Medan

Long day flying from Shanghai to Medan. We left the house at 6:15am in the morning and landed at Medan's Polonia International Airport at 7:50pm local time (one hour behind Shanghai). First we flew 5 hours to Singapore, ah what a nice city. Then waited for about 6 hours before taking the last 1 hour and 20 minutes flight to Medan. What took us there? Well, my mother was born and raise at Balawan about 20K from Medan. She went to school there and taught at a high school. After leaving the city 50 years later, she arrived back this week to attend a high school alumni banquet. And she was to be honored as a teacher.

A and I, at last minute, decided to come. We were scheduled to be in Singapore again anyway starting Sunday. The banquet was on Saturday so why not.

Man, things have changed here. 50 years ago and up till about 5 years ago, the Chinese were treated as "non-existing" class. Everything was blamed for the economic hardship for the locals. Burning, killing, you name it... Now the last while with the close economic tie with China, the local Chinese who have been here generations and generations ago, are not thriving again. Not just thrived. Obscenely extravagant! I guess history of being humble has gone out the door. Last night at the hotel, the JW Marriott one of the tallest in the city here, tables of local Chinese eating w/ huge watches on wrists and handbags. We went to a Chinese temple completed 2 years ago. It was big! I mean GIGANTIC. It was part of a gated development. An acre for the temple by my estimate, not counting other projects around the temple.

That's the surface. Who knows what is under the cover. My dad and mom came early this week. Dad was "harassed" at Immigration. First they said "O, Macau passport you can't come in without Visa.", then "O it is ok now". After that, "you know this weekend is a Chinese festival, maybe you can buy me a cup of coffee?". Dad knew and gave him USD 5.00. Then the other Immigration Officer saw it and walked over "What about me?". By then, dad already had his passport back he said "You guys can share". He left.

This weekend is the time for Chinese to get to ancestor's tombs to pay respect. There are lots of Chinese coming back to Medan to do that. The locals know it, the Immigration officials know it.

People are friendly but the infrastructure just not there. Security at hotels are very heavy. Today as we drove home after lunch, a cop car with siren on drove the opposite direction. It was for a wedding party. Then two arm guards on motor bikes took up the rear. Wedding = gifts = lots of $. A side business for the cops here as escorts.

Do I want to come back? Probably not. Took up one page in my passport to have a stupid Visa on Arrival sticker, then USD 25.00 from 1 to 30 days visit. On on departure, about Rp 100,000 (USD 12.00) per person. The airport arrival is not that nice anyway. Jammed pack with cars and pot holes.

Here's a Google map link to the Singapore and Medan: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Singapore+Airport+Singapore&daddr=Medan,+Indonesia&hl=en&geocode=%3BCRzk3Lg8frooFdq0NgAdjqvhBSn9sj4czDExMDFigpCmyDHUIw&mra=ls&sll=3.524387,99.063721&sspn=0.819668,1.017609&ie=UTF8&ll=1.955187,100.535889&spn=6.562414,12.32666&z=7