Constructive, but Tired, Women

Quick blog. Up to London tomorrow. First off I plan to meet Sandi Jones. I met her back in Oct 07 and was impressed by her presence and wisdom. Ever since then we've been trying to meet and I think it's going to happen tomorrow. I found her blog the other month - check it out - it's very 'me'.

It'll then be the RICS Michael Barrett award for 2007 (don't ask, it's complicated) and dinner with some no doubt entertaining surveyors. No, that is not an oxymoron.

And on Friday I'll be chairing the RICS Geomatics Faculty Board meeting. Lots to discuss as ever. Let's hope my energy levels keep up. I started a new role at work last Monday and the vertical learning curve takes some getting used to!

Somerset Area RICS Lunch

Attended a lunch yesterday hosted by the RICS Somerset association, which I attended with my GeoChair head on. Lovely venue, nice mix of people and scrumptious food. Spent most of my time talking with a property development solicitor and the chair of ICE south west region. It's always good to mix and mingle with those aligned to your work, but not directly related to it.

And then it was a dash to London for training today. Spotted a Benchmark surveys van scoot past on the Millbank road. Now home, it's only just dawned on me they are a local (to me) company and their office is on my jogging route! It's a small world.

Water Stops Rowing Event

I was amused to see that the local charity row was postponed as it was too wet.

If you read on it makes perfect sense of course.

You Can Always Trust a Pharmacist

I was reading a magazine earlier (the lovely Motoring and Leisure) and came across an article by Sam Manicom who undertakes motorcycle treks. His recent article on India gave an enlightening look into direction finding in Asia.

"Asking directions in India is nearly always an adventure... I'd learnt that when saying 'is this the way to...?' whilst pointing in the direction I thought was correct, I'd always get an 'Oh yes Sah, this is very much being the right direction for you Sah'. It almost almost never was the right way.

"It wasn't that the people were being deliberately difficult, quite the opposite. They were being too helpful, and saving face. They wanted to help so much, that when they didn't know the right direction, they would point you somewhere that might possibily be correct, just in case...

"It was far better to ask, 'which is the way to...?' whilst keeping my hands down by my sides. Even when asking for directions in the correct way, I would still have to ask at least five very different people, and then take the route that most people said. Frequently they'd be right. But the best option of all was to go into a pharmacy and ask the pharmacist for directions... Not one time did I have a wrong set of directions from a pharmacist."

Move over Ordnance Survey - let's use Boots the Chemist from now on