I’m an hour past leaving my new friends and extended family, and only 30 minutes done bawling my eyes out. It’s hard to type with the tears welling now. I love these people (most of them anyways wink wink) and to have shared such an amazing amazing amazing experience with them makes me grateful for whatever forces got me here in the first place.
The program is over --- at least the formal, work deliverable project teamwork part of it. But the friendships are not and I will work my hardest to keep it that way.
This entire past week especially has been a blur, with lots of work, research and stress trying to get everything done, little personality traits that we have tried to ignore over the first three weeks coming to a head, but at the end of it all it was mostly lots of love. We finished our assignment, and I am proud to say that our client-peep Sam seemed very happy. Out of our research, presentation and recommendations she took 12 different action items and told us that we have no idea the difference that we have made and the impact our work will have for a long while into the future. She could have just been being nice, but I choose to believe her. But, whatever we have done for her, the local community or the people we have worked with has been returned 100 times over, so it seems like they got the short end of the stick…. No amount of work we could have done would be nearly enough to equal what I have gotten in return.
Scrambling on Tuesday night to pull three weeks of research, analysis and interviews into a final report and conclusions, I finally got it --- THE BIG PICTURE. Sitting in my bed with jammies it suddenly all made sense, and I understood why she had given us the assignment that she did, and why what we are doing here matters. It all came together for me all at once and I just GOT IT – why we are here, what we are trying do, what it means to the local community. And I realized that every day we struggle with finding time to get things done, deadlines, financial problems, health problems, work stress, family stress, relationship stress and in doing so we miss the LIFE BIG PICTURE, which is friends and family and people and relationships are a lot of work, and living, breathing and spending every single waking moment with 11 people for four weeks straight is a lot of work, but if we stress over it without stepping back we will miss it --- the people that touch you and the experiences you share together are all we have at the end of it all, and I can’t be more touched and moved by this wonderful new extended family that I welcome into my life.
I’ve been so busy here this past month without literally a single moment that is just for myself, and – to be honest – it’s been hard to find time to reflect on everything and everyone at home that I’ve missed. But I’m on my way back and can’t wait to see you all, because my heart is filled with love and my eyes are filled with tears of happiness and all I have is XXs and OOs for you all.
Much love.
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
One Last One
To set the stage, you have to understand that it’s been a long week of imbibement and merriness. On Wednesday the five of us on my team went out for a celebratory dinner with our client peep Sam to the most beautiful restaurant in all of Nelspruit. Seriously, it could rival any restaurant in the NYC or anywhere. We sat at the highest point of the city, had amazing food (the calamari infused with lemon balsamic stuff is brilliant (check out my new Britiness coming through), experienced our first Nelspruit blackout, and had the most romantic evening that six platonic people could share. Oh yeah, the point --- some of us finished off entire bottles of wine each. Oopsies. They shall remain nameless.
Thursday was our final presentation, and those with the wine still in their system needed a nap in the morning to be able to get through the day. The presentation went fantabulous, and by 4:00 we headed to the funnest bar ever since college, the Jock and Java. I can say that it was the most fun that I’d had since the Friday before at the Jock, with the whole entire team – all 12 of us – there along with our clients, random friends and hangers-on and buckets and buckets and buckets of endless drinkies. For some of us the night went long long long…
It is with this background that I can share our last night together. With a collective 7 hours of sleep from the prior two nights, a four hour car ride to Johannesburg, and utter exhaustion from a month of complete craziness comes my favorite conversation of the month…
8:00 PM in the lobby
Jen: “We should all meet for one last drink”
Jessie: “I’m not sure, I think I’m kind of done.”
Jen: “Just one, though, and then we’re all going to crash”
Jessie: “Ok, one is cool”.
8:20 at the bar – Jen is holding the drink menu, which strangely only has bottles available
Jessie: “What are we splitting?”
Jen: “Don’t know, I was thinking champagne”
Jessie: “So, we’ll get a bottle for the two of us?”
Jen: “Ok”
8:25 at the bar – Jen doesn’t like the champagne
Jen: “I don’t like it”.
Jessie: “So get another bottle for yourself and I’ll keep this one”
8:50 at the bar – drinks are low so Jessie & Jen simultaneously reach under the table to grab their respective entire bottles of champagne
“So much for just one”
10:30 at the bar – after teaching the rules to the non-alcoholics, we play my first game of Asshole in about 8 years with 5 men left standing, and the waterfall social is widely embraced. Oooofa.
11:00 we get kicked out of the bar but order just one last bottle for the road, even though no one could function through the tiredness and alcohol any longer. It really was “the last one”.
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
Thursday was our final presentation, and those with the wine still in their system needed a nap in the morning to be able to get through the day. The presentation went fantabulous, and by 4:00 we headed to the funnest bar ever since college, the Jock and Java. I can say that it was the most fun that I’d had since the Friday before at the Jock, with the whole entire team – all 12 of us – there along with our clients, random friends and hangers-on and buckets and buckets and buckets of endless drinkies. For some of us the night went long long long…
It is with this background that I can share our last night together. With a collective 7 hours of sleep from the prior two nights, a four hour car ride to Johannesburg, and utter exhaustion from a month of complete craziness comes my favorite conversation of the month…
8:00 PM in the lobby
Jen: “We should all meet for one last drink”
Jessie: “I’m not sure, I think I’m kind of done.”
Jen: “Just one, though, and then we’re all going to crash”
Jessie: “Ok, one is cool”.
8:20 at the bar – Jen is holding the drink menu, which strangely only has bottles available
Jessie: “What are we splitting?”
Jen: “Don’t know, I was thinking champagne”
Jessie: “So, we’ll get a bottle for the two of us?”
Jen: “Ok”
8:25 at the bar – Jen doesn’t like the champagne
Jen: “I don’t like it”.
Jessie: “So get another bottle for yourself and I’ll keep this one”
8:50 at the bar – drinks are low so Jessie & Jen simultaneously reach under the table to grab their respective entire bottles of champagne
“So much for just one”
10:30 at the bar – after teaching the rules to the non-alcoholics, we play my first game of Asshole in about 8 years with 5 men left standing, and the waterfall social is widely embraced. Oooofa.
11:00 we get kicked out of the bar but order just one last bottle for the road, even though no one could function through the tiredness and alcohol any longer. It really was “the last one”.
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Me again
So I hear there are a lot of skeptics out there that think this trip has been all play. Well, it has been lots of fun and amazing experiences, but I'm doing lots of work, too. I just didn't think that anyone wanted to hear about what I've learned about the world export market for oranges, agriculture subsidies, the availability of electricity or other fun and exciting topics...
Instead, I decided to post more pics of Kruger. Check out the two wildebeasts, the warthog and the impala all hanging out in one shot. There were some zebras in the background but I couldn't get them into the picture. As they say here, "shame".
Oh yeah, and one more thing. I'm working this afternoon from the lodge and I have it all to myself. It is nice and toasty before it turns absolutely frigid at night.
Cheers.
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Here kitty kitty kitty
Hey peeps. Sorry for not writing for so long. I've been busy busy busy working working working. Our presentation is due on Wednesday and we are not at all done so there is lots of pressure and work being done. Except...
The home sickness has subsided after an excellent weekend. We went out on Friday and had way too much fun, and then spent Saturday and Sunday in Kruger. (I know what you are thinking --- when is the work going to get done? Not sure yet...) Anyways, we saw lots of excellent animals, but most imporantantly we saw kitty kitty kittiessssssss. We saw two pairs of mating lions --- one on a night drive and one on a sunrise drive. We were so close to both of them it was more than a little scary, especially when the male started roaring at us from 5 feet away.
I'm attaching a picture of one of the pairs from the morning drive. So cute and cuddly : )
Now back to work.....
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
You can take the girl out of the NY metro area....
...but you can't take the girl out of the game.
This blog otherwise known as: Play Ball!
Or, alternately known as: Jessie's Talents
I've been feeling a bit homesick lately (which never ever happens, so I'm not used to it). I'm thinking it's mostly because I've been fighting a cold and I miss my warm bed and furry kitty to make me feel better. ANYWAYS, home sickness partially subsided tonight while I listened to the game online. I tried watching it, but I was going to use up all of the juice in the 3G card if I watched it, and since I need the card for work for the next 2 weeks I thought that using it all up for the game probably wouldn't be such a good idea, so I listened to the FAN and really missed garykeithandron.
As I blog, Reyes just led off the 12th with a double off the wall that (Howie says) just barely missed going out to tie the game. But why was JOSEJOSEJOSE hotdogging it AGAIN going into second??!?!?! Grrrrrrrrr. Anyways, it's four hours of stress and happiness all mixed in together and it feels like home.
I also wanted to share something that I find hilarious --- one of my teammates blogged on our team blog how amazed she was about all of the hidden talents that we all have. We have some very good singers, very good amateur photographers and a few artists on our team. About me she writes "and Jessie loves baseball". Unfortunately no one here really cares -- the few Americans have no interest at all, but I did have a full conversation about (of all people) Bobby Valentine with my teammember from Japan.
CRAPPPPOLAAAAASSSS game over. sheff struck out with Reyes on 3rd. sonofa. i'm gonna have a cookie and milk to drown my sorrows and try to sleep it off. It'll be a long trip to SF for the team after giving this one away. Maybe I'll get up at 4AM start on Fri to see how they bounce back.
lata.
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
This blog otherwise known as: Play Ball!
Or, alternately known as: Jessie's Talents
I've been feeling a bit homesick lately (which never ever happens, so I'm not used to it). I'm thinking it's mostly because I've been fighting a cold and I miss my warm bed and furry kitty to make me feel better. ANYWAYS, home sickness partially subsided tonight while I listened to the game online. I tried watching it, but I was going to use up all of the juice in the 3G card if I watched it, and since I need the card for work for the next 2 weeks I thought that using it all up for the game probably wouldn't be such a good idea, so I listened to the FAN and really missed garykeithandron.
As I blog, Reyes just led off the 12th with a double off the wall that (Howie says) just barely missed going out to tie the game. But why was JOSEJOSEJOSE hotdogging it AGAIN going into second??!?!?! Grrrrrrrrr. Anyways, it's four hours of stress and happiness all mixed in together and it feels like home.
I also wanted to share something that I find hilarious --- one of my teammates blogged on our team blog how amazed she was about all of the hidden talents that we all have. We have some very good singers, very good amateur photographers and a few artists on our team. About me she writes "and Jessie loves baseball". Unfortunately no one here really cares -- the few Americans have no interest at all, but I did have a full conversation about (of all people) Bobby Valentine with my teammember from Japan.
CRAPPPPOLAAAAASSSS game over. sheff struck out with Reyes on 3rd. sonofa. i'm gonna have a cookie and milk to drown my sorrows and try to sleep it off. It'll be a long trip to SF for the team after giving this one away. Maybe I'll get up at 4AM start on Fri to see how they bounce back.
lata.
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
Monday, May 11, 2009
A Case of the Ickies
Not feeling great today. I've felt run down all weekend and thought it was just lack of sleep but I think it's a cold coming on --- head hurts, ears are clogged, chest is congested. booooooo. but a night on the couch watching June (still great), meds and four layers of clothing should make it better.
It does feel a bit like a time warp, though -- I'm on the couch in my jammies eating gross soup from a can while my pseudo roommate is working --- feels like I should be in Amherst, only I'm missing the Antonios.
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
It does feel a bit like a time warp, though -- I'm on the couch in my jammies eating gross soup from a can while my pseudo roommate is working --- feels like I should be in Amherst, only I'm missing the Antonios.
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Missin my peeps
Just sitting here pondering my experience thus far (I can't believe we are halfway done). I'm having my first Jessie alone time while the rest of the team went to dinner (I'm still full from too much pizza and tiramasu and cookies at lunch) and am comfy in my jammies while I reflect.... Most of all I really wish that all of my wonderful friends and fam could have been with me today at the school. I wish I could have mini versions of all of you in my pocket and could have taken you out to be there with me. Kind of like they do in Star Wars --- where Yoda just kind of shows up when you need him --- that's what I wish --- that you could all be like Yoda and I could call on you to come experience all of this with me. Sigh.
Since that's not possible, I thought I'd post a favorite pick from the first weekend in Johannesburg. That's Shweta and I with our faces painted in the traditional manner to promote peace and love. XXOO
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
Since that's not possible, I thought I'd post a favorite pick from the first weekend in Johannesburg. That's Shweta and I with our faces painted in the traditional manner to promote peace and love. XXOO
The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions.
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