The Signifier

All that *glitters* is not Gulf

Voices emerge and break the myth of the Middle Eastern Dream
Today, like every other, part of my morning routine is a catchup on the world and a glimpse into the lives of people I've met over the years to see what's happening in areas of my past.

Ordinarily, this activity is a quick affair, scanning through lots of injections of what people have thought, smelt, tasted....everyday stuff that in most parts is nothing new or surprising. Now to the untrained eye, something like this (a report from journalist Johann Hari) would be considered just a bitter review of a trip to this glimmering city. However, what you're in fact reading is a brave voice emerging from a mission to find the REAL Dubai.

Already, the wheels of PR and loyalty are turning (AmazingWomenRock article) with an interesting "two wrongs do make a right" approach, pointing the finger to the rest of the World who treat their citizens in a similar fashion! Interesting considering that for a long time, the Emirates smugly announced they've built the city of Dubai using the lessons/mistakes made by the Western World as a guid of how NOT to do it!

Which Credit Crunch Profile are you?

What's the secret of success in the Credit Crunch?....I'll tell you!

We really can't ignore (still) the talk of Credit Crunch and the gloom and doom effects it's having on the economics of our country (and the World!). Mid February I woke up and decided I would no longer listen/watch the morning news on TV before heading out to the daily grind. Instead I would eliminate the talk of 'who is next to crumble?". Don't get me wrong, I wasn't avoiding the climate, I was just trying to level the amount of bad news floating round my head first thing.

However, one thing I did wish for in this resolution of 'switch off', was for once every so often for there to be some good news amid the bad, some minute granule of 'happy' for us to look at and praise.

Interestingly enough, a survey this week in Marketing now deconstructs our nation into levels of OPTIMISM amidst the crunch! Those who have reacted in a way as to just go 'safe' and those who are (trying) to take the stances of "life goes on...so shall I".

So which profile do you fit into, you're one of eight possibles:

• "On the up" (4%)
• "Life goes on" (13.3%)
• "It's worth it" (14.5%)
• "Occasional treats" (12.5%)
• "Cutting back" (20.4%)
• "Trading down" (18.7%)
• "Life on hold" (9.2%)
• "Trading off" (7.7%)

Make a wish list this year...

Continuing on from my previous post, it struck me in a conversation I had this morning our new year plans need to be things we WANT to do not feel that we HAVE TO do. With this in mind and taking on board all that has been considered as 'lessons learned in 2008', I'm making a list now, it's a combination of things I've been scribbling down (year on year) in my notebook, alongside some new dreams.

If anything, it's going to be things "I hope to experience in my post-40 years....

2008; That was the year that was.....

I know it's something we all do come close-down of the year, but that retrospective of the last twelve months is subconsciously the insight we use to put down our resolutions for the coming months of the new year.

If this is the case, then 2009 should be a year where mistakes, lessons and newnewss from 2008 make it one of the best. In my mind, that's quite fortunate, this being of course for me where traditionally 'life begins'.

So what were the good things to take from 2008 and take along with me on my trip into 2009?

• To never stop being content with oneself
• To have conviction in those instincts/spiritual rumbles that tell us things are good or bad
• To celebrate music and the many senses it pings
• To recognise why people come in and out of our lives
• To be honest with oneself, one's limitations & strengths

Easier said than done? Perhaps so, but we're never too old to make mistakes and learn from them...I can honestly say 2008 will be one year to remember for all the good things I come out of it knowing.

 

TV or not TV...that's the reality!

During a recent post-meal conversation I entered into a debate about the definitions of TV programming. The crux of the debate was that (perhaps foolishly) as a viewer, I made a comment about 'yet another reality tv programme' was about to be aired....

The big question is "What makes a TV programme a reality one?" Is is the fact there is a prize (?), is it one whereby over time, we slowly cull a list of prospective candidates (?), is it a one-off where we put two extremes of Joe and Josephine Public together waiting for the car crash to happen(?)....

Today I've set the challenge in various forums to see how people are defining 'reality TV programming'. I think what's happened is that if it's not fitting into one of the traditional content buckets of 'situation-comedy','soap', 'Documentary' etc, then it has a high propensity of becoming 'reality'...

It's not waving the white flag, it's seeing the bigger picture and moving on.

For the last few weeks, you can probably tell there has been a bit of a radio silence on broadcast. Going into the details of the "whys" and "Who's" are probably best kept to oneself, merely because of the fragility of others involved.

However, what I can share is the realisation I had at the beginning of this week that moved me to decide to step back from the tornado of chaos I was experiencing and walk away from it.

Asking myself what it I was that I was ultimately looking for that made me take those decisions in the first place were based on the fundamental I've always held with high importance in my life;

The belief that one has the right to prove themselves in a situation where others are trying to bend the truth.

I've never liked being accused of something I've not actually done, especially when at the time, I did things to help others out in times of need. The natural response has always been to fight one's right for truth against those who wish to paint you with tar that is of their making NOT yours.

I had to make a choice this week. The choice of being comfortable with saying that I don't need otheres acceptance of the real story. Im happy to say "I know who was right", "I know what was said and what wasn't said" and those who claim otherwise are merely fooling themselves and running away from their own demons. As they scrabble from their own problem, they're pushing their demons onto others (they do catch up with their orignators very quickly though!).

The good news is that eventually this kind of thing sorts itself out. I'm a believer in Karma and I know it'll come bite sooner or later. I'd rather not be around when it does, because I know the same behaviour will just be repeated all over...that's for someone else to experience, not me.

I can quite happily hold my head up and smile, knowing the future will contain one less bad energy, one less reason to fear newness and one less reason to celebrate the many things I know I will now do because of this change in course and direction to my life.

If there is one thing I thank those fools I no longer suffer gladly, it's the newness their actions now put in front of me.....exciting, challenging, rewarding. Dad would call it Character Building!

Give me the baseline and I'll shake it...

If there is one thing that's always been important in my World, it's music, and anchoring those euphoric moments to music to pull back in times of crisis. Throughout those times in my life where everything has been just that bit too much to bear, I've turned to music.

When I look back at the Dubai time, the one thing I lost was listening and replenishing through the Nano, I can see it clearly now, didn't see it at the time. Although I know there were plenty of other environmental influences, the lacking of music as an anchor certainly has something to do with the tough times out there!

So XXL is the temple to which I get to anchor good times and phat beats together, with friendly faces, great music, random encounters, old faces and new ones too. For that I thank the Power of NLP!

Whatever happens in my life, music will always be there....

Sometimes the one in the driving seat doesn't decide on the final destination!

Travelling down the road of delicious ambiguity, one often comes up with signposts and choices. Sometimes the choices we make affect only us, in other instances, they impart some ripple effect on others. I've always been a believer in the randomness of chapters in the book of "DA" and although sometimes (normally whilst you read a new chapter for the first time) things seem disappointing, I do try to seek out the silver lining for each dark cloud.

For the moment, I am in 'seeker' mode, madly grappling with the good I can see in everything and trying not to fall foul of that Top Dog who barks those annoying anit-thoughts.

One day, I will read back on this particular posting and smile, with the knowledge at that point of all those good reasons 'why'. For the moment, TD has his leash on, but his muzzle is a little loose!

Simplicity rules the day!

Understanding the Bedouin way is a very interesting exercise. Amid the crazy-chaos of 120kph on Sheikh Zayed Road and the fastest-pace of business, one has to recognise that everything distills into 'simplicity'...this is of course how it's been done for thousands of years out here.

In my last few hours in this neck of the woods, I've simplified my own environment and in doing so, I've seen different perspectives on those daily drudge things. My balcony view, the last one here...why is this one so different from the others? Post it notes from a month ago, bring a sting to the eye, food in the cupboard and recollections of that humid night we queued in Spinneys and stressed over the shopping bill.

When we go through a change in environment, the power of NLP kicks in and purges 'oneself' for all the emotional chemicals...it's like going to the gym purely for the buzz of enorphyns.

Simplicity is the call for today. Leaving behind (and forgiving) all those unwanted things Dubai has dealt us, appreciating what good is here (and it DOES exist!) and taking forward the things 'that work' into the next adventure....

Tick....Tock....Tick.....Tock....

It's almost time to say "see you in a bit"
I've done the majority of sifting now, shippers are due in tomorrow morning to put belongings into boxes and to dispatch them by sea and air.

It's been a funny old week to be honest. Jet lag recovery from a brief dip into my new world at the weekend, back to the final week at work and it's more frantic than normal (and that's saying something for agency life!).

I've been counting this time down, plenty of things to do slowing each second to a painful drag, but I'm almost there....ready to start a new era and ready to embark on new adventures.

I'm hoping delicious ambiguity is delivering me some high-points to compensate for the recent lows that have chipped the smiles from inside. I'm walking forwards into sandy terrain and looking forward to the next chapter......