“Golda juga manusia”

(Golda is also a human)

When I found this song in the internet, I downloaded it straight away. I laugh everytime I listen to this song. It reminded me of my brother who would sing this song when he was teasing my little sister (Joan juga manusia, punya rasa punya hati).

Lately, this song kind of stayed in my head. I sing it to Golda or Anita when I am in the crazy mood, heheh.

This song made me think about my past, the moment when I was still in Indonesia. I studied in a private school full of Chinese-Indonesian students, which I was actually one of them.

The gap between Chinese-Indonesian and Native-Indonesian, at that time, was quite big. I wouldn’t say that they hated each other, but there was always something that would cause one party to talk negatively about another party.

After two year in the Netherlands, I went back home. I showed some pictures to my Chinese-Indonesian friend. It was the picture in Jaap Eden, Skating area in Diemen, with my good friends. She, then, said “Nia, why do you befriend with them?” She pointed to my friends who stood next to me, whose the skins are darker then mine, whose eyes are bigger then mine, and whose hair is different than mine.

I looked into her eyes, astonishingly. If I knew this song earlier, I would, of course, grab my guitar, sing this song to her “They are also human!” (M’reka juga manusia, punya mata punya hati). I, once, did the same. I differentiated ( I don’t like the word ‘discrimination’) my native Indonesian friends.

A good friend of mine had ever shared that he came from a society that didn’t really like Chinese-Indonesian people; he is a native Indonesian. I also remember when I was little, some boys from my neighborhood called me “Cino,.. cino,.. cino totok!” I didn’t like it either.

In Surabaya, where I am from, this discrimination thingy was going on. I don’t know how it is now.

Thank God, my parents educated me very well. My mom was even angry at me when I was into this discrimination thingy.

After almost four years in the Netherlands, I realized that I was VERY wrong at that time. Why? Because they are human, too. We are human, too. Nothing is different. God created us according to His likeness. Thus, we, all, have the same status in God’s eyes. Honestly, I even enjoy befriending with native Indonesian friends. Most of them are very down to earth! They are very honest. I do not see any ‘Ja-im’ alias Jaga Image (behaving nicely to protect your image) in them. I don’t say that Chinese-Indonesians are worse in Ja-Im thingy,.. noo not at all! Yet, the point is that everybody is unique in his own way. I love being with any of my friends.

Maybe some of you have known that I am currently applying for being a lecturer in some of Indonesian universities. This is actually one of my missions. I would like to share this to my future students. I want to create a new generation that loves each other, no more discrimination,..

You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

(John Lennon)