The previsit is now confirmed and I have the tickets in my pocket. My contact person in Bangalore is hunting houses according to my requirements (4+ bedrooms, fully furnished, peaceful location) and we’ll get to choose from a number of alternatives when we’re there. There will also be some cultural training during the visit, butI doubt if it has much to offer me after my last visit. What I’m expecting the most is information on driver’s licenses and bikes in India, but we’ll see what they have to offer.

It’s a pity that Bullet Classic is not available in India.

Tags: accommodation, culture, motorbikes, previsit, travel

All of a sudden it seems that things are going forward again. I have the contract draft in my hand, my assistant is handling travel arrangements for the previsit and accommodation options are already coming in. Sounds like there are some nice places available in the area, but more on that later.

All in all, I’ll start off to Bangalore in less than two weeks. Then I’ll pay a two-week visit to Oulu, pack the rest of my stuff and that should be it.

There are some things going on behind the scenes, but there is no confirmed information available yet. I’ll get back when there is.

Tags: practical stuff, previsit, travel, work

I had an enlightening experience this morning as I finally figured out what the problem has been all the time. It is not lack of communication per se, but lack of knowledge. I have read through every single guideline and policy I could get my hands on, but apparently this hasn’t been the case for all the other relevant people. Even my manager-to-be isn’t familiar with basic details like my working hours. Add in the misconception that everyone involved knows at least as much as I do and we have a problem. No wonder they couldn’t give any realistic estimations on how the process goes.

I also got to know that the contract draft has been approved and it should be on the way for my approval. I should have it in my hands during this week, so the previsit is still possible during the planned time frame. I’m not holding my breath, but there’s the slight maybe in the air. We’ll see in a couple of days.

As it seems that I am actually going to India, I had the courage to do some longer term plans also. According to current calculations it takes until September 2010 and we should be off to have a diving vacation of at least three months in Thailand. I can hardly wait.

Tags: colleagues from India, diving, holiday, oh bugger, planning, practical stuff, travel, ways of working

It has been more than a week since the salary offer should have been on my table already. Actually it should already be in a contract paper, but I heard some disturbing news through the grapevine.

Take a typical Indian IT worker with a couple of years of experience and mark his/her salary with x. Then take the Finnish equivalent of the Indian worker, fly him to India and pay his salary with all the allowances. Remember that the Finnish guy has to support his apartment back in Finland and his wife is unemployed for the whole time. Now add all these expenses together and have a guess: can this possibly cost more than x?

Yes, the answer is just as obvious as you think it is, but apparently not for everyone. Seems like the salary offer has taken the whole Bangalore department by surprise and with their pants down. There are half a dozen Finnish expats in the building already, all the relevant people know the ballpark of my current salary, but still they somehow manage to dodge all possibilities to have even a faintest idea of the expenses. How the hell do they do that?

While the Indians run in circles with their asses on fire, I sit here like a duck and just wait for it. The last official information I have received is that the salary offer has been sent for review to the Team Leader & co. on 5th of March, and I was told it will be handled “ASAP”. Their “ASAP” is now two days short of two whole weeks, during which I have been asking for information several times, but received nothing but excuses and vague promises. Open communication my clenched buttocks.

And as if this wasn’t all: I’m almost certain that when I do receive an offer, it will be a heavily stripped one with reduced salary and benefits. Even though they surely know I can’t be ripped off in this, I’ll be damned if they don’t try to do that. It’s not their own money, it doesn’t take anything away from them, but still they have to try and strip off every luxury I am entitled to. The vast majority of Indians don’t seem to have any understanding about the diversity outside their own confined space, let alone the requirements a typical European has for his living. Somehow it just doesn’t compute for most of them that someone could want something different from their desires.

So here I am, with nothing in my hands, but even that isn’t the end of this story. I know that my deal is crucial for our business, so I have no concerns about the trip being cancelled. What drives me nuts right now is that our department in Finland is undergoing a re-organisation and there are tons of interesting positions available for internal applicants. I would immediately apply to several ones if the India situation wasn’t on. Even now I’m tempted to apply and forget the whole expat thing since it all seems to be so difficult for the Indians.  On the other hand, here’s my fifteen minutes in the spotlight to help them do a decent job in the future. Right now it just seems like teaching an elephant to scale walls.

Tags: colleagues from India, culture, oh bugger, people in india, planning, practical stuff, ways of working, work

Okay, I’m officially starting to get pissed off with this stuff.

It’s been a month now since the Team Leader initiated the request for my expat deal. Since then the request has been all around the company, from my manager to a guy who reports directly to the VP (or such) of the Corporation. I received confirmation of approval last week and felt a huge relief since the matter would be in the hands of the External Consultant from now on. Finally something would be happening!

Bollocks.

The EC seems to be rather competent, but unfortunately it is not enough. The process of writing a contract involves several parties from India, all of which seem to handle matters in a not-so-timely manner from my point of view. At the same time these particular people are the ones who want me to hurry up with arrangements in my end, manifesting attitudes that do not exactly motivate me to do my best. I suppose it’s better to adjust to the “Indian way” of working already and stop giving any deadlines to matters I can’t completely do on my own. Let the processes take their time and stop pushing the envelope when it’s as futile as with these people. If they don’t want to act promptly, why should I?

The initial wish from the TL was that I could move in the beginning of March, but it turned out to be a dream not coming true. My next guess was that it could be done by 1st of April, but all these delays tell me already that it is not going to happen at this rate. Therefore I have decided not to manifest any dates from now on and just float along to see when I finally land a foot on Indian soil. Until then I will live like I was never leaving.

By the way, there’s a how to -page for potential visitors in Bangalore while I’m there. The page is written in Finnish, but I can also provide translations if needed.

Tags: colleagues from India, oh bugger, planning, practical stuff, time, travel, ways of working