It's been a long time since my last article on my blog due to my activities during my internship time at The Ministry of Health in Jakarta and I have also started working on my Scriptie as well.

Andddd this should be my first post in 2017 HAHAHA 

Healthy lifestyle at the office 'sometimes' XD

Based on some of my colleagues (junior) requests to write down my experiences at my internship appointment. I chose to post it in my blog.

Getting a chance at an internship at the Ministry of Health is the dream of a villager like me. Living far from the capital city make us (me and maybe some of my friends) who claimed that the apprentice in ministry is one of the way to success, I was told. For those of you who are accustomed to living in Jakarta maybe my experience will appear so so. But for those of us here someone who works, lectures, internships and even just lives in Jakarta has indicated an above-average ability of a person in my environment hemmm...

My experience started when my good friend Muhammad Saprudin (I call him kak Udin; the one and only who could express his words in poetry in a very funny way, part of Genk Gorengan as well) helped me to be an intern at the Ministry of Health. I have already submitted proposals and a recommendation letters from my campus twice in the months of January 2016 and March 2016. But got no reply, it’s like waiting for your crush knowing how much you love them (Gak Peka yaolohhh) wkwkwkwk. 

Then I give up on and ask kak Udin to help me with it. Then he did it very well. Amid his busy teaching at the one of hitsable and gilss boarding school in Jakarta, he was happy to help me take care of everything until I received confirmation and the staff contacted me to process the appropriate placement based on my major.

At first I was placed in the promotion of health and community services that focussed on smoking policy and infectious diseases, perhaps because of my CV that implied of anti-smoking activists and high social spirit to serve.

However, I then requested a place in the program planning and information because I want to learn how the bureaucracy works leading up to health policies implementation in Indonesia. My request was granted and I started my internship life at Program and Information Directorate General for Public Health Ministry of Health, Kuningan, South Jakarta.


On October 19, 2016 I left home and it was the first time away from for two months. I went back home on December 19, 2016. For me this is a new experience because I have never been away from both of my parents for such a long time.

Over a period of 6 weeks, this is what I achieved

 

New family

All the staff at the place of my internship were so nurturing, kind, and professional. I know that my skills are not enough to balance their work as they are already familiar with the system and bureaucracy. But since the first day I started working, it all seemed so pleasant. From the first day my main mentor said "You have to eat a lot here, especially chocolate, do exercises down stair at the fitness center every afternoon, get some vitamin at the clinic, then when you back home, your friends will jealous how good your life at Jakarta HAHA ". They treated me so well I felt very comfort having internship life over there.

How my mbak-mbak made my days :D

Luckily I am used to working fast and always excited to learn something so I have no trouble when I had to do something in a matter of hours and was required to balance them as soon as possible. Including staying up completed several reports and surveys for national meetings. One thing to remembered always take a chance and face the challenges with your best, keep learning sis.

 

The neighborhood is full of tolerance

I was the only Hindu who entered the Muslim environment on the 8th floor of the building named Adhyatma where I spent from Monday until Friday for 6 weeks. The first week I always bring food for lunch but because the tolerances are so high right where I intern and then serving foods that I can eat. I drove around Jakarta and Temple in Rawamangun although I had quite understood Jakarta because its not my first time in Jakarta, maybe because my face is not convincing. My mentor guide me to know how to use public transports and some Temples in Jakarta. Yes I know how good my mentor is.

Bu Ence the most hitsable emak at the office XD

Understanding some Bureaucracy and Health Policy

For six weeks every day that I was required to read some books, guidelines, rules, recent policies in the ministry so understand what is being done by them. 

I borrowed the book and read until late at night so I understand the terms discussed in the office. The first week was a bit difficult but I eventually got used to it all. Following the entire national meeting held in Bekasi gave me a little understanding of how health policies are planned until approved by the House of Representatives and finally delivered to be implemented in the national meeting of the 34 provinces in Indonesia and later in monitoring and evaluation. It played on my mind "Ahaa this is 8 credits that I have learned about the program classes at school". But its not as simple as the lecture is. Not only that, I also got to experience that it is very difficult indeed to achieve a healthy community in Indonesia with the problems we face.

 

Jakarta is cruel

Sorry to say but Jakarta is indeed cruel. While in Jakarta, I learned that life is a competition, it's hard to make money, and you need to watch yourself. The first week I used private vehicles to the office, but because I want to feel how good public transport is, I choose it in my second weeks. Seeing people who wreck the street but do not be helped, thugs who roam at night sleep on the midway, teen drunkenness, singers are forced to charge, pickpocket were around, fell precisely at the Sudirman station for urging mothers respite that come inside the train when I came back from Depok to the Panglima Polim. I almost became a victim of thugs in one of public transportation in Jakarta. People called this public transportation as pickpocket angkot, I did not realize that the people I chat with in the public transportation is a pickpocket but I wonder why they did not take anything from me. Probably too busy discussing about tips how to travel to Bali with low budget and I give my contact number if they want to go to Bali someday and they forgot about reviews their profession as a pickpocket or too sad to me that looks too sad and emaciated HAHAHA.

Shocked was great when I got off the public transportation there who asked "Did you lost something? Because you just drove by public transportation that contain pickpocket ". I was shocked and check all the items in the bag and my pockets but none of my stuff was missing. Maybe because I was nice to them from the beginning also I give the Pie Susu Bali that I bring with me, or maybe I'm just lucky. Soo relief ....
For you who wants to travel to Jakarta for the first time do not forget to be smart and keep yourself and your possessions. That's one reason why people here carry their bag on the front for safety reasons. Since then, I reduced the use of public transport except with friends.

 Although cruel, Jakarta teach a lot of positive things

Balinese said, Rwa Bhineda there are always good and bad in everything, including Jakarta. There is no homesick when I was there. There are many friends who are always asking "where you want to go at the weekend, lets catch up wid, lets gathering wid" even in the weekdays they ask me to go for just only sightseeing Jakarta or having dinner together. How lucky I am having them all.
Being a minority there is not as scary as people said. In fact I always could worship peacefully every week in Rawamangun. The favorite place to spend at the weekend.

And the most important thing is about the value of a life full of struggle. Said a child I found the outskirt of Jakarta, said "I do not eat when not singing". When I want a life of luxury that turns out there are small children who struggle each day just to eat, let alone to school?. I am so thankful I did not have to mess around with finding the money to eat. I just have to study and study, without wondering did I eat today? but I was always not aware of it.


Competition in Jakarta so intense, every day had to get up early, have to have a plan "what next" to develop yourself more and getting better day by day. So many vast opportunities in Jakarta as well as the one so many newcomers in Jakarta so it feels claustrophobic. But these newcomers are people who are willing to jostle on the train just to save money so that when the Eid day they can back home to their kampung and save some money for their future life. So inspiring.
Every time I eat at the mall, even at the warung roadside, things become a topic of people conversation are on careers and assignments. Very different from the ones in Bali. Very Different, away from homey. All striving and competing for life. So unforgetable….

Want to live your life? go to Jakarta by yourself, face the challenges and feel the competition (he said) !

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Begitulah Jakarta dia mengajarkan saya tentang hidup yang sebenarnya. Jakarta itu cinta yang tak hapus oleh hujan tak lekang oleh panas. Jakarta itu kasih sayang.

“Tentang Jarak dan Adam turun di hutan mengabur dalam dongengan dan kita tiba-tiba disini tengadah ke langit; kosong sepi”_Kata Sapardi, saat sepertinya setengah dari saya tertinggal disana #ehh