Desi Train

It’s cloudy and the forecasts predict rain this weekend. The entire house is in the backyard, except our mattresses, pillows, a futon and of course the television. After trashing all my first bought furniture 2 days ago, I went to IKEA to buy the replacements. Unfortunately, I’m being advised by fellow bedbuggers (yes people fighting bedbugs are now officially known as bed buggers) that it’s a bad idea. The Pest Control came in yesterday and sprayed the house. Problem is they can’t kill the eggs that hatch every two weeks. Bed Bugs - they are the worst.

Been fighting the bedbug war since the last two weeks and I’m exhausted. There is still no victory in sight. Was bitten again last night but probably only a couple of times than the 20 - 30 odd bites I used to receive before. To-be-Biwi came in the day before with tons of vinyl covers that she sealed my mattress and pillows with. Then she duck taped the zippers. It seems zippers are no doors that need to be opened for the bastards. They simply crawl throw them. On hearing that, I had an emotional breakdown. How the hell does one kill these bastards? The internet is filled with forums to fighting bedbugs and I’ve been trying each and everything.

Told to-be-Biwi last night that the $1700 dry steam cleaner I’ve bought to fight the menace should be considered as my wedding gift to her. Fortunately and without an damage to my head and face protection gear, she accepted.

Been doing half days at work for more than a week. It’s impossible to work when your mind’s thinking of bloody bugs at home, hi-fiving each other inside the depths of my mattress, having a beer and rejoicing over what a great night they had sucking my blood. MOTHER FUCKING SONS OF BUGS… !!!

The office is brimming with new activity. There’s energy amongst the senior management. The trade show ended last week has brought in new partnerships, new ideas, new zeal and new ways to make millions for them.

So the work I was brought in for - helping the client achieve a joint venture with a smaller company on the east coast, has conveniently been scrapped. For over 3 months I’ve been working to get the venture rolling, and now the client no longer wants it. “It’s a waste of time… there are millions to be made out there” is the response. They want me to start work on those new projects which will make them the millions.

The meeting which lead to these decisions happened yesterday. In personal meetings with each of the VPs (Engineering, IT, Marketing) - they all had different ideas on how to go about the JV that I’d been working on.

Then the meeting happened. and in walks the COO and announces this whole new set of projects and declaring that we roll on to these new projects. Immediately each of the senior management changes it’s tune. They all are or perhaps act as if they are excited. Now every one of these Directors and VPs is telling me “Comeon start quickly. We can make millions by selling these 600,000 pieces blah blah blah” - verbatim - the words uttered by the COO in the meeting.

I can’t even remember the number of times I’ve seen this. Positions and angles of chairs change, there are more “I love the idea”… “I totally agree with you”… “This is fantastic!” and other such statements made by these VPs and Directors in corporate meetings so they can stick to their leather chairs and large windows looking down on the city.

It’s pathetic. Lets make millions… well, excuse me but the only person making millions will be the stakeholders of this company who incidentally are a family of the CEO and President of the company, who incidentally also happens to be the COO… the person who walked into the room and laid this road map to make millions. You the VPs and Directors may at best get chump change in the form of a bonus at the end of the year, and if the project fails (which it most likely will or perhaps not reach the intended profit lines) will result in the very same VPs and Directors laying off some good honest hardworking people, early next year so they can save their necks and declare their figures are much above the red line.

I’ve seen it again and again. And it is so clear. The VPs one little stupid action - to roll with the boss and enthusiastically pump their fists in the air showing faith and alliance in the Boss’s decision (yet to be determined if it will be a good or a bad one)… all this to do some ego massaging and just roll with the flow - all this - will a year from now, sadly result in lay offs of a few good men who today sitting in cubicles next to mine, are not even aware that their faiths have been sealed…

I’ve seen it so many times, it’s ridiculous. Having been one of the senior management and chucking it as I could not take it anymore, and now… I find that even as a consultant I’m exposed more and more to this ridiculousness again and again, client after client, company after company. It’s the same. It’s all the same. The same men, the same stupidities, the same insecurities, the same bad decisions, the same lay offs…

I don’t even feel the excitement that is echoing in each of these VPs cabins… they are thinking of the extra change they will get in their bonus, the boss is already counting his millions, while I simply shake my head and walk in the aisles looking at the bobbing heads in these cubicles…

Maybe 12 - 14 years ago, I would have been equally excited. But I’ve seen it all. You’ll just be there, where you are. Rewards are chump change in the corporate world for employee even though profits may be large. But when losses hit, the pain of seeing each of these cubicles being emptied and walked out off the driveway… that pain is unbearable… and two years ago I decided to walk away from this corporate cesspool.

Well what else…

Marriage prep is on a halt, since the war on bed bugs began. I’m praying it doesn’t rain today as the new sofa sets are lying out in the backyard. Today the steam cleaner arrives. It’s going to be my Bhramastra… and I plan to steam clean every inch of what belongs to me at 300^o F beginning tonight…

And while I spend my weekend in hot steam…

Ya’ll be good, stay safe and have a rockin weekend!

This entry was posted on Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 10:09 am and is filed under Friday Masala.
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