Bright or Dark?

Indonesia is in the middle of an emergency situation. By this, I don't mean bad things such as war or military coups. I mean, there are communication issues among citizens that make a healthy discussion impossible. Health is, of course, a broad term. Lately, students, academics, and think tanks have expressed their concerns over the political-economic situation. Their critical sentiment is enshrined in the popular colloquial term "Indonesia Gelap," which means "dark Indonesia." Not until recently did the government, via one of the ministers, commence a counter-campaign entitled "Indonesia terang" (Bright Indonesia).As an Indonesian citizen living abroad, I couldn't do anything except observe. All problems should be treated in detail and using a pragmatic and technocratic approach. I see...

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Good Morning, Indonesia

Good morning, Indonesia. This is a greeting from an Indonesian living in Birmingham, UK. I live in a distant country that many people long for. I used to dream of living and being a student in Europe or, at least, in East Asian countries. This was my dream, and I'm lucky enough to have finally experienced it. I have lived in this city since 2021. It is a big city, just like Jakarta, Indonesia. Yet, this city does not have the same situation as Jakarta. I mean, the crowd and traffic are less disorganized of a town as big as Birmingham.  This is a little note from me. The above paragraph does not capture all my views about this country and Birmingham in particular. The background for comparing Birmingham and Jakarta is contextual and situational, even cultural and political. I...

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