Moving to West Nusa Tenggara, Unexpectedly

On a Fast Boat on My Way to Gili Trawangan, North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara

Along The Shoreline of Gili Trawangan

What Do You Think About The Crystal Clear Water?

Dress (Minimal), Sunglasses (Giordano bought at Optik Melawai), Watch (Fossil)

Above all are the beauty of moving to North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. I have planned my life the way I wanted it to be. Dreaming and then working my best to ensure that my dreams will becoma a reality. 

When I was a child my dream was simple, I only thought about my self, only thought about the best and most convenient way of life, for my self. I wanted to go to college and then continue my education abroad in a developed country, USA or UK. I can imagine my self walking down the central park on a snowy winter day while enjoying the christmas festivities during my winter break or also I can imagine my self sitting at a small cafe on London's alley after my hectic exam days. Doing it all behind the so called precious reason that I study abroad so that I can build my country after learning at the best school available. 

But my dreams are developing as I travel more, my mind is expanding its muscle, I think in a broader point of view. How can I think about the way to develop my country if I only understand about the way people live in the big city. I only understand about education, health and economic development in a developed city. I do not really understand how people in a more under developed area live because I only visited another city when I am on a holiday.

So then I chose that I have to at least try to live and try to understand how do the majority of Indonesian live. I am a dentist then why the hell I do not also abuse my skill to try to help others around me? So then come my plan, I will sign up for a program for medical doctor and dentist to work at under developed area, maybe half or a year later. But the universe had another plan for me, in a very short time there suddenly come the opportunity, and I just grab it. So long story short, I only had not more than three weeks for the whole moving process. 

I was assigned to work at a primary health care at North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Here you can barely find cafes, malls, convenience stores or anything people usually include as the sign of a developed economy of a city. North Lombok has a very beautiful nature and rich of its resources also, I can see green hills here and there and it is an easy access when I want to enjoy its crysteal clear sea. A spa session or swimming at infinity pool? It always is an easy access to the resort available. 

But, behind all this? The locals, Indonesian living in Lombok is not the owner of these resorts. They are its employees. Most of them do not hold the power to make the most of their land, I do not know exactly the real reason behind this of course, I just barely came. 

I just barely came here, but within a week, when I was giving education to elementary students of North Lombok about the way to manage hygiene along their menstrual period, a program from Plan International and Dinas Kesehatan Kabupaten Lombok Utara (North Lombok Health Bureau) I suddenly felt sad, I have a short talk with Plan International's Official and they said that the rate of girl students drop out and child marriage in North Lombok is so high. This girls often do not realize that to be a mother they have to be able to do the best to raise and educate their child. They do not understand that for a marriage to work out best they need education. Why don't they realize? Because societies around them and the culture around them never show that, so how can they be inspired? They rarely saw their mom or aunties or girl friends become a well known entrepreneur, doctor, lawyer, ballerina, and tons other inspiring work. So how can they think of one? 

When I do an oral health screening at one village, I also find a woman who does not go to school at all, she barely knew her age and it is really hard to have conversation with her because she barely understand anything, can you imagine that?

So, behind the beauty of Lombok's nature, a development of health, education, and economic is still very much needed. I just wish that I will figure out a way, for my dream and also for the development of my beloved country. Meanwhile, I might just try to enjoy and learn everything the universe try to teach me, no?