The instant expert

So, this story starts 2 days ago when my boss told me:”Miguel, a client needs to set up a EM1-D-DR input/output extension of a NDC1 and he seems to be a problem with the CAN connection and configuration, so you’ll take care of it, alright?. We have been delaying it for a long time now and we have to get this job done”.

“Ok” i said.

I really had no clue about what he was talking about and to make the story short lets say I made a few calls to figure out about the devices and getting general information about how to get connected and general aspects of the configuration.

This morning, i still had no clue about how i was gonna even get connected to neither of the devices cos all my attempts failed. I didnt know what the hell i was supposed to do afterwards, what the client’s problem was specifically or how to use the software. All I knew was that I needed to connect A to B through C and set everything up to make it work using a software called D which i have never seen.

The client came at 16h and there I was…facing the inevitable…All I knew was that i had to answer whatever question the client could come up with and all i knew was that i didnt know anything. I couldnt get connected the day before so I didnt know if I was going to be able not to finish, but even start. To the client i was the many-years-experienced-expert but the reality was that “the expert” had no clue 4h before the client arrived.

I had to pretend I knew what i was doing and use the software as if i was born knowing it. I sorted out what the problem was and what exactly needed the client as we went.

It didnt go as “perfect” as it was supposed to, but made my way out better that i thought. We finally made it and the client was happy. All this “customer support” was done in a table right in front of my boss while he was talking on the phone and doing some other stuff, but obviously he knew i just had 2 days (really 1 morning) to prepare about something i had never done before, and i felt as if he was testing me out to see how smoothly i could get the job done.

2 hours later, everyone was happy: The client, my boss (he got a new customer-contact through this client) and of course, me. I tried to keep my i’m-cool-i-do-this-every-day pose but inside i was jumping of joy. It was a great feeling and still im thinking about it and enjoying the moment. I guess this is all part of the getting-to-be-an-expert process. Facing totally new situations and getting the job done at the end of the day.

Im happy.

Back Home

I came back from Nice yesterday. It was overall a great trainning and a experience too. Many stories to tell in just one time…

I’ll make a list of the places I visited briefly and what i did during these 2 weeks:

Monday-Tuesday: Trainning on different products

Wednesday-Thursday: Trainning on repairation and troubleshooting. I visited Cannes and Nice.

Friday: Chemical plant generator’s set up in sisterone. 2 1MW power engines. Huge.

Saturday: Went from Nice all along the Côte d’Azur to San Remo. Visited Monaco and the surroundings.

Sunday: Went to a Clinic in Mougins to set up a mobile generator. Visited Nice.

Monday-Tuesday: Trainning on different concepts of the work.

Wednesday: Trip to Rouen. Woke up at 4, plane to Paris, drive to Rouen. Repair some controlsets in a Pharmaceutical plant and then back.

Thursday: Went to repair/setup some engines in a boat (spirit)

Friday: Trainning about engine control generalities

Saturday: Daytrip to San Remo and sourroundings with my brother Paco

Sunday: Daytrip to Valbone and small villages close to Nice. Back to Madrid.

Enough time well spent. Looking forward for more and eager to keep on learning about engine’s electronic controls.

Sisterone

This is the small village where i went today. I had to wake up at 5h30 to get there on time.

We went to a Chemical Fabric to see 2 generators of 1MW each. Big engines i have to admit.It was freezing outside.

Anyways, i’ll upload some pics soon.

DSF Training

I am in Nice, well almost. 20 mins away by car, in a Business center in Sophie Antibes.

Im getting to know the french staff with whom I work and starting to put faces names and voices together. Its fun and i like it.

Each person train me about a different product or part of the business in a very friendly way. The more i learn, the more i realize how fez i knew and how eager i am to learn about the diesel engine world.

I went for a walk yesterday evening on Nice Promenade. People running all the time, nice view but cold weather. Today it started raining a bit.

I will be going close to Avignon tomorrow to have a diesel engine training, sunday i will be going to see another engine and on wednesday i will be flying to Paris to keep on learning. And last but not least, i will be going on a boat to see how an engine problem is fixed. Quite interesting.

 I think the 2 weeks training will be not enough to know everything, maybe scratch the surface of this new field of engeneering and get a general view of what all this is all about.

Im happy

Satori

What is it all about?

What is what everyone is looking for in their lives?

What is happiness?

After receiving a sms from my brother tonight, it all suddenly became clear to me. Like satori happened to Buddha under the tree when he was resting. Unpredicted. Unexpected. By surprise.

People say that if you stop looking for something, you will eventually get it. Maybe the aim to get something really bad narrows down your vision to the point that you lose complete sight of everything else. Even what surrounds you and what you have.

Tonight, awakening has come. And i feel free. I’m happy. I now understand what happiness is all about. What people want. What I had been looking for for such a long time.

What is it?

More money? A girlfriend? A better job? A better house? A better life? …No my friends. Tonight the answer came to me instantly.

I had been wondering about my life this afternoon. My actual situation. My life. My enviroment. I watched a funny movie and I laughed a lot. I was relaxed. And in that moment, the right sms from the right person at the right time arrived. A message that clicked something in my head and made me realise of what happiness was all about. The big picture. The whole fucking picture.

I started to think that there I was looking for something for the past years, and when I thought i gave up (or at least took a long break from it), I suddenly got it. I felt fulfilled and in complete happiness.

So here is what i came down regarding my actual situation after my afternoon thought: I must admit that my work might not be THE best well paid. In fact, i dont earn that much money now since I barely started working and I will most probably be the one that earns the least among all my friends that are working nowadays. A girlfriend? …dont have one. I Dont think I really need one either (seriously). A better job? Dont need it. The one i have now has everything i can ask for and I dont feel the need for any other. A better house? I’m looking for one at the moment and will get one shortly. A better life?…Why? …Is there any? …What else can I ask for?

Is not like I gave up on all my dreams and goals. I’m not tired. Not even close. I just got started. I’m still young, I have enough money to do whatever I want and go wherever I want in the whole world. Fact. I come and go when I want, with whoever I want, if I want. Dont need to explain myself to anyone but myself. I can do or not as I please and my only limitation is my will.

Here is the key to happiness as I see it now: Be happy with what you have. Be ok with it and enjoy it. Enjoy it as much as you can and take as much as you want from every single moment in your life. Every second counts. Even this very moment right now as you read.

Be willing to grow and get more things (that’s human nature of course), but dont let that greedy feeling blind you from what you already have, because at the end, things will own you instead of the other way around. Enjoy what you have because it’s yours to have. Dont let the feeling of wanting more stuff back you off from enjoying what you already achieved. Dont let your posessions block your horizon nor your far future goals blur your present.

I do of course want to get a bigger house, bigger check, bigger life and better everything. But in the meanwhile, I’m not angry with my situation like i’ve seen in other people lately. Im not sad that i cannot get something else. What I have is fine. I dont want more because I dont need more. And if i ever want more because I need it, i will get it without a doubt.

Tonight, I am sure I can get anything I want out of this life. The question is: Will I really need it? and Will I want to have it?

Sure: More money, you can buy more stuff…but, do I need so much stuff? What’s this social rush these days about? Why do we need to get the latest fastest biggest and coolest whatever?

Today a coworker asked me why my cell phone was so old and why didnt I get a newer one…And my thought was: Because I simply dont need anything else. The one i have does the work and It works for me. I also have a super HP mega pda-phone with navigator, agenda, mp3 and all you can imagine. Do I use it? No. Why?…I simply dont need it. Its on my table and every morning I say to myself…”nah..dont need so much stuff”

So to sum up this crazy torrent of thoughts. What’s all this “happiness” about for me?

Being alright with what you have (which is not against wanting more things at the same time or growing better as I already explained). Keep just what you really need. Not being greedy or having envy of what other people have, earn or do. Being happy with what you are, who you are and how you are. Not everyone will accept it, but it’s all good. Having enough confident to say “no” when you dont want something. Not being bothered by other people’s point of view because you are sure of where you stand and have self respect for yourself. Have selfconfidence about what you know and that whatever is that you wanna get in this life, you will get it. Dont need to know what you want at every single moment (because that changes a lot during a lifetime) but knowing that when the need comes, you will get it whatever it is that you want. Period. As simple as that. As hard to understand as it sound.

Take only what you need and just let the rest go.

Leave it. .

It will just drag you down on your way up.

I must thank my brother for opening my eyes. Tonight I finally understood it.

Curiosity killed the cat

Today I was driving back home and i thought i had to try one highway exit and see where it led me because i thought it was a shortcut and I had to figure it out. I passed by many times, but never really had the chance or the will to try it out.

So this time I took the exit, following 4 other cars that were going like in a convoy and drove as if they were following each other to this “secret” shortcut and knew what they were doing. I drove and drove, and 10 mins later, i found myself chasing the car in front of me because it was the only one that didnt take a turn at some point…And I asked myself…hmm…strange. Maybe i was wrong…but MAYBE, this car really knows the way through the shortcut, SO i followed him. I felt kinda weird at one time, but i thought: “What the hell mig, if you’re gonna do something, do it all the way”. At that very same moment, the car turned left into a parking. He was home.

And I was lost.

As i just followed the car keeping a rough idea of where i was inside the city, i totally lost the way to the highway. It was rush hour and it took me a whole hour to get back to the very same place where i took the exit (well, maybe 100 meters away).

1 hour later my question was answered. That exit wasnt any secret shortcut around the highway’s traffic jam. Of course, when i got back to the highway, the traffic jam was still there (maybe even a bit bigger)…so in the meanwhile i said to myself:

Curiosity killed the cat….But satisfaction brought it back.

Now I know where that exit leads and I rather know that wonder without ever trying.

Im happy.