pinch punch first of the month say white rabbit

01 Novemeber, say white rabbit before the day is out. Enter November, enter my favourite month of the year, it's my favourite because it was when we finished exams at university and shook hands and begun a three and a half month break, no matter what life holds install for you, if you have had that experience, you won't be able to dispell it from your system.

November signified holiday and months of it, it also signified the beginning of summer, it is jeans and t-shirt weather, not yet t-shirt and shorts, still 'summer' with a little paranoia, when no matter how hot it is, you still take a top with you where ever you go. And November although it has that feeling that the end is near (the end of the year) it isn't full of year end chores and functions like December.

So hence my liking for November which has one other important facet to it, it has the birthdays of two really good friends in it, one who is in the UK and was for a very long time the only Scorpio that I knew, apparently Scorpio and Cancer produce the best babies in the zodiac - that's real darwinism.

The blues have passed and my first items of business today is to post something(s) and to remind you of the fact that it's a pinch, punch, day today, so say it if you want to have a good November.

the e to the m to the me

If you can find, Chet Baker's, Ann Wonderful One, on cd buy the album if only for that song which is a great companion for when you may be feeling sad. Sadness not to be confused with depression, is reflective, contemplative, gentle and deeply personal, who knows what brings it on but this Sunday it arrived at my door and I welcomed it in, like an old friend whom I hadn't seen for an age.

I have had this urge for an ounce of solitude for a little while now but the month simply hasn't afforded me that luxury, its been one of those month's that has felt like it has lasted slightly longer than the 31 days on the calendar.

My sadness is not office bound, my office personae is professional and moderate, it's not the hardest thing for me to divorce, personal is private and work is work and public, the two I seldom mix. And anyway my work personae is much more vain, it requires anti-aging creams and a 100% carrot juice daily in order for me to look and feel good while dealing with some of the bluntest tools in the shed.

But this evening I have my Chet Baker playing and I am thinking about a person, who I had certain hopes for and who is blossoming but circumstances are conspiring against me, and no matter how I wish it, it ain't gonna happen - and I am momentarily and unreservedly simply sadden by the outcome, although my imagination continues to see a different reality and that little voice doggedly whispers that, "you will …that…"

On Sunday night the last thing that I did as I waited for Monday to arrive was watch an episode of the second series of Northern Exposure, which continues to be absolutely brilliant. In this episode Ed together with a 'spirit come elder' sets out in search of his parents who left him behind as a baby and even though the spirit who has assisted on many of life's searches can't help Ed find the answer, he does however tell him to keep his eye on the road and that the answer will come.

I, like Ed, remain hopeful in the knowledge that my sadness will depart even if we don't find a resolution to my conundrum but that the reality I imagine will come.

Later tonight in an endeavour to snap out of this little funk I intend watching some football with my good friend Ben (Oswest) who will be reading tomorrow at 18h00 (Baobab Books, Baobab Mall, 210 Long Street). Will it be about pathos, longing, work or football? I don't know? I guess you just have to get down to the venue to find out for yourself.

Happy trick aah treating.

my month end data cleanse

There are people out there that find that cleaning relaxes them, that it suitably distracts them from their reality for long enough to dispense of any manifested frustration. I am not one of those people, there are other activities that I find relaxing and cleaning isn't one of them, it's a chore that I attend to when I need to and that is that.

So you can imagine my affinity for spending my whole day scrubbing data in order for it to more closely reflect 'reality,' mind numbing stuff.

The demand for data intensifies as the month progresses, no month end would be complete without doing some data export into excel and pivoting it. Once you have mastered the language of numbers its preparation is something, just like cleaning that should be left to those people, who enjoy doing it.

These days we spend an infinite amount of time attempting to make 'pure, rational, data driven decisions' but very seldom live the consequences. In your personal life, you live your decisions, you instinctively assimilate and decide in the knowledge that it's your bed and no matter how cliched you have to sleep in it. Business decisions though are often removed of this type of consequence, of course there are consequences but you don't always have to live with the outcomes.

And as somebody near the top of the food chain recently pointed out: 'What has happened to the company which used to take 80% of the data? We now take 150% of the data, miss the opportunity and then are still talking about it!'

preventing anarchy

Yesterday I bought a DVD writer which is lightscribe (the laser prints onto the cd's face) enabled but it took me an absolute age to get it to work. Eventually after googling for new drivers which I downloaded and installed it sorted itself out but unfortunately my scribbles were saved to draft and only published today.

Yesterday, the newspaper headlines where all about the efficiency of tax collection which we now enjoy and how this additional monies will be allocated in the medium term, up until 2009, our famous three year plan.

The Revenue has undergone a complete 360 degree change particularly with regard to the service which it provides us the taxpayers, it's friendly and organised. It's not the old revenue of bureaucratic forms and 15h30 closures irrespective of the queuing hoards waiting to be served.

Better service, the simplification of the tax rules, the clever usage of amnesty windows and good management has largely brought about this change where the country now has a R30 billion surplus of tax revenue.

But going to the Revenue it's still not a fun journey to make I visited the Receiver's offices on the Tuesday to get a tax clearance for the purchase of company shares, and since I do my bit for anarchy avoidance it took me less than 30 minutes, I still qualified for free parking.

So where are the monies going to be spent? The bulk is going towards services (policing, housing and health) and infrastructure development while some will find it's way towards telecoms and stadia revival for the 2010 cup.

Lets hope that just like the collectors, the rest of the government departments can begin function on the same premise of better service delivery for the people who pay their salaries because we still have a very long journey ahead of us but at least there is now a visible model which can and should be replicated.

"never let your past impede your future success or holiday aspirations"

Ca va?

Comme ci comme ca.

Comme ci comme ca working days are my least favourite type of day, these are the days when you discretely zone out with you headphones on and practice a bit of presenteeism - surf the net in between scheduled meetings not worrying if people notice. There is no point in starting anything significant because you don't feel like it and the calendar has construed to tangle every 30 minutes of your free time with two hour long discussions.

I know that when I begin to think about winning the lottery that it's time to take a break and put in for a day's leave. My biggest problem is that we are beginning to ramp up now as we close the year out so from now until the second week of December it's going to be a slog, a battle to get the year end into any sort of summer shape that is worth flaunting.

The business year has got its cycles and this is that cycle when your mind is on your holidays but your focus needs to be securing your performance contract so that you can afford to go on holiday - it's ironic but that realisation hardly helps when you need to get it done and you don't have the inclination.

A good friend of the family, who has staff to look after was telling me that this time of the year her husband has to push her out of the car in the morning to get going, I don't have that problem, I look out at the ocean and then realise that if I want to continue to enjoy this view that I better get going but it's hard when your heart's not in it.

So thank and the 'lord of the jungle' that it's Friday and we can soon begin our short reprieve away from the office et al.

Take care on the roads and be safe.

our auditors and our coffee

Debit to the window, credit to the door, journalise everything else, it use to be so simple, O=A+L.

The building is filling up with auditors, as we approach year end, they are visibly justifying their fees. It now takes up to 12 months before our financials statements are signed off, what happened? When did it all get so very complicated?

Lawyers and Accountants are the only two types of professionals who you will see on the directors lists of most company letterheads. These professions have this ability to get in there, even if they don't have the required skill sets they worm there way into the space. It all stems from a very efficient graduate training scheme, where they take on batches of graduates, pay them a minimum wage and then release them like spores into host industries. Of course, their predecessors pull them in, employing who they know and so the cycle continues unabated.

One of the outcomes is increasing complexity in almost every facet of business, because they need to create "rules" that are designed around their core competencies - accountants count the "dead men" while lawyers "create and handle any disputes on the battlefield."

My background is construction management and in my final year of university we had one of the old wise men present a new course called 'Construction Law.' He said that in his days (which were not that long ago) there was no such thing, contracts were written on a piece of paper which stated that one party would construct the building by such a date for such an amount of money and that the other party would pay 'x' by way of compensation, they shook hands (old skool) and this piece of paper was then tucked away in a file in the bottom draw.

When we started the course he said that, he knew of three textbooks which had been written on the subject but that many more would 'soon' follow because companies were now organising their business' to include a legal team who would handle (and create) their disputes.

In his time they never had lawyers (or accountants) to complicate matters, they knew what was required and they got on with it. Of course things evolve but this evolution isn't as glamorous or effective as people suggest. And as proof, today we've got a group of at least 20 people here and they are going to be here for the next four months at least - doing what? Checking up on things, I guess we do like our auditors and I think that they like being here, it must be the free coffee.

i'm feelin' yah

A good friend of mine who works in big-bad-consulting, tells this great story of how he was introduced to the 'African' handshake.

Shortly after he arrived in our little fishing village from Ireland, he was escorted to a meeting where apon being introduced he offered his hand in greeting and instead of that old fashioned firm handshake that he was use to, his hand was gripped, rolled, twisted and shook and before he could contemplate what had happened it was over.

In the meeting that followed all that he could think about was the dynamics of this new handshake which he was mentally trying to reconstruct. He hoped that he would be able to get another chance to get it 'right' at the end of the meeting but instead of shaking again the parties simply left much to his disappointment.

After explaining it to me I tried to show him but my version but this wasn't up to scratch and our new resident expert then proceeded to school me in the art of shaking hands - that's big bad consulting for you.

Today I shook hands with another consultant but it was the 'old skool', grip and squeeze, none of that, "I'm feeling you darhg, I'm feelin' yah," much to my disapointment.

my sunday research - the mini is back in fashion

There's a breeze coming off the ocean and it's most welcome, I have been baking in the confines of my living room for most of the afternoon - I am "coming down" with something.

The cool air is a wonderful, evening, potion and is certainly helping my spirit which is on the wrong side of grumpy. I am very grumpy when I am sick, so this afternoon spent trying to keep it at bay has been extremely frustrating because it's such a lovely day, a day to be out there and not to be cornered in the sauna of my lounge, listening to the new Koop album and watching Fashion Tv on mute.

The fashion industry and it's associated 'value' chain know how to do renewal and the rest of industry can learn a thing or two about how to be eternally glamorous. Here is an industry which unashameably changes colours, cuts, weights and 'the look' every season and we the en vogue populous rush out and ensure that we are 'in.' Our (big-bad-et-al's) best and most pathetic take on renewal is reorganising the deck chairs on the Titanic every 18 months as we embark on a 'new' strategy - nothing glamorous or attractive about that pursuit of 'happiness.'

The mini is back 'in,' again, I never knew it was out of fashion but if that isn't a reason enough to get "better" then I don't know what will spur me on to find my health again.

Being sick is so limiting - I don't want sympathy, I don't want empathy, I just that right concoction of "stuff" that will get rid of it, here's hoping a good night's rest and a hot totty will free me from the realms of Fashion TV.

what constitutes good service

It may be a long list but if I were drawing it up, then there are three things that in my opinion I would have near the top of that list of "we don't know, what we don't know." So in no particular order, just like the results of a beauty pageant:

1. What good public transportation feels like;
2. What constitutes good service and;
3. Controversially, what it feels like to be safe in our own environment.

These things maybe as a direct or indirect result of our political past which includes isolation and economic disparity, our geographic location and our culture which is hard to define but something which I am hoping that you'll nod and say, "I know what you mean."

Good public transportation and safety we'll save for another day, it is Friday after all, and all that I want to do today is throw my gadgets out of the 'pad' because I got such atrocious service from big-bad-telecommunications - 'please press 1 to return to the main menu, if you have heard this one before.'

Almost 24 months ago I decided to buy-into mobile data technologies. This was linked to the work that I was doing at the time and also tied into my strong desire of not having a landline in the abode. So when a certain, Telecoms company launched the first 3-g (3rd generation) data card service, I did some investigation and then decided to take the plunge. A plunge that was not without expense and teething but all in all I was pleased with the outcome, particularly so when the service provider got the drivers that "spoke" to the devices, which in turn lead to greater "stability."

Now being the first data provider, I knew that I had to make peace with some of their monopolistic indulgences, like: the inability to check data balances, the inability to buy ad-hoc data bundles and their reluctance to "roll-over" any surplus or unused data that may have accrued in the month.

Clearly, "we don't know what we don't know" because had this company tried this in many other geographies it would have gone bang, and in Asia it would probably have ended up in the cut-make-and-trim industry because it wouldn't have been able to 'cut' it in the Telecommunications industry.

So bad service is not only about the after sales service but also the arrogance of bringing a bad product offering to the market.

Still 'pioneers' have to put up with a little pooh which is what I did and now the market is maturing and other technologies will soon invade this space, look out for "wireless;" "Wimax" and maybe even "satellite" which will increase your options and potentially drive better service. But that discussion like good public transportation and safely is for another day.

Today, 22 months later, I was ready to sign an extension thinking that similar to upgrading voice, there must be something in it for me, what am I going to get in return for being trapped in an expensive data conundrum? According to 'something'-com nothing!

Nothing for signing on for another 24 months at R500 pm minimum. What about a new phone or something else by way of promotion - not nothing but arrogant bad service, from helpdesk to sales agent when I enquire.

I haven't yet given them my "feedback" but I shall, I do believe in complaining and I do believe in writing it down but not when I am annoyed, let the annoyance pass, I don't want to be accused of being emotional as well, but I shall seductively make the point by informing them of their oversight and of the fact that I intend moving to the competition, who are not yet as good but who are "recruiting" and Christmas is a good time for product recruiting and freebie incentives.

So that was my Friday, no fish or frivolity just yet, just five minutes of complaint.

Here's wishing you a bon weekend, be safe and take care.

what happens when you miss your first espresso

I have spent the better part of the morning piecing together an agenda for a team meeting and surreally it reminded me of the television series 24. Clearly I am no Keiffer Sutherland because my “24 hours” would not enthrall anybody, I include myself on that list but I thought that since I am doing an agenda, I would give “reality TV” 24 a bit of a go, you will have to imagine hearing the silly the music and that even sillier typing sounds as the plot thickens.

08h00: Frothy typing sounds, time displayed in luminous green. Alarm 1, alarm 1 ignored. Alarm 2, alarm 2 ignored. Alarm 3, time check, alarm 3 ignored. Alarm 4, the final alarm, time check, sleep for another 10 minutes random thought, alarm ignored.

09h00: Camera pans to bed and abruptly stops at face. Still sleeping, frothy typing sounds, time displayed in luminous green, 09h10, I get up, find my specs, check the time, 09h13. Find the stereo, put on some music, make an espresso, log-on to the network, and check the runners on the promenade. Then a quick shower as you go to an ad break and a female voice announces that 24 will be back shortly. 09h45 dressed, typing and shaving (mulit-tasking, so take notes, look I said I wasn’t Keiffer Sutherland).

10h00: Cellphone number sounds, I am dialing into a conference call – “the leader hasn’t activated, please hold and press hash” (it’s legal). An aerial shot of the cars driving by and then the camera comes swooping in and abruptly stops at me as I am introducing myself and the call begins…

Phone is on speaker mode, so I can hear but it’s muted, I need another espresso, I am doing more email. THEN suddenly *6, somebody wants to know something from South Africa …s@%t! Adrenaline rush, “still here, just trying to unmute…”Frothy typing sounds, time in luminous green 10h43, I start the car and change the soundtrack, I am off to headquarters.

Reality big-bad-oil-and-gas “24” will continue at a later date. This morning I overslept, missed my first espresso and moodily went straight onto a conference call – aarh reality!

I am proud to play for ...

One of my mid week tasks is sorting out my fantasy league team which unfortunately is currently lamenting in mid table in our 'friends and enemies' league.

Sorting out requires a cursory glance at some of the football gossip on the wires and then checking if I am maximising my opportunities at getting the best points return from the upcoming matches. Today I came across this piece on Skysports, where Momo Sissoko, the dynamic, young, Liverpool midfielder talks about playing for Mali and not as Ben Oswest puts it, “Africa’s surrogate” team – France.

Momo goes on to talk about the opportunity which the beautiful game has given him, and how he is determined to improve his ability to fully make use of his circumstances. With 2010 fast approaching, I hope that many more Africans will make a similar choice and through their football entertain and enrich the continent.

“Liverpool's all-action midfielder Mohamed Sissoko insists he is proud to represent Mali despite admitting any player would 'love' to play for France. The 21-year-old star was born near Rouen but was unwilling to wait and see if Les Bleus came calling after he moved to Valencia from Auxerre in 2003.

Sissoko has since represented Mali, but, pressed on the issue of his nationality by the French media, has now admitted he would have been pleased to play for Raymond Domenech's World Cup finalists.

However, the athletic midfielder says he is more than happy representing the African nation and that Mali can stake a real claim for qualification for the 2010 World Cup.

"Anyone would love to play for the French team," Sissoko told L'Equipe. "But I made my choice and it is impossible to go back. I am proud to play for Mali. With Mahamadou Diarra, Kanoute, Seydou Keita, Djimi Traore, Adama Coulibaly, Kante and Eric Chelle we have a big team to, capable of qualifying for 2010 World Cup."

The Reds star also explained how his family is a strong motivation for his on-going success in the world of professional football.

"Every morning my father woke up at 5am to go to the factory," Sissoko revealed. "Getting out of my condition to improve my parents' lives has always been an additional motivation. It is not because I am playing at Liverpool that I believe I've made it. Football gave me an opportunity but I have worked hard to seize it and I won’t give up and not go on."

http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=422793&CPID=219&clid=368&lid=2&title=Sissoko+happy+with+Mali+choice

Footnote - Taking an Ad Break:

Ben Oswest will be reading on 01 Novemeber 2006. It's an rsvp event but I will slip you out the odd glass of wine if you just happened to rock up, tis Africa after all - yes, I'll be the one wearing blue...

Baobab Books invites you to a reading by Ben Oswest -
Wednesday 1st November 2006 5.30 for 6.00pm
Henrietta Rose-Innes will introduce Oswest's novel,
The New Suffolk Hymnbook
The book will be on sale and Ben will be happy to sign your copies

Come join us for a glass of wine, Baobab Books, Baobab Mall, 210 Long Street.

RSVP Julie Aitchison
Telephone 4223894
firsted@iafrica.com

my rather choppy early employment career

This morning I was on a call with a friend and she was telling me that she had resigned, and I said, "Good!"

Resignation to the fact that something is not for you is not the easiest thing in the world, because it requires courage to cut your loses so to speak. Often though it's a necessary step that you need to take at some point in your work 'career' and more pronouncedly at equally important junctions in your life, the only real difference is that you don't do it via a silly formal letter stating your intentions of moving on.

I resigned from my first job, in big-bad-NGO, after three days of work, for a long time it rated as one of my most embarrassing feats of which there thankfully are few, but now on reflection it was quite a brave and noble thing to do. The NGO facilitated, mentored and instigated action but never ever followed through, that was for the community to do and since the real work was building low income "starter" houses it quickly became apparent to me that very little building would take place and a lot of politicking would instead be its substitute. Perhaps this is the first phase of development but I was young and I needed to be on site doing work, so I resigned, I realised that it was not for me and in that sort of space somebody committed to facilitation needed to take my place.

Then a couple of years later in my rather choppy early employment career, I resigned for the second time and this was such a relief, a huge weight was lifted, the circumstances had become "strained" and I felt increasingly like I wasting my time. Eventually it got to a breaking point and I wrote that letter, which I am sure you can now Google, if you are looking for a template.

There are just times when you need to acknowledge what you already suspect and courageously follow through, it's not easy because circumstance often dictates priorities to the contrary but the future at these trying moments is more often than not a very comforting companion, that same future that generally causes you anxiety because it is unknown, is now your sense of hope and purpose, as you move on to bigger and better things.

some days you drink martinis and think about chasing that girl

Marilyn Monroe sweetly and provocatively sings the Irving Berlin classic, "A man chases a girl," and suggestively she offers the following advice:

A man chases a girl until she catches him. He runs after a girl until he's caught. He fishes for a girl until she's landed him. It all comes out exactly the way she thought. Uncertain, he tags along behind. Uncertain, till she makes up his mind. A man chases a girl until she catches him. But don't run too fast while you are saying "No."And once you've caught him don't ever let him go.

The most likely outcome for the sensible man it would seem is to resign himself to the fact that he is the prey and not the hunter and just to let things unfold naturally because if the lyric is to be believed, passivism may be as fruitful as activism. Personally I don't know the outcome I just occasionally dabble at both ends of the spectrum depending on my mood.

Juxtaposing this type of scenario onto the projects arena, you could well chorus that no matter how much you try, the solution will eventually present itself and that we will then all live happily ever after enjoying our project bonuses. Not quite, because it doesn't work like that although I wish it did, work requires for decisions to be made so that agendas can be to be forwarded, activism unfortunately is a fundamental part the equation of finding the right solution space.

But this is not about having an excel spreadsheet open and changing the cell colours or pushing paper wishfully waiting for comments which you know that you will never receive, it's about the appropriate action necessary to deliver the appropriate changes of state, in order to get to the appropriate outcomes - elbow grease.

And I do concur that some times you can just let the day just come to you and that it's best not to meddle but mostly this is fraught with danger.

So today I have been following an email thread waiting for it to unfold hoping against hope that one of the techies would simply pick up the telephone and say, "whatzup! How do we solve this?" But my misplaced optimism has eventually run it's course and I have given up and politely sent out a meeting request which read," lets get on call because we need some action and not any more email."

This is why at the end of some days you drink martinis and think about chasing that girl.

a sunday "between yesterday and tomorrow "

Nothing beats that first night back, sleeping in your own bed feeling, and last night the bed literarily swallowed me up and 12 hours later it dislodged me to get on with what I need to be doing.

Sundays, are my low energy, jazz days and today I get to listen to a few cds which I acquired in duty free on route home that belong to this series of espresso and thought recollection moments.

Today I want to give the following albums a listen:

1. Art Bleek: Between yesterday and tomorrow (aptly and cleverly titled);
2. Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge present: Sunday afternoon at Dingwalls
3. Various: The house that Trane built, the story of impulse records (will need a few Sundays to work through this collection, the “new wave of jazz is on impulse!”)
4. Diana Krall: from this moment on
5. Duke Ellington; Charles Mingus and Max Roach: Money Jungle

I am probably not going to get past the Art Bleek, which has been playing in the background and is really good, nu-jazz. I collect music, I have always collected something at some point in my life but music has been a constant, in all genres but only ever in vinyl 33 and 45, cassette, cd and now mp3 format.

It’s my first love and always ‘brands’ a trip for me, it date stamps my nostalgia and is an entry point for remembering that next series of good things which maybe associated with the music purchased.

I also want begin collate my work thoughts and delete some email so that Monday, is a more manageable day and nothing is better than doing it while enjoying my view with a few 'homemade' espressos and some fine Sunday jazz.

a week in edinburgh

I am happily and safely back down South again after a week’s conferencing in Edinburgh; yes the South is “rising again.” My week in Edinburgh was spent celebrating project successes before planning that next wave under the umbrella slogan of: "don't let your past get in the way of your future."

Sometimes you need to be reminded of that necessity of standing back and purposely reviewing what you have been able to achieve, because you don’t want to get caught in that inflationary syndrome where you are always chasing the next big thing without appreciating what you have achieved.

It’s like you spend your hard earned savings on the new ipod but before you can go showing it off, your bastard competitor is strutting around with the new Sony walkman which you now just have to get even though your Apple is but a few seconds old.

So Edinburgh was very good from that perspective, it allowed a globally dispersed team the opportunity to get together and enjoy each other’s company, to look at best of bred solution space and then to begin to plot that course for 2007.

In between we drank a bit of Scotch and saw some of the old town.

--------------------------
If you didn’t already know it but carrots will improve your eyesight and make your hair curl. And telling the waitress this before your order the carrot and coriander soup will ensure that you receive good service for the rest of the evening. I promised myself a while ago that I would always try to dine with the most charming of the co-worker brigade particularly when it’s at the company’s expense and thus never mine.
------------------------------
When asked what the concept of supplier enablement entailed this was one of the replies: “it’s crap, it doesn’t do what’s written on the box…”Some workshopped topics proved to be surprisingly good.
-----------------------------------
When they set out to build the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh the budget was set at 50 million pounds. The eventually cost of the completed article was 500 million, thanks to “devolution of power,” and the English “check” book.
-----------
My father learnt a lesson this week that we take for granted but it doesn’t matter how big your heart is if you don’t find ways of de-stressing you’ll end up in places which are reserved for “real” sick people.
------------------
Scotland may have beaten France but every Scottish pub that we went to was too stingy to pay for the viewing rights. The Irish pub where we ended up watching the last half of the game was the real winner because it “forced” us to drink copiously and celebrate late into the night.
---------------------------
Tips for appreciating Scotch: Check the colour; the body; the nose; the palate; and the finish. Then drink it but watch out for that strange “house” Scotch blend which you maybe be served in some pubs, it’s nasty stuff even if you check the colour; body; nose; palate and finish.
---------------------------------------
I learnt that we don’t complain anymore, although I still reserve the right to do five minutes of it each day but that we now give feedback. My travel feedback is that there should be baby free flights because two, 12-hour, “upper class,” Virgin flights were ruined by the incessant cries of various infants.
-------------
Finally for our special community of friends who were extremely supportive during the past week’s trails and tribulations – thank-you! I now own a Trainspotting t-shirt with those famous lines printed on the front: “Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose family …Choose your future. Choose life…But why would I want to do a thing like that?” Thank-you for choosing to be there.
---------------------------
And nobody got my accent but “Am I bovvered? Am I…”

Good friends regardless of geography and circumstance

I have been very fortunate to have worked with some fantastic people in the last few years, projects are synonymous with a quick turn around of faces and places but every now and again you manage to forge the odd friendship long after the work has gone.

A couple of years ago, I worked with two such people, on an Asset Enterprise Management system, one was the project's process lead and the other was the technical lead and for 18 months we worked steadfastly to design and build a system which now resides in eight Sub-Saharan countries. It was an impressive piece of work, given the time, financial, geographic and cultural barriers which existed, however none of this stopped us from first becoming good "mates" and then delivering on our intentions.

At the end of the project I was asked to compile a paper which had the following by way of "tips":

* Make sure that the solution focuses on all three areas: People; Process and System, in that order, and not just technical delivery
* Adopt a proven project management methodology and stick to it - it adds credibility and minimises potential project risk
* Define your problem space, no matter how long the wish list
* Think BIG but think practically when you define your solution space making sure that you tie it back to your problem space, then lobby for consensus and move on
* Harvest ideas and champions from previous initiatives within the organisation, this is a way of building support and short-circuiting a lot of potential development work;
* Use knowledgeable experts where possible but know that some of the solutions will have to be built up from scratch
* A core small project team of successfully motivated people will drive it home if there is enough space for them to get on with it
* Consult widely with a view of building relationships but don’t get bogged down, as it is often, "easier to get forgiveness than it is to get
permission."
* Be innovative, we documented 30 define meetings which we had over a three week period using mind mapping software instead of writing formal minutes it took two people four hours to complete.
* Training is important, make peace with the fact that you will have to do waves of it.
* Document the material and find creative ways of disseminating it. Remember people don’t really read, so try to keep it interactive, visual and replicable. We used techniques such as
shadowing, desktop videoing, web pages and intranet forums but ultimately still compiled that training manual just in case.
* And finally you have got to be dogged and persevering, a project of this nature could take up to 18 months plus another few post switch-on, to button down the niggles, so make sure that you have your dedicated resources committed throughout.

Later today I give another lessons learnt feedback session but most of these lessons were learnt by three good friends, one of whom I had the pleasure of spending the weekend with, he managed to come down from Aberdeen with his wife to "hang-out" as friends do.

Footnote:
For my best man and favourite poet in this your time of sadness and remembrance we your friends are here to hang-out whenever you need us.

"if you want my body and you think i'm sexy..."

We were wondering around the streets of Edinburgh looking for a pub to watch the Scotland- France, Euro qualifier. It was cold and blustery and even the residents were scampering about but we were determined to enjoy some football, we were after all in Scotland on this important day. With the first half all but over we still had not managed to find a pub that was showing the game and we had been into a few by now - what was this lack of faith all about? Why wasn’t anybody ‘bloody’ interested?

Eventually we found a pub that was showing some football but it was the England game, they were however kind enough to tell us why and where to go to see what was left of the game,” It’s on pay per view; you should try down the road at the Irish pub they’ll be showing it.”

So back into the cold and down the road but at least we were heading in the right direction and five minutes later we were inside a crowded pub, tuned into the game, 60 minutes had passed but it was nil all, “You missed nothing,” someone said.

Then the moment that everybody had been waiting for arrived, did we have anything to do with it, well it matters little now, because from a corner in the French half, the ball breaks to the number 8 who slots it home, Scotland 1 France nil. Silence for a ‘wee’ split, second of disbelief and then a boisterous “Yeah!” as we jump up and down in unison.

Twenty minutes later the referrer blows the final whistle which signals the end of the game and a bout of tangible relief for all concerned.

The celebration a proper now begins as the pub's loud speakers blast an old classic…”if you want my body and you think I’m sexy come on dharling, let me know…” what would the occasion be without some Rod Stewart.

“Aiy mate, welcome to Scotland.”

Footnote: Lets go Tigers!

it's all "relatively" expensive again

To state the obvious but the good ol' ZAR is once again going to the dogs thereby making long division tricky and overseas travel a bit of luxuriously expensive affair. I don't have an exact theory on why it has suddenly nose dived after momentarily moving in our favour against the major currencies, perhaps it's just easiest way to pick up the 2010 tab and as a consequence it will spark a tourism boom pre-world cup.

The informal discussions that I have had with some of our 'financial experts', who are probably guessing as well, reckon that we should be prepared for the following thresholds - R8.50 to the US dollar and R15.00 to British pound come Christmas.

It looks like 2000-02 again when the ZAR went into freefall mainly due to whispered speculation by some of the finest First World Financial Institutions. But it's all very macro and at ground zero it is what it is, and you simply have to cut your coat according to your clothe.

Anyway nothing about modern travel is easy today, it's expensive, it's often delayed, the travel rules are constantly changing and the currency continues to "oscillate wildly" but if you can afford it, then go to those places where the Visas aren't an issue and you can still get some value for your ZAR. Go to South America and send me a postcard.

I managed to sort out my Forex, this morning, no mess no fuss but as I signed the invoice it was very apparent that this is all very relative depending on who is picking up the bill, in my case it's a UK cost centre - so peanuts.

what a palaver

I have never been the best at packing a suitcase for travel, I always tend to over pack and coupled with my inability to maximise the bag's space, I often find myself sitting on the bag and trying to get the zipper closed before I depart for home.

But with the new travel rules packing has now become an even more arduous task.
http://www.baa.com/assets/B2CPortal/Static%20Files/NewSecurityRulesV1_220906.pdf

The link contains the rules of the day but I suggest checking www.baa.co.uk before you begin packing to find out what's allowed. As for the best way to get the job done within the rules of the game, www.ehow.com has the following bit of advice, although, I suggest on route home that you just chuck it all in as best you can, sit on the suitcase and 'puulll' that zipper closed, then simply check the darn bag in, with that, 'please don't ask me to open this thing' look on your face.

Packing a suitcase is a strategic exercise in maximizing space and minimizing wrinkles. You might already have a favourite packing system, but read on for more suggestions .

1. Pack Clothes: Steps

• Remember this order of operations: shirts on the bottom, then dresses (if applicable), then pants.
• Stack tops, unfolded, by placing wrinkle-prone tops toward the bottom of a pile and less easily wrinkled ones toward the top.
• Fold the sleeves in toward the shirts' torsos.
• Fold the shirts in half from the bottom. You now have a rectangular bundle of shirts; place it in your suitcase.
• Drape long dresses in the suitcase so that the ends hang over the sides.
• Place pants and skirts on a flat surface; fold each in half lengthwise.
• Stack pants and skirts on top of one another, with easily wrinkled ones on the bottom and sturdier ones, such as jeans, on top. Fold the stack over, so that its length is halved.
• Place your stack of pants and skirts on top of the dresses, then fold the ends of the dresses over the pants and skirts.

2. Pack Accessories: Steps

• Roll ties loosely.
• Stuff socks in shoes. Pack underwear in mesh laundry bags or side pockets to save space.
  Arrange each pair of shoes so that the heel of one aligns with the toe of the other.
• Wrap pairs of shoes in separate plastic bags, and place them along the border of your suitcase.
• Protect clothes from leaks by placing toiletries in a plastic bag.
• Pack essential toiletries in a carry-on bag.
• Include your toothbrush, toothpaste, makeup, medication and other important items.

3. Overall Tips & Warnings

• Avoid packing money, jewellery, travel documents, medication, keys and other valuables in your suitcase. Carry these items with you. (Pah! Check the new rules before you do that, it may or may not be allowed).

http://www.ehow.com/how_3403_pack-suitcase.html

i have never been a morning person and definitely not in October

Today the New York Times, has an article entitled, "Baseball Before Breakfast in Taiwan" which describes among other things how the baseball play-offs wreck havoc with your biological clock. It's October in Cape Town and although we don't have a Chien Ming Wang (pronounced Wong) pitching in the prestigious "game one," of the New York Yankees - Detroit Tigers series tomorrow morning (1am), I shall be up following it if we get the satellite feed.

You wouldn't expect it because we unlike Taiwan have more of a cricketing culture but baseball is played and enjoyed in small pockets throughout South Africa. When I was growing up I didn't follow the game primarily because I played tennis and cricket during the summer months but also because we shared our football fields with the baseball fraternity during the off-season and they never returned them in the desired state.

Once the football season begun, you would still find the remains of the mound on some of the fields. This area which was made up of compacted "aggregate" (sand, stone and gravel) proved to be the best place for opposition tough tacklers to foul, nimble, skilful players like myself because you not only got the studs you also got the "turf." So for a long time I disliked game because it had caused me far too many unnecessary scrapes and I only embraced it again in the mid 90ties during the play-offs, when I began to watch a young Yankees team, which had Jeter, Williams, Cone and my favourite player #42, go all the way.

I liked the way they played the game, moving runners, strategic clutch hitting coupled with some really good pitching and an excellent defence - the game captured my imagination. The other more important reason was that for the first time we got to see Major League Baseball on our televisions for a sustained period of time and if the Yankees had not done well that year I would most likely have made a connection with another team who would have enjoyed the major share of the coverage.

Time difference is the major problem when you are following the play-offs, during my first series I had my brother bring me VHS recordings of the previous night's game in order for me to enjoy a "delayed" version. And ever since that memorable first series, thank-you Scott Brosius, I have followed the game with a growing appreciation and to such an extent that it is now one of my favourite "pastimes."

So I was very pleased to read this morning on the eve of the play-offs that October sleep deficiency is not an isolated problem and that like me many Taiwanese experience the same conundrum: "Lawmakers forgave a colleague who fell asleep during a meeting after he explained that, like many Taiwanese, he had stayed up to watch a Yankees game that was shown live in the middle of the night here. Yankees games have some of the highest ratings on Taiwanese television, even for broadcasts that start at 1 a.m. because of the 12-hour time difference" (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/sports/baseball/03wang.html?ex=1160020800&en=1d01e1c5c5814321&ei=5087%0A).

Now lets go Yankees and yes I agree, the Tigers have been brilliant this year, just like the As who always are and the Marlins were a revelation but it's the evil empire who have converted me many years ago that I remain faithful to - so lets go Yankees!

the big wheel keeps on turning

One of the throw away lines at my grandmother's funeral which I attended this morning, was a reply to the question, "Did you really stay up and make koeksisters?" which my mother jokingly asked one of the "aunties" who was in attendance.

Her classic reply was, "Yes, I was up until four this morning, you know our family always makes the tarts and the koeksisters, it's our speciality."

A big funeral with an old fashioned sense of community, right down to the making of pastries for the reception tea. I though am on a pre-team meeting diet of sorts, so those famous pastries are right out for me, as I will soon be going into a bulging three meals a day, afternoon tea and scones and evening drinks environment.

You never go hungry at these team meetings, you just get meal after meal, course after course and no exercise other than mental dexterity. So since I've been through a few, I know that from past experiences, to deflate my love handles prior to the event and to plan on hitting that treadmill running as soon as I step off the plane.

The funeral, as is the case with these affairs honoured the memory and gave support the immediate family. A family which continues to grow as I found out that a cousin in Australia has just recently given birth to triplets. Life does have a remarkable way of continuing unabated, my calendar and my no-koeksister diet are evidence of its joys.

pinch-punch it's the 1st of the month say...

I spent the day with my folks, I try to see them at least once a fortnight, and happily they have lost none of their conversational spark and cheer.

My parents are young in comparison to most of my peers, my mother for instance knows about video conferencing while my father knows how to programme and record the PVC decoder, the result is that I often take advice from them because most of our experiences are still ‘generationally’ concurrent, and it’s easier.

But, although they are young they effectively combine old fashioned values with this modern approach to life which makes them rather clever.

Today they used that parenting ‘Jedi mind trick’ of complaining about other people’s behaviour in our company and then saying, “Our children were taught never to…”

Basically don’t ever try that … if you know what is good for you.

And if you know what’s good for you, you would say, “White Rabbit!” because it’s the first of the month.