Patience

I started this entry last night and in a rare show of patience, left it until today after a couple of interruptions. Patience, the photo shows just how patient I can be, OK I can hear those who know me well snorting with laughter about now. 

On Saturday a trip out country saw me gridlocked in traffic, yes gridlocked in Belfast, Christchurch on a two lane road on a Saturday. I couldn't quite figure this out. If it had been Christmas shopping traffic, surely it would have been going the other way. Like the other suckers I crept along, stopping and starting. I could have turned off in several places, but no true to human nature, because I had got as far as I had I stayed with the sheep. 

It got me thinking about how we do stick with things we know are not so good in the hope that they will get better. After all, we have invested time in these aspects of our lives so therefore if we change tack surely we have wasted that time. Not so if we have learnt the lessons from these experiences. No time spent on different experiences is wasted, even being stuck in traffic. 

I'm usually not as patient as I was on Saturday. I sat in the car enjoying the sun through the window and the music on the radio. Not being patient has an upside. Well for me if not for those that live, work and socialise with me. Not being patient means I get heaps done with the hours I have in my day. 

That was spooky, while I was in my study writing my ipod just skipped through several songs and stopped at Chasing Cars. No one else in the house, what's up with that? Think it might be my signal that it's time to eat, time for a vino. 

Christmas lunch

We had our work Christmas lunch today, a much more subdued outing than last year. We went to Rosendale Vineyard and the meal was yummy, the pud was good, the wine OK and the espresso needed to have some hot water added. So here I am at home, yes at home, on a Friday evening at this time feeling a little like partying, a little like having a nana nap after a big lunch. Seven and a half days of work to go, so looking forward to the break.

The Freudian slip made on Wednesday has lived on with the one who slipped finding her handiwork put on notice boards around the office. She corrected the mistake and made sure she saved the corrected copy and gave us each one. In her honor we had an 'r' free day. There were some interesting words shared, most I wouldn't list here. And we had a crock up or several during the morning. I don't think she'll ever live this one down.

A Freudian slip

A group of us from work attended some interesting professional development on Tuesday morning. The PD was part of the knowledge gym and the speaker was Pat Meseti, an energetic Italian Australian who shared his ideas like an old time Evangelistic preacher. He was very entertaining and while his message about the rules of abundance were not new ones they were presented in a different way. He was very inspiring. His story very inspiring. 

So very inspiring that a colleague of mine decided she would share his key messages with others in our office who were not fortunate enough to have attended. She duly re wrote her notes with such memorable quotes as:

"Where my focus is today, my future is tomorrow"

"Your attitude will affect your altitude"

"I'll look after me for you, if you look after you for me"

" If you change what you think, this will change what you feel, which will change how you act, which will change the outcome"

"The bridge between thought and success is action"

You get the picture, all good stuff to remember when managing people. He also talked about gender difference and amongst his quotes on this was this gem:

"Men are microwave ovens - they are either on or off. Women are crockpots. Plug them in and turn them on in the morning and they will be ready by evening"

My colleague was very proud of her efforts and passed the lovely gift of quotes on colored paper complete with a border and flash font to everyone in the office, including the CE. I wonder if you can spot the difference between the quote above and what she actually wrote on her quote sheet:

"Men are microwave ovens- - they are either on or off. Women are cockpots. Plug them in and turn them on in the morning and they will be ready by evening"

Very Freudian indeed, especially given the female dominated world we work in. Needless to say there was much laughter and the one on the CE's desk was quietly removed. 

Paris

I have been sorting through my photos and thought these deserved a larger viewing. The gateway is at the back of  Sacre Coeur and the other two are from Notre Dame, the amazing detail sculptured into the front entrance. I can't wait to get back to Paris, to spend time there not having to rush. To hang out and people watch in a cafe. 

Hopefully this will happen in 2009, well that's the plan. 

And some more

These two are of the fishing fleet in the harbour and the fish market. The fish market is held each day and anyone can buy a fish or several directly from the fishermen. They are still wriggling and are sold whole, complete with guts. Keri and I bought one for one of our Saturday night pot luck dinners. It cost around $4 and was large enough to feed a few. I was planning to bake it in my oven but first we had to clean the fish.

This took a team to complete, Keri standing with her wine squealing and giving instructions on how to gut the fish and me doing all the work. Luckily I am a country girl and had done this the odd time before when I lived in the Coromandel in the 70's. I was just a bit rusty, that's all. The fish got cleaned, I got to enjoy my wine while it baked in the oven and the team enjoyed eating this freshest of fish.

I walked along the floating jetty the fishing boats are moored to the odd time. It is a peaceful place with the water lapping against the pontoons and the gentle rocking of the sea. It's also a great place to watch the sun go down.

PS Keri doesn't even eat fish, loves to catch them though.

More from Doha

Another two photos from Doha, the new museum from the Corniche and dhows in the harbour. Note the shower and loo off the back of the boat.

Roll on Christmas

The last few weeks of the term are really busy in my job. There seems to be so much to do, to complete before the Christmas break, roll on the Christmas break. Until then this blog might be a bit quieter than normal as I work on reports, appraisals, edits and articles and keeping my head just above the water. 

The photo is from my garden, a tall harakeke flower with the city behind.