Over my two weeks in Indonesia, I felt like I was in a dream. It wasn’t that everything was perfect; there are many imperfections and struggles in Indonesian life. However, I felt extremely comfortable there. I tried to relate this to the other Southeast Asian countries I have visited and loved, like Cambodia and Laos. But there are very few similarities. Indonesia has much more obvious extreme wealth next to extreme poverty. It has hundreds of languages and thousands of islands, each with cultural differences. Compared to everywhere else I have been, Indonesia actually reminds me the most of China: diversity, sprawl, inequity, pollution, ancient history, natural wonders, modern high rises, and a massive young population focused on a modern, developed future. Maybe I feel a real connection with large countries. To Americans, the USA is the center of the universe; to Indonesians, their nation is the center. It all depends on your point of view.
prayer at Indonesia's largest mosque
I thought that spending my last day in the capital of Jakarta would help me understand my feelings on Indonesia. It just complicated things even further. By the generosity of the university in Malang, I stayed at a very nice hotel near the airport. The only other thing near there is a mall, since it is basically a Jakarta suburb. But actually, visiting malls in suburbs of Asian countries is a fun cultural experience. In the entire mall I did not see one Westerner. When I bought a shirt for 10,000 rupiah ($1) the young women who worked at the stall were very excited to practice their English “thank you.” Malls are much more scattered and open in Southeast Asia than in the West. This mall was definitely a hangout spot for the local teenagers. (Which means many of them said “Hello sir!” to me. I am guessing they haven’t learned the difference in gender words.)
inside the mall near my hotel
In order to get from my suburb to the actual city of Jakarta, my only option was a taxi. In most cities I have visited, especially capital cities, there is a city center, a downtown, or someplace that you can walk around a bit to get a feeling for the place. In Indonesia, this does not exist. At first I just made this conclusion on my own. Then I met some English teachers, one Scottish one American, and asked them about city centers. “There are no city centers in Indonesia,” one said. Confirmed. So, you can imagine, with no city center, everything is spread out. How do you get from one place to another? Motorbike. “No one walks here,” one of the teachers told me. Confirmed again. Since I did not have a motorbike in Jakarta, I was stuck with a taxi. But this idea of no city centers, no public transportation, and no pedestrians really stands out to me when I think of Indonesia. My taxi brought me to Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. There you get a free guide in English and a walk around the mosque to learn about its history. It was designed by a Christian and it is actually across the street from a Catholic church, so the guide focused a lot on Indonesia’s religious tolerance. “We are moderate Muslims.” he repeated. Like I said before, Indonesia has been a great place to learn about Islam.
me and the dome of istiqlal mosque
The other major site in Jakarta is the National Monument, or Monas in Indonesian. It’s a freedom monument, a reminder that Indonesia was once colonized by many different foreign powers. Monas is a giant pillar with a golden flame on top, surrounded by huge roads and acres of grass and palm trees. Apparently you are able to go up the tower and also see some small museum inside the monument, but I could not find the entrance. Parts of Monas are really beautiful, but other parts are covered in trash and not kept up. But the greatest part about Monas is the amounts of people just hanging out there. In other parts of Southeast Asia, I have been able to easily find parks where families picnic and boys play soccer. This is the only place like that I found in Indonesia. Food and drink vendors are stretched across the pathways, a toilet in trailer sits at one entrance, and kites flutter in the sky. I was there in the early evening, so families were happy to be outside as the sun was setting to make way for the cooler weather. Walking around Monas reminded me of being in Tiananmen Square in Beijing because so many young people walked up to me to take my photo. The only difference is that more Indonesians speak little bits of English. “Hello miss, can I have a photo with you? Can I have your email address? Will you be my facebook friend?” Indonesian teenagers are not shy.
Monas in the late afternoon. If you look closely you can see the kites in the sky.
The only real conclusion I can make about Indonesia is that I love it. It’s a love that makes my heart ache, like the way I feel about St. Louis and Copenhagen. I’m not sure if I would love it if I didn’t have such wonderful friends as guides in both Java and Bali. I think they helped Indonesia feel like my home. I want more people to visit there, not because it is an island paradise or for the exotic food and art, but because it is an example of how different life can be on this planet. Understanding this is so important to me; I want to be constantly reminded that my home is just a small slice humankind, and nothing gives me the right to assume my way of living is better than anyone else’s. Travel is funny in this way. For me, travel gives me confidence that I can do anything I put my mind to. But at the same time, it brings me modesty. While I am strong and able, I am also small and powerless. I take the first steps, but the world is really in charge. I am just along for the ride.
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