This coffee date is long overdue. I can’t remember when we last had one – work intruded; sometimes travel did too. And this year with Covid lockdowns and stay-at-home orders I had little cognitive space for blogging and coffee sharing. So, we have lots to catch up on. Let me begin with this past week – I’ll write a 2020 review post a bit later in the month.
The week began with me delivering training to a private class. The problem with private classes (aside from the lack of richness that comes from diverse cultures and backgrounds) is that the same dysfunctions that are inherent in the organisation’s culture carry across to the training. I’m on the lookout for these which is why I started the training by being clear about the attendance requirements. I do certification training and there are minimum attendance requirements by the Scrum Alliance. This led to a couple of people dropping off because they had more important things to take care of on their projects.
This is a bad time of year for banks to send their people on training – and this was a bank – because many people are pushing to get the last software releases done before the middle of the month when the code freeze kicks in. The class shrunk by four – from ten to six people. After the class ended for the day more people dropped off which led to their manager postponing the whole training. This left me with some free time which I haven’t had much of this year. So, I ended up co-training with my colleague on training in the EST time zone – my day started at 5 pm and ended at 11 pm CAT. The last hour of the night – from 10 pm to 11 pm – was the worst. I was fine until 10 pm, but that last hour …
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Thursday was our South African coach camp, virtual of course. Working virtual is great. I love it! For me, Zoom feels like face-to-face. The camera has to be on for that and I can count on the fingers of one hand the times that I had the camera off. Friday was our company fun day. Unlike previous years when the Joburg peeps met with the Cape Town peeps in Cape Town, this year we remained in our cities and celebrated separately. I didn’t feel comfortable getting on a plane for a two-day trip. Too risky. So, us here in Joburg played a virtual escape room game (this was so much fun!) and then headed out to a country-side hotel for a picnic. It was the first time, we, the three Joburg peeps and our husbands met in person since January. The food was delicious; the venue so pretty and the conversation eclectic.
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I did all my Christmas shopping online this year and I’m still waiting for some packages. I was surprised to receive one yesterday because I didn’t think the delivery people worked on weekends. This was a Takealot delivery – I am so impressed with them this year. They’ve exceeded my expectations so far.
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It’s a lovely sunny day today, and I need to hang out the comforter in the sun to dry before the afternoon showers arrive. It’s been great catching up.
Ciao for now.
Regina
Part of Weekend Coffee Share.
I hope your Christmas was everything you wished for, this very special year. Happy New Year to you!
Thank you, and I wish you a wonderful New Year and may 2021 exceed your expectations.
Lovely coffee share! This has been a crazy year for us all, no doubt about it. I’m trying to escape the chaos through blogging and enjoy reading others as well. Take care! Diana
Thank you! I find that blogging brings me joy, and these holidays I’m also catching up on reading 🙂
Hi Regina,
I am so happy you are back, it has been a difficult year for all of us. The whole lock down while I had all the time but because of the cloud of uncertainty hoovering over us all I did not feel motivated to read or write.
Just seeing your post made me feel happy telling myself perhaps life is beginning to return to a ‘normal’ what ever it will be for all of us. Welcome back Regina.
It certainly was a difficult year and I also felt no motivation to write. But writing makes me feel good and happy so I must push through the demotivating feelings and write 🙂
I see that you also started writing again 🙂
Thank you for your wonderful words.
Hi there!!! been a minute without coffee share from you. Compliments of the festive season… 2020 has been a crazy year hey.
I was actually checking prices of somethings on Takealot and wishing they delivered to Zimbabwe cause the prices made so much sense, next time I am SA I’m definitely take a lot hahahaha
cheers
~B
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Haha takealot … Actually, I thought that they did deliver to Zim, it’s a shame if they don’t. How are the courier companies doing there? Maybe it is just too expensive to import from SA?
2020 has been crazy; I’m hoping the vaccine signals better times ahead.
Compliments of the season to you and your family too 🙂
Your job sounds interesting. What kind of training do you do? My main job was as a rehabilitation counselor. But I also did outside training to help people be more aware and more comfortable around people with disabilities. I LOVED training!
I hope you have a great week
I do Agile, Scrum and facilitation training. With Scrum, it is certification training through the Scrum Alliance. Agile originated in software development circa the early 2000s, and it’s now spread to many other industries, such as fast-moving consumer goods, education, advertising, marketing, to mention but a few.
Your job sounds very rewarding. It’s a definite need, to help people become more aware and comfortable around people with disabilities. Are you delivering it virtually as well?
Hi
No, I left my job in 2009 because of my own disability issues. I have a neuromuscular disease. So… Now my life is much quieter… And that’s OK too.
Indeed 🙂
Loved it!
Thanks D .
I did my shopping online this year too. I started in September which I think turned out well because sadly late November into December every year there is a rash of mailboxes that get broke into and parcels seem to disappear off door steps. Anyway, great coffee post. Thank you for sharing.
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I’m glad you liked the coffee post. On Friday we had a delivery when we weren’t home and the delivery guy left it in the garden hidden among the bushes (he called me to tell me) and luckily it was still there – it was well hidden. Have a great week.