Letter to Indonesia

Gili Trawangan

Dear Indonesia,

Where do I have to start? Should I congratulate and wish you first or scream out all of my concerns out, or should I do it the other way around? It’s not that easy to write, because you and I are no longer who we used to be. I change, you change, some of you are completely different, some are left behind and remain who they were.

Anyway, I was born in eighties, when I was younger I saw how your rivers and your ocean were much clearer, I bathed and swam in them, I did walk in the super thick forest where animal cheerfully sing. I played many games that take bamboos, coconut shells, a rag for blindfold or even just a big draw of some shapes on the ground. Did you remember that we used to have Sasak class at school? I even learned how to read the ancient manuscript and now I write you in English. Don’t you think it is odd? A few years ago I met Peter K. Austin, a linguist from Cambridge. He told me that my local tongue, Sasak is one of endangered languages and he came to documented it before it’s gone.

Indonesia, we are one, we are connected to each other, we affect each other. If you are gloomy, I can’t feel the sun. As in the late nineties my family went bankrupt due to 1997 financial crisis that you faced, it was hard but I did try to find the bright side. I am eternally grateful for no longer seen the blooded shed movie in every September. I don’t see any churches burned down, and the best now we have more schools that fully filled by students.

I know you are huge, are challenging to be managed and the problems keep piling up, corruption, educational system, crime, deforestation and other environmental issues, gender equality and there are still tons that you and I keep forgetting to address but I do hope in the near future you and I will enjoy a mature democracy in each aspects of our life where none people will be sentenced to death, you and I will be able to see each part of Indonesia on the ride of comfortable marine transportation, we will witness our government and younger generations are highly progressive in doing research, finding new medications and treatments, making new breakthroughs for creating sustainable living on earth. They are beautiful dreams aren’t they? They won’t remain just dreams. Happy Independence Day!

Love & Hug

Zi