Urk, three posts behind already (well, almost four). I’m glad I said ‘on average’ in my resolution.
I actually have some posts ready to go, but I wanted to post something about Manila rather than just my ramblings about technology and other guff. However I’ve spent a month doing very little post-worthy in Manila, you don’t really need a blow-by-blow account of how I spent way too much money and lumbered myself with a hangover.
So, I’m slowly settling back into life in Manila. I’m glad January is over, not just because it marks a milestone into the year but also because I’ve been paid, and can now ignore my over-indulgence last month and concentrate on having a quiet couple of months before I head to Australia in April.
Work is proving to be extra mental this year, and will likely be through all of February. This is mostly because we’re transferring a ‘live’ project from our Germany office. I’ve been trying to think of a metaphor for this but the best I can do is it’s like trying to ship a car overseas. By dismantling it in one place, shipping it bit by bit and putting together somewhere else. While the engine is still running. And the driver is still trying to drive it.
And we can now see what was becoming apparent during the process: this car is a bit of a lemon. But at least it’s here now, for us to clean up. Just in time for it’s new owners to come inspect it in a fortnight. Fortunately we’re quite good at shining up cars for their new owners, even if underneath they’re still a bit grotty they’ll stand-up to a quick test drive, and I’ll stop torturing that poor metaphor now.
There’s a good chance we can actually deliver a decent product on schedule but it’s there’s been so much effort involved and the politics of the whole thing drives me to distraction. But we’re in behind the wheel now (sorry) and I’ve discovered that I’d rather be I’m much happier be wholly responsible for everything even if it goes tits-up in the end.
If we get through the customer visit in a few weeks there should be much clearer roads ahead for the next few months and hopefully a chance for a few long weekends out of the city.
Sorry for the rambling work related post, I’ve got a few other random ones lined up but I’ve also got concrete plans to get out of Manila next weekend so I should have something more interesting to post after that.
Plus I’ve got a work jaunt to China in March and then I’m off down under in April. I’m bound to find some something worth writing about from that lot.
Until then I’m going to veg out on the couch, knock back some booze and watch the wrestling. Yes, some things never change.