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!

I’m not sure whether or not I have already mentioned here that I’m very much into my friends and friendships with them?

In a difference to many others out there, calling everyone a friend after 5 minutes, I very strictly separate my friends (folks I think about and treat as friends) and acquaintances I have from each other. I couldn’t do different anyway, as for friendship for me is much more than just knowing each other.

Friendship for me mean being there as friend and helping first, and if ever and at all … asking later about.

Yesterday was such a day. Ending work early and heading to a friend looking after his laptop was agreed and commited about already a few days before. Luckily it turned out that it was just a “piece of cake” on his laptop to fix and so later on we just did sit together for a while, talking about stuff, drinking coffee and more or less just purely enjoying the company of a close friend being there to talk with.

From there, as for it is close by, I headed over to my parents for a short catch up, to then finally heading home after I had seen them both happy and healthy.

Ok then, and for sure I know that it is me being addicted to computer! Finally at home and directly after I had thrown away my jacket and the backpack with the laptop I immediately powered on my normal home computer to check for new emails in between.

Can you imagine how curious I felt about to recognising an answer of a friend living in a different time zone telling me about my friend was still sitting about work right in the middle of the night?

It needed not one second thinking about for me, to offer my help finishing that job for my friend! And after a short and brief exchange about necessary technical details my friend finally headed to bed (then already late) with the good feeling there is a trusted person now taking care about it instead and leaving me with a similar great feeling about some friend out there trusting in me and my work!

Guess it’s not really necessary to mention that there was nothing to complain about the way I had finished that work.

Asking?! Asking for a tip, an advise or finally a helping hand in general is nothing bad. There is always a “better” one knowing more than you, or someone who can do more easily like you.

I generally like people being able to ask - and therefore showing a personal weakness (other perhaps someone would say a “leak” of knowledge) - and, as friends of me are certainly are able to confirm, like helping as long I’m able to do …. At the end no one is perfect and has eaten skills with spoons all day …

Right recently I had a good example about, how two professional can talk and exchange themself about techniques and personal experiences, within a win/win situation and with a few close friends I do since years in a pleasant and winning atmosphere for each …. It is a respectful giving and taking right in the direction the “need appears”.

But I also in general recognise that the number of people lurking around and generally just taking is growing more and more. Lately there was really a fellow on an internet list asking about how to wrap lines in a webpage ….

Tell me!! When I can spend effort reading or learning about techniques or searching for an information on the net … Why can’t others do similar?

When the 3rd result line of a basic query on Google returns the answer to a question of someone for me …. Why not for them?!

Really, this is something turning me grumpy, seeing people rather not making any effort in general!

Thanks god there are also different natures and I really appreciate working with them and if necessary even spending time offlist with them trying to figure out about some problem together … Tomorrow I could be the one needing an answer!