The beauty of working remotely is that you can do your job from just about anywhere in the world. While sunshine and sandy beaches might be the perfect antidote to the 9-5 lifestyle, one remote worker in Bali was left mortified by an unexpected interruption during her Zoom call.
While millennials (people born between 1981-1996) Montana Lowrey, 29, and her friend Louise Howard, 30, travel around Bali and take in the gorgeous sights, they still have to find enough time to get their work done. That hasn’t always been easy for Howard, an account strategist in the hotel industry, who spent several weeks working on a presentation that she had to give via Zoom.
Lowrey, who is originally from the Gold Coast, Australia, told Newsweek via email that “a lot of preparation” went into Howard’s presentation and she was feeling confident ahead of the call. She’d done all the work required, and even set her desk up perfectly to create the right lighting and background.
The stage was set, everything would go as planned—at least, that was the hope.
One thing Howard didn’t account for was a traditional Balinese dance taking place just yards away from where she was situated.
“It was about 8 pm local time, and as she jumped on the call, the music started right outside our hotel room,” Lowrey said. “It was extremely loud and chaotic, as traditional Balinese music is. I could tell it threw her off a little at the beginning, but she remained focused on the presentation. I thought there was no way it wouldn’t disrupt her, but she was delivering the presentation perfectly amongst the noise.”
Lowrey has documented many of her traveling experiences on social media, and this moment was too comical not to post. She shared the hilarious clip on TikTok (@montana.ontour) showing Howard trying to give the presentation of a lifetime, despite the loud stage performance happening right outside.
The video left users in stitches, generating more than 255,300 views and over 12,800 likes in just a matter of days. Lowrey couldn’t help but laugh at her friend’s misfortune, but she also went to check on her and see if there was anything she needed.
The presentation lasted an hour, as did the Balinese performance. Thankfully, Howard was able to turn on the noise cancellation feature on Zoom and none of her colleagues asked what was happening outside.
“She’s a remote working pro. She’s held meetings in the back of a Tuk Tuk travelling around Sri Lanka with me before, so this was no problem,” Lowrey told Newsweek. “Funnily enough, no one mentioned anything throughout the call I guess the noise cancellation feature did its job.”
After the TikTok video went viral, Lowrey has been amazed by the overwhelming reaction. Plenty of fellow remote workers found it incredibly relatable, having gone through their own share of embarrassing interruptions.
“So many people are relating and sharing similar situations when trying to work remotely, especially from Bali. This beautiful country is just full of surprises, especially when you’re not expecting them,” Lowrey said. “If you work remotely, use it to your advantage. Go out and see the world, explore new cultures, and utilize the flexibility to your advantage.”
TikTok Users React
Among the comments on the video, many TikTok users praised the millennial for her assured performance, while others shared their remote working hacks.
One user wrote: “Why is this so relatable.”
Another person posted: “She really can work anywhere, it’s a skill.”
A third TikTok user suggested: “Go into the washroom and use a microphone, they won’t be able to hear it.”
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