The Lair

Blood is the price of victory

crazed and probably drunken motorbicycle rider rear-ending your shiny car.

Yeah, so it has been an eventful yesterday – my luggage got misplaced somewhere in the bowels of Heathrow airport, so I have now added to that particular statistic. I am less annoyed about this than I should be, I suppose. The law of averages was going to catch up sooner or later – and I prefer such demonstrations of statistical probability (or divine indifference, if you’re that way inclined) to happen with innocuous and replaceable things like clothes.

Of course, my USB cable for the camera was also in that bag and I need that back or there will be hell to pay.

I have also seen, firsthand, that even having a large logistics department does not make a corporation immune from screwups – my ticket was cancelled because no one thought to reconfirm. Fortunately, a previous gig had left me with a frequent flyer membership for this particular airline. I was then in a state to observe that I got the first seat off the standby list; while there were other people milling around waiting for a ticket. Then again, someone in the airline may have made a call that I looked too dangerous to be allowed to roam the country a day longer – and I should be put on the plane toot sweet, as it were. Either is entirely possible.

Fly back (interesting flights on both legs); feel hungry, go out for dinner and have a motorbike guy welcome me back to Colombo. Scratches on bumper (*sob* shiny paintwork ruined, dammit). So this is what? the third time that some random idiot has taken a violent vehicular fancy to the nether regions of my transport. I suspect a trend. At least two of those times, I was stationary. Do I have some sort of flashing neon sign that says “hit me?!” What happened to the bumper stickers that urged fellow drivers to honk supporting their favourite cause?

I work for a company which has offices in other countries. Since most of the business is provided by people writing software for companies outside Sri Lanka; there is a reasonable amount of travel involved.

As is usual, people have a wide spectrum of reactions to being sent onsite.

Most like the idea of going out of the country for a while. Away from parental supervision, completely different country/culture, sometimes a bit of distance from the humdrum activities of living here. People like the idea of going on short term visits even more. All the fun of international travel, but none of the long term hassle. (Of course, there are those who demand long term placement in another office too. Different story).

However, international here means … umm.. Europe or the Americas. While we love India (we do, really), travelling there seems insufficiently exotic to appeal to many.

So in about two weeks, a bunch of people need to travel to India to meet and greet a client. Because you know, explody buses and other stuff make this country a bit unsafe so the client is refusing to turn up here.

I need to find a creative way to break the news to the folks who’re going to travel. I initially thought of a tasteless American Indian pidgin greeting to let them know that, yes, despite their hopes to the contrary – travel they must.

Any other creative ideas?