Civvie street sucks arrse....

[RangdoOfArg]

Back to the OP: turn up, do as you are told, take the money and go home. And repeat. Just like the army, really, but it’s easier to walk away from. It’s as easy as that.
The only issue is when you think that your work defines who you are, and you believe that your position in a company makes you important, or even worse, irreplaceable. Then you have lost it.

 

[samain11]

Dong-A trucks and all Chinese kit as far as I recall.
View attachment 444283
Here:
View attachment 444288

Looking at that truck, was it air-cooled? seems a bit counter-intuitive for desert countries but I found that Magirus Deutz engines worked really well in Libya, not being prone to intercooler problems from heavily mineralised well water being used in cooling systems etc.
It is reminiscent of the style of MOL trucks...knock-off?

 

[samain11]

Q-Land?

Never thought I would hear that again, they spent millions on it and the teething problems were epic. Give them their due though, Schlumberger would put their money where their mouth was...good company to work for, well Western Geco was. The wireline guys whinged like hell despite the money they were on.

 

[lastwalt]

Never thought I would hear that again, they spent millions on it and the teething problems were epic. Give them their due though, Schlumberger would put their money where their mouth was...good company to work for, well Western Geco was.

Yeah, they did the same with UniQ. Around 2013, in a break from the traditional strategy, they decided to offer UniQ for sale commercially. I think they sold one system.

 

[StBob072]

Back to the OP: turn up, do as you are told, take the money and go home. And repeat. Just like the army, really, but it’s easier to walk away from. It’s as easy as that.

Not so easy when you know you are being given bullshit tasks to do simply to keep up their establishment, I've had to leave a couple of jobs like that to save my own sanity!

(Well I think it partly worked ...)

 

[pinback2001]

Back to the OP: turn up, do as you are told, take the money and go home. And repeat. Just like the army, really, but it’s easier to walk away from. It’s as easy as that.
The only issue is when you think that your work defines who you are, and you believe that your position in a company makes you important, or even worse, irreplaceable. Then you have lost it.

Treat a job as a means to finance things you enjoy. Nothing more

 

[anglo]

His promotion times are from the last century

Wrong, smart arse, 1960 onward

 

[samain11]

Yeah, they did the same with UniQ. Around 2013, in a break from the traditional strategy, they decided to offer UniQ for sale commercially. I think they sold one system.

After my time, I left in 2007 after getting transferred to Saudi where all the fun went out of it, plus one of our Filipino watchmen got gang raped by three Saudi drivers one night and we couldn't do a damn thing about it apart from never having a guy on duty on his own again, ******* terrible place to work IMO.
Also I had just got vested in the pension scheme...so not all noble intent I am afraid.

 

[lastwalt]

After my time, I left in 2007 after getting transferred to Saudi where all the fun went out of it, plus one of our Filipino watchmen got gang raped by three Saudi drivers one night and we couldn't do a damn thing about it apart from never having a guy on duty on his own again, ******* terrible place to work IMO.
Also I had just got vested in the pension scheme...not all noble intent I am afraid.

Christ, that’s grim!
I’m still in the business, with a certain well know French equipment manufacturer, but it’s really shite these days.

 

[samain11]

Christ, that’s grim!
I’m still in the business, with a certain well know French equipment manufacturer, but it’s really shite these days.

CGG?

 

[lastwalt]

CGG?

Sercel, but yeah, part of CGG

 

[RangdoOfArg]

Not so easy when you know you are being given bullshit tasks to do simply to keep up their establishment, I've had to leave a couple of jobs like that to save my own sanity!

(Well I think it partly worked ...)

One should only do things that may be detrimental to one‘s health for selfish reasons, eg drug-taking. If it’s for someone else, tell them to shove it, and move on.
******* (and ****** organisations) can go to hell without taking you with them.

 

[windswept398]

Hi everyone,

Just need a but if old fart advice from some of you longer in the teeth.

I left service two years ago and I can't hold a ******* job down! Is something wrong with me?!?!!

I hate not working, it makes me feel worth less and shit.

But I keep getting good jobs and just keep ******* up, I just don't get civvie street at all! Had about 7 jobs in two years, all good jobs too!

Anyone else experience this upon leaving service, please tell me I'm not the only one

I work my balls off, always on time, dressed smartly etc but I just make stupid **** ups and can't seem to get on with civvies.

One ex sauaddie turns up and were instant best mates... No idea what's going on in my head but something's not working ..

REGARDS, Ben

I know what you mean. I was the same.

But then I remembered one of the first lessons I was taught in the army

'Improvise, overcome, adapt'

Pull yourself together frog.

 

[samain11]

Christ, that’s grim!
I’m still in the business, with a certain well know French equipment manufacturer, but it’s really shite these days.

I quite liked the early days in Libya, no comms to speak of (VHF and SSB radio), I remember driving 4 hours from the survey area into Ubari to make a 10 minute phone call home. Big latrine pit with a couple of chickens (dead) thrown in to get the decomposition started ( junior staff preferred to surface lay around their tents), puffer rigs with explosives when we couldn't get the vibes in. Dropping a fly camp off with a 1000ltr water bladder and hoping that I could get a resupply in before they died.....great days.
It is also where I learned to make flash out of bakers yeast and just about anything else, usually tinned tomato paste, put through a still converted from a window aircon unit. Gestated the mash in a 200 gal oil drum hidden amongst the POL stores.

 

[lastwalt]

I quite liked the early days in Libya, no comms to speak of, I remember driving 4 hours from the survey area into Ubari to make a 10 minute phone call home. Big latrine pit with a couple of chickens (dead) thrown in to get the decomposition started ( junior staff preferred to surface lay around their tents), puffer rigs with explosives when we couldn't get the vibes in. Dropping a fly camp off with a 1000ltr water bladder and hoping that I could get a resupply in before they died.....great days.
It is also where I learned to make moonshine out of bakers yeast and just about anything else, usually tinned tomato paste, but through a still converted from a window aircon unit. Gestated the mash in a 200 gal oil drum hidden amongst the POL stores.

Yeah, had jobs like that with BGP in China in the early 2000’s, in the Qaidam Pendi and Shaanxi. Interesting times. Not much of that left now, and HSE generally won’t let us anywhere near crews working in the more exotic location.

 

[samain11]

Yeah, had jobs like that with BGP in China in the early 2000’s, in the Qaidam Pendi and Shaanxi. Interesting times. Not much of that left now, and HSE generally won’t let us anywhere near crews working in the more exotic location.

HSE....I curse them.... pen, paper and shiny arse.

 

[samain11]

As an ex-soldier I would say only that I fitted in well with the crew I joined in the 90's, most were adventurous civvies ( brits, aussies, kiwis with a couple of germans and dutch) who were bloody good at what they did and didn't mind living like vagrants. We did an 8 and 4 rotation and because Tripoli Airport was closed because of sanctions, I usually got an overnight in a 4 star in Djerba to clean up before getting home, otherwise I would have turned up at home looking like either Beau Geste's Grandad or an old photo of the LRDG. I worked near Jalu once and there was still an old rolls royce engined generator there from WW2.

 

[smallbrownprivates]

I quite liked the early days in Libya, no comms to speak of (VHF and SSB radio), I remember driving 4 hours from the survey area into Ubari to make a 10 minute phone call home. Big latrine pit with a couple of chickens (dead) thrown in to get the decomposition started ( junior staff preferred to surface lay around their tents), puffer rigs with explosives when we couldn't get the vibes in. Dropping a fly camp off with a 1000ltr water bladder and hoping that I could get a resupply in before they died.....great days.
It is also where I learned to make flash out of bakers yeast and just about anything else, usually tinned tomato paste, put through a still converted from a window aircon unit. Gestated the mash in a 200 gal oil drum hidden amongst the POL stores.

Yeah, had jobs like that with BGP in China in the early 2000’s, in the Qaidam Pendi and Shaanxi. Interesting times. Not much of that left now, and HSE generally won’t let us anywhere near crews working in the more exotic location.

That brings some memories back - on a great GGS crew in North Africa a few years back (aka all the functional alcoholics Western Geco released...).
The Mechanics had various wines brewing in their stores, they flatly refused to ever give the client rep a workshop induction to keep them clear.
Black water went through a metal tank with internal baffles - frozen chicken per section to get it all going.
Cheaper chinese crews came in thereafter and SLB have flogged off Western

 

[lastwalt]

That brings some memories back - on a great GGS crew in North Africa a few years back (aka all the functional alcoholics Western Geco released...).
The Mechanics had various wines brewing in their stores, they flatly refused to ever give the client rep a workshop induction to keep them clear.
Black water went through a metal tank with internal baffles - frozen chicken per section to get it all going.
Cheaper chinese crews came in thereafter and SLB have flogged off Western

WG Marine group flogged off to Shearwater, but Land was just shut down. I think there is one crew finishing off outstanding contract obligation, but when that’s done, it’s all over. They bought 28 new vibes from Inova and another from Sercel only 18 months or so ago as well.
CGG have done the same. Marine acquisition rolled into Shearwater, and the land acquisition group dissolved.

 

[truck_trasher]

Go self employed ! suffer working for someone else to get some capital together ( dont borrow shed loads of cash to start up) then give them two fingers , then all your efforts will benefit you , go to night school to learn a bit about small business management if you think you need to.

Also get a mortgage before you are self employed if you dont have one as its nearly impossible when you are .

This !! I managed it by accident (large scale redundancies) but it is something that needs careful planning usually.