Sunday, 27 November 2005

funny article to narrate condition of "timber"








A Satirical Snapshot of Post-Tsunami Reconstruction Chaos

Dear Friends,

Here’s a lighthearted (yet painfully accurate) take on the logistical nightmares of post-tsunami reconstruction. No offense intended—just a dash of humor to cope with the madness. Grab a coffee and enjoy the ride!


Background: The Perfect Storm of Challenges

Reconstruction efforts here are paralyzed by two colossal hurdles: logistics and material shortages.

  • Transportation Woes: Harbors remain non-functional, airlifts are prohibitively expensive, and roads are more myth than reality.

  • Timber Troubles: Indonesia’s strict timber policies, enforced by police and forest departments, have created a bureaucratic quagmire. NGOs are drowning in paperwork over "legal sourcing" and "sustainability," turning timber procurement into a man-made disaster rivaling the tsunami itself.


Implications: When Logistical Madness Takes Over

  1. Timber Obsession:

    • Logisticians now refer to their own families as “Timber-1,” “Timber-2,” or “Australian Timber”—a tragic blend of dedication and donor accountability.

    • Before sleeping, they inspect their beds like forensic experts: measuring wood dimensions, counting knots, verifying moisture content, and demanding structural stability certificates. Only then do they drift into dreams of sustainably sourced plywood.

  2. Mealtime Mayhem:

    • At dinner, they interrogate cooks: “When was this rice requisitioned? Where’s the manager’s approval? Show me the Goods Received Form!” Every meal requires a signed delivery confirmation.

  3. Fashion Forward (Sort Of):

    • In a bid to “think local,” logisticians have adopted coconut branches and banana leaves as office attire. (Indigenous innovation at its finest!)

  4. Communication Chaos:

    • Radios? Too mainstream. Instead, they’ve reverted to yelling across compounds. (Sustainable energy, folks!)

  5. Identity Crisis:

    • Drivers now answer to “Charli Mobile-1” or “Charli Mobile-2.” Guards respond only to “Golf-1” or “Golf-2.” With pre-tsunami records lost, rebranding is a breeze!

  6. Questionable Job Placements:

    • Physiotherapists moonlight as radio operators. Radios now do morning stretches instead of transmitting signals. (Brilliant upskilling!)

  7. Desperate Measures:

    • Spot a truck? Logisticians sprint after it like kids chasing an ice cream van.

    • Need cement delivered? Just hand a bag to anyone heading to the village. Nails go in pockets, paintbrushes clip onto belts. (Accountability meets creativity!)

  8. Role Reversals:

    • Logisticians now moonlight as shelter engineers, while engineers draft logistics manuals. (Cross-functional synergy!)

    • Drivers can eyeball timber quality like seasoned experts. (UN job applications, here they come!)


Conclusion: Surviving the Circus

In this topsy-turvy world, we’ve mastered the art of turning absurdity into strategy. Who needs roads when you’ve got banana-leaf fashion? Who needs radios when lung power is free? Here’s to the unsung heroes making miracles happen—one illegible Goods Received Form at a time.


Note: All scenarios are fictionalized but uncomfortably close to reality. Names changed to protect the exhausted.

Stay sane,

[Manish]

2 comments:

  1. Sirji Badhiya, Aaj padha article.

    ReplyDelete
  2. thanks sirjee!!! ye maine sharekiya tha emails but probably before you joined calang... or you may have missed.... :) Vita picked up the hint of "physiotherapist" !!

    ReplyDelete