Group arrival Transfer

So you are going to do an assisted Group arrival tonight Vishal!! Oh great I said. Over the past couple of weeks I had made my share of friends, mostly people whom I was able to communicate with or as I at that time liked to call, those who were chilled out like me. 

Two of them became good friends and we are still friends 23+ years later.

So Rahul briefed me how I was to assist him with this Transfer and what all I needed to know. Prior to going for the transfer we had a Birthday Party to attend of another colleague. He was known to throw swell parties so there was no way we were going to miss it. 

Reached before everyone else as we had to leave early as well, and there was no way we were going to miss out on our quota of Drinks. By the time the party actually warmed up we were in our own world and didn't care what the other had to say. After probably ensuring that we would never get invited to this guys parties, having driven half of the girls there crazy we had to leave. I guess the Host also must have breathed a sigh of relief.. However he hadn't yet seen his birthday cake which we had already vandalized and that prompted that on Monday he was so mad at us. 

"Drunk as Skunk" we reached the Claridges Hotel where the group used to stay and parked the Bike and boarded the bus for the Arrival transfer. By this time the reality had set in that we need to behave responsibly else we would seriously mess up the Arrival. 

This perhaps was one of the best arrival transfer that we did together. Rahul did the Paging in a Sing Song manner and I was busy flirting with all the Girls out there, not a worry in the world. En-route to the Hotel the Welcome speech that we gave probably made the Group feel like Royalty but then it all came from the heart. 

When we had completed the check in formalities and were wondering what to do next at 0300 in the morning, the front office manager came with a Key to the Suite and said, guys you sleep here itself as you both would probably would end up somewhere drinking otherwise or worse in a ditch. 

What friends and caring people we had in those days. Today its all professionalism and not Personal. Where have those days gone?? 

Friday the 13th October 1989 - My First Job.

Never having been one to let go, I was after my father to get me a Job. Remember this is India and Vitamin C (Connection) work's very well. My father only said if 15 days from now you still feel the same way, i will talk to someone. 

3 weeks later I was told to go and meet Mr. Gupta the Regional Manager of TCI. At 0930 I presented myself to him, and he asked me for my Resume. All i could say was, Huh, what is that?? He called his secretary and asked her to show me a file of Resumes and then asked me to make one. Not having ever worked in an organization before, not knowing the decorum at all, I said Sir If she knows how to make one, I would be happy to dictate the same. 
He looked at me as if i had just committed a murder and then said, Mark my words, "One day you will be in the Top Management." Thank You Mr. Gupta for having set the Path for my career. Never forgot that one sentence. 

I was hired on the Spot and offered a Salary which was roughly US$ 60 a month. So i asked when do I join and he said you have already joined, you start your work today. 

I was assigned to Mr. Chawla, another person I can never thank enough, who took me around and introduced me as Mr. Mehra's Son to everyone. (I didn't know how powerful my Dad was till that day) every one was nice to me and that became my birth right. 

I was put in the Transport department, to do Transfers. All rookies start that way in an Incoming DMC and so did I. The preferential treatment ended right there. You do the same work that everyone else does, said Mr. Ramnath (RAMU) the transport manager said, which meant that like the others I also had to do night arrivals from Airport to the Hotels and V/V. Oh how I hated the International Airlines for arriving at that ungodly hour, but work is work and now that I knew how revered my Dad was I had to live upto his name. 

Day 01 I went for my first assisted transfer, 4 people coming 2 cars, one experienced rep my name sake, I was expecting to learn the ropes, all he said was watch me what I do and learn from it. En-route to the airport he asked me are you Hungry, I said yes, so he showed me where we got the parantha's at 2300 hours in the night, where 24 hour dining options were. At the Airport he just told me, we take them to the airport and explain the Itinerary then, what the Hell am I a Rookie, supposed to talk to the People I am picking up en-route?? I asked him and all he said was, Whatever they ask answer. 
Luckily the American Guests i had picked were so tried after the 24 hours they had spent en-route that they were happy to chit chat. 

Phew .. once we got to the Taj Mahal Hotel and saw the other Rep, i was so relieved and happy to play the second fiddle. On the way out I wished them all the best for the India trip and as I was walking out they gave me 2 Dollars as tip, I was flabbergasted as I was used to leaving tips in the restaurants, hadn't even imagined that one day someone would tip me, my senior colleague just said, Buddy you are lucky, I didn't get my first tip till the 3rd transfer and you got yours in the first one. Little did i know that the Tips are what would sustain me for the next 15 odd years. 

Day 01 turned into day 02, from the second transfer onwards I was on my own, managed all right and by the time the shift ended I was 200Rs. (US$10) richer and beaming with Joy.

How it all Started - September 1989

We are organizing the WACA conference in India and need volunteers, said my father. How much am I going to be paid? was the only question I had and he said I don't know, but we will see. 

Little did I know that this one week would change my life forever!!

So in September 1989, I was introduced to Delhi Interline club's board members (My father being one of them as well) and told that I would be working as a Volunteer to assist the 300+ people who would be coming to India to attend the World Airlines Clubs Association (WACA) meet. So along with Divya (daughter of the then President Gayatri Aunty) who was scared and hadn't a clue what to expect we formed the 2 people team of Volunteer. Divya asked me sheepishly if I knew what the work was all about?? and not wanting to appear completely foolish I said "Yeah Sure" we help people around and stay here in the Hotel and order room service and have fun. 

Divya thought this was gonna be fun, and I became the defacto Leader in our 2 people gang. 

Were we Stupid or Ignorant, I guess both, but what I had said was so far from true. The next few days were probably the hardest that I have ever worked in my life and I realized that I enjoyed every minute of it. 

From Organizing check in's to Breakfast's for those who had missed it, ensuring that all meeting rooms had enough stationary to evening Gala parties I did it all. The best thing was that it was not alien, being born in a family of Airliner Father and a Mother who was a great organizer some things came naturally, while others I learnt on the fly. 

2 More volunteers from Air India came and assisted us, but let me be in charge. These were 2 of the Kindest ladies I had ever met, Anjana and the other name i cant remember were too happy to accept me as the leader of the Gang and ensured that I was well looked after. I could not escape out to smoke, so Anjana always brought Cigarettes and something to eat. She was kind of the elder sister who was more concerned about my well being that the meets. 

One week long, I had a free reign in Ashoka Hotel, terrorizing the Travel Agent (who was responsible for the Transport and Sightseeings) the Hotel Employees and everyone I could terrorize. (My father at one stage said Young man relax you are only 19 years of age and inexperienced) Got drunk every day on cocktails that I didn't know had existed, got Divya drunk and the other 2 as well. Ensured that we all had a Single Room to stay in and there was never a want for food. The moment of Joy came when on the farewell day Gayatri aunty was called on the stage to make her Thank You speech as the event was one of the best organized in the WACA history, She made it a point to call me and Divya on the stage and thank us for the 18-20 hours a day we had put in, The President of WACA was so impressed that he took of his cap and gave me. "What a delightful experience for a 19 year old" 

7 days of 18-20 hours work day, a chance to practice my German, travel with the various groups for Sightseeing and excursions, made me realize that Travel is what I wanted to do. 

After the meet was over we were paid Inr. 1000 for a week.(US$ 50) which became my very first income as well. Wow I was paid for being shown the way to what I am still doing 23 years later. 

I told my father that I Travel is what I want to do, and all he could say was "Cause Trouble is what you want to do"