Welcome to my blog about all things communication. I will be writing once a month about different aspects of communication and offer insights into how we might learn to communicate more effectively on an intrapersonal, interpersonal and group level.
As I explain in my first posting, communication is complex, yet surprisingly, we get it right a lot. However, it's when we don't communicate well that relationships breakdown, productivity is reduced, organisational cultures are damaged and ultimately in a business setting, the return on investment (ROI) is diminished.
These blogs are designed to offer you a toolkit on how to become a better communicator through understanding yourself, your audience and your environment. They will bring together information and tips I have gleaned from a wide variety of sources and from personal experience.
I would love to have your feedback as time goes on and if you can add any useful ideas please share them with us.
October 16, 2011
October 11, 2011
Out of Africa
We left the Serengeti to head for the Kenya border. As border crossings go this wasn't so bad. Only an hour and a half all up. We had digital fingerprinting on one side and crossd over to what I think we might call organised chaos. Considering it is Africa it wasn't too bad.
Our trip to Nairobi was uneventful. We stopped on the roadside for lunch of couscous and pasta salad, which Ian thoroughly enjoyed, not bad considering he supposedly hates couscous. We entered the Nairobi traffic at 3pm in the afternoon. Talk about crazy! Nairobi is a big bustling city with many large companies represented here. It is hard to come to terms with the sophistication of a burgeoning city and the primitive life of the Maasai who live only a few kilometres away. Such contrasts.
We were pleased to get to our hotel in Nairobi which proved to exceed our expectations. It was spacious and clean, had a pool and even a clay tennis court.
We spent some time sorting our gear and trying to wash the African dust and bush out of our clothes. I'm not so sure we were that successful. It was sad to say goodbye to our tour group. I was reminded how friends are just strangers we haven't met. We got to know some fabulous people who all have such interesting stories to tell. Everyone seemed so well travelled so there were many tales and laughter over travel experiences. These people have certainly enriched our lives.
I am writing this sitting in our gorgeous hotel room in Dubai. After a shorter than expected flight, we were delighted to be here. Dubai is a fantastic city, it is clean, safe and modern. Apparently their goal is to be the bigget and best in the world. Tomorrow we are going up the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. We are going to view Dubai from the 124th floor. We are also hoping to see the dancing fountain which apparently is a spectacular sight.
Today we went to an electronics fair. Caught the metro which is a driverless monorail. Clean, fast and efficient. After that we went dune bashing on a sand dune safari. This was in four wheel drives and i must confess I nearly disgraced myself by tossing my cookies. It was like riding a roller coaster at Disneyland. However the food and entertainment that folllwed was fun. The belly dancer chose Ian to balance a stick on his head and wobble around. He did this very effectively to everyone's amusement. His belly certainly played the part and the stick stayed in place! A Korean women asked if he did belly dancing at home.
We are very close to Dubai Mall which is amazing. It has gold and jewelry shops by the dozen filled with diamond studded watches, tiaras and jewels fit for London Tower. There must be a ton of money here. The pedestrian crossing outside our hotel is slate and marble. We have gone from Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world to Dubai, one of the richest countries, all in the space of a couple of weeks.
Bling burqas are all the rage. One young woman was dressed from head to toe in black, including a veil over her face, but as she glided along like something from Harry Potter, bright red stilletos peeped out from underneath her garment. It seemed so surprising. Many abaya's are edged with crystal, sequins or beautiful embroidery and the hijabs are edged in a matching design. If I had to wear a burqa, I would definately be a bling burqa girl!
Well time to sign off. This is my last post from foreign shores (for now anyway). We have had such an interesting time but I must say the highlight for me was to spend time with my three gorgeous sisters. I feel so blessed to have met them and had the wonderful expreiences of the last 6 weeks.
See you all soon
Ngarpie (Sue)
Our trip to Nairobi was uneventful. We stopped on the roadside for lunch of couscous and pasta salad, which Ian thoroughly enjoyed, not bad considering he supposedly hates couscous. We entered the Nairobi traffic at 3pm in the afternoon. Talk about crazy! Nairobi is a big bustling city with many large companies represented here. It is hard to come to terms with the sophistication of a burgeoning city and the primitive life of the Maasai who live only a few kilometres away. Such contrasts.
We were pleased to get to our hotel in Nairobi which proved to exceed our expectations. It was spacious and clean, had a pool and even a clay tennis court.
We spent some time sorting our gear and trying to wash the African dust and bush out of our clothes. I'm not so sure we were that successful. It was sad to say goodbye to our tour group. I was reminded how friends are just strangers we haven't met. We got to know some fabulous people who all have such interesting stories to tell. Everyone seemed so well travelled so there were many tales and laughter over travel experiences. These people have certainly enriched our lives.
I am writing this sitting in our gorgeous hotel room in Dubai. After a shorter than expected flight, we were delighted to be here. Dubai is a fantastic city, it is clean, safe and modern. Apparently their goal is to be the bigget and best in the world. Tomorrow we are going up the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. We are going to view Dubai from the 124th floor. We are also hoping to see the dancing fountain which apparently is a spectacular sight.
Today we went to an electronics fair. Caught the metro which is a driverless monorail. Clean, fast and efficient. After that we went dune bashing on a sand dune safari. This was in four wheel drives and i must confess I nearly disgraced myself by tossing my cookies. It was like riding a roller coaster at Disneyland. However the food and entertainment that folllwed was fun. The belly dancer chose Ian to balance a stick on his head and wobble around. He did this very effectively to everyone's amusement. His belly certainly played the part and the stick stayed in place! A Korean women asked if he did belly dancing at home.
We are very close to Dubai Mall which is amazing. It has gold and jewelry shops by the dozen filled with diamond studded watches, tiaras and jewels fit for London Tower. There must be a ton of money here. The pedestrian crossing outside our hotel is slate and marble. We have gone from Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world to Dubai, one of the richest countries, all in the space of a couple of weeks.
Bling burqas are all the rage. One young woman was dressed from head to toe in black, including a veil over her face, but as she glided along like something from Harry Potter, bright red stilletos peeped out from underneath her garment. It seemed so surprising. Many abaya's are edged with crystal, sequins or beautiful embroidery and the hijabs are edged in a matching design. If I had to wear a burqa, I would definately be a bling burqa girl!
Well time to sign off. This is my last post from foreign shores (for now anyway). We have had such an interesting time but I must say the highlight for me was to spend time with my three gorgeous sisters. I feel so blessed to have met them and had the wonderful expreiences of the last 6 weeks.
See you all soon
Ngarpie (Sue)
October 09, 2011
Muzungu on Safari
We are staying at Arusha Snake Park in preparation to leave for the Serengeti. That's right a snake park. Five metres from our tent three large crocodiles are living and beyond that, some of Africa's most venomous snakes. Fortunately they are behind glass, but having said that, I did feel a level of unease. Hakuna matata!
Our 4x4's arrive early to pick us up for the Serengeti. Each vehicle seats six, so we divide up and settle in. Dressed in our safari uniform- you know the trousers that zip off into shorts, with huge pockets on the side. The sort no one wears in New Zealand because they are so dorky but everyone wears here. In fact if you don't have a pair you feel quite left out. My pockets are filled with my African ablution kit- tissues, hand sanitiser and wet wipes. If I could fit disinfectant in them I would have!
Once again we were in for a long drive. Most of it was on roads full of corrugations. It was like driving 200kms on a cattle stop. Our driver had warned us we were in for a free massage. he was not wrong. In fact I think my back has never been better.
On the way we saw many Maasai dressed in their traditional reds and purples, domestic camels and donkeys. The donkeys are known as the maasai taxis. We visited a traditional Maasai village and Ian got to do a dance with them. The dance is jumping up and down, hands by sides. Most people jumped with feet together like our hosts. Not Ian, he looked more like a frog doing a mating dance.
We were taken into their Boma's, which are their homes. These are round huts that stand about 1.4 metres tall, made of mud, cow dung and sticks. The women build them. Inside it is very dark and we have to enter stooped low. We are motioned to sit, but it was so dark I couldn't see where, so our host tapped his stick on something and I just sat. It turned out to be on the edge of the children's sleeping place. The fire burns in the middle and a small hole about 6 inches wide is the only ventilation. The adults sleep on one side and the children the other. Clearly Maasai are neither claustrophobic nor scared of the dark.
In accordance with African tradition the rich white people had to buy some of their craft work before we left. I now have a bead necklace that I wasn't entirely sure I wanted. Ian commented on our guides shoes. He was a son of the chief (apparently). He was wearing sandals made of tyres. Motorbike tyres to be precise. He offered them to Ian for $USD100!!!
After using the Maasai ablutions-that was an adventure, we carried on to the camping ground. We stopped for lunch where Maribu storks over a metre tall paraded around us. They are one of Africa's ugly 5. One of the guys had his lunch plucked out of his hand as a black kite swooped down on him.
We drove through the Ngorongoro conservation area and to the crater rim, where we would be staying the following night. The view was amazing. The bush here was dense and we were climbing into a high altitude so it was getting a bit cooler.
It took us a while to get to the entrance of the Serengeti and we did a game drive on the way to the camping ground. The landscape had changed again. Vast savannahs dotted with a few acacia trees surrounded us on both sides. Not as much bush as I thought but the vista went for miles. It started to rain and soon large rivulets of water formed but it made it fun to drive through with mud and water splashing up against the windows.
We spotted Elephant, Zebra, Giraffe, Lions, Topi, Warthogs (Pumba) and Gazelles along the way. Pretty amazing for a Muzungu from New Zealand.
We got up early the next morning to go on another game drive before breakfast. It was a real highlight. We got so close to much of the wildlife. Saw Leopards asleep in the trees and a Cheetah and her cubs came to drink from a puddle in front of our vehicle. We saw some wildlife and bird life we hadn't seen at Mana pools, so it completed our safari experience. We even spotted a Honey Badger which is quite unusual. We watched a Lion mating, it lasted about 15 seconds, but he will do this up to 350 times, so I guess 15 seconds is enough! What an awesome day we had. We went back for breakfast and then continued our game drive on the way to the next campsite which was on the rim of the Ngorongoro crater.
This is actually a caldera, not a crater and its about 5 miles long and the rim is 2400 metres above sea level. We woke to a heavy mist, after having had rain in the night. It was a lot colder here. Driving into the crater was a nightmare. We could only see about a metre in front, but were very aware of the edge of the road.
Because of the weather we probably didn't get to see as much as we might have, but we saw Wildebeest and Zebra, Lions at a distance, Buffalo, Ostrich, Flamingos, a couple of Elephants and Hyenas. The Rhino were hiding which was a bit of a shame.
After four hours in the crater we headed back to Arusha snake Park for our penultimate night in Africa.
Our 4x4's arrive early to pick us up for the Serengeti. Each vehicle seats six, so we divide up and settle in. Dressed in our safari uniform- you know the trousers that zip off into shorts, with huge pockets on the side. The sort no one wears in New Zealand because they are so dorky but everyone wears here. In fact if you don't have a pair you feel quite left out. My pockets are filled with my African ablution kit- tissues, hand sanitiser and wet wipes. If I could fit disinfectant in them I would have!
Once again we were in for a long drive. Most of it was on roads full of corrugations. It was like driving 200kms on a cattle stop. Our driver had warned us we were in for a free massage. he was not wrong. In fact I think my back has never been better.
On the way we saw many Maasai dressed in their traditional reds and purples, domestic camels and donkeys. The donkeys are known as the maasai taxis. We visited a traditional Maasai village and Ian got to do a dance with them. The dance is jumping up and down, hands by sides. Most people jumped with feet together like our hosts. Not Ian, he looked more like a frog doing a mating dance.
We were taken into their Boma's, which are their homes. These are round huts that stand about 1.4 metres tall, made of mud, cow dung and sticks. The women build them. Inside it is very dark and we have to enter stooped low. We are motioned to sit, but it was so dark I couldn't see where, so our host tapped his stick on something and I just sat. It turned out to be on the edge of the children's sleeping place. The fire burns in the middle and a small hole about 6 inches wide is the only ventilation. The adults sleep on one side and the children the other. Clearly Maasai are neither claustrophobic nor scared of the dark.
In accordance with African tradition the rich white people had to buy some of their craft work before we left. I now have a bead necklace that I wasn't entirely sure I wanted. Ian commented on our guides shoes. He was a son of the chief (apparently). He was wearing sandals made of tyres. Motorbike tyres to be precise. He offered them to Ian for $USD100!!!
After using the Maasai ablutions-that was an adventure, we carried on to the camping ground. We stopped for lunch where Maribu storks over a metre tall paraded around us. They are one of Africa's ugly 5. One of the guys had his lunch plucked out of his hand as a black kite swooped down on him.
We drove through the Ngorongoro conservation area and to the crater rim, where we would be staying the following night. The view was amazing. The bush here was dense and we were climbing into a high altitude so it was getting a bit cooler.
It took us a while to get to the entrance of the Serengeti and we did a game drive on the way to the camping ground. The landscape had changed again. Vast savannahs dotted with a few acacia trees surrounded us on both sides. Not as much bush as I thought but the vista went for miles. It started to rain and soon large rivulets of water formed but it made it fun to drive through with mud and water splashing up against the windows.
We spotted Elephant, Zebra, Giraffe, Lions, Topi, Warthogs (Pumba) and Gazelles along the way. Pretty amazing for a Muzungu from New Zealand.
We got up early the next morning to go on another game drive before breakfast. It was a real highlight. We got so close to much of the wildlife. Saw Leopards asleep in the trees and a Cheetah and her cubs came to drink from a puddle in front of our vehicle. We saw some wildlife and bird life we hadn't seen at Mana pools, so it completed our safari experience. We even spotted a Honey Badger which is quite unusual. We watched a Lion mating, it lasted about 15 seconds, but he will do this up to 350 times, so I guess 15 seconds is enough! What an awesome day we had. We went back for breakfast and then continued our game drive on the way to the next campsite which was on the rim of the Ngorongoro crater.
This is actually a caldera, not a crater and its about 5 miles long and the rim is 2400 metres above sea level. We woke to a heavy mist, after having had rain in the night. It was a lot colder here. Driving into the crater was a nightmare. We could only see about a metre in front, but were very aware of the edge of the road.
Because of the weather we probably didn't get to see as much as we might have, but we saw Wildebeest and Zebra, Lions at a distance, Buffalo, Ostrich, Flamingos, a couple of Elephants and Hyenas. The Rhino were hiding which was a bit of a shame.
After four hours in the crater we headed back to Arusha snake Park for our penultimate night in Africa.
October 02, 2011
Mambo Jambo
Mambo Jambo- greetings from Old Stone Town in Zanzibar (Tanzania)
We are back to Old Stone Town after having two days in Nungwi, a beach resort on the coast. The turquoise sea was warm and the white sands stunning. It was a great break from travelling and packing down tents. We had a super king bed which was luxury.
I went for a parasail with Kelly, dangling from the back of a boat on a rope 200 metres long. What an amazing view of the island. Ian went for a snorkel to a small atol, but he will share his experience shortly. We arrived in rain after a very interesting trip to a spice farm. We got to sample many different spices and see how they are grown. We were given a variety of fresh fruits to try, some more delicious than others, and they made us hats, necklaces, rings and bags from flax. We all looked very grand in our finery.
Rubbish lines the roads and fills the rivers and gutters. Everything is either in disrepair or abandoned. Motorbikes, push bikes, cars and Donkey or Ox drawn carts all vie for space on the pot holed roads. Horns are honked to get people and animals to move aside. Sitting in the front of the bus was a life changing (actually underwear changing) experience. Ian noted he would not be able to save me should I be propelled through the front window. Safety belts are for girls (if there were any)!
Had a walking tour of Stone town today. It was very interesting. We went into an underground cavern where they kept the slaves and visited the slave market. All very gruesome and cruel. Had a wander through the fish market. You can imagine what the smell was like in the heat and with hundreds of bodies milling around - not to mention a variety of dead fish, octopus, squid, shell fish and of course flies.
We spotted a car washing business. They reverse the cars down to the river (a patch where there is no rubbish) and proceed to wash them. Very enterprising.
Tonight some of our group leave for another part of their trip and a few newbies have joined us at Zanzibar. Tomorrow we leave the island and do our first leg of the trip to the Serengeti. I am guessing access to internet may not be available, so family don't panic if you don't hear from us.
Ian's turn....
Hmmm, USD25 for 6 1/2 hour snorkelling trip, lunch included. This is me, Thirteen of us meet to go. No introductions from the crew, just a few grunts and a command 'come.' We clamber on board a 9 metre dhow that I swear was over a 100 years old. The yamaha motor complete with it's own T shirt (no idea why), took a number of pulls to finally start. No briefing and away we go.
Few lame jokes about the boat but it was only to be a 45 minute trip to the atoll. After 15 minutes we are out past the reef with no atoll in sight. The skipper at this stage has gone on top of the open cabin roof and has nodded off. Becky comes to sit next to me near the front, as the smell of the spilt petrol fumes was overwhelming. She politely informs me that she could hurl at any time. At this stage, we are in a moderate swell that eventually builds to 2-3 metres. I keep glancing at a young canadian guys watch and work out that we will be at the atoll in 20 minutes. We are now side on to the swell and waves are smashing against the side of the boat.
Because the boat is 100 years old and made by the locals out of local trees, water seeps through the sides with every swell that hits. The waves are now crashing over and we are all wet. Fortunately, it is sunny, hot and the water warm. Becky points out that there is a significant amount of water between the hull and the deck, which we can see through the numerous gaps. Libby, who is a weak swimmer, asks me if I thought the water was increasing. I assure her it was not as I quietly noted it was definately increasing over a 10 minute period. The young canadian guy asked for a life jacket. They were filthy and strewn about the deck. Jo from our group, passed him a jacket which literally disintergrates as he hands it over.
At this stage fear is building in the passengers. Someone asked how much longer, given that we are 30 minutes into a 45 minute trip. The response is "about an hour." It seems the boat time quoted of 1.5 hours was not the total, but the one way trip. At this point, I seriously contemplate taking a poll of who has had enough and then declare a mutiny and order the crew to take us to the nearest shore. We are at least 6kms off shore in a heavy swell. I then start planning my strategy, if we were to go over. "Do I have a go for the shore, or try and float and wait to be picked up." All but 3 lifejackets were useless. I was later to learn that all others in our group had been planning their strategies too.
Fortunately the swell turned to a chop and the atoll appeared in front of us. The snorkelling was average but I swam in the best water I have ever swam in. Clear, aqua and warm!
We came back under sail, sticking close to the shore. Shaken but not stirred! No tip given by anyone! Really looking forward to Serengeti.
Cheers
Ian
We are back to Old Stone Town after having two days in Nungwi, a beach resort on the coast. The turquoise sea was warm and the white sands stunning. It was a great break from travelling and packing down tents. We had a super king bed which was luxury.
I went for a parasail with Kelly, dangling from the back of a boat on a rope 200 metres long. What an amazing view of the island. Ian went for a snorkel to a small atol, but he will share his experience shortly. We arrived in rain after a very interesting trip to a spice farm. We got to sample many different spices and see how they are grown. We were given a variety of fresh fruits to try, some more delicious than others, and they made us hats, necklaces, rings and bags from flax. We all looked very grand in our finery.
Rubbish lines the roads and fills the rivers and gutters. Everything is either in disrepair or abandoned. Motorbikes, push bikes, cars and Donkey or Ox drawn carts all vie for space on the pot holed roads. Horns are honked to get people and animals to move aside. Sitting in the front of the bus was a life changing (actually underwear changing) experience. Ian noted he would not be able to save me should I be propelled through the front window. Safety belts are for girls (if there were any)!
Had a walking tour of Stone town today. It was very interesting. We went into an underground cavern where they kept the slaves and visited the slave market. All very gruesome and cruel. Had a wander through the fish market. You can imagine what the smell was like in the heat and with hundreds of bodies milling around - not to mention a variety of dead fish, octopus, squid, shell fish and of course flies.
We spotted a car washing business. They reverse the cars down to the river (a patch where there is no rubbish) and proceed to wash them. Very enterprising.
Tonight some of our group leave for another part of their trip and a few newbies have joined us at Zanzibar. Tomorrow we leave the island and do our first leg of the trip to the Serengeti. I am guessing access to internet may not be available, so family don't panic if you don't hear from us.
Ian's turn....
Hmmm, USD25 for 6 1/2 hour snorkelling trip, lunch included. This is me, Thirteen of us meet to go. No introductions from the crew, just a few grunts and a command 'come.' We clamber on board a 9 metre dhow that I swear was over a 100 years old. The yamaha motor complete with it's own T shirt (no idea why), took a number of pulls to finally start. No briefing and away we go.
Few lame jokes about the boat but it was only to be a 45 minute trip to the atoll. After 15 minutes we are out past the reef with no atoll in sight. The skipper at this stage has gone on top of the open cabin roof and has nodded off. Becky comes to sit next to me near the front, as the smell of the spilt petrol fumes was overwhelming. She politely informs me that she could hurl at any time. At this stage, we are in a moderate swell that eventually builds to 2-3 metres. I keep glancing at a young canadian guys watch and work out that we will be at the atoll in 20 minutes. We are now side on to the swell and waves are smashing against the side of the boat.
Because the boat is 100 years old and made by the locals out of local trees, water seeps through the sides with every swell that hits. The waves are now crashing over and we are all wet. Fortunately, it is sunny, hot and the water warm. Becky points out that there is a significant amount of water between the hull and the deck, which we can see through the numerous gaps. Libby, who is a weak swimmer, asks me if I thought the water was increasing. I assure her it was not as I quietly noted it was definately increasing over a 10 minute period. The young canadian guy asked for a life jacket. They were filthy and strewn about the deck. Jo from our group, passed him a jacket which literally disintergrates as he hands it over.
At this stage fear is building in the passengers. Someone asked how much longer, given that we are 30 minutes into a 45 minute trip. The response is "about an hour." It seems the boat time quoted of 1.5 hours was not the total, but the one way trip. At this point, I seriously contemplate taking a poll of who has had enough and then declare a mutiny and order the crew to take us to the nearest shore. We are at least 6kms off shore in a heavy swell. I then start planning my strategy, if we were to go over. "Do I have a go for the shore, or try and float and wait to be picked up." All but 3 lifejackets were useless. I was later to learn that all others in our group had been planning their strategies too.
Fortunately the swell turned to a chop and the atoll appeared in front of us. The snorkelling was average but I swam in the best water I have ever swam in. Clear, aqua and warm!
We came back under sail, sticking close to the shore. Shaken but not stirred! No tip given by anyone! Really looking forward to Serengeti.
Cheers
Ian
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