Notes From A Small World

There's an old saying, "Never burn your bridges", that is particularly apt for the circle that I move in, professionally. Every time I go to one of these conference/networking type things I realise just how small that sphere really is....without fail I run into someone I know from working at a previous company or that was a former client. Already at the airport awaiting the flight to Slovenia, I met up with a lady now working for the She-Devil I had the misfortune to know as my former boss (you may have read about her before in my '9 till 5' post). Testing the waters, after the usual pleasantries, I casually asked her "So, you get on well with her, then?"....her reply was evasive, and I left it at that. I'm not one to discuss the fault of past bosses with strangers...in person that is...blogspot doesn't count!

The next evening we ended up on the same table at the conference banquet, along with one of her colleagues (they'd also worked together in another company).....weirdly, he is not just now working for my past company, but he joined it after leaving the one I'd left before that....always one step behind me in the job chain it seems. He showed great interest in my current company and the level of experience I'd gained there compared to his own....so I won't be suprised if his CV turns up in our mailbox shortly. Before long, one of their former colleagues joined us (I met her at a previous conference, and knew she'd turned down an offer from my previous, previous company...the one with the wayward boss). The new arrival sat down and promptly asked about their new boss "So, is she [She-Devil] really the biatch everyone says she is?". I didn't catch their response as I was distracted by my colleague seated on my other side (the one that also worked with me for the wayward boss and got me into our current company) pointing out that the bloke on the other side of the table was one of our clients from that old company. He'd had a bit of a run-in with said tactful boss, and had queried the quality of his work processes. Luckily he didn't seem to remember us but was interested in getting in touch with our new (and highly reputable) company with some potential work.

On the topic of fire and bridges, here's a snap of one of the dragons on the aptly named Dragon Bridge, a landmark of Ljubljana, as seen on the walking tour of the city arranged for the following evening....

No fire on this (Dragon) Bridge

Dinner that night at a local restaurant provided the chance to sample the local speciality...mushroom soup in a "mushroom" bun....

The last night of the conference was the highlight of the social agenda....winetasting and a five-course dinner in the company of Tomaz, a local connoisseur who has travelled the world reviewing food and wines. Slovenia is in fact renowned for its wines, particularly their whites. I'm more of a red wine fan, but was pleasantly suprised by how much I enjoyed the crisp whites that dominated the evening....thought of you Saffa, and your current deprivation! With each course we were served two glasses of wine....the idea being to eat a mouthful, taste number 1.... then eat a bit more and taste number 2... then decide which wine best complemented the dish and left the palate cleansed. A whole new way to experience a wide range of wines (12 in total with the dessert wines served to finish)...and I was amazingly sober by the end of the evening...

Menu

Appertif

Scurek -Rebula

Santomas - Refosk

Fish Carpaccio

Jeruzalem Ormoz - Terase

Jakoncic -Savvignasse

Courgette Soup

Verus - Renski Rizling

Klet Brda - Chardonnay Bagueri

Risotto With Asparagus

Joannes - Spargeljevo Vino

Kristancic - Sivi Pinot

Roast Lamb With Thyme And Vegetables

Simcic - Pinot Noir

Scuurek - Merlot

Apple Strudel

Batic - Valentino

Steyer - Gewurtzraminer