Why Malang?

That's what I was thinking when I made this blog. Why Malang? I was not born there, nor been there before, I just live there, been 3 years now. I have lived in several places in Indonesia and Holland. I speak Indonesian, English and Dutch. I don't speak Javanese as the native language used in Malang, so why Malang? I fell in love with this city on the first sight (read: first arrival).

What I knew about Malang was that the weather is cool compared to the other cities in Indonesia and it is well known with its apples. I remember when my father went on his business to Malang for several days. He came home with a big box full of apples. I didn't remember the taste but I still remember when I opened the box and touched the apples, that didn’t make me curious about this city but that were what I thought of when we heard about the plan to move there.

We moved to Malang because of the job of my husband. When I came there, I didn't have any friends or family living in Malang and as I wrote before, I don't speak Javanese, the most spoken language there. But I just felt home at once. The city is small and clean. Ok, it can be much cleaner though but it is indeed cleaner than the other cities in Indonesia I have visited. The traffic is not crowded, lots of wide streets and the weather is great. It's the combination of Holland and Indonesia. I can wear tank top and/or short pants without being afraid of getting sunburn like in Jakarta or getting cold like in Holland. Perfect!

Malang means unlucky in Indonesian but this city gives me a feeling on the contrary. I got a lot of new experience with its people, nature, events, habits, etc. Also I got lots of time to think about things which I previously ignored as I thought not important. This city opens my eyes and mind wider. We have been in several places but this is the place I get more things to see, to learn and to think. That's why Malang it is.