i was partying this week and like most other parties, this one too needed individuals to come forward, take the initiative and organize things within it. But that was not to happen!
What happened was one of the Project Managers from my project called me to his desk and told me that we have gotta come up with a party plan for next week. We had only 2 weeks to plan the thing before D-day. But I was not very sure if it was possible and so kept the idea on the back burner, thinking that the idea will simmer there and I won't have to struggle with it. But that was not to happen!
What happened was 3 days before D-Day our Senior Project Manager called for us all to his office and we sat for 4 hours working out options and looking at possible options for this Quarter's Project Party for 180 people. "180 People! Isn't that too many to party with? Is that even a legal number to party with?" I thought to myself. But deep down inside I knew that more people means more money to bill since many of those will not be able to make it to the party since they are on leave/not interested. That meant more money for those coming. I know I sound very cruel while saying this but trust me, it is the best way of getting more funds for the people coming in for the party. So we plan for a movie: 'Raavan' on a Tuesday and are extremely happy about all the arrangements we finalized after breaking our heads in the meeting room for over 6 hours with 3 other options and trying to squeeze out every paisa of value from the venue. But that was not to happen!
What happened was, Raavan was a dud movie! Even the father in Amitabh Bachchan could not find words of appreciation for the movie in which his son Abhishek plays the lead role! I was only a mere mortal and so were my other project mates. How were we all to survive the ordeal churned out by Mani Ratnam's Madras Talkies? So we did what any other team would have done. We changed the movie from Raavan to The Karate Kid, the venue from Chinchwad to Deccan, and from Adlabs to City Pride. And all of this was done one day before D-Day. Yes, we dumped the entire plan we had made so patiently and painstakingly and took up the new plan. We sent out emails and informed all members certain that everyone will welcome the change of movie. But that was not to happen!
What happened was, some people still wanted to watch Raavan and called for their team to be split from the party group. What! You can't do that! We would have to re-plan the whole budget and see what we can and cannot arrange for in the mere Rs. 300/- given to us per person for the party. So we re-planned, re-budgeted, re-adjusted, re-emailed, and re-coaxed everyone to join us for Karate Kid. Some stuck by us (A Big Thank You to them for that), but some didn't and just re-rejected our idea. It was Monday night, and I was back in Mumbai for my passport work, and the rest of the organizing team was back at the office trying to sort the mess out. It looked like it was going to be a Terrible Tuesday for all of us, with brickbats galore from the 160 team members and a load of unhappy people. But that was not to happen!
What happened was everyone enjoyed watching Jaden Smith kick butt and Jackie Chan in a sensible role after years. Everyone enjoyed the samosas and cold drinks at the theatre and the luxury of being an exclusive group of people watching the movie in the theatre. Everyone enjoyed the Extra Large Value Meal at McDonald's: with 93 Burger, Large Fries, Large Coke and Ice Cream. And everybody had a pleasant bus ride back home. And I thought to myself, "Wow! That was a struggle totally worth it!" And it did not end there. A lot of money was saved on the whole so we had Pizza Party the day after the next with 128 Personal Pans, Garlic Breads and Choco Lava Cakes. And we still had some Pizzas and Cakes left over.
It just reminded me of the miracle of the 5 Loaves of Bread and 2 Fish and how the multitude of people was fed to their heart's content by the act of sharing the best that Jesus got from a little boy. All one has to do to is to try the impossible, to have faith in oneself and one's abilities in getting the best for the people who entrust their Good Times on you, to look for a little more for your friends from every slice and every bite of every moment that they entrust you of their Party Night! With the little we have we can get so much more Only if we Believe!
Everyone in the organizing team concurred that we literally looted the various venues of every fun we could for the money we gave them (Rs. 485/- worth of value for Rs. 300/- per person to be exact ). I believe What Happened was nothing short of a miracle!
What happened was one of the Project Managers from my project called me to his desk and told me that we have gotta come up with a party plan for next week. We had only 2 weeks to plan the thing before D-day. But I was not very sure if it was possible and so kept the idea on the back burner, thinking that the idea will simmer there and I won't have to struggle with it. But that was not to happen!
What happened was 3 days before D-Day our Senior Project Manager called for us all to his office and we sat for 4 hours working out options and looking at possible options for this Quarter's Project Party for 180 people. "180 People! Isn't that too many to party with? Is that even a legal number to party with?" I thought to myself. But deep down inside I knew that more people means more money to bill since many of those will not be able to make it to the party since they are on leave/not interested. That meant more money for those coming. I know I sound very cruel while saying this but trust me, it is the best way of getting more funds for the people coming in for the party. So we plan for a movie: 'Raavan' on a Tuesday and are extremely happy about all the arrangements we finalized after breaking our heads in the meeting room for over 6 hours with 3 other options and trying to squeeze out every paisa of value from the venue. But that was not to happen!
What happened was, Raavan was a dud movie! Even the father in Amitabh Bachchan could not find words of appreciation for the movie in which his son Abhishek plays the lead role! I was only a mere mortal and so were my other project mates. How were we all to survive the ordeal churned out by Mani Ratnam's Madras Talkies? So we did what any other team would have done. We changed the movie from Raavan to The Karate Kid, the venue from Chinchwad to Deccan, and from Adlabs to City Pride. And all of this was done one day before D-Day. Yes, we dumped the entire plan we had made so patiently and painstakingly and took up the new plan. We sent out emails and informed all members certain that everyone will welcome the change of movie. But that was not to happen!
What happened was, some people still wanted to watch Raavan and called for their team to be split from the party group. What! You can't do that! We would have to re-plan the whole budget and see what we can and cannot arrange for in the mere Rs. 300/- given to us per person for the party. So we re-planned, re-budgeted, re-adjusted, re-emailed, and re-coaxed everyone to join us for Karate Kid. Some stuck by us (A Big Thank You to them for that), but some didn't and just re-rejected our idea. It was Monday night, and I was back in Mumbai for my passport work, and the rest of the organizing team was back at the office trying to sort the mess out. It looked like it was going to be a Terrible Tuesday for all of us, with brickbats galore from the 160 team members and a load of unhappy people. But that was not to happen!
What happened was everyone enjoyed watching Jaden Smith kick butt and Jackie Chan in a sensible role after years. Everyone enjoyed the samosas and cold drinks at the theatre and the luxury of being an exclusive group of people watching the movie in the theatre. Everyone enjoyed the Extra Large Value Meal at McDonald's: with 93 Burger, Large Fries, Large Coke and Ice Cream. And everybody had a pleasant bus ride back home. And I thought to myself, "Wow! That was a struggle totally worth it!" And it did not end there. A lot of money was saved on the whole so we had Pizza Party the day after the next with 128 Personal Pans, Garlic Breads and Choco Lava Cakes. And we still had some Pizzas and Cakes left over.
It just reminded me of the miracle of the 5 Loaves of Bread and 2 Fish and how the multitude of people was fed to their heart's content by the act of sharing the best that Jesus got from a little boy. All one has to do to is to try the impossible, to have faith in oneself and one's abilities in getting the best for the people who entrust their Good Times on you, to look for a little more for your friends from every slice and every bite of every moment that they entrust you of their Party Night! With the little we have we can get so much more Only if we Believe!
Everyone in the organizing team concurred that we literally looted the various venues of every fun we could for the money we gave them (Rs. 485/- worth of value for Rs. 300/- per person to be exact ). I believe What Happened was nothing short of a miracle!
