Beautiful Love

​Who am I? Why did God create me? What is this life for? I was a boy when some questions bothering my mind, bring me to a long way that I must go through, not easy but I have to survive and win.

Million peoples are born and die everyday. They live their life by their own way. I want to make something before I die. What should I do?Many problems need to be solved in Indonesia.Corruption, poverty, economic inequality, and so on.This is my opportunity to make something. So I choose my way to make a better future for Indonesia. I entered a business school ofDiponegoro University in Semarang and studied hard to learn how to grow economy also strengthen a country.

My nationalism grew stronger as the time passed. I like to learn Indonesian history and knew that in the past Indonesia has some enemies. How cruel they were. Our peoples be tormented and killed in our own land. They fought in an inequal war.I lived my whole life with a hatred of foreigners, specially they who come from the country that used to be Indonesia’s enemy. I couldn’t trust them, nor befriend with them. 

Brisbane, the first city outside Indonesia I visited that located in the state of Queensland, Australia. The city with a beautiful natural condition; clean air, free fresh water to drink, trees in every side, birds fly around, and jolly fish in city pond. I came there for leadership homestay program. GMB opened this program every year for its member. On 2016, it was opened to Australia, Japan, and Netherland.In the first time I applied, I just thought that’s fine. Australianever colonize Indonesia. They are in good economic condition. There might be something I can learn.

I lived with a very lovely family, Boyd and Mathilde.They taught me many things of Australian life and culture. I learned how Australian respect each others, how they care and protect their children seriously, and how they manage their time well. I loved to be with them. They treated me like their son. They brought me to many family events.It was a happiness for me to meet their family members.

One day, they brought me to Mathilde’s father. His name is Arie. He can speakbahasa well. He told me a little things about Soekarno, 10th November War in Surabaya, alsoIndonesia and East timor. I like him. He remebered me to Indonesia in Australia. But wait, how could he speak bahasa and know many things of Indonesian history? The fact really surprised me. He was a Dutch police, might be soldier. The army who fought Indonesian during 1945-1948. They did an aggression that killed many Indonesians twice, 21st July to 5th August on 1947 and 19th to 20th December on 1948. They tried to abort Indonesian independence.

What is this? I lived with Dutch family. I used to hate them. They were the peoples who took a lot of Indonesia’s natural resources for their own benefit. They forced Indonesians to work for them without enough food and proper life on 1806’s. I didn’t understand why there is still Indonesian who want to learn Dutch language and befriend with them. Don’t they understand the history? Are they fool enough to befriend with peoples who killed their family? Why did GMB place me there?

I should be their enemy, they understood the history well. But sometimes, the fact is not the same with thought. They cared me lovely. They drove me to railway station every morning so I can go to internship place easier. They took me to camping site for easter with them. They never forget my meals. They introduced me to their big family and friends happily and they always loved to listen my day story in everynight. That was the first time I felt be loved by foreigners. What should I do? Shall I hate them? No, I can’t! I love them, just like I love my mum and dad.

Where is my nationalism? This feeling made me rethink about what nationalism is. My love to Boyd and Mathilde brought me to a better perception of nationalism. Nationalism doesn’t mean you love your country excessively and put down the other country.It just make you become foolish person, prisoned in sick heart, don’t be able to learn and understand. True nationalism is when you make a better future for your country. It would be useless if someone says that he love his country, hate its enemies in the past, but doesn’t do anything to make a better future for it. Do a hatred make a better future for a country? No! Not at all. Nothing will you get from revenge, even you win the war. You will just put your country in a trouble.It’s not nationalism.

What should I do with Indonesian history? It is the past, I better let it be a lesson. Nothing is good with a war. It was a mistake. Never do it again. I saw Mathilde’s tears when we talked about war and peace in Dave Andrew’s place. Dutch is also a human that has heart and love. Every person in this world has love. It is the most beautiful and powerful thing in the world. Boyd and Mathilde cured me from a strong hatred; not with medicine, but love. I don’t want to hate foreigners anymore. Indonesia is in a peace now. If there’s peoples want to break the peace, they must be the true evil. Thanks God for uniting me to them, they make me understand more what You create me for. I want to learn more to make a better future for Indonesia. Someday, it will be my duty to protect the peoples. Yes, I will protect them! Not with gun and army, but peace and better life.


Airlangga Wiragalih
Participant of GMB Homestay Program 2016