The Bridge of Life

“Guten tag” (Good afternoon). Oh! It’s wrong. “Guten abend” (Good evening) it was even worse. Those are the simple phrases the writer said over the phone was when Mr. Irfan, manager of Cahaya Bone Travel of the Kalla Group in Bulukumba, handed his phone to me to speak to a guest from Germany who wanted to Makassar. Naturally, the young girl on her handphone line laughed, as the writer should have said, ‘“Guten morgen” (Good morning). It was almost mid-may, but the sun hadn’t moved to the top of our head yet, marking the end of morning.

After speaking a few sentences in German, The writer didn’t know any German at all. Finally, she kindly explained in English. All we knew was that we would pick her up at 3:45 p.m. She was planning to dive on her last day in the sea of Bira, Bulukumba Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.

The moment we met, the ‘Wow!’ factor was immediately apparent. A foreigner woman standing with 185 cm tall—an astonishing height for Indonesians—has a friendly demeanor, complemented by a stunning communicative intelligence in expressing her opinions. This reminds me of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the famous German writer of the Neoclassicist and Romantic era in Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

However, we live in the 21st century. The German we met in real life is Verena Schubert, the embodiment of modern intelligence, educated, and sociable. She explained that Indonesia’s beauty and natural wealth are like a paradise that must be preserved. What is the different from Sukarno, our Indonesian founding father? Sukarno also once said, “Indonesia is a piece of heaven.” Their statements were similar.

During her week in Bira, in addition to daily diving, Verena enjoyed the beauty of the underwater coral reefs, and she also actively participated in the Dego Dego Na Bira and Tevana activities, which focus on planting and maintaining coral reefs. At the same time, she campaigned to stop throwing plastic waste into the ocean and the indiscriminate burning of plastic waste she frequently encountered during her travels around the world. Verena also acknowledged the pollution caused by industrialization in the West.

This call for collective awareness was then followed up by stating, “We will destroy our own home. We will set our own home on fire.” A subtle choice of words, without blaming others. If we don’t start it by ourselves, who will?

Verena’s call was not limited to the East, but also to the West, to all of human race. This pole-free human concern was also expressed in Goethe’s West-Ostlicher Diwan (West-East Diwan):

Wer sich selbst und andre kennt,
Wird auch hier erkennen:
Orient und Okzident
Sind nicht mehr zu trennen.

Sinnig zwischen beiden Welten
Sich zu wiegen lass’ ich gelten;
Also Zwischen Ost und Westen
Sich bewegen, sei’s zum Besten!
(Zum Diwan, West-Ostlicher Diwan)

Guten morgen, guten tag, and guten abend are the hopes for the safety of fellow human beings as they navigate the cycle of lives. The failure to understand the meaning of “Guten” can be mitigated by translating it into the language we understand. We walk on this vast earth to observe and interpret human behavior. Shouldn’t we want to reflect on it and share with others for the good things we’ve seen in the lands we’ve visited?

Meeting with Dr. Horst Liebner
For centuries, South Sulawesi people, Makassarese and Buginese, have been renowned as skilled sailors and the most popular wooden boat builders in Indonesia. The majority of boats are ordered from Bonto Bahari Sub-District, Bulukumba. At that time, we were at the boatyard center of the boatbuilding industry in Tanah Beru.

It was fortunate to meet Dr. Horst Liebner, an expert on traditional Indonesian boats, particularly those from South Sulawesi. Verena and we were able to talk to Mr. Horst, who was relaxing in one of the shipyards owned by Mr. Najib, a close friend of Mr. Horst.

Being German, Verena felt familiar with Mr. Horst. Before having conversation, Mr. Horst said, “Wait a minute,” as he stood near Verena. “She is tall, isn’t she? Ah! Germans are like this,” as Mr. Horst looked at Verena. We were all laughted. Mr. Horst, who has lived in Indonesia for almost 40 years, made a point of joking, understanding that height is always a special concern in Indonesia.

For the rest,, Horst spoke German with Verena, showing her various photos of traditional Indonesian boats from across the generations. The author simply enjoyed their lively conversation. At least, Verena knew there is a dedicated and knowledgeable German in the country she was visiting. Indonesia may not be her homeland, but with Mr. Horst around, she could see German’s mind in Indonesia.

A moment later, Mr. Horst looked away, “Have you shown her Perla Anugerah Ilahi?” He was referring to the traditional, engineless boat he had built. “I thought it was anchored here,” the writer replied. “No. It’s at Bira harbor.” We had passed that area; there was no way we could return. “We’ll show Verena the boat another time,” the writer said. Mr. Horst understood. We then excused ourselves to Mr. Horst and Mr. Najib because Verena’s car, which would take her to Makassar, was waiting in Bulukumba.

The impression we got was that Verena was warmly welcomed by Mr. Horst. If she wanted to and had the opportunity, she could certainly sail on the Pinisi Perla Anugerah Ilahi, Indonesia’s only wind-powered sailing boat, without the roar of noisy engines and black smoke, Perla blends with nature. All we heard was the sound of the wind, the lapping of the waves, and the silence of the night, gazing at the peaceful moon and stars. Yes, that’s a bit of the experience the writer discovered while sailing with Mr. Horst from Bulukumba to Makassar in 2024.

In Verena’s mind, it’s like Yoga. Yes, if one finds peace through Yoga. Verena understands Yoga, while I am a karate instructor, it’s certainly different. Experience is a particular kind of knowledge, the measurement of which is highly subjective, and depends on the individual experiencing it.

Life’s journey is a series of steps. There are meetings, there are farewells. Aris Irfan, the manager of Cahaya Bone Travel and Villa Malomo Bira, has hosted his guest, Verena Schubert, very well. People will continue to walk on this earth. We hope that one day we will all meet again under better circumstances. The bridge of life. Guten! 😀

Zulkarnain Patwa
Bulukumba, April 23, 2026