Tag Archives: work

Travelling for work

Ok, so I travel for work. A lot, of late.

San Fran, New Orleans, Singapore, India…and then of course the travel we do for fun. Singapore, Hong Kong, Xian, Phuket.

But let’s focus on work related travel. It sucks, mostly. Simply because you work a lot more when you are away from home. There just isn’t anything else to do, and even if there was, you rather check one more email, write one more instruction or whatever else you do for a crust.

It also sours countries for you. I love Singapore. I really do. Working there can be likened to entering somewhere between the eighth and ninth circle of hell – Treachery and Fraud – if you follow Dante.

Anyway, it is a very different experience that one has.

Most work related travel is also superfluous – Do we really need to go places in person for work these days? Really? What about video conferencing, instant messaging, Online collaboration and virtual encounters?

 

Right now I am in India, for the first time – and it is for work.

Sad, but that’s where we are now.

How do you feel about work travel? Like it? Hate it? Meh…?

(PS Why is everybody beeping here all the time???)

Such is life…

This morning I took my wife to work. Traffic, as usual, was very busy and it was more of a stop-and-go arrangement rather than a swift and decisive drive.

The last part of the journey took us past a cemetery to our left. It is beautiful, small and recessed headstones, luscious lawns, well kept small hedges and a blue sky and sparkling sunlight to boot.

That was on our left.

On our right we see the legions emerging from the underground railway station into the blinding light. They assemble into shambling cohorts and trudge along miserably, already knowing the shape and circumstance of their day. No joy, no surprises there.

It seems odd that the near living should be in a position to envy the finitely dead. I look left again and think that I would probably prefer to bask in the sun – even under the lawn.

It is clear that most of the undead on the right in their pale imitation of life think similar thoughts if they are still able to.

Where did we go so wrong?