Below is an article I recently wrote for Helium.com. What decade did you grow up in? Do you get nostalgic when you hear certain tunes on the radio? Does a certain smell trigger a childhood memory?
I'd love to hear your own experiences........
Singing the theme to Rainbow Brite whilst cycling down the road on my BMX bike, side ponytail swinging in the breeze, and knowing that when I got home I’d be having something cool to eat for dinner, courtesy of the new, brown, room-sized microwave my Father had just spent a months wages on.
The Eighties even now conjure up images of large shoulder pads, big hair, wacky TV shows and the best music I’ve ever heard. Sound familiar, well of course it does. The eighties were so damn popular that we are now seeing all of these things again, big hair is back with a vengeance and shoulder pads have been making regular appearances on the catwalk. My little sister who is 15 years my junior has hair Joan Collins would have been proud of, but something’s different. Where’s the carefree air of the eighties gone?
If like me, you share a deep love of all things eighties, then you’ll understand that unless you were there you’ll never experience anything like it again. It’s all about nostalgia.
Did you dance to wham and eat pop-tarts? I sure did and my little sister does the same now. The difference is though, that now we’re all pretty aware of the fact that none of us are ever going to marry George Michael (No matter how pretty we are) and we’re also painfully aware that the pop-tarts you buy now have none of those lovely additives they did in the eighties.
We used to play ‘computer games’ on our spectrum computer and later on a commodore 64, both of which were loaded on a cassette tape and took at least half and hour to get going. The high pitched loading sound that came from the tape deck still echoes in my brain all these years later. How things have changed. Nintendo wii, playstation, nintendo ds & xBoxes would have all have seemed like space-age nonsense.
Mobile phones were something we did aspire to though. If you had a mobile phone, then you were ‘someone’. You had money and the size of your phone told everybody exactly that. You carried it around in it’s own bag, that now a modern day laptop would fit in. I can only imagine the muscles that were built lifting those huge monstrosities to your ear.
Growing up in the eighties for me was a fun time with friends. Playing out on the street until after the sun went down, with no worries. Front doors open and virtually no traffic on the roads. Long hot summers, ice-pops with so many e numbers that you had a permanently discoloured tongue. Madonna at her best and no sign of Simon Cowell on the box. Grandparents who we thought would be around forever and people in their 30’s who seemed positively ancient.
Was it the eighties though, or was it just growing up?
So it's that time of the year again, the kids are finishing up school for the summer, the temperatures are rising (well everywhere except for here in Ireland) and the sun is shining. It's time to book a holiday, and lets face it you can't beat Spain for the stereotypical sun holiday. There is however, so much more to this fabulous country. Here's a piece I wrote a few months ago which may give you a different prospective on the plains :)
Viva Espana!
Is there anywhere quite like the Spanish coastline for a vacation? Well, yes there is, mainland Spain has so much to offer, there's not always a need to stay on the coast, surrounded by hoards of sweaty tourists. Enjoy Spain the way the Spanish do and take a trip inland or move a few steps away from the usual tourist trails to enjoy some of the most beautiful sights in Europe and taste food straight from the traditional Spanish Kitchen.
Galicia: One of the most beautiful regions of Spain is huddled away in the north-western corner of the Country near Portugal. A magical region of rivers and mountains, and mainly untouched by the hands of tourism. Try a fish empanada while you're here, a fish pie to knock your socks off.
Rioja: Recognise the name? Spains premier wine making region and famous the world round. Take in the wonderful and unexpectedly lush scenery, visit a vineyard or two and soak up the atmosphere.
Barcelona: Too great not to mention. Whilst yes, it is a huge tourist destination, there is so much here to see. A city with a heart is the best way to describe it. The food, drink, people, sites, architecture & history all come together to make a delightfully vibrant city. Once you have visited this fabulous City you will go back time and time again.
Castilla y Leon: In Northern Spain, which is one the main cities of the Asturias region. Nestled between mountainous terrain and the Bay of Biscay. This part of the Country is a welcoming change to the high rise apartments and hotel-ridden streets that can be found in the southern and eastern coastal areas. If you love outdoor activities then you will be at home here. Experience the great outdoors with some fishing, canoeing or simply try your hand at getting to the peak of one of those awe-inspiring Mountains.
The Region of Navarre: While I know it's frowned upon by most, bull running and bull fighting still take part in this region of Spain. The annual Bull Run festival in Pamplona is definitely the highlight of the year here, and not to be missed. The atmosphere will wash through you so spectacularly you'll wonder why you didn't visit sooner. Pamplona is a wonderful city with a huge historical story to tell, if you get here, remember to visit the Citadel & Cathedral.
Andalucia: And so we mention another coastal region, quite a special one really. The region of Andalucia. Whilst sandy beaches are of course on the cards, there is also much more to see in this beautiful part of the Country. The region is home to numerous resorts, Malaga, Almeria & Sierra de grazalema, the latter being the wettest part of the Country as its name would suggest.
My last suggestion is this. What? You're asking yourself, this is only seven places not ten! Well let me explain. This final destination is a region of Spain comprised of five different provinces. Inland, and situated on the Iberian Peninsula, Castille La Mancha is a must see. Put it on your bucket list if you have one.
Comprised of Toledo, the capital of the province, Cuenca where the famous “hanging houses” can be seen, Ciudad Real – The Royal City and thought of as “The traditional capital”, Albacete – The plain, and Guadalajara which translates to valley of the stones.
If you get to visit only one of these places in your lifetime, then count yourself lucky. Spain is one of those Countries that seem to have a bit of everything to offer, a wonderful history, and architecture that will blow you away. As I said before, put one of these destinations on your bucket list and you'll have memories to treasure forever.
So, it's been too long really. Time to get things back on track I think.
When you haven't put pen to paper in a number of months, let me tell you it's damn hard to get the motivation going again.
Here's hoping I've cracked it this time!
2 nice new jobs starting this morning and a bit of sunshine has given me my motivation back at long last. Along with the amazing week we have had here in Ireland, there was no way I couldn't start writing again!!
.... So what's happening here! A week in Ireland.
It's been a busy week for Ireland. A state visit by Her Royal Highness, the first British Monarch to set foot on Irish soil in over 100 years (since we became a republic), and The fabulously dignified Barrack Obama embarked from air force one in Dublin Airport yesterday. It's been a week that the people of Ireland will remember forever. Not only was our beautiful Country gracing screens across the globe, but our history became just that, History. Circles were closed and hearts were mended, olive branches were extended & received gratefully. Our neighbours are closer now than they have ever been before and our future is bright.
Forget talk of IMF bailouts and banks ruining our beloved Country, as Barrack Obama said so very well yesterday " Irelands best days are yet to come".
Our sense of Irish pride, which was hiding behind fear over the last number of years, has once again started to swell. We are looking to the summertimes ahead of us now and not the winters that have passed. Onwards and upwards all the way.
My own heart has swelled with love and pride over this past week. How strong our people are, how forgiving our nation is and how welcoming we are as a rule. (Also very good at blowing our own trumpets) :)
No more talk of doom & gloom and being raped by the IMF ... hmm that sounds all too familiar. The only way now is the old way, look after each other, look after your family & friends and the rest of life will look after itself.
Hi guys, I'll be out of action for a small while, I promise to be back soon though with some more interviews and some informative posts. Hope you're all well,
So today I have a million and one things to do, mainly because all weekend I've been telling myself "I'll do that in a minute". Really, really have to get out of that habit.
A big thanks to Mahesh for his interview last week, and I look forward to posting Stef's interview on Wednesday at some stage. (As early as possible, I promise).
In other news. This week, I've mainly been "tweeting".
Gone are my misconceptions that only the likes of Demi and Stephen Fry are allowed to tweet, and I have to say I'm very impressed at the difference twitter can make to any online business. I must have spent hours reading articles and tips on how Twitter can enhance your business. A big thanks to Doreen, who helped to get me started with her article on making the most of Twitter, and well I think I'm on the way now!
I have to say though, that I'm very conscious of making sure I don't overdo the whole linkage thing, I don't want to make anyone feel like I'm spamming them with links to my blog or my Helium articles, so I'm making a concerted effort to ensure I retweet others posts, engage in discussion and post other tweets that are not work related.
Ask me again in a month and I'll tell you how much I love it then :)
Back to the grindstone now for a bit I think, as I've a few things to catch up on. But as always I'll be back with an interview during the week.
So today I'm going to share with you, my chat with Mahesh Walatara. We talked a number of weeks ago on Skype for 1 hour and 40 minutes. To say it was interesting would be an understatement. Unfortunately due to Mahesh's lose tongue and colourful use of language I've had to edit out a lot of the interview. Whilst he is a very entertaining chap, and certainly has strong opinions, his views on race and religion were a bit disturbing if I'm honest so I've decided that I don't want to publish that kind of material on my Blog. Mahesh is aware of the editing and just so you all know, the words on the page you see below are as they were spoken by Mahesh, I have not edited them in the slightest, I've just left out a few of his rants :
So without further a due..... Mahesh Walatara.
Name:Mahesh Walatara
Age: 32 / 34 ??
Location: Sri Lanka
Occupation: Graphic / Logo Designer
When did you first start using oDesk?
In November 2009, some guy mentioned the name on a forum and that’s how I found it.
So tell me Mahesh, is oDesk the only freelance market site you use?
Yeah everything else sucks.
How long did it take to get your first job?
5 weeks.
And tell us about the job.
An average size logo job. It went pretty well, the guy liked my portfolio. When he hired me I was working for just 3 bucks an hour. It took 21 hours total to complete.
Were you happy with that rate?
First job yeah, I was mostly wanted the feedback.
I think that’s the same for a lot of newcomers, would you recommend lowering your rate to get that 1st job so then?
Yeah, lower anyway.
So what rate are you working on now?
$15 most of the time, sometimes go down to $10 when the jobs are dried up.
So, do you freelance full-time now?
Yeah
Did you have much experience in Graphic Design beforehand?
Yeah, I was always a creative fella so it came to me naturally. I did a lot of programming stuff at Uni. in Australia, but never really graphic design, but always had a knack for it
How do you find it? And do you think you’ll continue freelancing?
Good.
I make more money than most of the idiots slaving away in office jobs in my country from working from home, so can’t complain. Only problem is no Office sex L
Would you be surprised if I told you office sex wasn't a common thing?
Yeah at least can get a few phone numbers, no such luck L
Ah well that can be another project for you!
Is Office work in Sri Lanka low paid then?
Yeah mostly, unless you’re the office manager or CEO or something.
What’s the minimum wage there?
Don’t know, don’t care.
Ok, so lets change direction a bit, you spend a lot of time on the forums at oDesk, tell us why Humbleguy is your user name.
Thought it would help me make a good first impression.
Do you think that worked?
Dunno, think the user is not visible till your actually hired or something, didn’t know that, or I'd have gone for something from Star Wars.
You are very opinionated on the forums about hiring the highest bidder etc, you have the stage now, tell us what you really think.
They must be very sure of themselves and their abilities to bid high.
Personally I don’t give a sh*t if some little fella from wherever gets played out, I just surf the forums and put in something cos I am bored.
Do you find the forums on oDesk helpful?
Yes, Jacqui’s a bit too stiff, but overall, ok I guess.
She has a tough job keeping you in check.
She gets paid a lot; she needs to earn it.
Sounds like you’re a bit jealous?
Nah, she looks nice
So tell me about a positive experience you've had working on oDesk, what was your favourite project and why?
Most of them were good, cos its creative stuff so never gets monotonous
Don’t like em buyers who keep asking for the world for $20 fixed job
Does that happen often?
Not anymore, I do apply for $20 jobs now. Earlier happened couple of times
Put up a disclaimer saying lowest bidders are not to be trusted and quality of work will be on par with the pay. That might make some buyers think twice about hiring low bidders.
We both bid low to get our first jobs though didn't we?
Yeah well if u got the talent you'll get hired.
So there is a case for low bids sometimes?
Yeah I guess, but a disclaimer would do good as well, a pop up every time a Buyer tries to hire.
Ok, so tell me a negative experience you've had?
First job I got hired buy Irish con artist from Dublin, he made me do some samples and then said he didn't like em, later he said job was cancelled an he refused to pay. : I contacted customer support and he got suspended. I never got paid. Even if I did he would've left me bad feedback so glad it worked out this way
You’ve mentioned on the forums a few times that you think you should leave bad feedback for a buyer if you think his feedback might be negative, why is that?
Then Jacqui got me banned for 3 weeks cos I was controversial in the forums or some sh*t.
Cos I don’t wanna leave someone good feedback an see they had left me bad, cant stand it
But surely they are entitled to their opinion; feedback should be honest don't you think?
Some just leave u bad to spite u or cos they’re racist or got caught trying to run away or something.
Do you think that if a buyer looks at your profile and sees you have left a lot of negative feedback for others that they will be less inclined to hire you?
No, my portfolio is too impressive J
A Humble guy you are definitely not.
Perfection like me is never humble
Have you any advice for newcomers?
Don’t do free samples, most of the con buyers target noobs to get free samples cos they don’t know any better. Don’t get cocky, Just keep at it and they'll eventually get work. Portfolio is more important than anything else I believe.
What do you do in your spare time besides annoy Jacqui & Doreen on the forums?
Stalking me on the forums, when I completely ignore her.
Outside oDesk, not much usual day to day stuff, eat, sleep get pissed throw rocks the usual
Throw rocks?
Yeah sometimes I throw em back, when I am in a bad mood
Is that a national past time or something?
In this sh*thole of a country that’s what these hopeless cases do
Do you read?
Yeah, used to a lot, lots of sci-fi fantasy horror stuff.
What’s the last book you read?
Last Harry Potter book.
What about music, who do you like to listen to?
Not really sure, Bon Jovi!
Where do you see your career in 5 years?
Hell. Don’t think more than a couple days ahead.
Ok, well what would u like to be doing in a years time then?
Nice Swedish Blonde.
Do you work set hours every day?
Nah, work whenever takes my fancy, most of the time just surf the web.
And how’s business at the moment?
Not good, not much jobs these days, after I set up on me new computer, I hope to get back at it.
Is there anything about oDesk you would change if you had the power?
Yeah Escrow for fixed price work, speed up the payment cycle & take over the bosses’ job.
Okay, some quick fire questions then and I’ll let you get back to surfing.
Favourite Colour: Blue
Star sign:
Dunno,
What date and month were you born?
March 14th.
That makes you a Pisces.
Whatever
What would you do if you won the lottery?
Move to Switzerland, buy a small log cabin by the side of the Alps and find a nice Swiss milkmaid.
Tell us a joke or something to make us smile:
Dunno L can’t think of any, I’m tired tonight.
Ok, well look I'll leave you to it Mahesh, sorry for keeping you for so long, and thanks for taking the time out.
No worries don’t get run over or anything.
You too, don’t get hit by any rocks now.
A big thank you to Mahesh for taking time out to talk to me. He is as oppinionated as the rest of us, only he has the guts to say what a lot of us are thinking at times, and I commend him for that.
Thanks for bringing a smile to my face every day on the fourms Mahesh, and long may you prevail on oDesk :)
