MT India Digest - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MTID

*Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the
rest..... Mark Twain*

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MT India Digest
Moderated Discussion List
"Effective MT Forum"
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Published by:
MT India www.MTIndia.org

Moderated by:
Amit Chatterjee,SM amit@...

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May 25, 2002 Digest #081
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.....IN THIS DIGEST.....

======MODERATOR COMMENT =======

-=A Happy MT Week=-

~Maj (Dr.) Amit Chatterjee, SM

=========FEATURED POST===========

-=The Blakes Go to India - Part 7=-

~Cheryl and Joe Blake
"Sunday is a free drive day!"

===========CONTINUING============

-=What they actually mean, when they say...=-

~R. Viswanathan
"Must be result oriented... "

======MODERATOR COMMENT =======

Hi everyone!

We are celebrating MT Week here, and hence a "lite" edition -
something to read over the morning cuppa... whatever your stimulant
is!

Thanks for participating in the Professional Writing Award - 2002 @
MTIndia.org. The judges are also talking a well deserved break, so
results next week :).

MT TIMES, our quarterly print journal is rolling out - await your
copy!

I will be in Bangalore, from June 5th. All who would like to
connect, are welcome! Just mail me!

And once again, a Happy MT Week!

Cheers!!! :)

Maj (Dr.) Amit Chatterjee, SM
Strategist/Founder ~ mailto:MTIndia@...
MT India ~ http://mtindia.org

=========FEATURED POST===========

From: Cheryl Blake <blakemama2@...>
Subject: Part 6 - Joe's "This is India, My friend."

Continued from MTID #79...........

I have written several individual letters explaining the origins of
this term, but since it has become part of the lexicon of, "The
Blakes in India" I must explain to all readers that ," This is
India my friend" is not just an expression, it's a state of mind, a
life philosophy. The origin rests with our landlord and owner of
our flat.

When we first moved in the apartment had not been occupied for some
number of years (the exact number is unclear as he has said from 5
to 8 years) and there were many small things to be made
serviceable. Things like stopping all the "geezers" from leaking
(no pun), likewise the toilets, installation of the air
conditioner, cable for the TV, the TV's themselves, shower curtain
(still waiting), towel racks, a plugged drain, plumbing for washer,
working telephone, etc.. Whenever I would ask our landlord for an
update for example on the phone installation, he would begin by
saying, "this is India my friend, I must bribe the telephone
company again.". Also when the plumber showed up without any
tools, showed up again two days later with a helper with no tools,
showed up several days after that with a helper and one crescent
wrench (spanner) to take apart one fitting to announce that it
needed a washer. This I knew. The plumber had no washer, and I
never saw them again. I did see another plumber who showed up with
a helper and a nylon bag of tools. He turned on the faucet and
announced that it probably needed a washer. He took the fitting
apart and had his helper try to massage the washer into being water
tight. After about 15 minutes and several test fittings later, this
effort failed. They had no washers. The landlord announced ,
"This is India my friend, washers are too expensive for these
fellows to carry around". They did return with a washer, problem
solved.

Now we use the expression to describe and explain away any
unfathomable situation. I do not exaggerate. Things like the
traffic signals being turned off on Sunday. "This is India my
friend, Sunday is a free drive day." Of course they deserve that
because the rest of the week Indians are paragons of roadway
discipline.

Are they really building a three story building out of concrete
mixed on the street with a shovel and lifted one bucket at a time
by a guy with a rope standing on bamboo scaffolding 30 feet off the
ground ? " This is India, my friend. Labor is cheap, machines are
not". I have seen concrete pumps and proper scaffolding but
apparently it depends on the financial resources of the individual
builder. Don't miss the postscript in future editions properly
titled, (as if you couldn't guess) "This is India my friend".

THIS IS INDIA MY FRIEND: (After each sentence say to yourself, this
is India my friend)

A technician from Whirlpool shows up unannounced to instruct me on
how to operate the washing machine that we have been using for two
weeks. He insists on showing me how the controls work, and verifies
that the faucet that supplies water is turned on.

Five, yes 5, guys show up at once to stop the air conditioner from
making noise; the guy in charge who has a cell phone and his
helper, who calls a guy with tools, who calls 2 more helpers.
Three hours later the AC is fixed. Twenty-four hours later, the
noise returns.

The woman who washes the floors will not use the mop with a handle
but insists on squatting with a rag in hand to wash the floor of
the entire aptartment.

The milk comes in plastic bags which say things like healthy,
nutritious, contains vitamins, and then 5 times, "Boil
Immediately".

There is no glue on stamps or envelopes, but there is a plastic
tub-o-paste on a counter at the post office.

There is a diesel generator to provide power to the building during
outages but it is not wired to power anything in the kitchen, i.e.,
no water purifier, no lights, no refrigerator, no microwave, no
geezers; but the phone works. If the power is off for more than an
hour or two, the generator turns off.

........to be continued.

(c) Cheryl and Joe Blake
39685 Mountain View Road
P.O. Box 205
Yermo, CA 92398-0205

Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com

===============CONTINUING===================

From: R Viswanathan <paramont@...>
Subject: Some more advt captions !!

Hello Amit,

I thoroughly enjoyed your latest interpretation of the catchy
headlines of the many MT ads ! I laughed my stomach out and
forwarded that portion to some of my friends. Here are some more!

1. "ABC requires for its expansion in operations ..."

The Company has a huge turnover; 6 senior-most MTs/Editors of the
unit have just left together ; frequent advertisements may give
rise to doubts in the mind of candidates, hence this dignified
caption !

2. "We pay the best salary in the industry ... "

If at all, and as and when the Company decides to pay !!

3. "Candidates must be able to give 99% accuracy ..."

The unit never ever did 99% ; several clients have pulled out and
the Company wants someone to tell them what the hell this 99%
accuracy means !!

4. "Must be result oriented... "

The unit has a definite system of deducting money from salary for
errors !!

5. "Those with good contacts in the MT industry will be given
preference ... "

The unit wants the applicant to get some e-mail IDs of the existing
clients in his present Company, so that they can poach on them!!

6. "We are looking for committed professionals ... "

Sure the Company has a service Bond for a minimum of 3 years !!

And here are some of the responses from candidates :

1. "I have over 3 years experience in the MT field ... "

that includes 4 months of searching for and researching on the
right MT company, 6 months of training - of course with the wrong
Company, 6 months of free trials the Company did and the fight for
salary payment in as-and-when possible installments, 3 months of
searching for a new job since the earlier company did not pay the
salaries at all, 3 months of retraining and trials with the new
Company, 4 months of undefined probation and just about 9 months in
live MT production !!!

2. "I do MT work, editing, proof reading and support services .."


This is the case of a junior MT who, the Director said would be
considered for sub-editor's job is he does extremely well in his MT
work for the next 24 months !! His cousin is the systems
administrator in the same unit from whom he plans to learn that job
too!!

3. " My present salary is : Rs.12K .. expected Rs.16K .."

Present salary includes 6k that is the correct salary, 2 k that the
Manager promised since the last 2 years which was not granted and
the 2 k the Director has indicated as a flat increase, if the unit
does 20k lines a day, their present capacity being 6000 lines a day
and 2K being the notional equivalent value of the benefits the
Company promised (PF, medical, insurance, free food and educational
assistance), but never gave ..

4. "My last drawn salary : Rs12K ..."

The guy is not employed now .. be careful to find out why he was
fired by the earlier company.

5. "I have several years of rich experience in MT units in
Sholapur, Asansol, Rajkot, Bidar and Silvasa ... "

Rest assured, MT units in such obscure places could hardly exist ;
the assumption is that you will never be able to make a reference
check !!

Thanks & Regards,

R. Viswanathan
Rapid Care Transcription Ltd
Chennai

Comment? mailto:MTID@yahoogroups.com
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