I

n 1985, during my '€œsize 8'€ years, I shifted to Indonesia, excitedly looking forward to living in a new place.

I left the Philippines right at the start of the country'€™s People Power revolution. I grew up under the helm of martial law imposed in the country that was implemented by then president Ferdinand Marcos'€™ authoritarian rule.

When I reached Indonesian shores, much to my dismay, the situation was no different from where I had left. I was instructed not to voice my thoughts. I was told to not criticize the government to avoid prosecution. If the president had to pass through a street, a whole section of the road had to be blocked off and I should not complain, or else I would face the consequences.

Even television was controlled. I reached a point of cursing myself for agreeing to live in Indonesia because of the outdated and ancient level of freedom.  

Despite all the '€œcontrol'€, I would often see tawuran (street fighting). I would wonder why young students who were taught the state ideology of Pancasila still held knives and big rocks so they could aim them at kids from other schools. Were they bottling up their issues on government policies and taking out their frustration through tawuran?

Despite a controlling government, preman (thugs) freely existed. I would fear walking in dark corners of Pasar Baru those days for fear of coming across preman who could have made even the most notorious Italian mafia members shiver.

And when the 1998 riots occurred, I saw Indonesians group together in their neighborhoods to protect each other. I saw all of them take turns to stay awake at night to take care of security on their streets. I thought that it was an expensive price to pay for the sake of freedom.

At that time, I had many sleepless nights.

 When the New Order was over, I saw a change in the people'€™s mind-set. There was an air of freedom. Indonesians were free to do and say as they pleased. Indonesia never looked back after the New Order.

The country has also had its own share of having to pay a high price for freedom. We have frequently witnessed demonstrations, peaceful or rowdy ones.

I never joined such protests because for me it was not a way to voice anything '€” obstructing traffic and causing chaos was never my cup of tea.

When I went back to take my master'€™s degree in the Philippines, I stood proudly before my other classmates, including those from Vietnam and China.

I would narrate to them the vastness of the freedom of expression in Indonesia, with a media industry that had a '€œvoice'€.  I even bragged that I could vote directly for my leaders.   

When Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo was officially installed as President, for the first time I decided to welcome the man by joining the so-called pesta rakyat (people'€™s party) on the temporary fairyland of Jl. Thamrin.

For once, instead of mingling with puffed teased-hair women or Sasak ladies, showing off their branded limited-edition handbags (whether genuine or not), I mixed with starry eyed peanut and bakso (meatball soup) sellers and cleaners.

I watched as a pregnant woman joined the parade with her young daughter holding a red flag with Jokowi'€™s printed face on it. I stood on the edge of a Transjakarta bus lane in the shade to protect myself from the sun for three hours, even if I was fasting for Lord Shiva that day. Who could feel the prick of the sun when everyone was feeling the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) that day?

Like everyone else, I pushed to get a glimpse of the man I also voted for.  I managed only to see Jokowi'€™s tinted car window from afar.

That day, with no lunch, the spirit of hope, unity and reformation kept my stomach full. I went home with a smile on my face and contentment in my heart because for once I felt like a fully fledged Indonesian even if I was not born here.  

I welcomed a Javanese man who was just like me '€” loves music, challenges and change. Nothing will beat the phenomenal historical phantasmagoria of hope for reformation I witnessed at the pesta rakyat, not even a Hollywood or Bollywood showcase film. Jokowi rocked like a superstar that day.

'€” Aruna Harjani