Sherpa

Keeping the journalistic theme going I was very honoured to be invited along to an awards ceremony last week. I enjoyed a glass of champagne, a kettle chip or two and was looking forward to a witty speech and finding out more about the crème de la crème in the world of business journalism.  All in all the makings of a very pleasant evening.  Unfortunately a misguided (I’m being kind here) quip in the key note speech left a rather bitter taste in my mouth.  Yes I do find that a racist joke  doesn't go down too well.  Unfortunately it would seem that for others such comments are still easily ignored or forgotten about.    

But hang my head in shame - was my early departure and letter to the organisers enough?- was I being too polite.  Should I have had a more divaesque moment in front of several hundred strangers? – I think not,   but really I should have grabbed the speaker before he made his getaway (my heels were higher, I was slower) –  as unlike the hosts and the guests who laughed - I just didn’t get it.

E-mail me at diva@thesherpaway.co.uk or leave a comment about the times around the coffee machine/photocopier when you just didn't get it.

Its January and the Diva is back, I’ve missed the sales and apparently much of the snow having been combining work, research, pleasure and leisure in the southern hemisphere.

 In Thailand my flabber was gasted at job add’s stipulating the age, gender and weight of preferred candidates (that would save on government fat busting vouchers), In Australia I choked on my cappuccino reading articles about the the plight of the 'black fella'. Yikes! Anyway, I think we were talking about the challenges that the indigenous population face through generations of exclusion.  

Australia is a only a day away but with attitudes in some quarters clearly decades in the past.  Oh, how I'd love to go down under and get my head round the unique diversity agenda australia is facing - maybe when I go back I might actually be served my cappucino by a indiginous member of staff....

Now that I'm back in blighty I see that the powers that be are concerned that the Three Little Pigs will offend both muslims and builders and are therefore banning an animated version of the story from a competition.  aaah, life goes on....