JAKARTA 1 April 2015: First chaotic day in South Jakarta

GEOLOGIST in BANK

What do you do?

I get a lot of similar questions from my friends. 

"What are you doing at the bank?"

"What kind of job are you doing at the bank?"

"How are you dressed in the bank?"

"How much is your salary?"

FYI, to take a responsibility for my scholarship, I interned at the Bank CIMB Niaga Center (South Jakarta) on April 2, 2015 through June 18, 2015. There, I was placed in the legal division. Division completely odd to me. I just wish people would accept me well there. I did not really think about the work that will be done later.

Based on my internet search, the function of the legal division is to Assist the Director of Administration and Finance to coordinate the activities Handling Company Law, such as the handling of legal issues and legal opinions related to business and administration, as well as to develop and control quality standards, monitoring and evaluation in the control company's quality products and services, including the practice of good corporate governance.

Well, I don't understand. Really. 

I just caught that my work seems to be a lot to deal with legislation.

My first day in Jakarta was not really happy. I departed from solo to Cikarang using the night bus with a somber heart. I do not ever want to live and work in Jakarta. I don't like the chaotic, traffic, pollution and the high living cost. But I have to go and take this responsibility.

I arrived in Cikarang in the early morning. I was planning to stay and rest a few hours in my sister's house in Cikarang before leaving for Jakarta. Distance between Cikarang and Jakarta is not too far, just 1.5 hours using a public bus. I slept well that morning, and woke up at 12 pm to get ready leaving for Jakarta. My heart still somber, I don't have spirit. I don't know why. I'm going alone.

Trip from Cikarang to Jakarta show me the real side of Jakarta traffic jams. Trip that normally drivable 1.5 hours become 4 hours due to traffic jams. I have never seen so many cars and buses at the same time. At 4 pm, I arrived at Terminal Blok M and immediately make Trans Jakarta card for Rp 40,000 for the busway pass. Route I should passed : Blok M-Dukuh Atas-Mampang Prapatan. From Dukuh Atas, I should change busway corridor 6 to Mampang Prapatan. 

I do not know this is the next mental exam in Jakarta.

Ride busway from Blok M to Dukuh Atas was okey. The bus was clean, big and comfortable. Although I did not get a seat, I stood quite comfortable and enjoy the view of the modern South Jakarta. This trip took about 45 minutes journey until Dukuh Atas. This is where my suffering begins

With so many passengers queuing, I wait so long in a stuffy room boxed glass to get a bus to Mampang Prapatan. Each bus comes, passengers are always scrambling and pushing each other. I should carry a bag full of clothes and rescucer driven to and fro. Sweat already flooded my body. I felt like crying. My legs were tired, my body was tired from lack of sleep and now I have to wait for hours to get a bus. Plus, I don't even know the exact location of my kost.

People began to shout and protest to bus conductor. They are protesting because from some bus passes, everything just ended in Kuningan Timur stop (1 stop before Mampang Prapatan stop), there is no bus that ended in Ragunan stop as they wish. I'm getting stress. People shouted angrily. There is no other choice, I had to take a bus that ended in Kuningan Timur stop. I will walk from Kuningan Timur stop to Mampang Prapatan Stop. I saw in my map, the distance was not so far, approximately 1 kilometer.

My suffering finally ended when I step down in Kuningan Timur stop. There, I started walking south until find Mampang Prapatan stop. The streets are very crowded and jammed. Several times I had to cross a large intersection with full horn from motorcycles or car. No one's care that I'am walking with leg, whereas they using machine. I pray that I can survive.

From Mampang Prapatan stop, I keep walking with my tired leg until find Blue Bird Main Office. My kost candidate mothers have said the location of my kost is located in the alley behind the Blue Bird Main Office. He told me to take the alley on the right Blue bird and go about 200 meters to find the mosque. Her house is next to the mosque. I had to ask some people to find the location of the house and eventually completely until 8 pm.

My kost mother is a nice woman with active speaking style. After we talked for a while and resolve administrative thing, I went to bed. Tomorrow is my first working day at the bank.

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APRIL 2, 2015

I woke up at 03.30 am and shower. This is Jakarta, and with it's traffic jams, I do not know what time to leave for office. My office will began at 08.30 am. So I decided to take bus as morning as I can. Bus route that I should pass was Mampang Prapatan-Dukuh Atas II, from Dukuh Atas II, I have to cross the bridge to Dukuh Atas I stop and take bus to Gelora Bung Karno stop. Simple, but in Jakarta it could be chaotic when we left too late.

I arrived at the Gelora Bung Karno Stop too early, at 7:15. CIMB Niaga building is in sight, but I do not dare to enter. I do not know what to do. I contacted a friend of mine who has been first internship led me there for the first day in office. He agreed and I waited 1 hour for him to came.

With confidence that began to rise, I walk with my friend into CIMB Niaga building. I took the lift until 16th floor and he introduced me to few people there. People were nice and appreciate my arrival. When waiting for my boss to come, I was talking with my friend. When was talking, one of the staff reprimanded:

"if you want to speak, you can speak out there"

I was very surprised. 

I say sorry and keep silent until my boss coming. Pfftt.

My boss is a good woman, patient and understanding. My first day I filled with correcting some files and afterwards do nothing. I played my handphone all day until going back office at 05.30.

Can you say my first day in South Jakarta is chaotic? Maybe a little bit.