Let me recap the events of the past three weeks.
Three weeks ago on Tuesday, I got a phone call from my line manager alerting me to the fact that our company was in an advanced stage of bidding for a project with a big multi-national in the UK, and that my name had been submitted for one of the lead roles in the project team. That's always good to know.
The next day, I was contacted by one of the proposal team and given a few more details. The day after that (Thursday), he called me up and asked if I was ready to go to London for the proposal defence the following Thursday. I replied that I was ready, willing, but not quite able as I didn't have a visa. I was told to take care of that situation. By Friday, all my papers were ready. On Monday, they were submitted and my fingerprints recorded (that's the rule when applying for visas to the US and some western European countries now), but the visa was not expected at the earliest by Thursday, which would be a day too late. No matter, we had done our best.
Monday and Tuesday resulted in ridiculously late telephone meetings (19:00-21:00 Indian Standard Time to give our boys in London a convenient time to attend), in addition to numerous other calls during the day.
On Tuesday night the decision was made that I would cancel the plans to go to London (even if I could have made it in time for the meeting, I'd have been too jet lagged to be even a pretty face at the presentation), and instead I went to company HQ in Hyderabad along with my line manager (he flew in from Pune), and we took the telephone call with one of the company's big chiefs.
I handled part of the presentation, even though it was by telephone and I couldn't see what was happening at the client's office. I had to trust our men in London to make sure that the correct slides were being shown when I spoke. Then there was a longish (and sometimes pointless) Q&A session, after which I raced off to catch the shuttle bus to the airport and returned home to Chennai shortly after midnight.
I think the presentation went very well and that there were no major mistakes made. The client's decision is expected shortly. If we win the project, and the client approves of my selection in the role nominated by my company, then I'll be off "home" to England for a year, possibly two, with the probability of travelling to some of the client's other sites around the world.
I didn't intend to post this with the outcome still in doubt, but it occurs to me that most of my loyal and rabid readers have a pretty good habit of diligent prayer, and if any of them would care to add my name to their list for the next few days and nights, it can only help my chances.
In return, you will get more super-exciting blog posts from yet another hip and happening place in the world, possibly more. How can you pass up a bargain like that?!
Three weeks ago on Tuesday, I got a phone call from my line manager alerting me to the fact that our company was in an advanced stage of bidding for a project with a big multi-national in the UK, and that my name had been submitted for one of the lead roles in the project team. That's always good to know.
The next day, I was contacted by one of the proposal team and given a few more details. The day after that (Thursday), he called me up and asked if I was ready to go to London for the proposal defence the following Thursday. I replied that I was ready, willing, but not quite able as I didn't have a visa. I was told to take care of that situation. By Friday, all my papers were ready. On Monday, they were submitted and my fingerprints recorded (that's the rule when applying for visas to the US and some western European countries now), but the visa was not expected at the earliest by Thursday, which would be a day too late. No matter, we had done our best.
Monday and Tuesday resulted in ridiculously late telephone meetings (19:00-21:00 Indian Standard Time to give our boys in London a convenient time to attend), in addition to numerous other calls during the day.
On Tuesday night the decision was made that I would cancel the plans to go to London (even if I could have made it in time for the meeting, I'd have been too jet lagged to be even a pretty face at the presentation), and instead I went to company HQ in Hyderabad along with my line manager (he flew in from Pune), and we took the telephone call with one of the company's big chiefs.
I handled part of the presentation, even though it was by telephone and I couldn't see what was happening at the client's office. I had to trust our men in London to make sure that the correct slides were being shown when I spoke. Then there was a longish (and sometimes pointless) Q&A session, after which I raced off to catch the shuttle bus to the airport and returned home to Chennai shortly after midnight.
I think the presentation went very well and that there were no major mistakes made. The client's decision is expected shortly. If we win the project, and the client approves of my selection in the role nominated by my company, then I'll be off "home" to England for a year, possibly two, with the probability of travelling to some of the client's other sites around the world.
I didn't intend to post this with the outcome still in doubt, but it occurs to me that most of my loyal and rabid readers have a pretty good habit of diligent prayer, and if any of them would care to add my name to their list for the next few days and nights, it can only help my chances.
In return, you will get more super-exciting blog posts from yet another hip and happening place in the world, possibly more. How can you pass up a bargain like that?!
3 Comments:
How exciting! I hope your hard work and sleeplessness pays off! I'll add you to my prayer list (I'm a really good prayer, wait, is that sacreligious? maybe you don't want my prayer..:))
best of luck!
We will read your blog no matter the outcome. London, India, Houston...
(How ironic is this?! My verification letters ended with TX. It's a sign!)
Ah, charlotta-love, your loyalty is touching. Too bad you don't get frequent flier points for following me on my journeys via the blog.
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