Day to day

Crazy hectic week of work and wine! Between relaxing with friends in an evening, a launch event for 4 new projects, lots of press releases and PR, a birthday celebration braai (with some of the best steak I have ever eaten) and initiation evening its been a very crazy week! I even managed to fit in a political debate about the state of Japan, post nuclear incident!

"If you want something doing ask a busy woman" - not sure if this is a general quote or just from my mum!!

There have been a few new work things for me to learn, which I was naturally nervous about, so a few long days were pulled (16 and 12 hours respectively), but everything went well and I am really pleased with what the team achieved and what I achieved personally.

"Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood"- Marie Curie

"The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes." - Benjamin Disraeli

Had an interesting chat with our director about what makes one happy and striving to achieve that, its not money, or material things, its a purpose in life, achieving things and doing the thing that is right for you. I feel lucky to be in a place where most of us are striving to do a good thing, give and achieve and work together as a close team in order to reach that end.

"If we lose love and self respect for each other, this is how we finally die."- Maya Angelou

"There is only one success - to spend your life in your own way." - Christopher Morley  

"Don't limit investing to the financial world. Invest something of yourself, and you will be richly rewarded." - Charles Schwab  

As the week has mostly consisted of work and wine - there is only so much you can say about that, so for those of you who haven't been here and wonder what the daily life looks like, here are a few photos of day to day life. Most of these have been taken on a quiet Sunday, so few people, but you will get the general impression of how we live.....

Most of the staff team (and some of the kids), on our early morning sunrise sky lantern video trip.

Directly on the farm right on the doorstep we have lots of wildlife and open space to relax and enjoy....the chicken, goose, duck, peacock, zebra, dukier and turkey pen 

Here's Lala one of the farm dogs who sleeps in with me and my roomie

Our school for the bushmen employees children

 Our rooms

The office

Benny the zebra outside our rooms with his blue face - he cut his face (minorly) in the week so we had to use some vet spray to stop it getting infected. Not often you see a blue faced mountain zebra.

Before I arrived one of our land rovers was sent in to get its air con fixed, it was there a few weeks, then test driven, a couple of things broke, got fixed and we were called to collect it, what's the one thing that is not fixed........? The air con of course!! Good job we have a sense of humour! TIA 

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Landrovers and garage.

Adult baboons (50 metres from my door)

Oh wait, no, thats not a baboon! thats my roomie!

Our room

Jacki our other dog who watches over us from the bathroom

Food prep where all the animals food is prepared

Cubbie - the young cheetah

View from the tents

Today I found myself with a zebra cuddled up to my lap (just his head, he is quite big now) and a baboon on my head chatting to one of our lovely new volunteers about PR and marketing (her area too), brainstorming some ideas and talking about our promotion strategy. Now that's what I call work- even on a Sunday. Do I miss a normal work environment - does a bear wear a funny hat?! Does the pope poo in the woods?!

"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing" - Dale Carnegie

I think there is a lot of good to come out of the next few months, a lot to learn, a lot to give and in return a lot to be rewarded with - this next one made me laugh.....

"I'm so optimistic I'd go after Moby Dick in a row boat and take the tartar sauce with me." - Zig Ziglar