I had to attend a steering committee this week.For those not familiar with the concept, it’s something between a tough job interview and a trip to the headmaster’s office. I know head teachers don’t give kids the cane anymore but in preparing for a steering committee the threat of a beating hangs over your head… Continue reading Steering Committee
My Australian Self
Some months ago I wrote about signing up for a mentoring programme at work. I’m now rolling along with my mentor and one of the tasks she has given me is “to get back your Australian self.” This has perplexed me and raised lots of questions. What is my Australian self? What is my British… Continue reading My Australian Self
Sunday night
I’m in a dark, crowded room on a Sunday night, jumping up and down with hundreds of other people, singing “Devushka proskovya, iz podMoskovya.” No, it’s not a political rally; it’s a concert by Russian band Uma 2rman, and it’s taken almost 14 years for me to get here. In 2005, I was in Moscow… Continue reading Sunday night
Job Interview
I had a job interview this morning. It was my first interview for two years - in fact, since I got the job I’m in now - and I was determined to nail it. The interview was for a job on the same level as my current job, but in another team, so a lot of… Continue reading Job Interview
(Not quite) Sober October… or … I can resist everything except temptation
Sunday 30th September: A few glasses of wine during dinner with friends and that is my last drink for a month. Sober October here I come! No alcohol for a whole month! Wednesday 3rd: I find myself thinking about alcohol coming back from a lunchtime walk to the library, mostly because I have to dodge… Continue reading (Not quite) Sober October… or … I can resist everything except temptation
My work, my countries
My work is divided up amongst the team on country lines. Each project is based in a country, and if you’ve worked on one country, you will also probably get the next project that comes up in that country. Sometimes projects are assigned on linguistic lines (Russian speakers more likely to get Caucasus/Central Asia projects,… Continue reading My work, my countries
Reflecting on Rebels
Last week at work, we had Francesca Gino, professor at Harvard Business School, come and give us a talk about her study of rebels. Her book, Rebel Talent: Why it Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life, is probably now on everyone's reading list. (It's certainly on mine.) The word rebel is not always something viewed positively. At… Continue reading Reflecting on Rebels
Commuting, or many small acts of aggression
Commuting can take up a lot of your day. Your journey can affect your mood and how you feel when you arrive at your destination. While it would be nice if we could all just be a little bit kinder to each other, a little bit more considerate, somehow when we're commuting on public transport,… Continue reading Commuting, or many small acts of aggression
Reasons to be cheerful #2
I am feeling a bit down this week (and it's only Monday lunchtime!) so I want to think about good things for a bit. Here are five good things: I talked to my friend the cleaner about how she does her hair (it's straight again). Apparently she rinses it in vodka (!) because the hard… Continue reading Reasons to be cheerful #2
Kikinda – Dani Ludaje (Pumpkin Days)
Kikinda is a small town in north-eastern Serbia, and on one weekend of the year, they celebrate big pumpkins. Really big pumpkins. This year I was lucky enough to be there and see it for myself. Here are a few pictures so you can enjoy it too. The Pumpkin Days (Dani Ludaje) are a harvest celebration that takes… Continue reading Kikinda – Dani Ludaje (Pumpkin Days)
Tales from Tobhamhor 