BCA Frontliner Recruitment Journey (Part 2)

This post is somewhat a continuation to my previous post about BCA Recruitment 

As a part of Frontliner Program, I will need to go through a 2 months training at Jakarta which is suppose to start on October 19th. 

However, another unexpected things happens! BCA never cease to surprise me, I guess. I submitted all of the documents above yesterday on September 23th, 10 AM. On around 4 PM the same day I was called by the Head of Operational to be prepared as I will join the class that will be held on September 28th and I have to leave for Jakarta the next day on September 24th!!! I was utterly shocked.

But then again, life is all about unexpected changes. So, I accept the early schedule! (They emailed me the draft of Employment Contract, because the moment the flight ticket was bought, there is no way back expect paying the penalty). Then, all I remember is that: it was a rush night. I haven't had all the stuff I need for the training so I was jumping all around town to buy them. I cancelled all my appointments with friends and families scheduled for the next few days and I finished packing around 10 PM. Honestly, I am quite upset that I missed a trip to the beach with my little sister and mom because I will not be here on October :'( 

Nevertheless, I was ready then.
Although I have this ominous feeling that the flight will be cancelled as the haze is ready bad today.
Check out my previous post about this. 

On the D-day, September 24th I was really worried as the haze has turns really really bad. I called the airlines company and they told me that the flight from 6 AM on wards has been canceled as the plane from Jakarta cannot land because of the haze.

Haze Situation on Ayani Road, Pontianak, Indonesia

Haze Situation on Ayani II Road, Pontianak, Indonesia

Those are photos taken on my way to the airport. 

Nevertheless, I still think that there is hope. So I went there on 2.45 and checked in. The airport was super crowded. I met a lot of people who missed their flight yesterday and was switch to today's flight. The ladies behind the counter told me that the flight was delayed from 15:20 to 17:30. 

I checked in my luggage and I was just sat on the bench for 5 minutes when I heard the announcement that my flight was canceled and I need to take care of my transfer on the counter. 

Why did you checked my luggage in, then?

Shown on the counter

I came to the counter and there is already a long queue of people behind the counter. There is no more available flight for today so everyone will be switched to tomorrow. I didn't get the earliest flight tomorrow which is 10.30 because the lady behind the counter told me that morning flight is risky as the haze is more prominent during the day. So I chose the earliest afternoon schedule available, which is 17.05

Wish Me Luck!

This means I still have one day to stay at home but I will miss the contract signing!! 

I will just pray that everything will be fine tomorrow and I can arrive at Jakarta before Monday. The HR Department has already contacted the HQ at Jakarta that my flight has been delayed due to force-majeure.

On 25 September, again the weather shows no improvement, at all. According to Indonesian BMKG sites the visibility is only 0.8 KM. My friends flight was delayed from 10 AM to 7.30 PM. At 5.45, there are already 2 GARUDA flight that was cancelled as the plane cannot land due to thick haze. At this point, I am really worried that I won't be able to be in Jakarta by Monday. But then, around 6 PM, I heard 2 planes were landing!! Those two are LION AIR and GARUDA INDONESIA! That is HOPE!

I was waiting there with my mom for another announcement. The airport is really packed!! I will never ever buy a plane ticket during this time even if you pay it for me, if not for Job-Related-Cannot-Cancel purpose. Around 6.30, the airport let out an announcement calling all passengers of GARUDA flight GA 507 to on board the plane!! I am so lucky as my flight, GA 507 which is suppose to fly at 17.05 today was not cancelled and I manage to fly around 7 PM! Waiting for my luggage and taxi takes ages! I reached my rental room around 10! SAFE!! That is a lot of things happen at once, thanks to BCA!

Anyway, my class is going to start at this Monday. 

I will keep you guys updated about the schedule of the program soon!

------------------------- JUST AN EXTRA NOTE -------------------------

I am tired and I am a mess. The room that I rent, which I ordered online due to tight schedule (read about ti here) was also a mess. It doesn't look anything like the picture they posted on Internet and I am greatly disappointed because they didn't even clean the room. I am DEAD tired but I cannot sleep in a dusty room! I am allergic to dust and dirt, I do not want to have reddish skin on my first day. That is not pretty. 

The bathroom is no better and the water is running really really slow and it is dirty. I have this itch all over my body. I tried to filter the water tap the next day with my wet tissue and guess what I found out?

I was shocked!!
Truly, Madly, Deeply.
This is the "dirt" that was filtered through my wet tissue.
No wonder I am itching all over!

That's it! I am moving ASAP!

Looking for a good rental room around Slipi Kemangisan!

ASAP!!

Forest Fires in Pontianak, West Borneo, Indonesia 2015

Road condition at noon.
(I hope the camera captured the haze clearly)

Among the citizen of Pontianak (West Borneo), we have the inside joke saying that we are living in an area with 3 seasons: the dry season, wet season, and smog/haze season. 

(We only have dry and wet season, obviously)

Hot spot spread mapping in Indonesia.
This is the natural causes of the forest fires that causes haze all over Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
The human causes is the forest clearing for industry purposes (palm oil and paper) by unauthorized company (illegal)
The island on the far left is the Sumatra Island and the island on its left is Borneo Island.
Both are the main hot spots areas.
The worse area of the haze is Riau, Pekan Baru, Sumartra.

Haze is not uncommon as is anticipated each an every year during the peak of dry season. By this time of the year, the air will be so filthy that it looks pretty much like the movie Silent Hill. 

Silent Hill

Pontianak Grand Mosque

HOW IDENTICAL!!!! 

Was Silent Hill Movie shot here?

Schools are closed as the air is very unhealthy. Face masks are being distributed every where. People are advised to stay at home. The visibility on the road is pretty bad that people are turning on the vehicles light even in mid noon. The visibility on the sky in worse as dozens of flights are being cancelled and airlines company are making loses everyday. The fisherman cannot sail as well. 

I am not joking about how bad it is. It was in the news every single day now (even on international news, like bbc) and this years haze is might be the worse that we have ever experienced so far. 

Indonesia Forest Fire

Due to the fire, the forest coverage areas in Indonesia is getting smaller and smaller. 

The level of deforestation in Indonesia is the second after Brazil.

The Borneo Island of Indonesia. We can see that the forest (green areas) are is getting smaller and smaller each year. This is caused by illegal logging and forest fires.

I actually got an eye infection from the haze and there are a lot of people are getting lungs infections (ISPA: Infeksi Saluran Pernapasan Akut/Acute Respiratory Infection). Here is the report from the local newspaper about the hazardous air. Pontianak, West Borneo (KalBar) is where I lived. I provide some translation.

This table is on the local newspaper 2 days ago (15/9)

Pink Highlighted is where I live

Here is the report of the air quality in Pontianak by 16 September 2015 from BMKG (The National Meteorology and Geophysics Department)
Green (Good), Yellow (Medium), Brown (Unhealthy), Red (Very Unhealthy), Purple (Dangerous)
Now we have exceed the purple areas by a super-huge-skyrocketing margin

Pontianak Haze (taken from the local newspaper)

This is no joke. The moment you step outside your home, it is difficult to breath. The air is so acrid and there are a lot of white stuff (like burned stuff) flying in the air. There are less people on the street. It feels like a semi-apocalypse from a dystopian movie where the zombie will suddenly jump out of no where. 

Local government is trying hard to solve this issues by making the artificial rain (which is expensive). Senior executives from large companies suspected of illegal forest clearing are being caught. Our military personals (ABRI) has been assigned to help extinguished the fire at the forest. However, not much changes happens.

Our Military Personals are being assigned to help extinguished the forest fire. 

I just hope that it rains soon and the haze ends soon. I am tired of having a difficulty only to breath. I thought 'air' is suppose to be free. But may be in the near future, we or our children each have to carry an oxygen tank as our backpack because the oxygen level on earth is not enough anymore. 

I understand that we cannot do anything much about the natural causes of the forest fires. We are living in tropical areas (passed by the equator line) and it is a dry season. Even slight scrapping of dry twigs due to wind blowing can set a whole forest on fire. However, I am very sad, and disappointed and ashamed by the human caused of the fire. #prayforindonesia

Update: 
It finally rained on 18/9 and 19/9 and since then, the air started to clear a little bit. Now the sun rays can penetrate the layers of haze. I think the temperature has gone higher now. 
The haze returns on 22 September. The white dust flies in the air and I think it is going to be worse in couple days.