Pre-Christmas Update - Changes Afoot

Christmas is right around the corner. Mike and Karmen Trzupek (dear friends from Seattle) are due to arrive on Friday. Looks like it'll be warmer here in Shanghai than it will be in Seattle. We have had a wonderfully mild winter to this point (knock on wood). It has included a number of sunny and clear days, with temperatures in the 50s and 60s!

I thought I would get this posted as a means to get everyone up to date on what's going on with the Shanghai Welshes, as well as what's going on with my job at Intel. Since it's now on a number of technology related websites, I can safely inform friends and family.

First, for the important stuff. Steph is feeling very well... She says she's in that second trimester space where she actually has some energy... Which is true only until about 8:30pm, when she starts to yawn and drift off to sleep. That being said, we did take in a couple of Christmas parties to this point, and she was a real trooper! Last doctor appointment was good - everything continues to check out OK!

Olivia is doing well at her International School, and is lobbying hard to do first grade in China. She loves her teacher, her friends and school and would like to stay until June 2010! She loves art, dance and music, and recently completed her role as 1 of about 30 birds in the school performance of Jack and the Beanstalk!

Gigi is enjoying her experience at the local Chinese pre-school. The other day Steph overheard her and our ayi have an entire conversation in Mandarin! She loves most everything her sister does, and has really enjoyed the extra time with mommy in the last 18 months.

Now, onto my situation. As I mentioned, this has become public information in the last week or so, but Intel has decided to dissolve the business group I work in, moving the work and the people into various other groups. On the face of it, this sounds harmless, but one of the actions involved includes shutting down the program I have been in charge of for the last 18 months. We will complete our roadmap of products over the next few months, then we will sustain the products for our pilot customers - but we will not be developing follow on products. This means my role has effectively been eliminated. I will have some work to do getting the remaining products out the door and 'shutting the lights off'... but I am effectively looking for a new job.

I have an upcoming assignment that was a 'special project' I was asked to support before any of this came down, so that has me busy while I work to finish the roadmap and job hunt. It's a special opportunity I will describe in more detail in a separate post, but it's something to keep me busy for the next few weeks.

I have a couple of 'irons in the fire' as we speak. I have had some conversations with managers in other groups about opportunities they might have, but everyone is sitting pretty tight until Intel gets past the budget and plan process and managers understand their headcount targets and get budget dollars finalized.

Probably the most unnerving part of this process is the uncertainty with our assignement in China. We have over 7 months remaining on our contract (oringially planned to come home the end of July, 2009). We had talked previously (prior to this annoucement about cancelling the project) about staying on another 5 months for the next generation's roadmap - which is now non-existent.

Where we will be living and when we will be living there remains a mystery. Steph can't travel after February 1st - possibly sooner depending on what the doctor has to say. Our house is rented out until July of 2009 (in alignment with when my contract expires). My next manager (whoever that will be) will have to look at their budget and the work required in the role to determine their ability to support my assignment until the contract is up (July 2009) or possibly beyond.

So, needless to say, it's a little nervous Christmas around the Shanghai Welsh family tree this year. I feel like I have had good conversations with a couple of managers, but with the economy as bad as it is, and budgets getting squeezed, and companies announcing job reductions left and right, it makes me temper any positive feelings I have.

I do feel bouyed by the fact that Intel has not yet annouced any wide spread headcount reductions. In fact the messaging has been opposite of that in the press. What we are being told is that the company plans on having the same number of employees in 2009, as we leave 2008 with... so on the aggregate, no large swings... but I know, of course, this means we can expect pockets of 'headcount redistribution' based on business needs.

I'll update my blog when I know more... and have a couple posts planned over the holiday; one about my upcoming assignment in Portugal teaching teachers and parents about how to use some unique Intel technology, and the other will be a couple of classic stories from a recent busines trip.

Our family Christmas card will be coming out via e-mail in the next week... Until then, I hope your holiday preparations are coming along well.

Cheers,
Joe