A bit more
I have a little time this morning and thought I'd write another short piece.
When I first arrived in Medan I had been on a plane or in an airport for something around 35 hours. We were picked up in the world's smallest airport at a baggage claim that was hot and dirty. I slept the last hour from Jakarta to Medan but that was about the only sleep I'd had in nearly two days. We were then driven to Sun Plaza where we were bought cell phones (called hand phones here) and a few groceries. I was so exhausted that I could barely lift my head. We were driven around Medan which at night is often pitch dark once one is out of the commercial areas. In the commercial areas there are lights strewn about which seems a little funny considering the frequency of power outages. My first impression was that there are no traffic laws. There are, but how they enforced remains a mystery. In fact, there is even a law against not wearing a seatbelt if you are in the front seat. In practice the traffic is simply hyper aggressive but the drivers never seem angry. They use the horn as if it were another pedal and its utility is that it alerts others that you are driving down the road and that you're going to change lanes (whether they like it or not) and so on. Trying to cross a busy street on foot would be nearly impossible if one were to try use the techniques used in America. The only way is to simply begin crossing-like the video game 'frogger'. I suggested to a friend that we should get our own horns.
I was trying to think just now about how long I have been here and it's over three weeks. It feels much longer, but that will change. I am sort of used to the place, but I still know very little other than my neighborhood, the Sun Plaza mall, and the school. Other places I've been could well be in any of those areas but I wouldn't know it. It's important to know your address and how to get home because the taxi driver probably won't. They can take you to landmark buildings and to the general are of your house but then it's up to you. For that reason I've learned to say, "Turus"--straight (probably spelled wrong, pronounced too-ruse), "Kirih"--left (kee-ree), and Kanong--right (the 'g' is silent). I can also say "Saya mau pergi--I want to go (insert place) and count to 100, after that I have to think about it.
When I first arrived in Medan I had been on a plane or in an airport for something around 35 hours. We were picked up in the world's smallest airport at a baggage claim that was hot and dirty. I slept the last hour from Jakarta to Medan but that was about the only sleep I'd had in nearly two days. We were then driven to Sun Plaza where we were bought cell phones (called hand phones here) and a few groceries. I was so exhausted that I could barely lift my head. We were driven around Medan which at night is often pitch dark once one is out of the commercial areas. In the commercial areas there are lights strewn about which seems a little funny considering the frequency of power outages. My first impression was that there are no traffic laws. There are, but how they enforced remains a mystery. In fact, there is even a law against not wearing a seatbelt if you are in the front seat. In practice the traffic is simply hyper aggressive but the drivers never seem angry. They use the horn as if it were another pedal and its utility is that it alerts others that you are driving down the road and that you're going to change lanes (whether they like it or not) and so on. Trying to cross a busy street on foot would be nearly impossible if one were to try use the techniques used in America. The only way is to simply begin crossing-like the video game 'frogger'. I suggested to a friend that we should get our own horns.
I was trying to think just now about how long I have been here and it's over three weeks. It feels much longer, but that will change. I am sort of used to the place, but I still know very little other than my neighborhood, the Sun Plaza mall, and the school. Other places I've been could well be in any of those areas but I wouldn't know it. It's important to know your address and how to get home because the taxi driver probably won't. They can take you to landmark buildings and to the general are of your house but then it's up to you. For that reason I've learned to say, "Turus"--straight (probably spelled wrong, pronounced too-ruse), "Kirih"--left (kee-ree), and Kanong--right (the 'g' is silent). I can also say "Saya mau pergi--I want to go (insert place) and count to 100, after that I have to think about it.
posted by athensinternational at 7:00 PM
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