Jakarta, ID
Monday, May 28 2012, 20:29 PM

Life

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The simple and sincere joy of a child can remind us of the importance of putting our worries to one side and finding pleasure in the moment.

Children of Asei Island, in Jayapura, Papua, don't have much money, but they can still delight in splashing around in Sentani Lake. While many of their big-city counterparts are playing computer games or begging at crossroads, the children of Asei spend their free time swimming in the lake.

Asei, one of the tiny islands scattered around Sentani Lake, is home to only around 50 families. Most of the islanders make a living from the lake and the forest, catching fish and making wooden handicrafts.

The island is accessible by a one-hour boat ride (Rp 200,000). Attractions include local artworks and historic buildings from the Dutch colonial era.

- R. Berto Wedhatama