There is lot of volatility in the system sabato 8 ottobre

There is a lot of volatility in the system

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15222803

Italian debt has been downgraded. Again. For the second time this week. What does this mean? Is the GBP the best place to put money? Or should it be in Swiss Francs which seems to be going up and up? Or even gold which retains money through the toughest of times? From what I have read the debt of Italy is triple the combined debt of Greece, Spain and Ireland. Now that is terrifying. Not least the terror comes from a lack of realisation about this. OK so it is reported in the papers but nothing seems to change, and how Berlusconi has stayed in post is just simply unfathomable. At least Italy has a very strong tourist industry and food industry, which allows it to survive better than Greece. But where does this leave me? I work for a Swiss company but am employed under an Italian contract. Italian salaries are an absolute farce, the pay is incredibly low and the tax is very high. In fact, at current situation we would be better off moving to the USA and one of us stopping work!!! However, I am lucky that I am employed on what is essentially a foreigner's contract so relatively I am doing very well - I really have no idea how the Italians at non-executive level do well enough to afford food, let alone buy a house. In fact, a lot of houses are handed down through families in SIena, partly fuelled by the ridiculous prices - it's nigh on impossible to buy a 2-bed apartment for under 550k EUR, and also influenced by the low birth rate - Italy's birth rate is the lowest in Europe at 1.4 per capita.

So where does this leave me? I feel overworked, underpaid, underappreciated, but I do have a job and live in a beautiful area of the world. I have to remind myself of this a lot a lot a lot a lot. At this moment, there is volatility in the company - head count is very very tight, and budget restrictions are, well, strict, restricting, restrictive, dictatorial. This comes down to me as being extremely frustrating trying to get things to work and make ends meet, whilst trying to keep the pipeline going. As much as I would like this not to affect me, it does. I spend far too much time in the office and this affects me. The volatility I feel at work and the volatility and frustration that one finds when living as an alien means that me life is volatile. Once again, I have to remind myself of the good stuff.

Now where is that good stuff? Wine is good and cheap. Ambiance is good (when outside the office). Food is great, if overpriced. People are very pleasant - if difficult to get to know them beneath the veneer. And it's safe. Volatility is also present in equal measure in the UK and the USA, and looking back, although the grass is greener, its pretty green over here too. So for now, we stay put.

Stay sane inside insanity.