P 15
E Germany job with Toyo deputed by Alkan
Having waited eagerly for 8 long years(after Qatar trip cancellation)my first trip abroad, even during travel was nightmare!
M/s Alkan did not carry out full study of the local conditions/climate &Governmental regulations at GDR(East Germany) and every thing went wrong for the company as well as people. In my case even the overseas posting emoluments was wrong!When GDR Govt. &Toyo engg. indicated that each employee posted there will get a daily allowance of 28E Marks/day, the company converted it as 28X4.5=Rs 126/day(that time Deutche Mark was rated at Rs 4.5) but they did not realise that E mark is not exchangeable at all!! Moreover they booked my travel ticket in Polish airlines via.Beirut. Not realising that GDR is cold country even in April, they gave me only half sleeve sweater.
I left Mumbai,India in the early hours of 4th April 1980 Mumbai-Prague flight. The aircraft halted at Beirut for refuelling and passengers were asked to get down and move to underpass walkway.There I had the horrible sight of intruders firing AK 47 rifle in dead night. one can imagine what would have been my feeling that too first time foreign travel! somehow on boarding back the aircraft landed in Prague 15 Mts. before scheduled time. I heard announcement of my name to hurry up to catch the connecting flight to Shonefield(that time only airport in E Germany) which I followed. On landing
I had the shock of waiting in open atmosphere that too wearing only half sleeve sweater!Since mine was visa on landing, the local police authorities prevented me entering the airport premises.At that time SriLankan immigrants were entering Europe illegally which made them suspect every Asian.I waited in the open shivering nearly for two hours or so. At last Toyo driver John arrived(Indian from Delhi) and then they called me. The formalities took only two minutes. John took me for lunch in airport cafeteria. There I had to choose a dish between pork and beef and no other choice.I chose beef streak with French fries. Then he drove me to the camp where all expatriate staff reside.He took me to Toyo Kannan's residence.That being Friday afternoon I have been instructed that I should not venture even to move out of building until Monday morning.I was told that without work permit badge nobody can move around even in the camp.So literally I was on house arrest for 2 days;but Kannan and Nair took care of me and made me feel at home.
On Monday I traveled with Kannan and went to report to Mr Nagamatsu,Toyo's administrative manager at site. On receiving me Mr Nagamatsu was surprised to see me with only a half sleeve sweater! out of humanity, he instructed Kannan to issue me full set of warm wear and PPE.He asked me to communicate to my office Alkan in Bombay that the balance team should be equipped appropriately before travel.I did carry out the same by telex but no effect, since Mr CSS Narayan was end by himself and did not bother.
I had a team of 22 including me.AR&2 engineers(Kannan&Vanchi)+1 administrative officer(Madhu)
+18 workmen-mix of fitters/welder/ electrician/ khalasi(riggers). Our scope of work was limited to field instrumentation only covering stand post fabrication,erection, instrument mounting with protection hoods,impulse piping/tubing, copper tubing for control valves, junction box mounting and cable termination at field end and testing them.The main cable tray erection, cable pulling, DCS system installation and rack termination was under scope of an Yugoslavian contractor.All these were under overall supervision of Mr Nakamura,Toyo manager. he had 2 Japanese engineers- Kabori and Sugiyama and they were asked to take directions from me.
Contd.......
Key Aspects:- Human relations, Incident analysis, Leadership, Ups&down
E Germany job with Toyo deputed by Alkan
Having waited eagerly for 8 long years(after Qatar trip cancellation)my first trip abroad, even during travel was nightmare!
M/s Alkan did not carry out full study of the local conditions/climate &Governmental regulations at GDR(East Germany) and every thing went wrong for the company as well as people. In my case even the overseas posting emoluments was wrong!When GDR Govt. &Toyo engg. indicated that each employee posted there will get a daily allowance of 28E Marks/day, the company converted it as 28X4.5=Rs 126/day(that time Deutche Mark was rated at Rs 4.5) but they did not realise that E mark is not exchangeable at all!! Moreover they booked my travel ticket in Polish airlines via.Beirut. Not realising that GDR is cold country even in April, they gave me only half sleeve sweater.
I left Mumbai,India in the early hours of 4th April 1980 Mumbai-Prague flight. The aircraft halted at Beirut for refuelling and passengers were asked to get down and move to underpass walkway.There I had the horrible sight of intruders firing AK 47 rifle in dead night. one can imagine what would have been my feeling that too first time foreign travel! somehow on boarding back the aircraft landed in Prague 15 Mts. before scheduled time. I heard announcement of my name to hurry up to catch the connecting flight to Shonefield(that time only airport in E Germany) which I followed. On landing
I had the shock of waiting in open atmosphere that too wearing only half sleeve sweater!Since mine was visa on landing, the local police authorities prevented me entering the airport premises.At that time SriLankan immigrants were entering Europe illegally which made them suspect every Asian.I waited in the open shivering nearly for two hours or so. At last Toyo driver John arrived(Indian from Delhi) and then they called me. The formalities took only two minutes. John took me for lunch in airport cafeteria. There I had to choose a dish between pork and beef and no other choice.I chose beef streak with French fries. Then he drove me to the camp where all expatriate staff reside.He took me to Toyo Kannan's residence.That being Friday afternoon I have been instructed that I should not venture even to move out of building until Monday morning.I was told that without work permit badge nobody can move around even in the camp.So literally I was on house arrest for 2 days;but Kannan and Nair took care of me and made me feel at home.
On Monday I traveled with Kannan and went to report to Mr Nagamatsu,Toyo's administrative manager at site. On receiving me Mr Nagamatsu was surprised to see me with only a half sleeve sweater! out of humanity, he instructed Kannan to issue me full set of warm wear and PPE.He asked me to communicate to my office Alkan in Bombay that the balance team should be equipped appropriately before travel.I did carry out the same by telex but no effect, since Mr CSS Narayan was end by himself and did not bother.
I had a team of 22 including me.AR&2 engineers(Kannan&Vanchi)+1 administrative officer(Madhu)
+18 workmen-mix of fitters/welder/ electrician/ khalasi(riggers). Our scope of work was limited to field instrumentation only covering stand post fabrication,erection, instrument mounting with protection hoods,impulse piping/tubing, copper tubing for control valves, junction box mounting and cable termination at field end and testing them.The main cable tray erection, cable pulling, DCS system installation and rack termination was under scope of an Yugoslavian contractor.All these were under overall supervision of Mr Nakamura,Toyo manager. he had 2 Japanese engineers- Kabori and Sugiyama and they were asked to take directions from me.
Contd.......
Key Aspects:- Human relations, Incident analysis, Leadership, Ups&down
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