I do my book design and page comp work at home, too, for the very same reason: that is, for comfort and convenience. But that means I just move one room down from bed to work. But I am allowed to be extremely casual from this location. That means sweats or gym shorts.

But the biggest thing is being able to work whenever I feel like it. I tend to be a night owl. So it’s not unusual for me to go to bed at a normal time or even early, but just for two to four hours, and then get up and work in the quiet of the night, before returning to bed before daylight for another hour or two of sleep.

Making books at a regular desk job would take some of the joy out of the work. But videoconferencing would bring back the old fashioned eye-to-eye negotiation for long-distance freelancers. So, yeah, I’ll foof for up to 15 seconds, if necessary.

But personally, I enjoy the privacy and ease of not having it around.

With Skype, I can plop on the sofa with feet resting on one end, my head on the other under a comfy pillow, and my computer on my lap.

So from that angle, if I did the same with video conferencing, they’d all be looking up my nose.

I know, I know … get dressed, foof, move the computer back to the office and sit up straight.

But what’s the fun in that? Honestly, I work at home so I don’t have to foof. This after spending years getting up in the wee hours just to be foofable.

Guys? Nope. They don’t foof. That’s why that chap in a previous post didn’t even realise the state of his Bermudas. His maid washed, ironed and folded them into his drawer. In his rush to get out the door he pulled them on and out he went.

A guys version of foofing equals about two seconds.

A gals version of foofing can easily extend to an hour and over.

So there you have it. One explanation on why women don’t want to and men do.

“describe something by arm waving and sketching on bits of paper!”

*Chuckle. I can see that so clear :-)

I haven’t tried video conferencing yet. I have the ability now that I’ve upgraded to the new MacBook Pro. But, one of the great things about working online is not having to be conscious of the bits that are not perfect. Like, makeup, clothes, hair and all.

And I did turn it on and stare at myself for a bit to see if I could take sharing that much more of me.

Uggh … facial expressions that are hidden with Skype are right there with video. Eyes rolling, exasperation, blowing air from pooky cheeks. Yeah, it would all be shared.

So, I guess I’d have to practice on friends first. They love me no matter what (hopefully) and will hopefully tell me what is what. Hopefully [wink].

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Yes, to those in the west ‘coup’ and ‘political unrest’ do strike unease. But remember, it wasn’t so long ago when American citizens were being shot and killed for protesting (Kent State). When American citizens were tearing apart their own communities (Los Angeles). And now, where rights that were once guaranteed, are now being suspended (US Patriot Act).

The UK has its own problems (now lessened) with Ireland, etc, etc. And it is weird to know I’ve now parked my rear in one of the most photographed countries in the world with all these cameras on corners. If I walk to the store, one camera follows me, while another picks up where that one leaves off. It’s unnerving.

So I guess it comes down to what you are used to. I was raised mostly overseas in different cultures, so I guess my living in a western country didn’t suit my expectations of what I wanted/needed out of life.

And I really did try out the calmer west (I won’t bore you with the list).

But it’s SE Asia where I feel at home. Maybe it was those three years in Japan when I was little? I’m no sure.

No, the sidewalks in Bangkok (or most places in SE Asia) are not even. No, the politics are not always squeaky clean (but are any?) And no, life is not always under my control.

And maybe that’s a part of why I like it out here, the lack of total control? Sure, I’ve created my little oasis amongst the chaos, but by just walking out the door I walk into the richness of Thai life.

It’s a daily adventure that suits me.

From the street hawkers each with their own marketing views (horns, bells, squeaking, songs and whistles), to the crazy modes of available travel (tuk tuks, motorcycle taxi, rogue taxi drives, skytrain and on), to memorable conversations with almost anyone striking up a chat first (I’m shy so the opening is usually one way), to the daily amazement at how cheap I can live at a high standard compared with pretty much anywhere.

Put that all together, and I have a life suitable for me. And not recorded in technicolour [wink] unless it’s by me or mine.

While in Scotland, with one project I worked on the company owner was in Scotland (with me), the printer was in England, and one of the writers resided in California. And it went smooth as silk.

Then in 2001, a British company in Brunei, working with a software company in India, hired me from Scotland to help save a project that had sputtered close to death. In addition, the writers were all over the world (one lived on a sailboat where ever), so we all became used to conferencing IM style as phones were too expensive and skype hadn’t yet reached the world.

So after moving back to Brunei, it was already second nature when we put together Creative Latitude. Neil (copywriter) was in the US, Nigel (web site designer) in the UK, and myself (project manager) in Brunei. At the same time, there was political unrest in Brunei, so the whole country was taken offline on and off for over a year. We’d be working away then I’d disappear for awhile so needed alternative tricks. Yes, even phone lines went wonky. It was then I started depending on my mobil phone as a last resource.

Here in Thailand we’ve had politics mess with communication, but never for long and not with the internet too much (knock on wood). It was only the tv they took offline during the coup. Yeah, this country really knows how to throw a coup ;-)

Whenever I travel, I’m usually working. From Kenya to Cairo, I’ve been able to connect and keep online to a point. The connections might not be brilliant or even consistent, but they are doable. You just have to be able to lower your expectations a little and reschedule anything major until you are back working near a proper connection.

While in the UK I have an ok connection. I don’t have a phone line in my flat here in Devon but I’ve made arrangements with the chap downstairs to hook into his while here. When that is no longer available, I’ll look into http://www.net2roam.com as an option.

Unlike all over Thailand, Exeter (in England) doesn’t have cyber cafes on every corner so I do find myself needing to get more creative to be online without breaking the bank. But net2roam and similar are expensive, and as I’m here a great deal some years, I need to do a bit more research to continue to be thrifty.

I travel a lot, and being in transit is my biggest time waster. Now with internet easily available in airports I’m fine. So with airplanes taking it on (I can get a lot done on a boring ten hour flight), it just keeps on getting better.

Yes, it does take more work and discipline to make it work, but … the lifestyle is fabulous. Absolutely fabulous.

I guess I’m a bit of a chauvinist. I can’t understand why anyone wanders far from home but for an adventure. After that, tho’, it just sounds too difficult to have to worry about stuff before even getting to the point of knocking out work.

I admire the discipline and adventurousness of those of you who contend with those “extras”.

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