A little boy's haircut !!

It was just another visit to the barber's. Hair cutting like shaving is a must for us 'uncool' guys who'd like to keep our hair short !! After a haircut, I feel most relieved. It feels so nice and cool and free. Its almost as if, hair has extra weight which gets off, after the snips. As I was directed to the chair by the barber, I noticed that a very young boy was sitting in the chair next to mine. He must have been around 4 to 5 years old. His mother was sitting on one of chairs at the behind of the shop and instructing the hair cutter how to cut the boy's hair.

I remembered the time when my father used to bring me to this very saloon, when I was around the kid's age. My father still remembers me sitting quietly on the chair....'like a good boy' he says !! The barber never had any problem cutting my hair, as I used to sit very steady (unlike at most other times, when I used to be a very restless tot). It only used to be a problem when I used to shake when he used to shave off the fine hairs with a scalpel causing a very strong tickle !!

For some reason I also remembered that there was a stop next to the saloon from where dad used to get me a chocolate lollypop after every cut, as a reward for being good and steady !!!

So anyway, coming back to the present....this boy was getting more restless by the minute. He was fidgeting and making irritable noises. The boy wanted a particular hairstyle. He was telling the barber:

Boy: Uncle, I want to have this hairstyle, where my hair would stand like small prickly needles. Mom, tell uncle I want a haircut like akshay's !!

Boy's mother: No dear, Akshay's hair is only like that...it stands on its end...its natural. You have straight hair dear. You cannot have a cut like that.

Boy: Noooo....uncle, give me a haircut like I am telling you to !!

Barber: No beta....this cut looks good on you....dont do any hairstyles now. Do them when you are older and in college....right now listen to mom beta...

Boy: Nooo..nooo....nooo....

After his haircut was complete and the towel was removed....the boy's deliberately stamped his feet on the ground and huffed out of the saloon, his chubby cheeks red with anger at not getting the desired style !! His mom paid the money and hurried off after her son !!

Makes me want to say .....Kids, these days !! When we were young all we knew was that dad takes me to a barber's shop every month, where I have to sit and get my haircut. Once it was done...we were free to go.....the thought never crossed our minds as to how we'd look with this style....or with some other. 'Hairstyle' did not exist for us...we didnt know what that word meant. These days it seems otherwise. But then as my friend once said...Change is the only constant !!

Project Manager's prowess

I work for an engineering company.
These are 2 incidents which a project engineer told me about our project manager for a recently completed project..

Incident 1:
There was a vendor company in Hyderabad which was not releasing quite a few critically required documents to our company in time. These documents were well past the due date and the vendor company simply had not released them despite so many reminder calls and emails from our technical team. One day, our project manager got a call from the client to tell him to get it done quickly (I write this in soft terms...the client might have actually did more than just 'telling him to get it done quickly' by which I mean to say our project manager might have actually got a firing from the client.). Once the client's call was over the project manager called up XYZ (the vendor company's PM.)

Our project manager (PM): Hello...is this Mr. XYZ?

XYZ: Yes PM Sir !! How are you?

PM: Yeah, I am fine, ...Tell me...are there any 1 BHK flats available in Hyderabad?

XYZ (Was a bit puzzled..After all it was a topic totally different from the otherwise 'technical talk' ): Hmmm....Might be sir....Are you looking for flats in Hyderabad?

PM: Yeah 1 BHK mostly...How soon can you tell me?

XYZ must've started wondering whether PM had mistaken him for an estate agent !!

XYZ (mustve also started realising that something was wrong): Sir, I am sorry...but can you tell me how I can help you, please?

PM: Well, actually, I think I am going to be permanently transferred to Hyderabad by the client himself....Client thinks that I should come to Hyderabad and sit on your head to get those documents released, which they think would still require a lifetime.....

XYZ (There was a pause from XYZ...the statement had clearly left him midway between unpleasant shock, amusement and a disconcerting change of topics.):
I am sorry sir ....but...

PM (interrupting him): So thats why I was wondering whether I could buy a 1 BHK in Hyderabad....settle down there for the rest of my life....sit on your head and maybe then it'll take you maybe some less years to release the documents with my 'help'.

XYZ (Now fully understanding the gravity of the situation...): I am sorry sir, really very sorry....I'll get it done sir...those very documents will be sent by the end of this week....surely.....

PM: Ok...If they dont....please tell me if there are any 1 BHKs in Hyderabad...

XYZ (Trying to laugh valiantly): Hahaha...no sir...I assure you...it wont be delayed at all now...


The documents were at the PMs desk by that Thursday's evening !!


Incident 2:
The PM had sent a courier to the client's PM. The client is locally located The Client's PM called up 4 days later saying that the courier had not yet come. Again our PM got a firing and had to listen to stuff like...Is this how your company works? One courier has not reached on time....which courier company do you hire....etc etc...
When the PM set the phone down...he called the courier company through which the courier was being sent.

PM: Hello...XYZ courier services?

XYZ: Yes, How may I help you?

PM: My name is *** and I am speaking from ZZZ engineering company.

XYZ: Yes sir.

PM: Is there a job vacancy in your company?

XYZ (imagine his face): Ummm....Maybe sir...I'll have to check...Why do you ask sir?

PM: I think the client is going to get me fired from my company....because some papers were not sent to them on time. We sent those papers through your courier services...

XYZ: Sir....I understand sir....Its a dela..

PM: Since I am going to lose my job due to you....I thought maybe you should compensate by doing this small service to me and offering me a job in your courier company !! I think I could deliver a courier in 1 or 2 days at the most...hence doing a better job !!

XYZ: I am sorry sir....please give me the docket no. and I'll arrange to deliver it today itself...

PM: After you deliver that courier....please also send me an apology note from you...so that I can convince my client that it wasnt my fault !!

XYZ: Ok sir !!

The apology and delivery note were on the PMs desk by that very evening !!