Hello everyone, i am an Indonesian who just moved to Belgium. Last week i accompanied my father in law to a recycling landfills. He explained me one by one about where we have to put the garbage with different material, like where is the plastic, or bottle, or metal or any other material goes to, and it is actually amazing to see how people are really care about their environment by standing in the queue consider to put their garbage in order and follow the rule. I am so happy to see people who really cares about their environment, i think its part of excellent education and good start of showing how discipline and responsible the people from well civilized country are.
I am so sad when i think back about Indonesia, no matter where i traveled there in my own country, i saw rubbish everywhere. I don't know when will that stop. I don't know how many percent of Indonesian people realize about what they even do for their own environment. I don't know if there is even parents that teach their kids how to be responsible with their environment. People irresponsible throw thousands and thousands fully bags of rubbish easily to the river or beach everyday without realizing that that the rubbish doesn't just flowing with the water or crushed and disappear forever. I saw too many people, kids, adult, all the same, act irresponsibly throw away plastic bottle or other rubbish through the window of the car, train, or just while their walk in the street without considering that it made many beautiful places look really awful.
I remember 15 years ago, when i went to my mom's village, i used to love that place. White sand, and the ocean was clear blue, and we could see many beautiful fish and colorfull coral reefs not far from the beach. I went back there 6 months ago felt excited that i would show my boyfriend (my husband now) the same view that i saw 15 years ago. But it broke my heart while on the way to the village by boat, to see a lady that after finished her drink just thrown an empty soft-drink can directly to the sea through the boat window. We went there, found out no more colorfull coral reef, the fish were rarely seen. honestly even my grandmother throwing the rubbish to the sea and i was mad of her. I can just started to talked to my family and friend. I hope some powerful people will do something about it. at least educate people or put a good and useful rule or whatever for god sake..
Well, i hope by more expat living in Indonesia, they can also give more good influence from their country especially about the environment stuff.
Still, Indonesian have good heart and soul, it just lack of education in some fields, and it sad that one of the field is the nature and environment.