Sep/070
Travelling in a shrinking world
I was at Heathrow on Thursday last week to see my sister off on her round the world trip. She's starting off in Borneo for a few weeks before making her way down through Australia and New Zealand to visit her twin and back through Mexico & South America. I think the Galapagos were mentioned too. It brought back memories of the first long overseas trip I did when I was 19. I'd just finished my A Levels and went to Australia for a year. Nearly 20 years ago now! There was no such things as email, I didn't have a credit card and even cheap calling cards weren't even a twinkle. I had a bunch of travellers cheques and some US dollars on that first stopover night in Manila, Philippines when I had 24 hours to kill on the way to Sydney. I felt completely on my own - scared to death :)
It's amazing how much that has changed. My sister got herself an International SIM card for her phone. Obviously it's bloody expensive for her to phone people up for a chat, but for texting and emergencies it's perfect. Internet cafes and broadband all over the shop, Skype, MSN and all the rest of it, it's a whole lot less cut off out there in the wide world these days. I got a text from her this morning telling me everything was going well in Borneo and she was just setting off to climb a mountain.
Sep/070
Getting Old
Getting older isn't something I often worry about. I don't even notice it, but this morning when I finally hauled myself out of bed and looked in the mirror I suddenly felt like I was getting old. I'm 32 next month - a very long way from being a teenager. Of course a couple of hectic weeks of working in London's going to take it's toll, but I was shocked at how rough I looked. Still a hot shower & shave sorted me out - it just takes slightly longer these days :)
It was great waking up in Brighton though. The sound of seagulls and the fresh sea air made my half-cut commute from Kings Cross last night more than worth it.
Sep/070
Back to normal
Whatever normal is supposed to be. That's how I'm feeling as my second week in the smoke comes to an end. Being back in the UK was pretty stressful to begin with. The early starts, constant travelling, the people rushing around shouting into phones, busy office, the bombardment of advertising and strangely the food. British food suddenly seems much richer, bigger and just didn't agree with me.
But I've adjusted now and things are going ok. The black dog's gone completely - the change of scene and pace on top of the SRRI's has lifted me from the rut, and I'm picking up some momentum again. I miss the mountains a lot and can't wait to get back out there, but I'm enjoying living with my mate in Brighton and even though coming back to a London office feels tough at times, it also feels like it's doing me a lot of good.
Sep/070
My boss Simon & his iPods & wi-fi
My boss came into the office this afternoon with an iPod Touch. It is, without doubt, the most brilliant hand-held device I've ever seen. If you think back to the early days. A landline telephone cordlessly connected to your ear. We've come a long way.
Bring on the iPhone. I want one and I want it now. And I don't want an 18 month contract with O2 either. I need to buy it for £300, unlocked to any SIM card. Even my French one. In fact, I'd even go as far as to buy GPRS service from SFR (the French version of Vodophone) for when I'm NOT in range of an open wireless network. Which is practically never. Even on some of the trains from Brighton there are wi-fi networks.
Sep/070
Petite’s black dog
I don't know if petite reads my blog, but I certainly read hers. Blogging about the black dog recently was a difficult decision for me, and hard to write. This beautifully written post by Petite Anglaise, which I think covers the same topic, is strikingly accessible even to those lucky folks who never feel the black dog snapping at their heels.
Petite is one of the few bloggers and my reading list whose every post I read to the end. Her story, getting dooced for writing a blog at work and then landing a book deal is great and I'm looking forward to reading the book when it's published later this year.
Synopsis
Living in Paris with her partner, the workaholic Mr Frog, and their adorable toddler, Tadpole, Catherine decides to alleviate the boredom of her metro-boulot-dodo routine by starting a blog under the name of Petite Anglaise. Writing with disarming honesty about Paris life, about the confines of her hollow relationship with Mr Frog and about the wonder and pain that comes with being a mother, she finds a new purpose to her day. As Petite Anglaise, Catherine regains her confidence and makes virtual friends, including one charismatic and single Englishman who lives in Brittany, James. And after meeting James one evening in a bar, Catherine feels she has regained her ability to fall in love, too.
Sep/071
Advertising Booze
I'm suddenly involved in creating a rich-media advert for beer. Probably the best Christmas present in the world....
But of course, if you're advertising alcohol you've got to be a bit careful. You have to stick to the rules outlined by Alcohol Concern, which prohibit any advert which (amongst other things)
- Suggests that alcohol is essential to social success, popularity and acceptance
- Suggests that drinking can contribute to sexual success or attractiveness
- Implies that the successful outcome of a social occasion is dependant on the consumption of alcohol
- Suggests that drinking can overcome boredom, loneliness or other problems or that drinking can bring about a change of mood
- Suggests that drinking can enhance mental, physical or sexual capabilities
- Implies that people who drink alcohol are brave, tough or daring
Damn. That's all my ideas out the window then.
Sep/070
Geek-Speak
One of the things I've really noticed since starting work in the office here in Angel is that everyone's speaking my language. Or at least a language I'm used to. A lively office of people talking about web design, development problems & solutions, business and the like. It sounds almost surreal. It's good. I'm starting to reconnect with the job and what I do for a living. It turns out I've gotten a little bit behind the times over the past year or so. It seems I have some work to do. I need to learn flex and ActionScript 3. It's not too hard. Get a book, work it out - bosh I'm a flex developer. Flex and Drupal... could work well together I think. Much as I'd like to go do something completely different (like a lumberjack or helicopter pilot), this is what I do for a living right now & I've got to keep learning to compete.
Sep/071
Suffolk to Brighton
Travelling down to Brighton today. The first part of a lot of time spent on trains in the coming couple of months. Any refreshments from the trolly? Well, no. I can't see how a over-sized bag of salt and vinegar crisps and a can of sugary, caffeinated fizzy drink is going to refresh me. It's going to make my mouth hurt and my stomach complain. Would I like to exchange a few quid for a couple of minute's distraction stuffing my face? No ta.
