Five Unspoken Office Rules

The workplace. A challenging environment on a good day, so we rely expect our colleagues to exercise compassion and good manners towards us. Right?

Yes in theory, but not in practice.

Here are my five unspoken (but assumed known) office rules:

1) Do NOT, ever, lick your pointer finger and then page through a stack of paperwork. It is not only unhygienic, but the sight of the excess moisture in the corner of some important document is just plain gross. Use a thimble if necessary.

2) Please don't come and find me while I'm on lunch to ask me a question that is not nearly important enough to warrant the interruption. Whatever it is can wait 20 minutes. If I take a desk lunch then you're welcome to ask me if I sent such and such email - then and only then.

3) Please do not leave the kettle empty after making your hot beverage of choice. Remember your manners and fill it for the next person. I can guarantee this will reduce office tension by 10%.

4) Copy colleagues into email responses sparingly. We don't judge how hard you work on the volume of emails you send during a day. Your mailbox is allowed to keep some secrets.

5) Smile. Ask colleagues how they are. By the same token, recognize when a coworker is rushing to meet a deadline and save the small talk for a more convenient time.

Have I missed anything?

Throwback Thursday: Euro Trip for Mom's 50th - Part 1

One year ago today, my mom, William, my grandparents and myself landed in Athens for the trip of a lifetime. My mom wanted to celebrate her 50th birthday by travelling Greece, and visiting her dream destination of Santorini.

After 18 hours of transit, we arrived in the (beautifully warm) ancient city en route to our hotel to join the rest of our tour group. We booked the Trafalgar Aegean Odyssey tour, which comprised two full days in Athens before embarking on a seven night cruise.

Whilst in Athens, we visited the first Olympic Stadium, the Acropolis and the Olympieon and dined in Plaka, the oldest section of Athens. Now we know why the Greek economy is in recession: they've never heard of point of sale bills and more often than not we'd receive a handwritten bill in Greek. Other times our bill was of a verbal nature. Clever - no VAT.

View from our hotel

We boarded the Orient Queen and our first port of call was Istanbul, Turkey. We booked an excursion for a full day tour of the city. Learnt a lot about the city (including the fact that Turkey falls into both Europe and Asia). The The Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya were the first landmarks we visited. The structures were beautiful, but on a summer's day reaching temps of 30 degrees, and a couple of hundred people going barefoot inside, a rather unappealing smell lingered in the air. We had lunch at a traditional restaurant before continuing to the Grand Bazaar (imagine a flea market the size of a mall). Our tour guide warned us about the gypsies that roamed the market, selling 'gold' to tourists at extreme prices. We spent only a few minutes inside (just to see what the fuss was about) before exiting hastily and finding a coffee shop for some respite from the heat and to take a load off our aching feet. Shortly thereafter, we returned to the cruise ship for a swim and a cocktail on the pool deck. 

The Ampitheatre in the Acropolis

Our hotel

Olympic Stadium

Inside the Grand Bazaar

Inside the Blue Mosque

First look at Istanbul

Our cruise ship

Aya Sophya

Mom and I dressed appropriately

The Grand Bazaar

Exterior of the Blue Mosque

Overall impressions of the city: Pretty but we won't return in a hurry. Why do we say that? Whilst we were there, the country was experiencing some political unrest and although we were safe at all times, one could feel the tension emanating off the Istanbul uses. Would we return to Turkey? Maybe sometime in the future, but we would definitely bypass Istanbul.

Next up on our itinerary was Mykonos. Wow. Photographs of this beautiful island do not do it justice. We arrived in the late afternoon, and our tour guide took us for an evening stroll around town. The cruise ship docked in the harbour overnight, so passengers had the option of staying at a hotel on the island as opposed to a night on the ship. We walked around the maze of passages containing curio stores and restaurants a-plenty, and ate lamb for dinner at a restaurant on the beach, an idyllic sunset the backdrop. The next morning we disembarked the ship to start our day on the beach. A bus trip and 40 minutes later, we arrived at Paraga beach.

What a surreal feeling it was knowing we were actually in Greece, on this stunning island that has featured time and time again in magazines and movies. William and I swam in the Mediterranean (which was surprisingly cooler than anticipated) before enjoying a delicious lunch at the restaurant. Note to self: Make sure you know which beach is the nudist beach (awkward). Our time on Mykonos came to an end shortly thereafter, and sadly we did not see the infamous pelicans that call the island home. Definitely a reason to go back! Mykonos was my highlight of the trip. I would love to go back and spend more time exploring this gem of a hotspot. It has such a unique vibe.

Paraga Beach

Mykonos

View from our dinner table

Another beach shot

Sunset

Our fourth day of the cruise was spent at sea. We lay around the pool, reading and enjoying the scenery that surrounded us. Greece really is magnificent, and I would encourage any traveller to make a turn past the Aegean Sea.

Our third stop was the island of Patmos. We spent only a few hours here and due to the limited window of time, we literally disembarked the ship, had a bite to eat at a restaurant in the harbour, browsed some curio shops, and returned to the ship. Our fourth stop (and second for day four) was the thriving city of Kusadasi. Governed by Turkey, the town is very much the opposite of Istanbul as it encompasses more of the European free living vibe. The shopping is absolutely amazing in Kusadasi, and we picked up major bargains on branded products, perfume and of course a leather jacket for my mom. 

Patmos

We even found a South African store!

We had these beautiful sunsets every evening.

...to be continued...

Review: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

My longtime friend and former colleague, Matthew, recommended I read this book. Knowing Matthew does not read fiction very often, and judging by his positive feedback on this novel, I realized it was a must read and downloaded it onto my Kindle.

The story line centers around Harry August, a boy born in a train station restroom on New Year's Day 1919. Harry is an ouroboran or kalachakra, a person that is born, lives, dies and so the cycle repeats. His birth date remains the same, but the manner of his death (and the date thereof) differ as a result of his choices in that specific life. Harry is also a mnemonic, which means he remembers everything from his previous lives, even the tiny and insignificant details.

I don't want to give the plot away, but Harry soon becomes embroiled in a plan to delay the end of the world.

This book is an absolute thriller, and will hook you within a few pages. I've never had to use the Oxford dictionary function on my Kindle as much as what I did for this book. It is intellectual and opens up the mind to a whole different school of logic. If you are looking for some insightful theories into the universe, then this is definitely for you. Maybe I found it more fascinating because the idea of reincarnation is so exciting.

Tiny disclaimer: The book does not discredit Christianity, but some religious people may be offended by some of the author's views and remarks.

If you read (or have read) the book, please share your thoughts on it. I would love to receive your feedback.

A Visit to the Farm for a Celebration (or Two)

On the 15th of June, my grandparents celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary (massive applause and congratulations to them). A union spanning fifty five years is no small feat in today's world, and wanting to share in this special occasion with them, my mom, William and myself traveled to their farm on the outskirts of Nelspruit to spend a few days with them. Not only was it their wedding anniversary, but also Father's Day.

The farm is situated in the Schoemanskloof valley, which is approximately forty five minutes drive to Nelspruit, and two and a half hours from Benoni. My grandparents spend about two weeks out of every month on the sprawling expanse of land, and have become good friends with those that reside in the valley permanently.

Grandpa showed us his well tended gardens, and took us onto their neighbor's property to view some of the game they keep. Unfortunately we went at the hottest time of day so the animals kept low profiles, although we were able to see Tsongi, the neighbor's tame female kudu. Hand raised from a baby, Tsongi has become used to people and we fed her apples.We had a lovely roast lunch on Sunday to celebrate the two special occasions, prepared by my mom.

It was a beautiful weekend of good weather (the temperatures are much warmer than those of Johannesburg), delicious food and excellent company. Better yet was the fact that the cell phone reception was almost non existent, and we were able to fully enjoy our time together. 

The farm has been an institution in our lives for many years, and I know some friends can share a memory or two from the good old days. Swimming in the Crocodile River, picnicking in the Sappi forests, visiting one of the many stunning waterfalls in the area, the kids collecting firewood each evening, and roughly twenty adults and children sharing ONE bathroom. Somehow we managed, and we had tons of fun in the process. In 2000, the grandparents knocked down the original farmhouse and rebuilt a more modern structure. It now sports DSTV too! Things may have changed, but the essence of the farm hasn't and it was wonderful to escape for a few days.

Thank you to my mom and William for a lovely weekend, and congratulations once again to Mr & Mrs Littleton, circa 1959. We are so proud of you, and lucky to have you as our family matriarchs. We love you beyond measure.

Together for 55 years.

The old water wheel.

The new farmhouse (left) built in 2000 and the original Rondavel, built 1973.

The green lands

Braai area

Old tractor

My mom and grandparents

Three generations

William and his future family

Watching the France vs Hondouras soccer game

Tsongi, the tame kudu

Gratitude, Manners & Compliments

Just when I thought 'thank you' had gone out of fashion, I was pleasantly surprised by a letter of gratitude.

William and I donated some of our older clothing to a family (a mom and three children aged 10-18) in need. The mom of the family works for my grandparents on the farm in Mpumalanga, and after being widowed last year, was struggling to make ends meet.

Such a small gesture on our part invoked such gracefulness from the family, and their letter of thanks brought tears to our eyes. Things we take for granted every day can make a big difference in someone else's life. Give a little.

Manners

Please.

Thank you.

May I?

Do you need some help?

These words should form a large part of our vocabulary today, but sadly they are in the minority. Worse yet is that it is the adults that need reminding, not even the smallest younger children. What has happened in this new age? Being polite seems to be taboo. We have become rude and treat service people (such as waitrons) with less respect than they deserve. This will be the fall of society. The animal kingdom are far more civilized than the human race.

Thank a friend for doing you a favor. These two small words have a great effect and will ensure that friend's commitment to helping you out again in future. A verbal good faith payment, if you will.

Compliments

We do not give compliments often enough. Think about how good you feel when someone says they like your shoes, or how that new hairstyle shaves 10 years off their age. Weigh lost - tell that person that the loss of 5kgs has done wonders for their appearance.

The positive feedback encourages the recipient to continue the struggle until reaching goal weight. Times when they are so desperately craving a chocolate they will remember your compliment, and that may just be the moral support they need to stay on the right track. Everybody needs compliments to boost their self confidence.

So why don't we compliment more? 

Are we jealous of that person and their success? With adulthood, we should be able to put such emotions aside and see the bigger picture.

Someone once told me that she notices good things about people in her life, and mentally acknowledges the nice handbag or changed hair colour, but doesn't verbalize the compliment. In my opinion that is the same as not complimenting someone at all. What good is thinking it but not saying it?  This is not the same as the phrase 'If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all.' Exactly the opposite.

If you have something nice to say, don't not say it at all. Double negative = a positive (remember your high school Maths teacher reiterating this principle).

This picture sums it all up for me.

P.S Not expecting any compliments on the aesthetics of this blog as it is under construction, and I hope to present you with a finished product in the not too distant future.