Career counselling with AdventureLisa

I recently connected with an old friend from varsity/underwater hockey days. He's been in computers/programming/IT for at least two decades - like back when he had to build his own computers and Windows 3.1 hadn't been launched.

He tells of his complete change in career direction - into green plumbing and energy management plus a few extras. He's busy with courses and certifications. He adds, "Not sure where this is headed but sure is a lot more fun than sitting in front of a computer".

I'm so with him! The way that my work has evolved means that I do 99% of stuff on my computer. Emails, writing articles/releases, communicating, websites, graphic design, organising... everything on this machine. Even social and play elements - writing blogs, drawing maps, catching up with friends. Indeed, many days I'm on it for more than 13 hours a day! That's just silly, but has to be done (this is another reason why I took up crochet - to keep me off this computer).

If I was a career counsellor I'd focus on lifestyle ambitions not only aptitude, personality, interests and skills. Sadly, a teenager doesn't yet know what kind of work lifestyle they'd like and too many are pushed into traditionally respectable tertiary studies. I'm all for practical jobs that draw on a little bit of this and a little bit of that and not just 90-100% sit-on-your-butt-looking-at-a-screen careers.

Not always easy to make big changes and probably risky in the beginning but a great thing to do. Start re-skilling now through part-time courses and studies so when you've had enough of sitting behind a computer you're equipped to make that jump (and please encourage your children to keep a foot on both sides of the doorway by developing practical, manual skills as well as computer prowess).

Say NO to hot cross buns in February!

I have absolutely no religious sentiment when it comes to the Christian holidays of Easter and Xmas. Easter is hot cross buns and Easter eggs; xmas is about hot summer days and an opportunity to catch up with friends and family.

Two weeks before Easter I like to see the Easter displays in malls (there used to be such good ones when I was a child), grab a bunch of strips of the chocolate marshmallow eggs (with yolk, no funny flavours and Beacon only!) and a box of the white eggs. And when I walk past the bakery section in the supermarket, I like to be tantalised by the aroma of hot cross bunnies. <- from a joke when I was a child "What do you get when you pour boiling water down a rabbit hole? A hot, cross bunny"

At xmas time, I like the tinsel and decorations in malls, lights on houses and fairy lights everywhere. I can never get enough of fairy lights. And there's that end-of-year, holiday vibe happening. Last year I was appalled to see xmas decorations up in OCTOBER! They gonna try get them up for August this year? Shopping malls, 1st December. That's the only time I want to start to see decorations going up.

This year Easter falls over 6-9 April. Today is 2 February and there are hot cross buns and Easter eggs on display in my local Pick 'n Pay. It is abominable! I pulled out my phone to take a photo and a P'nP guy asked me whether I liked and I replied, "It is the second of February!". He responded, "We're starting early". In fact, my mom told me last week that she'd seen hot cross buns in the Bedford Centre branch last week.

And so he got a brief marketing lecture on products and occasions being special and that if they've got hot cross buns available for the next two and a bit months (and post-Easter too) then what's special about that. Where's the buzz of rushing in to get a pack of freshly baked, aromatic buns in the week or so before Easter - because that's the only time of year that you can get them. These buns are just that - they've gone from a special treat to ordinary.

I totally get the commercialisation of occasions (Valentine's, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Woman's Day, Xmas etc.) but this is pushing it.

So, I want to ask you and your friends and your relative and cousins and colleagues to say NO to this ridiculous bringing forward and de-specialising of holidays. Don't buy into it. Please do not purchase any Easter-related products until late-March. Save the special-ness of spicy, cinnamon-y hot cross bunnies for Easter and absolutely enjoy them then.

The weeks and months pass swiftly enough - we really don't need Easter in Feb.

P.S. Yes, I'm drafting a letter to Pick 'n Pay.

Sharing the trail

I always rave about Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve because it really is a jewel. For me it is 35mins from home over the weekends and always fabulous no matter what the weather.

My buddy Fred moved up to Jo'burg about a year ago now and he had never been to Suikerbos - so we went through on Sunday afternoon. With weather settling into its old patterns with afternoon showers, chances were actually quite good that we'd get drenched. It was raining when we arrived so we sheltered at the hotel reception until the hard downpour and lightening had passed and then set off in post-rain brightness.

Were we lucky! Glorious conditions - cool but not cold - with the view clearing with every minute. Yes, muddy and sloshy and slippery, but that just made it more fun.

We did the longer route - the first time that I've done it for ages. The signboard always read 17km but I've been convinced that there is no way it is longer than 14km - max. This time I ran with a tracker and logged 11.8km. On the signboard at the split someone has erased the old number; they've written 11.5km. I'm with them. The longer route is actually a much nicer trail underfoot and we also were on the lower 'plain' and so were surrounded by a herd of zebra and bontebok.

Part of my mission for this run was to take my Vibrams (Bikila model) for a spin. I haven't worn them for ages and I've never worn them on anything other than nice grass. I didn't want to overdo it so I probably only ran in them for a bit over a kay. Great news is that my feet felt fine and, more importantly, no sore feet or calves today. Luckily my natural strike is forefoot, which minimises the transition.

As we got back to the parking lot, some people were pulling in with bikes to go for a ride. I tried to get a photo of Fred's legs and the heavens opened. Pouring! We really did have the best of luck to start and finish in a rain-free window.

A lovely outing made even more fabulous by being able to introduce a fellow trail appreciator to this wonderful highveld gem.

It is done! Thailand, here I come!

Oh my goodness! I've just booked my first-ever, non-event holiday abroad ;) Thailand, here I come!

As per my modus operandi, this vacation isn't all about beaches and hammocks. I'm in for lots of yoga at the Yoga Retreat but I'm doing classes, not a full retreat - not in the mood for the full chakra-aromatherapy lecture thing. Instead, I've booked to do a Thai massage course.

And, I've got good running plans...

The island of Koh Phangan has a perimetre of around 50km - perfect for an end-of-holiday ultra. Leading up to this I'm in for exploratory daily runs to visit waterfalls and other sights on the island.

And then a weekend visit to a neighbouring island recommended to me.

I also thought of doing a Thai cooking course but I think I'll settle in for a few days and see how my time works out with the yoga, running and massage course. Cooking courses are a few hours a day over five days, so it may be an option in my second week there.

My one friend has just returned from here and he's got loads of tips for me on things to do and see both in Bangkok and on the islands - looking forward to tea on Tuesday to get the scoop.

I first thought about doing this almost exactly a year ago. At the end of December I decided to just do it and this morning I booked the ticket for mid-March. How delicious!