Monday, 10 March 2008
Friday, 7 March 2008
A few thoughts from Geneva
Bonjour. I'm currently killing some time waiting for my flight back to Edinburgh so thought it was a good chance to scribe a few words about my short break in Geneva, Switzerland. First and foremost it's been very chilly - not surprising, since Spring has only just arrived. At least the lake isn't frozen over, and it's a good job I brought a hat and scarf with me. As I often say, there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. I arrived just as the tail-end of the Geneva Motor Show was finishing, so there's been plenty of people in town - and accommodation prices at Porche and Bugatti levels! As cities go, Geneva is an interesting mix of old and new. The city centre has a cosmopolitan feel about it, although every other shop is either selling expensive watches or army knives. No surprise really. And yes, there are also plenty of cuckoo (coucou) clocks to buy, although from what I've seen most of them are at the touristy tat end of the market. Generally speaking, most things (including food and drink) are about 30% more expensive than the UK. But the one striking thing I noticed (no clock pun intended) is the fact that smoking is still permitted in public places. I'd forgotten what it was like to ask for a no-smoking table in a restaurant. This is particularly strange bearing in mind Geneva is the home of the World Health Organisation! Geneva is also home to the International Red Cross & Red Crescent movements (I had a good visit to its museum yesterday), as well as the European home of the United Nations, the 'Palais des Nations'. The latter is situated just across the road from the Red Cross, but unfortunately was not open for visits at the time I was there. Geneva is just within the French border, so I've had no trouble communicating - although to be fair most people in shops etc seem to be able to speak English without too much trouble, a result I guess of all the international organisations based here. The transport is excellent - plenty of trains, buses and trams - and the best thing is that anyone staying in hotels gets a free travel pass. I've used this short trip to relax and recharge the batteries, something that's been very important for me to do after the first two hectic months of 2008. I'm certainly glad I've made the visit here, and it's given me a bit of an insight into what makes Switzerland and the Swiss people tick...
Monday, 3 March 2008
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
A good thing to remember...
When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. 'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical check-ups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and do all the odd jobs. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you. 'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical check-ups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and do all the odd jobs. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'
Broadband
Pleased to report that the setting up of my Broadband service has now been completed, and normal service has been restored. I really appreciate now how technology has advanced over recent years. Good to have everything back in place. Oh how I'll miss dial-up!
Monday, 11 February 2008
Normal service will be resumed...
Pleased to report that I'm now nicely settled into my new home - boxes unpacked and nearly everything sorted. Managed to get the TV licence and the gas & electricity account transferred across and my new BT phone line set up. Just waiting for AOL to transfer my broadband service. I find it amazing that it can, in this technological age, still take up to 20 days for the broadband to be reconnected. It's strange to think that I used to find dial-up speeds acceptable, albeit frustrating at times. Nowadays, having got used to the immediate page loading provided by broadband, I find the dial-up service painfully slow. It's therefore impractical to try and load up pictures etc onto the Blog. Normal service will be resumed shortly!
Wednesday, 16 January 2008
Work/life balance
Well, here we are already two weeks into the New Year - and I have found no time until now to post an entry to this Blog. Not good. Been involved in a major project at work, meaning little time for rest and relaxation. Silly hours and lots of pressure. Good job I didn't make any new year resolutions around work/life balance, as clearly I would've failed miserably. All the hard work should be worth it in the end - that's if I find time to submit an invoice! Anyhow, one bit of good news is that my house move is now imminent. Signed the lease agreement yesterday on my new place and have arranged to pick up the keys this Friday. I cannae wait. Juggling work at the same time as doing all the packing has been a tricky balancing act. I could use the spinning plates analogy, but I won't. I wouldn't want to break any at this stage - I need to find more bubble wrap.
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Tuesday, 25 December 2007
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