Few days ago, an intriguing proposition landed on my plate—a chance to become part of a rental girlfriend agency in Indonesia. It's not actually the first time I've been approached for something like this. Over the past couple of years, similar opportunities have knocked on my door. However, due to my packed schedule and unfavorable circumstances, I hadn't accepted any until now. Upon receiving these offers from various agencies, my curiosity piqued, prompting me to dig deeper into the mechanics of the prevalent rental girlfriend system in Indonesia. I'm going to write about this briefly

These services primarily offer two categories: online and offline dates.

Online dates revolve around forming connections virtually through chats, phone calls, or video calls. These interactions can be enriched by additional services offered by certain agencies, such as sending selfies, staying on call while sleeping (sleep calls), or even gaming sessions. However, these gaming sessions are generally meant for entertainment purposes. It's important to note that the focus is on having fun rather than intense competition. Therefore, if someone loses a game during these sessions, it's not meant to be taken seriously or impact the experience negatively. The primary goal is to enjoy each other's company and have a good time together while engaging in these activities.

Offline dates involve real in-person meetings, where you can do things like having meals together, catching a movie, engaging in deep conversations, accompanying someone to events, or exploring tourist spots. It's all about physically spending time together and enjoying various activities side by side. These dates offer a chance to create genuine connections, share experiences, and build relationships in a more personal and tangible way compared to virtual interactions. The activities during offline dates allow for a wide range of shared experiences and bonding moments that contribute to deeper connections between individuals.

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That's the gist of what I've gathered regarding the concept of rental girlfriends in Indonesia. Exploring the nuances of this unique service unveils a world where companionship is offered on a temporary basis, catering to various needs, from dating experiences to providing companions for outings or even surrogate family roles. These agencies set their own rules, guidelines, and pricing structures, making it essential to thoroughly understand the terms before engaging their services. The emergence of these rental companionship services, including not only rental girlfriends but also boyfriends, best friends, and even family members, reflects the diverse and evolving nature of human connections in modern society.

Today I'm gonna write my experience attending mandarin class in Taiwan. I'd like to let you guys know that the Mandarin class I attended wasn't a university language course or a language program offered by foundations or universities in Taiwan. Some of you probably have no idea that Taiwan's immigration actually provides a Mandarin education program for new immigrants, and its completely free. I learned about this Mandarin class through TETO Indonesia while applying for my visa and also when I was getting my ARC done at the local immigration office. They recommended that I take this Mandarin class.

On the first day of class, it hit me for real – As I predicted, there were actually two Indonesians in class but the other one was never around for the entire class duration. So, I ended up being the sole Indonesian soul in the room 😢 my quest to find Indonesian pals crashed and burned. The majority of the students hailed from the Philippines and Vietnam. They effortlessly formed their own squads, sticking to their native tongues for conversations. It felt a bit isolating being the odd one out. 

Actually, back in Indonesia, I once briefly learned about the concept of Bopomofo, but it was just a passing thing. Now, it's like I'm diving headfirst into learning Zhuyin. It's a bit of a struggle for me because I'm still not used to reading those Zhuyin characters.

I thought we would learn Zhuyin Fuhao until the end of the class, but it turns out the material only goes until the middle of the class, and then we were given a new book by the school.

Oh, we're also taught about the origins of Hanzi characters. It's fascinating how these characters evolved from depictions of objects over time, culminating in the complex script we use today. However, the stark contrast between the original depictions and the current characters makes it quite challenging to commit them to memory. It's a bit of a headache, to be honest! 😆

I find learning Hanzi easier compared to grasping Zhuyin. Perhaps it's because Zhuyin is entirely new to me, and I haven't quite gotten the hang of reading it yet. In my everyday life and from the start of learning Mandarin, I've been more accustomed to memorizing Hanzi. So, encountering Hanzi material feels like revisiting familiar lessons, even though there are occasional new characters and words whose meanings I'm yet to discover. Nonetheless, it's been beneficial—my Mandarin vocabulary has notably expanded in this class.. 

I thought Taiwanese food would be similar to Chinese food in Indonesia. They are delicious and mantap betul, right? But when I arrived here, I realized that the taste is completely different from Chinese food in Indonesia. Chinese food di Indonesia mungkin udah diubah dan dimodifikasi sedemikian rupa supaya rasanya bisa cocok di lidah orang Indonesia tapi most of chinese food disini rasa aslinya hambar dan gak ada gurih-gurih nya sama sekali, ini mungkin karena kebanyakan warlok emang ga suka pake MSG dan mereka juga gak suka (atau mungkin gak terbiasa) makanan yang rasanya strong. Apa mungkin karena keterbatasan rempah dan bumbu kali ya? jadi warlok terbiasa bikin makanan yang hambar dan rasa seadanya. No wonder kenapa Belanda dan Jepang dulu ngejajah Indonesia demi rempah-rempah, karena di negara lain rempah-rempah emang sedikit. Kalopun ada, mesti dapet import dari luar, dan harganya tentu gak semurah di warung sayur di Indonesia 

Awal-awal stay disini, these authentic chinese food ga bisa masuk sama sekali di tenggorokanku karena selain hambar, rasa bumbu nya juga kadang aneh di lidahku. Aku menyiasati nya dengan cara menambahkan saos ABC di makanan nya. At least, ada rasa yang bisa aku rasain walaupun cuma rasa saos, but so far it works for me. Jadi selama disini, aku selalu nyetok saos ABC di rumah ataupun di tas. In case, sewaktu-waktu ada yang ngajak makan chinese food, minimal aku bisa ikut makan juga.

Btw menurutku makanan yang hambar ini cuma berlaku untuk makanan asli china dan taiwan aja ya. Untuk makanan luar seperti makanan amerika, jepang, atau indonesia, mereka tetep bikin sesuai dengan rasa aslinya. Cuma untuk makanan luar ini emang harganya lebih mahal ketimbang makanan lokal.

Aku gak begitu shock sih sama konsep self service di kedai atau restaurant Taiwan karena restaurant di Indonesia pun sudah ada yang pake konsep ini, contohnya Solaria, dimana kita ambil kertas dan pen sendiri, tulis pesenan sendiri, dan dateng ke kasir sendiri buat kasih tau pesenan kita. Beda nya di Taiwan, kita harus beresin bekas makan kita, kaya buang sampah / sisa makanan ke tong sampah yang disediakan, kadang bawa alat makan kita ke tempat khusus juga. Yang bikin shock buat aku malah penulisan jumlah pesenan di kertas pesenan kita dengan penggunaan 正 

Selain saos ABC, aku juga harus selalu sedia air minum kemanapun aku pergi karena aku punya kebiasaan harus minum air sebelum dan sesudah makan, sedangkan kedai-kedai kecil disini jarang (malah hampir gak ada) yang jual atau kasih minuman ke pelanggan. Yes, they let our throat "seret" even after eating 😭😭😭 cuma resto-resto besar yang nyediain air untuk customer. Padahal kalo di Indonesia, jangankan kedai, sekelas tukang bubur atau mie ayam gerobak aja kalo kita makan di tempat, mereka pasti nyediain minimal air teh atau air putih dari teko, kan?

Selama di Taiwan, aku pernah diundang beberapa kali untuk makan bareng keluarga lokal sini. Tradisi makan bersama keluarga Taiwan ternyata nasi nya cuma semangkok kecil sedangkan lauk yang disediain banyak banget jenisnya (bisa 3-5 jenis lauk) dan lauk sebanyak itu harus diabisin dalam satu sesi makan. Sangat berbanding terbalik sama kebiasaan keluargaku yang biasanya cuma serve lauk paling banyak 2 macem tapi nasi nya kudu sepiring metung, itupun diusahakan agar makan lauk nya sesedikit mungkin supaya bisa dimakan lagi buat makan selanjut nya🤭 Pantes aja ya orang sini pinter-pinter, ternyata mereka lebih banyak makan gizi nya ketimbang makan karbo nya doang wkakak

Rata-rata toilet di Taiwan, baik rumahan atau umum, jarang banget ada yang nyediain semprotan air buat cebok kaya di Indonesia. Rata-rata mereka cuma nyediain tisu roll kering ala ala toilet western. Sampe sekarang, aku selalu ngerasa gak bersih kalo cebok cuma pake tisu kering. Kalo di rumah sendiri sih, aku masih bisa cebok pake gayung isi air kaya di Indonesia, tapi gak mungkin dong ya kalo aku harus bawa-bawa gayung kalo lagi keluar, in case mau pip atau pup di toilet umum 😂 jadi gantinya, aku selalu bawa bidet sprayer portable (pic diatas) sbg pengganti semprotan air kalo mau buang air di toilet umum.

Di Indonesia, kita ga perlu pusing ngebedain jenis-jenis sampah dan tinggal langsung buang tapi di Taiwan, kita harus pisahin antara sampah biasa, sampah bekas makanan, sama sampah recycle karena mobil pengangkut untuk sampah biasa dan sampah recycle itu beda.

Di Taiwan, bukan cuma pengendara mobil atau motor yang harus manut sama lampu lalu lintas tapi pejalan kaki juga, jadi kalo kita mau nyebrang khususnya di zebra cross, kita gak bisa asal nyebrang kaya di Indonesia. Pejalan kaki juga harus memperhatikan lampu lalu lintas saat menyebrang di jalan. Kalo enggak, si pejalan kaki juga bisa kena tilang polisi lho. Apalagi di Taiwan ini cctv jalan ada dimana-mana.

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Well itu tadi beberapa culture shocks yang aku alami selama tinggal di Taiwan. Aku bersyukur banget karena di Taiwan lumayan banyak orang Indonesia nya, jadi kita bisa sharing-sharing soal culture shocks kita masing-masing dan gimana kita menyiasati nya. Semoga tulisanku ini bisa bermanfaat dan menjadi gambaran juga bagi yang mau jalan-jalan atau stay di Taiwan.