Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Road Trip
Hot Damn!!! Another road trip. A 3-hour drive to Vijayanada to the airport for a flight to Hyderabad. I couldn’t get a room at the Taj Krishna so they put me in the Taj Residency overnight then fly to Mumbai first thing in the morning. I have to clear some tools/equipment through customs. I’ll stay overnight at the Intercontinental Grand then fly to Visag on Wednesday and take the 3 hour drive from there back to Rajahmundry.
…Just arrived at the Vijayanada Airport and it’s sooo small. Looks like they might handle two or three flights a day, tops. I can’t imagine what planes fly in and out here. I’ll probably be on some small turboprop or similar. Air Deccan seems to be the only airline here. Their check-in counter is very tiny, just one small desk.
On the way to the airport, the driver took a tea break and parked in front of a really nicely painted truck (for India anyway). Most all the trucks here are brightly painted but this one was really well done. I had to get a pic and when they saw me taking the pictures some young Indians came rushing over and posed in front. One of them claimed to be the owner, or driver, not sure which and he was quite pleased with my interest. Despite what I may say about India and it’s people I deal with at work and at the hotel, the people I meet when walking about town or in a restaurant, bar or store are genuinely nice people and always very friendly.
When I arrived in Hyderabad I was greeted by a man in a dark suit who told me things had changed and I now have a room in the Taj Krishna and a driver was waiting to take me there. That’s awesome since I really wanted Chinese food for dinner at the Golden Dragon there. The room was very nice but not on the Club level where I stayed in the past so not quite as nice but that’s OK since I’m just there overnight.
Dinner at the Golden Dragon was awesome. They have a full Chinese staff from the chef down to the waiters. It was a marvelous dinner. I had some fish in a really hot sauce then some pork with plum sauce and an order of Hakki noodles. Needless to say I was stuffed by the time I finished eating but it was just so good…
I got up the next morning and headed back to the airport for the second flight of this trip and made it to Mumbai without incident. I was supposed to go and spend a few hours with customs and identify items being shipped to the site then get on the plane the next day and head back to Rajahmundry. If that was the way things happened then I’d have been back earlier this afternoon but it looks like I’ll be here for a couple more days. It seems that customs wanted us to go thru each box and rebuild the inventory based on what was actually in each box. They had a list of total items but they were not identified to a specific box just somewhere in the 7 boxes we shipped. Keep in mind these are large gang boxes full of turbine repair equipment not little boxes with a few hand tools, etc. We spent the last 2 days doing the inventory as requested by customs here in India. Tomorrow we will actually have customs go with us to inspect the boxes. If they check a few things and are happy I can leave the following day, Friday and head back to Rajahmundry. If they want to be a pain (which seems to be the case), then we will probably spend two days doing it over again to prove that every item is as stated. Customs here in India is a real pain in the butt… I’ve not seen anything like it before. Not to mention that the international import warehouse is a big joke. I saw them drop a shipment of computers, maybe 50 or so that were stacked on a pallet and they went all over the place. They just threw them all on a truck (and I do mean threw them) for delivery somewhere. I’d hate to go to a store here in India and buy anything electronic after seeing the way they throw things around. I saw them crush an auto parts box that obviously contained body parts and was marked fragile, etc with a huge pallet they tried to stack on top. It was amazing to witness the blatant disregard for the property they were handling. Tomorrow they are going on strike for more money… not that they make anything at all there, no one in India makes much. I’ve been told that the skilled workers at our job site earn about 300 rupee’s ($7.20) a day others earn as little as 84 rupee’s ($2.00) a day.
Last night I ate steak and lobster that was OK but not really “good” by our standards. This morning I had a nice big omelet with hash browns and bacon. Hey, don’t laugh; these are the things that make trips like this one to Mumbai so enjoyable. I love Indian food and it’s been great all over India but it gets old after a while and things like steak or bacon are really quite rare or non-existant in the area where I’m usually working. Tonight I had sushi that was OK as part of a really good mixed buffet avoiding all the Indian choices, just because I could.
After work today I had a little time so I went exploring Mumbai by taxi and the driver took me to a Hindu Temple of some kind (they are all different) that was really cool, nice statues on the roof at the entrance and in little rooms that people walked up to (not in) and said a small chant or something then went to another.
Not sure what tomorrow holds but it guarantees me at least one more night of good food…
…Just arrived at the Vijayanada Airport and it’s sooo small. Looks like they might handle two or three flights a day, tops. I can’t imagine what planes fly in and out here. I’ll probably be on some small turboprop or similar. Air Deccan seems to be the only airline here. Their check-in counter is very tiny, just one small desk.
On the way to the airport, the driver took a tea break and parked in front of a really nicely painted truck (for India anyway). Most all the trucks here are brightly painted but this one was really well done. I had to get a pic and when they saw me taking the pictures some young Indians came rushing over and posed in front. One of them claimed to be the owner, or driver, not sure which and he was quite pleased with my interest. Despite what I may say about India and it’s people I deal with at work and at the hotel, the people I meet when walking about town or in a restaurant, bar or store are genuinely nice people and always very friendly.
When I arrived in Hyderabad I was greeted by a man in a dark suit who told me things had changed and I now have a room in the Taj Krishna and a driver was waiting to take me there. That’s awesome since I really wanted Chinese food for dinner at the Golden Dragon there. The room was very nice but not on the Club level where I stayed in the past so not quite as nice but that’s OK since I’m just there overnight.
Dinner at the Golden Dragon was awesome. They have a full Chinese staff from the chef down to the waiters. It was a marvelous dinner. I had some fish in a really hot sauce then some pork with plum sauce and an order of Hakki noodles. Needless to say I was stuffed by the time I finished eating but it was just so good…
I got up the next morning and headed back to the airport for the second flight of this trip and made it to Mumbai without incident. I was supposed to go and spend a few hours with customs and identify items being shipped to the site then get on the plane the next day and head back to Rajahmundry. If that was the way things happened then I’d have been back earlier this afternoon but it looks like I’ll be here for a couple more days. It seems that customs wanted us to go thru each box and rebuild the inventory based on what was actually in each box. They had a list of total items but they were not identified to a specific box just somewhere in the 7 boxes we shipped. Keep in mind these are large gang boxes full of turbine repair equipment not little boxes with a few hand tools, etc. We spent the last 2 days doing the inventory as requested by customs here in India. Tomorrow we will actually have customs go with us to inspect the boxes. If they check a few things and are happy I can leave the following day, Friday and head back to Rajahmundry. If they want to be a pain (which seems to be the case), then we will probably spend two days doing it over again to prove that every item is as stated. Customs here in India is a real pain in the butt… I’ve not seen anything like it before. Not to mention that the international import warehouse is a big joke. I saw them drop a shipment of computers, maybe 50 or so that were stacked on a pallet and they went all over the place. They just threw them all on a truck (and I do mean threw them) for delivery somewhere. I’d hate to go to a store here in India and buy anything electronic after seeing the way they throw things around. I saw them crush an auto parts box that obviously contained body parts and was marked fragile, etc with a huge pallet they tried to stack on top. It was amazing to witness the blatant disregard for the property they were handling. Tomorrow they are going on strike for more money… not that they make anything at all there, no one in India makes much. I’ve been told that the skilled workers at our job site earn about 300 rupee’s ($7.20) a day others earn as little as 84 rupee’s ($2.00) a day.
Last night I ate steak and lobster that was OK but not really “good” by our standards. This morning I had a nice big omelet with hash browns and bacon. Hey, don’t laugh; these are the things that make trips like this one to Mumbai so enjoyable. I love Indian food and it’s been great all over India but it gets old after a while and things like steak or bacon are really quite rare or non-existant in the area where I’m usually working. Tonight I had sushi that was OK as part of a really good mixed buffet avoiding all the Indian choices, just because I could.
After work today I had a little time so I went exploring Mumbai by taxi and the driver took me to a Hindu Temple of some kind (they are all different) that was really cool, nice statues on the roof at the entrance and in little rooms that people walked up to (not in) and said a small chant or something then went to another.
Not sure what tomorrow holds but it guarantees me at least one more night of good food…
Sunday, September 25, 2005
As the weeks drag by...
It's another sunny Sunday off but I don't feel like doing much of anything. The town is very poor and the shops that are here are mostly closed today. This is a very depressing area. They say it is between a village and a town in size and infrastructure but I don't think it has any relevance to what we are accustomed to in the USA. After all, the population in this village/town is only about 300,000. Go figure... Thought about calling Murthy, the English speaking auto-rickshaw driver I met last Sunday but decided to hybernate in my room today instead. I might go out for a walk later... we'll see.
I still can't get used to the way things get done, or rather, don't get done around here. Last night when I got back to the room, after the "party" (I'll explain later) I hung out the Do Not Disturb sign as I hoped to sleep in late. At about 8am this morning I got a phone call from someone wanting to give me a massage but he couldn't speak English so I just said no. I had previously, about a week ago, told him to call me the next evening but he never did. I think it's just a random, hit and miss, kind of thing. Anyway, I managed to fall back asleep and was awakened by the phone again, this time about 10:30am and it was the hotel houskeeping wanting to know if I wanted to have my room cleaned. I wonder what they don't understand about "Do Not Disturb"? I guess to them it means call instead of knock... I have just about given up, resigned myself to all their shortcomings but damn if I like it one little bit. I have to admit, things are getting better but it's just such a struggle, teaching them everyting you want done (both at work and at the hotel) then corrcting them every time they make a mistake just as if they are little children. Damn, I raised my kids and don't think I should have to do things at this level any more but I guess I do. Today, when I let houskeeping in to clean my room I, once again, showed them what I wanted done, which they did, this time. I wonder if they get the idea that I want it done with some regularity. I sure hope so.
I haven't had a prejudice bone in my body for my entire adult life but I find myself thinking that all Indians are stupid, ignorant, worthless people that the world would be better without. I know that is a cold statement and I really don't feel that way but I find myself leaning in that direction. There are only a few people that keep me from really believing those thoughts and although they are only casual aquaintences, I thank god for their stabilizing effect on my thoughts since I really don't like thinking that way at all. This place is even changing the ever optimistic Julia, who, until recently, thought everything was wonderful here. Apparently she's had a few recent experiences of her own that have shaken her trust in the people of India as well.
Julia left for her R&R last Friday. She was concerned since the airport had been closed following last weeks cyclone but it opened up on Friday and she happily headed off to Thailand. She'll be back in a little less than two weeks and I hope she has a safe journey. I do worry a bit about her and a girlfriend traveling there alone but she's confident that all will be OK. I certainly hope so...
Michele, the trainer who was here for a couple weeks has gone. He was supposed to fly out on Thursday but got stuck here an extra day and got out on Friday. He was a funny guy, full of good stories and a good addition to our group. Sorry he had to go but I don't wish this job location on anyone. If anyone gets a chance to leave, it's a blessing... David, our newest TA, originally from Africa, got here a few days before Michele left and, although kind of quiet, definately adds to the international flavor of the group.
Oh yea, I was going to tell you about last night's party... What a joke. Yesterday afternoon we were invited to a customer sponsered party that night at the hotel. It ended up as a simple invitation to dinner from two of our customer's senior managers on site, one of whom is leaving for another project. I didn't like him anyway... I dislike people with no common sense and he is a prime example as is the other who just wants us to throw everything together and be done with it with no regard for quality or even proper installation. I get the impression that they think they can throw everything together, pray to some god and he will make it all right. Some party... The two customer managers, David, Adam, Zac and I went across the parking lot to the outdoor park/restaurant, sat in a thached roof building, had a couple drinks and some food. To top it all off, during dinner they hijacked Zac and Adam into coming into work today. Since this job is soooo critical they should have us all working 6 or 7 12 hr days but insist on holding to the 6-8 hr days we are working with occasional extra evening hours. I wonder what will happen when they realise that things just can't even begin to get done on time on our current schedule.
I sure miss home and can't wait for this job to end...
I still can't get used to the way things get done, or rather, don't get done around here. Last night when I got back to the room, after the "party" (I'll explain later) I hung out the Do Not Disturb sign as I hoped to sleep in late. At about 8am this morning I got a phone call from someone wanting to give me a massage but he couldn't speak English so I just said no. I had previously, about a week ago, told him to call me the next evening but he never did. I think it's just a random, hit and miss, kind of thing. Anyway, I managed to fall back asleep and was awakened by the phone again, this time about 10:30am and it was the hotel houskeeping wanting to know if I wanted to have my room cleaned. I wonder what they don't understand about "Do Not Disturb"? I guess to them it means call instead of knock... I have just about given up, resigned myself to all their shortcomings but damn if I like it one little bit. I have to admit, things are getting better but it's just such a struggle, teaching them everyting you want done (both at work and at the hotel) then corrcting them every time they make a mistake just as if they are little children. Damn, I raised my kids and don't think I should have to do things at this level any more but I guess I do. Today, when I let houskeeping in to clean my room I, once again, showed them what I wanted done, which they did, this time. I wonder if they get the idea that I want it done with some regularity. I sure hope so.
I haven't had a prejudice bone in my body for my entire adult life but I find myself thinking that all Indians are stupid, ignorant, worthless people that the world would be better without. I know that is a cold statement and I really don't feel that way but I find myself leaning in that direction. There are only a few people that keep me from really believing those thoughts and although they are only casual aquaintences, I thank god for their stabilizing effect on my thoughts since I really don't like thinking that way at all. This place is even changing the ever optimistic Julia, who, until recently, thought everything was wonderful here. Apparently she's had a few recent experiences of her own that have shaken her trust in the people of India as well.
Julia left for her R&R last Friday. She was concerned since the airport had been closed following last weeks cyclone but it opened up on Friday and she happily headed off to Thailand. She'll be back in a little less than two weeks and I hope she has a safe journey. I do worry a bit about her and a girlfriend traveling there alone but she's confident that all will be OK. I certainly hope so...
Michele, the trainer who was here for a couple weeks has gone. He was supposed to fly out on Thursday but got stuck here an extra day and got out on Friday. He was a funny guy, full of good stories and a good addition to our group. Sorry he had to go but I don't wish this job location on anyone. If anyone gets a chance to leave, it's a blessing... David, our newest TA, originally from Africa, got here a few days before Michele left and, although kind of quiet, definately adds to the international flavor of the group.
Oh yea, I was going to tell you about last night's party... What a joke. Yesterday afternoon we were invited to a customer sponsered party that night at the hotel. It ended up as a simple invitation to dinner from two of our customer's senior managers on site, one of whom is leaving for another project. I didn't like him anyway... I dislike people with no common sense and he is a prime example as is the other who just wants us to throw everything together and be done with it with no regard for quality or even proper installation. I get the impression that they think they can throw everything together, pray to some god and he will make it all right. Some party... The two customer managers, David, Adam, Zac and I went across the parking lot to the outdoor park/restaurant, sat in a thached roof building, had a couple drinks and some food. To top it all off, during dinner they hijacked Zac and Adam into coming into work today. Since this job is soooo critical they should have us all working 6 or 7 12 hr days but insist on holding to the 6-8 hr days we are working with occasional extra evening hours. I wonder what will happen when they realise that things just can't even begin to get done on time on our current schedule.
I sure miss home and can't wait for this job to end...
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Puja's, Sunday off, Cyclones...
It has certainly been an interesting few days. The weather at the end of last week was nice with with no rain. Things had begun to dry out nicely. On Saturday the 17th we came to work to find the different work areas all decorated and little temporary temples built at each area. There was one at the electrical groups area and another at the mechanical area and another at the concrete plant office. They were everywhere.
Puja, they called it. Apparently a celebration of the god that blesses the tools, equipment, engineering, workers, etc for all construction business. They seem to have a god for everything in this country. As I understand it, there are three main religious groups in the country; the Christian's, the Muslum's and the Hindu's. The Hindu religion is far and away the largest in the country and they have hundreds of gods. I was told that they had thousands at one time but since it was to much to keep up with they combined different gods into one by adding extra arms and narrowed it down a little. I wonder how the gods felt about being changed by the culture they oversee??? OK, I'll get back to the Puja. The Contractor managers came to us and invited us to go to their Puja celebration so off we went, Zac, Julia, David (a new TA who arrived just the day before) and I walked with them down to the concrete office Puja Temple. We stood there and listened to a priest or religious figure sitting in the temple chanting while a man and a little boy sat there and participated with him. Seemed like an hour or so then they put a small anvil in front of the temple and a bag of husked coconuts. Whoever wanted to, got a coconut and smashed it on the anvil, making an offering to the god. Of course, Zac had to give it a try. We left there and got dragged by others to view their Puja Temples. Everyone left site by lunch, it was a holiday of sorts for them so we just stayed in the office and got some paperwork caught up.
Saturday evening I joined the usual group at Cheers Bar. I ordered a drink and some dinner and we chatted as best we could above the loud music that the DJ was playing. Everyone else's dinner arrived and they were well into eating and mine hadn't shown yet. Sometimes I think I must be full of bad Karma... Granted they ordered just before I arrived but I ended up munching on their food while awaiting mine. As the bar was closing and bills were being paid, my dinner shows up. I told them to return it and remove it from my bill. This is the second time this has happened in about a week. I went to the front desk, filled out a complaint form and went to bed.
On Sunday I went into town for the first time just to wander around and see some local stuff. Most all the shops are closed but there is enough going on anyway. I hooked up with an auto-rickshaw driver who spoke pretty good english and had him take me around the village/town for a few hours. Murthy took me to an open temple. It was a temple for Krishna. It was very small place but there were people inside chanting and singing and rocking back and forth. Interesting place. They are constructing a huge temple all around the existing one that looks like it will be very, very impressive when fiished. Then we went out to the Cotton dam/bridge that was built in the 20's. It's an interesting but not impressive series of sliding gates with a bridge on top spanning the river. Looking back I noticed some boats tied up and was told that was the local fishing fleet As we left the bridge I noticed an interesting building and the driver said it was the Cotton Museum. Of course, I had to go see. It cost 5 ruppees to get in (abut 10 cents). Not very impressive or interesting inside. The building was the construction office for the bridge and had a few pictures and some old equipment and a dam section mock up. Ten minutes after arriving I took a couple pics outside and then we were leaving. I paid 10 ruppees for an ice cream bar outside the entrance. We drove back to the center of town, passed an accident ( I would expect to see more the way they drive here) and started thinking about lunch. After the previous night's dinner experience I opted to go to the Himilaya for lunch then wandered the streets for a bit and returned to the hotel. Adam had arrived and had everyone's goodies...
As I was leaving my room to go up to Adam's I was stopped in the hallway by some men in suits that wanted to talk to me. I invited them into my room (I recognized one of them as the hotel manager) and they came in with a housekeeping boy carrying a tray of snacks. As it turns out, one was the hotel owner, another was his multi business manager the third was the head chef and as I mentioned the fourth was the hotel manager. They handed me a letter of apology and we sat and talked about the problems I've had here at their hotel. They asked me about lunch and I told them I had eaten at the Himilaya because of what had transpired the previous evening. We discussed the cultural differences, both obvious and subtle and I ended up telling them that theirs was the poorest example of a hotel I had ever stayed at. We discussed in detail why I felt that way. Again, some cultural differences are hard to bridge but basic cleanliness and good service should be expected everywhere. It was a friendly discussion that ended with their promise that they were going to change my opinion of their hotel. We'll see, although they are off to a good start as my room is being more thoroughly cleaned and smells fresher than before and meals have been coming out quickly since then as well.
Monday morning I awoke to a storm. The winds whipping about with lots of rain. I guess the good weather had to end sometime and it is still Monsoon season here. Nagaraj, our driver has taken good care of us while we are here. He is a good driver and runs errands for us constantly finding things we need or just want. He got us here safely but then things got even worse. We found out then that a Cyclone was coming ashore just a bit north of us and we were experiencing the edge of it. None of the work force showed up that day as the rain and winds were just to bad to do anything. The wind and rain continued throughout the day and into the night. I was glad to make it back to the hotel. It was nothing like going through a major hurricane but a bit unnerving just the same. This morning we woke up to more winds and rain but it was obviously not like yesterday and has gotten better as the day goes by. By this evening we should be back to normal (whatever that is here).
Puja, they called it. Apparently a celebration of the god that blesses the tools, equipment, engineering, workers, etc for all construction business. They seem to have a god for everything in this country. As I understand it, there are three main religious groups in the country; the Christian's, the Muslum's and the Hindu's. The Hindu religion is far and away the largest in the country and they have hundreds of gods. I was told that they had thousands at one time but since it was to much to keep up with they combined different gods into one by adding extra arms and narrowed it down a little. I wonder how the gods felt about being changed by the culture they oversee??? OK, I'll get back to the Puja. The Contractor managers came to us and invited us to go to their Puja celebration so off we went, Zac, Julia, David (a new TA who arrived just the day before) and I walked with them down to the concrete office Puja Temple. We stood there and listened to a priest or religious figure sitting in the temple chanting while a man and a little boy sat there and participated with him. Seemed like an hour or so then they put a small anvil in front of the temple and a bag of husked coconuts. Whoever wanted to, got a coconut and smashed it on the anvil, making an offering to the god. Of course, Zac had to give it a try. We left there and got dragged by others to view their Puja Temples. Everyone left site by lunch, it was a holiday of sorts for them so we just stayed in the office and got some paperwork caught up.
Saturday evening I joined the usual group at Cheers Bar. I ordered a drink and some dinner and we chatted as best we could above the loud music that the DJ was playing. Everyone else's dinner arrived and they were well into eating and mine hadn't shown yet. Sometimes I think I must be full of bad Karma... Granted they ordered just before I arrived but I ended up munching on their food while awaiting mine. As the bar was closing and bills were being paid, my dinner shows up. I told them to return it and remove it from my bill. This is the second time this has happened in about a week. I went to the front desk, filled out a complaint form and went to bed.
On Sunday I went into town for the first time just to wander around and see some local stuff. Most all the shops are closed but there is enough going on anyway. I hooked up with an auto-rickshaw driver who spoke pretty good english and had him take me around the village/town for a few hours. Murthy took me to an open temple. It was a temple for Krishna. It was very small place but there were people inside chanting and singing and rocking back and forth. Interesting place. They are constructing a huge temple all around the existing one that looks like it will be very, very impressive when fiished. Then we went out to the Cotton dam/bridge that was built in the 20's. It's an interesting but not impressive series of sliding gates with a bridge on top spanning the river. Looking back I noticed some boats tied up and was told that was the local fishing fleet As we left the bridge I noticed an interesting building and the driver said it was the Cotton Museum. Of course, I had to go see. It cost 5 ruppees to get in (abut 10 cents). Not very impressive or interesting inside. The building was the construction office for the bridge and had a few pictures and some old equipment and a dam section mock up. Ten minutes after arriving I took a couple pics outside and then we were leaving. I paid 10 ruppees for an ice cream bar outside the entrance. We drove back to the center of town, passed an accident ( I would expect to see more the way they drive here) and started thinking about lunch. After the previous night's dinner experience I opted to go to the Himilaya for lunch then wandered the streets for a bit and returned to the hotel. Adam had arrived and had everyone's goodies...
As I was leaving my room to go up to Adam's I was stopped in the hallway by some men in suits that wanted to talk to me. I invited them into my room (I recognized one of them as the hotel manager) and they came in with a housekeeping boy carrying a tray of snacks. As it turns out, one was the hotel owner, another was his multi business manager the third was the head chef and as I mentioned the fourth was the hotel manager. They handed me a letter of apology and we sat and talked about the problems I've had here at their hotel. They asked me about lunch and I told them I had eaten at the Himilaya because of what had transpired the previous evening. We discussed the cultural differences, both obvious and subtle and I ended up telling them that theirs was the poorest example of a hotel I had ever stayed at. We discussed in detail why I felt that way. Again, some cultural differences are hard to bridge but basic cleanliness and good service should be expected everywhere. It was a friendly discussion that ended with their promise that they were going to change my opinion of their hotel. We'll see, although they are off to a good start as my room is being more thoroughly cleaned and smells fresher than before and meals have been coming out quickly since then as well.
Monday morning I awoke to a storm. The winds whipping about with lots of rain. I guess the good weather had to end sometime and it is still Monsoon season here. Nagaraj, our driver has taken good care of us while we are here. He is a good driver and runs errands for us constantly finding things we need or just want. He got us here safely but then things got even worse. We found out then that a Cyclone was coming ashore just a bit north of us and we were experiencing the edge of it. None of the work force showed up that day as the rain and winds were just to bad to do anything. The wind and rain continued throughout the day and into the night. I was glad to make it back to the hotel. It was nothing like going through a major hurricane but a bit unnerving just the same. This morning we woke up to more winds and rain but it was obviously not like yesterday and has gotten better as the day goes by. By this evening we should be back to normal (whatever that is here).
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Shower Caps and other "stuff"
Wow, I’m kind of amazed. Things really seem to be coming together here at the job site. Yes, there are still problems but the customer finally seems to have accepted the fact that there are some things that need to be done in certain ways and that there is no room to “negotiate” some quicker, easier method. After all, GE has built and supervised the construction of hundreds of these machines all over the world. I guess we kinda know what we are supposed to do and this is our customer’s first power plant construction project. It looks like my portion of this project will be over in within the next two months or so. They may be wanting me to do another project while I’m here that will add a couple weeks to my job. I’d like to be out of here by mid November but if it lasts a little longer…
I seem to be adjusting to the Indian culture. I’m not hollering at people as much. I’m still very aggravated that nothing is ever done as it is supposed to be done both on the job and at the hotel. Sometimes it’s little stuff and sometimes it’s big stuff but you can be sure that it will happen every day and night here in India. Some silly examples; I asked the desk at the hotel for change for 2 ea 500 ruppee bills into 5 ea 100’s and 10 ea 50’s. Not so hard a request… I got 9 ea 100’s, 1 ea 50, 1 ea 20 and 3 ea 10’s. Just a little later I asked for a bottle of vodka for my room. They brought me a bottle of some Indian wine. Every morning when I get up I go into the bathroom and throw away the shower cap. It takes up room on my small shelf and I certainly have no need for it. Every evening, they have fished it out of my trash and put it back on the shelf. After a while it became kind of a game and I marked it to see if they were doing as I suspected. Yep, they sure were. I cut it into four equal pieces, threw it back in the can and I think they finally got the message. We’ll see what happens over the next couple days. The bar downstairs knows I drink tonic water but it’s impossible to get them to purchase enough to keep it in stock although lately even that has gotten a little better. Going from a relatively big tipper (for this area anyway) to a no tipper seems to be the only thing they understand. Of course that only happens at the hotel, right? Nope, wrong… even at work the office boys that sweep and take out the trash want a tip or a “small gift”. Oh well, it’s a different culture and they have beat me down in many ways. I’ve begun to accept things I wouldn’t begin to tolerate anywhere else I’ve been. The other night I defrosted the small fridge in my room and let the water just run onto the floor. I took my towels and tried to clean the floors. Needless to say, they came up pretty black, I wonder what housekeeping thought the next day? Not that I really care… I could go on and on with this subject but I’m sure you’re bored enough by now…
Last night we went back to Himalaya. It was much nicer inside than in the special AC room from a few nights back. We had a good time. The food was good and it was plentiful. None of us went home hungry, that’s for sure.
I miss having Lael and Adam around. Everyone adds their own personality to the group and the more people the better. Lael had to go back to the US after Katrina went right though his home town and he won’t be back. Adam has been gone for a while on R&R but will be back in a few days. We all gave him small lists of things to bring back for us so we are looking forward to his return. We have a new addition, Michele, who is from Italy. He’ll be here for a couple weeks doing some training for the plant operations group and then he’ll be replaced by another trainer. As my job winds down there will be others who arrive to begin the actual commissioning, etc. for the plant to be turned over to the customer. Enough rambling for now.
I seem to be adjusting to the Indian culture. I’m not hollering at people as much. I’m still very aggravated that nothing is ever done as it is supposed to be done both on the job and at the hotel. Sometimes it’s little stuff and sometimes it’s big stuff but you can be sure that it will happen every day and night here in India. Some silly examples; I asked the desk at the hotel for change for 2 ea 500 ruppee bills into 5 ea 100’s and 10 ea 50’s. Not so hard a request… I got 9 ea 100’s, 1 ea 50, 1 ea 20 and 3 ea 10’s. Just a little later I asked for a bottle of vodka for my room. They brought me a bottle of some Indian wine. Every morning when I get up I go into the bathroom and throw away the shower cap. It takes up room on my small shelf and I certainly have no need for it. Every evening, they have fished it out of my trash and put it back on the shelf. After a while it became kind of a game and I marked it to see if they were doing as I suspected. Yep, they sure were. I cut it into four equal pieces, threw it back in the can and I think they finally got the message. We’ll see what happens over the next couple days. The bar downstairs knows I drink tonic water but it’s impossible to get them to purchase enough to keep it in stock although lately even that has gotten a little better. Going from a relatively big tipper (for this area anyway) to a no tipper seems to be the only thing they understand. Of course that only happens at the hotel, right? Nope, wrong… even at work the office boys that sweep and take out the trash want a tip or a “small gift”. Oh well, it’s a different culture and they have beat me down in many ways. I’ve begun to accept things I wouldn’t begin to tolerate anywhere else I’ve been. The other night I defrosted the small fridge in my room and let the water just run onto the floor. I took my towels and tried to clean the floors. Needless to say, they came up pretty black, I wonder what housekeeping thought the next day? Not that I really care… I could go on and on with this subject but I’m sure you’re bored enough by now…
Last night we went back to Himalaya. It was much nicer inside than in the special AC room from a few nights back. We had a good time. The food was good and it was plentiful. None of us went home hungry, that’s for sure.
I miss having Lael and Adam around. Everyone adds their own personality to the group and the more people the better. Lael had to go back to the US after Katrina went right though his home town and he won’t be back. Adam has been gone for a while on R&R but will be back in a few days. We all gave him small lists of things to bring back for us so we are looking forward to his return. We have a new addition, Michele, who is from Italy. He’ll be here for a couple weeks doing some training for the plant operations group and then he’ll be replaced by another trainer. As my job winds down there will be others who arrive to begin the actual commissioning, etc. for the plant to be turned over to the customer. Enough rambling for now.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Lazy Sunday
Last week was rather busy. That's definately a good thing. The faster we get things done the quicker I can get out of here. Helps the days go by quicker too. It's been raining here for about 5 days straight so yesterday, my first day off in a couple weeks, I stayed in the hotel. Went down for a late breakfast and then back for dinner around 8PM. Spent the rest of the day surfing the web, watching TV and even started reading a book. It was definately a lazy, relaxing day. I reflected a bit on what happened 4 years ago today and thought about the many changes that have come about since then. Sure hope we can avoid having something like that happen again.
This past Friday night we hooked up with some others that are in and out of the area frequently working on different energy related jobs. We decided to go out to a restaurant/bar that one of them discovered in town called Himalaya. When we arrived the bar and small restaurant area was packed so we ventured upstairs to get a table and some food and drink. Upstairs was an uncovered outside rooftop patio. It was still raining just a little and we said thanks but no thanks and headed back into the street to find a couple auto-rickshaws to carry us to Kalinga where we had been before. Someone from Himalaya came out just as we were getting loaded into the vehicles and told us they had a special AC room for us upstairs so we decided to give it a shot and went back up. What we found was a storage room/office that they had hastily removed enough stuff to stick a couple tables into. Very different this "special AC room". We decided to stay since they were making such an effort for us. The atmosphere obviously sucked but the food was surprizingly very good and the entire bill for 8 of us including food, drinks and tip was 2000 ruppees. Thats about $48 US. We'll go back sometime soon when they are less crowded and try to get in downstairs...
I can't believe what Stacey did last night (her Sunday afternoon) I guess there really isn't any need for respecting someone's wishes in a relationship anyway, is there? Especially when they are half way around the globe, right? All I can say is it will take me a long time to get past this...but that's another story and it probably won't be elaborated on here. Sure make this crappy assignment that much more irritating though.
This past Friday night we hooked up with some others that are in and out of the area frequently working on different energy related jobs. We decided to go out to a restaurant/bar that one of them discovered in town called Himalaya. When we arrived the bar and small restaurant area was packed so we ventured upstairs to get a table and some food and drink. Upstairs was an uncovered outside rooftop patio. It was still raining just a little and we said thanks but no thanks and headed back into the street to find a couple auto-rickshaws to carry us to Kalinga where we had been before. Someone from Himalaya came out just as we were getting loaded into the vehicles and told us they had a special AC room for us upstairs so we decided to give it a shot and went back up. What we found was a storage room/office that they had hastily removed enough stuff to stick a couple tables into. Very different this "special AC room". We decided to stay since they were making such an effort for us. The atmosphere obviously sucked but the food was surprizingly very good and the entire bill for 8 of us including food, drinks and tip was 2000 ruppees. Thats about $48 US. We'll go back sometime soon when they are less crowded and try to get in downstairs...
I can't believe what Stacey did last night (her Sunday afternoon) I guess there really isn't any need for respecting someone's wishes in a relationship anyway, is there? Especially when they are half way around the globe, right? All I can say is it will take me a long time to get past this...but that's another story and it probably won't be elaborated on here. Sure make this crappy assignment that much more irritating though.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Another Indian Dinner
After work yesterday, one of those rare days when we actually got out on time, we, that’s Zac, Julia and I, headed back to the hotel with anticipation of going to visit with Ramesh and Srivani that evening. Zac arranged for a car and we were on our way by about 7:50pm. We met up with Ramesh on the other side of the bridge and followed him to his house.
Srivani was wearing another beautiful sari (I wonder how many the average woman has over here). Julia had decided to wear one as well. She has had a few made while here and they look quite nice on her as well. Srivani and Julia headed into the bedroom to adjust Julia's since she was complaining about it slipping when she sat down. When they emerged, Julia said one extra pin made all the difference. Ramesh gave Zac a "manskirt". They have another name but I don't recall and that's what Zac called it so "manskirt" is it. Of course we had to get a picture.
We sat and talked for a short while then went to the table to eat. What a surprise it was to see our food served up on banana leaves with no utensils in sight. I was told that we were gong to learn to eat "Indian style" with our hands. Apparently this is the normal way that they eat on a daily basis.
What can I say, wonderful people, awesome food, new cultural experience... put it all together and it was a great night. Srivani really outdid the last meal (which was awesome a well) with this one. Quite a combination of flavors, some spicey, some delicate, some sweet but all good. We topped it all off with some "very traditional Indian dessert". It was something called Ice Cream. Just kidding... but it was very good ice cream, creamy and sweet, it was just a little different from what we get but excellent flavor and texture. I'd already had some while walking down the street in town a couple weeks ago.
Eating with your hands is something we do back home a lot, with hamburgers, fried chicken, ribs, etc. This was way different. Most of the things on the leaf were designed to be mixed with rice so you seperate a little rice from the pile, reach out and grab something and drop it on top of the rice, mix well with your fingers, scoop it up by making a spoon of sorts from your fingers and stick it in your mouth. It was funny trying to get used to it but I had no trouble adjusting and ate everything there was to eat. You need to be careful there as Srivani doesn't like to see an empty plate so she comes around and adds to your piles of food. You have to really cover your plate up or she'll slip in there and add to it. We were all having lots of fun. I remember thinking how, at that point, I was really wishing Stacey could be there with me to share the experience.
We washed our hands and Ramesh and I went up and out to the roof/terrace so I could have a cigarette. Julia and Zac followed and we stood up there for a few minutes. Ramesh pointed out the house across the street that he also owned. Apparently it had been in his family for a few generations. He now rents it out to the Post Office. It was rather dark up there so we returned to the living room. Sat for a few minutes talking then piled back into our car and headed back to the hotel. We made it back for last call at Cheers, had a drink and headed to our rooms.
All in all, it was a great night.
Srivani was wearing another beautiful sari (I wonder how many the average woman has over here). Julia had decided to wear one as well. She has had a few made while here and they look quite nice on her as well. Srivani and Julia headed into the bedroom to adjust Julia's since she was complaining about it slipping when she sat down. When they emerged, Julia said one extra pin made all the difference. Ramesh gave Zac a "manskirt". They have another name but I don't recall and that's what Zac called it so "manskirt" is it. Of course we had to get a picture.
We sat and talked for a short while then went to the table to eat. What a surprise it was to see our food served up on banana leaves with no utensils in sight. I was told that we were gong to learn to eat "Indian style" with our hands. Apparently this is the normal way that they eat on a daily basis.
What can I say, wonderful people, awesome food, new cultural experience... put it all together and it was a great night. Srivani really outdid the last meal (which was awesome a well) with this one. Quite a combination of flavors, some spicey, some delicate, some sweet but all good. We topped it all off with some "very traditional Indian dessert". It was something called Ice Cream. Just kidding... but it was very good ice cream, creamy and sweet, it was just a little different from what we get but excellent flavor and texture. I'd already had some while walking down the street in town a couple weeks ago.
Eating with your hands is something we do back home a lot, with hamburgers, fried chicken, ribs, etc. This was way different. Most of the things on the leaf were designed to be mixed with rice so you seperate a little rice from the pile, reach out and grab something and drop it on top of the rice, mix well with your fingers, scoop it up by making a spoon of sorts from your fingers and stick it in your mouth. It was funny trying to get used to it but I had no trouble adjusting and ate everything there was to eat. You need to be careful there as Srivani doesn't like to see an empty plate so she comes around and adds to your piles of food. You have to really cover your plate up or she'll slip in there and add to it. We were all having lots of fun. I remember thinking how, at that point, I was really wishing Stacey could be there with me to share the experience.
We washed our hands and Ramesh and I went up and out to the roof/terrace so I could have a cigarette. Julia and Zac followed and we stood up there for a few minutes. Ramesh pointed out the house across the street that he also owned. Apparently it had been in his family for a few generations. He now rents it out to the Post Office. It was rather dark up there so we returned to the living room. Sat for a few minutes talking then piled back into our car and headed back to the hotel. We made it back for last call at Cheers, had a drink and headed to our rooms.
All in all, it was a great night.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Rainy Day
Today is a festival day here in India. It’s the first day of what I think is a multi-day celebration of sorts. Not like what we think of as a festival in the states but rather a more personal, spiritual time spent with families rather than partying with the masses. They are honoring their god Ganesh who also goes by many other names. You have probably seen figurines of the god with the Elephant head, that’s him. Of course, we are here at work so don’t get to enjoy the festivities, whatever they may be if any are public at all, taking place in Rajahmundry. There aren’t many workers here at site today so my guess is that they consider this a big deal. Earlier this afternoon it started raining and raining and raining. It is almost 5:30 here now and it’s still coming down steady and hard. Kinda reminds me of FL.
The job has been going back and forth with some really bad days, some bad days and a few good days here and there. Yesterday we completed the oil flush, which is a milestone of sorts for determining overall progress, but we also took a step back in the assembly of the Generator. Today we moved ahead, although slowly, with the assembly.
When walking through the PEECC (a major electronic controls compartment) yesterday, the power was off and I noticed a bad smell. I thought then that it reminded me of a dead rat or something similar but didn’t think about it again until Julia mentioned later that they had fried a rat in the compartment. Apparently they got power back, energized something and the rat was there and got electrocuted. We have one or two running around in the office here on occasion but they don’t come out much when we are around. This is such a lovely place to work. Honestly, this place is the absolute worst jobsite I’ve been on. I guess I have to accept the fact that all assignments are not going to be “perfect” or “working vacations”… Damn, sure hope my next assignment is better than this one. The company I work for is doing a lot of work in Asia, India and the Middle East right now so I may have to take more assignments like this. I’ll avoid them as best I can and definitely get more info before accepting an assignment like this in the future.
Ah, a bright spot in the day… Julia just informed me that we were invited back to Ramesh’s home for dinner tonight. His wife, Srivani, is a wonderful cook and hostess and I am now looking forward to a wonderful meal and spending a little time with our new friends.
The job has been going back and forth with some really bad days, some bad days and a few good days here and there. Yesterday we completed the oil flush, which is a milestone of sorts for determining overall progress, but we also took a step back in the assembly of the Generator. Today we moved ahead, although slowly, with the assembly.
When walking through the PEECC (a major electronic controls compartment) yesterday, the power was off and I noticed a bad smell. I thought then that it reminded me of a dead rat or something similar but didn’t think about it again until Julia mentioned later that they had fried a rat in the compartment. Apparently they got power back, energized something and the rat was there and got electrocuted. We have one or two running around in the office here on occasion but they don’t come out much when we are around. This is such a lovely place to work. Honestly, this place is the absolute worst jobsite I’ve been on. I guess I have to accept the fact that all assignments are not going to be “perfect” or “working vacations”… Damn, sure hope my next assignment is better than this one. The company I work for is doing a lot of work in Asia, India and the Middle East right now so I may have to take more assignments like this. I’ll avoid them as best I can and definitely get more info before accepting an assignment like this in the future.
Ah, a bright spot in the day… Julia just informed me that we were invited back to Ramesh’s home for dinner tonight. His wife, Srivani, is a wonderful cook and hostess and I am now looking forward to a wonderful meal and spending a little time with our new friends.
Monday, September 05, 2005
One busy week gone... another ahead...
It was a very busy week last week. Monday through Wednesday were fairly typical work days here. Seems like nothing can get started until late in the day so that makes extra hours a pretty regular thing. Thursday and Friday I made the overnight trip to Hyderabad. Saturday was another typical workday but at least we got out on time. Saturday night was party night but since Zac and I had to get up and go to work on Sunday (yahoo!! more hours…), I made it an early night. Had fun at the bar while there. Julia and I danced a couple times and, as usual, everyone just watched, at first anyway. The second time we got up, a couple of the locals that were there got up as well, even their wives, all dancing in a group. This was a first… usually Julia is the only woman in the place but Saturday there were maybe 3 or 4 other women in with their husbands and a couple little rug rats running around as well. Even though it ended early for me it was a good time, well, as good as it gets here anyway. Sunday was a wasted day. The workers, supervisors, etc don’t listen to what they are instructed to do. We have very specific procedures to follow for many of the items that need to be monitored by us and we are always butting heads with the customer. I’m trying to stop arguing with them but it’s difficult… Hopefully I’ll get better at controlling my temper with them. Today I just decided not to argue about anything. He came at me this morning wanting to deviate this and that so they could show progress I would usually argue about it with them but not today. I just said no. He started arguing his case and I looked at him and said just “no, end of discussion” turned back to my computer and ignored him completely. Maybe they will get mad and want me to leave. Damn, now that would be a real shame. That would definitely break my heart…
Friday, September 02, 2005
Overnight in Hyderabad
Whew, what a day. Had to work a little late last night, not a bad thing but had to get up at 4:30 this morning for a road trip to Hyderabad. I spent 7 hours in the car getting here and another almost 2 hours finding the place we were supposed to go. Once there, a simple dimension check and pick up of some hydrogen seals for the unit I’m installing became a 5-1/2 hour ordeal. Finally made it here to the awesome Taj Krishna at about 8:00 PM. Had a drink and some munchies at the club level lounge while I got checked in. I had wanted to do a little shopping but it was to late to go back out by then. Asked the concierge at the desk to locate some Marlboro Light Menthol cigarettes and a box of Snickers candy bars (ahh, the simple things we miss when so far from home), went down to the restaurant for dinner and a couple drinks. During dinner I was thinking about how nice it was a couple weekends ago when we were all here and wish the others could be here to enjoy the evening with me. Came back up to the room and started this blog entry. Just got a knock on the door. Snickers were no problem. I got a whole box full. I don’t eat much candy but everyone else will be happy… The cigarettes, on the other hand, were for me and it seems impossible to get menthols here in India. They will keep trying for me but I don’t hold out much hope. Since I am leaving before breakfast starts tomorrow, they are sending a comp breakfast tray at 6:30AM.
It’s Friday 4:00 and we just got back to the site. Never did get my cigarettes last night but Nagaraj, our regular driver, will continue to try and get some ordered. Was awakened when breakfast arrived. The tray had eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, coffee, just like back home, it was a really awesome start for the day. Of course, it was a lousy ride back, spending 7 hours or so in the back seat of a very uncomfortable vehicle. Once I got back to the hotel reality sunk in once again. It really sucks going from a hotel like the Taj to the rat hole that we are in here in Rajahmundry. After a quick lunch, I made it back with 2 hours left in the our regular work day but they want to install the seals so it looks like I’ll be working late tonight. That’s really not a problem for me, the more hours I can get while here the better it is. Not like there is lot’s else to do here anyway…
It’s Friday 4:00 and we just got back to the site. Never did get my cigarettes last night but Nagaraj, our regular driver, will continue to try and get some ordered. Was awakened when breakfast arrived. The tray had eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, coffee, just like back home, it was a really awesome start for the day. Of course, it was a lousy ride back, spending 7 hours or so in the back seat of a very uncomfortable vehicle. Once I got back to the hotel reality sunk in once again. It really sucks going from a hotel like the Taj to the rat hole that we are in here in Rajahmundry. After a quick lunch, I made it back with 2 hours left in the our regular work day but they want to install the seals so it looks like I’ll be working late tonight. That’s really not a problem for me, the more hours I can get while here the better it is. Not like there is lot’s else to do here anyway…
