Monthly Archives: October 2008

Black Friday, melt down Monday…..

Posted on October 11, 2008 by | Leave a comment

If the newspaper’s and other media sources have their way we will all be taking one too many sleeping pills or sharping our knives in the coming weeks as we enter even greater financial disasters.

As with some many disasters and tragedies that have befallen the western world in this century I am personally reaching saturation. I am tired of the retrospective, repetitive reporting, the inaccurate predictions.

This does not mean that I am not aware of the potential implications of the falling shares and collapsing banks. It is serious and will have implications for many directly and indirectly. Heaven help the pensioners and fixed income retirees.

However, what I am completely and totally aware of is if this cataclysmic predictive reporting continues it will definitely lead to it becoming a reality.

Despite vast amounts of theory espousing our capacity to make rational decisions, the Market in fact is dependent upon this ability. However, human beings are not rational, particularly when uncertain and lacking in confidence. We make decisions based on emotion on the whole and the current reporting is heightening this emotion in some and deadening the desire to engage in the process at all in others.

There is a need for a calming influence. To stop the headlines – Melt down Monday, Terrible Tuesday, Woeful Wednesday, Torturous Thursday and of course the very unoriginal Black Friday.

Without leadership from the influential people in society, confidence and honesty things are going to continue to become more and more difficult for us all.

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Human pretzel

Posted on October 7, 2008 by | 2 Comments

For those that have listened to me prattle on and on about aching knees, having hamstrings that are so tight I have trouble tying my shoe laces and have seen me hobble about post run with hot pack in situ you will be relieved, exultant in fact to hear that ….  I have done something about it!

Tonight I joined a group of slightly sadistic women who spent an hour trying to turn themselves in-side-out and back-to-front. I mean who knew it was good for you to balance on your right elbow, left knee and grab you right foot with your left hand!

Give that a go on a Tuesday night I say.

Now, to be frank I am about as flexible as a steel pole and I have always been so. At school I was the one the gym teacher actually had to push over to get to do a backward somersault. I just couldn’t make my back to curve, and I was truly a disaster when it came to cartwheels and other young-girl pursuits. So to have tried for an hour to twist, turn and get my abdominal muscles to do any sort of work was close to a miracle.

Right now I feel good……

But I am rather fearful of the revolution my muscles will be planning tomorrow morning..

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Early Morning

Posted on October 7, 2008 by | Leave a comment

My alarm went off this morning at 6.50am… for the better part of the last 12 months this was not a novel occurrance. But jeepers it was a bit of a shock this morning. I have, over the last few weeks, enjoyed getting up at about 8am, plodding about in my PJ’s getting organised for the day. It has taken a lot to get to this crusisy morning routine so it was a surprise to be out in the street by 7.45 this morning.

However, it was good to have a purpose and also I think to re-engage the brain.

I am involved in a project with the Department of Health at the moment. It is completely faciniating to be part of the process, to meet the people who effectively shape and drive the NHS. What is even more interesting is the personal insight on just how MBAish I have become. I have become use to making decisions in a certain way, for things to be really intense, for there to be lots of different opinions to be expressed and to be heard. Today was not like that – but boy was there a lot of unsaid, unspoken politics.

I had forgotten about this element of the working world and it is going to take a bit to get use to this again. Not to mention the delights of early mornings.

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A fantastically soggy sunday

Posted on October 5, 2008 by | Leave a comment

It has not stopped raining today. And it has done more than that drizzly, hazy rain that London is so good at. Today has been a truly soggy Sunday.

Now most, I am guessing, will have spent today tucked up on the sofa reading the massive wad of paper that is the Sunday paper and wondering if despite the economic disaster we are currently living in… can they justify a quick dash for the last of the Northern Hemispheres’ sunshine?

But not me, I have been very intrepid today. I have been wandering about in the rain, leaping puddles -not always successfully -  and enjoying some lovely company in the east of London. This is not to say that Today is  without complaint – my feet are still yet to return to room temperature. However, it has been just the perfect day.

My delectable friend took me on a tour of his patch. We strolled with brolly high through Columbia Road Flower Market which was wonderfully free of people…. well they were all tucked up reading the Sunday Times weren’t they! In the little network of roads I spied many a shop to return to when the mythical cash flow commences and I had my first ‘flat-white’ coffee outside of Australia.. just so excellent. We then went along to Spitalfields Market via Brick lane. Brick Lane is a curiosity really – you can reclaim your stolen bike from a friendly bike store, every street has its name in both English and in Bangladeshi and unsurprisingly there is a lot of great places to get a curry. Spitalfields market has undergone a major refurb since I last saw it. And it seems to be slowly getting squeezed by the chain shops and cafes. A bit of a shame I say.

Anyway, it all ended with a film on the sofa and a comforting cup of tea. Excellent all round.

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An excellent evening

Posted on October 3, 2008 by | Leave a comment

I have been living in London now for a month, one week or just a bit less in my new flat. And tonight has just been a wonderful mix of my old life together with my new. I met a group of MBA’s at the Late at Tate. The Late at Tate has always been one of my favourite London things. Perfect to go alone or with a group. Tonight was focused around the current exhibition -  Francis Bacon. Who honestly is one of the most disturb artists I have ever seen grace a canvas, just truly harrowing images, peoples faces melting, or not quite discernible. Really difficult things to look at.

However, coupled with these images was the delight of being with a new group of friends and being able to invite them to stroll through the streets of Westminster to join me for a tipple at my flat. Cool huh!

It has been so long since I have been so at ease with people. Equally been in a position to offer a space for them come along to!

While I would like to claim that I opened the fridge and could conjure up an amazing antipasto or some such thing – I was limited by the selection. Restricted to cheese on toast, tomato with balsamic and a bit of humus. Strangly I could not tempt anyone on the delight of Vegemite!

It was just so lovely to have a group of people over in a spontaneous event.

So what I am hoping, as life starts to settle in London, that this becomes a regular event… well fingers crossed!

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Hair cut vs hair style

Posted on October 2, 2008 by | 1 Comment

Do you think there is a difference between a hair cut and a hair style?

Is it a gender bias and does this then explain the difference in price for men and women?

Is it something to do with the type of place you go? There are the ones which offer coffee and tea, some who go so far as Champagne and others that only extend themselves to at least 6 month old weekly mags.

If you get a hair style does that mean you need at least 3 types of glup to stick in it for the next few months to just get it into a pony tail?

I think I have a hair style at the moment – it seems to have gone from one length (which was the last hair cut) to many lengths, and she put tonnes of stuff in it to make it just so…..

Does this explain whether you get a hair cut or a hair style? I have no idea but I am certain that the proof of quality will be in the first hair wash!

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The next 10 days

Posted on October 1, 2008 by | Leave a comment

So it would seem that I have 10 days left before I join the work force again. While the thought of a pay packet or even cash flow is exciting beyond description – well to be truthful I could describe a number of things I would like to spend it on when the blessed day arrives …. I am sure just like that list you make during exams of pressing things to do.. none will seem to important when the time comes and my bank balance looks happier.

However at the moment I have 10 days with few commitments ahead. So what to do?

Most thoughts involve money, some involve a change of time zones, and just about every single one requires sunshine and sleep. Certainly the sunshine is not going to happen if I stay in the UK. And as I look in the mirror in the morning and the evening it is abundantly clear that sleep is the top priority. I look as if I have aged over the past 12 months. The MBA was the most amazing endurance event.

So sadly I think the next 10 days will not involve jet setting off to a warm and sun filled climate – I will stay in London and sleep…………….

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