Project Week 3: Wrapping up

21st-27th July (Week 4: Mon-Sun)

21st: Going into the final week already feels like absolute madness but as usual, time flies, and we are already nearing the end. In this blog I'll sum up what went on over the course of the week and then finish off with my reflections at the end. So it was another early start for the final week of project work, for which we all together as a big group headed to Primakara University in Denpasar where we were split into 3 smaller groups, each tasked with working with a different group of students from the uni with their own start-up companies. My group were paired with a video game design company, something I was excited to learn more about as a newly 'avid' video game fan who has very minimal knowledge surrounding the actual techy stuff. Before we went off to have our discussions with the partner, we were given some fun free water bottles and interesting snacks, and welcomed by the university with some ice breakers, including some awkward dancing. But onto the action projects, we settled on one focused on networking and outreach involving LinkedIn and target client profiles, and the other, which I was more involved in, carrying out market research about whether a mobile or PC platform is more beneficial. These ended up being really interesting areas to research, despite being quite niche compared to my typical interests, but that is something I have enjoyed embracing. We were driven over to Sanur yet again and had a veggie burger for lunch, then spending the afternoon working on the action projects in the local co-working space. The evening was quite relaxed, relishing the yet again glorious dinner and playing with the dogs who I already know I am going to miss so much.

22nd: Compared to dinner, breakfast hasn't really been appealing to me over the last week, not really for any reason but maybe the tiredness in the mornings have been putting me off. We spent the morning doing our work and had a nice lunch in a cute gelato shop with nice bagels and sandwiches, breaking up the work with card games and games of pool so it's not all work and no play, of course. The evening activity was at the Banjar Bale, being taught how to play Balinese instruments which we hear around the village every day, especially the gamelan. We weren't exactly naturals at it, with it just sounding very noisy, and when we heard how it's actually meant to be played, I'll admit it sounded much better. I started some packing after dinner, which feels way too soon but has to be done. This day I felt a bit out of sorts I think so just got some rest in the evening, and did feel better by the next morning. 

23rd: Well-rested until about 6am I woke up realising I had been bitten to the extreme overnight, and was disappointed as I had been too optimistic, thinking I'd escaped relatively unscathed, but clearly the mozzies had other ideas for me. Our partner Q&a with the uni students was helpful, giving us direction to finalise our presentation for the next couple of days, which we worked on for the afternoon, before getting back in the mini buses for our evening activity. We drove about an hour and a half north of Ubud to a firefly conservation site called 'Bring Back the Light'. We had a talk from those working there tto learn about fireflies as a species and the importance of their conservation, and were shown around the lab and rice fields where they carry out there work. They provided us a lovely dinner as we waited for it to get dark, with tofu, tempeh, fritters, veg and rice - the usual delicacies. Once finished, we headed over to the viewing point as all artificial light had been switched off at the site, so in almost complete darkness, we could sit and watch the fireflies over the rice fields. Something I would never get to see in the UK, this felt almost magical, and was a really lovely way to spend the evening. I tried to take some photos but it wasn't something that would come through on camera so, a special moment saved just for in-person it seems. The bus back was nice and chill, listening to music, followed by the usual round of card before bed.

24th: Waking up I could really feel that we were in the last few days now, and it has made me realise how short 1 month really is. Post-breakfast we headed off to the gallery to do our group presentations in front of each other for practise and constructive feedback, and then made the trek a little while away in the sun for lunch at a restaurant owned by one of the other lovely homestay families. This was delicious, and fuelled the trek back, along with a stop-off at the supermarket for some supplies to take on the plane with me in case I didn't get another chance to grab some - I also picked up some Tim Tams, a beloved Australian snack that I may have overpaid for but pretty sure I cannot get these at home and they are too good to leave behind. We finished off our presentation tweaks at another cafe and then headed back to the homestay to get the bulk of the packing done so there was no rushing later on. We sorted out our present to thank our amazing homestay families, some flowers and then toys for the kids who live there. It was a really sweet exchange, as they helped us get dressed up in our sarongs and ribbons for our farewell ceremony which was to take place that evening back at the gallery. We all headed over, and spent a lovely few hours all together for the last time. There were speeches, photos and we were awarded our certificates by our brilliant leaders. Our homestay families provided a final delicious meal which we all shared, and we did some dancing to finish off the evening. We had a relaxed end to the evening watching some tv before bed, feeling very bittersweet and sentimental.

25th: Still in the habit of waking up before the alarm, I went up to the roof to enjoy the sunrise view from our homestay, got a couple more hours sleep and once up, finished off our packing and said our goodbyes to the family at the homestay - who had very kindly treated us to the infamous spring rolls which I won't stop banging on about as a special treat, the best way to finish our time there. We said goodbye to the wonderful village of Mas which I have been so lucky to call home for the last few weeks, and got our buses back to the university for the final part of our project work - the presentations, which we did for each of our partners. It felt like a really productive session and I can confidently say I have learned a lot from each week and each partner, but this week in particular the way this start-up has to work to keep progressing efficiently. In the speeches by the university, they told us about today being Tilem, the sacred half-moon celebration, like Purnama which I mentioned occurred earlier in the month, as it does every month. After our final photos all together we got the bus to our debrief hotel near the mall in Sanur. We had lunch before check-in, where I was very happy to have another smoothie bowl, with possibly the most beautiful artwork design I could imagine, as pictured. Once checked in to our room, we had our final Think Pacific task as we did some reflection and feedback forms to finish off the project, enjoying a nice buffet dinner together and playing the final rounds of cards to finish off the evening. The first of the final goodbyes were said here, with some people leaving already in the middle of the night, and then headed to bed.

26th: A good night's sleep in the comfy hotel room was much appreciated in preparation for travel later today, as was the impressive buffet provided by the hotel -sweet, savoury, Indonesian, Western - you name it, they probably had it. I stuck to mostly sweet, as I usually do, and made the most of what was on offer. Final packing all done, we said goodbye to our lovely leaders who were heading to start the next project and welcome a load of new participants for the next month already, and then sorted our taxis to get to Kuta, near the airport. I went with some others who are staying the night here to keep my suitcase in their room, and we all went out for a final lunch together by the beach - a Holiday Inn, not the bets choice but fine to finish off with. We had a brief wander along the beach towards one of the countless beautiful statues here and then headed back to the hotel to spend my final few hours just chatting with the others before saying a sentimental goodbye, going off just me and my massive suitcase to keep me company again. I got a Grab to the airport and got myself checked in, security all going smoothly. There was a brief panic that the terminal I am arriving into would be different than where I need to transit for the second flight, which unnerved me a little, but this turned out to be false in the end. I relaxed with a drink to get on with the blog whilst I waited, reflecting a little on how grateful I feel that this experience has given me such confidence to get excited about future travel opportunities. A long wait to board only made my fears about the transit worse, but by take-off, it seemed like the 1hr25 time to change might just be enough. In the end, this was plenty of time, with both me and my lovely seat partner transitting, hers being to Kenya and at a different terminal, but still having lots of time. This first flight was quick enough, with yet another great Indian Vegetarian option for dinner - paneer, my absolute favourite, beautiful views of the lights of Singapore from my window seat, and easy access to depart the plane once we had landed since I was so near the front. The dash to my gate didn't need to be a dash, as it was just a short walk away, helping me feel immediately relaxed as I went through the transit security and sat down to wait for boarding for this second flight.

27th: Once on board, I could already sense that these 13 hours were not going to pass quickly, but they would pass, so I just got myself settled in for the long haul. I was very lucky to have no one sat in the middle seat, meaning more room to stretch out, and definitely made the most of this when trying to get some sleep. More dinner with paneer was enjoyable yet again, and I opted to watch the Barbie movie as my first way to pass the time. This was followed by many hours of 'sleep' where I was mostly just listening to my music and pretending to myself that I felt rested. Though the flight did feel extremely long, I can't praise Singapore Airlines enough for their amazing service, with the frequent provision of tasty snacks being a particular highlight for me, and the WiFi service, though not always up-to-speed, being much appreciated to help me feel more connected to Earth. The last few hours had us enduring some not very fun turbulence, though descent was all smooth, and finally, I was back on UK ground. Excited to reunite with my mum Love-Actually-style at the arrivals gate, I got through passport control and had a moment of great relief to receive my suitcase back at the luggage belt. A very lucky girl to be getting picked up so early from the airport, we had our catch-up on the drive home, via a Gregg's of course, which is one thing I have missed very much. A few hours later we were back, with it feeling like just yesterday that I left, but also having experienced so much.

So, I feel like I’ve reflected quite a lot throughout these accounts, but I just want to end by summing up the best parts and my overall gratitude for this experience here. Whilst being nothing like what I expected, I've managed to get everything I hoped out of the project, feeling extremely successful in terms of travel across the island as a whole, having seen incredible sights and ticked off many bucket list activities along the way. The project work itself has taught me a lot and I have enjoyed learning from each company about what their individual needs and goals are in relation to their unique contexts - being able to work to adapt and support them in the ways they request has been really essential for me skills-wise. I have treasured being able to maximise my curiosity and learning in all ways possible whilst here, particularly culturally in the activities where we were able to engage with local practises and customs. But overall, socially, I feel the most fulfilled, with the people, in all regards, being what made this experience so unforgettable. My welcoming homestay family, the people living in Mas village, those working in the local cafes and shops, the Grab and taxi drivers, the Think Pacific local and international leaders, and finally, my fellow teammates, have all been an absolute joy to spend time with. I think I would be feeling totally different about the last 4 weeks, had I not got so lucky with those I was fortunate enough to spend all my time with. And for that, I am entirely grateful. Bali is an incredible place that has provided me with memories I will cherish forever, and I hope to return one day. I want to say thank you all so much for following along with these blogs, commenting and engaging with me. It has been a pleasure to share. Until next time!