My Experience in Jakarta

Today a week ago I landed in Germany, returning from my seven month stay in Indonesia. It was the greatest time of my life. I never experienced anything like it. Indonesia and all it's people were the biggest thing I ever witnessed.

Being back here now I notice all these things, all things I miss and all the amazing gifts I received and I guess some things you never really understand with all their incredible value until its gone.

I just want to write of this one situation during my last week. It was my last time in the train. I was in the expensive class which is 80 cents for the ride when I realised this might just be my last time in these Indonesian trains and man I was in the train loads of times, more times than many Indonesians themselves and I decided it cannot be that on my potential last time I am riding in the expensive class and not the legandary economy class.

So I got out of the train and straight out waited for the economy train. It arrived, I got on. I found a seat and ofcourse all my great indonesian buddies started staring at the bule in the economy train.

It was an ordinary ride and as always there were beggars in the economy train. I never saw as many blind and crippled people in my life as I did on those trains.

They crawl through the train, cleaning the train with a hand broom asking for money. You give them twenty cent and they are such thankful people, they halt for you and speak prayers for you, giving thanks.

Then I saw these two blind men, walking slowly through the train, aiming not to take a false step as there are no doors in the train and you might fall out.

These two blind beggars not seeing anything softly bumped into each other. And both of them put on their politest, most smypathetic smile holding each other to pass one another slowly. Thats when I suddenly started to cry in the middle of the train.

Actually Ive been in that train so often already and I always saw them but I never really, really considered them but in that moment I thought of them and I thought of their lives and I thought how sometimes we think we have problems or our life isnt blessed but then I see the poor people and I have so much to learn from them, that they want to stay alive, the way they love and smile, that they are thankful.

In Indonesia I met the most thankful and giving people of my life, although there finances were often very close to nothing. I think in my life I seldomly received so much love and kindness.

Its so paradox how poor people are often so much more thankful and even giving than the rich.