I remembered that boring, yet addicting jingle inside log flume dark ride in Disneyland, "It's a Small World". That short statement keep swinging on my head to result an inquiry about the fact.
Following major modernization, this world has become "smaller". Yes, smaller. Thanks to the technology called internet. Now, we are able to uncover almost everything within a single click instantly. You can reach the world with your numb butt still attached to the seat. But one question, is our big world small enough to be discovered?
So I put an example. I dare to bet, almost my friends or maybe some readers don't know it until now. Have you ever heard that Taiwan is a country that doesn't really exist (not officially a country)? Well, a unique and weird question.
Taiwan is a de facto sovereign state, but most of countries don't admit it (de jure). I asked my friends and many of them just realized after I told so. See? A major fact that seems no one bat an eye, not even seem to care enough to find out. Yes, our enormous Earth has so many unresolved truths and the things that just forgotten by us.
And this kind of "travel fever" was like a boom. Now everyone is intending to travel to every places to create their own stories. Even some medias show only the good-side of traveling. Yes, I believe every journey has its own interesting story. But sorry, none of them really stole my attention so far. Most of leisure travels that show about the amazing and beautiful world we have are really bored me. We already know Dubai is a superb city; everybody know Paris and Venice are a romantic places to be; Harajuku in Tokyo well-known as an otaku paradise; or Borobudur as the world' largest Buddhist temple. Every country has something to boast off. The popular one is getting more popular.
Persist with the latest installment of the forgotten things. Not just the third world, even the first world country has the same problem. There must always be some forgotten things in such country these days, albeit it's a developed nation. The forgotten itself are the places and small towns with their status are on the edge. The decaying rural areas are just drifted by the wind and become rust by the time.
This kind of topic drives me couple of hours from Jakarta, still one of the largest growing economy in the planet and world's worst traffic-congested city, to some remote places. I tried to figure out the issue and brought up the story behind the journey, which is dedicated to take a look at the neglected, the overlooked, and the road less traveled. Because the world around you is not what it seems.
Journey to Bawean Island
A small island in the middle of Sea of Java
Let me describe why the blog is called "Makan Angin". It's a word comes from Indonesian/Malaysian, another term for jalan-jalan which means take a walk/strolling around. Surely this blog mostly tells about the story and experience of journey. I call the "journey" as the process, and you will achieve the reward as you exceed that process. That reward thing is "destination".
So here is the blog. As a result of someone who loves to explore, landscape photography, and travel journalism to create an outstanding contribution to greater world understanding.
"Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance"
[quote from The Emperor's Club movie]
I would say that these posts were journeys; you may find I ramble. You may find some of the posts are little boyish in their enthusiasms. You may find them very remote from your cozy place, taking place far enough which we know nothing. You can always just read a glance in shorter paragraphs or look at the pictures. You may need a cup of coffee or a bag of chips and hours to kill to read the entire thoroughly.
But one thing I promise: if you read to the end, you will understand the reason why this blog requires a seriousness of devoting than any other things that I have been done.
Destination is the bonus
(Mount Bromo, East Java, Indonesia)
"It's not just about the destination, but the journey"
George Martinus
travel journalism, travel photography, art, history, culture
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