That's why English is the everyday language at home. He was eight years old when they returned to Indonesia. Now 10, he still thinks in English. Gilang regularly studies English-language books and shows a keen interest in social sciences. Returning to Jakarta has meant adjusting to the local education environment, where Indonesian children are not allowed to attend international schools.
Problems also arise in public places.
But that doesn't really worry me, because it is all part of giving my children a better life. After the Communist revolution in 1949, Liang didn't speak English for 30 years. Grammar is still his greatest problem. But to tell you the truth, I don't think it's so important. Foreigners speak bad Chinese all the time, but if the message comes through, you don't hear that.