-| site visit fiasco |-

1. First site visit within 15 days of joining new office.
2. You haven’t met the client.
3. You don’t know your colleagues very well either.
4. You are told that you have to help shortlist sanitary-ware items and tiles for 13 bathrooms!!! [Uh- oh] 
5. You are taken to the site – and find it completely empty!!! [this is bizarre, since construction sites are  generally teeming with people] – Then someone informs that its ‘vishwakarma’ and reason dawns upon you.
6. From there, you are taken to the area which has ample shops to browse. [Ok girl, pep up! Gear yourself up mentally for a long day ahead]
7. Shop 1, shop 2, shop 3 – this is good – the client is very clear minded. Knows what he wants and really appreciates our inputs – so far so good!
8. Then it happens! – Your shoe sole has suddenly and completely gravitated to the concrete road underneath! And you passionately wish that your body has some gravitational force which would urge the sole to pull up and stop at the rim of the shoe! Of course this doesn't happen!!  [you  understand  this is simply a part of your over-active imagination]
9. You try to walk normal – as normal as you can with your sole doing a flip-flop on its own – and pray hard that you become invisible!
10. But your Director notices your ‘normal’ walk and you try to tell him with your eyes –“please ignore it”. Since he is not looking in your eyes, he bursts out laughing then after looking at your face, tries to control his amusement.
11. Meanwhile you are wondering why you are still visible to these mere mortals?!!?! Then the next thought that crosses your mind – Will He forgive me, if I punch my director’s nose just this once?!
12. Then your director comments to your client how normal it is for all architects to have their boots busted every now and then due to extremely rough usage. And they fall into a discussion of seeing busted boots and makes, etc.
13. And you privately thank the good God that you didn't punch your director!  [Com’on you haven’t even finished a month in this new office!]
14. You start hoping for the sun to set so you can return home and to normalcy. But sweetie, that is not to happen until you visit a few more shops and thankfully stop at one cobbler.
15.  By 3pm you reach the barren site again to do a site chakkar.  [let me point out, whatever the reason, the construction site looks sad and dreadful when you don’t find labourers to give life to them – figuratively and factually]
16.  You feel human again with sand, aggregate and re-bars under your foot. [I am sure  you are praying that the newly stitched sole holds up the stress] .
17. Thankfully, you head towards the airport and obviously feel the day won’t have any more surprises.
18. But it is not so – you are tired with all the happenings of the day and are fast asleep. The air-hostess wakes you up for food and you stupidly fumble with the tray. You have messed up so much during the length of the day that you don’t care what she and the person sitting in the adjoining seat thinks! Blast them!  
19. Finally you reach your home and confident that you will never have a similar day again – because even if you goof up, it will not be the first time! ;)

Points to be noted:

• Check your shoes before every site visit.
• Think before act.
• Keep an open mind.
• Make sure you don’t wear torn socks. 
• And lastly, don't let the goof-ups deter you - enjoy them as you always do.