Thursday, October 01, 2009

Gods and Terrorists

Actually I had never wanted to live in New York. I wanted to live in Jakarta.

At one stage I quit my job to go to Indonesia. My boss at the time told me that that was nonsense and that I could always transfer to New York. So I decided to give New York a year.

And here I am, a year on, quite content. Great colleagues and great pals.

The best line I have heard about America in the past year, is that it was built for arriving - not leaving.

Yet there's something about Indonesia that draws me back. Whatever it is, it is terminal.

Unfortunately there are no outward signs of terminal Indonesia-itus. Therefore workmates ask me whether I will be going after the terrorist bombings and friends ask me whether I will still jump on the plane headed for Jakarta tomorrow in the wake of the earthquake in Padang and Pariaman.

I tell them that neither acts of terrorism nor acts of god will stop me from returning to that place.

It's special. I need to figure out how to communicate that to people who know no better.

6 comments:

triesti said...

take more pix, AND show it to people for a start. Like the ones you took in Aceh LAST year but nowhere to be seen :P

As to talk to New Yorkers, they had the same terrorist problem before. Why didnt they move out of NYC?

delvi said...

ceh... welcome home brother!

mousharilla said...

Because Jakarta is special :D Once you fall in love, that's it.. You can't help but come back again.. and again.. and again. Hehe!

Unknown said...

er mousharilla... i think jakarta-itus is some kinda smelly fungal infection : )) haha

Winy said...

mm...funny...i always want to "nyicipin" new york :D
first time landed, interested to dig more..

Unknown said...

thx winy!