Recently a friend of mine visited New Zealand and for me very unexpected (still expected her there) she yesterday came up a chat and after the ususal short “Hello - How are you?” we immediately started talking about her trip and the experiences she had made at Kiwi Country.

In 2003 I had visited both Islands myself and so it was easy talking about as I really had enjoyed my trip to there. The scenery on both island is breathtaking in many ways and the Kiwi people living there, at least those I was lucky to met and talk with, are extremely friendly.

Now by talking about her experiences, all my own memories came back and we soon started this “Have you seen? … Have you done!” answering and questioning game with each other and it really was a pleasure talking about.

Hearing about she had warm and sunny conditions during her Milford Sound Cruise nearly turned me jealous. But later on I was able to “beat” her with the helicopter flight I had made in 2003 finally landing on top of a mountain and walking on the icefield there she couldn’t do for weather reasons as well.

Later on and majorly forced by us living in different time zones and she feeling terrible tired, we committed us to catch up soon again continuing our chat and exchanging more about.

Shorting time with here was sweet and lovely. I’m looking forward to see you again!

It isn’t long since I wrote about the need and the experience I made working together with Americans.
Even at that time I did intent to write about I would have made bad experience. It was some special situation spiced with some pressure about a lot of personal restrictions and fear within some global outsourcing deal and I did for sure understand why I was not welcomed with open arms.

Not I directly worked together again with some American and it was a totally different situation. I know him since years and we have talked a few times before without ever getting really closer.

Now I did some work for him and even it still was a bit curious about asking and sometimes not really getting the answer you had expected - which I guess is all about different backgrounds, culture and translation issues - I had lots of pleasure dealing with him in an absolutely relaxed style!

And now with the work finally done, I guess we both have learned a bit! Thats Tops!!

It isn’t long since Firefox told me that a new update 2.0.0.13 would be available and ask me whether or not I would like to download and install it immediately. As for I really like to run on actual and recent software I said yes and the whole process finished soon and painless with a restart of Firefox, then even opening all my previous sessions I had again.

Great!! That is the way it shall work!

What wasn’t that great later on was that my default toolbar disappeared suddenly without any comment. Yeah sure this is no drama and you can easily restore it out of the menu. But since then it happened quiet a few times and even the recent update to 2.0.0.14 didn’t solve it!

Hah! That is a real hassle as for Firefox has archived to become my favorite browser and now it starts annoying me …

All the weekend a crane was lurking around our yard!

I was made aware by our neighbor about a huge crane was lurking around our yard spotting for the fishes in our pond. Even I really tried do my best to protect my fishes, I’m not sure he didn’t pick a bite though. Poor little fish then!

But while spotting for him myself, I couldn’t do different than to confess myself that it was a gorgeous looking bird for sure!

Certainly just following his instincts!

The term “the man in the middle” is often used in a bad context speaking about those bad guys fishing or phishing for secret information. But in my today’s posting I want to write about it in a different meaning.

How often we are the man in the middle by doing work and dealing with two different parties at the same time ourself?

Providing services in general has become one of the most important business branches today. But dealing, what is often the case, with two unstructured individuals or organisations (what just double the trouble)  forces a lot of patience and well structured work and structures from any “service provider”.
I have to confess that “even I know it’s wrong” fall in that category of people using their brain as their most important tool to work with. Means I keep things store in my head and have a talent in doing (mostly) the right combinations.

Just I’m sure you know such situations in when both parties just “shovel shit” on you with both hands at the same time, your blood pressure goes up and your caffeine consume is reaching astronomically regions?

This morning I had such a situation. Now it is often not possible to change your customers or other providers you are relying on. What can you do?

Since a while I following an idea I had …. instead of turning grumpy and shout on them …. I just slow down, wait, don’t answer for a while and just await them recognising it! They are used in me doing my job and solving their issues, now doing not (at least for a moment) they start to ask!

And with this attention back on me it is far way easier again to tell, them that it needs a few more information or planning and well structured organising of things to accomplish work for them.

I’m not sure it is the right strategy … just it saves my energy!