Thursday September 18th, 2008
Ok today is Monday, no wait, yes I really do lose track of my days. Thanks goodness for pocket calendars. So today we go to gate 31, I ordered two water trucks and 1 septic truck. I was told I could only have 1 of each because one was broke. Ok so we take it in stride and away we go! Fortunately for me only one water truck came. When we got there and began pumping the tanks were only about ¼ low, ok 2 x 5200= 10,400 liters. 1, 5000 liter truck and we only used 2200 liters to fill them up. Wow, Thanks big guy in the sky, you saved me from looking like a complete Idiot!

Well here I go again about driving, there was a Bulgarian female driving the armored car and she started the day off with leaving the parking space in reverse, ok that would be normal if you were backed in! we all cringed as the entire awning shook front the armored vehicle striking the brick wall, then after successfully getting out of the parking lot she missed our first turn out of the city, Poor Jean-Pascal. I thought he was going to hanging his head and speak French all the way there. Funny stuff

Anyway the rest of the day was pretty smooth, accept we lost Wu! Wu is the contingent commander for the Chinese, so any time he can go somewhere he try’s to handle his contingent matters first. Hey cant hold against him, get it done! So after looking for Wu, Now imagine a big American, and a Frenchman walking around calling out , Wu, Wu, Where are you Wu. Quite funny!

I was not going to complain about this but I have to get it off my chest and since this is my forum, here we go. So Tim gets back and gets Promoted, then Tim has a new managerial position and is not familiar with this. But it is my opinion as a manager, I will let my employees do their jobs and step in when I need too. But Tim is concerned because I will tell him what is on my mind and then I will tell him as my boss who I m going to see or where I am going to check on this problem. Well tim has it in his mind(Did I mention he is a Police psychologist and hates confrontation) that the Americans will not hold anything back when speaking to others because we vent or talk out loud and then we go and address the problem. Well on this particular day I was planning on speaking with the Head UN engineer at the Mitro Log Base. Now those who know my demeanor know that I wil approach the problem politely and then become more aggressive if I need too. That’s something else they don’t like about us, we ask why? So when I get to Mitro Tim is there and he wants to go with me to speak with Uri. So we walk in and we see Zorin. Zorin is the deputy to Uri. So Tim and Zorin began Talking in Serbian to each other. Ok so I am cool with greeting someone in the native tongue, But after you say hello, either excuse yourself or speak to everyone present. But no, these too go at for five minutes and while talking they kept glancing at me. OK Hello, I am standing less then three feet away. So finally, they finish and I am bent.

So we walk into Uri’s Office and again Tim Greets him in Serbian, ok well Uri the Engineer and Professional immediately begins to talk in English, Thank you! Well we began to discuss a few issues and I am asking politely direct questions about certain projects. Now if I am overseeing a project or multiple projects I want to know all the facts so when my bosses Tim, Eldar, Brad, Warren, or Bob ask, hey tell me about what’s going on with this, I can tell them instead of, I do not know!

So While I was asking these questions Tim Interjects and said Uri, will you excuse us for a moment. So Tim escorts me out side and begins telling me how I don’t need to push Uri on these little projects and I need to be concerned with the big ones. Ok, now I am getting mad, first of all You don’t know squat about construction except what you have picked up here which isn’t much, secondly you are running interference on my jobs. Ok, Yes I am Boiling, but in the most diplomatic way I could muster, while looking at the ground and clenching my fist, I say, Ok Tim, you want us on the same page but I don’t think we are even in the same book, so you are my supervisor and I will respect that and I am done, I will stand there and you can discuss these issues with Uri and I will just observe!

So we go back in and proud Little tim talks with Uri and then turns to look at me and said ok, then we will see you later. Your damn right I will see him later. I have to get this stuff done, but Mr. non confrontational over here is in my way. Anyboy who knows anything about construction understands that a engineer, a superintendent and a contractor can have knowledgable discussions without confrontation and be successful. If any of the three are unhappy about something then they need to address the issue before it goes further and gets out of control. He will learn I guess.

Friday September 19, 2008

Ok today we go to gate 1, no big, water septic and away we go, well not really. I brought Mimish to cut a section of floor out and replace it, But wait Tim is driving the armored vehicle today and that means ram Roding my job. So we get there and everyone gets there stuff done and I am explaining to mimish what I need done. Tim thinks we should replace the whole floor but we don’t have the materials. So he and Mimish began speaking Serbian( This is where you inadvertently just said uh-ho, whether out loud or subconsciously you said it) So I am pissed ( Strike two) Please don’t through me a sinking slider on the next pitch! So after I decipher that Tim has instructed Mimish to replace the as much as the floor as he has material for instead of what I have requested, I shut the door and said too hell with it, let him screw this up, and I will have it fixed later! See the materials tht I had up there been for a floor patch, why replace the whole floor if its one section that is bad. But there is another container that I need to replace the whole floor in. Time could not understand this. So instead of Mimish doing this task today, Tim said take him up on Sunday and when you are done you can do whatever you want the rest of the day. Then he said if you like you and Mimish could go fishing! OK wait, Mimish is a Monday through Friday employee, so he will not be paid for Sunday. And if an inspection team runs across me in uniform fishing on a river with a KPS employee who is working for free on his day off, UMMMM, I don’t think that is a good idea. Then he said, Mimish wants o work for free just to get out of the house. ok and? Well you will do this Sunday and he will come with you! OK. I believe that was the sinking slider that I referred to earlier was thrown, strike three! OMG! I was mad, confused, and downright upset!