A Look Back - Pt 2

Thursday, August 12, 2011 First Day in Bandung

The day has barely started and already I have made several cultural faux pas. At breakfast I pointed twice with my index finger (Indonesians consider this vulgar, pointing instead with their thumb), once to indicate to the cook in the hotel breakfast area what I wanted in my omelet and again to indicate that Ronnie had ordered coffee and I was having tea. Oops again! Hotel breakfast nothing like our traditional breakfasts at home but we’re usually able to find cereal, yogurt and fruit. Lots of Asian meat and noodle dishes and weird stuff I wouldn’t dream of eating at any time of the day, much less early in the morning.

Ronnie’s colleague Dwi picked us up at the hotel I forgot and gave him a firm handshake (Indonesians prefer the limp kind). First stop, immigration office. A lot of paperwork must change hands and there are copies to be made of everything (in different locations, of course).

Bandung is a bustling city for sure, clearly third world but most people we have encountered in government offices have a quick smile. I can definitely feel the stares though – as in “one of these things is not like the other.”

Before heading to immigration Dwi drove us to the Institut of Teknologi campus. Overall it was a nice looking campus with students walking all around – most of the girls in typical Muslim head coverings but with jeans and backpacks.

Now that we are in the mountains, the weather is much more pleasant than in Jakarta (hot and muggy and polluted). This city is badly polluted too though, and there are clearly no emissions laws. We hope to look at a place we’ve seen online if we make it through our necessary check list at a reasonable hour. However, I am skeptical of places with no AC because of the heat, street noise, mosquitoes and calls to prayer that blast out of the minarets on mosques all over the city.

I’m learning about the culture (online) and am amazed that showing no emotion is extremely important. Pretty amazing, given the situation on their streets. There are no words to describe the intermingling of cars, buses, trucks and motorcycles. Some honking but people do not show outward frustration or anger – the honking is merely to say “I’m here.”