While the travel to our global sites was planned for and due for months now. Between planning for the Romania Visa, renewing the UK visa, this trip came to be planned at a very short notice. Having completed the return flight booking for the trip only a day before the start day of the journey. It has been a task for the travel agent to get me to Mexico and back to India as i am not holding a Shengen or US travel visa.
This is week 1 of 4 weeks I would be away from home. Starting with UK- Keighley in the first leg, spending time at out HO, travelling locally to visit the consultant office/s around here. Travelling to our Reading office for a meeting, Visiting our Holding Co. office in Gainsborough and meeting the collegues there. In the next leg travelling from London to Monterrey through Mexico City.
The travel to Mumbai and boarding the Indigo-Turkish airline codeshare flight with a connection in Istanbul and landing in Manchester was a non-event. A little apprehension on the clearance procedure for the connection at Istanbul which is due to a first timer, overall went well. I was just scared if I missed any passport control and directly moved into international transfer. The food on the IST-MAN route was good as compared to that offered on the leg serviced by 6E.
Manchester came in an hour late as the aircraft taking rounds over the city waiting for the thunderstorm to subdue.
Manchester came in at around 5pm (BST), and clearing the immigration was an easy one. Having started the journey at 10pm (IST) and with fragments of sleep over the journey, I was very happy to see my Boss at the Gate waiting for me to arrive. The hour-long drive back was with chats on a general agenda Mr. Spencer has planned for over the next few weeks. Check in at the Holiday Inn Express, Bradford City Centre was easy with Darrens help, This was to be my stay for next 15 days. Thanks to the thoughtful food hamper that Darren left me with, i was ready to have the meal and crash to bed on the first day.
The work week and the day started by rising at 5 am (it the longest day around here currently- Sunset around 10pm BST and sunrise around 4am (BST), thus a 6-hour night. I am happy with the spread of English Breakfast, the Croissant and Cumberland sausages amount others work well for me. It has been a daily routine for me to be picked up by Darren from the Hotel to get to the office together and also to be dropped to the hotel. It has been good time together to discuss work and random topics in the car.
The work has been engaging and busy, from formally meeting the Finance team on the Day-1 to having many chances to connect and work together over the week. It is an amazing team with a combined experience of over 40 years. Getting to discuss the challenges, the objectives, and entity structures over the group. It has been a busy week. Also to get into meetings with the decision makers has been learnings.
Evenings have been nice thanks to keeping them well planned by collegues- Mainly Darren. Had the good chance to meet Darrens family over dinner (They call it tea in North England, Lunch would be called Dinner), the cute little Elisabeth reminded a lot of Jija. Was good to hear about music and the band that Amy plays in. Thursday evening was a nature trail around Guisley along with Darren, Andy and Roby (Andy’s dog) it ended in tea a the Potting hole with some San Miguel and a good pizza. Followed by another stop at the New Inn for game of Pool and some cold guinness. Chose to take the train from Guiesley back to Bradford Forsters Square was a easy one to get back to the hotel. Friday was looked forward to being Shakil’s leaving night. Dinner was at a curry house- ‘The Sweet Shop’ being in business from 1964. The food was Indian and was good. The kashmiri masala fish and chicken roganjosh was good served with naan’s (a bit wider and thicker than what we would get in India). Followed by pub hoping with a group of 20+ppl and narrowing down to 6 ppl by the end of the closing time at 2 am (BST) after around 4-5 pubs. I enjoyed the night. It has been a relaxed saturday with some walk around the shopping centre- Broadway a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. I am currently preferring Pizzas, Burgers and coping up with the correct use of cutlery so that i dont struggle in a fine-dine setup.
I have not been left on my own. It has been too nice of Darren to have been along right from picking me at the airport and arranging engagements at work and outside too. I look forward to the badminton session and striding edge walk (if time and weather permit).
Next week would be a busy one with Month close deadlines and a few meetings. It has been a great learning opportunity and expected to be so over the next few weeks. Will look to post periodic blogs, until then- As they call it here Cheers Mate!
rollingstone'RISHI 