The Mystic Traveller Alive and Kicking

As you may have noticed over the last few months, the level of posting has been infrequent, to say the least. This has been due to distractions elsewhere, such as trying to crack into the steel-coated shell of the media industry in Britain. After hundreds of applications and a couple of very close successes, it appears that my efforts have been somewhat of a disaster. What has become sadly apparent to me, is while I have some contacts in the media industry in Japan, I am absolutely out of the loop in Britain, and cannot effectively network.

There was some excitement during August, when I was shortlisted out of 400 candidates to be a programme developer for Thames Television. They seemed to like the programme ideas on my application form, but after having an interview with the producer of The X-Factor, it seemed that at the ripe old age of 33, I was a touch too old for them. I am starting to think that the media industry is only looking for foetuses, which can be easily molded into shape.

Unfortunately, all the ideas I submitted to Thames had to be signed over to them for their own legal protection. This means that Thames can do whatever they like with my concepts and I will get nothing in return!

During the seven months I have been back in Britain, I have been able to reassess my life in Japan, and consider how much I sacrificed by returning to the UK. Japan was never perfect, but I enjoyed a certain level of comfort, as well as a fantastic social life. The exotic locale was always far more stimulating to me than Britain could ever be.

My heart is driving me back to Asia. I miss it so much, and just cannot wait to step off the airplane on to that continent again. Tomorrow, I am going to London for an interview that could provide a foot back into Japan. On Tuesday, I will partake in another interview in Cambridge for a job in Bangkok. Both have their attractions and I am confident that I may find myself in an awful pickle having to decide which to take.

It has not all been doom and gloom, as I have had a wonderful opportunity to spend time with my incredibly patient and supportive parents, as well as meet up with my brother and friends. I have also just become the godfather of my best friend's newly born daughter. I cannot tell you how much that has cheered me up. I am so looking forward to being the doting godfather who sends gifts from faraway lands.

As for this site, the regular posting will return, as the spice returns to my life....