Bandung, Indonesia is a city about three hours south of Jakarta that sees little to no tourists. To paint a picture of what the day to day life in Bandung looks like as a Bole, or white person, I would like to write a letter to all famous people:
Dear famous people,
I will humbly admit that I used to judge you. I saw pictures of you with loyal fans, people who look up to you, and just a couple times, I was that fan myself. The young girl in the picture was beaming from ear to ear and you looked disinterested at best. After hours of waiting in line, rehearsing the single exchange conversation that would occur over and over again, taking deep breaths to calm the nerves, all you, the celebrity, could muster up was a disinterested, half-hearted smile. The exchange was transactional, a simple formulaic part of your daily routine. I didn’t understand.
But now I do; being famous is hard work.
In Bandung, Indonesia, I am a local celebrity myself. I am stopped on the street multiple times a day, asked if I can take a picture. People stare and yell at me from across the street. It’s not uncommon to have a small group of young children following me down the street wherever I go. At first, this was endearing. But after the number of pictures I took reached triple digits, I felt the pain in my cheek muscles; I felt the exhaustion of standing on my feet for so long and the monotony of having the same single line exchange time and time again.
A trip to the park turns into an hour and a half meet and greet in which I am surrounded by at least 15 fans at a time, rotating in and out to snap a picture or hear me speak Bahasa, their native language (apparently it sounds funny coming out of my American tongue). I have witnessed a few women actually lose their breath due to their star struck stupor, simply because of the color of my skin.
Don’t get me wrong, I love every single person that I’ve met here in Bandung. They are the kindest, most loving and friendly group of people I’ve met and have invited us into their community in such a beautiful way; but sometimes it’s nice to walk down the street and not be noticed.
So to all celebrities that I once questioned and judged: I get it. Your job is hard! Now, whenever I see a picture of your close-mouthed, transactional smile with a beloved fan, I won’t judge but empathize; I know the pain behind that smile.
Sincerely,
A fellow star
