Dissimilar Home
I stood among the debris falling apart on Peunayong, a
Chinatown in Aceh, Indonesia's western most province. Half my body covered in black water came out from the deep sea flooded the city. On the right and left sides people try to pull out the
bodies lying on the rubble and cars were stuck on top of power pole. Cries
endlessly sounded from the corners of the remnants of life in the city of the
dead. Helicopters and airplanes passing busy. Trucks transporting corpses from and to mass burial sites. Animals also took part. Elephants
came down the mountain try to help lifting large wooden
logs spread across
the main streets of
the city. Aceh and the tsunami, December 26th 2014. Story will run to tens of years on our homeland, my father whispered
in between sobs next to me.
June 6, 2010, i began my resolution. I arrived in Yogyakarta,
another special region in Indonesia. But for an Acehnese like me, staying in Jogja is an irony. I am a native Acehnese who was genuine and raised in the land of Aceh while now I decided to settle migrate to Yogyakarta, home to three of the five former president of Indonesia, which in its history has a bad impression to conflict in Aceh because all the three presidents were Sukarno, Suharto and Megawati had held military operations in Aceh with a variety reasons.
another special region in Indonesia. But for an Acehnese like me, staying in Jogja is an irony. I am a native Acehnese who was genuine and raised in the land of Aceh while now I decided to settle migrate to Yogyakarta, home to three of the five former president of Indonesia, which in its history has a bad impression to conflict in Aceh because all the three presidents were Sukarno, Suharto and Megawati had held military operations in Aceh with a variety reasons.
But it is undeniable that Jogja, and whole of Java island is the lighthouse of knowledge in Indonesia. That’s the main reason i came here. Like it or not, I should be able to adapt, even to love my new environment.
