Medan: Where Concrete Eats Graffiti For Breakfast
just got back from medan and my hands still smell of spray paint and durian. the air here wraps around you like wet velvet - sticky but breathable. i just checked the weather and it's holding steady at 21.2°C, feels like 21.86, so if you're planning to be outside, hope you're cool with that constant damp embrace.
this city's walls are alive. they're breathing canvases that demand color. spent three days hunting for legal spots near masjid raya, dodging *street cleaners who treat my work like gum on their shoes. someone told me that the real gold is in the back alleys near Kampung Keling, where the light hits cracked concrete just right. but i also heard that locals there will straight up hand you turmeric tea if you're painting during dawn prayers - humble vibes.
"yo man, heard the cops are cracking down on anything near Merdeka Walk. last month they tagged some dude for painting a pigeon on a lamppost. like, seriously?"
if you get antsy and need a change of scenery, binjai and pematangsiantar are just a scooter ride away. totally different vibe* - less frantic, more rubber trees. but medan? man, medan's got this raw energy where street art is either embraced or erased, no in-between.
"saw this tourist trying to buy spray paint at Medan Mall. security nearly tackled him. locals just laughed. medan runs on its own clock, innit?"
hit up Jalan Setia Budi for cheap art supplies - the hardware stores there stock cans cheaper than jakarta. but for god's sake, skip the warungs near Medan Zoo. tried that sate padang place? my stomach did a backflip for two days. stick to the stalls near Thamrin Plaza - that old dude with the indomie cart? he’s seen everything.
last night, i painted a mural of a durian wearing sunglasses on a factory wall. by morning, it was covered in some kind of fermented soybean paste. medan eats art for breakfast. and i’d come back tomorrow.
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