The first OnSite for a software professional
The phrase "on site" or more lovingly "onsite" has a special place in every software professional's life.
For the uninitiated, onsite means a tour abroad (mostly to exotic locales, at company's expense) and accumulated US$. (For the records for the tax dept, we spend all our perdiems there only). It also means working long hours at client offices, spending weekends touring around the city and may be a couple of days off to visit nearby places.
We have to admit that every time we hear one of our colleagues or friends going onsite, our hearts ache. We start to calculate how many days it has been since our last journey abroad. We ponder over the more onsite oppotunities the "other" companies are offering, and whether it is time for us to look for a change, before the next H1B cap is in place.
No matter how many passport-pages we fill up travelling, the first time always holds a special place. Remember breaking the news at home that you are going abroad, and see your family be delighted and worried at the same time. And then buying a lot of stuff. Packing warm clothes, in case you need them, even if you are travelling to Kenya. And all the advices from veterans. Then having the ticket, foreign exchange from the travel desk. Boarding the plane on the D-day, all tensed. And all of a sudden you are in a foreign land. You are in your dreams.
So let's share our first onsite experiences. Right from how your manager gave you the news,to the cultural shock, to how you felt on your journey back.
It will be interesting to know how we felt, isn't it? Do give some photos too!!
For the uninitiated, onsite means a tour abroad (mostly to exotic locales, at company's expense) and accumulated US$. (For the records for the tax dept, we spend all our perdiems there only). It also means working long hours at client offices, spending weekends touring around the city and may be a couple of days off to visit nearby places.
We have to admit that every time we hear one of our colleagues or friends going onsite, our hearts ache. We start to calculate how many days it has been since our last journey abroad. We ponder over the more onsite oppotunities the "other" companies are offering, and whether it is time for us to look for a change, before the next H1B cap is in place.
No matter how many passport-pages we fill up travelling, the first time always holds a special place. Remember breaking the news at home that you are going abroad, and see your family be delighted and worried at the same time. And then buying a lot of stuff. Packing warm clothes, in case you need them, even if you are travelling to Kenya. And all the advices from veterans. Then having the ticket, foreign exchange from the travel desk. Boarding the plane on the D-day, all tensed. And all of a sudden you are in a foreign land. You are in your dreams.
So let's share our first onsite experiences. Right from how your manager gave you the news,to the cultural shock, to how you felt on your journey back.
It will be interesting to know how we felt, isn't it? Do give some photos too!!
posted by Adi at
2:37 PM
5 Comments:
Hey that's a cool blog name.
First Onsite -- Interesting topic :)
My first onsite was a flop. Here goes my story. I was thrilled to hear that I would be travelling to Rome. So after a long/tensed preparation I started. I went to Rome just before Christmas. Soon after we landed we got busy. Work-pressures, bad food, loneliness etc. started creeping in. I started missing home. I was not sure when the work wud get over and was waiting to go back. The uncertainity was killing me.
One evening when we were roaming arnd the city, we came across a "wishing fountain". I dropped in a coin and "wished to go back home ASAP". Voila ! I had least expected my wish to come true so soon.
The next day we came to know that the client offices wud be closed down for christams for nearly 10-15 days. So our company decided taht we come back and go again.
In those 15 days that I stayed there I managed to see only Rome and do lil bit of shopping. I had planned to see the neighboring places after christmas. After I came back home I became so emotional that I dint go back :( That's the end of story.
I still regret my childish behaviour and also regret wasting one precious wish. But I guess there's always a next time :)
By
rash_mi, at 4:14 PM
My first onsite was a beautiful island in the English Channel. The Bailiwick of Guernsey. The client: Cable & Wireless, Guernsey.
I was sent by Ushacomm, a Kolkata based Software Company. Guernsey is not one of the places you visit on a UK trip. But it is certainly one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Incidentally, it was a month before my wedding day. I was working on the project which was going through a tough patch, and we were fire-fighting. I was summoned by the project manager and asked to pack my bags and leave within 3-4days. I was EXCITED. So were my family and my hubby (he was my colleague and still is). But what about the wedding. It was weird for the bride to fly away just a month before.
Anyway, all bag and baggage packed, I collected my foreign exchange, tickets, itinerary from the travel desk and set off on the 23rd march 2004. (Yes, I remember the date).The journey had 4legs. Kolkata-Mumbai-Paris-London-Guernsey. It was my first international travel. Some of my colleagues were to accompany me up to Paris. Thus after disembarking the Air France flight at Paris, Charles Du Gal, I was on my own!!
Then onward to Heathrow. Eyes dazzled by all the shine and sparkle, feeling the chill of the gloomy London afternoon I caught a bus from Heathrow to Gatwick. Then from there, onward to Guernsey, aboard a small plane. A bottle of water cost me 1pound (Rs 82, O my God).
The first known face I saw after so many hours was that of my Project Lead. Sekhar da had come to pick me up from the airport. I was so relieved to see him.
I stayed there for 20days. Time flew by. We burnt lots of midnight oils to fix the problems. But I did get some time to explore around. Everything seemed to be lifted directly from fairy tales. The quaint English houses, the clean footpaths, the blue and cold English Channel, a cemetery nearby. It was spring time and the island was blooming. The guys at the client office were very friendly.
Everybody at home used to be so excited whenever I called. The time difference took up majority of our conversations. I remember picking up gifts & Chocolates for almost everyone I knew.
On the way back, I stayed with my friend in London. She and her husband made it their responsibility to show me as much of London as possible in a night. And I enjoyed.
And on the way back home I was so excited to tell all the stories and show the pics to everybody. And I was tired.
I did go back to the same site later. I have been to some other places since then, and may be I will in future too. But the first time will have its own place. Just like first love. ;-)
By
Adi, at 4:32 PM
First Onsite!!! Well, Adi is right that it is always special. After so many years also when I think of that first visit abroad I am filled with a deluge of romantic nostalgia and sweet memories of the trip.
One of the many new things that the growth of Indian software industry brought along was creating opportunities for young professionals to see the world as part of their “onsite” assignment. When I was young I always loved exploring new places. But I never imagined I would be able to set foot on so many countries and experience so many different cultural rhythms around the world.
Ok, that’s enough of prefacing and it is time to share my experience of “first onsite trip”. It was just like any other ordinary day and when I reached office I had no clue that within an hour my reporting manager would call me in his room and reveal “Bring your passport tomorrow and give it to the travel desk. You need to fly to USA next week” (believe me; getting a US visa was not like winning a war as it is now). That was November 1997, only 5 months after I passed out from the engineering college and joined my first job. “Hooray”!!! That was the first emotion that came to my mind and probably my heart missed a beat. But I kept myself cool and discussed about the client, the work and other serious things (pretty cool huh?).
Everyone was excited…. Parents, relatives, friends… I was calling everyone and sharing that great news. I was going to Florida, USA. A great place for the first “onsite’, isn’t it? The familiar places I could think of were Baywatch famous Miami Beach, Disney land and NASA.
Next few days flew planning, marketing, packing, getting advices from the seniors about do’s and don’ts and suddenly I found myself in the midst of the dazzles United States of America. While my friend was driving me to our apartment through the big and smooth highway I thanked myself that I carried my driving license. And would you believe that I drove a convertible Mercedes Benz on Florida highway? And the gorgeous Miami Beach… aahh!!
The stay was all memorable. Four of us shared a big apartment and though the work pressure was too high we spent each day enjoying and partying. We drove to Disney Land, Tampa and Miami Beach, made lots of friends there and did lot of shopping. But as the time was passing by every one of us were feeling home sick, probably we wanted to share all those with our loved ones. And after we came back we were again trying for another “onsite”…. That’s life!!
By
Saikat Dutt, at 4:54 PM
Inspired by this blog of yours, I now have a full version of my first onsite exp. on my blog
By
rash_mi, at 11:13 AM
"the first onsite for a software profesional"-it made really interesting reading. though i am not in the same league as you all, I have someone I admire and probably value the most in my life in the same boat. I have aspirations of going abroad in future, may be a few years hence. talking about the future, kal ko kisne dekha hain? So, let's celebrate today and this moment.
I do not know whether My comments will at all reach you, as I am new to this blogging affair. so , my friends please let me know whether you got to read such a well written master piece, coming straight from the maestro, (just kidding about this part).
By
dreamer, at 11:06 AM
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