Two days in Taj - Chikmangalur

This was the first time in my life I am attending an outbound learning program from the company. I have gone for several trips from previous organizations, both official and unofficial but all those where pleasure trip. But this one was quiet different... It was a combination fun + learn program. The program was named "SYNERGY" and was organized by Soft-train Consulting. We were total of 45 members + 2 trainers. Among 6+2 ladies and rest all guys.

We started from here in Thursday after noon. A lady divided as into groups and we were provided with badges representing the team and color code. Most of my friends were irritated because the lady who was doing all these activities was behaving like a teacher. We had lot fun in the bus. We were getting lot many chocolates and stuff like that as and when we won some events. It was fun... but the worst part of it was to lose my voice on the first day... Thank God... Otherwise my friends could have heard me singing... (Though i didn’t leave them ... I’ll come to it later).
We reached Taj- Chikmangalur by 8.00. We had an event called On-Board... Where each members are asked to climb upon a minimum number of bricks.. By that time I dropped the opinion of teacher label applied to our trainer.Well few words about them.

Well few words about them.

Chaya: She is a wonderful lady... looks a bit older than the other trainers. With full of energy, lot of concepts and ideas. I know they are paid for it, but still she was amazing.

Seema: When Chaya was introducing Seema, she said she is a mother of a 17 year old girl. None of us was able to digest it. She was quiet, but an efficient planner/organizer.

Then we had our dinner and were asked to assemble in the conference room at 7.30am. We guys had lot fun in night and I slept around 1.30.Though I managed to wake up at 6.30, I was late by four minutes.

One of my Manager and Architect were the time keepers and I was asked to pay Rs. 20 as fine... :(. But thank God, I wasn’t carrying my purse at that time, though I told him that I will pay him later.Then we had lot of fun events. Though they were team building events, it was quite informative. Every one where pulling one others leg and was having a great time.

One interesting event was Treasure Hunt with blind team mates. There was an observer from the other team, who was watching all the fun. I really found the way people help each other, how they depend on others. I was thinking how visually impaired really manage things... What would they imagine if I say that I have a red flower in my hand...?

In the afternoon we went out for drafting. I was not feeling well, so was not able to have Lunch. We reached there around 2.00. It was really a nice event. We have to build a raft called Tarzen Raft and we need to cross a distance and come back. I was one among the first group in the team to enter into the raft. We had a nice time as the first person in the front reverse the direction of the raft and I use to make it straight again. Then we changed the strategy and another guy who is a fresher in the team took control of the raft. It was really interesting.

After this event we came back to the Hotel. We all jumped in to the pool once we are back. Friends were trying to teach me swimming, but as usual not successful. Then we started playing. I came out of the pool after two hours while my friends were still enjoying the game. I joined some other friends who were playing chess in the lobby.

There was a bonfire and dance organized. But unfortunately I was forced to take the mic as no one was showing interest in dancing. Once we gained momentum all started dancing. I was helping some of my friends to dance. It was real fun.

As usual being 50% senti and 50% mental, I lost my mood due to some reason. I stopped dancing and started taking food. But my manager found me taking dinner and was announced to join them back along with some friends who were having food with me.More fun was when a waiter in the Taj demonstrated some magic tricks to us. It was good. But I was not able to regain my mood though I tried a lot. I sang a song for them but my voice was completely out...

I moved out from the group as I started feeling lonely.. I went to the pool, sat there playing with my mobile.On the Last day..

I got up early in the morning. I went around the Taj, took some snaps on my mobile. I walked on the road, talking with the nature. I wrote a poem sitting there. Nature was so fresh and serene.. I was longing for a company there... (As usual ;-) - desperate hehehe ).Trees on the two sides of the road, lush green landscapes, can’t explain that feeling. I call it as "WOW" in Microsoft terms. Later, we had some events. One among the best was transferring marbles using a pipe. I found a team work there, learning from the past, we won the event.

What I found interesting on the trip:

· My Time Keeper reminding me that I owe him something and I keep on hiding. ;-)
· Dancing on the bus...
· I normally don’t take initiative in interacting with people but had loads of fun interacting with everyone in this team.
· DJ’g the party. Later handed over to Chaya and another team mate.
· Fun with friends in the night.
· Making others dance.
· Passing Good comments on wrong time :-(
· I was asked to write some compliments about others. I wrote for few whom I felt should be appreciated for their activities in OBL including my time keeper. But I didn’t write anything about our Beer Belly members and few of my friends. I felt I should write it on my blog and send the link over to them coz that will be more interesting that writing something in a piece of paper. Even I did get some interesting compliments from people whom I’ve never expected a compliment. Will post them in the nest post.
· Ring a Ring roses play in the lake- as we were revolving around the same place for some time in the raft.
· Dancing with Chaya and one other friend in the team.
· Poems of my team mates.
· Team effort in transferring the marble.. We managed to transfer 11.
· Discussion on action item.
· Climate of Chikmangalur.
· Taj... :-) though I didn’t like the food.
· Another interesting thing was when I entered my room, I found a cashew tin. I opened it enjoyed it royally. Then I realized that it’s going to cost me Rs. 175. [God. I could have got ten packets here for the same cost :-)]

We started at 3.00 from there and reached office at nine with tons of memories which would be cherished forever.