Just nearing the end of a very interesting two days of facilitation in Paris. All about Commercial Models in Emerging Markets, which at the first pass sounds dull as tits.
But actually…. its been really quite good. Amazing in some ways what people are up to in China, India, Nigeria etc – incredibly creative and smart at turning funny old markets into great bits of business and producing stuff that's way better than the UK. And also a good group of people – 25 from probably the same number of different countries.
Who all took the piss out of me hugely on the first night, by bringing a 4 tier pink cake out of nowhere in a packed and rather chic Parisian restaurant – and dumping it on the table in front of me, gleefully singing 'Happy Birthday to Scot-tyyyyyyyyyy' at the top of their voices. Some kind of tradition apparently, but bloody mortifying as to begin with I thought they did really believe it was my birthday, and then secondly mortifying as I realised they were just ripping the piss and had 'got' me hook line and sinker, the swines.
Still, the facilitator revenge was sweet as the 9am start got pulled back to 8.30am as a result…
Anyway, heading home shortly on Le Eurostar, always a fairly pleasant experience, and the weekend awaits. Dinner with the two lovely Helens, Vickery & Tebay, chez nous and some somewhat scarier hours hours being in-godparent-parentis with the three small Whites, while Claire and Jon rock off to Rome for a weekend (of sleep?) for their anniversary.
Love to all, must go and look like I know what some of these obscure business acronyms all over the flipcharts actually mean Sx