A Scribble

The Simple Life

The storm rolled over the mountains and made its greeting upon our little town just outside of Perpignan. It is now late into the evening and the streets outside are quiet and cool. To be considered a welcomed reprieve from the heat of the day. The torrents of water which ran through the streets are now stilled, to be evaporated into the evening air which has created a damp, making the bright lights from other houses dim.

Even in this remote part of France. A small village full of local traditions and patterned pastimes. The laptop of which I am writing this post has still managed to find wireless connectivity. Truly this world is a global village.

Although I can fluently request a cold lager from the small bar across the road, I must confess that my knowledge of the French dialect ends here. Conversations with the locals mostly consist of body language and smiling. I have been to quite a few places in France but Perpignan is different. For a start the culture is entirely different to the rest of the country. Hardly anybody speaks English and it is quite difficult trying to spot tourists.

On past holidays it would be common to rent a villa for a fortnight. This year a friend of the family has kindly allowed us to use their holiday home here. I suppose the lack of tourists makes sense for this reason. There are no communal swimming pools here or tacky tourist shops selling meaningless anecdotes to remember the country by.

Yesterday I came within a few miles from Spain and saw a mixture of different cultures at a morning market. Stools would commonly be selling products made by hand. Wooden carvings, children’s toys, handmade garments and other necessary items people use to live their lives.

As a technophobe I could not but help spot that the amount of technology around this area is basic. Mobile phones are big and clunky, television sets are never crisp flatscreens and cars are clearly only purchased 8^th hand.

There is a beauty about this though. People living here are still in the Western world but find that the simple life still works. There is no need for large marble kitchens, eco-friendly cars, expensive smartphones, powerful gaming consoles or computers. All the gadgets which I find myself being obsessed about seem to be mere distractions from a world which is far more than the speed of a processor.

I could get used to this simple life. A part of me marvels over the thought of escaping commitments and living out here for the rest of my life. Perhaps one day once I have grown tired of the world. For now though it is still necessary to continue on and remember this place in my memory as the village that had very little but had far more to offer me than the bustling city.  

Radio Dilemma

I’m on my lunch break and I am plagued with a few dilemmas in my mind. Inevitable issues which I should have foreseen now that I am an employee at Microsoft but I think valid for public opinion, your opinion. Remember that everything written here are my own views and not attached to Microsoft.

This morning I got a pleasant phone call from one of the larger BBC Radio Stations in London. Again they were asking for my opinion, typically on Facebook as always. I was invited down to the studio to speak to a very well-known radio presenter on the air.

Despite now working in a full time job this interview could have been planned around my lunch break. Here is the problem though. Even though I would have been discussing every known subject under the sun – I would not have mentioned Microsoft. Quite deliberately. I am not a spokesperson for the company (although this would be a dream job!) and only deal with my personal opinions.

The problem is that because now Microsoft are paying me full time, they have ownership over my productivity, I have been left with a dilemma. After much advice I had been left but no choice but to reject the invitation from BBC Radio. I love it how my opinions are sought after, how I can provide content to help journalists fill their air time. I just need to tread carefully. I cannot afford for the media to make the link between me and my job and possibly come to irrational conclusions that I speak partly for the company or even convey some sort of general Microsoft employee bias.

Over the last 2 years I have worked very hard to get my foot into the door of journalism and the trade of opinion. In many ways I have worked very hard over the last 20 years of my life which have now lead me to have a job at Microsoft. A dream job which suits the fanatical technological fiend which I am.

I just need to wait and sort out my mind around this dilemma. Whilst working at Microsoft it looks difficult for me to approach the airways without some sort of risk attached to it. I guess I could contact the Microsoft press office for advice? Ask my manager how she feels about the subject?

Despite everything I have said the best times for me to comment would be at the weekend. Planned ahead radio interviews which means I can organise my week effectively. I guess I only have 11 months before this dilemma passed. My fear is that my foot will slip out the door of broadcasting. This is something which makes me shudder to the very core.  

I have only gone a few days without writing and yet it feels like a lifetime since the creative part of my brain has had a good hiding. The longer you study at University the more you begin to realise how silly some aspects of the modules are. For instance, as part of my placement year I am required to either maintain a diary or blog detailing each week.

Unfortunately this task is almost impossible for two reasons:

1. I am working and so therefore have very little time to focus on University work as well

2. I am constantly dealing with confidential information and situations

So really, in the grand scheme of things, I am actually unable to write very much about specific details of my job. However! I can explain a little bit about what I’m currently doing.

I am working within the Microsoft Advertising department in London. Although we only have (roughly) 15 employees working in the UK, as a multinational team we stretch across a variety of countries.

These countries are:

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, United States, South Africa, Arabia, Nigeria, Senegal, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, India, Thailand and Indonesia.

I may have missed a couple of countries. What is certain that saying I work within a large department is a little bit of an understatement. With such a range of countries requires a degree of knowledge regarding the cultures you are dealing with, their organisational systems, perhaps a small understanding of their language (although International English is used), understanding of time zones… the list goes on (and I don’t want to bore you with that).

Currently my day to day work activities involves learning about the specific jobs of each member of the UK team. Until I have a grasp of this I will be unable to function properly.

Although my job title isn’t “active” yet – I shall be working as a Trade Marketer. This role incorporates aspects of my Public Relations degree. As I am still waiting to find out specific details I shall leave my explanation of Trade Marketing for another day.

I can’t boast to enjoy commuting to work each day. My hatred for trains has only intensified since the 30min delays I had to endure this morning. Once I walk through the doors of Microsoft I realise why I am fortunate to be working within such a great organisation, how I am lucky to have landed a job which appeals to my geeky materialistic side and how this year should positively change me for the better.

Having said that I look forward to regularly travelling back to Cheltenham to see Erin (gf who must be nuts to like me(!), all my friends and the local pub. Working seems to have left me with an odd double life. I’m not quite convincing enough to be a student but neither have I been seduced by the world of work.