It doesn't mean that I'm running-away

Runaway? Hell no.

Yep, it is true that now I'm back to Makassar, my beloved hometown. Mount Merapi has intensely showing his magnificent wrath toward people who live around his throne. I experienced a massive volcanic ashes rain twice, and the last one (on Friday Nov 5) was the worst. The ashes are really unhealthy, dangerously contained chemicals and very risky to be inhaled. Beside that, the safe zone was spread from 5 km to 10 km, and end up with 20 km. 20 km? are you kidding me? That's like only 10 km away from place where i'm sleeping in Yogyakarta. Having that thought, my mother called me several time and asked me to retreat, go to Bantul, Blitar, or back to Makassar. Because I know that nobody will take me to my uncle's house at Bantul amidst the 'ashes-storm' (it lasted til 3 pm), and I didn't feel like want to go to Blitar, here we go; back to Makassar via Surabaya.

I love Jogja very much, I belief so does friends who live there. But seeing Jogja now is a different story. None of student from out of this city choosed to stay, they all gone. Merapi has scared us, and even the local people mentioned this situation as 'mencekam', thrilling. That's why I deeply appreciate those volunteers who decided to keep in touch with the refugee and rescue them all, while almost all of those volunteers are only college studentds. I hope everything will turn better after Merapi lose his vexation. I've lost an opportunity to join an International Youth Conference about Climate Change (was held by Ministry of Youth and Sport), lost chance to witness Obama's speech (he'll come to Jakarta this week and I got a free ticket from YES Alumni to be one of his audience), and also can't work with my Willem C. Vis East team.


Merapi as seen from Jalan Kaliurang, Yogyakarta. You can see the super-hot clouds comes out. Courtesy: Diva Indraswari

Dear Merapi, please turn your voices lower. Please stop your aggravation. And you better provide those people whose living around you with amazing blessing of fertility. And please, make Yogyakarta as a nice place to live for us, students who came far-faraway to learn knowledge, dig the culture, and spread understanding. Have your peace sleep, Merapi...