Learning Through Experience to Indonesia

I recently went to Indonesia for an academic trip. It was part of our Issues in Operations Management subject requirement. Why Indonesia? Well..there were few choices at first, and lots of factors to consider. Especially related to costs. Besides, there's a lot in Indonesia (I believe) that I can learn from. (Which I did).

DAY 1. (July 17, 2012)

Took off from Dungun at 4am. Arrived at KLIA at 11am. Convert RM to Rupiah. Bought Wisdom from Laughter; 500 Jokes with Life Lessons book (I seriously cannot come out a book store without buying any books), checked in at 2pm and boarded the KLM Royal Dutch air plane at 5pm. 

Touched down at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta at 7pm. Took off to Bandung (3-hrs drive) and had dinner at Bukit Randu Bandara. Those jet lags (as if) made us too tired to enjoy dinner. But lemme assure u, it was gooooood. After dinner, checked-in at Marciella Hotel. Finally!

 

KLM Royal Dutch

 

DAY 2. (July 18, 2012)

Breakfast at hotel restaurant. Gahh..loved the fried rice! Tastes so Indomie~ After breakfast, took off to Tangkuban Perahu/Parahu. Approx.1 hour drive. Quite breezy there. And smells strongly of sulphur *pinch nose*. Here, I bought several t-shirts for my family. Rp.20,000 each, equivalent to approx. RM6. If u're good at bargaining, I bet u can get at cheaper prices. I also bought my dad a drum set model for Rp.50,000 (Approx.RM16). 

 

Then, we had lunch at Kg. Daun. What a scenery! Table and chairs were set in small huts. Surrounded by green sceneries and a waterfall. Verrry relaxing. We ate Nasi Sunda. I need not mention the out-of-d-world taste it offers. *drool*. Completed with a Bandung Cincau beverage. Perghhh.. needless to say. So....Indonesia!

With a happy, full, stomach, we continued our exploration in Bandung. Paris Van Java was our next stop. Famously known for its mode houses, it was also a shopping destination. 

 

Next, another shopping pit stop. Toko Tiga. (I wish had more allowances. But I'm glad I'm strong enough in buying only what is necessary). Toko Tiga is famously known for it's cheap branded jeans. I bought a Levi's jeans (after 50% discount) at approx. RM80. So, tell me where I can get a quality Levi's jeans at that price in Malaysia?

Not enough shopping? Off to Jalan Riau. Famously known for its factory outlet (F.O). F.O's are usually a bit more expensive than other shopping areas, cuz it's more like a boutique-type of shopping outlet. 

 

To end our day, we had dinner at Rumah Ikan. The main dish? Well of course, fish. (I'm bad at identifying types of fish). As a side order, I bought a delicious Rp.15,000 vanilla-green tea ice-cream.

 

DAY 3. (July 19, 2012)

Again, breakfast at the hotel with the good taste of (Indomie) fried rice. Checked-out, and hit our first destination of the day; Kartika Sari. Heaven for confectioneries, cakes (kek lapis, rainbow cake, red-velvet and macaroons), chocolates and biscuits. However, I only bought a slice of Rp.4,000 brownies. Cakes were not in my Shopping list. So I sacrificed myself.

Next stop? Oh..oh..oh..*checks wallet and shopping list*..to Pasar Baru! What's with the excitement you question? Here's the place to shop for everything! Here, I bought telekung for my mum and grandmas. Was out of budget to get myself and my sister's one each. Sigh~. My mum's telekung cost Rp.165,000 (approx.RM 55), with a set of telekung bag and a praying mat. Suitable for travelling. I bought both my grandma's a silk cotton telekung each. Pasar Baru consists of several floors, with each floor sells different merchandise. A level each of; telekung, cloths, ready-made jubah, t-shirts, souvenirs, and food stuffs. We spent 4 hours shopping here. Then we all gathered at the meeting point, to wait for the bus. It was here that we can really see how the people there did for a living. Many came from poor families. They did various ways to obtain money. Played guitar and sing, and expecting people to donate. Sold key chains, toys, telekung bags and other merchandises to tourists by hand. Some even just ask for money. It may be annoying sometimes as they tend to force tourists to buy their products, even if we insist we didn't want to. Well, like I said. They'd do anything for a living. It's pretty hectic here in Pasar Baru. So you might wanna be extra careful with your belongings here. 

 

 

 

Tired. We headed for lunch at Mitra Sederhana Pasteur. With a happy tummy, we headed to our next destination; Jalan Cibaduyut Raya. Famously known for it's genuine leather products. Boots, jackets..all leather products. Didn't buy anything here. Just sight-seeing. 

Now's the time to say Au revoir to Bandung, cuz we're heading to Jakarta, people! We arrived in Jakarta at 11pm. Had dinner. Checked-in at N1 Hotel. Slept soundly.

DAY 4. (July 20, 2012).

We had the morning off to do our own exploration of the city. I chose to sleep. (Gosh, get a life Yong!) Lemme explain people! I didn't want to risk getting lost and spoiling the trip. Besides, lemme remind you. I was out of budget. So I only explored 'Jakarta' from my hotel room. Had Indomie noodles for breakfast. Finally! At 11am, we checked-out from the hotel, and headed to MONAS. It's a monument in the city that also symbolizes the highest peak. I was told that no other building should be higher that the peak of MONAS. 

 

Next point; ITC Mangga 2. Another shopping place. Gahh!! *bank notes flying with wings*. Only managed to buy myself a Jakarta t-shirt. 

So there goes. End of our trip. In case u question which part is the 'academic' part, well.. initially we were to visit Institut Teknologi Bandung. But due to certain unavoidable events, we didn't manage to replace it with another university, college or institute. Sad. I would really love to meet the students in Indonesia. Share knowledge and experience. Well then, maybe some other time. (Yeah right~). 

Well, it was a really educational trip for me. I love observing. Getting the chance to see people's life from different perspective is what I love doing. From what I observed, the people there are mostly living in hardship. They live in clustered housing areas and quite much in a less-hygienic environment. Kids running around barefooted. Poor mothers wearing ripped clothes carrying their babies around and asking donations. Youngsters selling goodies, and sometimes a little harsh by force. I was also told by a friend that he had witnessed used straws being recycled for the next users. (Gross!). Plus, I was also shocked that drivers there  uses emergency lanes as one of the main lanes. Looks so innocent to them. However, it's cool to find that 7-Eleven in Jakarta is a cafe-concept with seats to hang out and drink. (I only saw one branch though). I also saw a clothing shop on a walkway. But what's weird is that there are table sets in between the clothes. Do they operate restaurant and boutique at the same time? Won't it give the clothes smells? My friend first noticed this, most Chinese there do not speak Chinese. So true. I tried to communicate in Mandarin with one Chinese woman, but she said she doesn't speak so. Okayyy~ 

In short, I benefited as much as I could throughout the trip. I've seen more developed countries before, and I'm lucky to see a less developed country. With this, I have become a lot more thankful with everything I have. Like my dad said, Those who resist to explore other places are those who are not thankful. Meaning to say, they only see life in one perspective. When they should have various views in life. 

P/S: Conversation I overheard at KLIA.

Woman A: Eh, where u from?

Woman B: Mana lagi? London lah! 

(Okayyy fine!)

"Masa dah tamat. Sila letak pen anda sekarang."

"Masa dah tamat. Sila letak pen anda sekarang." Those few words are the most magical, especially if it is the last paper of the semester. What more, the LAST paper of your studies. 

Well...I haven't officially ended my Degree level studies just...yet. Awww.. I've got another 5 months to go before I'm done for good. Awww...~

Those freezing 3 hours in the exam hall today was far better than the previous paper I took. Today was Project Management. The moment the invigilator allowed us to go through our question paper, I smiled. Thank God the questions weren't alien. The only prob, the room temperature was freezing. Slowed me down a bit. They only turned off the air-conds 15mins before paper ended. Too late man. 15min is not enough for me to elaborate all 6 questions in detail. 

Anyway, right after we exited the hall, my classmates gathered round together. Can't believe it's over. In paper I mean. (Let's not talk about intern just yet). 

Will make an entry of my classmates some other time. They're my assets. 

My First Interviews

I've had few mock interviews before when I was in university. But like the name, it's only a mock!

Well..this all started when I was scrambling for companies to do my practicum training

Of course, the first company in mind: MATRADE. Why so? Well initially, I've been influenced by newspaper reports and people's blogs saying the company sends intern students overseas for intern. So then I started day-dreaming that I'd be one of them. HAH! *slaps face gently to wake self up* I realized I'm straying afar. Anyway, I started doing some research about MATRADE, and well...I liked it. Being able to learn its operations into globalization will be beneficial for me. So I applied the position in April.

A month went by, and still no feedback from MATRADE. Good thing I played back-ups. So yeah, during the period, I managed to go through 2 phone interviews. First, a 50-minute phone interview from an online car dealer company located in Petaling Jaya (Carlist.my). The interview was basically about me telling about myself (talked more on educational life, experience and interests), me asking questions about the company, and the last slot was an IQ test. They intentionally did so to see how I think and make decisions. The question was really a brain-teaser..so I ended up telling the interviewer "I don't mean to give up, but for now, I cannot answer your question'. Heh heh. A week later, they called. I passed the interview and they wanted me to go for internship there. Woohoo!

Second phone interview came from a business consultant group from Technology Park Malaysia (HCL Axon). This one's a lot shorter. Only took 20 minutes of interview. Basically, again, about me telling about myself (education, experience and interests), and me asking questions about the company. They even asked my level of English. Cuz if I meet their specs, they would want to put me in a department where I'll be doing a lot of documentation, writing letters, checking grammars etc etc etc. So I told them about my English results in school, MUET exam and the English Assessment test in Jobstreet I took. Few days later, they called. Said that if I were free, they'd want me to come over for a face-to-face interview. Date set, June 26.

DHL is in Axis Tower, PJ

Later, gotten a call from DHL, Petaling Jaya. They wanted to conduct a face-to-face interview with me. Date set, June 27.

After weeks of waiting (and almost losing hope), on one magical fine day, gotten an e-mail from MATRADE!!! Said they wanted to have a face-to-face interview!! Gahh..I must be dreaming. *rubs eyes*. So yeah, date set, June 27. Same day with DHL interview. Only DHL's in the morning and MATRADE noon.

Considering I didn't have a car to drive to Bukit Jalil, I cancelled the interview with HCL Axon. It was a risky decision, but I went with my heart. Hoping to pass the DHL and MATRADE interview (which were my priority now).

Woke up fresh on the day of the interview, June 27. Car-pooled my cousin to Petaling Jaya for my FIRST ever interview! Arrived half an hour early at Axis Tower, went to Level 11, reported myself to the security, sat and waited calmly at the waiting area. 10mins after the scheduled time interview, a lady assisted me into a small room. Here goes. Gave my resume, documents and certificates for her to see. Seems pleased I assumed. (Thank God *feet shaking*). Asked me to tell her about myself (again, education, experience and interest backgrounds). Then me asking questions about DHL in operations, initiatives and programs etc. (Good thing I studied the company before I came). I even told her about the thesis topic I plan to study during intern, so she talked about their GoGreen initiative program, which I knew of (thanks to studying). The interview went for 30mins. Escorted me to the lift, thanked each other, and went off. To occupy another 3 hours before MATRADE interview, I (accompanied by my bro) had brunch at The Mall. One hour later, then... *Back in Time music* heard. My phone! "Hello?" "Hi Nabila? This is M***** from DHL. Just want to let you know that we would want you to have your intern here in DHL" (Me, mouth-opened). "Wow, that was quick." "So, we'd like you to come some time to sign a few documents and agreement". Due to time constraint, I told her to set another further date. Set.

1.50pm. Took a taxi from The Mall to MATRADE. Chitter-chattered with the driver. Told him I had an interview. And he asked, "You asked for an interview? Or THEY called for an interview?" So I said, THEY called. And he said, Wow! My eyebrows *up and down in curiousity*. Arrived half an hour early. Gotten lost a bit in the building. Found the right lift! Went in with another interview candidate from UiTM Puncak Alam (International Business student). We were the first to arrive. Soon, four other candidates joined in. 3 International Business students from UiTM Melaka and 1 Marketing student from UiTM Johor. I was the only Operations Management student from UiTM Terengganu.

We were divided into two groups of 3. The first group entered the interview room. Whist waiting for our turn, my team discussed on current issues, name of ministers, and important people etc. 30mins of waiting, our turn. Got in with 3 panel interviewers. *heart throbs*. First, we were told to introduce ourselves, but of nothing mentioned in our resume. So blablabla... education, experience, interest, families etc.The interviewers too introduced themselves and from which department they were from. Then they asked us to give reasons why we chose MATRADE and why we should be selected among others. I raised my hand first. (Tried to sell myself a bit). After 30mins, we were to combine all candidates (6 of us altogether) for the next session. We were to imagine we were at a coffee house and make spontaneous chats on a given topic (watched by interviewers): Facebook! (Thank God...nothing related to some topic I don't know of). Again, I tried to outshine myself. (I really wanted this so bad). Practically after 15mins, we ended our 'chat'. So then, the interviewers made some reviews (said "Oh, they're selling themselves".. "you guys talk a lot"..etc.), T&C of working in MATRADE etc etc etc. That last moment before we headed out the interview room, one interviewer suddenly called my name, "Nabila! (Me, looks sharply in her eyes..shocked), I'm watching you! *finger points eye to eye*". So I said, "Sure, you may" (indicating somewhat like Pick Me!). Know why she did that? "I was also a student of UiTM Tganu once upon a time....TY was my lecturer. Send my regards to him." Goshh..*mini heart attack*. So then, headed back home. All went well. Syukur. 

5 days later, gotten an e-mail from MATRADE. "Congratulations, your application......is Accepted!"

Alhamdulillah, those interviews I've gone through were very smooth. Never did I expect I'd be going through ALL those interviews well. But ALL went well. Syukur is all I can express of. What I've learnt during those interviews, importance of English command, communication ability, confidence, ability to shine out, and most importantly, Being Myself. No use being a hypocrite during interviews, and trapping yourself with guilt. My advice, Your weakness SHOULD NOT stand out more than your strengths. Speak full English with as much confidence as you can. Be participative. Be active (not passive). Smile. Properly attired. Most importantly, Bismillah and Doa'. 

Thanks Mama, Papa, Wan, and everyone for the Doa'. I hope that one day, I'll be able to pay back for all the deeds that you have given me, and if ever I don't have that chance, I pray that Allah will bless your lives for eternity. Amin.