The Godfather Commands.........

Hi Folks, it has been a while since I posted on this blog. No particular reason, just nothing interesting happening in my life worth posting, that is all. And then along came 'Vimal the Godfather'. He issued me a command on FB saying, "Hey, this should be on the SVC Blog too...! Too good...!!", to a picture I posted there. Not only this he also said, "On the blog include some background info... How? where..? year..? feeling... etc...". He even emailed me the EXACT picture I am supposed to post!!

When the GODFATHER commands, one OBLIGES, :)))

What happened was so bizarre I have not told it to anyone until now, so here goes.......

Soon after I graduated from college I worked at a place called ICRISAT in Hyderabad from 1979 to 1984. I worked in a lab analyzing soil and plant samples for the research scientists there. Being a lab, we used a lot of glassware and when it comes to lab glassware Corning was it, especially in those days. We usually ordered it from Borosil India, a subsidiary of Corning Glass Works in the US. One morning back in 1981 I was at my workbench (along with three other colleagues) doing what I did everyday and in walked a whole bunch of exec looking guys along with my boss. We were used to our bosses bringing in groups to our lab on tours so I thought nothing of it and kept on working. The group stood there for a few minutes conversing (out of my earshot) and suddenly one of them left the group huddle, walked around the lab, went to my colleagues benches, asked them what they were working on and finally came to my bench. I stopped my work expecting him to ask me about what experiment I was running (remember, I thought the visitors were also soil scientists on a lab tour). I was imagining all the possible questions he could come up with and forming 'INTELLIGENT' answers in my head. I wanted to IMPRESS him with my knowledge, :))). The gentlman stood a few feet away from me, just staring and not saying a word. My colleagues across the bench stopped what they were doing and now the whole lab was staring, waiting to see what this guy was doing. After what seemed like an eternity he goes, "What is your name Madam"??? I told him my name, he said 'Thank you', joined his group and they all left as suddenly as they walked in. Around 10 am, my boss walked into the lab and asked me to collect a variety of lab glassware and arrange them on my workbench. I still did not know what that group visit was for and my mind started playing havoc with me. I started wondering why that guy singled me out, why he did not ask me any questions. I started thinking that maybe I was doing something wrong and that I was going to be reprimanded etc, etc. The whole morning was nerve racking. As far as I could tell I had not done anything wrong so I told myself that I would deal with whatever happened and went off to lunch with my colleagues. When we came back to the lab after lunch we were shocked to see a whole camera crew in the lab and 'THE GUY' waiting near my workbench. My colleagues and I exchanged quizzical glances. When we left for lunch, I was in the middle of running a timed experiment and had to continue with it, like very soon, and these guys were in my way. I went to my boss and explained to him that I needed access to my work area since I was in the middle of my analysis. He goes, "just go to your bench and keep working, they will just take pictures". I had no choice but to go to my bench and conitnue working. They clicked pictures for half hour or so and left. I was quite annoyed that they just showed up and disturbed my work and let my boss know what I thought of that too. Apparently 'THE GUY' did not want anything staged, wanted it to be "natural' and that is why he pulled that stunt.

Like I said "BIZARRE", was what I felt . A few months later I got a color picture and also a black and white proof of the ad. I have no clue if that ad ever saw the light of day, and at that time I really did not care. The picture you see is the black and white proof which Vimal pilfered from my FB and added his own touch to it. I just cannot find the color photograph (which was much better and did not have all the added ad stuff). ENJOY!!