Dedicated for Indonesia

I love the blue of Indonesia
It's the flavor in the air
I love the blue of Indonesia
You can taste everywhere
I love the blue of Indonesia
It’s my kind of blue
(song from one of Bentoel’s Ads)

I’ve heard this song few years back then.
I don’t remember in which year to be exact,
I just felt that I like the song as a whole: the rhythm, the wordings, the voice.
Those things really reminded me the beauty of the nature of my country.
That’s all. So simple.

But the feeling has changed now.
Since I’m not in Indonesia for the last 2.5 years or to be more precise, almost 3 years – oh yes, I still had some trip back to my hometown, Jakarta or even Bali- but I’m referring to the fact that I don’t stay there most of the time.
How I missed Indonesia.
Starting from the food, the atmosphere, the friendship, the warmth, or even the traffic jam…
Hmmm, I don’t really know the progress of this jam, especially in Jakarta, because I’ve heard from some of my relatives and friends that it has become worse, anyway, every single thing, even though it’s imperfect, seems to have drag me more and more to this feeling. I miss my hometown, my country, my Indonesia.

This note is slightly late than our Independence Day, but the feeling that I want to share is just in time. It’s never too late to share the feelings, the way that I feel right now.
Maybe, like a friend said, you’ll never treasure something until you lost it. Or in other way, I’d like to say that maybe we don’t treasure it as much as we should, because sometimes we took it as a granted.
I remembered my days in Jakarta, there were times that I complained as well, about the traffic jam, about the indiscipline of many people while driving, queuing, or about the bribery/corruption there.
About few things and sometimes about many things as well.
Only to find that in the end, even though how imperfect my country is, I still love it.
Even in the midst of high tech world, high quality country, the feeling grows even deeper.
It’s strange, but it’s true.

Whatever it is, whatever it takes…
Wherever my life will bring me, to which country…
I will love you, my Indonesia
And I’ll remember the blue color of your sky, your nature, your beauty.
Hopefully I still have the chance to see the blue of Indonesia
Not contaminated by pollution…
And hopefully Indonesia will become a more mature country…
A more discipline one, a more developed one.
Wishing everything the best on your 64th birthday and the years ahead…

Singapore, August 20, 2009
-fon-
* Not in the mood of blue… And actually, I really love blue, it’s my favorite color:)