Test Yourself and Your Skills!

A fortnight ago; I received the most unexpected phone call inviting me to an interview for a job I couldn't recall applying for. Aside from an E-Mail inviting me to an interview over a concept note I had come up with for an advocacy video at work, this was the second best thing to happen to me, this year.
I am a firm believer in not turning down interviews unless your mental, emotional and physical state are compromised in a manner that makes it impossible for you to give it your all. I was in that kind of state and knew I would not be able to make it for the interview while the details were being given to me over the phone. I immediately declined and thanked the person for the call.
You would not believe the joy I felt after that phone call. As much as I had to turn down the break of an interview, I could not help but be happy over the fact that the application I sent in on a whim got me that far.
When I sent in the application: a week to the day of my accident, early June according to LinkedIn, I was not looking for a job. I was testing my skills and credentials. During our volunteer workshop for Interns and Volunteers, a former Supervisor once said that always try for a job if you meet 3/5 requirements of the job description. I realized that LinkedIn made this so easy with its system because all a person has to do is press "apply" when a position of interest comes along. However, this piece of advice is not restricted to technology. One can take the traditional channels available to them and apply for any position as long as they meet half the requirements. You do not necessarily have to be looking for a job. Take the time out and periodically test your skills and credentials of your professional field to ascertain that you earned your position and that your current and additional skills are good enough to get you an interview elsewhere.
To make up for the lack of experience in the other half of the job description requirements, take advantage of the internet and its vast resources to learn. Teach yourself some of these things. Invest in yourself and your career especially if you wish to grow. Personally, I never knew anything about creating a newsletter until I was thrust into the role without help. I watched tutorials on how to use MS Publisher, downloaded the manual and practiced until I got the hang of it. If you have free access to the Internet make it beneficial to YOU and your career growth.
Another thing; once in awhile, ask a friend of yours to anonymously call up the people you list as referees on your job applications. When a friend of mine said this, I could not get over the sneaky yet cleverness of it. Sometimes, the people we do use as referees sabotage our career development because no one wants to lose a good employee but what about you when you feel that it is time for you to move on? Getting your friend to find out if your referees sell you or curtail your chances is a good way to be sure that nothing stands between you and your next place of employment.
Like I mentioned earlier; I am a firm believer in not turning down interviews unless your mental, emotional and physical state are compromised. Over the course of my young career, I have had to turn down two interviews on account of my health. The first turn down in 2016 hurt me a lot because I was sick, unemployed and really needed the job. I almost asked for a postponement until I remembered that appealing to the emotions of a Messenger was not the way to go. I sadly apologized and hang up. I contemplated going for it but the memory of me taking my final exams under the grips of poor health with the cold sweats randomly popping out did not seat well with me. I would have done more harm than good. The last thing you want to display to the interview panel is you at your weakest. They might empathize but will not take pity on you for showing up in that state. Always show up when you are at your finest and can think on your feet.
Truthfully; I have experienced a lot of failures in my pursuit of development programs to enhance my skills, knowledge and experience in my current field of operation but this invite to an interview even if it never materialized restored my spirit, faith in myself and capabilities.

Image Credits: googledotcom

Access To Information

I met our  AIGP Asan Kasingye at the event

I had the pleasure of attending a public dialogue on Access to Information hosted by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) and the company of Uganda Government representatives from Ministers, Departments and Agencies.

The topic at hand was what government agencies had done to enable the public access information and majority of the replies from the representatives ranged from social media activity where citizens get timely responses, development of web portals for information dissemination and accountability, not forgetting magazines.

As much as the strides are notable especially in this digital age; I felt these public servants focused much more on the minority of users that is the technologically savvy urban person than the layman person who would like to access this information and represents majority of the population.

In a population of 38 million people as of June 2016, internet usage and access is at 31% with an even lower margin from a disability point of view. Many cannot afford the basic phone let alone smart phones which remain the cheapest method of internet and information access. Their low income statuses cannot sustain the possession of a smart phone coupled with the purchase of data.

Information access remains beleaguered by computer illiteracy where persons with disabilities are concerned. They lack basic skills in computer use if presented with one and it is far worse for blind persons with disabilities who need specialized equipment like JAWS (Job Access with Speech) which comes at a cost.

A lot of sensitization campaigns need to be carried out to inform the public on the availability of information access on prior mentioned platforms. They need to be shared and use tutored for full utilization because not all are knowledgeable of their existence.

To cap it off; the impenetrable mountainous terrain has made wider spread and coverage impossible invariably limiting access to both the internet and information in the deeper villages of the country.

More needs to be done to propel information access on a wider coverage regardless of the availability of services and tools. They alone cannot do much for that person with a disability living in a far off village without so much as awareness of their availability and use. 

A Year Older.

I turned a year older on the 22nd of May. Am I a little wiser? Smarter? Not in the least but a whole lot better emotionally and mentally.

Getting older last year was such a source of turmoil that to look back on it and not feel a pinch of the emotions it wrought is a blessing in itself.

I've never been filled with so much despair and impotence over my lot in life nor have I ever failed at everything I attempted to do more than I did last year.

The year itself was a full study in patience that when it came down to the crunch; there was nothing to do except bend. To the will of God and life itself. I discovered that a person can only try so much without losing themselves in the process. So I caved. I accepted the situations as they arose and left the rest to God. 

The funny thing about life is that turning points happen when you're in a different frame of mind. By then; I was firmly into acceptance of the way things were that when the turning point came; I didn't know whether to laugh or just crumble into a little heap and weep. 

I did neither of those nor did I express any form of excitement. I guess I was still caught up in disbelief that by the time it wore off and contract signed (this year), the little window of excitement had become shut. 

After 9 months of failed attempts, I became gainfully employed. Inasmuch as it was a hard year, the ending was absolutely perfect. It made me realize how nice it is to end a year with a promise. A little bit of hope to hold on and look forward to in the future. 

Alhamdulilah to another year. For the gift of life and chance to do better and be better. All I ask for this year is patience - with myself mostly.

Aside from that; my life, right now, may not be as perfect as people think it should be but it's enough.

The Single Woman's Sassy Survival Guide - Quotes

There are times when I sit in contemplation over the running mood of Simply Shanah; to go with the prevalent theme or abandon it for something entirely lighter? Try as I may; I think I am miserably failing in that feat. I haven't writen something sensible in forever! The gratitude journal I am supposedly keeping remains empty. Not because there is nothing to be grateful for, no. My heart and mood, however lighter they may be, are not up to the habit. Anway, that's neither here nor there.
I am a fan of The Single Woman also known as Mandy Hale. I read her blog whenever I can and follow her on most social media platforms. As much as I love her blog posts, I wholeheartedly tried to stay away from her books. They fall in the 'Self-Help' category which I loathe to read as a book-worm.
However in a night where I was bored out of my mind with questions swirling over and over over the wisdom of my choices, I needed a little soul re-affirmation and conviction. I bit the bullet and downloaded her very first book 'The Single Woman's Sassy Survival Guide: Letting Go and Moving On'.
I read it in a couple of hours and it more or less re-inforced my stance on the decisions I have here-to made where matters of the heart are concerned. I noted a few quotes that resonated with me and thought to share.

Sometimes life offers us a second chance to get it right and sometimes life just offers us a second chance to say goodbye.

Friends and lovers and opportunities will come into our lives and, in some cases, shake us to our very core along the way...however, not all are meant to stay.

You can only let a person chase you for so long before you realize that maybe, just maybe, they never intended to catch you after all.

If you keep handing your heart to someone and they keep handing it back, or worse, breaking it - it's Okay to protect yourself by removing yourself from their life.

If someone keeps spitting game at you but bringing nothing but the same to you, it's Okay to forfeit and walk away.

If its not honoring you, it doesn't deserve a seat at your table.

If it doesn't feel right, it's not right-at least for you.

We exit a situation that feels wrong for reasons we can't quite put our fingers on, only to find out later that we were right all along.

Success is determined as much by the opportunities you are willing to release as the ones you seize.

When someone shows no interest in being with you, is consistently inconsistent, and their actions do not match up with their words - it's time to let go.

You were not put on this earth to stay chained to someone else's desk while your own dream sits on the shelf gathering dust.

The desires of your heart were not put there by accident. Follow them.

You have to want the life that is meant for you bad enough to surrender everything that's not.

Spring clean your life the same way you would your closet. Let go of the old and make room for the new.

New things can only grow where you give them room to bloom.

The reason people become bitter and disenchanted with life is because they cling to anger like a bad habit and never release it.

A busy, vibrant, goal-oriented woman is so much more attractive than a woman who waits around for a man to validate her.

A woman that is always available can quickly become synonymous with a woman that is desperate.

A woman who is not afraid to be unpredictable is a woman that will always, always keep his attention.

It is far better to live a life of uncertain happiness than of certain misery.

It is in the letting go that we become who we are meant to be.

I loved the book. So much so that I completed it in a few hours. It had a nice flow to it and was exceptionally enlightening on the friendship and work aspects.

Nebbi

  woman using walking sticks fashioned out of tree branches

I used to think Entebbe is the furthest place I’d been to within the country then I went to Gomba and now Nebbi. Nebbi is FAR! As far as the Kingdom of Far Far away in Shrek. And I have to say, the most arduous journey I have taken so far.
A trip slated to kick off at 8 am got off to a late start at 12pm. A late start never bodes well for such long trips so does the cramped space. Good thing is; I travelled with the big bosses and it couldn’t have been anymore interesting. I was the minion to their Gru. The trip was for a monitoring and evaluation exercise on the project they have going on in the Nebbi sub-counties of Kucwiny and Wadelai (Nebbi has three sub-counties).
Nebbi was an experience to say the least in so many ways. Unlike Gomba which looked truly like an abandoned village, Nebbi is more of a work in progress - on the way to development. The roads are good and smooth, fresh construction going on and vast expanses of land! So much fertile and free land over there. The civil war in their region set them back a little but it isn’t as bad as one would expect.
The town centre is OK and so are the accommodations. In fact, they were better than I had imagined. The room was self contained and the bed met my expectations because I have a bad back. If the mattress isn’t as hard as a new sofa, it makes for bad days and several aches. The only wrinkle was the lack of hot water which was easily fixed. Let’s not forget the lack of man candy! Nebbi has no young men at all! Where did they go to?
Kucwiny sub-county was the first area to visit on account of it’s near location. The women with disabilities(beneficiaries of the project) made quite an impression on me. They spoke with so much confidence and ease. You could tell how positive the project has been on their lives and the people around them. It was so good to see first hand because of who they are and their stations in life.
Who stood out the most for me amongst them was the woman using normal sticks as walking aides. Seeing her made me reflect on my life. Unlike her, I have my mother and brother who look after my walking aides needs. I get new rubber soles when they wear off on both crutches and not so long ago, my brother bought me a new set of legs after a fall that led to the demise of one crutch.
They, unfortunately, do not have people like these in their lives. Most of them were using normal sticks fashioned out of tree branches and if they had crutches, they were either mismatched, poorly adjusted or worn out at the soles. Majority were using the metallic bit at the end of the crutch which is hazardous. Seeing this made me want to make a ‘call for action’ which I do not know how to go about. What I do know is it would be a win-win situation for the parties involved.
We then moved on to the sub-county of Wadelai where the women were listless. The project did make an impact on their lives, however they were not as lively as the women in Kucwiny which made the trip to their sub-county anticlimactic.
On the whole; Nebbi was a successful trip. I didn’t do much sightseeing but what I did see was enough. The West Nile on which Moses travelled to Egypt in his baby basket, the acres of Sun Flower farms, Murchison Falls National Park and the Karuma Falls where a hydro-dam is being constructed. It was enough.

Where I Need To Be.

"When your heart speaks, take good notes." -  Judith Campbell

There is a way God does his things that leaves one in awe. At a point in my life where I was so fed up with my previous place of employment; I was handed a ray of hope amidst all the changes and everything I found so hard to deal with. God handed me a ray of hope. It was so unexpected that I tweeted about it for it was something I had long forgotten. I felt like throwing in the towel right there and then but as mothers go with their opinions, I didn’t. What I knew back then is; I wanted to be somewhere where I was happy and this ray of hope provided it. Suffice it to say; I am happy at the moment. Very happy.
I went back to where this gainful employment started: volunteering. I love it. It has brought me more experience that putting it into words would be an injustice. Some things need to be seen and been through personally to understand and this is one of them. I feel that this time in my life is exactly what I need. To be at peace and on a slower pace. The opportunity to figure out where this journey is leading to at the end of it all. But I’ll let God figure it out while I work on other areas in my life.
There is no better feeling than a peace of mind especially for a creative soul. My creative juices are flowing ever so gently which I love. Being given this opportunity to not only develop but nurture a talent is more than I could have asked for. Working Monday-Saturday 8:30-6:30 used to take not only the stuffing out of me but the creative juices as well. I barely had time to update this blog and work on my creativity too. Now; I have time maybe not for everything but it is enough.
The best part of it all is the opportunity to learn how things are done in a field I would like to be in. There is so much room for growth and development than anywhere else and the perks are infinite. And the people over my current place of employment drive HARD cars! If one is car shopping, there is the place to be. I hope to be a HARD car owner in years to come. God willing.
Let nobody ever lie to you. HAPPINESS is the TRUTH no matter the situation and areas in life. If you have to work hard at being happy then it is definitely not the right place, time and person.

When One Door Closes A Window Opens.

Two weeks ago, I kept saying 'I don't want to work here anymore' to myself at any given opportunity and voila! I won't be come March. I am resilient. I have learned to be so cause of everything I have been through but at the back of my mind I knew my resilience and strong will wouldn't see me through when it came down to the crunch. I knew that later, I would have to throw in the towel but I am glad I didn't have to. Gainful employment and the lack there of now is so new to me that I do not even know how to feel. I expected a sense of loss and being adrift but it couldn't be further from how I truly feel. Yes, there is a mild sense of loss but the relief is humongous. February was one of my unhappiest months over there. Interspersed with intermittent bouts of tears over working with a self proclaimed Pastor who had the morals of a snake under the sheep clothing he shrouded his black soul in. Whoever told people the combo of a Muslim girl and a self proclaimed Pastor would work harmoniously? All in all; I am glad for the experience. It solidified the girl I know I am and much as it was fraught with so many trials, I met some good boys over there. I kept and still do keep a lot of people at bay but those who dared to crack this tough exterior, shall not be forgotten. best of all I look forward to work free Saturdays! :-)
May it all go well. Ameen.

photocredits: google

A Pretty Bad Week

Rihanna

 

The past week has been one of the most trying weeks on my journey to financial independence. It almost brought to mind my first month of gainful employment. Everything was such a challenge back then and I never thought I would get through if not for my brother.
It was nothing short of impossible to get through. There were days when I would wake up in the wee hours of the morning just to cry -for a good hour then I would suck it up and get ready after the alarm went off. Go to the one place where I literally have no friends and work with someone bent on making me throw in the towel.
I have hit a couple of rock bottoms but my worst yet is not giving a crap as to who sees me cry: when and where. Yes, tears would just flow at any moment without warning. I haven't been this unhappy in one entire week. What made it hurt the most is the lack of physical and emotional support. I could have used lots of shoulders to cry on and several emotional hugs. But, what I really need is an anchor. My brother used to be it and since he is gone, I have no one. I have to get used to the idea of being my own super woman . Much as I needed a physical shoulder to cry on ; the virtual ones were more than enough. I appreciate each and everyone of my friends for listening to me. It is so uncanny how most of them shared the thought: I have toned down my personality and lost my touch. I am as vocal as they come and to stand what I am going through without so much as a hiccup is not me. Well, I am trying to reign in the temper and tongue that gets the best of me sometimes. You know it's been a pretty bad week when you get involved in a little accident to top it off. Thankfully; my third leg didn't break and all I got was a busted lip and a few sore spots. Everything is so up in the air. My mood, the work issues I am trying to deal with in my own time and my good humor. I have had little to smile about the entire week and it shows. How can I have a perpetual smile on my face when deep down my heart is not happy? Even the romance novels that used to help me deal in moments like these don't seem to cut it.

My 2014 Highlights – A continuation.

From L-R: Eid, manning front office, workshop lunch, lunch with Joy and Birthday Surprise

31/05/2014 – Surprise birthday celebration at home with two of my best friends, Clare & Malcolm. I looked like a hot mess while they were all spiffy. 
04/06/2014 – God will surely punish me for the lies I tell about being married to guys I don’t want to encourage.
- Meeting Mark put a whole different spin on disability awareness.
05/06/2014 – Helped a blind man edit his work. I’m glad we had a chat about what I’d really love to do and where my interests lay.
11/06/2014 – Sad’s birthday.
- Movie plans involving boys never materialise. I should stop making them.
- 30 day blogging challenge, can I hack such an undertaking?
15/06/2014 – Spending time with the keeper of my secrets. I love her.
16/06/2014 – I hate to see her sad; I hope she mends fences with her mum and not let the boy rule her life.
21/06/2014 – One of those days where I wish other people’s good fortune would rub off on me. It is hard being your own hero when you hardly know where to start.
08/07/2014 – 135 views on Simply Shanah.
14/07/2014 – The prospect of seeing an old friend and catching up.
- That sense of accomplishment you feel after finishing the set tasks of the day.
15/07/2014 – Finally finished my braided necklace and thanked God for my creative skills.
16/07/2014 – The compliments on the necklace are overwhelming and heart warming.
24/07/2014 – Unexpected opportunity at work. May it happen as God intended.
- Visit from my girl Belle.
28/07/2014 – Eid. Having one of my oldest friends spend it with me makes it more special.
29/07/2014 – 6 AM inspiration. Another design to add onto my ‘heart’ series.
- An SMS in lieu of the dreaded phone call. Pending interview.
30/07/2014 – Job interview! I’m glad it went better than expected.
- 22OOHRS inspiration visit and going with it.
31/07/2014 – Lunch with OR. It had been long overdue.
03/08/2014 – I feel like I am on the cusp of a yet-to-be written chapter in my life.
06/08/2014 – Utterly frustrating day but a bad beginning made for a good ending.
- My mum and Sad’s excitement on my behalf. It is all so hard to take in.
08/08/2014 – Another design to add onto my ‘heart’ series.
15/08/2014 – Seeing my aunt Asia made me miss seeing her and my ride or die girl on the regular.
17/08/2014 – Check up from the one who started this work journey in my life and his kind wishes made me so happy. I hope it all goes well.
22/08/2014 – Treated myself to a solitary meal at an eatery. I missed these moments of eating by myself in a fancy place.
29/08/2014 – Volunteer workshop at Africana and the meal that followed. A good way to end my volunteer experience.
30/08/2014 – Thoughts of the coming chapter in my life. Absolutely scared and excited at the same time.
01/09/2014 – First day of the rest of my work life. Several things not to like but the work is alright.
02/09/2014 – Chat with my bestfriend from Primary School changed my perspective about work and its challenges.
12/09/2014 – The fact that my crappy handwriting and signature now appear on a few official documents.
15/09/2014 – Got my first work I.D.
17/09/2014 – Gentlemen still exist.
22/09/2014 – If you don’t teach people how to treat you right, they never will.
24/09/2014 – The keeper of my secrets is having a baby!
01/10/2014 – Birthday of the Keeper of my secrets. I think of her as my baby yet here she is having a baby of her own on the way.
- Completed my first month of gainful employment.
21/11/2014 – Celebrating employment with the boys.
23/11/2014 – Artistic inspiration struck yet I’d been in search of writing inspiration.
03/12/2014 – When you’re down in the doldrums, the last thing you need is abuse from a page you go to to chill.
04/12/2014 – So moody lately.
05/12/2014 – Coincidental meeting with a Facebook page mate.
06/12/2014 – Lunch plans with Baby J fell through and I came off looking like an ill-mannered brat because of my mood swings.
07/12/2014 – The knowledge that there is such a thing as Plate Theory.
11/12/2014 – Mariam Nan has been of great help lately yet we have never met. She’s like my sounding board when I need an impartial voice of reason.
12/12/2014 – Waking up to potentially good news and the promise of it coming true. I couldn’t be more happier for Sad.
14/12/2014 – Plumbing with my daddy although I just held the tools and gave orders like a general while he worked.
- Discovered a reader of Simply Shanah. Funny how people come into your life.
15/12/2014 – Contemplating the purchase of Art supplies for my office.
- Celebration with the boys over Sad’s good news.
 16/12/2014 – I succumbed and bought Art supplies for my office. The creative release marginally improved my mood and the piece looks beautiful.
- Catch up session with my friend Captain Jack Sparrow.
18/12/2014 – My mum saying I look thinner due to work.
19/12/2014 – Being provided the opportunity to get to know someone you have been keeping on the peripheral of your brain.
- Counting days to break off time from work.
20/12/2014 – Last day of work until the 5th of January.
21/12/2014 – Finished a design to one of my Works-In-Progress drawings.
- Taking an afternoon nap after several months of work. I had forgotten how taking and waking up from one actually felt like.
26/12/2014 -  Art grind in the wee hours of the night.
27/12/2014 - Created a tribal necklace in a day! Woot!
-Alhamdulilah for creative inspiration.
29/12/2014 - Jewellery editing is hell on my nails but the outcome is always superb.
- I miss my nose piercing a lot, lately. I should man up and see to it because it's been 3 years without it.
30/12/2014 - Getting my hair done. Wonderful way to prepare for the new year. If you look good, you feel good no matter what!

There was so much to be grateful for in 2014 because it has been very good to me. I hope it marks the beginning of many more wonderful opportunities. And that everything happens as it was meant to. Ameen.

Moody December.

I may as well look good despite the crappy mood

It is December: a month for spreading good cheer, festivities and excitement because it holds the promise of the year's coming to an end. Since December begun, I couldn't be less cheerful, excited nor happy. My mood is topsy-turvy and I can't put a finger on the reasons behind it. I find myself on the brink of tears 5/10 times and I am forced to make decisions accordingly. I am a moody person, naturally, but this is getting out of hand in my opinion. I recently cancelled lunch plans with my cousins where I know I came off as rude and bad mannered. I couldn't help it. It all seemed so lengthy a process and I was less than prepared, mentally. Work is going OK. The only wrinkle in this situation is the lack of understanding from the people I work with. I work in the service industry where it is my duty to serve and as such do so with some compassion which I can't say for my workmates. They come off as rude and arrogant to the people they are supposed to serve and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Much as majority are expatriates and not locals it doesn't mean we should treat them any less different because without them none of these people would be in the cushy positions and offices they seemingly enjoy. In regard to my mood, I can't say much. It is all over the place but what I know is I am not happy (pharrell Williams happy), no. The only thought helping me keep it together is the anticipation of taking myself to a solitary fancy lunch of either Indian cuisine or a big burger and chips meal once salary hits the bank. Nothing else. The irony of being a good listener to other people's problems and general bad mood is that when you find yourself in a similar situation, you have no one to be this for you. At the end of the day you have to be your own Dr. Phil or in my case Agony Aunt.

A New Chapter.

A lot has been going on the past few weeks that I hardly had the time to sit and let it all sink in. I spent the past couple of weeks in a state of ceaseless anxiety brought about by unfulfilled goals. Luckily everything is finally sorted albeit not the way I wanted but the end result is what I wished for.
I left the volunteer position for a new job, a job I applied for on a whim. After a series of really annoying processes and an interview that felt more like an IQ test, being told I was a successful applicant took the wind out of my sails. I never expected that outcome for I’d just began to settle into my voluntary position and was at ease with everyone.
On my last day at the Organisation; I attended my first and hopefully not last workshop over there. Seeing how things were dealt with and actually participating in something of that magnitude pertaining people with disabilities was an awesome experience to say the least. It is good to know there are people out there fighting for the rights some of us knew nothing of and seeing the changes take place.

Lunch after the workshop

There were several instances where I felt like sharing my news but held back. Seeing people I’d grown used to and knowing it would be the last time I see them put a slight damper on my mood. I couldn't share the news until I had a talk with the person who asked me to join the organisation out of respect. Our schedules were so parallel that I eventually told him over the phone. All this after I’d told the person who asked me to apply for my current job and the two people I was closest to on my last day.
Yeah, the cat is out of the bag so to speak. Since it’s been a week at my new job, my feelings as regards to it are 50/50. I like what I am doing over there and with time; I guess, the challenging aspects will be dealt with. I pray all goes well and that it maybe the beginning of even better things. Ameen.

The April Promise.

It took me awhile to get to this but now that I know for certain it is true, I can finally let it be known that April did deliver on its promise. I am volunteer at an organisation for my people (people with disabilities) and to be honest; I do like it over there. It is so quiet and serene on the days when it is not busy -my kind of environment.
Getting to this point took so many months. Months were I was afraid to tell the most important people in my life for fear of jinxing it and getting them excited over nothing in case it didn’t work out. When it finally happened and all three or four found out, it left me a little sad because they didn’t get to hear it from me regardless of their excitement.

Manning the front office on my second day

My first day wasn’t so bad. The person who had asked me to join on a voluntary basis was there and seeing him put my fears to rest. The most outstanding experience from the first day is the sight of a little person - a little man to be exact. I’d never come across a little man just a girl I met at university and we struck up a friendship despite doing different degrees. Seeing the man reminded me of her and it made me smile.
I might have made him a little uncomfortable for I stared at him so intently he ended up leaving. Seriously, I think the sighting of a little person should be as luck inducing as the sighting of a leprechaun. They are both so rare. By the way, referring to a little person as ‘little’ in their presence is an insult to them and their intelligence.

Feeling like a BOSS at my return to work last week

Aside from all that; the work isn’t that bad. And it is all in the name of experience added onto what I gathered from working with mum. If something materializes from this, all the better. If not, it is OK. After all, service is the rent we pay for living on this earth.  The person most amused by all this working for free is my dad. I think he finds it inconceivable as a self made person.
Since I work twice a week, the first picture was taken the week I started and the second picture just last week when I returned after getting better.