Differences in Culture: Indonesia vs. Switzerland

There is a huge Indonesian community living in Switzerland. Many have been here over decades, others just moved recently. Have you ever wondered whether Indonesians in Switzerland experience culture shock? And if yes, to what extent? Are there any cultural similarities between the Indonesian and the Swiss? Are the colors of our flags the only thing we have in common?

Here’s 3 differences between cultures that I’ve come across throughout my 10 years in Switzerland:

1. Calling people by their names

In Switzerland, or the Western culture in general, it is common to call people you know by their first name. For example, you would call your mom’s best friend “Sandra” or your neighbor “Peter”. In the Indonesian culture, we don’t do that. As traditions run deep in our roots and showing respect, especially to elders, is a big thing not only in Indonesia, but Asia as a whole, depending on who you address, there are different titles. Let me break it down:

A woman older than you by over 15 years (rule of thumb), you would call Tante/auntie which translates to aunt but this does not mean the woman is related to you. However, out of respect you wouldn’t just call her by her name. In this instance, I would call my mom’s best friend “Tante Sandra”.

For men older than you by about 15 years, you would call them Om, which translates to uncle. Again, this has nothing to do with your relation to the man. Out of respect you wouldn’t call them by their first name. So, if I were to talk to my best friend’s father, I would say “Om Thomas”.

For girls and guys just a bit older than you (rule of thumb being under 10 years), you would call them kakak or if you’re Chinese-Indonesian Cici (pronounced chi-chi) for girls older than you and koko for guys older than you. Kakak is very generalized however and can be used for guys and girls alike. In this case, because I’m Chinese-Indonesian, my siblings call me “Ci Val”.

2. Being late

Though this is a very general topic, and before I get yelled at, yes I know not all Indonesians are always late, and not all Swiss are always on time. Yes, I know. However, the majority of all Indonesians that I PERSONALLY know are late 90 % of the time, my mother included. (Sorry mom.) Just like the people, this also applies to public transportation. In Switzerland, we have a clear schedule on when our trains and busses arrive and more often than not, they arrive earlier and leave on time. In Indonesia, you wait at the bus stop, and you keep waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Yes, one could argue that the traffic in Jakarta is at fault, however the busses in Jakarta have their own “bus way” part of the street only for busses, but still they always run late.

3. Being obsessed with social media

   

Social media is very prominent in the Indonesian culture. Everyone, young and old, is active on Facebook and Instagram amongst other social media channels. Again, yes, I know, Swiss people are also active on social media channels, but I would argue to a lesser extent. Indonesians will always take a picture of their food, presents, and surroundings before actually enjoying them. Indonesians will walk, drive, eat, basically do any activity with their phones in their hands, scrolling through social media. On the other hand, in Switzerland, you tend to enjoy being in the moment, and if you’re “lucky” have documentation of your fun time in form of photos or videos. Indonesians will always be on Facebook or Instagram live documenting what event they’re at and what exactly they are doing. I guess in this sense, the Swiss are more private towards the public.

Amongst many differences, these are only a few that I felt were the most different between our cultures.

Comment down below your take on cultural differences, and what you have observed so far.

‘Til next time.

Valerie