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My first outstation trip as a Graduate Engineer Trainee in 1991 turned out to be unforgettable—just not for the reasons I expected.

I had just joined a reputed engineering firm in Bengaluru and was asked to design an automatic dish-washing system for the company canteen. For a rookie engineer, it was thrilling: multiple stations, detergents, hot and cold water, washing thousands of plates daily. Standing at the drawing board alongside seasoned draughtsmen, I felt like a star in a technical movie.

A couple of weeks later, my seniors decided I should see a factory with an operational automatic dish-washer. Off we went—a group of five, including the Head of Tool Engineering—to a factory in Hosur, 50 km away. The ride was filled with nonstop technical chatter. I listened, fascinated, while trying not to look clueless.

Finally, we arrived. The host HR manager led us to the canteen and proudly announced, “We have an automatic washing system!”

Cue the drumroll…

We were led to the back, where three elderly ladies were scrubbing plates by hand. Silence. Confusion. My seniors’ faces went red, purple, maybe even maroon. Trying to salvage dignity, they asked about boilers, steam pressure, water hardness, insulation—anything that might make this look like a technical visit.

On the drive back, the truth emerged. Our HR contact, with his distinctive accent, had said “automatic wash”. The host heard “automatic watch”. And since they did make automatic watches, the visit had made perfect sense to them.

I learned two lessons that day:

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