I had a surprise message from an old friend in the USA . He had randomly come across my book on Amazon and read it with great interest. We hadn’t communicated in almost 45 years. He has since passed the link to a mutual friend in Texas who has responded very positively.

All this caused a flood of memories from our time as work colleagues in Tulsa Oklahama. I was the young, wide eyed engineer hoping to learn about the oil and gas industry. Looking back to 1974 in the middle of the world’s great oil crisis I could only respond to the immediate work tasks without understanding the context of world economic turmoil. I discovered my education and work methods were very different to the Tulsa environment. Computers were new and modelling systems for gas extraction novel. I was met at the airport on my arrival with my family by my old boss from the Sydney gas pipeline project. JV Ray was from Louisiana and wanted me on his project. I protested that I was here to learn. He said the systems we had developed in Australia were better than those in the states. And so my exposure to an engineering life in a different culture began. My family had similar experiences. Bussing of children for school was in progress to speed integration and the Cherokee Indian presence gave Oklahama a very mixed culture. As Australians we were recognised always in the shopping centre mainly by the kids clothes. This was very positive as Tulsans saw Australia as the America they new decades earlier.

I would encourage all young engineers to work in different cultures as it will make you a much better team member for your work.