Local Woman Shocked to Discover She’s Been Waiting for Expat Boyfriend to Save Her
Local woman shocked to discover she’s been waiting to be saved by man who hasn’t held a job since Q3 of 2022. “He means well,” she says.
JAKARTA — 29-year-old Indonesian product manager Nadia Prasetyo was stunned to learn that she has, in fact, been subconsciously waiting her entire life to be saved by her British boyfriend Joel, 33, who moved to Jakarta four months ago to “find meaning outside the rat race.”
“I didn’t know I was lost,” said Nadia, who leads a 14-person team at a regional tech unicorn and owns two condos. “But Joel has been gently pointing out all the ways my life lacks ‘structure’ and ‘stability’ since our third date, so I guess he must be onto something.”
Joel, originally from Manchester and currently between jobs, recently posted an Instagram story captioned, “Find someone who needs your strength 💪✨.” He did not tag Nadia, but included a photo of her laptop screen open to a Google Sheet and added the caption, “Helping her organise her thoughts.”
Friends close to the couple report that Joel first identified Nadia’s “need for guidance” when she arrived five minutes late to a rooftop dinner he forgot to book.
“He said it was a teaching moment,” said Nadia’s close friend, Rika. “He told her that she could benefit from ‘accountability rituals.’ Meanwhile, he’s been using her Gojek account, and Netflix password since week two.”
“He keeps saying, ‘I’m not like other bule,’ which I guess is true,” said Nadia. “Most of them don’t give unsolicited business advice while I’m trying to chop garlic.”
Sources confirm Joel has recently begun “mentoring” Nadia on career alignment, despite having left his last role in digital marketing due to “misalignment with management over their outdated views on lunchtime.”
According to Joel, the relationship is not just romantic, but part of a “broader journey of impact.”
“I’m here to empower,” he explained. “I’m showing her what’s possible. Sometimes she gets defensive when I offer feedback, but that’s just resistance to growth. It’s textbook.”
When asked what specifically he was offering guidance on, Joel paused and said, “You know. Life stuff. Boundaries. Systems. Energy. She’s got all the raw materials. She just needs… a framework.”
While Nadia says she is “mostly amused,” friends have begun holding interventions.
“At first we thought he was just a phase,” said Rika. “But then he started giving TED Talk energy during brunch.”
Despite this, Nadia remains gracious.
“I think he means well,” she said. “And sometimes he helps with groceries. Or at least takes pictures of them for content.”
She did note, however, that Joel seemed slightly thrown when she mentioned she was exploring a career move to Singapore, and asked if he might be interested in finding a job there too.
“He said it felt a bit sudden, and asked if we could slow down while he reconnects with his purpose,” she said. “Then he asked if I’d mind paying for his visa.”
Joel is now reportedly reevaluating the relationship and considering whether Nadia might be “too independent to receive what he offers.” He is also exploring the possibility of a YouTube channel to help other men “lead consciously in cross-cultural contexts.”
As of press time, Joel was seen updating his LinkedIn bio to “Strategic Partner to Emerging Female Leaders in Southeast Asia,” and had started drafting an ebook titled “The Empowered Expat: Building Love, Legacy, and Leadership Abroad.”
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