"Tata Motors has spend close to Rs. 10,000/- on each trainee for the outbound training. It will not be possible to grant leave on such short notice. In case of emergency, I would request you to email the regional manager, the HR head and me"- This was the reply I got from my HR when I smsed him asking whether I can skip the scheduled outbound training at lonavala. I was waiting for my turn in the dispensary for a checkup suspecting fever. This message was more of a nice way to threaten me with dire consequences. The doctor advised me to stay indoors. I was wondering how am I going to manage that for an outbound training. After a long debate with my family, I made up mind to go with a clear mission in my mind - I will go there and just rest in the 5-star hotel citing medical reasons.
The bus was scheduled to leave Fort at around 5.45 am. Since it was humanly impossible for a thanekar like me to reach there before the sun does, I decided to catch the Bus midway at Dadar. After having a short nap in the plush AC cabin, we reached the hotel. Unfortunately we were made to go to the conference hall before going to our rooms. There stood a guy, stylish, smart (obviously...who else could fool such corporate biggies to pay for such crap!) who addressed all of us and gave some gyaan. After some blah, he made us do activity and I was like, "I dont want to do this and want to go to the room and just relax!". Finally I thought not to be a cry baby and do whatever my body allowed me to do. And to my surprise, I found myself doing all those games and activities (read: Team building sessions :P) and it was great fun if not anything else. After sometime we were told to go to our rooms and relax for sometime and comeback. Again I couldnt stop myself from coming back and at the end of the day I ended up doing Treasure Hunt, Making a catapult, Human Pyramid and even walk over broken glass pieces! Yes you heard it right. All along it was interesting to see guys much elder to me, most of them married, behaving like kids, doing all kinds of keedas, even Dogging (Male version of bitching) about Guys from other parts of the country. There you realise the true meaning of Unity under Diversity!
The next day was a challenge, we were supposed to trek over a hillock, crossover to the next hill by valley crossing and comedown Rappelling over the Dukes Nose. Even though I could hear my Body telling me, "Noways are you going to do all that", My Mind was constantly pricking me up telling me.."I am not sure you will get the chance to do all this again, that too getting paid to do it". I chose to snub my body and listen to my mind as I was crawling to the top of the mountain. First up- Valley Crossing: After first few seconds of nervousness, It was a smooth breeze. The view to see the valley below you was superb! Then came the nightmare- Rappelling. As I held the ropes and took my few steps downward the cliff, my heatbeats beat the speeds of all the Tata Motor cars I was supposed to sell. We were too rappell down 350 feets! That almost a 30 storey building. After walking 90 degree to the cliff for sometime, my foot lost contact as I started to fall at a steady pace. It reminded me of the dreams we have when we suddenly experience the floor below your foot has suddenly slipped. I was really scared and for that moment, I realised that ambitions, career, money, aspirations etc are not at all in your mind when you experience a near death. Its just love and living that matters to live a good life.
The bus was scheduled to leave Fort at around 5.45 am. Since it was humanly impossible for a thanekar like me to reach there before the sun does, I decided to catch the Bus midway at Dadar. After having a short nap in the plush AC cabin, we reached the hotel. Unfortunately we were made to go to the conference hall before going to our rooms. There stood a guy, stylish, smart (obviously...who else could fool such corporate biggies to pay for such crap!) who addressed all of us and gave some gyaan. After some blah, he made us do activity and I was like, "I dont want to do this and want to go to the room and just relax!". Finally I thought not to be a cry baby and do whatever my body allowed me to do. And to my surprise, I found myself doing all those games and activities (read: Team building sessions :P) and it was great fun if not anything else. After sometime we were told to go to our rooms and relax for sometime and comeback. Again I couldnt stop myself from coming back and at the end of the day I ended up doing Treasure Hunt, Making a catapult, Human Pyramid and even walk over broken glass pieces! Yes you heard it right. All along it was interesting to see guys much elder to me, most of them married, behaving like kids, doing all kinds of keedas, even Dogging (Male version of bitching) about Guys from other parts of the country. There you realise the true meaning of Unity under Diversity!
The next day was a challenge, we were supposed to trek over a hillock, crossover to the next hill by valley crossing and comedown Rappelling over the Dukes Nose. Even though I could hear my Body telling me, "Noways are you going to do all that", My Mind was constantly pricking me up telling me.."I am not sure you will get the chance to do all this again, that too getting paid to do it". I chose to snub my body and listen to my mind as I was crawling to the top of the mountain. First up- Valley Crossing: After first few seconds of nervousness, It was a smooth breeze. The view to see the valley below you was superb! Then came the nightmare- Rappelling. As I held the ropes and took my few steps downward the cliff, my heatbeats beat the speeds of all the Tata Motor cars I was supposed to sell. We were too rappell down 350 feets! That almost a 30 storey building. After walking 90 degree to the cliff for sometime, my foot lost contact as I started to fall at a steady pace. It reminded me of the dreams we have when we suddenly experience the floor below your foot has suddenly slipped. I was really scared and for that moment, I realised that ambitions, career, money, aspirations etc are not at all in your mind when you experience a near death. Its just love and living that matters to live a good life.
