Living in a Kos

By Lia Thorpe
Curtin University of Technology

Before I departed for Indonesia the question upon everyone's lips was," Where are you going to live?" Apparently, I was going to live in a kos but what the hell was that? I didn't really know, so how could I explain it to someone else.

Please, DO NOT WORRY if you don't find a kos during your first few days or during Orientation. I found that a lot of people started stressing out because other Aussie students had found a kos and they hadn't. Interestingly, those people who had rushed in to find one eventually ended moving out to a different kos, as their initial ones had not worked out. It took me two weeks, trudging up and down alleyways, and knocking on numerous doors before I eventually stumbled upon the perfect kos.

My kos was located in a suburb called Pogung Baru, which was in walking distance from UGM. I lived with another westerner and eight Indonesian girls. My kos was relatively small (as some house up to 50 people). Rent was approximately Rp300,000 a month (Now the same place would cost Rp400-500,000 per month). Rent included an Indonesian breakfast every morning, washing, ironing and afternoon tea. I would highly recommend you to look for a kos that offers breakfast. It saves a lot of hassles in the morning as you rush out the door for uni. We also had the luxury in our kos of having western toilets, which was, in times of need, a true blessing.

The most important aspect of the kos is the people you live with. I understand that some foreign students were not accepted as readily into their kos, so it is really important that you choose carefully. If you are not happy, then just move out and find another. There really are millions of kos located throughout Yogya.

A real bond develops between the people who live in a kos. Being the new girl on the block and a foreigner is a novelty and talking piece. They want to know why you have fur on your arms (Indonesians don't have a lot of body hair and they call it fur), do we kiss our partners in public, what is a tampon and why are you so fat? It is an interesting barrage of questions, which answered in the right humour, provides entertainment for everyone. I often directed questions back such as Why do you have flat noses? why do you all want white skin? and why the hell do you sleep with the lights on?

The girls in my kos were fantastic and I formed many close friendships. Many nights were spent watching Beverley Hills 90210 (Yes I know, very daggy but popular then in Yogya) and gossiping about boyfriends etc. We had an Australian night for the girls in our Kos and cooked them Spag Bol. In return, they put together an Indo night for us with traditional dishes from their respective villages. Living in a kos made my Indonesian experience complete. I felt like an Indonesian because I lived like an Indonesian.