what do u think about...

[candice star]

Indonesia
i know lots of ppl out there heard a lot of bad things happened in here. sometimes i'm ashamed of my country. but i just wanna know ur opinions bout my country
thanks

 

[sulawesigirl4]

Can you be a bit more specific?

Indonesia...it's such a diverse country, so many languages, people groups, cultures, lifestyles, islands, cities, flora and fauna, food. I grew up in Sulawesi and I wouldn't trade my time there for the world. As a foreigner living there, I wasn't directly affected by the Suharto regime, but when the crisis in 97 and 98 happened my parents were living in Java and close to some of the upheaval. Politically? I think it is a country on a tight-rope. I don't envy the position of President Megawati Sukarnoputri one bit. She has to try to bring together a HUGE nation with so many different interests and stakes that it is impossible to see how she could please everyone. Sometimes I hear the news of riots and killing in Poso (very close to where I grew up) or in Kalimantan (near my high school) and I feel both angry and heartbroken that such senseless violence could continue to be allowed. But still I hold out hope that given time and good policies, the country might have a chance to live up to the lofty ideals of "unity in diversity."

 

[candice star]

oooh, i lived in sulawesi(soutsh east sulawesi) too for 4 & a half years, Sula!

now i'm in Jakarta
bout the news of riots, i'm feeling the same way as u do.
i do feel proud of indonesia. there r hundreds of cultures here & i'm glad that i've spent most of my life in Riau & Sulawesi. but i think ppl outside Indonesia hav heard these bad news & they started to think that Indonesia is not save. well, lots of chaos or riots happened (& flood too

) but i still enjoy living here.