The India Chronicles (88 Days to Visa Expiration)

As I was using webmail last week and couldn't send anything out to the normal list, this is just a quick note to let everyone know that while I was away in France last week, my dalmatian of 6.5 years (Riley) died on the kitchen floor of one of the French expats due to what can best be described as gross incompetence and willful neglect by the Cochin veterinary doctors. He will be sorely missed.

It was rather easy to accept things when I was in Paris, but when I opened the front door to the flat this morning and he wasn't there wagging that tail like a whip and jumping for joy at me being home, everything kind of hit home. It is going to be a long 88 days until repatriation to the US (I hope)................

I just got back from dinner with the French family that was with him at the end. They inform me that Riley was buried in a special pet cemetery nearby. I will probably go once to say I'm sorry.

The vet issued a death certificate that reads: "...the animal belonging to Mr Scott Lindstrom.......died on Feb 28 due to natural causes related to renal failure."

Natural causes my ass! His condition wasn't life threatening until their incompetence made it life threatening and even then they did nothing.
Actually let's go one step further....RENAL failure? If they failed it was due to lack of water intake. I should go back and make them write it to say:

"...due to gross incompetence and a willful disrespect for animal life resulting from a urinary obstruction complications "

I'm not bitter.....

NOT

They gave me his collar as well just now and THAT was difficult. Every time I go upstairs now I pass by his air transport crate.....

Thanks to everyone who has written to me with words of encouragement in the last week; I did not have a chance to respond to everyone, but wanted to use this forum to say "thank you". Your thoughts and comments are and were truly appreciated.

20 days until I leave for Maldives! I can't bloody wait!

Ok, I lied! I am hijacking my own note and making it longer!

Here are now some miscellaneous things on India I have witnessed over the last few weeks / months (today) and hadn't touched on before....

The time zone here is IST which according to the world time experts means India Standard Time and happens to be GMT+5.5 (we agreed a long time ago to accept the .5 hours without explanation; it has something to do with Pakistan....). But that is not what it means to the Indians. Here, it stands for India STRETCHABLE Time. Example: vet tells you he'll be there at 6:00 PM he MEANS he'll be there sometime between 6:30 and eventually. This may explain our factory's product delivery performance! HA!

But what is more amazing is that the Indians seem to be the most impatient bunch of people I have ever dealt with when it comes to Planes and Ferries. Case in point: today I am sitting in the Doha International Airport (go look it up) and we are allowed into the gate for that pre-boarding relaxation. The Indians start piling up at the gate door hoping to be the first ones.......to get into a bus....THEN when the gate opens everyone NOT at the door makes a mad rush to the door and the jostling, pushing, shoving, etc. gets to be out of control. I kept wanting to say "moo!" as I felt like a frickin cow being driven across Texas! It's incredible. THEN I get onto the plane and get my stuff stowed away (aisle seat) and then this couple shows up to take the middle and window seat. OK fine. They sit down and now try to stuff a large bag under the seat. The guy tries to put it under the seat in front of me and THAT ain't happening as that's the only leg room I got left on this plane. So I offer to put it up in the bin; as soon as I get up someone takes that space so I let him out to figure it out for himself. Eventually the flight attendant puts it up in the first class cabin.
Ok, fine. When the plane parks at the Cochin Airport the guy AND his wife literally CLIMB over me to go get their bags. Nevermind that the need to walk past them as they exit the plane. At the same time, the mad-rush, pushing / shoving begins and you are basically pushed out the plane whether you are ready or not. I have decided I HATE flying into India as your fellow passengers are insane lunatics. I am told this is due to them having to fight for spaces on Buses and Trains, but for crying out loud people, you've got a reserved seat!

The HR guy asked me for my headcount forecast for 2005. Here goes the conversation:
HR - what's your headcount forecast for the year?
ME - 37
HR - Wasn't it 48?
ME - no,that is my budgeted number
HR - So your budget is now 37?
ME - no, my budget is 48 and my forecast is 37.
HR - I don't get you
ME - I have budgeted 48 people but I only have requirements / visibility right now to 37.
HR - So the forecast is 48?
ME - No, the forecast is 37.
HR - How can they be different?

That was when I reached through the phone and strangled him into submission! :-)

Don't worry, no HR guys were harmed in the creation of this message.

Here's a good one! I set a meeting with two people to discuss the pending organizational changes within my group. I send them an OUTLOOK meeting notice so that it is on their calendar. They both accept. They both miss the meeting (they didn't show up) saying they had conflicts. Um, if you had a conflict why the HELL did you ACCEPT it? ARRRGGGGHHH!!!

Anybody know what an organogram is? It is NOT an org-chart as I objected to what he sent me

/"Need your confirmation on the structuring/arrangement of the positions in different levels/grades. Full-fledged Organogram will be provided once we finalise on the setup of the GBS Organisation as a whole."/

Sounds kinda kinky, don't it?

Eventually I got this response back
/
"thanks for the confirmation.i was preparing a platform for further discussions for which pictoric/diagrammatic representation is easier"/

I must have missed something in B-School.

Haven't played the resume game lately so here are two things:

(Chronological Descending Order of Latest to First) <--Go ahead...insult my intelligence!

And are the current HR studies suggesting that you put your current boss as a reference on a Resume when you're looking for a new job? As a friend of mine used to say "see that light flashing in your eye? That's your career-dissipation light and it's in emergency overload!". I mean seriously! I call up your current boss to see how good you are and shortly thereafter you're shown the door. Maybe I am missing something.

That's it for now, more as it becomes available.