Sunday
Why am I so uninspired when it comes to blogging these days? Is it the alcohol? I could cut down - come the new year, I have cut down. Weekends only (except when I am drinking during the week). Or the caffeine? I only drink coffee when I am asked out 'for coffee' or if I have had a particularly satisfying meal that cannot be denied a ristretto chaser - I do not drink coffee as a coping mechanism for human interaction in the 'am' hours any more. Perhaps these recent lifestyle adjustments will cause the shingles to fall from my mind and thus bloggable considerations will gush forth as readily as, well, the clichés did when I was constructing this sentence. That would be nice.
As an entirely unrelated aside, I recently had a sort-of bigwig in the large organisation I work for sit me down and tell me what a credit I could be to said organisation if I got into its graduate programme. His schtick was familiar 21st Centurese motivationary-speak - casually, genially, avuncularly domineering - "Here's what I want you to do by the end of next week..." Despite an arguably unhealthy self-belief in my critical faculties, I found myself drawn to this man (who barely knows me) and his vision for my future; a spell that only lapsed after he had breezed out the door to no doubt galvanise some other vessel with the company mettle. Not a bad trick - identify the promising juniors and intimidate/flatter them into the arms of the company via the personal attention and counsel of vastly senior colleagues. I must remember that one when I have my own business. I did not sign anything.
The point is that up until the early months of 2006 I have always written, argued and thought voraciously. Inspiration was never a problem, an elegant turn-of-phrase never hard to deploy. It is now - I feel barren. And it is not the booze or caffeine or any other drug; I need to leave Perth. Perth is too easy. Having left Perth for more exotic destinations in the past, I now realise that not being in Perth piques my intellectual curiosity like no other. Okay, not being on Easy Street piques my intellectual curiosity like no other, but that is practically the same thing. Perth is a marvellous city to live in, especially if you want an uncomplicated life, but I need to struggle. I need to challenge myself beyond the stultifying rigours of a weekend team-building exercise conducted at some five star hobby farm resort. Yes, I trust you will catch me if I fall back ramrod-straight into your arms, but how will I fare on the Ropes Course with only my team members to spot me? What a load of wank! I've been offered a promising career path in one of Australia's biggest and most successful companies. But to be honest, the very thought bores the absolute tits off of me. I am going to leave Australia and try to make my own way in the New World - Asia.
Ta-ra.
(TBC)
...but then he's got to live among the Poms.
Good luck, James. And nice choice, by the way.
Posted by Kim du Toit at January 7, 2007 11:01 PM
You'll do fine. I did the same thing myself exactly one year ago tomorrow. Best damned thing I've ever done. You'll likely make the very same statement one year hence.
Posted by TDH at January 7, 2007 11:16 PM
And of course there is always London...
These days Asia is where the ambitious Aussie goes. I fear I personally may be a bit of an anachronism. (Of course, that I feel the pull of Asia is fairly obvious from my blogging). Best of luck James.
Posted by Michael Jennings at January 8, 2007 02:23 AM
I feel the same way. Ten years of software development--which I'm really good at--and I'm totally bored with the whole concept. Unfortunately, I can't go anywhere more interesting right now. So I have to figure out what the hell does seem interesting to me.
Posted by Alfred E. Neuman at January 8, 2007 04:07 AM
It might be, James, that the bigwig cruised up like a shark as his sensory ducts detected a sudden drop in creativity and free thinking - ideal grad trainee material.
Posted by TimC at January 8, 2007 09:55 AM
You might want to come to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. That is Asia, and believe me you will never complain of an easy life here.
Posted by Tim Newman at January 8, 2007 10:55 AM
And of course there is always London...
Did that myself a few months ago. Having an absolute blast.
James - any destination in particular in mind?
Posted by HisHineness at January 8, 2007 12:20 PM
And of course there is always London...
I once went to London for a six month holiday. Stayed 23 years.
Nice place.
Good decision James, go for it.
Where you goin? Asia is a big place. India would be my choice.
And of course there is always London...
Posted by Chris Harper at January 8, 2007 12:59 PM
This reminds me a bit of the Sherlock Holmes stories, where the young man touched by scandal or found innocent of crime goes off to Burma or Rhodesia to make his fortune, or dispense the Queen's justice beneath a gum tree to the natives. Good luck!
Posted by Petronius at January 8, 2007 03:42 PM
Thanks, all!
I'm going to China for a couple of years where I'll teach English in Beijing (the money can be surprisingly decent, and the cost of living is tiny). Then I want to move to Vietnam to hunt for opportunities and start a business there. I'd dearly love to move to India - which is just about my favourite country in the world - but the work opportunities there are quite limited for someone like me.
I did think about London - I have a few friends over there and of course there's heaps going on - but I prefer the climate in China/SE Asia. And I love Asian food. Also, as I mentioned above, I eventually want to start my own business in Vietnam, which is about to take off like a rocket. I want to be part of that.
And I generally feel more comfortable in Asia, even compared to my home city of Perth.
Posted by James Waterton at January 8, 2007 03:45 PM
James, that sounds very sensible. China is a great place, though I prefer Shanghai to Beijing, but both are rapidly becoming more expensive to live in. I believe you are right about Vietnam. I prefer Hanoi to Ho Chi Min/Saigon misself. Some beautiful French cafes had reopened when I went in the mid 90's. I am sure this trend has not reversed.
Posted by TimC at January 8, 2007 05:17 PM
I got an email from a Chinese lady a couple of months ago, wanting to know if I would marry her and help her run her English language school.
I can give you her details if you want. A job and a warm bed combined.
Posted by Chris Harper at January 8, 2007 11:37 PM
