Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Partnership Village

I always try to feel grateful for the gifts that Allah has presented to me throughout my whole eighteen years of living, and I feel like being blessed by my surroundings.

Again, I got another great chance to be able to visit a different community within my American life. The church where my host parents goes to has a Partnership Village that they assist for years. The term "Partnership" means that the church tries to help fund the development of the community and sometimes help sponsoring some family by loaning them place to stay with low pay while they're searching for a new home.

I had a great experience in the Partnership Village. Both me and Aizada went there for the first time and met wonderful little kids around seven or six that being dropped by their parents there, since their parents have to work night shift or else.

If I were to tell you about what I saw that day... I wouldn't. Everything is hard to explain, because you can see from all of the kids' faces about how hard their life is and how they appreciate the fun times they spent with the church. Finding the children with church.

Anyway,
I felt being blessed more by Allah through the opportunity of visiting three and knowing them through their story.

We were playing a short play about Lazarus that's being brought back from death, and the lady from the church then discussed about it with the children. What so sad was when a little kid said,
"My father died but he didn't come back to life..."

I was startled and quiet for a moment. How sometimes those simple honest words from a little kid can hurt you so bad...

To me, nothing is more saddening than seeing somebody suffer yet they don't mind sharing it.

Like seeing those little kids sharing their loves without knowing how people feel pity about it.

America is not that fully prosper country, if anyone out there is interested to know. There are some people in here that have hard time with their life, and yes, we--Indonesians--do have too.

Grateful. The simplest thing on Earth you can do to make your life better. And stop thinking about it, believe me.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Birthdays or Whatsoever of my Indonesia

Birthdays or Whatsoever

Tomorrow will be my country’s Independence Day.
And I am away from it for this year.
Nothing really special happens in here, America.
Because They do not celebrate it. Nothing happens.
No national flags, no people gathering around and have some competitions.
No ceremony.
The bloody red and pure, naive white for the flag of Indonesia.

Nothing.
Just the usual day for here.
Tomorrow will be the day my country got her Independence 67 years ago.
The day that had been waited by my ancestors, 67 years ago.
The sacral day they kept talking about.
And I am not there.
Around my Indonesians.
Sixty seven years ago,
My country was being reborn. She finally got the formal birthday.
She was finally being reckoned by the world, although she needed to get through things after it.
Even now.
You know, they say that you know you love someone when you’re losing them.
When you’re away from them.
I once got a personality crisis, and yes, I know I’m proud for being an Indonesian.
Yes, birthdays or whatsoever you call it, I’m congratulating you, Indonesia.
Happy Birthday!
—-
Dina Puspita Sari
Written on Thursday, 16th August 2012 local time
17th August 2012 Indonesia time