Shantibhushan Naik

Tag: office

  • Got my bike license – 大型二輪免許を一発合格しました

    Hurray ! I received my bike license today in Japan ! In my first attempt itself ! Wish me congratulations !

    Bike license in Japan
    My bike license in Japan

    Ok some background – I had a bike license from my country. I had not converted it to International License, so I had to opt only for conversion into Japanese license – 外国免許切り替え. I do have a car license obtained in Japan, so I was exempted from written test (which by the way is too difficult, trust me). Instead, I simply had to appear an actual driving test (which is again difficult, mind you). I was required to produce a translated copy of my original license from my country, which can be done in 30 mins in JAF offices. Rest are your passport (both old, new ones), an application form, few stamps which you can buy right there. I live in Tsukuba, so I had to goto Ibaragi License Center, which is situated in Mito. You can go during weekdays, from 09:00AM. Believe me, you better arrive early. There is plenty of crowd, for all sorts of licenses, and usually you have to spend almost whole day there, in case you pass the test and obtain the license. I spent close fo 6 hours today, but in the end I was a happy guy.

    Once they receive your application, they ask you few questions about your original license – How did you obtain it? Where did you practice? What kind of test did you appear for this license? How many cc bike? Learner’s license? etc. Unless there are any problems, you are then handed over a course map, and timings when your test will start. Mind you, the course map is given so that you “memorize” it, period. You are required to drive the exact course map, observing lane rules, traffic signs, signal, right or left indication, speed or slow. The usual advice is that you have some 45 mins in hand before your test starts. Thus, you should actually take the course map in hand, and walk the entire course by foot atleast once. I did that, making a mental note of the lanes, the distance around which I should turn on the indicator, and so on – till I burnt the course map into my brain cells !

    The most difficult are – Ipponbashi, and Slalom – for me. And I did literally walk on foot imagining I was on bike before my test started.

    I believe I was the only one appearing a bike test today – why I was alone sitting in the waiting room till my turn came. The instructor was kind enough to walk me (verbally) through the course map once again. He also gave me a brief about the bike – Honda CB750 – and for my own safety, in case I should fall, had me wear elbow, knee, body protector before the test.

    When the actual test started, the instructor actually sits in a watchtower, from which he had a complete view of the course. Once he gave a go, I just drove the same path I had walked on foot earlier. I was particularly careful about slow down sign, lane change, and making sure that I move my head from left to right wide enough to show that I am taking visual confirmations before proceeding. At one point when making a turn I did step down, but I guess that was OK, because if I’d had done the same on Ipponbashi or Slalom, or even S-letter, or Crank, I am out without any further discussion. Phew, I did feel once the bike will stop during Crank, but I was lucky enough to make it till the final stop.

    In the end, the instructor appraised my driving skills, and gave me the golden word – “合格” !

  • A quick group photo at office

    Sharing a photo taken on the last day of our stay in Pune. This was taken at my office, with a few members from translation team, while some from my project team.
    Photo at office
    From top-row-left – Mai-san, Ashwini, Amruta, Prafulla,

    Rujuta, and then us !

  • Tired of teaching how to think

    Sir Ernest Rutherford, President of the Royal Academy, and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics, related the following story:

    “Some time ago I received a call from a colleague. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question, while the student claimed a perfect score. The instructor and the student agreed to an impartial arbiter, and I was selected.

    I read the examination question: “Show how it is possible to determine the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer.”

    The student had answered: “Take the barometer to the top of the building,attach a long rope to it, lower it to the street, and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building.”

    The student really had a strong case for full credit since he had really answered the question completely and correctly! On the other hand, if full credit were given, it could well contribute to a high grade in his physics course and certify competence in physics, but the answer did not confirm this. I suggested that the student have another try. I gave the student six minutes to answer the question with the warning that the answer should show some knowledge of physics.

    At the end of five minutes, he hadn’t written anything. I asked if he wished to give up, but he said he had many answers to this problem; he was just thinking of the best one. I excused myself for interrupting him and asked him to please go on. In the next minute, he dashed off his answer, which read: “Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean over the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch.

    Then, using the formula x=0.5*a*t^2, calculate the height of the building.”

    At this point, I asked my colleague if he would give up. He conceded, and gave the student almost full credit. While leaving my colleague’s office, I recalled that the student had said that he had other answers to the problem, so I asked him what they were.

    “Well,” said the student, “there are many ways of getting the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer. For example, you could take the barometer out on a sunny day and measure the height of the barometer, the length of its shadow, and the length of the shadow of the building, and by the use of simple proportion, determine the height of the building.”

    “Fine,” I said, “and others?”

    “Yes,” said the student, “there is a very basic measurement method you will like. In this method, you take the barometer and begin to walk up the stairs. As you climb the stairs, you mark off the length of the barometer along the wall. You then count the number of marks, and his will give you the height of the building in barometer units.”

    “A very direct method.”

    “Of course. If you want a more sophisticated method, you can tie the barometer to the end of a string, swing it as a pendulum, and determine the value of g [gravity] at the street level and at the top of the building.

    From the difference between the two values of g, the height of the building, in principle, can be calculated.”

    “On this same tack, you could take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower it to just above the street, and then swing it as a pendulum. You could then calculate the height of the building by the period of the precession”.

    “Finally,” he concluded, “probably the best,” he said, “is to take the barometer to the basement and knock on the superintendent’s door. When the superintendent answers, you speak to him as follows: ‘Mr. Superintendent, here is a fine barometer. If you will tell me the height of the building, I will give you this barometer.”

    At this point, I asked the student if he really did not know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did, but said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think.

    The name of the student was…

    Neils Bohr

    The Nobel Prize winner in Physics 1922

  • Puneri Shista

    Sometimes HRD (Human Resources Department) can be too strict!

    पुणेरी माणसाला पुणेरी मराठीच समजते. म्हणून मानवीय स्रोत विभागाने (Human Resources Department) सर्व सूचना पुणेरी मराठीतून द्याव्यात अशी आमची विनंती आहे. काही उदाहरणे देत आहोत .पुणेकराकडून पुणेकरांसाठी

    Please do not use reception areas and lobbies for reading newspapers, chit-chatting or for having snacks

    ………….. रिसेप्शन हे सार्वजनिक वाचनालय नाही. कामाखेरीज तेथे बसू नये .

    Avoid occupying meeting rooms and lobbies for personal telephone calls

    ………. ह्या खोल्यांवर पैसा कामासाठी खर्च केला आहे. तुमच्या गप्पांसाठी नाही

    Restrain yourself from barging into the elevators without allowing those inside to step out first

    …………… ही लिफ़्ट आहे. लोकल ट्रेन नाही. सुटली तरी चालेल .

    Please don’t use the same elevator in case the same is being used by an associate along with client

    …………… ग्राहक देवो भव. तुमचा पगार ह्यांच्याकडून येतो. कंपनी खिशातून काही देत नाही .

    Avoid speaking in regional languages within the office premises

    ………….. गावच्या गप्पा घरी !

    Please do not leave behind used tea cups or glasses in break out areas. Please deposit the same in appropriate areas. If you smoke, please ensure to extinguish cigarettes and throw the matches or cigarette buds only into ash pans provided for

    …………… ही जागा तुमधे तीर्थरूप येऊन साफ़ करत नाहीत. जर तुम्ही चैतन्य काडी चा वापर करत असाल तर तिचे बूड विझवायल विसरू नका. ते कोपऱ्यातले पॅन्स शोभेचे नाहीत . गुमान बूड त्याच्यातच विझवा. ऑफ़िसचा मालक तुमचा बाप नाही .

    When in office keep the ring tone of the cell phone low or silent. Please avoid having fancy ring tones when in the office

    …………. शांतता राखा. हे ऑफ़िस आहे. तमाशाचा फ़ड नाही.

    Please keep a check on the noise levels in the pantries

    ………… संयमाने आणि हळू बोला. आपले पूर्वज माकड असले तरी आपण आता माणसं आहोत.