little talks

the guy whose contract ran out the day after i started my contract, is still negotiating his return. he has asked for more money and from what i hear, he is going to get it, but hearing the conversations of some of the managers, his stock appears to have fallen, not professionally but personally. there is a way to negotiate a new contract and they way NOT to do it, is to wait till your last day, dont sign the contract thats been offered and then hold a gun to their head saying you will only come back for more money, otherwise its all in the hands of the new guy (me). 


its easy to make yourself look valuable and prized in a situation when its you v some newbie who just walked in through the door, but it cheapens you and is a way of falsely creating a circumstance to make you look vital as opposed to getting your higher rate because you are worth it and on the quality of the work you produce. thats what it looks like to me. 


also, that fella thought he would have people queuing up in the city offering him lots of money in investment banks and hedge funds. those days are over and he has never worked in finance before so he wont get a look in anywhere. he also doesnt have any exams or certifications so thats 2 excuses for some HR person sitting in a bank to ignore his CV. 


i got an email today from the guy in Dubai recruiting for the job in Qatar. he just gave me an update that things were going slow but that he was still on the case. will see how that goes. my current contract is getting a little better. the first few weeks are always difficult and i just have overly great expectations every time i start a new job. my enthusiasm tends to be high and i get frustrated not being able to contribute or do any work. am able to do work now, although its still frustrating but at least i feel like a producing some work and fixing things. 


have also realised that i am vastly overpaid for what they are asking me do. i wouldnt be surprised if lots of others were as well, but i wonder how many could admit it. seems like a bit of a gravy train for a lot of people there. oh well, good luck to them, whatever makes you happy i guess. looking at it in terms of what i want to do, its not quite it for me, but in the meantime i will take the money. it keeps me off the streets and keeps my bank balance ticking upwards quite nicely. if Qatar comes through,i will have a big decision to make. 


am reading prodigously at the moment and finished the book, in the footsteps of mr kurtz. its a very good book about the congo and its long time leader, mobutu. i recommend it. have download a free book from amazon about opium in china. it was written in 1908 and i have read the first few pages and its sounds horrific. another thing we didnt study in history lessons at school, though it is quite embarressing for britain to have been running a heroin cartel that makes the sinaloa mexican drug cartel look small time. information like that is best not publicised or taught and should be hidden from us. there is no reason not to read it. its free on amazon. all you have to do is download the kindle app which is free also. 


today i have mostly been listening to of monsters and men - little talks. happy music.