Left a good job in the city

Popping up to Botswana for the day again, and watching the silent movie content that South African Airways force-feeds you in cattle class. Along with the slapstick TV gags, they have a loop that runs on the TV plugging Kwa Zulu Natal. One of the features is an artist, who is apparently from an "imminent" family in KZN. Maybe she's pregnant. It reminds me of one of my old posts on a similar subject. Anyway, I was in Botswana for a client's board meeting - very interesting, more for what was not being said than what was. The interesting and important conversations take place in the bars and restaurants at the Grand Palm Hotel and the Gaborone Sun, and by the time the board meets it's a bit late to change things. It's tough for a teetotaller. If flights are anything to go by, then Botswana is booming. The plane from Gaborone to Joburg is always full - I have not seen more than 2 or 3 empty seats at a time in dozens of trips. The seats are often filled with laptop toting consultants like myself, sweating in their suits. The economy is booming because it can afford these people (people like me), and it has the confidence that there are ideas worth throwing money and consultants at. Whether the migration of consultants bodes well for the future of Botswana's economy or not is an open question.

I've just noticed that it's over a year since my last blog here. In the meantime I'd been blogging elsewhere about my work woes - elsewhere because I had got a bit liberal with the address of this blog. I don't mind complete strangers reading about my professional life, but the concern that it might get to the people it was about led me to create another one.

Anyway the upshot of the business bollocks is that I am now freelance. That means that I no longer have a permanent position or a guaranteed monthly salary. It also means that I don't have to fill in budgets, attend board meetings, go to corporate away days, do workshops, be nice people I don't like. It's great! If I'm working, I'm getting paid. If not, I'm free! And broke. Luckily so far I've been busy, with a month off over Christmas. Perfect.

Back soon. Probably