Begin with a picture, a view taken from above scattered fluffy clouds of tropical islands, swaying palms, small fishing villages, distant volcano peaks, fly closer, zoom in, note the colourful patterns of traditional dress, the scarcity of traffic and other modernities. This picture suits the escapist dreams of westerners who'd love to get away to an island paradise. Now look closer, witness the deforestation, the overfishing, the human made waste leeching into the rivers, the devastation of natural disasters on overpopulated lands, the effects of a policy known as transmigrasi, and the increasing density of Java and the island's struggle to provide. This is a consequence of development and the dream to live like Westerners. In the heart of this struggle lies Surabaya which unless you've been to Indonesia you've probably never heard of. While the
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