Stampede Design
I was born in the Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia 29 years ago. All my life I grew up in this city. Childhood, school then all the way into adulthood.
Medan is a metropolitan city, the third largest city in Indonesia. It is very densely populated with many tall buildings. Like any mega city, transportation gridlock is always a nightmare during rush hour.
It’s not necessary to tour the entire Asian continent to discover various ethnic groups and cultures. In a vast country of 17508 islands (in which 6000 are inhabited), Medan has it all. We have Bataknesse, Javanese, Acehnesse, Chinese, Indian and many other ethnicities. We also have many ancient Dutch heritage buildings from earlier times, mostly in the Kesawan area.
For those of you looking to indulge in the urban atmosphere, Medan is right for you. There are so many places of entertainment, food and beverages, shopping centers, family leisure, games and nightlife. The most famous one is Merdeka Walk, right in the heart of the city. It is the hottest place to hangout in Medan City with cafes, restaurants, exhibition galleries and entertainment hubs.
But that’s the hectic Medan. There’s another side of the city that I’m in love with – orderly atmosphere, fresh air and a place away from the crowds.
My beloved campus, University of North Sumatra, is located at the suburban part of the city and large enough to house thirteen faculties. Complete with various facilities, it also has a cozy residential campus for students who come from outside the region and abroad. The Cafeteria and Library are worth a visit.
You can find the most beautiful atmosphere at the Faculty of Arts. Its ground is lush with trees, making it the most comfortable place to study and read. There’s also a nearby field where students play friendly football matches in the afternoon.
I belonged to the Faculty of Letters and we have variety of majors – Indonesian Language, English, Japanese Language, Regional Languages, Mandarin, History, Library Science, Ethnomusicology and Tourism.
Music, the universal language, sets our faculty’s fun level higher than the rest. Through Ethnomusicology, we learned various musical instruments and vocals unique to Indonesia. We have a permanent air of liveliness through the expression of music here.
There’s always musical entertainment at the cafeteria area and my habit was to join the musicians and sing along. I spent almost a year of my time there enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of the campus. That is, until I realized my academic grade was nearing pathetic and start hitting the books hard, paying my due.
There is no better place than home in Medan and my campus sweetens the deal.
(lovely photos by of kanarata, liamsismile & polinlipo)
