Batam Info Thread

[Xdecepticon]

Originally Posted by wala

but for javanese, it is kind of like calling a person "abang", and many javanese women call their husband "mas".

Juz like "kakah"..in Malay it means sister...but in Indon it means brother.

But u havent tell us why we Chinese should speak Mandarin rather than Chinese dialects cos I dont have problem with the Chinese Indon there. Only the Non-Chinese Indon I have problem with.

[Michael]

Haha I dunno but prob becoz of the relatively small expates community here (haha) the locals probably give us or our bosses some face when they know we work here, so usually they dun disturb or bother much about us.

Trust me, the network among the locals are very very good.

[Michael]

And yes, there is a very great difference in the hokkien they speak here. I am starting to speak like them when I'm back in SG

But as to stares, or what, like i always mention, travel smart, keep your money seperate, drive safely, and when picking girls, just pick and go. Aviod drugs, then everything else should be fine 99% of the time.

It's no difference when you travel to other parts of the world as well. Remembered long time ago in Egypt, people selling me entrance tickets to see the pyramids when its open to everyone. Haha... Look from the point that the people here are poor and in general will just do anything to get money, so its that simple.

[wala]

Originally Posted by Xdecepticon

Juz like "kakah"..in Malay it means sister...but in Indon it means brother.

But u havent tell us why we Chinese should speak Mandarin rather than Chinese dialects cos I dont have problem with the Chinese Indon there. Only the Non-Chinese Indon I have problem with.

I did not say speaking dialect will give u problems with local Chinese. It is just my local Chinese friend suggest we talk in Mandarin and not dialect last time I was with him at one of the ferry terminals. Maybe the reason is, speaking mandrain will make us appear to be chinese from the riau islands, and not Chinese from Jakarta. So we will be more "localised". Almost all Indo Chinese not staying within the TV board cast range of Singapore or Malaysia can't speak Mandrain.

[Xdecepticon]

Originally Posted by wala

Maybe the reason is, speaking mandrain will make us appear to be chinese from the riau islands, and not Chinese from Jakarta. So we will be more "localised". Almost all Indo Chinese not staying within the TV board cast range of Singapore or Malaysia can't speak Mandrain.

Hmmm...ok. Anyway even if I speak Mandarin, I bet the local Chinese oso know I am not local...the way I dress..etc. So if I sound "localised", do I have any special priviledges?? When I makan at the restaurant, they oso cut throat on the bill! And even if I speak Mandarin or Indon, it doesnt really matter to the local Non-Chinese Indon cos the way we speak they oso can tell we are not local. I am more duly concerned over my safety when dealing with the Non-Chinese Indon...especially in Batam.

[Xdecepticon]

Originally Posted by Michael

But as to stares, or what, like i always mention, travel smart, keep your money seperate, drive safely, and when picking girls, just pick and go. Aviod drugs, then everything else should be fine 99% of the time.

I dont know abt the rest of u guys. I travelled to T Pinang and the only problem lies at the gate after immigration counter. The touts/thugs or supir would hassle u to engage their services. Once u clear this "hurdle", u can walk and roam in ease. Not much of staring or hassling fm local. Same for Balai and T Batu. No problem. However, Batam is the only exceptional one.(imo)

[Ah_Hia]

Originally Posted by Xdecepticon

I dont know abt the rest of u guys. I travelled to T Pinang and the only problem lies at the gate after immigration counter. The touts/thugs or supir would hassle u to engage their services. Once u clear this "hurdle", u can walk and roam in ease. Not much of staring or hassling fm local. Same for Balai and T Batu. No problem. However, Batam is the only exceptional one.(imo)

Cuz u look more handsome in Batam sunlight !

[Chucky1]

Video from Steps Pub,Batam:

FileSend - Steps Pub.wmv

[BtmMan]

I see that some of the messages here are being sent very wrongly, about Batam.
I've been here in Batam day in day out for the past many yearSSS... and I can tell you that Batam is actually VERY SAFE.

You see, there are places where even myself will be avoiding if it's not absolutely necessary for me to be there. Places like the local domestic jetty in Sekupang (the one in Pungur is still ok), the market place in Jodoh area, and those small little streets or back lanes late at night. But even if I had to be in those places due to some reasons, it's not for sure that I'll get mugged or hustled, there is still law in Batam, it's not as cowboy town as some had put it in earlier postings.
In anywhere you go to, if you just stay humble and keep to a low profile, no one will (care to) bother you.
Well with the very rare and exceptional cases when someone was in the wrong place at the wrong time, like one earlier case mentioned by WALA, where his friend had to be so unlucky that night, among hundreds of FL in a disco, picked up a FL who was being used by the polisi to hunt for new "account". But then again, this is a very very rare case, but when something like that happened, whole Batam knows about it. And these few cases are taken out from the thousand or even million times where a guy picked up a FL and nothing bad happens, not to mention having a good fuck at end of the night hahaha....!

Lastly, just think, if Batam is really that bad, I'm sure not only myself, but a whole lot of MNC and their expats will be running out of Batam long time ago.

[RJ2004]

Originally Posted by Chucky1

Video from Steps Pub,Batam:

FileSend - Steps Pub.wmv

my fave place

[SexKing972]

long time never been there

[Xdecepticon]

Originally Posted by Ah_Hia

Cuz u look more handsome in Batam sunlight !

Haha...if one were to dress handsomely, then hes looking for trouble.

[NobleEagle]

Originally Posted by Chucky1

Video from Steps Pub,Batam:

FileSend - Steps Pub.wmv

Bro, veri solid video quality, you took from hp or from video cam?

[TD.king]

Originally Posted by Chucky1

Video from Steps Pub,Batam:

FileSend - Steps Pub.wmv

Good work

[Tryplay]

Originally Posted by BtmMan

I see that some of the messages here are being sent very wrongly, about Batam.
I've been here in Batam day in day out for the past many yearSSS... and I can tell you that Batam is actually VERY SAFE.

You see, there are places where even myself will be avoiding if it's not absolutely necessary for me to be there. Places like the local domestic jetty in Sekupang (the one in Pungur is still ok), the market place in Jodoh area, and those small little streets or back lanes late at night. But even if I had to be in those places due to some reasons, it's not for sure that I'll get mugged or hustled, there is still law in Batam, it's not as cowboy town as some had put it in earlier postings.
In anywhere you go to, if you just stay humble and keep to a low profile, no one will (care to) bother you.
Well with the very rare and exceptional cases when someone was in the wrong place at the wrong time, like one earlier case mentioned by WALA, where his friend had to be so unlucky that night, among hundreds of FL in a disco, picked up a FL who was being used by the polisi to hunt for new "account". But then again, this is a very very rare case, but when something like that happened, whole Batam knows about it. And these few cases are taken out from the thousand or even million times where a guy picked up a FL and nothing bad happens, not to mention having a good fuck at end of the night hahaha....!

Lastly, just think, if Batam is really that bad, I'm sure not only myself, but a whole lot of MNC and their expats will be running out of Batam long time ago.

Agreed with our old Friend here. Been in and out for about 4 yr liao, lucky am safe, but guess we just had to follow some rules (applied to all places, not only batam) , stay low profiles, be humble, and go where all others (foreigners) goes, choing where all other choing, eat where most people eat, you will be safe lar.

Cheers.