• Indonesia is the world largest archipelagic country consisting of 17.504 islands (including the 9.634 islands that have not been named and 6.000 islands are uninhabited). So still have chance to buy an island here, lol!
• Borneo, Sumatra, and Papua are the three of the largest islands in the world. Wow!
• Indonesia is the largest maritime country in the world with water covering an area of 93 thousands km2 and the length of the coast is about 81 thousand km2 or almost 25% the length of the beach in the world. That would be ashamed if any Indonesian cannot swim. C’mon..we have the largest swimming pool!!
• Java Island is the most populous island in the world where about 60% is almost the population of Indonesia (about 130 million inhabitants) lives on the island which covers only 7% of the entire territory of Indonesia. Don't worry we still have lots of oxygen to breath in Java!
• Indonesia is a country with the largest tribes in the world. There are more than 740 tribes / ethnic groups, where in Papua alone there were 270 tribes. FYI, my tribe is Bugis in South Sulawesi.
• Indonesia has the largest regional languages; 583 languages ​​and dialects of the 67 main languages ​​used by various tribes in Indonesia.  And I can only speak two of them!
• Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world. The number of Moslems in Indonesia around 216 million people or 88% of the population of Indonesia. Also has the largest number of mosques. But please note that we are not a nest of terrorist!
• Buddhist monument (temple) in the world is the temple of Borobudur in Central Java with a height of 42 meters (10 levels) and long relief of more than 1 km. Believe me, it's stunning!

Budha in Borobudur Temple

• A country where Phitecanthropus Erectus, the early men from 1.8 million years ago, was discovered. This is our ancestor’s home!
• A state that the first born after World War II in 1945. Indonesia is listed as the 70 oldest country in the world. Merdekaa!!!
• Indonesia is the first country (until now only one) that ever came out of the United Nations (UN) on the date January 7, 1965. RI rejoined the United Nations in 1966. We do have guts!
• Indonesian badminton team is the top winner of Thomas Cup, which is about 13 times (the first time was in 1958 and the last was in 2002). But now China is running so fats behind us!
• Indonesia is the main producer of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in the world and supplies the world demand of LNG about 20%. Still wondering why the price of LPG in here is rather expensive!
• Indonesia is ranked first in some agriculture products, such as clove, nutmeg, rubber, and crude palm oil. It proves that our soil is so fertile.
• Indonesia is the larger exporter of plywood, which is about 80% in the world market.  I hope it does not cause deforestation!
• Coral reef in Indonesia is the richest (18% of world total). Come to Indonesia if you wanna see it!
• Indonesia has the world's largest shark species which is 150 species! I have experienced swimming with a shark! 

Swimming with sharks

• The largest orchids biodiversity in the world: six thousand species of orchids, rangingfrom the largest (or Grammatophyllum speciosum Tiger Orchid) to the smallest(Taeniophyllum, which no leaves), including the Black Orchid which is a rare and found only in Papua. It reminds me with Anaconda movie: the black orchid!
• Indonesia has the largest mangrove forest in the world. This plantation is beneficial to prevent the erosion of sea water. The fruit can even be made as a cake.
• Ancient animals are still alive: Komodo can be found only in Komodo island in East Nusa Tenggara Province. Komodo is the biggest lizard in the world. It can reach 3 meter in length and 90 kg in weigth. It should have been one of 7 Wonder Heritages.

Komodo

• In Sumatra we have Rafflesia Arnoldi, the largest flower in the world. When the flowers bloom, it can reach 1 meter diameter. Why did Rafflesia Arnodly find it? We found it first before he came here. 
• Indonesia has the smallest primate in the world, the Pygmy Tarsier (Tarsius Pumilus) which has only 10 cm length. This primate looks like monkey and lives in the tree in Sulawesi. It must be so cute!
• About the snake, Indonesia has the longest snake in the world: Phyton Reticulates, 49 feet (14,94 meters). I think he eats people! That’s why….!
• As Indonesia has a large sea area, Indonesia has the world smallest fish found recently in the muddy swamps of Sumatra. It’s only 7,9 mm long as adult or about the size of mosquitoes. Uniquely, the fish body is transparent and has no bones in the head. Lest finding Nemo!
• Lastly Indonesian people are the second biggest Facebook users in the world (34 million users) after USA. It’s part of our daily routine already!

Sumpah Pemuda

Today Indonesia commemorate The 1928 Youth Pledge day, the day where Indonesian youth before Indonesian independence gathered and declared the pledge. As stated above, the pledge stated that Indonesian youth acknowledge one motherland, one nation, and respect the language of unity, Indonesia.

I proudly say that I am really proud being an Indonesian - trillion of reasons if you want to know why. However, recently some friends of mine question my nationalism as Indonesian. They assume that I am not proud being Indonesian since I always write my facebook status in English and I also have blog with all English articles.

Here I would like to spell out that using English with nationalism is not related to each other. Nationalism cannot be seen only from one perspective. It’s not justifiable if people judge me not nationalist just because I write down my facebook status in English or just because I put English article on my blog. That’s not fair at all I bet.

I write my status in English since I also have non-Indonesian friends who are interested to comment my status and I note down my blog articles in English as I want to improve my writing skill in English. By using English in my blog, it means that I will let everybody know about my idea in my article, not only my Indonesian friends. English is global language that must be understandable for all people.

So does it matter when I write in English? Since I was elementary school at four grades, my teacher already taught me English and nowadays, I have to deal with English in my univ for whole days in my classes.

Though I use English, I still remember Bahasa Indonesia well and even can speak it well in my daily life. Though I write my status on facebook in English, yet it means “I am proud to be an Indonesian”. Though I write this article in English, yet I write more article using Bahasa Indonesia. And though I always sing English songs, but I can still sing well Indonesian anthem, Indonesia Raya. You wanna listen?

Frankly saying, I am not that proud if I can speak or write English article. I am more proud if I can speak my traditional language –Bugis and Makassar language. I am more proud to my friends who still speak Javanese in their daily life. At present, English is something usual or common. Almost all the people can understand it.

If the people still judge me so, how can they judge my teachers and lecturers who teach me English? I do hope they don’t judge them not nationalist just because they teach Indonesian youth English.

Bravo Indonesia, Bravo Indonesian Youth, and Have Youth Pledge day.

Going to Europe really open my eyes about my country. The differences that I saw realized me as an Indonesian that I am so lucky born and grow up in Indonesia. In ISWI, my nationalism is more than I considered before :) Here also I found that even though Indonesia is not as modern as Europe, I still love my country so much…mmmmuuuaaahhhhh!!!!

International Brunch. Indonesia delegates and others

In ISWI 2009 that I attended last month in Ilmineau, Germany, there was an activity called International Brunch. It started in the morning til afternoon. That’s why we named it Brunch, breakfast and lunch. In this motion, all the ISWI participants were asked to perform something regarding their country’s culture. Besides, each country was given a space to make kind of exhibition of each nation culture or whatever.

I was so excited I could participate in International Brunch. It was fun and interesting since we can know other country’s culture. I could see how African dressed up with their traditional clothes and be surprised when I looked Egyptians wore their special dress that I thought they were Cleopatra’s family, heeheheh J

Indonesian participants, including me, believed that it was the right time to promote Indonesia as a beautiful country that’s very rich of culture. So, prior to come to ISWI, we had already arranged some traditional performances that we were going to carried out on the stage of ISWI, in the center of Ilemnau city, such as Saman dance (traditional dance from Aceh province), Sunda Dance (from West Java), Java Dance (from Central Java), and Angklung musical instrument (from West Java). Do you know what? When we performed those shows, everybody was like amazed (it’s according my opinion, aha) although we only practiced it all less than a week. So do the other delegates from another country. They performed their traditional dance (mostly dance with free style) even though I felt Indonesian dances were more interesting, heeheeh….

All Indonesian delegates wore traditional dress and clothes and so do the other participants from another country. I myself wore a traditional cloth from South Sulawesi, special hat with sarong and jas tutup, typical of Makassar). I was so proud and happy to wear that cloth because all people surrounding the area invited me to take picture together. “Can I take a picture with you?” that’s the people used to say to me (really, I don’t lie) lol :) Even in the next day, my picture was published in ISWI newspaper (it’s true!). But I don’t know exactly why they want to take a picture with me, whether they liked my style or they just looked me weird but wonderful with my outfit, hahahah!! (At least it can increase my nationalism and also my narcissism, lol) Anyway, you can assess it by looking at my picture below :)

It was published in ISWI Newspaper

Mean while in our Indonesian stand, we served up a lot of Indonesian snacks, such as dodol garut, cassava chips, pineapple chips, emping, manisan, banan chips, jackfruit chips, dempo durian, kacang telur, and various Indonesian souvenirs like wayang (Javanese puppets). We allowed the people taste it all and take the souvenir as a keepsake. Most of them asked what durian is and how we could take all these things. They were also astonished with Angklung, the musical instrument from bamboo. You can guess how our stand is! It was extremely crowded and it was like press conference since we had to answer a lot of question regarding Indonesian culture. By and large, what they found in our stand was something new for them. Indeed, we got a lot of compliments from the people who visit our stand, yeah! Bravo Indonesia :)

In the middle of the activity, I was curious to witness the other country’s stand. So I was out from my stand and walked around with my friend to glimpse the others. What I expected before was I could find something new from another part of world, such as the foods or beverages. Unfortunately what I wanted was too far. Mostly, another stands just served up the people with a wine or beer from their own country (that I guess the taste of wine is same wherever it comes from) and some biscuit and chocolates. Some of them also introduced their country through postcard and some pictures. Ya…ya…ya….I found it’s so-so because what I found was not something new. I could discover them even in my country actually. It would be very amazing if I could sip special beverages and munch typical snacks from another countries stand.

Another stand

After got back to my stand, I nodded while saying to myself, “Oh God, I am so lucky become Indonesia!!” I don’t scoff at another countries and I don’t say that they are awful. I just more aware that what I have in my country cannot be compared with another country. I am so thankful because what I have in Indonesia is not exist in other countries. I am proud that Indonesia has more than hundred beautiful dances, it has a lot of traditional foods that’s much more delicious and has unique taste, and it has very rich culture that’s much interesting. No wonder Indonesian stand was overwhelmed by the visitors!!!

Indonesian stand

Indeed, we realized that our home is much more comfortable when we visit our neighbor. Sometime, we will love our home when we are not there. Now I can strongly say (in my mouth and my heart) that I love my country ssssssoooooo muuuuuccchhhh!!!

Do you find the same with me? Or do you have other experiences that boast your nationalism? Let’s share!