Thursday, December 22, 2005
22.12.05
Merry Christmas! Happy Channukah!
And a happy holidays to everyone else! I am heading off to Wales tomorrow, with Joanna and the Seecharan family, bar big brother Miles and family who - unfortunately for us - are spending christmas with the other side of the family.
But it's christmas and no time to be sad, selfish or bitter so I hope Jo and Miles and Yani and Oscar have an amazing time. Following Wales, Joanna and I are heading off on what appears to be our now annual jaunt to La Manga for New Year's Eve with Jo's parents, Mark and Derashi.
Away from London, and the web, from December 23rd through January 5th 2006, so for all two of you who read this (hey, it's time for goodwill .. I'm allowed to inflate the numbers!) Have a great and wonderful break from the norm and please, please don't rob my property while I am away!
Lots of Love, Nick xxx
Happy Birthday Mum!
21.12.05
Hope you enjoyed our mellifluous birthday greeting this morning ... We worked for weeks on that harmony?! Have a great evening and sorry we can't be there.
Lots of Love, Nick & Jo xxx
Hope you enjoyed our mellifluous birthday greeting this morning ... We worked for weeks on that harmony?! Have a great evening and sorry we can't be there.
Lots of Love, Nick & Jo xxx
Saturday, December 17, 2005
"And Wendy ... BRING ME my numbers" (Jerry MacGuire)
17.12.05
Some numbers in my life ... 67, the disappointing grade I got for my latest Physio placement - sure, it's only 3% off the top grade but expected more and told my educator that if I was off she needed to let me know so I had a chance to go for it .. she didn't. Oh well.
67 .. is also the number of hours to go before I hit the magic 1,000 clinical hours all student physiotherapists must have in order to qualify.
933 hours of blood, dread, sweat and fret accomplished so far in hospitals since starting the degree back in 2003 - that equates to 26 weeks of free labour for the National Health Service! Or about £15,000! The degree apparently costs about £24K over the 3 years and is paid for by the NHS, so I guess I'm still 9k up ...
... or am I? ... 150,000 ... 'lost' earnings over 3 years since giving up my former career (taking into account, approximate pay rises, commission etc. Ah ....!
50 (per-cent) the reduction in salary I can expect as my starting salary when I qualify and find a physio job, compared to the work I used to do. To quote Jerry again, it's not about the money .. I do it all for you!
100 (per-cent) happier than my old working life. But those numbers sometimes make a man wonder.
9 days till Christmas, with Jo and my family in Wales -- yippee!!
And why the picture of the cat? I just found it among my slides as I enjoy the first guilt-free morning of scanning archive photos with my new negative/ slide scanner I got for my birthday a month ago. Taken of a stray that hung around Jo's parent's time-share in Spain a couple of Christmas' ago, and I think it is just an amazing photo, hope you agree.
Some numbers in my life ... 67, the disappointing grade I got for my latest Physio placement - sure, it's only 3% off the top grade but expected more and told my educator that if I was off she needed to let me know so I had a chance to go for it .. she didn't. Oh well.
67 .. is also the number of hours to go before I hit the magic 1,000 clinical hours all student physiotherapists must have in order to qualify.
933 hours of blood, dread, sweat and fret accomplished so far in hospitals since starting the degree back in 2003 - that equates to 26 weeks of free labour for the National Health Service! Or about £15,000! The degree apparently costs about £24K over the 3 years and is paid for by the NHS, so I guess I'm still 9k up ...
... or am I? ... 150,000 ... 'lost' earnings over 3 years since giving up my former career (taking into account, approximate pay rises, commission etc. Ah ....!
50 (per-cent) the reduction in salary I can expect as my starting salary when I qualify and find a physio job, compared to the work I used to do. To quote Jerry again, it's not about the money .. I do it all for you!
100 (per-cent) happier than my old working life. But those numbers sometimes make a man wonder.
9 days till Christmas, with Jo and my family in Wales -- yippee!!
And why the picture of the cat? I just found it among my slides as I enjoy the first guilt-free morning of scanning archive photos with my new negative/ slide scanner I got for my birthday a month ago. Taken of a stray that hung around Jo's parent's time-share in Spain a couple of Christmas' ago, and I think it is just an amazing photo, hope you agree.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
13.12.05
Some things are worth waiting for after all ..
Just found out that I got 80% for my latest assignment, after waiting almost 10 weeks to get the paper back! We've been getting increasingly desperate (and vocal on our departmental chat boards) in pointing out that it's completely unacceptable to keep students waiting an entire semester until work is returned; especially as deadline dates for hand-in are so ruthless. We get 0% if we miss the official hand-in time for assignment even by minutes .. no excuses .. none .. nada ... zip! just like our assignment mark should we miss the deadline!
We have to work to deadlines, so why can't you?! For once however, the mark was really worth waiting for. In the general feedback provided, they said that overall marks ranged between 20% and 80% - which means that I must have got the highest mark in the year, or at the very least shared the honour with another but it would appear that no-one got higher. Yippee - if only the rest of the final year marks were to go the same way ... but now I'm really dreaming!
"There's no place like home ... there's no place like home"!
Some things are worth waiting for after all ..
Just found out that I got 80% for my latest assignment, after waiting almost 10 weeks to get the paper back! We've been getting increasingly desperate (and vocal on our departmental chat boards) in pointing out that it's completely unacceptable to keep students waiting an entire semester until work is returned; especially as deadline dates for hand-in are so ruthless. We get 0% if we miss the official hand-in time for assignment even by minutes .. no excuses .. none .. nada ... zip! just like our assignment mark should we miss the deadline!
We have to work to deadlines, so why can't you?! For once however, the mark was really worth waiting for. In the general feedback provided, they said that overall marks ranged between 20% and 80% - which means that I must have got the highest mark in the year, or at the very least shared the honour with another but it would appear that no-one got higher. Yippee - if only the rest of the final year marks were to go the same way ... but now I'm really dreaming!
"There's no place like home ... there's no place like home"!
Saturday, December 10, 2005
10.12.05
Wer meine Leute sind?!!!!!!?!?!?!?!?
(rough translation: Who are my people?!) ... Well, it went and happened didn't it ... Mum's England meet Dad's Trinidad & Tobago at the World Cup next Summer in Germany, meaning (to quote big brother Miles) "that the Seecharan family now have an interesting choice of who to back next Summer".
Miles continues, with his usual trademark 'huronism' (humour, irony and cynicism!):
Ideally, there will be a little Caribbean fun in the group stages ... but we'll still have a proper team to switch to when it comes time for massive over-expectation, anti-climax and recrimination during the quarters.
Hmmm .. perhaps not, if the Soca-Warriors beat England next June 15th, in Nuremburg. As little brother Tom puts is, Nuremburg could become famous for something else at last! A shock victory for T & T would surely make Nuremburg centre stage again. This time for Sven's show trial, for international crimes against English football!
Either way, first time I can say it's a win-win situation for all of us, without it sending cold shivers down my spine by reminding me of my days as a corporate businessman (sorry, relationship manager!). Better get online and start searching for a T & T replica shirt and some England face-paint (or will it be the other way round?!?).
"Some people say football is a matter of life and death. It's MUCH more important than that". Bill Shankly
What a draw! Fever ... World Cup Fever! Let the carnival commence! Bring it!
Sunday, December 04, 2005
04.12.05
Water Babies!
Check out nephew Ottie (Oscar) and niece Yani proudly showing off their 5m swimming badges! Big brother Miles and his wife Jo send the little 'uns to swimming class once a week. Well done kids! Uncle Nick and Auntie Jo are soooooooo proud!
Unravelled ..
Just found out that my Sunday League team lost (again) today, 1-2 against Exeter City (who we thrashed 5-1 a little over a month ago). Although we beat runaway champions Hibs and 3rd placed Birmingham City recently, we seem to be struggling to create any consistency or momentum to some bright footballing moments so far this season. Hopes of matching our best ever league position (3rd) again this season seem to be evaporating faster than we can shout "Worthy Out" ... still, after last week's 9-1 thrashing of Aberdeen2 - I guess there's always the magic of the cup!
Water Babies!
Check out nephew Ottie (Oscar) and niece Yani proudly showing off their 5m swimming badges! Big brother Miles and his wife Jo send the little 'uns to swimming class once a week. Well done kids! Uncle Nick and Auntie Jo are soooooooo proud!
Unravelled ..
Just found out that my Sunday League team lost (again) today, 1-2 against Exeter City (who we thrashed 5-1 a little over a month ago). Although we beat runaway champions Hibs and 3rd placed Birmingham City recently, we seem to be struggling to create any consistency or momentum to some bright footballing moments so far this season. Hopes of matching our best ever league position (3rd) again this season seem to be evaporating faster than we can shout "Worthy Out" ... still, after last week's 9-1 thrashing of Aberdeen2 - I guess there's always the magic of the cup!
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Thursday, December 01, 2005
01.12.05
Ladies and Gentlemen ..... he got it!
Hugest,hugest congratulations to brother Tom who passed his final Actuarial exams tonight! So Tom is now an Actuary ... no, I don't know what it is either, so I found a definition - check it out here, or if you can't be bothered to check the link, I think this sums it up:
... uh, ok then?!! So anyway well done Tom, we're really proud of your efforts.
footnote from big brother Miles:
... Superman, anyone? ; - )
To which Tom replied:
Ladies and Gentlemen ..... he got it!
Hugest,hugest congratulations to brother Tom who passed his final Actuarial exams tonight! So Tom is now an Actuary ... no, I don't know what it is either, so I found a definition - check it out here, or if you can't be bothered to check the link, I think this sums it up:
Actuaries are the analytical backbone of our society's financial security programs. They are the brains behind the financial safeguards we have implemented in our personal lives, so we can go about our daily lives without worrying too much about what the future may hold for us. These are the safeguards that protect us from life's catastrophes. The insight into risk that actuaries have also helps to ensure that our savings are working hard for us, so that everything we love and cherish can grow and flourish. The work of actuaries benefits all of us.
... uh, ok then?!! So anyway well done Tom, we're really proud of your efforts.
footnote from big brother Miles:
"... so we can go about our daily lives without worrying too much about what the future may hold for us. These are the safeguards that protect us from life's catastrophes."
... Superman, anyone? ; - )
I like the message on your website Nick. It's total nonsense. But I'm
working hard for all of you.
working hard for all of you.
What a pair of wits - proud to share your genes, lads!
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