Many people talk about the vibrancy of Indonesia, and coming into the country blind I don’t think I could have begun to describe the surroundings simply by the amount of color everywhere. Unlike Japan, Indonesia’s city color isn’t dictated by strict city planning or the use of color for architectural design. Nor is it simply relying on a natural aesthetic to choose it’s green or brown or red. Indonesia uses color for the practical purpose of catching the eye of potential customers. That alone gives the city of Bandung a sense of life that is missing from many parts of the western world.

My stay started with meeting student guides that had volunteered to show us foreigners around. There was a lot to talk about, though all of us had to rest after lunch. I got to meet my fellow teachers arriving from Thai and the Philippines, all who were equally baffled by life here. In the evening, the student guides brought us to a shopping centered called Borma, which is a multi-leveled superstore selling just about anything one could need.

I must say that it’s difficult to get used to life here. The streets are constantly flowing with vehicles that have no street lights nor pay attention to road lanes. In fact, motorized bikes outnumber cars, and most cars are actually private forms of transit. Without being able to speak Indonesian, I don’t see how I could possibly get around.

It is, however, quite fun if a native speaker accompanies. Though unsettling, the transit is fast and cheap. It’s nice to once again experience a city that doesn’t sleep.