An abnormal week

Once the Dodgess reaches home tonight, the two of us will go for a quick swim before dinner. It will be the fourth time this week that we have had dinner at home - not only that, it will be the fourth time that we will have eaten together this week. Trust me - this is abnormal. I think that in the previous month, we probably cooked and ate at home perhaps 4 times in total. We are completely helpless when supermarket shopping - you forget how to plan meals when you always eat out.


To be honest, such a week has been long overdue. More typical, was last week. I was in Saigon by 7pm on Monday, where I stayed for two days. I came back just about in time for the dress rehearsal of Petrushka, the day after was the concert.

The latest in the TPO's series of Stravinsky's Ballet Russes '100 years later' playing Petrushka completed the set for me and the Dodgess, having both done the Firebird last year, and Rite of Spring at Univeristy. As with the Firebird, this was an educational concert. I get the feeling if it were tried in the UK it would feel pretty poor, but it works better out here. Or perhaps TPO is just lucky with its presenter.

Anyway, I enjoyed playing Petrushka. It is a nice cross between the Firebird, and the Rite of Spring. I think the orchestra played reasonably - the review (never the most acidic in Singapore) was relatively glowing. 

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One of the critical items in any business travel bag is a book. Not only for those annoying hours waiting and on planes, but a book is second only to human company at the dinner table, and preferable to room service! For this trip to Vietnam I chose Too Good to Be True; a book that chronicles Bernie Madoff, he of the $64 billion fraud. 

I suppose, on the basis that I finished the book, it is not the worst book that I have read. There are several that I've just given up on. However, with the exception of Da Vinci Code (which is quite honestly, the most shocking waste of a forest ever committed) it is the most disappointing book that I have finished. 

My overall impression is one of laziness. Like a journalist has cobbled together their articles on Madoff, called it a book, and sent it to be published. The publisher hasn't bothered to read it, or if they have, certainly hasn't got a decent copy editor. Some facts are repeated about 5 times within a page. Sometimes within a paragraph.

Also, the whole book missed the point. There was, for example, no cash flow or balance analysis of the last few months - when did the whole thing fall to bits? There is an allegation that the true mastermind was not actually Madoff. This could have been interesting - but clearly wasn't - I can't remember who he alleges was the mastermind. And it took up about half a page, perhaps 0.25% of the book. Oh dear. (Incidentally, for a decent book about a financial scandal, try The Smartest Guys in the Room, by Bethany McClean).


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I have never, I suppose, been a traditional design engineer. By that, I mean that I have spent a minimal amount of time working out how big things have to be to make bridges stand up. I spend my time doing design reviews, and working on engineering studies - fire engineering, vibration, risk management, and some company stuff such as bidding for work and most recently, quality management. 


This is, in principle, ok. I mean, to be honest I don't love working out how big things needs to be. However, working in a group where design experience is key, is spending most of my time not designing really ideal? 


I always used to think being in a niche was a great thing to be, but it needs to be a niche that can be expanded - lets hope that this one still can be.