Where to hire DJ for private party

Hello,
Do you know where to find a local dj to play at a house party here in southern Jakarta? I would appreciate any contact info you have. Thank you.
Dionne

Hi Dionne,
You can contact DJ Budi - he usually DJ-ing in BATS.
WhatsNewJakarta.com been using him and referring him many times and all of them are happy with his job.
His fee including sound system and lighting around 5 - 6,5 juta depend on what your request. You can just call him and negotiate directly with him.
His contact number is 08161425328.
You can mention Deisy Wong - from What's New Jakarta gave you the contact.
Cheers!

Where to hire a cleaning lady

(Emmanuel)
Hi Kelly and Lara, We are new in town and we are wondering if you could recommend us a company to hire someone to do the cleaning at out apartment, we do not want one living here, we would like her/him to come 2 or 3 times a week. Any reliable company or person that provide the service? Cheers

The Answer
( Lara ) Hello Emmanuel and welcome to Jakarta!! There are a few options for you here. If you stop in to JICC (Jakarta International Community Center) located in South Jakarta @ Jl Kemang Dalam X No E6A. (62 21) 7179 2813 / http://www.jicconline.com they have a staff registry which takes place every Monday and Wednesday from 10 am to 12 pm. The staff there are prescreened and with references. Another option is to put an ad out with Mary Ann Wiley, a long standing member of our community who is also a caterer. As a professional courtesy, she runs the Jakarta version of the Craig's List (items for sale/looking to purchase, staff reference letters). Her email address is mary.a.wiley@gmail.com or wileychj@rad.net.id
Also on the cleaning service, Santa Fe does offer that service. :). If you send her your ad, she will post it almost immediately. Finally, have you picked up a copy of the Jakarta Shopper's Guide? If not, I would like to recommend that you do. You may purchase them at a few bookstores around town. This book is a must for newcomers. Let us know if you run in to any snags :).

(Kelly) Hi Emmanuel, In Indonesia with the cost of labour being so affordable most people employ a full time maid. If you only want a part-time maid I would first suggest 2 things.

1. Check if your apartment offers a servicing option. Some do but it would probably be cheaper to hire your own staff, but more convenient for you if they do.

2. Ask around people you meet living at the same apartment block. Quite often people are willing to share a maid as their circumstances have changed and not longer require full time staff. e.g. children have left home etc.

There are yayasans out there that train domestic staff for hire but I find these are usually only used by locals looking for staff. Most expats will hire their maids through word of mouth or from references left at various associations. ANZA (Australia & NZ Association) and BWA (British Women's Association) have staff registers. These are just a drop off point for expats leaving town to leave their staff references or staff looking for jobs to drop off old references. No reference checks are made this is left up to the prospective employer. A lot of staff are hired through these sources.

JICC (Jakarta International Community Centre) offer a service where they will help you and interview staff on a certain day each week.

You will find it easy to find live-out staff as these days most domestic staff prefer to live-out. Finding someone to work only 2 to 3 days per week will be the difficult part. Most staff cannot afford to live on a part-time wage so they would always be looking for a full time job.

My advice would be to find a maid to share with someone at your apartments or hire a full time maid. Expats usually pay a salary for a full time maid from approx Rp1,300,000-2,000,000 per month. (inclusive of travel allowance). You would normally also provide basic food like rice, noodles, water, coffee and tea plus a small cooking facility. Check out this staff salary survey for more info; www.expat.or.id/info/2008-AWA-HouseholdStaffSalarySurvey.pdf
Check out this website for useful staff info;
www.expat.or.id/info/info.html#Staff
Good luck and just be aware finding the right staff member can sometimes happen easily and other times it may take several attempts to get the right person but once you find the right person it makes life here so much easier.

Other contacts
ANZA PH 7179 3042 Mon-Fri 9am-1pm (Please phone for address details)
BWA PH 719 5283 Mon-Fri 9am-12noon (Please phone for address details)
JICC PH 7179-2813,

Where to buy traveler's cheques?

(Michael) Hi, Is there anywhere in Jakarta I can buy traveler's cheques?
Thanks

(Lara ) Dear Michael, This question proved to be a bit trickier than I had anticipated. I checked around at most of the local banks and found out that in almost all cases you need to have an account. I have two suggestions and recommendations:

1. Ask a friend to assist you that has a bank account here as they can obtain travelers checks in their own bank (if have an account)

2. Bank Mandiri will do with maximum of rp 25 million. They have in 1 million, 5 million, 10 million and 25 million denominations.

Good luck and let us know how this goes. In the past, the larger banks (IE: HSBC and Citibank used to offer these services to persons that did not hold a bank account. Now a bit more difficult).

(Kelly) Hi Michael, I see Lara has already done some investigating so can I just make a suggestion. Travellers Cheques seem so old fashioned these days as with a world of credit cards and ATM cards that work world wide why not go the modern option.

You will find traveller’s cheques are no longer widely accepted by retailers. You will need to go to a bank to change and always carry extra ID. I’m not sure where you’re planning on going but most bank’s ATM debit cards will work all around the world. Sure you’ll be charged for using them but just make sure you withdraw a decent amount each time to save on fees.

A mixture of cash and ATM cards (plus a credit card if you have one) usually is all you need these days. Some banks overseas also have a travel cards which are a reloadable visa card you can buy. It is topped up and used like a debit card so you can only spend what you have.

Or alternatively you can do what the locals do and take wades of USD$.

Where Pasir Keramik dan Rotan (ceramics & rattan market) has moved to?

(Liz) Do you know where Pasir Keramik dan Rotan (ceramics & rattan market) has moved to?It used to be on Jl. Pramuka opposte the Jl. Jend.Ahmad Yani toll road in Cempaka Putih. We went there last week and it had moved!

Thanks for your help,

Liz

(K&L) Dear Liz, The address for the ceramics is- jl kebon bawang 5 no6. A shop my friend uses is toko Juni. The whole street is ceramics/glassware. Not sure about rattan market though. Good luck!

Where to Buy Wine and European Cheese in Jakarta

( Win) Hi Kelly & Lara,
Would you please recommend us for shop to buy Wine and European cheese in Jakarta.
Many thanks, Win

(Kelly & Lara) Dear Winarto, you can fine the shop list by visit : http://www.whatsnewjakarta.com/web3/event/GuideList.php?cboGroup=29
or You can also try Kem Chicks in Kemang area which has a walk in freezer of a fine assortment of cheeses. Also at Kem Chicks they have a decent assortment of imported wines. You can also try VIN in Kemang which imports a wide variety of wines but those can be a bit pricey. If you are looking for something in particular you can often times request such and they will locate for you. Another source you can try is Johan 720-3459. Most of the grocery stores have cheeses as well but that is a hit and miss thing. Good luck!! Happy Shopping!