Silver

Last week was distressing in so many ways:

• I still had a kidney stone which was causing discomfort and pain.
• BA relegated me from Gold member status of their Executive Club frequent flyer scheme to Silver status.
• SAS relegated me from Gold member status of their frequent flyer scheme to Silver status.

Why?

Because I've only made one flight this year.

I'm a global project manager damn it. I should be flying every week.

Instead I have to be grateful that I have a job.

Hmmm.

The Spanish question

What do you do when:

• you're a mate of the job hunter with no name
  
• you've been living in Spain for, oh, maybe a decade
• you have a professional interest in linguistics
  
• you have a two year old bi- or trilingual kid?

Easy answer: you start a blog of your own, eventually, about your son's language development.

Recovery

This blog is by no means dedicated to the tedium of having a kidney stone.

I went back to work last week albeit with a couple of morning hospital appointments where:

1. they inflicted a lot of pain leaving me too exhausted to go back to work in the afternoon
2. they told me, the next day, that it is no longer a problem any more.

So, no kidney stone. But it's taking a few days to recuperate and I think companies are more likely to give a bit more lattitude to sick employees than sick freelancers. It's not just that I've been away but when at work I've sometimes lacked energy.

Anyway, there's a project starting in Delhi and I have other things to do at work so I should soon get back into it.

Political analyst

Never have I written about my desires to become a political analyst.

Why?

Because I never wanted to be a political analyst: it just never occurred to me to be one.

But maybe I should.

I seem to have spotted something which no-one else has ...

Why is Norway a cause for concern these days?

Here are the top reasons:

1. it has vast reserves of oil
2. it has been involved in a known and serious attempt to produce WMD and has large reserves of a required component
3. its environment makes counter-insurgency operations difficult
4. its ruler is a man who is in his position, not by election, but by the "Grace of [a Middle-Eastern] God"
   
5. quite a few of the men have beards.

So why has Norway, or Al-Norway as I think we can more appropriately call it, decided to give the new US President the Nobel Prize for Peace? He probably hasn't worked out how to adjust his office chair yet, let alone work out who is who in the Middle East War process.

Obviously Al-Norway is trying to head off an invasion by the Coalition of the Willing in The War Against Terror.

And they knew that being a member of NATO wasn't sufficient cover.

So, if I can work all this out over a cup of tea maybe I should change careers.

Bounce back

So, last week I was off work because of a kidney stone.

This week I went to the office, mainly to drink their water, but by Wednesday morning I was exhausted.

I suspect I had an imbalance in my electrolytes (of course I have no right to have such a suspicion, hardly an area where I've had any training).

I couldn't go into work. And by the evening I was seriously considering taking myself back to the hospital the next day for them to check me out.

Anyway, come the next day (today) and I felt ok. I went to work and was relatively productive.

Now the thing is I had put my name down for a Xing networking dinner event tonight. And paid 50 euros - non-refundable.

But I am not going.

Despite being a good place to meet other business contemporaries in Munich, and being one of the few opportunities I get to practice my German, to go from a state of almost seeking medical attention, to a state of attending a formal dinner, in less than 24 hours, doesn't seem right.

Oh well.

Decline

Well done Tony and Gordon.

In 1990 Britain was the 10th most desirable place to live. Now it's 21st*, according to a recent review.

And for a G7 (or G8 country) even 10th isn't that impressive.

Also, Chase Me Ladies I'm in the Cavalry makes an astute observation that Germany is more liberal and democratic (especially around the issue of policing) than the UK.

* OK, one has to question a methodology which puts Germany one place below the UK. Life is significantly better here in many way. Still, my point is that Britain was 10th and now it has badly slipped.

I hope Gordon reads this blogsite, it may help him in a few months.

That sickening feeling

I've just looked at a web site of a global consultancy. One with a slightly different offering.

It seems quite good.

But it's mainly looking for people at MBA or equivalent level.

Then I looked at people in the company who were on Xing and LinkedIn.

They all went to top internationally focussed universities and quite a few had academic awards.

So I feel disappointed because my profile doesn't seem to fit, by a long way. Yet, I have significant, global experience and achievement (and I do have a relatively mediocre degree).

I could send in an application but right now, despite not needing a job, I have a sick feeling in my tummy.

Mind you, that could be due to the kidney stone.

Freelance or permanent

My ambivalence to how I'm employed, that is as a contractor or a permie, took a hit on Monday.

Extreme pain in the left side of my torso stopped me going into work in the morning. Instead I called for an ambulance.

Turns out I have a kidney stone.

I had to take the rest of the week off work though I am fine (apart from bursts of pain).

A week off work is acceptable, even if I was a contractor and therefore not paid. You should, after all, factor in some sick leave per year into your rate.

But things happen, worse things could happen, and losing the assignment, or even a significant time without income isn't appealing.

I think I will remain only interested in contract assignments if I don't have a permanent job.