17 Agustus tahun 45

Indonesia is going to raise its flag on 17 August, the Independence Day. As with other heroic days, Indonesia always raises its flag. Every household should have a flag pole, strange it might be to foreigners, but it is our pride to raise our flag on a heroic day. After hundred years of colonialization by the Dutch and Japanese (and some other countries), 17 Agustus is always an important moment to raise our flag although the actual Independence Day can be argued. (I heard in Australia you have to pay tax to raise Australian flag, anyone who can confirm this?)

We even commemorate the raising of the flag by holding a flag ceremony. Every Monday elementary and junior high schools hold flag ceremony, although it is troublesome for some students cause on sunny days they have to stand on an open ground. For me, though, it was always fun. A nerd? Maybe. I had to be the choir conductor, or "pemimpin upacara"/ceremony leader, or protocol/MC, or "ketua barisan"/class leader, or adjutant who carried UUD ’45, Pancasila, and other documents for the "Inspektur"/inspector. There was another duty that I never tried; "pengibar bendera"/flag raiser, which consists a team of three.

This year I will serve in a mass as a choir member. I’ll sing a short solo part in one of the songs. That will add the smiles on my memory of “lomba makan krupuk” for every Independence Day celebration back home.