[I wrote up these thoughts for the NZ-2.0 list, but thought you might be interested]
I’ve been thinking lately about Things To Do In 2006, and trying to figure out where technology will go in the coming year and where there are opportunities to ride that wave and win. I’ve come up with eight broad areas, each of which I could easily build a company (or a half-dozen companies!) in.
Some things I’ve found while surfing: Basics of Maori, Maori pronunciation, Interactive Maori conversations, Maori Language NZ Anthem, Background and recordings of the NZ anthems.
It’s been an adventurous week, weather-wise. Being away for so long, I’d forgotten the misty mornings that are classic New Zealand fare. We had a front parked over us for four or five days, with what the weather forecasters discreetly refer to as “scattered showers” but which really means occasional heavy rain and light spitting the rest of the time. Useless for drying laundry, but not an impediment to getting out and about.
I’m reading Russell Brown’s collection of other people’s essays, Great New Zealand Argument, and at the same time I’m reading The Nationbuilders by Brian Easton. Both tackle the subject of what it means to be a New Zealander. I’m reading them in bite size pieces: Easton’s in the bedroom and Brown’s in the bathroom. Uh, so to speak.
They’re fascinating. Lots of things I’d never thought about, such as the fact that we’re the only country where our national day is always (and has been since the beginning) an occasion to question why we even have a national day, whether it means anything, what we might do instead, and what we’d celebrate if we had such a day. And also things I’d always wanted to know, like who Bill Sutch was.
Today I went to Auckland to meet Russell Brown of Public Address, to my uncle’s work, then finally to meet with some VCs. Russell first. He’s an interesting guy, very articulate (as befits a good on-air personality!) and full of background for all the things that are puzzling me about New Zealand: why is the DSL so shit? Why does nobody just grab Telecom by the regulatory balls and squeeze? etc.
It’s been hard to balance life and work here on the other side of the world. Some days the work consumes me and I ignore family (bad Dad!) and other days I’m burnt out and can’t face the keyboard. I dug in a garden last weekend with my uncle Les and that made me feel like I was doing something constructive, with a purpose. Thinking in timescales longer than a week or a month is oddly reassuring, and I’m slowly realizing that I didn’t do this at the other places I’ve lived.
Today I sent email to, and got replies from, the acting CEO of New Zealand On Air, and the general editor of Te Ara (the Encyclopedia of New Zealand). I love that these people are so accessible.
Today’s accomplishments: moved the dead cars out of our garage so the emptying of the house can begin in earnest; planted more plants; cleaned windows. I’m throwing myself more into this house and property than I have ever done with any house before. I think feel this one is important.
Today Jenine helped out at William’s school, and we learned that there’s quite the gulf between the grouchy old woman teaching his class and the sweet old woman who taught him in Colorado. This one is bullying, dismissive, and belittling. This puts us in the awkward position of being new to the school, yet dissatisfied. Jenine will talk to the head of the PTA and to the principal. I do not want my son to have three years with an inadequate teacher.
I’d forgotten how amazing New Zealand’s weather is. We’re just a thin strip of island in a lot of water, close to Antarctica. The weather’s always shifting: some good stuff, some crap, some good stuff, some crap. A strip of concentrated crap floated in last night and dumped a ton of rain on and blew 60 knots. The wind howled in the trees, the house shook, the rain rattled on the tin roof, the kids crawled into bed with us, and the pounding continued today.
I think I’m probably doing it a favour calling it a conference: Convergence Oceania was a Wireless Forum sell shop, an expo hall with a room featuring the biggest exhibitors. Everyone’s Powerpoint deck was focused to their own product story. Good thing it was free :-)
The expo hall was interesting, though. The usual big boys were out in force (I missed the Telecom and Vodaphone Big Name Speakers because I arrived after they did their thing) but there was an interesting mix of independents, VARs, and importers. I was particularly taken by AnyData, Aangel, and Minimax. I’ll write them up on my Radar blog.