Visitors

Vistors are a common and a welocme occurance.  We have technical experts and functional managers and supervisors who come to establish one-on-one contact with their indo-cadres.  There is a lot of telecommunication that goes on but there is no substitute for the occassional visits.  These visits quite often establish bonds that make future communication more effective.  Each visitor gives one or more technical presentations on some aspect of our business.  As time goes on this gives our Indian engineers a better feel for the operation as a whole and a context for their contributions. Each contingent, the indo and the western, experience meaningful contact with culture and methods of interaction.  All this is indispensible. 

We also get visits from very senior leaders in Textron.  These visits always reinforce the corporation's committment to India.  In a recent visit by the number two leader in Textron he delivered a strong message about the importance, both now and in the future, of our organization in India.  Our Indian troops tend to be a little cynical about this since they have been hearing this periodically for the last five years.  The difference here is a new administration.  The senior leadership at Textron has changed and that may make a difference.  Time will tell.

One of the special treats about entertaining visitors is listening to their impressions of India and especially Bangalore.  Bangalore is a city of about 7 million folks and the requisite traffic such a throng generates.  On a recent visit by our IT folks one of them described driving in Bangalore as "a martial art." 

He went on to say, "It's not at uncommon to have someone overtake you on the right and make a left hand turn immediately in front of you." 

"No one gets angry and it's as if the overtaken driver bows with clasped hands , 'another day my friend',"

Our most recent visitor was Dan'l Kalal who runs Fatigue and Damage Tolerance.  Dan'l is a motorcyle rider.  Not a Hells Angles type.  No.  A genuine touring rider.  Dan'l wouldn't touch a Harley with a barge pole.  He's a serious solo rider who has toured all of the continental US, much of Europe, New Zeland and Austrailia.  This is Dan'l's friend, Natesan.  Actually we are all friends with Natesan.  He worked at Cessna in Dan'l's organization for 15 years or more.  He now works for Airbus in Wichita.  Natesan is from Bangalore.  He grew up here and his parents live in the south part of the city.  Nate was visiting when Dan'l came last week.  He came over to my flat and we went to the airport to pick Dan'l up.  His flight arrived at 0015 hrs last saturday.  Nate and I showed up at the airport about 1130.  Bangalore has a new airport.  In way that's a shame.  The old airport went a long way in preparing the visitor for what lay ahead in Bangalore.  Bedlam; or at least it always seemed that way.  It was actually the classical indo-bedlam.  Bedlam that seemed impossible until you experienced it for awhile.  At some point an informal system complete with rules emerges and then the bedlam seems manageable.  The old airport was always solid people wherever you walked. 

There was no apparent parking and the traffic outside was solid no matter the time of day.  Solid in density and solid in the sense that every type of conveyance could be seen.  By those standards, the new airport is a disappointment.  It's not that different than DFW.  It's a lot better than Ohare in Chicago but not quite as modern feeling as Denver.  Althought it likely has a better baggage handling facility.  The new Bangalore airport is not crowded.  It's a lot bigger.  It's much cleaner and easier to move around in.  Nate and I took up our posts outside the customs exit and watched people.  Anyone who likes to watch people will like India.  You can amuse yourself for hours sitting in a streetside cafe and simply observing the goingson.

The picture a top of this post is taken at the exit from the customs area.  This is where most people wait to greet their visitors.  The process from landing to exit into the terminal for greeting can take as long as one hour.  There are several customs clearance stations.  When Pravin and I landed it took extra time because Indian customs wanted collect duty on my camera gear and my personal laptop.

The special greeting area outside the customs area is crowded.  There are lots of folks holding signs, calling out and waiting for their visitors to emerge through a set of double doors.  Double doors guarded by a security officer holding an automatic weapon and looking very serious.  It never dawned on me that there was any alternative except taking my place in that crowd to wait for Dan'l to emerge.  I keep forgetting that this is India. India where queues, boundaries and rules all exist in some context.  A context that often you can define.  Just as I had forgotten this Nate walked up and said,

"Comeon, I have special passes.  We can go inside."

"How did you get these?"

"I bought 'em.  Comeon."

We marched through the throngs waving signs, milling, muttering and in general doing the waitng thing.  Nate exchanged what sounded like pleasantries in Hindi or Kanada with the serious looking, automatic weapon holding guard as he handed him some small parcels of paper.  He ushered us into the customes area where now waiting was much more civilized and out of the confusion and chaos outside.

We didn't wait long.  Dan'l's flight landed on time at 0015 and he popped out in a record 20 or so minutes at 0035 or so.  Remember I told you about Dan'l's touring escapades.  He prides himself in traveling light.  He should because he was carrying only a small backpack; everything he needed for a week's stay.  As his week here progressed I would tease him, "Isn't that the shirt you wore yesterday?"