deliriouslove1970. The life & times of Gary and Denise Flanders. (Free and worth every penny. If you would like to compliment the editor, send to garytheflan@deliriouslove1970.com. If you would like to complain, call your mother.)

This is the flag of Indonesia, and it is flying on our flagpole today. In my volunteer work for the Southern California Mountains Foundation I spent time at the Big Bear Visitor Center. The thing I enjoyed the most was meeting people from all over the world who had come up to see this section of the San Bernardino National Forest.

One day I met group of 4 young people visiting California from Indonesia. We had fun talking about the place where we all lived. That sparked my decision to learn a little about their fascinating home.

The Indonesian flag is a simple two color Red on White. There is some controversy about it’s meaning. One of the unfortunate leaders, and they have had a few, said the Red stands for courage and the white is for purity. Another view is that it is an ‘mutilation’ of the Dutch flag since Indonesia was under Dutch Colonial rule for so long.

Indonesia is the largest Muslim nation in the world. It is comprised of some 18,000 islands in a part of the world that has the most volcanos and most almost daily earthquakes. It is also the home to Komodo Island, where Komodo Dragons are from. It was a major acquisition when the Denver Zoo obtained Komodo Dragons. I spent many hours standing in front of that exhibit talking with guests.