Big Machines
on Blog From Beyond (Rwanda), 13/Mar/2010 08:45, 34 days ago
This is in honour of work last Wednesday - I turned up and the whole group went down to a construction site where they're building a new college. We got to walk around, look at pile foundations going in and admire half-a-million's worth of drilling equipment, one of only three machines in the country. Impressive stuff and certainly a varied day's labour with my hard hat, hi-vis vest and gloves.Yesterday was Merrick's mum's funeral in Leicester. All went to plan and Merrick gave a touching speech and sang the first line ofThe Lord is my Shepherdsolo before being joined by everyone. At the reception he read the poem Desiderata by Max Ehrmann, which is beautiful:Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,and remember what peace there may be in silence.As far as possible, without surrender,be on good terms with all persons.Speak your truth quietly and clearly;and listen to others,even to the dull and the ignorant;they too have their story.Avoid loud and aggressive persons;they are vexatious to the spirit.If you compare yourself with others,you may become vain or bitter,for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.Keep interested in your own career, however humble;it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.Exercise caution in your business affairs,for the world is full of trickery.But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;many persons strive for high ideals,and everywhere life is full of heroism.Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.Neither be cynical about love,for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,it is as perennial as the grass.Take kindly the counsel of the years,gracefully surrendering the things of youth.Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.Beyond a wholesome discipline,be gentle with yourself.You are a child of the universeno less than the trees and the stars;you have a right to be here.And whether or not it is clear to you,no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.Therefore be at peace with God,whatever you conceive Him to be.And whatever your labors and aspirations,in the noisy confusion of life,keep peace in your soul.With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,it is still a beautiful world.Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.I helped out by driving mum's car so that she could drive him and my brother William home after (as drink was required) and I could drop their friend at the station. I have to give it to her, mum was extremely patient with me - going from a 1999 Hayundai Accent to a much more modern Ford Focus took a little thinking about. It's built like a tank and you don't so much 'change gears' as breathe on the gear stick.I like older cars because at least you feel like you're driving them - with this you could barely tell where the gears were so on more than one (possibly several) occasions I went from first to second and back to first whilst trying to find third. Fourth and reverse were also crunchingly close.By the time I got back though I'd pretty much sussed it and, essentially, hadn't hit anything.Mum, Merrick and myself went to seeAlice in Wonderland 3Dlast weekend - quite good fun. Would certainly recommend it, though Johnny Depp always manages to slip in that tone of voice somewhere in a performance that just makes you think 'Jack Sparrow'. From Sweeney Todd to the Mad Hatter...once you hear it, you can't think of anything else.Also went to seeValentine's Day, which was a very weak, Americanised imitation ofLove Actually. I wasn't really paying attention by the end, though there was a funny cameo during the credits. You have Julia Roberts (Ms. Vivian) and Hector Elizondo (Barney Thompson) and action takes place at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, so of course you're reminded ofPretty Womanthe whole way through. At the end of the credit clips Julia Roberts is in a taxi going down Rodeo Drive and the taxi man asks 'didn't you go shopping here once?' to which she replies 'Yes, I think I did. It was a big mistake. Big. Huge.' But that was about the most entertaining part of the film.Last weekend we also got a flyer through the door from an Indian in Long Buckby calledVoujon. If you click the link you get a nice idea of the inside. All-you-can-eat Sunday afternoons for about£7, so we thought we'd try it out. Really nice and slightly odd to find such a place in a little village likeLong Buckby.The rest of my time's been taken up panicking about my business. Well, no - alternating between fear and excitement. Got the website now, and business cards. Bought the latest version of windows (£89 from PC World - yes, I know, corporate machine, yadda yadda) to be more compatible thanOpen Office. You can't beat MS PowerPoint really. There are some nice quirks with Open Office, but when it takes you ten minutes to install page numbers you know it's not going to work in the long run.*Just back from swimming with my nephew Damian - it's toddler's on Saturday mornings and they bring out all the floats. My nephew's just like me in that respect: a total water baby. I surprised myself by still being able to swim the breadth of the pool underwater :)Plenty of games of catch, splashing, and the acrobatics of him jumping backwards off my leg when I do the yogic 'tree' position. Good fun and good exercise all at the same time.As for the business. Everyone I've talked to seems to think it's a good idea. I'm about as prepared as I can be. Also, my friend Jo (as inJo& Pierre from Rwanda) is back in the UK and striking out on her own as a business consultant so I'm going to go sink a bottle of wine and talk it through with her in a couple of weeks. It's really nice to have a friend going through the same process - especially one with more experience than me, so I have a hand to hold :)Also paid up as a member of theSociety of Operational Research, and hope to go through their accreditation process soon. One way to stay connected, learn a few new tricks and put some extra letters after my name. They have a number of special interest groups including OR in Developing Countries and Independent Consultancy.Just a case of finding some clients now ;)My last day of working for the college is, ironically, 1st April. All systems go after that. Got lots of stuff to tidy up between now and then to give myself the best start possible. Also includes spring-cleaning my in-box which is full of mail I haven't replied to lately.Exciting times.On a final note (thanks for this Alex):Rwandan officials appeal to Western governments: Please, send more blacks.Minister of Black Affairs Frank Bizirineza told a gathering of white journalists and aid workers on the terrace of Kigali’s Bourbon Coffee. “The situation is dire, and we need your help. We are rapidly running out of blacks. I mean, Christ, this looks like Sweden,” he added, addressing the golden-haired crowd.Anybody say the words 'media strategy' with me? As in, theyreallyneed one.