Home Page: About My Blog

Indonesia News & Legends

Nice day, everyone!

Thank you very much for visiting my site, where I shall regularly update national or local news of Indonesia and legends, myths, local stories of the islands of my archipelago. For now, weekly, but hopefully it will be daily.

I adore my country's rich culture and nature. Trying  to speak about it with my friends from other parts of the world, however, is quite hard due to news of my country not being very famous. The same goes with my local legends. I can talk about Japan's Tanabata Festival with an American and they'll know vaguely what it's like and the legend behind the festival, but if I mention Solo Batik Carnival, or Putri Kaca Mayang—well, suffice to say, I haven't come across any foreign acquaintances who are familiar with it.

Most of the news about Indonesia that is published by Indonesian people are posted in Bahasa Indonesia. So, of course, not many English-speaking natives would understand the news Indonesia posted on the Internet. It's definitely not a problem that only my country faces to try to bring more awareness to others about our country. I definitely love the English language! I am optimistic that there are some that publish some local or national news in English, though I have not come across such a newspaper in my city, the capital city of Sumatera Island.

Common folk stories that has already been translated in English has been taught to children since their second or third elementary years. However, I find reading them quite monotonous—They always begin with a "Once Upon a Time" and end with how the name of the story title came about. Rarely do they develop the dialogue to a more creative, funny style. Reading news is not a hobby I actively participate in religiously daily, because often times I am frustrated to read the names given but unable to remember, recognize nor memorize the faces and histories attached to it. Side note, I am an avid Harry Potter reader, and I have read quite a lot of the fiction written by people that are not JK Rowling. Reading adaptations of "news" about Sirius Black or the Boy-Who-Lived or the Minister and such are fun because I am familiar with the people involved. Just like how I can find some fun reading news about the American president hopefuls or music artists because I am familiar with their names and faces and works. I'd like my friends here and my foreign friends there and you to be able to conjure that same feeling of familiarity whenever it's about my country. I've always like it whenever there's a section about Indonesia in The Guardian or The Daily Beast. Of course, this is my nationalism speaking, but other people would of course be excited whenever 'they' are mentioned in a famous newsletter or such. 

I've always complained, but I've never tried. But... recently, I've hit rock bottom so to speak. Yesterday, my friends from my university visited me (half of the class!). They made my day, and it was one of the best days of my life! One of them brought up this little blog project I've been talking about but never got around to do—they reminded me of it, so here I am, attempting to fulfill this little ambition. It's a start, one I will try doing instead of merely dreaming.

I'm Derin—and this blog idea started from my friendship with an avid debater and fencer *wink*