Mind over Matter

Apparently, my ability to survive serious shit thrown my way is admirable. Someone once told me not too long ago that they don't know how I did it.

Just so you understand what's happened to me so far...

Basically, for the course I'm studying:

1) Strategic Marketing and Planning assignment 3500 words

2) Business Consultancy Project

3) Work-Based Project on Marketing

4) Business Consultancy - Viva and Client Presentation

as well as

1) China recruitment trip report

2) Database updates and amendments

3) Tons of applications from relevant markets

4) Thinking about my next review

AND THEN SHIT HAPPENED...

Three weeks ago to this day, I woke up to find my laptop, camera and car (!) missing. I had

stupidly forgotten to lock the backdoor the night before and some lowlife scumbag(s) came into the house and helped themselves to the laptop, camera and the spare car key. My panic was not really about the fact that they had been in the house while we were both asleep. I was panicking because about 4000+ words I'd written for my 8000 word Work Based Project was on the laptop, which I'd not backed up as I was too zonked out to do anything the evening before.

Of course the loss of my car is a major pain but thankfully, Sarah and Steve offered to come by every morning to give me a lift to work and back home. God is looking out for me. Aside from having to take the occasional train ride home, I've not had to do alot of public transport as I've been on annual leave to prepare for this final exam as well as REWRITING the 8000 words report.

There's been ALOT of hassle...dealing with the insurance people, trying to cope with not having a car, trying not to comfort eat to deal with the stress and helplessness.

Three weeks on and I've finished the report, 7200 words; business consultancy project all done and dusted; strategic marketing and planning assignment also submitted. It's the exam that's the only one left on the list and it'll be over next Wednesday 8pm. Can't wait.

Once the exam's over, I can move onto hunting for a new car (not a big one, can't afford it) and a MAJOR DECLUTTERING of the house in preparation for a professional spring cleaning job booked in for 5th June. Before that, got to also go find a new sofa-bed and a display cabinet. My relatives are visiting on 7th June for about 10 days and then hopefully it'll be back to normality for me for a couple more weeks before I completely freak out from waiting for exam results and final grading.

And mummy's gonna arrive on 10th July and staying for a week for the graduation ceremony.

I've got so much going on! I don't know how I'm coping but I think Tessa's famous last words 'baby steps' is definitely one I'd go by.

Back to my beloved journal articles. NOT.

Long Overdue

Life has been moving at an unbelievable pace post January examinations. Work and study is still dominating much of my time. It is really difficult preparing for this final last six weeks of study before I graduate (fingers crossed). In fact, thinking back over the past three years, this studying stint has overshadowed EVERYTHING in my life! My plate has been, and still is, for now, VERY FULL.

Mum said that it is very likely that she'll be coming for graduation....erm, not sure if she'll be happy if I get a 2:2! bah!

Anyway, back to update...

Finished exams in January.
February was a blur with work and official visits from overseas representatives, evening lessons at uni, and preparing for a two week work trip to China.
March - was working in Guangzhou, Wuhan, Chongqing, Chengdu, Changsha, Qingdao...the first five days without check in luggage - compliments of Lufthansa (yeah, German efficiency eh?) - Got back 18th March, in bed for four days with the flu, then back to complete chaos in office.
Apri : still chaos in office - working like a machine.

Where's my career?!?!?! I'm 32 this year, and I'm not even close to where I want to be! It really bugs me...nevermind, get this degree done with first. Then tackle the next item on the agenda.

Ok, back to assignments and heaps of literature reviews...

Reality check

I don't know what's going on.

It's all a complete tangled mess.

I need clarity.

I need closure.

Of Matrices and Strategies for a Global Market

Growth Share Matrix, GE Model, ANSOFF Matrix, International Product Life Cycles....they're begin to fuse together quite nicely now.

I just feel that there is a need to go back to Porter's 5 Forces as well, but with not too much depth, afterall this is a marketing oriented paper. However, there are good reasons to use it to relater to the various factors affecting the marketing environment and the mix. Market entry is afterall, is the first question to ask when considering entry into a foreign market - the extent of entry barriers will determine what entry strategies to use and thereby implying the modification of product, price, place and promotion tools...

I'm just doing this to unload some of the learning which I've done for the past 24 hours and make sense of it all. Lecture notes are no help at all, they only point out the key points, but it is the reading and questioning that have really helped to put it all in context for me. I'm still hesitant to take on past exam questions which I've managed to find on the web, but we've not been given any past exam questions in class. Learning and understanding exam question instructions is also something that I have to fit in - this is one that HAS to be done. I need to aim for minimum 75% to stay on track for a 2:1. At this point, I'm freaking myself out again....nevermind. Breathe. Time to forge on. My only relief is the obscene amount of albums which I've been able to download and they've been making the revision process much easier to deal with.

I Ain't No Quitter!

First, apologies for the lack of updates....

Secondly...belated "Merry Christmas!" and "Happy New Year"...

I've been BUSY. Working and studying part time is SERIOUSLY messing me up big time.

First there was the pain in the a** assignment on Culture and International Trade...that over was a flurry of social activities with contacts on the professional and personal fronts. Thinking back now, I have been out practically every Friday evening in December! Not practically...DEFINITELY! Too must social activities and eating out culminated in a most lethargic start to revisions on Boxing Day! Also ended up putting on another 2lbs!

On a happier note, we celebrated our 8th Wedding anniversary on 1st December and Andrew bought me a set of diamond jewellery :) Nothing that will blow the mind of any diamond fans out there. Just the thought and asking me to choose what I like was enough to make me gush :D

Moving on...moving on! After an excessive month of social events and eating out...revisions begain on 26th December (Boxing Day). VERY SLOWLY....

Andrew, now nicknamed "Study Patrol" was constantly on the prowl....trying to catch me slacking off. No Chance honey. He was pissing me off big time with his constant moaning about the forgone opportunity of a Christmas holiday abroad. I felt like I was being put on a guilt trip everytime he complained and I gave him a real good piece of my mind. Not heard anymore holiday complaints from him since.

As I write this, I'm more or less over the tedious textbook reading. (will probably need to refer back constantly) I am about to take the revisions to the next stage. Condensing the topics and applying current business examples - basically asking rhetorical questions and critical analysis and application of models and theories. THIS WILL BE HARD. My brain has been stalling frequently...and I've had to go back and forth in the textbooks. I'm revising with 3 big ass textbooks. Fun? You tell me.

The thing is I'm not feeling too motivated or revved up to beating the top scores. I'm actually worried about how I feel about this whole part-time studying stint. I have even toyed with the idea of packing it all in and just taking the easy way out. For those who know me well, this is a EVIL PROCRASTINATOR in me at work....but if you know me well, then you'd know that I've never failed to pick myself up and fought back with greater determination. So, a quitter I certainly am not! I'm gonna make sure I achieve clarity and finesse with this examination subject.

Now, back to revisions. I might post again during this period of revisions, but if I don't it is likely that I will not post until the end of January or even in February. There's work to catch up after exams, then Andrew and I go to Spain for a short break, then there's deliverables at work in early Feb. So until the next update, take care and perhaps I'll see you on MSN or Facebook.

Ciao.

The Weekend-ing...

What's happened to my weekend?!? Especially frustrating as I was also off on Friday which means that I should have a longer weekend right? Unfortunately not.

Got up early on Friday morning as the boiler man was coming to replace our old and decrepit boiler. Job was completed by about 2pm and then there was the cleaning up of the kitchen after. The evening was spent watching Children in Need on BBC. That was Friday.

Saturday - same old grocery shopping at Tesco and chores. I was unusually tired and just vegged out watching Columbo all afternoon. Andrew just hogged the TV all evening so I managed to get some research done on cultural barriers to international trade - for my assignment.

That brings me to this point in the present...Sunday afternoon. Bleahhh....

Don't get me wrong. I do, love my job and enjoy my time in the office. I'm just feeling rather blue about the weekend coming to an end so soon. I must plan to have some me time next weekend. It's no good trying to cram all my me time into the limited time that the weekend offers.

Now would be a good time for me to go and continue reading the Murakami book which I bought on the flight out to China, but have not gotten round to properly reading it yet.

Pause and Update

Apologies for not blogging as often as I ought to. I've been swamped with work all summer. Basically, it has been work, work, work. Uni started again and I'm into my final year of part time studies, aiming for a first class honours but I reckon I'll only get a 2:1 now. Nevermind, keep trying.

Did not want to shout about this at first, but I guess now I can. Sometime in August, I was told that I'll be going to China with a colleague. So, I packed my stuff and re-packed a couple of times and was on the plane to China on 15 October. I had a couple of cities to go to - Beijing, Chengdu, Wuhan and Shanghai. I'm grateful for the learning experience and I feel much more confident with my work now.

I've been back for about two weeks, and it's been work, work, work but at less manic pace. However, I've once again succumbed to a full blown cold and been at home since Monday. I think I'm getting old....I was down with a pretty bad cold and cough two weeks before the China trip. I thought this must be the bad cold that I get once a year, but hell no, it's back with a vengeance! My eyes are itching, my nose is so bunged up, and I constantly feel like I'm about to sneeze....bleahhh! It really must be age. Anyway, this is why I have time to finally update this blog...and why I'm on MSN over the last couple of days.

I've got to go now. I need more water and decongestants, and I really must start work the reading I must do for my assignments.