Dating a Javanese girl – Part I

Bali has expats from all over the world living here including what I sometimes refer to as local-expats. People from Java, Sumatra and other islands come here for work and that adds another dimension to the social scene. For a westerner thinking about dating a girl from Java there are a few tips you should know.

Firstly, parts of Java do not get tourists and it is likely you are the first foreigner she has dated, its all new. Her understanding of western culture is going to be skewed and expectations can be wildly out of whack. I know expats who have started dating a new girlfriend only to have her quit her job and try to move in. When dating a girl from Java you have to remember her situation. She came to Bali for work, sometimes that might be a job in a hotel, restaurant or shop, other times it might mean being the full-time girlfriend of a westerner. There are plenty of girls over here who have no interest in a regular job realizing their best chance in life is to find a western guy to look after them. The best strategy is to avoid girls without jobs if you are planning on a relationship that lasts longer than a weekend. The ones who work generally are honest and expect to pull their own weight.