The year 2009 is coming to an end and given the spat of bad news these past 12 months, it is probably better to count our blessings than the missed opportunities, of which there are certainly many. Let's put on our Javanese philosophy cap, and just be thankful that we are still alive, that as a nation we are still intact and that we can all look forward to a better year in 2010.

Actually, it was not a bad year considering that we started with a lot of trepidations. Most of the world was deep in economic recession and naysayers were saying that it was only a matter of time before it hit Indonesia. With the general election that always sews some instability, the country was all set for a very difficult year.

It did turn out to be a turbulent year, but one that Indonesia sailed through with relative peace.

The economy still ended up with a growth rate of more than 4 percent, hardly sufficient to absorb the ever-swelling ranks of unemployment but it was one of the rare success stories around the world. It could have been worse.

This year saw its share of devastating natural disasters, including earthquakes and landslides in Sukabumi in West Java and Padang/Pariaman in West Sumatra. But Indonesia has always been prone to earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. It was bad this year, but we have seen worse.

The year 2009 started with concerns about the spread of swine flu, and Indonesia being notorious in stemming any global pandemic, was most vulnerable.

We did have our share of patients, but they were surprisingly few compared to what our neighbors had. It could have been worse.

Terrorists struck with a deadly force when they simultaneously bombed the Marriott and the Ritz Carlton hotels in Jakarta. Surprisingly, the impact on business and tourism was minimal as both hotels were soon back in business. But the attack prompted the police to act more seriously this time, and within weeks arrested the perpetrators, including the Malaysian master terrorist, Noordin M. Top, who had been on the run for the past seven years. Yes, it was bad, but it could have been worse.

The antigraft campaign suffered a huge setback with the murder charge pinned against the chair of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and later the open fight between the KPK and the National Police and the Attorney General's Office. These issues were being resolved toward the end of the year. It could have been worse.

Here in Jakarta, the perennial problem of traffic is becoming more impossible with time. One may look back a year from today with envy and say, it was not as bad as we thought. Yes, traffic is getting worse.

The general elections were messy and chaotic and were poorly managed compared to 2004. The fact that millions of people could not vote because their names were not on the list undermined the credibility of the elections. Indonesians are a forgiving lot and no one seriously challenged this gross violation of their rights. The results of the election stand and we now have a government in place. But it could have been worse.

And finally, we have a democratically elected president running the country. People overwhelmingly returned Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to office for his second term, even though they knew full well what they were getting into, after having him lead the nation for the past five years. He may have his flaws and shortcomings, but yes, you guessed it right, it could have been worse.

Happy New Year!