By Abd. Wahab
Everyone has a first time doing something new, we all start as a beginner. Only people who want to learn can improve and keep going.
That is the principle that Komang lives by. This Balinese man says that joining SeaTrek and becoming a sailor has given him many new experiences, including his first time working at sea.
Even though he knew that being a sailor meant he had to make many considerations, like leaving his homeland and family, he still chose this path. He has always dreamed of providing the best for his family.
After 12 years, he believes that becoming a sailor was the best decision he ever made in his whole life. This choice has shaped and changed his life until now.
First Experience Leaving Land
“The first time I set foot on Ombak Putih, it was my first time leaving land and working at sea,” Komang said. Before his life as a sailor, Komang was born, grew, worked, married, and had a family in Bali. His whole life was lived in the land of the God’s.
Before joining SeaTrek, Komang had a souvenir business in the Sukawati Art Market. The business helped his life a lot, but it had to end after six years due to the economic crisis caused by the 2nd Bali Bombing in 2005.
He quit his business and then worked various jobs for almost six years without a permanent job. He did whatever he could to earn a living. Moreover, at that time, he had already become a father to his three children. Everything he did, every job he took, was to support and provide for his family.
Then fate brought him together with SeaTrek. He took the job even though it meant, for the first time in his life, he had to leave his hometown, his wife, and his three children, including his third child, who was only 8 months old.
First Experience Working at Sea
Working at sea was new to him. Komang grew up in a farming family in Ubud, far from the sea. None of his family members were sailors. His father worked as a construction worker, and his mother was a merchant. He has two siblings, one working as an active electrician, and one as a Balinese clothing merchant. Komang is the only one working at sea.
In his early days at SeaTrek, Komang struggled against seasickness almost every day. He said, “A simple car ride gave me carsick, so working and living onboard was a big challenge.”
He recalled that one day, when he went ashore, he could still feel the waves in his head. It took him a year to adapt to his new life at sea.
“SeaTrek introduced me to the sea.” Komang admitted that it wasn’t easy at first, but his fellow crew members on Ombak Putih helped him a lot during his early days on board to bring the sealegs out of him.
First Experience Working in Hospitality
Komang has worked as a Room Boy in Ombak Putih since he first joined SeaTrek in 2012. Working in this position for a long time makes him very competent in his field, especially in hospitality and providing the best services for SeaTrek guests. He is the man you can count on to maintain comfort of the guest cabins, providing clean clothes, and serving out the best food from the kitchen.
It took years of time and experience before he could be as competent and skilled in hospitality as he is now. With no experience working in the field before, his experience aboard the Ombak Putih alongside his fellow crew has shaped his skills over the years.
Also, as a native Indonesian, he realized that English skills are important in his line of work. He takes every chance to improve his English, so that he could communicate well with SeaTrek guests and assisting them better.
First Experience that Lasts
Time flies very fast, and now he has been working as a Room Boy on Ombak Putih for 12 years and counting.
“I feel comfortable working here because all of my fellow crew members are very helpful,” said Komang. He also pointed out that the important thing is that this job with SeaTrek helps him provide for his family’s needs. He can use his income to give the best education for his three children.
All three of his children are currently in school, pursuing their education with two of them studying tourism. Even though he influences his children’s interests, he hopes that they won’t follow in his footsteps to work at sea. He doesn’t want his children to feel how hard it is to work far away from family. Even after 12 years, it still doesn’t get easier for him to leave home.
Now, whenever he has the chance to take a vacation leave, he doesn’t think about other places. His only goal is to go home to spend time with his loved ones.
“But I’m still grateful because my fellow crew members here in Ombak Putih are my family when I’m away from home.”
