Highlights: My placement lasted 3 months in a small company “Mahesa Company Group”, which provides construction, architecture, interior design services. The individual assignment of the placement was getting to know Mahesa’s services, analyzing the processes inside and outside the company and considering the possibilities to expand. During the whole internship period in addition to the activities within a company related to marketing and accounting I was also writing an internship report which included information about the company, its organizational structure, internal / external analysis, current situation, perspectives and econometric analysis about the factors influencing the construction work projects' profit. It helped me to answer to a question how to allocate the expenses in order to achieve the maximum profit.
The assistance from my supervisor wasn’t very large as he was busy almost all the time, but I appreciate that his encouragement to show the initiative and become a part of their team. And, even though I have not learnt something completely new in my professional field, I did improve some skills and most importantly – a way of thinking.
Living in a multicultural environment and being mostly surrounded by local Balinese citizens gave me a heavily narrated and challenging life experience. I was given a chance to become totally involved in the community I have lived in: I was staying in a Balinese house, my housemates were only Balinese people, I was working in an office where all the employees (except me and Marlinde) were Indonesian, I was eating Indonesian food in local “Warungs” all the time, I was driving a scooter, although from the first moment I learnt that none of the “normal” traffic regulations are working here… And believe me – it was much more I could have asked for! I not only learnt about new and rich culture, traditions, people, their relations, but my palate of experiences, thoughts, emotions, possibilities expanded too.
Morning: My typical morning in Bali began with a 7.30 o’clock cold shower (as a matter of fact, Indonesians usually do not have hot water in bathroom), a cup of Balinese coffee, various fruits and a bowl of Australian oatmeal. At 8.50 I joined the majority of approx. 1 million city dwellers on their way to work, school or Hindu temples. My means of transportation was a scooter, with which I got from my home to the office. The latter was quite small and at the first glance it had reminded me of a garage or storage, not similar to the typical European office at all. However, I got used to this odd “office atmosphere” and, to be honest, it was quite an interesting experience. Upon arrival at work I spent some time chatting with my co-worker from the Netherlands. My all other colleagues were Indonesians. Some of them were a little bit younger, others – older. Some of them could speak English pretty well, others – know only a few words… However, they all accepted me in a very friendly way and tried to make me feel like at home. For instance, they always suggested me to try some traditional Indonesian food or told me something interesting about their culture or Balinese people in general.
Afternoon: If it was a working day, at 1-2 pm I usually got really hungry and went for a lunch of “Nasi Putih” + various ingredients: vegetables, chicken, fish, egg, tofu, etc. and fresh orange / avocado juice. I love Indonesian cuisine so much and I can sincerely say that this country is a heaven for good food lovers. If it was a weekend, I mostly travelled and explored Bali and East Java. Although Bali is only a small island, but it is so diverse and full of everything: hot weather, sunshine, friendly people, charming Hindu temples, wonderful beaches, rice terraces, mountains… Also, at least once per week I went to the beach. I love sunshine, warm and soothing wind and Bali… It has the perfect conditions for that! There are so many beautiful beaches that I cannot even choose which one I like the most.
Evening: After work, I either cooked something by myself or went to eat out in one of the local canteens which are called “Warungs”. They usually offer a couple of simple dishes and are located almost everywhere. Also, it is a good place not only to eat, but also to chat on the way back from work. On weekends I usually came back from the sightseeing, took a shower and started to prepare for the night out. Night life in Bali starts late, so I usually went out around 11-11.30 pm. Mostly I went somewhere close to the heart of the main Legian’s night life area. There are so many great clubs, bars which have open air stages for live performances, many dancing floors with different kinds of music, unique decorations and much more…I can honestly say that I have never experienced such a great night life as there: I danced a lot, I met a lot of cool people and what is really fun – I experienced what does it mean to get lost in the middle of the night hundreds of times… :-)