Prompted by
the Soulmate, I read the book, which had recently gained the status of set book
for fourth-year primary school pupils. The book, written in 2002 and published
in Poland for the first time in 2004 (hence I had no chance to read it at the
age of ten), tells a story last days of ten-year-old boy terminally ill with
cancer. The Polish version can be read online; I encourage you do so, as the
novel is short and reading it from cover to cover will not take you more than
an hour and a half.
I find it
hard to judge, whether such poignant story is an appropriate choice for
children entering their teenage years, but beyond all doubt seeing the world
with eyes of a boy who knows he is doomed to pass away soon is a heart-rending
experience. How Oscar (the main character) perceives the little world
surrounding him is a mixture of naïve childishness (he still knows very little
about life) and astounding maturity (going down with probable incurable disease
and then getting by with death sentence imprinted at the back of his mind
leaves its mark on Oscar).
Induced by
a volunteer worker (the Lady in Pink), he lives through his last days as if
each day stood for a whole decade. He goes through adolescence, early
adulthood, middle-age slump and old age and discerns ups and down of each of
those periods from a child’s perspective.
The book
broaches issues pivotal in lives for all of us: God (the boy’s parents are
atheists and so bring up their son, while the Lady in Pink tries to introduce
him to the Deity), priorities in life (find out what is really important, when
you have so few days left), death (as inevitable part of life), sympathy (when
every day to see people suffering and dying, it reshapes your perception of
life and sensitivity to human suffering and death), relationships with other
people (parents, helpless in confrontation with their son’s illness).
The boy is
angry with his parents who simply don’t know how to cope with his illness, how
to behave when they visit him, they approach him unnaturally, smile
artificially what winds Oscar up. Finally, when he frankly cheers them up by
saying “we will all die, but I’ll die first”, something breaks through. The
novel as no other taught me not to mess with parents, as if they love a child,
they want all the best for it, despite not knowing how to show it.
Despite
being faced with a deeply moving story, I managed not to weep. I was close to
tears, but held them back. My childhood was free of such distress, but after
reading this I slightly fear such cruel fate can meet my child – and what then?
Would I have enough strength to carry such burden?
Since the
inception of the blog, before each and every election, I felt a sense of
excitement; I felt the election was a meaningful event, a groundwork of
democracy, an act by which when casting a vote, a citizen, by entrusting
wielding power to authorities, plays a vital role in shaping a future. This
year, a week before we elect deputies for the next five-year term in the
European Parliament, I feel nothing except for indifference. But next Sunday I
will visit the polling station, but only out of a civic duty, because I have
been brought up to exercise my rights in democracy, not because I feel it makes
sense.
The reasons
for my joyless attitude are ample. I could go on about the general fatigue with
politics, spurred by seeing politicians making politics rather than pursuing
policies, but I will briefly (exam in three weeks, do not expect drawn-out
contributions) focus on four aspects I fail to put up with.
Firstly,
how big is the influence of Polish deputies on well-being of Poland and Poles?
For sure higher than marginal, but nowhere as significant as this exerted by
decision-makers in Poland. We need efficient and competent deputies to create
good laws and foster interests of Poland in the EU.
Secondly,
the reputations deputies from Brussels have earned, on account of their
numerous privileges. No matter if they show up on sessions and committee
meetings, take part in voting, they deserve sky-high wages, subsidies for
running their offices and several perquisites (flats, hotels, flights, etc.).
Many candidates race for a cushy job for five years that would allow them to
set themselves and their families up for the rest of their lives.
Thirdly,
the campaign which revolves around issues we have in Poland. This issue of
subcontractors building motorways is a domestic problem and it will not be
resolved in the European Parliament, as Mr Liberadzki (SLD) says. Problem of
queues to doctors should be tackled by the ministry of health in Poland, not by
guys in Brussels, keep it in mind, Mr Palikot. JarKacz, as the spokesman of his
party, Mr Hofman, claims, suspends campaign to set off to southern Poland to
monitor flood danger. Then JarKacz turns up there and keeps on running
campaign, by saying the government is guilty of not modernising enough many
kilometres of embankments… Platforma in its spot instead of laying out its
agenda of what they want to do for Poland in the European Parliament, ridicules
Mr Hofman for showing off the size of his penis, Mr Karski for damaging hotel
equipment in Cyprus, while being under influence, Ms Pawłowicz, for her
condemnable statements. Voters have heads screwed in and are capable of
assessing how much (or rather how little) these PiS politicians are worth. What
all parties stand for is a huge crying shame!
Fourthly,
the candidates. Everyone who is alive, rushes for European parliament (or put
it straightforward, for cash). Mr Kurski, infamous for speeding and absence on
parliament sessions, whose presence in European Parliament consists in making politics
in Poland, in on every second rear of public transport bus and on every third
billboard, makes me want to puke. Parties presumably had serious problems
compiling lists, as they had to put in former sportsmen (Otylia Jędrzejczak,
swimmer – Platforma, Tomasz Adamek, boxer – Solidarna Polska) or celebrities
(Weronika Marczuk, known as victim of anti-corruption bureau – SLD, Izabella
Łukomska-Pyrzalska, known from centrefold of Polish edition of Playboy – Twój RuchEuropa Plus). What the hell are competencies of those people to sit in the
European Parliament?
If I can
advise who to vote for… In short – for those who are well-versed in the European
issues and have track record of arduously toiling away in Brussels, not blowing
their own trumpets in Poland!
Watch out!
Beware! The Poland’s new export hit has fallen short of expectations to conquer
the Eurovision festival (thanks for Jamie, aka Island1, for sharing the link to
a brilliant pithy commentary). Hopes for the top award have been dashed, the
Polish song ended up ranked fourteenth.
When it
first appeared in the Polish media half a year ago, it promptly aroused ample
controversies, surrounding both suggestive lyrics and the video clip, allegedly
oozing with sex. Some critics approached it reservedly, other dubbed it soft
pornography.
Popularity
of the song has been explained by its simplicity and catchiness. Cross my
heart, I don’t find it catchy, nor kitschy (which might be construed as a
compliment). The form is uncanny, however the blend of hip-hop and folk music
is certainly not my kind and not my style. Forty million views on youtube
(including several millions in days subsequent to posting) may speak for
themselves, but I’d interpret the figure as a manifestation of curiosity rather
than genuine appreciation of the song.
Until
today, I’ve been finding the idea behind taking this song to the Eurovision
festival as our export hit mind-boggling. I have confessed to recognise bawdy songs generally appeal to audience and Poland’s most precious assets are undoubtedly charming women (they stand out in terms of beauty against other
nations), but bringing the two notions together could have been bound to result
in a massive flop…
The outcome
has not filled me with disgust. Celebrities all over the world show off their
bodies to nurture their popularity and not infrequently to mask deficiencies in
their talents. Yet, even if emanating with sexuality is the daily bread, I dare
to doubt if artists representing Poland on any event abroad, even if it is the
‘celebration of campness’, should follow suit. If Poles are to win any
international music contest, they should be capable of getting ahead without
invoking the most primeval instincts (busty girls doing I don’t know what,
cause I’m not from the countryside, but looking ambiguously) and substance
ought to triumph over form!
I pledge
not to have seen yesterday’s finals of the contest, but when I compare it to
what the festival stood for 20 years ago when Edyta Górniak scored the second
award or 40 years ago, when Eurovision turned out to be a stepping stone (not a
Waterloo) for the Swedish band Abba, it seems popular culture is going
downhill…
Against the
media-fuelled fad, I didn’t even root for Donatan and Cleo. Had they won, I
wouldn’t have felt pride. They ended up fourteenth and serves them right,
proper rank for what they embodied… Such stance is entirely patriotic, but I’m
reluctant to blindly embrace everything that is Polish just on account of its
Polishness…
- the New
Factory – hope the future is bright out there,
- Dude – my
boss (despite the superior – subordinate relationship, he is for me like a
mate, we are on the same wavelength),
-
Commander-in-chief – the boss of my boss,
- the
Soulmate (mentioned here many times, a fellow colleague, despite being a close
friend knows nothing about the existence of this blog)
- and me,
for a short moment the hub of the universe ;-)
January
2013
The first,
emotion-driven, attempt to change the job. By offering a pay rise and promotion,
the Company manages to keep me in. More than a year after, despite all the bad
stuff, I do not regret that decision.
May 2013.
First
cracks on the glass appear. The Company refuses to further pursue relationship
with one of its large customers on less favourable (lower income) terms and
then terminates provision of services to one of the largest and most reputable
customers in Poland. The relationship, established less than a year earlier,
has not fetched adequate profit. Nobody bothers to think this was a door-opener
for being a meaningful player in a certain market segment. No other competitor
on the whole market would dare to take such step.
August 2013
Two female
colleagues announce they are pregnant. Both will give birth in March 2014 and
are due to return from maternity leaves in spring 2015…
September
2013
The Company
decides to exit another relationship with a large customer. We entered it for
prestige, rather than for income…
October
2013
Dude
arranges for a substitute for pregnant girls. The new colleague will work for
us as part of secondment for half a year. Soon she turns out to be anything but
productive. After two weeks I begin counting down days until the end of March
when her secondment ends. Months with her in the team are a rough ride…
November
2013
A guy who
left the Company a few months ago calls to persuade me to join his team in a
company in which he took office as director upon the departure. The prospective
employer is government-controlled and is not a part of international corporation,
meaning doing business is subject to political influences and I would not use
English everyday. Both reservations are a huge drawback for me. I turn down the
offer.
My
motivation is in the slump, particularly after several people I have worked with
are laid off…
December
2013
In this
month and some time earlier other important customers decide to quit or
decrease scopes of relationships with the Company. No new ones are acquired to
take place of them, resulting in idle capacity…
January
2014
I’m faced
with another proposal of a new job. Having weighed up all pros and cons, I
decline it, despite realising the current job is dead-end. Another customer
terminates its co-operation, this time for operating reasons (the service
provided proved unreliable for too many times).
February
2014
Dude hires
a new girl. Very self-focused and inefficient. Dude, even if manages to
delegate tasks, fails to enforce execution.
I find a
job opening from posted by the New Factory. It seems appealing, but for the
time being, I decide not to apply. I don’t want to earn a reputation of a
person who turns up for interviews and then kicks up a fuss.
Another
strategic customer severs the relationship with the Company, as competitors
offer it lower prices for services.
Applications
presenting opportunities to provide a profitable service for two prospective
customers are negatively opined by decision makers…
During
annual appraisal, I tell Dude I don’t fee a future for myself in the Company
and cite reasons why (see above). He tells me has no doubt I would find a job
somewhere else and I’m replaceable. He seems to really believe there must be a
breaking point at which someone realises the Company needs to be turned around.
I am of the opinion by the end of 2015 our business segment will have been
wound down.
March 2014
No new
customer acquired since the beginning of the year and another one lost. There
are days when I am at the loose end most of the time… The only upside is that
the end of colleague’s secondment draws near.
The
Soulmate is determined to find a new job. Our plan is that she leaves first, I
soldier on, but demand a substantial pay rise and quit a few months later.
7 April
2014
In my
LinkedIn box I find a message from a recruiter from the New Factory relating to
the job opening I saw in early February. If they approach me, not the other way
round, at least there’s no risk of being perceived as the one who kicks up the
fuss. In response I send my CV.
8 April
2014
A recruiter
from the New Factory invites me for a meeting two days later.
10 April
2014
In the
morning I call Dude and tell him I’ll be late as the French electronics in my
car packed up in the rain and I ended up in a garage and I’m waiting to get the
car fixed. (Megane has had a track record of no single breakdown since the
wipers mechanism breakdown in May 2013)
In earnest,
the new job is not perfect (none would be), but reasonable. Scope of duties and
role in the process is very similar to what I do at the Company. My salary
expectations are exorbitant, so I’m prepared to adjust down my demands.
17 April
2014
I receive
the letter of intent from the New Factory. They are unwilling to beat down my
expected salary … I respond positively.
22 April
2014
Members of
management board having decision-making authority all take seven days off to
take fortnight-long holidays and do not delegate their authorities, which
results in decision-making paralysis. If a customer turns to us with a request
regarding the terms of service, it has to wait until first week of May. At any
other firm in the industry such event is unthinkable. This probably is a part
of pursuit of “Priority for clients” strategy…
23 April
2014
In a
newsletter sent out to all employees, CEO of the Company delineates a strategy
which assumes customers from the business line I deal with will be “acquired
selectively”. If I can read well between the lines, it means withdrawal from
this business line and inexorable redundancy for me… By the way, how does the
CEO imagine execution of such strategy, if reputation of the Company with the
target has already been spoiled?
24 April
2014
I am
designated to co-ordinate a project. It is bound to fail, but I politely agree
to take up all the tasks…
25 April
2014
Dude hands
out missives containing the information on annual bonus. What a golden
handshake! Seriously, again I feel very bad about hiding my intention to leave…
28 April
2014
Needless to
say no new customers have been acquired since the beginning of 2014 and loss of
two other by the end of May looms large.
29 April
2014
My bank
account is credited with the bonus. Now no one can change the discretionary
decision on granting it, nor take back the transfer order. Dude and I are
dealing until late afternoon with absurdities unknown to other companies. When I
knock off he sighs and says: ‘it’s been a crazy day, I hope tomorrow will be
uneventful’.
30 April
2014
I’m damn
stressed-out, I can’t focus on work, my hands quake. Dude turns up to the
office late. He’s angry and refuses to talk to us. After a quarter he slightly
cheers up and reminds us of holiday planning.
I ask him
to come with me to a meeting room for a face-to-face conversation and when we
get there, without further ado I hand in my notice. Dude is kind of crestfallen
but keeps a cool head. His first reaction is absolutely correct – he tries to
renegotiate my salary; to no effect. I quickly retort if this was only a matter
of money, I would tell him straightforwardly I want more and we would probably
strike a deal. I point out if the Company was forging ahead, I would connive at
all the stuff that fucks me up and get ahead with it, but when I see it being
wound down, I see no other choice. Dude asks, whether I wouldn’t consider carrying
on my misery until girls return from maternity leaves. I refuse and further
argue there is no point in staying. I explain we can either embrace the way the
Company is run or reject it and I can see no in between. We can either shape up
or ship out. I’ve been shaping up for some time, now there’s the opportunity to
ship out… The Company has worn me down… I feel under my skin Dude thinks the
same, as most people do, but he’s far from having the comfort of speak it out.
Dude refuses to countersign my notice for the time being. He has to talk to
Commander-in-chief.
We return
to our desk. Dude most probably informs Commander-in-chief by e-mail about my
decision. At some point Commander’s merry face turns red. Hard to guess whether
he’s stumped, shell-shocked, frightened, bemused. He asks Dude to have a
face-to-face chat immediately. They’re away for half an hour which seems to
last ages. They come back. Commander-in-chief is livid. Dude now asks the
Soulmate to come with him. Next thirty minutes wear on. I still wonder what the
hell they are talking about.
Two hours
after the bomb was detonated, Dude countersigns my notice. Within next hours
things get back to normal. It’s good the atmosphere seems to have cleaned up.
I’ll work here till the end of July (one third of that time I’ll be on holiday,
but never mind), so making life harder makes little sense.
Just like
in choosing a person you will spend the rest of your life with, there’s no
point of raising the bar too high when looking for a job. In both cases you run
a serious risk of not finding a partner or employer. The New Factory meets three
criteria I have set: it is a meaningful player in the industry, keeps growing
and its profits incline as well, I will use English in everyday work and I will
have the chance to develop and learn, as it is involved in doing businesses the
Company shies away from. Apart from this, I don’t expect it to be perfect. As
everywhere, corporate structure and people will be more and less tolerable, but
at least it offers prospects the Company lacks…
Deny, distract, dilute
-
Here's my assessment of the current 'drone flap'.
Sometime in mid-November, craft of non-human origins began showing up over
military bases in the UK an...
