The return of the work related posts......

Back to work this week. Expect more construction, finance and APC posts.

Surprisingly enough, it's not as bad as previous post-xmas returns which may have something to do with the fact that I actually quite like my job, but, until they pay me to loaf around sipping banks and traipsing our marvelous coastlines it'll never be perfect.

I ♥ transitive pictograph verbalisations.

I've always had a bit of a chip on my shoulder about the lack of respect that construction students (or prospectives) receive from the general population. Whenever I mention my field of choice they just look at me and say something like "What?" or "..oh...I see, I didn't even know there was a degree for that, is it new?", (feel free to add your own condescending inflection there.)

Sadly, It's not even necessarily a sentiment that's limited to the caribbean. But, what really annoys me about it is that government, the ministry of education in particular, seems to adopt the attitude that anyone not pursuing a degree in medicine, law and/or politics (like we need any more of those!) as a 3rd class candidate when it comes to funding.

Yet, when someone visits a country for the first time, what's the first thing that might allude to that country's status in the pecking order?? the buildings and infrastructure of course!!

So why in the sweet name of Jeebus would Government treat those responsible for the production of the above like bottom feeders? then they bitch and complain about construction standards and the like. Idiots.

THE END OF THE WORLD IS UPON US!!!!!

Ok, so maybe it's not the world you were thinking about, but still, it is pretty big news to most of us in construction.

I remember in the not too distant past a young lad was attracted by the bright lights of Dubai and the tales that his friends spun of streets lined with gold (well, maybe not the streets, but the ironmongery at least) and he would salivate anytime someone merely mentioned the term 'Burj', but then, wonder of wonders! opportunity knocked for our young QS and he went for a week, and what a miserable week it was!, strip-searched in customs as though he were a common criminal, and forced to learn what it means to be a non-arab in an arab's world. and let me tell ya' brother, it sucks!

Sure every analyst within the industry today says in the news "Oh! Well we've always known Dubai's development was going to be unsustainable", puh-leeze, didn't stop you from singing along at the top of your lungs when the music was still playing. I specifically remember the O'Dolan guy in a special on the beeb (or channel 4) ranting about how he and 2 other investors jumped in on the deal, bought a few islands and were poised to make a killing. poor fella.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I would've done any better had I been in their shoes, but God knows I'm certainly glad it's not me and the only thing that's left after the bloodbath is a collection of 'buy-to-let-ers" with more white elephants than you can shake a stick at, and nothing but "woe is me" in their mouths.

Not to mention one less surveyor at risk of developing a stress-induced aneurysm.

The Construction World as seen by Me

Architect - usually employed by the client to serve as designer and/or contract administrator (operative word here being usually!), these individuals tend as a result to suffer from delusions of grandeur in thinking that they are the be all and end all on a construction site. See 'God complex'

Engineer - Employed to provide structural designs to keep the building up after the Architect has designed it, commonly seen dragging the Architect back to planet Earth after they've been told that their design is impossible.

Quantity Surveyor - employed as a cost controller, often serves as chief, cook & bottle washer. Commonly seen ducking sub-contractors and/or verbal abuse that seems to go something along the lines of "Where's my F*CKING MONEY!?!?!".

poor surveyor

Contractor - I once saw in an internet joke that a contractor was - "a gambler that never gets to shuffle, cut or deal" i think that pretty much sums it up.

Attorney - The most loathsome, obnoxious and boring, individuals I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. Usually employed when a dispute goes all the way to litigation, paid to do absolutely f*ckall , hang on............ I take that back. Paid to review the most boring documents ever to grace the planet which have been prepared by none other than *drumroll please* ............other attorneys