Working from home

I'm working from home this week. I don't normally do this, even though I can just about manage to do most things I would normally do in the office. I like to go into the office as I get more of a chance to liaise with others at work, even on a social level. Working from home has its advantages (TV breaks and good coffee) but I feel like I'm off sick without being sick. Daytime TV !!!! Since when has that become so bad (OK, so I do take lots of TV breaks)! Even though the distractions are more, the interruptions from my boss and colleagues are removed, so overall I think I'm as productive, if not more, from home.

This week's working from home has been self-imposed, as I have builders around doing some work on my house. I hate this. I love the result, but I hate the process. I hate strangers coming into my home and basically setting up camp in my private space. They're courteous, polite and respectful but that doesn't make my feeling of being violated subside. Yes, I know, I brought this in myself. It was me that wanted new floors put in and a wall knocked down. So I have only myself to blame. That doesn't mean I have to like what's happening.

Just what will 2011 have in store?

A Happy New Year to all my readers - and from the number of hits on my blog, I'd say that was all three of you :) Still, one can only try.

So, we're now into 2011 - the second decade of the 21st century. Yes, yes I know, some would argue that last year was the first year of the second decade but I beg to differ as the century really started with 2001 (2000 was only the numerical change from the 1990s to the 2000s).

What will this year bring? Are we out of the recession yet or stalling towards another dip? So here are my predictions for the year ahead:

• Don't go thinking you can safely spend all of that money you've been hoarding during the recession. We're not out of the woods yet. There'll be no recovery in 2011. The best we can hope for is a year of "treading water";
• Terrorism will rear its ugly head again this year, with a high profile incident in a Western country. It's inevitable;
• More weird weather. Birds are falling out of the skies in the US, Italy and Sweden. Remember "The Day After Tomorrow"? Something odd is going on;
• Oil prices will remain high as OPEC squeezes the life out of those countries dependent upon them;
• Several high profile airlines will go under due to the cumulative impact of weather, volcanoes and passenger traffic declining;
  
• The world will keep on turning and night will follow day.

OK, I'm only sure about the last one there. What predictions do you make for 2011?

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

I travel on business a lot and I tend to use planes and rental cars almost exclusively. In the 18 years I was out of the UK as an expat, I hardly ever used the train. Now, I find I favour them when travel is not compulsory. I'm lucky enough to be able to afford an advanced 1st class most trips, which allows me the luxury of a relaxed journey, with a guaranteed reserved seat and great views of the countryside passing by.

Compare that with air travel, which is full of checks and security, rude airline staff, delays and cancellations at the drop of a hat and cramped seats on short haul flights. Sure, long haul trips are the strict preserve of the airliner, but give me the train any day when it comes to travelling in style!

A Family Christmas

Nothing beats a family Christmas. No amount of socialising with friends beats having a quiet evening in with loved ones, reminiscing, laughing, catching up on news etc. No amount of partying beats seeing an aged relative and seeing the smile on their face as you turn up unexpectedly and wish them a Merry Christmas. No warm climate, sandy beach or two-for-one special at the Al-Ghazal bar can come close to home cooking, mince pies and that little tipple before hitting the road on your way home.

I've tried the social Christmas and God alone knows how many I have spent away from home. I now understand that the spirit of Christmas is truly alive in the eyes of your loved ones.

Merry Christmas everyone.

A Winter's Tale

So looking forward to the Christmas and New Year festivities? Perhaps it's a day at the beach at A'Sifah? Or further afield stargazing in Wahiba Sands? Whatever you're doing out there in Oman-land, spare a thought for all of us poorer cousins back here where the snow falls, the temperatures dip and the cost of heating goes up!

It's bloody cold here, and snowy. Part of me loves it (I'd much prefer this sort of winter to the damp, mild rubbish Britain normally gets) but it is perishingly cold and I am getting older....and I don't like it for the most part.

When I lived in Oman, although not an official holiday at work, my boss would let me go for the afternoon on Christmas Day, so off I'd pop to the beach for a bit of festive sunbathing. How long ago those days seem to be now (they stopped only 5 years ago).

Next winter, I'm back in Muscat for a holiday - so I can relive the good times again.

Mind you, I can also pick my way through the trash left by locals who think the world turns only on the cheap labour of TCNs and that they can cause mayhem and destruction safe in the knowledge that someone will be along in the dead of night to make everything better.

One day...soon...that life will come to a shuddering halt. Reality will hit. Guest workers will disappear. Oman will fall of a cliff, the likes of which it has not done since the 19th century. Life will become hard; harder than anyone there has experienced in living memory.

One day soon, locals will have to clean up their own mess. No-one will be there to do it for them.

A winter's tale?

Doing that downhill thing again....wooooosh!.....thump!!

Yes, it's that time of year when all of us who are not blessed with perfect winter weather (yes, I remember the sepia tinted halcyon days in Oman) turn our thoughts to winter pursuits other than heading to the beach for a top-up sun tan. For me and my partner, this means hurtling down a ski slope faster than I care to go and hoping that either I remember how to stop or there's some nice soft snow at the bottom.

Skiing is great. I'll say that again....skiing is GREAT!! For all of you out there who haven't tried it.....do so soon! For all of you out there who haven't seen snow yet, I suggest you start with a gentle game of snowballs, make a snow angel or build a snowman and progress from there. Snow is slippery, tricky stuff to get to know.

We're going to Italy this year. Last year was the big trip to Whistler, Canada, just before the Winter Olympics. I'm not sure Italy will live up to that because I was virtually in paradise last year! Forget your 70 virgins and rivers running with wine - I had so many pistes to choose from I don't think I unintentionally skied down any one piste more than once. The village was sublime and the food was excellent - especially Araxi restaurant. Fine dining indeed!!

We're off skiing in January, so wish me luck! Don't say "break a leg" - I may just do that!!

The 'X' Factor et. al.

Do any of you out there know about the 'X' Factor? How about Britain's/America's Got Talent? I was blissfully ignorant of them when I lived abroad, but now I'm back living in the UK, they're all pervasive on TV. You just can't avoid them, short of switching off the box for good. No time of year is 'reality TV' free. Football has its season, as does rugby, tennis, golf, cricket etc. Even the Proms don't go on forever. But reality TV is a never-ending irritation. It's all fixed, even though it professes to involve the audience through paid voting etc. The papers are full of it and, alas, a few greedy, self-centered, egotistical people are the ones to profit.