Hi all,
first one of what is my blog, note book of the travelling parrot. So there I am, in Congo (republic of, not Democratic republic of, aka Zaire). First time in Africa, but as I didn't know how I'd come here, those knowing me never saw me on the organised trip side, I'm all for discovery, and my hollydays standart isn't necessarly shared. Anyway, as I entered the plane I soon realised I could forget about my night movies. Air Gabon is in a bad shape and does plane leasing to cut off expenses, so we were flying through Air Maroc, good food, confi plane, business class (sorry 4 the frenchies, I didn't mention it). Arriving at Libreville the next day for 1h, plane changing, becoming 3h waiting...I guess that's local habits (I thought). We board through another company, so I guess that the 3h were to find a plane and a crew to fly the baby. Arriving in Pointe Noire was my first shock, as the arrival looks like the farmer's storehoure, including spiderwebs and the spiderwebs inhabitants (niiiiiiiiice!!), I guessed the terrorist attacks wouldn't consern the city, which is good. After police check, I see myself getting out of that to realise I was the only white ass of the place. I see a guy coming, he's got a Schlumberger pin on his shirt, he was just passing by (he's the travel guy collecting Schlumberger employees to bring them to the base), leaving close to the airport, to check on new expatriates. I was not on his passenger's list as Schlumberger doesn't operate anymore with Air Gabon (they did the booking right!! I didn't). So after a quick thanks to my lucky star, cos begging is very comon here, and I was loaded, so I didn't feel quite confi anymore. Off we go to his place to wait for a ompany bus to drive me to the villa. I strangely felt confident in the atmosphere, close to the brazilian life. There comes the Schlum van, clim inside, corporate tape explaining malaria... welcome to the real world, I may do a P.S. with all the funny stuff around, gives the creep (guess where ebola comes from... :D). So from then on I imagined arriving in my appartment, with beach view, wifi internet and other nice and fit ladies performing thai massage to relax after a long and laborious day...I'll pass the safari type travel inside the city, as 1/3 of the city only has asphalt, thinking that it is an oilfield production city, it makes you laugh, actually I should buy an Africa Twinn 500cc to go to work. Back in my van, arriving at the staff house (forget the villa) inside the city (forget the beach), and there is a 51 year old chap inside having a coffe (forget about the massage). There you could have heard me "Houston, I have a problem". The guy is an old rotation field technician, having travelled all around places where holes can B made, showed me pictures, and I start my first day of work, a sunday... I have to say it wasn't exactely what was said in my first week seminary, but it wasn't like I was sent to the goulag so... the guy gave me about 500 files of what would be handy for me to work for my next 3 month. and it's not that much!!! So after that we went to lunch, at the sea font, amazing places where U eat quite nicely, for a good price, I though the place more expensive actually. the lunch was followed by an introduction to the Schlum base, where I was introduced to my managers and operators.... yes it is sunday, a day like the others, as I work 7 days a week. Alright, little discrepency here, as I have mentioned earlier, they didn't no I would arrive that day, so the house wasn't ready for me, meaning hotel.
Next day, starting 07h30 (gosh), I have an introduction to my workspace, the yard, where I'll work for the next year, who and what is where, then they gave me boots, worksuit (blue), glove and hard hat, assigned me to a team , gave me a tap on the back and said "now you're with them, good bye"......
I felt shot in the back (the slap might have helped, old but fit italian he was).... I got scared like like it didn't happen to me since my first day in Brasil (It's ok now, I feel much better). So U want to know what my job is? there you are: Field Engineer Trainee (till september, dont worry). Sounds pretty but the trainee thingy at the end is actually what makes me being at the bottom of the chain. Cos I need to know how all these big machines work and how the job is properly done; so I have to mount, maintain and dismount them all (actually, the reverse order to B precise), screwing on and off. Then when all workers go home, my engineer part rise up, and I have to stay at an office to do all these corporate stuff, to learn the theory of oil extraction from bottom to top (hehe, that works also litteraly doesn't it... how good I'm in english, I'm planning to become the french Stephen Clarke muahahahaha!!! errr NO!!). So this "engineering bit" starts at 18h to gently finish around 22h. One into another I'm in 12h a day, 6 days a week, and 4hours on the sunday.... it means I'm doing 2 french weeks in one (this chauvinist 35h law we proudly advertise huh!!). But because we need to finish in a Disney-type movie, I'll end up with the beautifull part. The seashore is amazing, and we're quite far from the stressful atmosphere of Democratic Republic of Congo (brother Congo-Kinshasa). And something amazing, there are more taxis than in UK, which, for my fellow english mates standards, is an amazing record.
first one of what is my blog, note book of the travelling parrot. So there I am, in Congo (republic of, not Democratic republic of, aka Zaire). First time in Africa, but as I didn't know how I'd come here, those knowing me never saw me on the organised trip side, I'm all for discovery, and my hollydays standart isn't necessarly shared. Anyway, as I entered the plane I soon realised I could forget about my night movies. Air Gabon is in a bad shape and does plane leasing to cut off expenses, so we were flying through Air Maroc, good food, confi plane, business class (sorry 4 the frenchies, I didn't mention it). Arriving at Libreville the next day for 1h, plane changing, becoming 3h waiting...I guess that's local habits (I thought). We board through another company, so I guess that the 3h were to find a plane and a crew to fly the baby. Arriving in Pointe Noire was my first shock, as the arrival looks like the farmer's storehoure, including spiderwebs and the spiderwebs inhabitants (niiiiiiiiice!!), I guessed the terrorist attacks wouldn't consern the city, which is good. After police check, I see myself getting out of that to realise I was the only white ass of the place. I see a guy coming, he's got a Schlumberger pin on his shirt, he was just passing by (he's the travel guy collecting Schlumberger employees to bring them to the base), leaving close to the airport, to check on new expatriates. I was not on his passenger's list as Schlumberger doesn't operate anymore with Air Gabon (they did the booking right!! I didn't). So after a quick thanks to my lucky star, cos begging is very comon here, and I was loaded, so I didn't feel quite confi anymore. Off we go to his place to wait for a ompany bus to drive me to the villa. I strangely felt confident in the atmosphere, close to the brazilian life. There comes the Schlum van, clim inside, corporate tape explaining malaria... welcome to the real world, I may do a P.S. with all the funny stuff around, gives the creep (guess where ebola comes from... :D). So from then on I imagined arriving in my appartment, with beach view, wifi internet and other nice and fit ladies performing thai massage to relax after a long and laborious day...I'll pass the safari type travel inside the city, as 1/3 of the city only has asphalt, thinking that it is an oilfield production city, it makes you laugh, actually I should buy an Africa Twinn 500cc to go to work. Back in my van, arriving at the staff house (forget the villa) inside the city (forget the beach), and there is a 51 year old chap inside having a coffe (forget about the massage). There you could have heard me "Houston, I have a problem". The guy is an old rotation field technician, having travelled all around places where holes can B made, showed me pictures, and I start my first day of work, a sunday... I have to say it wasn't exactely what was said in my first week seminary, but it wasn't like I was sent to the goulag so... the guy gave me about 500 files of what would be handy for me to work for my next 3 month. and it's not that much!!! So after that we went to lunch, at the sea font, amazing places where U eat quite nicely, for a good price, I though the place more expensive actually. the lunch was followed by an introduction to the Schlum base, where I was introduced to my managers and operators.... yes it is sunday, a day like the others, as I work 7 days a week. Alright, little discrepency here, as I have mentioned earlier, they didn't no I would arrive that day, so the house wasn't ready for me, meaning hotel.
Next day, starting 07h30 (gosh), I have an introduction to my workspace, the yard, where I'll work for the next year, who and what is where, then they gave me boots, worksuit (blue), glove and hard hat, assigned me to a team , gave me a tap on the back and said "now you're with them, good bye"......
I felt shot in the back (the slap might have helped, old but fit italian he was).... I got scared like like it didn't happen to me since my first day in Brasil (It's ok now, I feel much better). So U want to know what my job is? there you are: Field Engineer Trainee (till september, dont worry). Sounds pretty but the trainee thingy at the end is actually what makes me being at the bottom of the chain. Cos I need to know how all these big machines work and how the job is properly done; so I have to mount, maintain and dismount them all (actually, the reverse order to B precise), screwing on and off. Then when all workers go home, my engineer part rise up, and I have to stay at an office to do all these corporate stuff, to learn the theory of oil extraction from bottom to top (hehe, that works also litteraly doesn't it... how good I'm in english, I'm planning to become the french Stephen Clarke muahahahaha!!! errr NO!!). So this "engineering bit" starts at 18h to gently finish around 22h. One into another I'm in 12h a day, 6 days a week, and 4hours on the sunday.... it means I'm doing 2 french weeks in one (this chauvinist 35h law we proudly advertise huh!!). But because we need to finish in a Disney-type movie, I'll end up with the beautifull part. The seashore is amazing, and we're quite far from the stressful atmosphere of Democratic Republic of Congo (brother Congo-Kinshasa). And something amazing, there are more taxis than in UK, which, for my fellow english mates standards, is an amazing record.
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