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12 Mar 2006
Aku Bangga Indonesia #2

Not quite a sequel to this, but well...

BTW, what's with the back-to-back serious entries? At the current rate I'll be writing about RUU APP before the weekend is over. Must be the result of torturing my body (reached home at 4, tallied the votes until 7, played basketball at 9, watched football until 3, played badminton at 8 -- all times AM) over the weekend.

A long time ago on a homepage far, far away, I declared, "I'm an Indonesian (and I'm proud to be one!)" Guess what, I still am. I won't go as far as saying it is the best thing that has ever happened to me (it's not -- that's Pool winning in Istanbul) but being an Indonesian (and getting reminded of it) always strums a patriotism chord somewhere in my battered body.

(Yes, talkin' 'bout blogging at its best.)

I don't know what's wrong with me, but ever since I was a small kid, I've spent way too much time cheering for fellow Indonesians. In most cases, it's sports. I still remember my first Thomas Cup final. Rudy Hartono and Liem Swie King were both beaten and we eventually lost 2-3 to China. This small boy cried then. Years later Indonesia played Malaysia in the semifinal. My parents wouldn't let me finish watching since it was late and the next day was Monday. I went to bed, but strained my ears to listen to what my mom and dad had to say -- or groan, for most part. That night we lost for the first time in a Thomas Cup semifinal. I didn't cry -- was too old for it -- but I bit my lips hard and hardly slept that night.

Same goes for events like SEA Games and Asian Games and to some extent the Olympic Games. Whenever I could, I always tried to catch live telecasts of our athletes competing. I stayed up late to catch the Games journals on the good ol' TVRI. I pumped my fist high when some Indonesian karateka or fencer or even golfer and chess player won something. Never matters that I don't know the names or anything about the sports; it's an Indonesian, it's Indonesia.

Outside sports there have not been much to cheer about. But I recall being extremely proud when DR Pratiwi Sudarmono was named one of the astronauts to take part in a space shuttle mission. Or when some Indonesian hacker was apprehended after successfully penetrating -- hmm, a well known bank or something in the US, can't remember.

Maybe it's the fact that I'm now living in another country that makes me more sensitive, but reading in mailing lists complaint after complaint from fellow Indonesians back home, I can't help but feel ticked off. I mean, seriously, reading those emails, you get the impression what a horrible country Indonesia is. From its government (everyone's favorite) to its people ("babu mentality"). From its technology ("the infrastructure sucks") to its users ("why buy original if the pirated is there"). Well, surely you know.

Look, things are not always well back home. And yes, there's a lot -- and I mean a lot -- of room for improvement. But please, guys, this is our country. How would you feel if your bro constantly finds bad things to say about your dad? How would you feel if your wife keeps going on and on about how terrible your house looks?

What's worse is that we sometimes -- consciously or not -- tell foreigners these bad things about home. Sometimes almost with a trace of pride. Look at my country, see how bad it is? You won't survive a day there. Crossing a road safely is a challenge. So is finding a working payphone. And on and on and on.

Criticisms are good when delivered properly. Yet, the line between criticizing and incessant nagging is a fine one.

The neighbor's grass is always greener. Take a closer look at some of the other countries, perhaps then we'll realize how lucky we are to have been born Indonesians.

I, for my part, will continue eating Indonesian instant noodles -- the best in the world -- and anything else in the wide variety of Indonesian fantastic food I can lay my hands on.

Current music: Gank Pegangsaan - Dirimu
Current mood: happy

Posted by at 12:22 PM WIB
Comments

Having lived abroad before, I understand how you feel (reading full-of-complaints mailing list digests). I have to say that I updated myself more about the country when I was not in Indonesia than I am now (residing back in Jkt). Now that I'm here, it's like all these craps get to be daily consumption. Traffic, corruption findings, ugly infrastructure, etc. I kinda get used to it and complain much less (not to say I do not care, though).

Talking about criticism, I hate how citizens judge very quickly toward some real devoted people in this country. It takes time to heal a wreckaged place like ours, no? Yet, all those mahasiswa can do is street protest. Think about it, doing this you cause traffic, and thus, wasting the so-called limited, pricey petrol. Sometimes I feel most protesters are blind and (super duper) uneducated. Yikes! Narrow-minded people.

PS: I SUPPORT PIRACY of foreign products (music, movies, softwares, etc) but I always buy original Indonesian music CD's and movies :-D

Posted by on Mar 12, 2006 8:13 PM WIB

Setuju tentang orang-orang yang terlalu cepet protes. Tapi ya udahlah, mungkin protes ini-itu adalah salah satu cara mereka cope dengan segala kesesakan itu. Ada yang caranya guyon, ada yang caranya protes. Selama itu bikin mereka tetep waras ya udah deh, gua toleransi aja.

Lagian beberapa dari tukang protes itu adalah temen-temen sendiri. Masak benci ama temen sendiri? Benci tapi rindu entar.

BTW, Benci Tapi Rindu adalah lagunya Diana Nasution. He he he, ada juga gunanya ikutan milis 80-an.

Posted by on Mar 13, 2006 7:26 AM WIB

gue percaya kalo emang mau lebih baik keadaannya, kita bisa kok melakukannya bareng bareng. lagian pendidikan juga udah lebih baik, orang juga lebih conscious untuk nggak ngelakuin hal hal yang ngerugiin masyarakat kayak antri atau buang sampah sembarangan.

tapi tetep aja, yang badak juga masih banyak (kalo bison sih cuma satu). dan gue empet juga ngeliat organisasi banyak penyakit kek FBR ama FPI yang nggak penting pisan tuh masih dibiarin.

yah nggak ada yang sempurna lah. ini dunia gitu loh. tinggal di negara sanitasi gini aja gue masih garuk garuk jidat liat orang moshing ditarik dari crowd. halah gak penting.

gue cuma berharap suatu saat Indonesia jadi negara yang aman, bersih, kagak korup, ngga miskin dan bebas polio serta busung lapar. amin ya allah.

ren, postingnya yang ceria dikit kek. tanggung bulan gini, udah miskin. kalo batin nggak dihibur makin merana jeng.

Posted by on Mar 13, 2006 12:43 PM WIB

Indonesia emang sucks. Tapi yah, banyak kok sisi positipnya kalo mau dilihat, yang gak mungkin ada di negara laen.

Dengan kata lain, semua negara punya masalah. Kitanya aja yang harus sama-sama benerin kebobrokannya. Minimal dari diri dan keluarga kita sendiri. Kalau semua keluarga (baca: pilar bangsa) kokoh dan kuat, ke atasnya juga kuat.

Mau nggak gue traktir ayam goreng kremes di Pamulang?

Posted by on Mar 20, 2006 4:02 PM WIB

Mau dong!

Posted by on Mar 20, 2006 6:30 PM WIB

Ya udah maen yah ke Pamulang kalo lo balik. Nindyo sudah mengakui kehebatan ayam ini.

Posted by on Mar 22, 2006 4:25 PM WIB

Indonesians eh! The new British! Spread the wings of the Indonesian empire into some poor bastards country and commit genocide! (Yes, I,m referring to West Papua.) Those people are Melanesian, not Indonesian. Send your pox ridden, HIV infected security forces into the area backed up with your poxy prostitutues in government established brothels 'cause we know how fucking and fighting go together eh! The United Nations and the Australian Government are as weak as shit to allow this to happen. May those brave West Papuans continue to repel the chicken shit Indo soldiers on the border - Be warned, the worst is yet to come. Remember: "WHEN TYRANNY BECOMES LAW, RESISTANCE BECOMES DUTY"

Posted by on Apr 07, 2006 7:31 AM WIB

Err, OK.

Posted by on Apr 07, 2006 5:19 PM WIB

gee....i like this post. go on writing about our nation, man.I'll put you in my blog.

Posted by on Jul 04, 2008 1:14 PM WIB

Senangnya :)

Posted by on Jul 05, 2008 6:50 AM WIB

Aaaah... entry dari jaman sebelum gw sadar akan akan "eksistensi" loe :lol:

Ngomong2 tentang "Aku Bangga Indonesia", kenapa juga tuh entry-nya dalam Bahasa Inggris? Bangga Indonesia, tapi tidak bangga bahasanya? Coba ingat pelajaran PMP tentang Sumpah Pemuda: Satu Nusa, Satu Bangsa, Satu Bahasa... nggak bisa dikredit... hehehe...

*BTW, gak pindah ke Nigeria aja, Ren? Di sana Indomi jadi makanan pokok ;)*

Posted by on Jul 07, 2008 9:21 AM WIB

Kan biar menjangkau masyarakat dunia luas, git git, Jeng.

Perasaan Sumpah Pemuda adanya di PSPB deh. PMP itu adanya Butir-Butir. Butir-Butir Penyesalan? :)

Posted by on Jul 07, 2008 1:57 PM WIB

Ih.. tak sangka ada cowok baca novel Butir-Butir Penyesalan :-p Gak macho deh ;)

Posted by on Jul 08, 2008 7:22 PM WIB

Gua sangat nyaman dengan seksualitas gua, Jeng.

Posted by on Jul 09, 2008 8:40 AM WIB
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