Find your influencers the new fandangle way!

There are some relics hanging on to bygone times, straining against the tide of social media. Resistance is futile. Resistance is at your peril. (I realise I am likely preaching to the converted as you are reading my blog or LinkedIn post).

That aside, I’ll continue. Take for example this story on LinkedIn. The author writes of the Cult of Influence and Gamification Nation; the former being something familiar to all in business who seek to draw in influencers and utilise them. Previously this was a “stick out your licked forefinger and see which way the wind blows” to understand who are the real influencers in an organisation. Imagine this. You can now quantify it through social media. Not saying that the previous way didn’t work, but this has the feel of a safer bet. 

A Waltz in the Mall

Two women embrace in the middle of the mall. I watch on and the rest of the mall fades far, far into the background. Chris Martin’s voice is the only thing I hear, and the women appear to hear it too as I am sure they are waltzing. It reminds me of the strangers’ kiss in Time Square at the end of World War II, as the two of them own this moment.

They don’t know that they have a voyeur in their midst and I know I have no right to share in their intimacy. I sigh when they part and follow them with my eyes as they walk up the mall and away from me, lightly touching each other’s hand. This is the end of their public greeting, drowned out to all but them and I by the hum and movement along the mall.

My time with these women is invaded when a crescendo of voices and music is again ringing in my ears. Alive, the mall becomes a blur of children and mothers, friends taking photos, workers dousing themselves in sunlight in their treasured break from routine. The two lovers, I assume, have wandered beyond my sight and their place has been vacated for others. I’m left sitting here.

These women didn’t attract so much as a furrowed brow in the mall today and it was delightful.

Help me choose an awning colour… please!

Hi all

We are getting an awning for our house and would love your help. It will sit below the top blue trim, above the vertical slats which are above the lattice.It will go the whole way across the vertical slats. It will cover perhaps the top of the blue door so you will still see a lot of blue from the street. I’ve been looking at blues (am having trouble matching so far), beige (but would there be too much, given the base colour is beige), or something entirely different like a tan/terracotta. Obviously another bold feature colour could go very wrong. Does anyone have any thoughts?? I need a creative eye and I am sadly lacking.

Thanks in advance

The sand that made the buildings of Conakry

Apparently there used to be beaches in the centre of Conakry. No longer. There are rocks, a revolting amount of rubbish, but otherwise the water laps right on up to the roads. They say that they used all the sand for the buildings that make up the city.

You can be driving down a road and see arrows going in the opposite direction. A multi-directional street with traffic going one way. Equally a street you normally travel on in one direction is all of a sudden multi-directional. None of this is helped by everyone (EVERYONE) using the road as a carpark – just stopping wherever they like!

Guinea is one of the world’s poorest countries. Unemployment is about 80-90% and those who do work earn a pittance. But the people are wonderful, and every part of it, the roads, the traffic, the country, make up what is both a shockingly confronting and awesome experience.