cheJake

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Back to work

I am sitting back at my desk at the Budapest Business Journal. The acid reflux that troubled me so last week is still around, but no where near the torture it was. The doctor who performed the endoscopy last Thursday told me that she saw no signs of disease in my stomach or asophagus, but she took a tissue sample, the results of which will be back this week. What was causing it, she said, was deep depression. This was something she said I should address, that it could cause serious disease in the years ahead.

Am I depressed? Have I been depressed? I'm sure. I have been working a lot, getting up early to teach and then coming to the BBJ to run the "Intelligence Service". I've enjoyed teaching English to corporate executives. Getting up early has been a bit tough, but hardly impossible. I was doing the same thing when I was writing for the Budapest Times and I wasn't depressed, at least not the way I am here.

I was hired by Darko, the former BBJ business manager who has since left the company. His departure has left me feeling very much alone here. The woman I hired to help me is wonderful is all sorts of ways and she does what I ask quite compentantly and without complaint. I could bemoan my fate for hours, but how could I make things better?

I have to at least do the things I said I would do, if for no other reason than that. I said that my unit would build "bizopps.hu" - a guide to business opportunities in Hungary. We have a strong directory of links now finished that can go on the front page. What we need now is a basic design and listings service and editor. So I'll make that a priority. Peter Sik, an MBA student who has been helping out a bit, designed a cool new logo for the Intelligence Service. So I'll post that once we have it in hi resolution.

I just had a good meeting with an artist and ad guy about the Budapest Exchange of Contemporary Art. This is a concept whereby investor money could be drawn into the market for contemporaty art.

Back to work

I am sitting back at my desk at the Budapest Business Journal. The acid reflux that troubled me so last week is still around, but no where near the torture it was. The doctor who performed the endoscopy last Thursday told me that she saw no signs of disease in my stomach or asophagus, but she took a tissue sample, the results of which will be back this week. What was causing it, she said, was deep depression. This was something she said I should address, that it could cause serious disease in the years ahead.

Am I depressed? Have I been depressed? I'm sure. I have been working a lot, getting up early to teach and then coming to the BBJ to run the "Intelligence Service". I've enjoyed teaching English to corporate executives. Getting up early has been a bit tough, but hardly impossible. I was doing the same thing when I was writing for the Budapest Times and I wasn't depressed, at least not the way I am here.

I was hired by Darko, the former BBJ business manager who has since left the company. His departure has left me feeling very much alone here. The woman I hired to help me is wonderful is all sorts of ways and she does what I ask quite compentantly and without complaint. I could bemoan my fate for hours, but how could I make things better?

I have to at least do the things I said I would do, if for no other reason than that. I said that my unit would build "bizopps.hu" - a guide to business opportunities in Hungary. We have a strong directory of links now finished that can go on the front page. What we need now is a basic design and listings service and editor. So I'll make that a priority. Peter Sik, an MBA student who has been helping out a bit, designed a cool new logo for the Intelligence Service. So I'll post that once we have it in hi resolution.

I just had a good meeting with an artist and ad guy about the Budapest Exchange of Contemporary Art. This is a concept whereby investor money could be drawn into the market for contemporaty art.

Friday, March 18, 2005

Not hysterical

I am feeling rather uncomfortable at the moment. There’s a terrible burning at the back of my throat. It is not hysterical as I so wistfully hoped. A burning has been there for more than two weeks, but has become severe in the past few days. The local doctor has referred to it as GERD. Maybe that’s what it is. She prescribed me some medicine that I have not yet taken; I opted to seek out a natural cure. I have started taking Aloe Vera and am hoping to find the homeopathic remedy that was recommended to me by a homeopath friend.

The burning sure is bad. That I don’t know what it is or how to stop it is a big part of what bothers me. The notion that I will require medical tests is an issue because I don’t have health insurance. It’s possible that if I take all the medication prescribed to me along with the Aloe Vera and don’t do weird eating, all will be well. I don’t feel like I have gas or that stomach fluid is coming up. I don’t have an acid taste in my mouth. Just a helluva lot of pain at the back of my throat. I have read that problems like this can cause serious problems in esophagus if not treated. So I'll take the damned medicine the doctor prescribed and double it up with the homeopathy. Or will I?

I have a meeting today with an established artist to discuss my plans for the Budapest Exchange of Contempory Art (BECA). I met yesterday with Peter Sik, an MBA student who would like to work on the project. He also may have a client for the Intelligence service, which is good news. Yesterday I had the final step taken on a root canal filling on a tooth on the upper right side of my mouth. What was a badly broken food trap is now a fine new tooth. So that's going for me. I will muster forth, despite my discomfort. I will get the homeopathic treatment and take it. I will continue with the Aloe. And I will follow Deepak Chopra's prescribed steps to relieve heartburn. And I may well take the conventional stuff.

Friday, March 11, 2005

My Life this week

My greatest triumphs this week were an event about filmmaking that originated from an idea I had and a meeting with OTP Bank (Hungary's largest bank) about launching the "BBJ card," a credit card co-branded with the Budapest Business Journal, my lead client.

The filmmaking event involved a presentation by the Lovy Brothers, Steven and Robert who recently made the film "Mix", www.mixthemovie.com, here in Budapest. They are both friends of mine. They narrated a PPT slideshow that instructed the audience the steps involved in making a feature film from idea through bringing it to the public. One result of the event is the potential funding of their next film by a fund whose director was in attendance. Lucia and Eldar came and enjoyed themselves. Eldar ran around in the hotel, "The Art'otel" the hip and groovy venue where the event was held and Lucia mixed with friends of ours. Afterwards we ate a pizza with Steven Lovy at a nearby overpriced pizzeria.

Lucia and I registered a domain for our forthcoming website and today I have a meeting with a guy who could help with BECA, the Budapest Exchange of Contemporary Art. I had couple of sleepless nights, and a nagging throat condition which may well be hysterical, but a good night's sleep last night, some good Yoga sessions, some good lessons taught. A five-day weekend starting today. Not bad!

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

calm

Just yesterday I was telling a student in my early morning soft skills seminar that Yoga enables me to move through challenging situations without enduring stress. Well, this morning I found myself challenged by the stress I thought I was able to avoid. OK, my Yoga practice this morning was a bit abbreviated, the result of less than restful night's sleep - I spent much of the early morning hours tossing and turning, counting to 1000, saying mantras doing relaxation exercises and other nightly pasttimes that did nothing to help me sleep.

So I have things to do here for my primary client, the Budapest Business Journal, where I direct the Intelligence Service. But this blog is not the place for that discussion.

The Mormons are sending a contigent to our home tomorrow at 3 to speak with us about baptism, about joining their Church. We attend it with fair regularity, but are not members. Perhaps I'll insert some remarks on this particular topic in my next entry.

Lucia received yesterday her super new camera, bought in New Jersey by friends and brought back to Budapest in a suitcase. With this she hopes to contribute our nifty new journalism efforts. We have a very good plan, which I will reveal once things are more clear and better protected.