Hey y’all, I’m back! I can’t believe it’s February already. For the moment, I won’t be doin’ weekly posts for a while still. For now, I be aimin’ for every second Friday, I got other commitments too, ya see. I hope y’all still be healthy ‘n stayin’ warm. When it be this cold, I spend a lotta time daydreamin’ about warmer places with beautiful beaches ‘n good food. Yeah, I’m still permanently hungry…LOL
I know I’m probably drivin’ y’all crazy with my talk of West Papua, but I can’t help it. Y’all, there be so much to see ‘n do, and the government is really workin’ hard to make the province more accessible ‘n safe for us touristy folks. Just the other day I read somethin’ published in 2017 that said there be no proper major road system connectin’ certain regions ‘n towns. That’s bein’ addressed with the Trans Papua Highway, right? I think a lotta people travel to different places, forgettin’ that it ain’t home, like the Karen who yelled at an airport clerk, screamin’ because he wasn’t speaking good English. He was like, “you in CHINA”. Man, when I heard that, I had to laugh.
Nyssa P. Chopra said, Travel makes you realize that no matter how much you know, there’s always more to learn.” I be agreein’ with that statement. Havin’ traveled to Africa, I’ve learnt a lot. Experiencin’ different cultures ‘n their way of doin’ things has opened my eyes to just how doggone lucky I am to have a house, with a flushin’ toilet. Some of the place I visited had pit toilets. I’m sure visitin’ places in the East, such as Indonesia, will bring some kinda enlightenment too.
Travelin’ has taught me a lot about how much I take for granted. Ya know that in some places water is scarce. Not havin’ water can have all sorts of negative impact, such as diseases spreadin’ ‘n fish ‘n such dyin’. West Papua be doin’ somethin’ positive; it be improving its health system and it already has nine water/marine conservation areas, such as Cenderawasih Bay ‘n Raja Ampat, ‘n they also‘n be doin’ a lot to protect the indigenous rainforests too. It be lookin’ to me like the people of the country ‘n their leaders be on the right track. Many first world countries can take a leaf out of third world countries’ books and learn about turnin’ hardship into prosperity.
A lotta this conservation mindset needs to start at grassroots level. The children of West Papua, although likely a bit behind their city-slicker counterparts, be receivin’ improved education ‘n part of the curriculum be teachin’ ‘em about carin’ for the resources they have. There be tree-plantin’ initiatives ‘n other stuff, like the food estate program takin’ place teach the kids about the importance of preservin’ what they have – not only for ‘emselves, but for the generations that are gonna follow.
In a world where a lot has gone wrong (‘specially since the darn plague landed), it be a silver-lined cloud knowin’ that there be people tryin’ to make life better, even though they don’t have a lot.
I gotta run. Take care y’all. ‘Til next time.
Author: JS
Travel Vlogger, Journalist,
