Out of all the parks in Surabaya, Taman Prestasi holds a special place in my heart. I graduated from SMAN 6 Surabaya, which is located right across the park. The Kalimas River separates my old high school from the park, but a bridge connects the two sides.

Back when I was a student, we had a famous tradition—especially for the boys. On your birthday, your friends would carry you over to the bridge and throw you into the river! Of course, we always made sure the birthday boy knew how to swim first. Even though some teachers didn't approve, the tradition continued until I graduated. I'm not sure if students still do it today.

As high schoolers, we often visited the park to study or take photos for our yearbook. Back then, the park wasn't in great shape. Facilities were broken, there were no proper restrooms, and the playground was run-down. It wasn't the best place to hang out.

Fast forward to today—more than two decades after my graduation—and the park looks amazing!

I recently returned on a Sunday morning with my children. The park was full of life: families, teenagers, elderly people, and young kids. It felt like half of Surabaya came out to enjoy the morning.

The area is clean and well-maintained, with staff on-site to keep things running smoothly. The park has even expanded along a large section of the Kalimas River. If you want, you can even pay a small fee to take a boat ride along the water.

One cool landmark in the park is a retired B-26 bomber aircraft from the Indonesian Air Force. It was unveiled back in 2006 by the former Mayor of Surabaya, Bambang Dwi Hartono. The body of the plane is painted in bright, colorful patterns with a cool shark mouth design on the nose. Visitors can get up close and see the original structure of the aircraft.

My personal favorite spot is the outdoor gym area. I love working out, so I really appreciate parks equipped with exercise gear. They have pull-up bars, dip bars, and sit-up benches. I also enjoy the walking path along the riverbank for a nice jog.

My kids, on the other hand, love the playground. They had a blast playing with other children. When everyone gets hungry or thirsty, there are plenty of food vendors nearby. However, we prefer to bring our own snacks and enjoy a simple picnic. Even though I forgot to bring a picnic mat, there were plenty of benches and places to sit.

I am really impressed by what the Surabaya city government has done with this park. I used to feel jealous whenever I saw the nice, clean parks in Singapore with free space for exercise, play, and relaxation. Now, Surabaya has one too. I hope we see many more parks like Taman Prestasi across Indonesia!