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xpatriate love affairs with Indonesia are nothing new. From the colonies of European artists in Bali in the 1920s and 1930s to the mysterious and marvelous Ktut Tantri, an Australian who befriended first president Sukarno and played a role in Indonesia’s independence struggle, foreigners have long found Indonesia to their liking.

Today, Indonesia’s rapid development and ample opportunities are making the nation an increasingly intriguing prospect for people from all over the world. There are growing ranks of longterm expatriates – in contrast to those who come for a short assignment before heading home.

And Indonesians are also realizing with pride that their rich culture has much to offer the world. It’s reflected in the new show Asing Star (Foreign Star, Trans7, 6 p.m. Sunday), in which foreigners warble a happy Indonesian language tune before a panel of celebrity judges.

Premiering today is Negeri Kedua (Second Nation, Trans 7, 5 p.m.), which will profile a foreign-born figure who has made a contribution to the betterment of Indonesia. First to be profiled will be Karin Franken, an animal activist who has lived in Indonesia for more than 20 years.

“The purpose of the program is to expose positive activities that help improve situations here in Indonesia. So for a couple of days they followed me around to film my activities at JAAN,” Franken says. “One of our top priorities at Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) is education since that will eventually change the situation and improve animal welfare in Indonesia. So every opportunity we get to broadly promote animal welfare, we don’t miss out on! It was great to work with Negeri Kedua’s crew and they were very supportive and cooperative while filming for this episode.”

The Dutch-born Franken first came to Indonesia – “I was not very interested,” she admits – when her father was sent here on assignment. Seven years later, he was transferred to Vietnam, but she stayed on. Married to the former 1980s model and architect Elmo Hillyawan, and with one son, she has made animal welfare her cause.

She has so many activities with JAAN that she says she never considers going back to the Netherlands.

“After so many years living here, Indonesia has really become my own country,” Franken says. “Other than my activities at JAAN, I love hectic Jakarta, and also that it is easy to escape hectic Jakarta for a couple of days just to recharge. I love the people, the food and being able to wake up with the sun shining because that sets me in a good mood right away!”

The program is in Indonesian, which she says is a “pity” because it can only reach Indonesian speakers.

“It would be great if foreigners watch it too, so they will be inspired to help more.”  + Bruce Emond