The Lair

As hinted earlier, I’ve been shunted to that large country up north. Having spent approximately a week here, I’m now qualified to make the following observations.

• Conference rooms across the world look pretty similar
• The streets (as seen from the interior of a thankfully airconditioned vehicle) look pretty darn dusty.
• These Chennai drivers are completely and utterly insane - I’ve started a hall of fear for the most extravagant, like some random driver deciding that he really needed to take an exit and proceeding to cut us off while both vehicles were travelling at about 80 klicks an hour.

Considering the hype about the accommodation that could have been on offer, I was (pretty justifiably, I think) a bit wary. I wasn’t kidding when I thought of packing a can of Baygon (insecticide, essentially) to keep the marauding vermin at bay. The first day we landed, we went to this serviced apartment block - like a hotel, but not quite. A quick inspection of the room revealed no vermin, reasonably clean sheets, reasonably clean towels. Thanking myself for small mercies, I settled in.

(more…)

No, really. It’s a scoping technique. I now need to find 5 other things to learn before breakfast.

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?