Biz, yet varied week.

I've been working in London a bit over the last week, firstly delivering an Impact & Influence Workshop (we covered Belbin's team roles and amazingly there were 2 Plants in the group, I've only ever had one other Plant in all my time of using the Belbin model), amazing.

One of the things that I love so much about my job is the variety and also the opportunity to meet so many people who are all so very different. I met a lovely Greek gentleman on the Impact & Influence workshop, he has lived in the UK for 6 years and described how crazy he finds us all. "Always rushing and running, working so hard that we never seem to have any time to just be".

Then I've been down in Heathrow for most of this week delivering Equality and Diversity workshops. So the latter I had to stay away from home for. It's always a challenge for both me and the delegates when they have to attend mandatory training. On this occasion it was so their organisation was legally compliant. We had a lot of laughter during the days and nearly everyone admitted at the close that they hadn't wanted to be there but in actual fact they'd quite enjoyed themselves and even learnt something along the way - whatever next!

For some reason I never really look forward to being away, the hotel although under the flight path was good. I had an interesting time as for some reason I was located the disabled room, it was so huge we could have held the training in there and still had space! The bathroom was even more spacious, however, having such a low basin was a tad annoying.

The lovely thing though about being away is that you come home, and somehow it seems all the more lovely for being away.

Last night I went late night shopping with my friends 13 year old son - now I shop with a lot of people (male, female, transvestites, gender change, old, young, senior executives), but I've never shopped with someone quite as decisive as he was. He seemed to instantly know yes or no - whether something was right or not, and he also managed to quantify why something was wrong or right "too pink", "too many buttons" etc.

We're all going to a wedding next month and as his birthday is so close to Christmas I suggested he have something new to wear to the wedding as his combined presents. Which he was delighted about but felt I needed to go with him to look.

When I picked him up I suppose I went into image coaching mode and suggested we look at his wardrobe to see what he already had so we knew what we might buy that would go with the things he already had.

We hit lucky in the first shop we went in with a snazzy waistcoat with lovely silver lining on the back, we both agreed that the matching trousers were a little boring. We then moved onto the next shop he literally ran and grabbed a pin striped waist coat and matching trousers off the rack and even agreed to try on a previously refused pink shirt with it, and wait for it.... a pink tie!

Maybe because he never has to dress up that smart he looked even more amazing. As he came out of the changing room he literally strutted up to the mirror at the end like a peacock! He twirled, looked at his rear and turned to me with a huge beam.

Suffice to say the whole ensemble was purchased. He had to put it on when we got home and I think the challenge may be getting it off and keeping it off his back before the wedding in 3 weeks time, I suspect he probably had his breakfast in it this morning.

There's nothing quite like finding an outfit that you just love to bits, and the feeling inside that you just feel fantastic in it from top to toe, the feeling seems to just radiate out of you - a bit like a Ready Brek glow!

Belinda

"January - sick and tired, you've been hanging on me"

I scrounged a lift to the train station and back with my neighbour last week, (which worked out really well, as the lines were all down at Finsbury Park on the way back, so I had someone to chat to as we stood for what seemed like hours at Kings Cross waiting for a sight of a train, and then more hours stood up in the gang way on the train all the way back home).

Anyhow, he described how he really didn't like this time of year, and how people all seemed to be feeling a bit flat after all the Christmas and New Year festivities.

I totally disagreed with him, whilst January wouldn't go down as my favourite month (that's May), I do like it more than November and December when the whole world seems that bit darker and grey.

I have been watching and counting, (and yes I'm sad I know), but yesterday I observed that it didn't get dark until 4.36 which means although its still a way off spring is coming. By my calculation only 75 days until the clocks go forward!

Belinda

Differences & Similiarities

We spent Christmas in Portugal, which we have done before. However, this year was the first Christmas my cousin had spend abroad and not in the UK. She was regularly heard through the holiday describing what she would have been doing if she had been in the UK compared to what she was actually doing at any specific time ("peeling brussel sprouts" compared to "sitting in my flip flops in the sun"). She really enjoyed the change from the norm and relished the difference.

For the New Year we travelled north to stay with some friends and were fortunate enough to be invited to a Portuguese families home for the new years eve celebrations. Not quite sure what to expect we went along to their farm and were introduced to their family.

We were served a feast of 3 courses. The whole family from small children to grandma and grandad joined together to celebrate. As midnight approached there was much rush to fill every ones glasses with champagne and then we were all told to pick 12 sultanas from the bowl. As midnight struck we were instructed to eat our sultanas and make 12 wishes for the new year ahead.

I had learnt earlier that there was no translation for new years resolutions and so this must be the Portuguese equivalent? Much nicer to have wishes than resolutions I think.

What are your sultana wishes?

Happy New Year.