Module Two
April 3rd, 2005. My second MISE (Maersk International Shipping Education) module... It was finally there. Time to go to Denmark again for two weeks of learning, drama and fun.
We reached Copenhagen at around noon and took a cab to the module centre at Karlslunde. We landed with a concoction of feelings. First of all there was an overwhelming air of nostalgia. The sights, sounds and smells felt so familiar like we had lived there for years. Then there was the excitement over meeting our buddies from different parts of the world, just to know if they still remember us I suppose. Then there was curiosity of what the next fourteen days in this unfamiliar land had in store for us. Never in my life have I seen people in so many shapes, colors, sizes and speaking so many different versions of English. We were hundred trainees from eighty different countries.
Reaching at 1700 hours gave us very little time to break the ice with our room mates, who had the daunting task of putting up with us for some time. Therefore it pays to be kind to one’s room mate. And finally came the opening dinner. This happens to be one of those non value adding but necessary activities. It is a formal sit down dinner with pre-planned slots for each individual; suits and ties; forks and knives; and some hard to appreciate Danish food. After sitting through the speeches and declarations and finally dinner; we suddenly realized that half the Indian junta was late for the dinner by a few seconds – a punishable offense in the MISE world. However they could only thank their lucky stars that no email was fired to our country top and thus saved a lot of explanations floating back and forth. After the opening dinner the real excitement started. Peals of laughter and squeals of delight simply transformed the frigid Danish weather. After all the familiar bear hugs and “Its been so long” , “You look just the same” phrases we had a good night’s sleep to make up for all the time we stayed awake on the onward flight watching some hard to remember movies.
The next day it was back to classes. The long tirade of sitting on one chair from eight in the morning to seven in the evening had begun It was back to coffee, tea, chocolate milk and just about anything that could keep you awake and alive. Back to economics, investment, liner trade, terminal management., logistics and maritime law. The classes were however designed to be sleep proof with adequate ten minute breaks for any one hour of classes. Surely any self respecting MISE trainee would agree that they can never be enough. For two weeks we sat through lectures, presentations, case studies, group exercises, management games and problem solving. So we would leave the class everyday a wee bit wiser before all that wisdom could be washed away with all that we would drink at the night’s party. Classes were spent biting into some terrific Mediterranean fruits like pineapples, peaches, oranges, kiwi fruits, pears which there seemed to be an infinite supply of. And the mouthwateringly famous chocolate goodies we would receive at tea time. And through the sips and bites that there was also a fair dose of ISLM curves, moot courts, stowage plans, drawing up terminal plans etc.
Then at seven there would be hundred hungry people devouring all the numerous dishes at supper. Meals at the module center were an animal eater’s delight much to the chagrin of poor vegetarians like me. Meats would range from beef to veal to steak. There was a ray of hope for the veggies in the form of a section reserved for vegetarians. However it would do a lot of good to educate the cooks with respect to the definition of vegetarianism since very often tuna, eggs and shrimps were spotted.
After dinner the Indian gang had a sudden fit of inspiration to go for an evening jog. Even though the cold Danish air wasn’t always encouraging and wearing numerous layers of woolen clothing with gloves and caps can well deter a jogger’s spirit. But the thought of remaining fighting fit overpowered all obstacles and impending ones too. Though they were a couple of casualties like running noses, blue palms and feet which caused some weaklings to head back; the jog always proved useful in getting some vital gossip on who is glancing at whom etc.
The jog had us warmed up for a good session of brushing up on some table tennis skills among other skills like laundry, doing the dishes and even cooking. Then the real action of the day would begin. One of the most important parts of the MISE program – networking, in short it would mean socializing. Every night there would be some activity arranged by the activity manager. Some of the notable ones were Salsa classes, Aerobics classes, Bowling night, Karaoke night, Cross culture dinner, Quiz night etc. When any of these were not in place there would enough action and alcohol to keep one awake well through the night. Most of the nights would be very long and many spirited ones would hit the bed only in the obscure hours of the morning. My stamina would not permit me to in action beyond mid night or half past mid night. One of the most interesting nights according to me was the cross culture dinner. Here we were divided into groups of ten and asked to cook the food of our land to the world audience. We were ten people from across the Indian subcontinent. We were well armed with masalas and all the necessary ingredients. Since too many cooks could spoil the broth we decided to subdivide ourselves into VK (vegetarian kitchen) and NVK (Non vegetarian kitchen). At the end of three hours of chopping; boiling and frying out came Biryani, Dum Aloo Masala, Butter chicken, Raitha, Papad and even Jaljira ! At the dining room there was a motley array of dishes starting from Mexican tequila to Chinese noodles and Danish crepes. However in my opinion the icing in the cake was Indian food simply because of the fact that it performed the vanishing act at such a high speed.
Thus each night would end on a high note and every morning would begin on a sober note when the alarm clock would ring ceaselessly. Then there was the exercise of rushing through a shower and putting on some presentable formals and running to the breakfast table to grab a bite of some of the hardest bread in the world.
Each day would then pull on till before one knows it two eventful weeks have finally ended. And finally comes one of the most memorable events of the entire module. It is that day where most pictures are taken; most time and effort is spent on getting dressed and most alcohol is consumed. “Anything can happen over closing dinner” or so goes the adage. Unlike the opening dinner this happens to be one of those highly value adding although not necessary events. The guys are at their formal best and the girls are at their cultural best. Each person is allotted a specific position on a specific table with a more specific dinner date. Some speeches are made and some toasts are raised for some of the most absurd reasons. And then there is a farewell party and farewell hugs, farewell kisses, farewell dances and even farewell photographs. Then each one has to go his own and catch his own flight back.
Amid all the fun; module is not as colorful as it sounds. Many times it can be a nightmare especially if you have to give any of those dreaded exams that too when you have no time to prepare for them when you are slogging it out at work the whole day. Sometimes I think of module as an endurance test, with coping with jetlags, sitting through ten grueling hours of lectures that too some thousand kms away from home in an unknown Scandinavian country and sleeping for five hours a day. Still it has been a very valuable experience for me both in retrospect and introspect. I owe a lot of learning to these fourteen days spent at the module.
We reached Copenhagen at around noon and took a cab to the module centre at Karlslunde. We landed with a concoction of feelings. First of all there was an overwhelming air of nostalgia. The sights, sounds and smells felt so familiar like we had lived there for years. Then there was the excitement over meeting our buddies from different parts of the world, just to know if they still remember us I suppose. Then there was curiosity of what the next fourteen days in this unfamiliar land had in store for us. Never in my life have I seen people in so many shapes, colors, sizes and speaking so many different versions of English. We were hundred trainees from eighty different countries.
Reaching at 1700 hours gave us very little time to break the ice with our room mates, who had the daunting task of putting up with us for some time. Therefore it pays to be kind to one’s room mate. And finally came the opening dinner. This happens to be one of those non value adding but necessary activities. It is a formal sit down dinner with pre-planned slots for each individual; suits and ties; forks and knives; and some hard to appreciate Danish food. After sitting through the speeches and declarations and finally dinner; we suddenly realized that half the Indian junta was late for the dinner by a few seconds – a punishable offense in the MISE world. However they could only thank their lucky stars that no email was fired to our country top and thus saved a lot of explanations floating back and forth. After the opening dinner the real excitement started. Peals of laughter and squeals of delight simply transformed the frigid Danish weather. After all the familiar bear hugs and “Its been so long” , “You look just the same” phrases we had a good night’s sleep to make up for all the time we stayed awake on the onward flight watching some hard to remember movies.
The next day it was back to classes. The long tirade of sitting on one chair from eight in the morning to seven in the evening had begun It was back to coffee, tea, chocolate milk and just about anything that could keep you awake and alive. Back to economics, investment, liner trade, terminal management., logistics and maritime law. The classes were however designed to be sleep proof with adequate ten minute breaks for any one hour of classes. Surely any self respecting MISE trainee would agree that they can never be enough. For two weeks we sat through lectures, presentations, case studies, group exercises, management games and problem solving. So we would leave the class everyday a wee bit wiser before all that wisdom could be washed away with all that we would drink at the night’s party. Classes were spent biting into some terrific Mediterranean fruits like pineapples, peaches, oranges, kiwi fruits, pears which there seemed to be an infinite supply of. And the mouthwateringly famous chocolate goodies we would receive at tea time. And through the sips and bites that there was also a fair dose of ISLM curves, moot courts, stowage plans, drawing up terminal plans etc.
Then at seven there would be hundred hungry people devouring all the numerous dishes at supper. Meals at the module center were an animal eater’s delight much to the chagrin of poor vegetarians like me. Meats would range from beef to veal to steak. There was a ray of hope for the veggies in the form of a section reserved for vegetarians. However it would do a lot of good to educate the cooks with respect to the definition of vegetarianism since very often tuna, eggs and shrimps were spotted.
After dinner the Indian gang had a sudden fit of inspiration to go for an evening jog. Even though the cold Danish air wasn’t always encouraging and wearing numerous layers of woolen clothing with gloves and caps can well deter a jogger’s spirit. But the thought of remaining fighting fit overpowered all obstacles and impending ones too. Though they were a couple of casualties like running noses, blue palms and feet which caused some weaklings to head back; the jog always proved useful in getting some vital gossip on who is glancing at whom etc.
The jog had us warmed up for a good session of brushing up on some table tennis skills among other skills like laundry, doing the dishes and even cooking. Then the real action of the day would begin. One of the most important parts of the MISE program – networking, in short it would mean socializing. Every night there would be some activity arranged by the activity manager. Some of the notable ones were Salsa classes, Aerobics classes, Bowling night, Karaoke night, Cross culture dinner, Quiz night etc. When any of these were not in place there would enough action and alcohol to keep one awake well through the night. Most of the nights would be very long and many spirited ones would hit the bed only in the obscure hours of the morning. My stamina would not permit me to in action beyond mid night or half past mid night. One of the most interesting nights according to me was the cross culture dinner. Here we were divided into groups of ten and asked to cook the food of our land to the world audience. We were ten people from across the Indian subcontinent. We were well armed with masalas and all the necessary ingredients. Since too many cooks could spoil the broth we decided to subdivide ourselves into VK (vegetarian kitchen) and NVK (Non vegetarian kitchen). At the end of three hours of chopping; boiling and frying out came Biryani, Dum Aloo Masala, Butter chicken, Raitha, Papad and even Jaljira ! At the dining room there was a motley array of dishes starting from Mexican tequila to Chinese noodles and Danish crepes. However in my opinion the icing in the cake was Indian food simply because of the fact that it performed the vanishing act at such a high speed.
Thus each night would end on a high note and every morning would begin on a sober note when the alarm clock would ring ceaselessly. Then there was the exercise of rushing through a shower and putting on some presentable formals and running to the breakfast table to grab a bite of some of the hardest bread in the world.
Each day would then pull on till before one knows it two eventful weeks have finally ended. And finally comes one of the most memorable events of the entire module. It is that day where most pictures are taken; most time and effort is spent on getting dressed and most alcohol is consumed. “Anything can happen over closing dinner” or so goes the adage. Unlike the opening dinner this happens to be one of those highly value adding although not necessary events. The guys are at their formal best and the girls are at their cultural best. Each person is allotted a specific position on a specific table with a more specific dinner date. Some speeches are made and some toasts are raised for some of the most absurd reasons. And then there is a farewell party and farewell hugs, farewell kisses, farewell dances and even farewell photographs. Then each one has to go his own and catch his own flight back.
Amid all the fun; module is not as colorful as it sounds. Many times it can be a nightmare especially if you have to give any of those dreaded exams that too when you have no time to prepare for them when you are slogging it out at work the whole day. Sometimes I think of module as an endurance test, with coping with jetlags, sitting through ten grueling hours of lectures that too some thousand kms away from home in an unknown Scandinavian country and sleeping for five hours a day. Still it has been a very valuable experience for me both in retrospect and introspect. I owe a lot of learning to these fourteen days spent at the module.
posted by Aditi Bhagwat | 4:36 AM
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