Labor Day weekend was pakced with quality expereinces:
Drinks night at K-Town (with special guest Nick Seeto). I'm down for those soju shots!
Tennis at the US Open. Tennis is so much better live, the ball goes so fast. Got to see Federer and Roddick, in picture perfect weather. More photos here:
Labor Day dinner, to sample Nick's cooking skillz. Am mightily impressed, Nick should do Top Chef :)
And in three days time, Cayman Islands!!
Even though I had said earlier that my 30th birthday seemed to have come and gone without much impact, I'm starting to think of the value of time with slightly more seriousness.
Previously, given my current transfer situation, I knew I was committed to working in the company for another year, and after that, it's not much of a stretch to be around for two more years to hit my 10 year mark and enjoy the fruits of my labours. But suddenly I'm thinking that there could be other options and those extra two years seems like a long commitment.
Now don't get me wrong, I think the company is great, and the people there are wonderful, the question nowadays is "where next"? Staying a bit longer, there should be a managerial spot for me. Is this what I want? Can I see myself being the nurturing type for my minion employees? I think I've said before that my strengths seem to be on focusing on a deliverable and hitting the target ie project management. Trouble is, will there be many more interesting projects to deliver in the next few years, with the financial climate as it is?
Perhaps extra schooling might be the answer? Funny thing is the first question they ask on those MBA forms is "what position do you seek after graduation?", and I'm already stuck! I need more thoughts on the matter...
"Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand is about celebrating what the author sees as the epitomy of man, a person who is "utterly selfish" and selfish in that every motive is internally driven.
Rand slams the concept of selflessness, claiming that if selflessness (or the sacrifice of oneself for others) was the best virtue, then we would necessarily need another's suffering to heighten our sense of selflessness. If everyone was selfish, everyone would be able to treat each other as equals, as two parties in a trade.
Of the characters, there is on by the name of Peter Keating. Peter is shown to be someone who finds their values based on the judgements of others and who does not have the ability to make it on his own, relying on another's skill to make him famous. He reflects other people's opinions and concepts, to a point where he has none of his own.
Disturbingly, or perhaps with clarity, I feel that I have a lot in common with Peter Keating. I think I am easily persuaded of an idea, and whilst I don't take on other people's ideas as my own, I would reflect their thoughts.
I remember a phrase that a project manager is a "conduit of other people's dreams" and I may have taken that to an extreme level (which may be why I am good at PM'ing!).
I did one of those personality analysis tests and from the strengths they listed I see myself as someone who tries to bring in others to the group and "win them over". The fact that I tried so hard to please would logically not make me as forthright in my own judgement and opinions.
However, there is a fear in me that I may look inside one day and come to the realisation that there isn't much underneath the surface...
So is this what the word "shallow" means? Do opinions make the man? Or is it something else that makes a person "deep"?
Should I balance myself out and start sprouting some more opinions? Or should I focus on my strengths and realise that this is who I am, and find what is best for me? Or maybe I should just think things through and whilst I don't have to sprout the opinion, know in my heart what I feel?
I like when projects go-live.
There is a certain satisfaction to be had when all the hard work comes together and a product is rolled out to the users.
Of course there are issues, I don't think any project goes to the users without something that someone would complain about. However, as long as the issues are not too many, or too severe, I would consider it a success. The comms out to the business was terrible (side note: I really do think that people in the business do not understand change management) but the usability of the system was enough that most people were up and away.
Funniest part: an email from one of the business units that said "Tomorrow is the dawning of a new era in internal communications" when in fact the system was already live today.
There is some really bad statistic that says that 40% (or is it even more?) of ICT projects don't see the light of day. So I have to make sure that the team celebrates. Think I might have to buy some thank you items!
Let's kick back, relax for a bit and savour the moment.
Got some photos up.
Sydney was only a week ago, but it already feels far away. Great to see family and friends, and the best thing was to see that everyone was healthy, happy and enjoying life. And the kids are unbelievable! I just glad that our M&M shirts all fit :)
Toronto was great to see my Dad's side of the family. Mama looked like last time, but was even less responsive to our presence. It's sad for me to see her in this state, I'm sure it's even harder for her children to. However, I'm glad I got up there, I realise that I really should see my family here more often. My cousin is going to be studying in Chicago which makes it only a hop, skip and jump away.
It's been great to come back to NY. Resting in the apartment, feeling the summer heat, smelling those random odours, there's a feel to NY that can't be replicated elsewhere.
I think I'm also coming back to the city with a purpose to get out there and do more stuff. It was a semi-shocked feeling to think that I have already been here for almost 10 months, which means I'm nearly halfway through our secondment here. Work-wise the trip to Sydney was great in renewing old contacts and getting some global work. I should have charged the airfare!
Of course there is an option to extend, and I think we will probably take that option (if it's given to us). Even then I still have more of a realisation that the time here is not long at all.
Things on the immediate list:
As sad as this is, given I'm back in Sydney with family and friends, I'm writing a post about work.
Coming back to Oz I've been reminded how difficult it is to properly manage a project, especially a large enterprise one.
The amount of people to manager, issues to fix, risks to watch over and general grief counseling that is involved could make any PM insane. The problem is exacerbated by poor requirements, leading to one of the biggest scope creep issues I have ever seen. I'm coming here as a viewer of the storm, as opposed to being in the middle of it, so it makes for quite a learning experience. Time is a factor, and as crunch time nears for project delivery, communication really doesn't get the loving it deserves.
Thinking of the up and coming project on my radar, where I'll be trying to herd two quite different business units in all three regions of the globe will be quite a challenge. I need to make sure that I keep everyone engaged, or else there will almost a guarantee that things will be coming out of left field.
Of course, it's not like I was the best PM when I was here in Oz. Having talked to the guys that are now supporting the project I ran, I would have to say that there was a real lack of quality analysis on the work that was produced, and whether that is due to poor developers or poor BAs, the ultimate responsibility comes back to me. I'm just lucky that I have a PM friend in Sydney whom I handed over to, who is very good at working through these knotty issues. For someone who doesn't swear much, even he says that the solution I produced was "fucked", to use a technical term :)
In other news, it was wonderful to catch up with family and friends. I miss everyone here! Looking forward to XBox night on Wednesday hehe. Some things never change!
After a marathon flight across the Pacific (with the inevitable delays at JFK airport and customs in Sydney) I'm typing this up in the family home at West Pennant Hills. I had the Qantas song going through my head as we flew into Sydney, and we were drenched with a wonderful sunny day as we stepped off the airplane.
There's been some changes, especially in the roads around Lane Cove, but I was glad that our house remains as deathly cold as I remembered it to be. My parents are in good spirits, and that's the most that I could ask for. Looking forward to seeing my sis and the kids tonight for dinner.
We talked of many things on the way home, family news, shares, work in NY, other random gossip. I gave my parents their pressies, which they appreciated :) Dad showed me his latest gadget purchase (some Motorola phone that he doesn't know how to use) and Mum regaled me on how she doesn't ever want to change the TV, as she's finally worked out how to record stuff on it.
Feels good to be home.
Bec asked me yesterday if I was feeling excited about my up and coming birthday. I thought about it for a while, and the answer is "meh...". It seems that I get older, the days go faster, and the birthdays don't mean as much.
Yes, I will be turning 30; yes, I will be ticking a different box on those random surveys; yes, the knees creak a bit more when I walk up some stairs. But essentially, do I feel different? A day does not maketh the man, or something like that.
I feel some of the major changes in my life were in coming over here to NY last year, to being fully committed to my relationship, to buying my new watch :) Turning 30 was not something I looked forward to, nor was it something I was scared of.
I've heard that men are in their prime during their 30's, as they have got their shit together and are really making a decent contribution to themselves and to society at large. Perhaps this birthday milestone is just a sign along the road that I am traveling, an acknowledgment that things are now coming together and that I am finally starting to be a wise man.
So it's finally done. The arduous journey that my grandma started me on is complete, and I have the ticking watch to prove it. It's strange how much time went into this purchase, and all the trials and tribulations that came with it (trying to get a watch ordered in, couldn't find the ones I wanted, haggling with the sales person etc etc). I wish I put this much effort into buying shares (and the worse thing is that the share purchases are much more than the watch!)
Still, it's all good now, and I have a sense of completion. Next step is to send a picture of the watch on the wrist to grandma.
I've never had a mechanical watch before, and I have to say that they ticking they make when it put it next to your ear is quite cool. I also like the fact that the second hand sweeps, and doesn't flick from one second to the next.
Yay for new goodies. Hoping this watch will last a lifetime :)