By the end of this year, I’ve officially lived in Medan for 3 years and 7 months. I still remember those first months: arriving here alone, leaving my family behind for a chance at a better life. There were nights when I questioned my decision (sometimes dramatically, projecting twenty years from now), but there was never really a “reverse” button. The only option was to keep going, consequences included.
Over time, this city somehow grew on me. Maybe it’s the pollution: noise, air, politics. But also the unpolluted parts: the friendliness, the jokes, the harmless “barbarism,” the loud voices that get misunderstood but are actually just… volume enthusiasts. It was like a buy-1-get-2 promotion nobody asked for. I’m grateful to have lived here long enough to appreciate that. My daughter probably got influenced the most as she’s now a passionate storyteller, and honestly sometimes I feel like she’s one monologue away from starting her own YouTube channel. Oh, wait. She already did.
This year also marked my very first compliance audit. For the last three years, it had always been financial statement audits on repeat, like a playlist stuck on loop. Then suddenly I was auditing a palm oil company, a BUMD (Local Government-Owned Enterprise). Everything was new: the financial statements, the core business, the document names, all the way to the field audit. It was adventurous..physically, mentally, and occasionally emotionally. Let these pictures and videos speak for themselves.
I was blessed with dedicated people in my team. No unnecessary drama, no mysterious passive-aggressive body language, and everyone knew when to just follow the majority when opinions split. For this part, I feel the most grateful. Alhamdulillah for another great team this year. I learned so much.
Last but not least, the videos:
No comments:
Post a Comment