Author: Jayesh

Visit to Boeing Factory, Seattle

    • Visited the Boeing Factory in Seattle on 14th May, 2018 with Maahir, Shourya and Purvi.
    • Boeing started in 1916, in Seattle
    • The Boeing factory where they produce the commercial passenger aircrafts is the largest closed enclosure in the world – the factory shed is 98 acres, the size of 75 football fields.
    • At this factory they produce, the 747, 767, 777 and the 787. The factory has a production capacity of 170 aircrafts a year; one 747 every month, and 14 nos of 787s each month. They could produce more, if the engines, which are manufactured by GE and Rolls-Royce are delivered to them faster.
    • How do they number the different models. Say – 747
      • The first 7 stands for the series of commercial passenger aircrafts. The 6 series is for Defence aircrafts, the 5 series for Helicopters, the 1 series for Propeller Aircrafts.
      • The second digit, 4, stands for the model no. As of now, the latest model no. is 8, that corresponds to the 787
      • The third digit is 7… Why? Just because it sounds cool.
      • For the 787, and the 777, they also have 787-7, 787-8, 787-9, and likewise, passenger capacity increasing in the ascending order.
    • The 747 is the largest aircraft, capable of accommodating up to 600 passengers. It’s made up of an aluminum body. The wings hold up to 80,000 liters of fuel, giving it a non stop flying time of 14 hours.
    • The 787, also called as the DreamLiner, is manufactured using a carbon composite fibre, which is lighter than aluminum and stronger than steel. This carbon composite fibre, is more than 50% of the aircraft weight.
    • One 787 can be turned around each day. The components of the 787, are manufactured from countries around the globe, and brought to the Seattle factory, using an aircraft which is called as the DreamLifter. Boeing has 4 DreamLifters.
    • The beauty about how they build the 787, is that everything comes to the factory is modules, which get assembled in to the aircraft is quick time.
    • The 777, is still under testing and has not been delivered to any customer as yet, but Boeing still has many orders and many aircrafts under production. They follow, lean manufacturing techniques, while building this aircraft, which is made up of Aluminum body, and composite fibre. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered in 2020.
    • Once the aircraft is manufactured, Boeing generally does just one internal test flight, before inviting the customer to take one, before the aircraft is delivered.
    • A 747, is typical sold at USD 400 million, without the engines. Engines cost extra.
    Watch this video of how the aircrafts are manufactured at the Boeing factory

    Watching the Sun Set…


    As I watched the Sun set this evening, what struck me was how the rising sun, which brings in so much warmth, energy and sunshine each morning; fades away into oblivion every evening, bringing in a sense of calm and tranquility. The setting sun goes down quietly, with the satisfaction of having completed a hard day’s work, allowing the night to take over ; with the confidence that it will rise again tomorrow, and take charge of a new day, starting afresh with a new beginning.

    Pappu Kaka

    Pappu Kaka, that’s what he was to our generation – ever cheerful, jovial and generous. The youngest of the four brothers, everyone else in the family affectionately called him Pappu. At work, he was respectfully called as Balraj Sir – never a boss, he was everyone’s best friend, a true mentor who would endlessly keep sharing his experiences; but a tough and loud task master when work demanded. To Evelyn aunty, he was Raj; for Micky and Avi he was a loving Papa, always there for them.
    As a kid, I would always count on him to help me with drawings. He had a good hand – in drawing and handwriting. When Grandma was diagnosed with cancer, he took upon him to accompany her for all the treatments. With his witty humor and hearty smile, he had the remarkable ability to quickly make friends and make an ever lasting impression. His, was the first love marraige in our family – clearing the way for the rest of us. A complete family man, who put the wishes of others before his own.
    A mechanical engineer by qualification, from the prestigious Birla Vishwakarma Mahavidyalaya (BVM), Anand, he started his professional career at the Mazgaon Dock. For the rest of his life, he was the pillar of strength at Unique Mixers, our manufacturing business. He was the man on the floor – leading, managing and controlling the factory operations. His favourite subjects were engineering drawing and geometry, putting them to good use at all times. He was a master, when it came to matters pertaining to central excise. He was very popular amongst our customers, who found him approachable. Vendors called him Pappu Seth.
    To me, he was my first mentor, when I joined the factory in 2003 – while Dad was recovering from his cardiac ailment. He remained one for the rest of his life, always lending a ear to my challenges and doing the best he could to help me.
    Pappukaka was emotional. He listened with empathy. He was somebody, who would not think twice, before lending a helping hand – at his own cost and risk. It was only after he was gone, that we learned from the people he helped, about his many good deeds. With people and work, he always had a sixth sense – more often than not, he was right in his judgment. Yet, there were many who also took advantage of his goodness – only to be forgiven. He never took things seriously.
    It’s more than two years now, since he left us. If he would have been around, we would be celebrating his 62nd Birthday today. Knowing him, the way he was, he would still want us to celebrate.
    Happy Birthday Pappu Kaka. We miss you.

    I Just Got Better At Heart

    Looks like it’s time to break the news….I just got better at heart.

    What started with a gastric pain and an additional effort in breathing, and a couple of spasms in the chest area, on the morning of 2nd September, and again on the evening of 3rd September, concluded with a CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft) or simply a by-pass surgery on 11th September. “Strong family history,” was the reason attributed to my cardiac disease.

    I was fortunate that in my case, we didn’t encounter any serious emergencies, and could prepare and plan for the surgery, without being under severe stress. The prayers, with extremely positive support from family and friends, along with good and timely medical advise, took me through the challenging phase pre and post surgery. All’s well now and the road to recovery continues to be good. I have been advised 6 weeks of rest, before I can get back to routine.

    I am sharing this note, to summarize my personal experiences which some of you may find useful :

    With the experience I had, I would strongly advise not to ignore any medical symptoms. Get yourself examined at a good and well equipped hospital, (this is extremely important) at the earliest. I went to the hospital only because my Doctor friend Mitesh Shah advised me to. What I presumed to be simply a gastric pain for two days (this is only one of the many symptoms, please read the others)- turned up as a slightly abnormal ECG, but an extremely positive blood test (Trop-i), which confirmed that something unusual had happened to the heart.

    I emphasize the importance of a good and equipped hospital, because on the basis of my ECG, a smaller clinic or nursing home (I wonder if I could have got to one on Sunday night at 10 pm) would probably have let me go with some prescribed medication. At Dr L.H.Hiranandani hospital in Powai, I was provided with all the emergency treatment and was fortunate to examined by a cardiologist who happened to be in then. Once things were in control, we decided to get admitted later that night to the Jaslok Hospital, under Dad’s cardiologist, whom we have complete faith in. While getting to the hospital, please take due consideration of the nature of the emergency – unfortunately, our ambulances still don’t come in time, and may not be fully equipped. Timing is most critical.

    Dad’s cardiologist performed the Angiography on 4th September. The outcome, 3 blocks – 60 to 70% in the Left Artery. At my age (40), and with reasonably good and stable health parameters, the cardiologist advised a by-pass surgery as the most superior treatment with long term benefits. He said, it was not an emergency and I could take a few days, weeks, if needed. Having complete faith in the ability, experience and treatment of the Doctor you choose for yourself, is the other important aspect. Because we did, (surely with a family discussion) it helped us in making the important decision easier and faster.

    A week thereafter, on 11th September, my surgery was performed by the same surgeon who had performed Dad’s CABG in 2009. Only difference, was that the surgery was performed at Lilavati Hospital, based on the surgeon’s preference. The Doctors’ skills and treatment, the health care at the hospital, the post-surgical physiotherapy, in combination with the advances in medical technology made a positive difference. At this point, I wish to make a very special mention on the extreme care and attention, and the untiring effort, by the nurses in the ICU – they were the catalysts in the recovery process. I had set my goals (Vivek Savla’s lifetime lesson) and recovery milestones for the hospital stay, prior to being admitted for surgery – these manifested with the blessings of The Lord. I was discharged from the hospital on 17th September, and have been at home since then.

    I have been extremely blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by positivity of the family and cheerfulness of my friends (lead by Sachin Chandak – Mr Nitrous Oxide) all around. An army of my Doctor friends (Dr Mitesh Shah, Dr Amit Shah, Dr Shrenik Shah, Dr. Rashmi Shah, Dr Urmi Gada) took charge whenever needed. And while there were times when there was anxiety and pain, being able to mediate then was a blessing that helped me remain positive. Above all, there was Purvi by my side all the time, making sure that I remain, calm, equanimous, and cheerful.

    Life is Beautiful

    Thank You All. God Bless.

    P.S. – Many of you reading this note, would be shocked to hear about the event. Very few (including near and dear ones) knew about it, until post-surgery. In the last few days, we have been receiving calls from many well wishers. You can be reassured that I am doing fine, and will be back in action, in time, with renewed vigour, energy and enthusiasm. Until then, the medical protocols will need to be followed.

    Cheers to Life

    The Lord has departed – We couldn’t receive His blessings

    Ganesh Visarjan 2 Ganesh Visarjan 1 Ganesh VisarjanGanesh Visarjan 4

    We invited Lord Ganesha to our world and He was with us for 10 days. We said our prayers, religiously every morning and evening, we changed our busy routines and schedules.  We set aside the mechanical rush of the modern world, just to be heard by the Lord.  Today, Lord Ganesha has departed, but we couldn’t receive his blessing. The Lord spoke to us, but we couldn’t hear Him. We stood near him, but he couldn’t see us.

    He didn’t hear us because we surrounded Him with deafening sounds; he didn’t see us because of the glaring lights. And even as we bid farewell to the Lord today, and said our last prayers with emotions of joy and sadness, we gave Him a grand send-off with loud live bands and high decibels from loudspeakers that played cheap bollywood movie songs.

    We live in the “Age of noise”. Physical noise, mental noise and the noise of desire.  We are surrounded by the ringing of telephones, the clatter of keyboards, loud TV volumes, and high decibel sounds from vehicles on the road. Particles of noise cling to our souls – and they can only be cleansed in the waters of silence.

    The living saint, Dada J.P. Vaswani writes, “I like to think of still, profound silence as personal, intimate appointment with God. And for those who wish to walk the way of spirituality, silence is the first and simplest step of the path. Silence is not just the absence of sound; silence has its own being; it is with you, within you. Silence is the language of the soul. Silence is two-fold, there is outer silence which is freedom from noise and there is inner silence which is freedom from clamour and desires. Silence cleanses. Silence heals, Silence strengthens, Silence reveals.”

    It’s time that we realize that Lord speaks to us through silence. It is only in the depths of silence can we hear His Divine voice – not in the clamour and noise of this world. The most essential ingredient in prayer is not words, but the silence of the communion.”

    Lord Bless us with silence.