Saturday, March 07, 2009

The Kunti Betta expedition

In the name and spirit of team building, we were herded into an uncomfortable van on Friday for some 'organized' fun and bonding. The barely concealed zeal when I clambered in was hard to miss!

A 'planned' breakfast of alien spaceship shaped idlis and more driving on Mysore road brought us to the foothills of Kunti Betta (Mound of Kunti?). One of our smarter team members, an architect no less, took one look at the rocky vertical terrain and backed out in no uncertain terms. The rest scaled the tor because that's what was ordered.

On the way down, the 'organizers' pulled out blindfolds (the only investment this company has done), paired us up, blindfolded one partner and gagged the other. The activity was to guide your partner down without talking to him/her. I'm still not sure what purpose this served, other than make everyone really thirsty and irritable.

We then had to climb another boulder rich hill. One of the adventure tour guides was apparently scared of heights. Hmmm.... Anyway, him and our manager with the same fear clung on to each other and finally made it to the top a good half hour behind us fit and fearless folk.

Getting down, no easy task was also accomplished in the same order of the climb. Luckily no gags and blindfolds this time. I'm pretty sure who would have been blindfolded and gagged had this been proposed one more time for the descent.

Ensuring consistency in lack of planning and organizational capabilities, the event organizers experienced a sudden realization that we didn't have lunch. So, off one of them went, taking the van and all our drinking water and snacks. Exhausted, hungry, thirsty and with team spirit and team building thoughts furthermost from our minds, we waited in grim anticipation for our food. One or two of us did try to provide dismal entertainment but a few wandered off to watch an ad shooting nearby. This was definitely something that helped take our mind off the gnawing gut-wrenching feelings of utter starvation.

The food finally showed up an hour and a half later and we were treated to rock-hard rotis, two barrels of alleged rasam and some other liquid that was passed off as sambar. Too tired to protest, we mournfully munched on our repast. School kids around us looked at us in wonder and pity but we soldiered on.

The team was ready to head home, but keeping with the 'team spirit' concept, the will of 8 was over-ridden by the organizers and we were dragged to a man-made lake which surprise surprise was a body of water and pretty much nothing else.

After an obligatory round of photographs and some frolicking on the banks, we headed back to more obligatory antaakshari activities for the journey back, well, until one of us put a stop to this misery.

I still don't know why we had to get these event coordination or whatever they are called people. I'm sure we'd have had more fun by ourselves, letting things happen, eating what AND when we want. Oh well, ra ra ra for team building!!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good one, Triv!

preeti rana said...

oh dear!!! (still laughing!!)

Anonymous said...

The Great - Indian Adventure Club :-p

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