A Nice Acquaintance in the Sky

A nice acquaintance happened in my flight to Pontianak last Monday, September 27th. I just finished my ESQ training in Balikpapan for the last 3 freakin’ days (that’s a whole another note to tell). I just happened to sit beside a couple of foreigner, elderly (I think he was around 67) named Peter Glen Mayland and his wife (I forgot to asked her name). He’s a retired psychiatrist from Redwood Valey, California. They’re heading to small village named Sukadana, Kabupaten Ketapang (a 6 hrs boat trip from Pontianak to Ketapang and another 3 hrs of driving). After the meal came we started to chat. Maybe after seeing my new book Brisingr (yipee!). And these amazing stories just flew out, about the US election, politics, social economics, health, books, culture, the war, global warming, family, and life. All in a 1 hour flight to Pontianak

First of all, as I said before, Peter’s a stay at home psychiatrist where his wife runs the office. He has two children (twins, boy and girl), all grown up, all doctors, and they’ll soon to be grandparents. Hopefully this year. So they’re heading to Sukadana to help the local clinic there, named ASRI, a non profit clinic where the local villagers get almost costless medication as long as they don’t do irresponsible logging in the area. The clinic founder is a friend of their daughter. She had this dream once, when she was still in medschool, that she opened a free clinic on that village, and after earning her degree, she went there with her husband (who coincidently is a Botanist) and open her free-clinic, well almost free, because in the end they feel that in order for the people not take the medical attention for granted, they should pay something in return I think it’s about Rp. 1000 - 5000.

Back to Peter. He and his wife wanted to travel to Indonesia again (they’ve traveled here before, in 2002, where they backpacked from Bali, Java, and Sumatra), so they e-mailed their daughter’s friend and said they wanted to visit Kalimantan. And in the end, they wanted to help the clinic all that they can. And here they are. They’re staying for about 2 months, when I asked about the voting next week, they said they already vote (in the early voting), and they voted for Obama (thank god). I got a pretty good insights about the US from him. In summary:

1. Health, it’s still a major issue there, where Medicaid (for the poor) and Medicare (for the elderly) most of the time is not helping the patients. Where doctors and patients have little say in the care they get, where insurance companies is in control most of the time.

2. Politics, it’s like the novel/movie All The Kings Men. It’s still is.

3. Obama, he does represents change, not a big change in the system, but a change of view. Opening a whole new chapter in American history.

4. Family values, he said he envies people in Indonesia where people really connects with their family despite the economic situation. Although it’s been good, he misses their children sometimes, although they’re 6 hours away. He once saw a shanty town in Jakarta, where the people are really living beyond poor conditions, but still have the happy faces dan family bond.

He said that back home he’s currently advising a family, 5 caucasian siblings (so much for the hippocratic oath). There’s a lot of violence in the family. The son shot his father. The daughter stabbed her husband. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg! (he said, “Well, it’s nice though, knowing my job is secure. Americans are crazy!”)

5. Economy, it’s a mess. It’s devastating him to see his children still struggling despite they’re doctors. Where their student loan is still a huge burden for them.

6. Global warming. He said that in the Vietnam war, when he served as a medical officer in the states, on a mission to the arctic, he saw endless horizon of solid ice. Back then you can see the first ice 5 miles away from the port. Now it could take 10 miles to see the first ice. Freaky.

So at one point in our conversation he asked me “What are your goals and dreams?” Damn psychiatrist. Well, I told him the truth, that I’m still searching for that one true goal (I’m still 25, man!) Hopefully, Godwilling, I’ll find it. In hearing my answer. He said:

“My dream was to travel the word, luckily I had the chance after I retired some years ago, and we’re still on it. And my goal has always been about my family. Luckily I managed to raise a nice, warm family. And I hope you can to.” I thought, Whoa. That’s deep. Simple, yet deep.

Then comes another question: “Sorry, Are you married?”. Damn you psychiatrist! Kenapa mister, mo jodohin? Huaduh. Let’s leave that question hanging, for now.

Well, our flight landed atlast on Supadio Airport, Pontianak. Seeing the green tropic trees, lit up Peter’s smile almost instanty. It’s been memorable having this acquaintance with him (more memorable than the ESQ thing). Hopefully I’ll meet him and his wife again next week in Ketapang. It’s been a nice acquaintance.

By:Purboyo Imam Rahajoe/Realita

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