Kids will always be Kids

The National Bird and the National Capital

Being a commissioning Engineer has its own advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage is your personal life is ruined, you lose your personal contacts and you will roam around like a Nomad and even sometimes you end up in a No man’s land. The advantages are socially you meet more people and no need to sit and do your office work and be afraid of your boss who can come to u at any time and ask an explanation for orkutting.

The biggest advantages what I saw were you can see more places and meet more people. Delhi Airport Project was an experience of its own. When I was told that I am selected for this DIAL project my anxiety was increasing. Not only technically but going to our National capital made me feel like heaven. Then I booked my ticket in Rajdhani and was heading to Delhi.

Before reaching Delhi only I started getting lot of calls. The reason being the bomb blast in Delhi, my parents asked me to stop my journey. I told them there is nothing to worry. Since the bomb blast had taken place, it is the most secure time to see the national capital. I assured them and as expected there was tight security everywhere. Even constables were moving with AK47s and AK54s. After reaching Delhi, I headed straight to Karol Bagh where my stay was arranged.

Then the next day I headed straight to DIAL Terminal where our work was going on. It was like a dream come true for me. Not only you get a chance see beautiful Air hostesses there but also a variety of celebrities and so called leaders of national importance. Karol bagh you get to see all type of Punjabi, gujarati gals which satisfies an average Indian guy like me. In short a nomad who is supposed to be at a no man’s land is in a heaven looking chicks everywhere.

Good part of it was I reached Delhi at September. Then the temperature was subsided and I escaped delhi’s tremendous hot SUN. Then there was a project pressure. This time I am meeting a Dutch guy who is going to be our customer. I was already warned in my office by my boss about this guy. He asked me “What is your plan? How much time will you require for the completion of second grid?” (There were 4 grids and 1 grid was already completed.). I replied “Hopefully by the end of this month”.

The conversation went on ...

Dutch: “oh!oh!oh! I am Sick of this bloody Indian answer”

Me: What happened?(Surprised!!! What went wrong?)

Dutch: You don’t have a plan, Have you?

Me: I will make a plan

Dutch: What do you mean by you make a plan? You are here for commissioning and still you have not made your plan.

Me: Err.. sorry…

Dutch: Don’t be sorry. You make a plan and give it to me by tomorrow.

Me: Sure I will try my best.

Dutch: Man I am getting sicker… you suck. What pleasure do you get in saying “u try your level best” and “hopefully will do it”. Why can’t you be sure of yourself?

Me: Ya you are right.

Dutch: Ok what is your role here.

Me: I am Site-in-charge and will be taking care of software also.

Dutch: What do you want to say? You are Site-In charge or a software engineer.

Me: I said I do both.

Dutch: Do you have any Idea of role clarity?

Me: Err… (Thinking why is he worried…..)

Dutch: You guys will never change.

This is how my work there started. I went home thinking is there really something called Indian mentality. In a way I was upset thinking a Dutch guy talking about India and its people. I thought I will teach him a lesson but the reality was different. He was teaching me a new lesson everyday. That day we had also decided that we will meet every morning 8:00 am for the site status update and site plan.

Next day as expected I was late and not to talk about the Delhi traffic. It was 8:05 when I went for the meeting.

Dutch: Good afternoon, my friend.

Me: What? It’s good morning. Isn’t it? (With a smile thinking that I am Smarter)

Dutch: Look at your watch

Me: Ya it’s 8 (I know it was a lie. Who cares?? There is always a tolerance of 5 Min)

Dutch: Fuck you. You think you are smart or what? If this is how this is going to continue you are going to lose your contract.

Me: What? (The world was rolling. Man I am not delayed by half an hour. It’s just 10 minutes. By any standard you can’t lose your contract for being late)

Dutch: I mean it. (This time with a smile)

Me: Ok. Please have a look at the plan (Trying to divert the topic. I still have my smartness!)

Dutch: Plan seems to be ok. I need an update every day same time.

Me: Thank you (I got a sigh of relief)

Punctuality is something which I always adhered to. But my Punctual-ness always had a tolerance. Say, If you have to reach a place by 8:00, it is ok with me if I cud reach there within 8:15. But this guy was always 5 minutes before the meeting. It was irking me that the punctuality I was thinking about was not punctuality at all. It was bullshit. I never thought the third id also going to be tough.

Next day started with a good note. I was there at the meeting on time. That did not help me much.

Dutch: Good morning.

Me: Good morning.

Dutch: Ok what is the update? There were 3 activities listed on your plan which is supposed to have completed yesterday.

Me: Yes. (‘May be’ was the first word that came to my mind. But you know what I am learning and I am smarter)

Dutch: All completed. Then do you want me anything from me for today’s work.

Me: Yesterday’s work is still left. I will be carrying on with those today. No thank you.

Dutch: What you just said you completed your work. What is this I am hearing now?

Me: I never said I completed my work.

Dutch: Listen. If you say yes I take that as you completed the works.

Me: Yes I have completed 80% of my work. But some part of it is left.

Dutch: Do you understand binary? It is either 1 or 0. No fractions. It is either yes or no. Do you understand? Now tell me.

Me: No (After giving a lot of thought. Man this guy is tough. God save me)

Dutch: You make a plan. You are adhering to it. Now your whole plan seems absurd. What are you going to do now?

Me: Let me c what I can do. I will try to finish my remaining jobs as per schedule.

Dutch: Am I hearing ‘let me’, ‘will try’? If I hear it 1 more time I will throw you away from this place.

Me: What? (I was furious and full of anger. Had he not been a gigantic figure weighing 150 kgs I would have given him a blow. But the reality was different)

Dutch: Go to hell. I want proper update tomorrow.

That day was the day of my life. I had to work till 11pm that night to complete the required activities. The next day I’m expected to be back at 8am. God save me please. Every day was an experience working with that guy. I don’t mean to say that he is one perfect guy. He did a lot of gossiping and used to smoke in an AC room. But he made sure the work is done and on time. After managing this guy for a couple of months, there were 2 Singaporeans who came to conduct the trials of the grid and will do maintenance from there on. These are another type of experience.

Let me give one trial Experience with these guys.

Situation—Trial is going on. Some problems are faced. Let me name the Singaporean as Hua.

Hua: PEC block!! PEC block!! PEC block!!(Running here and there)

Me: Ya let me check.

Hua: Fast! Fast! Fast!

Me: 1 sec.

Dutch : (looking at the Singaporean) listen, what do you want?

Hua: There is PEC block.

Dutch: If there is PEC block. Clear it and proceed.

Hua: Fast, fast, fast (This guy started running again up and down)

Dutch: (Looking at me) Mr. Panic, isn’t he? He is panicking me also. God save him.

Me: Ya he is always a hyper.

Dutch: ya. I see him going to lunch. Then also he is running. He is mad.

I could see the difference between the occent and the orient clearly. Here is a guy who is calm and composed kicking other’s ass and gets his work done. Here is another guy who does not want any problem and running here and there to address it. I wonder where do I Stand, an Average Indian Stand? He is neither from Far East nor from west. He is just a beautiful combination of both, an alloy which is much stronger than a Cast Iron and more useful than a carbon. Indians are the future of this world. He is Mr. Perfect who is neither too demanding nor leaving things easy. They are calm and composed at the same time fast and furious. Simply Superb!! I felt happy.

The project was successfully over. At the end stage when 20% work was pending I was called back and sent to Nairobi. No doubt this was a great project and no doubt I learnt a lot and no doubt I had fun. The last day when I was leaving the site I saw couple of peacocks jumping around and playing on top of a deserted building. It was in its place the new airport was built. It was the place which sheltered 1000s of peacocks that we are taking for expansion of this project. This is what we call ourselves development. This is what is called the face of new India. May be we will be proud of new developed modern India. But I could not answer to those 2 peacocks which were playing there in a deserted building. I could do nothing other than shedding 2 drops of tears for those innocent creatures whose ecology was disturbed in the name of development.

My re-entry

This is my re-entry to this blog world. As my title suggests Im here to write about the part of life. What does a part of a life mean? It means everything. ' Part and parcel of life' is a common phrase used . I see people using that phrase only if anything goes wrong. If anyone talks about life , the first question comes What is wrong?? The general mentality of people is it is wrong to think about the meaning in leading a particular life unless something is terribly wrong!! I have read about some scientist who was very much interested in his invention and he was so focussed that he didn't want to see his wife's face after she is dead and wanted to continue with his invention.Though he may be a renowned scientist, what happens to the basic human nature?
The majority of the people decide their life based upon the surroundings and they do not really know what do they really want in their lives!!! I have seen many people having lots of money and an accomplished carrier are not really happy in their lives. But there are really some people who know what to do and what they want them to do and even though others feel they have not achieved their feet , they are happy.. The blogs which are goin to be updated are basically abt the human nature which tends to react in some way in certain part of life and suffer or cherish in later part of life