As you know I’ve moved to Zürich, so far so good. It’s been a relatively smooth transition with the new company pushing the boat out, red carpet on board, to make sure I settle in and stay. With the costs involved in finding and keeping competence these days, it’s what they have to do.

I was very happy to get rid of my last corporate owner. Middle-management was the order of the day with generous helpings of pathetic process and general chaos on the side. You can only see things clearly once you move on, and since I’ve been gone I’ve realised just how bad things were with in-fighting, managerial bitches ready to scratch eachother’s eyes out in order to preserve their own little piece of the non-existent pie. It was a case of dying embers and who in the hierarchy was going to get pole position to keep their little asses warm and safe from the cold winds of change.

It’s funny how environments and situations carry themselves away. My last corporate owner was caught up in its own vortex, a dog chasing its own tail, a sick dog that needs to be put down and laid to rest by the great corporate vet. The company is booming on the NASDAQ, but the little people, the fraying ends who don’t matter at all are blinded by the dark hyponotics cascaded down from above. The little people believe that they are vital parts of the machine, that they count, that they matter, that they are important and irreplaceable. It’s only human to want to feel that you have made a difference, that what you’ve done matters,that you leave some legacy of contribution. It’s sad however that in this industry, IT, everything we work with is virtual, nothing really exists, nothing has a lifespan beyond 6 months – nothing really matters. So let’s all get a bit of perspective, get our heads out of our assholes and look at ourselves objectively, I am of course referring to my previous corporate owner. We are shit that doesn’t matter.

So long and thanks for all the fish.

Christmas has come and gone. Another one, another year-end looms and I look back with a sense of momentum and achievement, we learn from our mistakes. A year ago I started a new job that I saw myself in for at least 3 years but in the process I managed to exceed my expectations and jump the gun, I only had to serve a minimum of the time and I now roam amongst the Swiss. Slick bankers and their fur-lined wives who’s only worrry in life is what to buy next. Marvellous.

I spent Christmas in Basel with Alex’s family. It was a warm Christmas with plenty of good food, vin chaud, foie gras, aspic, sauternes, turkey stuffed with rabbit, liver and chestnuts, gratin cardon, pommes dauphinous and panetone. All of the above making great boxing day sandwiches and picky things. I felt self-obliged to accompany the family to church on Christmas eve. I did this for 3 reasons, 1) why not? 2) it would be strange to leave the boyfriend at home alone 3) in some fateful booze-fuelled accident I might have set fire to the tree and presents. It was the safest thing to do so for once I saught refuge in a Church.

The church was old and dark, lit only by candlelight as they were doing their bit for the environment by not using electricity. At one point we had to go forward and gather in a great big silent circle. A robed man came round offering bits of bread to the crowd, I stood behind, outside of the circle as I thought in circle language this would indicate that I was not intending to partake in the meal, I had just eaten half a turkey and was already about to burst. I held onto the piece of bread that was thrust upon me until Alex asked what I was going to do with it. Was I going to wait for it to become a doughy mess and then make little things with it? was I going to throw it on the floor? Did she want it? So I put the argument of what the little piece of bread represented beghind me and swallowed it. As the congregation stood in contemplative silence and the deafening silence resounded like white noise through the great big hall, the little piece of bread got stuck, my solar plexus went into a spasm and one almighty hiccup sprang forth. It started a fit of giggles that left tears streaming down my face and me looking for the nearest exit.

All in all it was a good weekend. I am over fed and over rested. I’m back at work now getting ready for a visit from the auld scotch piss artist next week.I’m looking forward to it.