GRIP, Internships Abroad Zooming In and Out of My Comfort Zone

May 24, 2018
By Alan Wang, Wharton '21

Amalan International Indonesia, Jakarta 

I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, so I knew that traveling to Jakarta for my internship at Amalan International Indonesia would surely allow me to broaden my horizons. After all, it's over 21 hours of flight time away from Penn! When I stepped out of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, I already found Jakarta's traffic to be a huge shock. I realized it would take almost two hours to even reach the other section of the city.

After a few days of settling into my residence and exploring the city, I called a taxi early in the morning of my first day of work, in order to plan enough time for the traffic to flow through. I almost ran late. I met my colleagues, who were very interested in asking about life in America and why I wanted to intern abroad. They offered to help me with transportation advice and recommended that I use the motorcycle taxi instead of a car.

Called ojeks in Bahasa Indonesia (the language of Indonesia), the motorcycles could rapidly zip through traffic jams and save time. They are easily ordered through Gojek, an iPhone app that works in a similar fashion to Uber. The taxis provide free helmets (and even masks)! Helmet provided by Indonesian ride-share company Gojek

Saving time was important for me, but I was afraid of stepping out of my comfort zone. I never even thought about what an ojek was, let alone think about ordering one through my phone. I was worried about the language barrier. Getting lost once or twice would be inevitable since I could not speak any Indonesian. Moreover, I was not sure if it would be uncomfortable riding outside in the heat.

None of these issues were real issues when I started ordering these rides through Gojek after my coworker taught me how to use the app on my phone. The language barriers became funny conversations and great methods of learning basic Indonesian, as well as honest insights into Indonesian culture. The heat from living near the Equator quickly disappeared when the ojeks zoomed at full speeds in the wind. I even felt more comfortable than being inside an office, and I discovered a fun, adrenaline-filled transportation method that I use each day. My coworker explained the next day that modern technology that businesses develop integrate the traditional concept of ojeks used for decades in Indonesia, instead of introducing a brand-new transportation method. It turns out that the transportation was only a brand-new concept from my point of view!

The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce. Placements and funding awards are available.