I recently returned from my sixth visit to a country called Indonesia. Most of the people from my country of origin (The United States of America) have never heard of this country, and would fail to locate it on a map, despite its enormous size and global ranking of fourth in population. In the nine years since my last trip to Indonesia, the upgrades that have transformed the nation in so many impressive ways were impossible to ignore. As I sat on a pair of long flights home (8 & 12 hours) I had time to reflect on what I’d just experienced and was left with a feeling that could only be accurately described as a mixture of awe and shame. Awe, because I was so entirely caught off guard by how rapidly such a massive country could make meaningful improvements. Shame, because during that same nine year period, my own country had declined in the same ways that Indonesia had improved, yet ‘educated’ people from my country confidently refer to Indonesia as a developing nation. This term is used to identify countries that haven’t yet MATURED in economic terms. But this is an insulting phrase, as the literal meaning of underdeveloped has completely negative connotations, which do not even come close to accurately describing Indonesia, especially when compared to my own country. Let me give a few examples, for clarification.

            We’ll start with the Jakarta’s (capital city of Indonesia) newly established MRT, or Mass Rapid Transit. Simply put, it’s a train. But here’s the thing that makes it incredibly special. Jakarta has a metro population of over 33-million people. To give a visual image of what a city of that size would look like in America, imagine if somebody picked up New York City and dropped it on top of Los Angeles. Still wouldn’t have a population of 33-million. You’d have to add Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and… Well, you get the idea. Jakarta is overflowing with human lives. But back to the MRT/train. When I took my first ride, I was initially apprehensive, due to my previous experience on trains in other big cities. Oh my God, was this a different species of train ride! Unlike major urban areas in the United States, this MRT station was so clean. Like you could eat off the floor clean. As in NO filth anywhere. No litter. No graffiti. No criminals causing problems. No homeless people camping out. No drug addicts using the toilet on the floor. No mentally ill people publicly masturbating in full view of small children. No armed felons preparing to rob, rape, or murder the commuters. None of those unpleasant things that are so common in American trains stations exist in the Jakarta MRT. It was not only an efficient and affordable transportation option, but it was clean, comfortable, and safe. By the way, in the time it took you to read this sentence, I guarantee you that somebody was the victim of a felony on a train in one of America’s cities.

            On the topic of victimization, let’s move on to another category that Indonesia fully outshines the USA in. Have you ever woken up and not felt so great, so you decide to seek medical treatment for your illness? On a scale from 1 – to 10, how would you rate your satisfaction with the way that day worked out for you? Well here’s how mine went when I got sick in Indonesia. From start to finish, it went down exactly like this: I woke up with a very sore and swollen throat. My ears could barely hear, and my nose could barely breathe. My body felt achy, weak, and tired. I needed to see a doctor! Without even booking an appointment, I went to a local community clinic, about 5 minutes from home. I walked in. The receptionist asked me to fill out a brief document, which provided them with my identity and symptoms. I was told to please have a seat and wait. Soon after my butt contacted the chair, I was alerted that the doctor would see me now. I explained my symptoms to the doctor, who then gave me an examination and correctly diagnosed me with Pharyngitis. I was handed a prescription and sent about 5 meters down the hall, where the on-site pharmacy was located. I handed the prescription over to them and was again asked to have a seat. Within seconds my name was called, and I was given four little packages of medication, at which point it was time for me to pay my bill. Keep in mind this is not my country of residence, and I have no insurance here. $12! That’s right. Twelve. Dollars. Total. No appointment. No insurance. Walked in. Received quality medical care/treatment, plus four medications, and paid $12. How long was this entire process, you ask? Between walking in and walking out, maybe 30 minutes. Bet you can’t accomplish that in America. I’ve tried. Even with insurance and my own personal physician… Waking up sick would result in a completely lost day and minimum fees of $100+. Weird, isn’t it?

            Now I could go on and on about which country seems more like a “Developing Nation”. I’ve got the notes. But why bother. If these first two points aren’t adequately persuasive to a rational person, nothing else that I say could make a difference. If I said that planes from airlines in Indonesia that I’ve flown on seem to take off on time more frequently than the planes from airlines in America, and their seats are roomier/more spacious, and their flight crews are more polite, courteous, and professional (compared to their American counterparts), would it matter? If I said that school children in Indonesia don’t have to practice “Active Shooter Drills”, where they become proficient at not getting shot to death while sitting in a classroom, would anybody change their mind about which country they’d rather raise their kids in? If I said that Indonesia has secure borders and enforces their laws, would Americans reading this feel that’s a bad thing? I can’t say. But I can say that my feelings of awe and shame remain, even days after having returned home. Every time I encounter a loud, rude, inconsiderate, overly confident, and incompetent person who wants to make it my problem that they’re ill-equipped to do the job they’re paid to do, I’ll regret that I’m not back in Indonesia, where people are less likely to behave like entitled Karens who suffer from Starring Role Syndrome.