I dropped a tag. That too from one of the nicest of bloggers, a writer par excellence, a warm human being and now a dear online friend. How could I drop a tag from A Journey called Life. Shame on me. With a very contrite expression, I make delayed amends.
I was tagged for the Honest Scrap award. The tag requires a post listing ten honest things about you. As I do with all tags, I’ll do so in the business context this blog is designed for.
1. I am horribly, “old fashionedly” loyal to my company(ies). I’ve never ever quit a company – only moved as a result of an acquisition once. I would not buy a competitor’s product. Hence my multiple posts on company loyalty.
2. I started with a love of travel. Now I hate it. I’ve travelled too much on business and at last count have spent at least a night in 30 countries. Now I hate the very sight of an aeroplane. As I am now on a sabbatical, I enjoy going nowhere.
3. One of the things I just cannot do is tell a person’s age by looking at him or her. Now that’s no big deal except in China where everybody looks 15. In my office, I am never very sure if the girls are truly above the legal employable age of 18. And then they show me the picture of their child !!
4. I hate wearing that contraption which can only be translated in Hindi as “Kanta Langot”. The tie was invented in the medieval ages when buttons had not been invented and they needed something to hold their shirts up. Now why on earth do we continue with this nonsense. Especially when the temperature outside is 40 deg plus.
5. I’ve travelled on every type of contraption for business – the normal ones, bus, car, train, plane … And some more exotic ones
- The ban (the Bengali van) which is a wooden plank pulled as a cycle rickshaw. Four people sit on four corners and the guy pedals away giving you a free treat of his Rabindra Sangeet
- On the roof of the bus ( half ticket if you travel outside rather than inside)
- Ferries; the type where you get on by climbing a 1 inch width plank.
- Bullock cart, horse cart, camel cart (once)
6. The strangest thing I’ve done on work was when I stayed in a village for 2 months. The company I joined, believed that city bred types had to learn the real India. So they dispatched all trainees to live in a village at the back of beyond – no electricity, no plumbing, etc etc. I had to organize a cattle camp to, ahem, facilitate bulls losing their masculinity (so that they worked hard without distractions). . I still remember one fine fella who was being led for the unkindest of cuts, who broke free, chased a comely cow, had a last moment of happiness, was then caught and then given the “treatment”.
7. The strangest company lunch I have been taken to was in Kenya. To this restaurant called the Carnivore. This is a giant barbecue featuring game meat – hippo, crocodile, gazelle, zebra …… And I am a vegetarian.
8. I love to teach. Given half a chance I would teach in a business school. My colleagues say, that’s because I love the sound of my own voice ! But no chance of that, as I don’t have a PhD. I contend myself with writing posts on education.
9. I wish I had learnt some languages. I am trying to learn Mandarin now and spectacularly failing.
10. I am intensely private person. Or so I thought. Until I discovered blogging. Now I can’t stop writing posts like this !
AJCL – Sorry Sorry Sorry ……
I was tagged for the Honest Scrap award. The tag requires a post listing ten honest things about you. As I do with all tags, I’ll do so in the business context this blog is designed for.
1. I am horribly, “old fashionedly” loyal to my company(ies). I’ve never ever quit a company – only moved as a result of an acquisition once. I would not buy a competitor’s product. Hence my multiple posts on company loyalty.
2. I started with a love of travel. Now I hate it. I’ve travelled too much on business and at last count have spent at least a night in 30 countries. Now I hate the very sight of an aeroplane. As I am now on a sabbatical, I enjoy going nowhere.
3. One of the things I just cannot do is tell a person’s age by looking at him or her. Now that’s no big deal except in China where everybody looks 15. In my office, I am never very sure if the girls are truly above the legal employable age of 18. And then they show me the picture of their child !!
4. I hate wearing that contraption which can only be translated in Hindi as “Kanta Langot”. The tie was invented in the medieval ages when buttons had not been invented and they needed something to hold their shirts up. Now why on earth do we continue with this nonsense. Especially when the temperature outside is 40 deg plus.
5. I’ve travelled on every type of contraption for business – the normal ones, bus, car, train, plane … And some more exotic ones
- The ban (the Bengali van) which is a wooden plank pulled as a cycle rickshaw. Four people sit on four corners and the guy pedals away giving you a free treat of his Rabindra Sangeet
- On the roof of the bus ( half ticket if you travel outside rather than inside)
- Ferries; the type where you get on by climbing a 1 inch width plank.
- Bullock cart, horse cart, camel cart (once)
6. The strangest thing I’ve done on work was when I stayed in a village for 2 months. The company I joined, believed that city bred types had to learn the real India. So they dispatched all trainees to live in a village at the back of beyond – no electricity, no plumbing, etc etc. I had to organize a cattle camp to, ahem, facilitate bulls losing their masculinity (so that they worked hard without distractions). . I still remember one fine fella who was being led for the unkindest of cuts, who broke free, chased a comely cow, had a last moment of happiness, was then caught and then given the “treatment”.
7. The strangest company lunch I have been taken to was in Kenya. To this restaurant called the Carnivore. This is a giant barbecue featuring game meat – hippo, crocodile, gazelle, zebra …… And I am a vegetarian.
8. I love to teach. Given half a chance I would teach in a business school. My colleagues say, that’s because I love the sound of my own voice ! But no chance of that, as I don’t have a PhD. I contend myself with writing posts on education.
9. I wish I had learnt some languages. I am trying to learn Mandarin now and spectacularly failing.
10. I am intensely private person. Or so I thought. Until I discovered blogging. Now I can’t stop writing posts like this !
AJCL – Sorry Sorry Sorry ……
