrise.  This means most of them also come into work earlier than normal.  Then they don't eat or drink all day.  At 6 PM, they can break the fast (buka puasa).  Everyone wants to be home by 6 PM.  My 45 minute commute is now 2.5 hours - and that isn't fun.

Bottom line - I'm glad the season ends on Wednesday.