It's almost hard to believe that I have been living in Indonesia for two months already and stepping into the third month here.Life has definitely changed for me and definitely a change that I am still trying to adapt to.
To those who may not know yet,I am currently living on campus at the medical students' hostel.Basically,there are 4 buildings.2 for girls,1 for boys and 1 for twining students of UKM which are Malaysians only.Laundry,internet and electricity is free except for extra electrical items such as hairdryer,kettle,fan etc.Water is provided but with a minimal cost.Where I live,Jatinangor,they're big on water dispensers.So,those refillable water containers that goes along with the dispenser are very common.I do not know where the water comes from or how clean it is,I just pray that God bless the water.really.So,about the room,it's twin sharing with a bathroom,cupboard,study table and plenty of drawers and shelves.However,the other unit which is the other girls' hostel don't have drawers and shelves.
The weather in Bandung is cooling ranging from 20 degrees to 33 degrees on really hot afternoons.But it's always cold in the evening and night.always.The monsoon has started so it has been raining everyday,thankfully not all day.The roads here are mostly dirt roads if not tarred.So your feet gets really eeky if it was wet.One thing is,I do kinda enjoy the weather here.Despite the afternoons being hot when it's not the rainy season,it is windy.I love the wind.Also,there's a huge volcanic mountain behind my uni,so I guess all that green helps.HOWEVER,the people here do not know how to appreciate the air and constantly do open burning everyday.The country is too poor to provide proper garbage disposal system or facility,that everything you throw away here,ends up in ashes.sad.
The main mode of transportation here is by foot.Wait,maybe that's for me.Most common mode of public transportation here would be the angkot and ojeck.Angkot is basically a small van that will pass through most roads and stop at almost anywhere.But if you need to travel further in a housing area,then that's what an ojeck is for.Ojeck is basically a motorcycle service.A guy will take you wherever you need to,however far in it may be,on a motorcycle,for a price of course.The cost of taking an ojeck is negotiable but the angkot is pretty standard.The rule is: Never ask how much.The moment you open your mouth to ask,they know you're not local or familiar and would most probably try to take advantage of you.Thankfully,I have not had that experience despite asking the price during my first time.
Most of the people here are friendly and helpful.If you ask for any information,they will tell you if they knew but would be honest if they didn't know.(for me at least) Language is still quite a barrier as I am able to understand basic and perhaps a bit more of Indonesian but unable to speak fluently yet.Not to forget,I have to learn Sundanese as most people in Bandung speak Sundanese and will help me during my clinical years.
The education system here is different,way different compared to ours.Here,right after high school,if you get the grades,you can apply right away into university.For medicine and dentistry,there's always an entrance exam for every university,and if you pass it,you meet the other requirements,you're a university student!So,from what I just told you,you should be able to guess that most of the students here,especially my medical batch mates,are around 16-18 years old.And damn.I feel old.But they're really,really,childish in a lot of ways.So,I keep reminding myself that they're still young and try to keep my fury down.
Most of the people here are friendly and helpful.If you ask for any information,they will tell you if they knew but would be honest if they didn't know.(for me at least) Language is still quite a barrier as I am able to understand basic and perhaps a bit more of Indonesian but unable to speak fluently yet.Not to forget,I have to learn Sundanese as most people in Bandung speak Sundanese and will help me during my clinical years.
The education system here is different,way different compared to ours.Here,right after high school,if you get the grades,you can apply right away into university.For medicine and dentistry,there's always an entrance exam for every university,and if you pass it,you meet the other requirements,you're a university student!So,from what I just told you,you should be able to guess that most of the students here,especially my medical batch mates,are around 16-18 years old.And damn.I feel old.But they're really,really,childish in a lot of ways.So,I keep reminding myself that they're still young and try to keep my fury down.
So,what have I been up to lately?I have discovered the joy of taking long walks or jogs around the campus during the early mornings.I would love to try it out during the night but the problem is that the streets here aren't lighted up so it's scary and dangerous.I recently visited the morning market nearby the campus too.It was the longest morning market I have ever been too throughout all my travels.Seriously.I bought a big pillow and an iPhone cover.haha.Which cost me less than RM20 in total.Yes,so I have decided to take the cheaper road now but I think it was a bargain ;)
As I type this,I am actually down with a combination of flu and vomiting and diarrhea.I have no idea what's the diagnosis.But I suspect it's common cold due to lack of rest and food poisoning.Thank God the nauseous feeling has subsided today.I spent all day in bed yesterday cause I could not do anything,even move without wanting to throw up.I slept so much too :D
Next post,all about food!Or more like,the food I eat :D and perhaps some other random stuff.
Stay tuned! ;)
May Gal,
ReplyDeletePics of the market pls...you know I'm a market person!..also pics of the food pls in your next entry!!!!