I’ve been in Indonesia for one year now, and I have become pretty good at doing things the “Indonesian way.” Indonesian culture can be quite different from American culture so, for the people who don’t have a year to figure out how to blend in, here are a few tips on how to act like an Indonesian.
Time is very important to Americans. Punctuality is a virtue held with high regard for most citizens of the United States. The phrase “time is money,” was coined by the “First American,” Benjamin Franklin, and might as well be stamped right below “In God we Trust” on US dollars and coins. I was raised believing it is better to be thirty minutes early to any event, be it a meeting, doctor’s appointment, or date, rather than thirty seconds late. I’d imagine most Americans feel similarly, though perhaps not to such a degree.
