Author Archives: Administrator
The longer you work, the more productive you are? Not so, say experts
THE results of a German study conducted by the Institute for Work and Technology (IAT) suggest that the idea that a longer working week leads to greater productivity is a fallacy. The extra hours, it claims, are simply a waste … Continue reading
The good, bad and ugly of office gossip
GOSSIPING, as we all know, is a deadly sin, which is why none of us do it. The subject however, came up recently when a friend entertained me at length with a detailed and “highly classified” tale about some colleagues … Continue reading
How was the trip? FAQ about my cruise on the Crystal Serenity
I’ve been home from the Mediterranean for a few weeks and I’ve answered countless questions from friends, family and colleagues about my cruise on the Crystal Serenity. Here are a couple of the more frequently asked questions and my answers. … Continue reading
The chronicles of a cruising dame
On Saturday 1 October 2011, I arrived in Venice to board the Crystal Serenity for a 12 day cruise of the Mediterranean. I am posting the most recent notes first so, if you haven’t read the earlier posts, scroll down … Continue reading
Travel insurance post 9/11 – as mystifying as ever, or even more so?
DID you hear about the 51-year-old who, while forking a fondue in Switzerland, had a heart attack and was dealt a R1,4-million medical bill before he was stable enough to travel home? Or about the Johannesburger who went under the … Continue reading
The fine art of sucking up
DO you know anyone who is immune to flattery? Me neither. I am certainly not. Bring it on, I say. Lay it on thick and fast, and I will lap it up. After all, it’s as the granddaddy of self-improvement, … Continue reading
Youth is a wonderful thing…as is age
Frederic Chopin was seven years old when he composed Polonaise in G Minor. Winston Churchill was 84 when he ran for (and won) a place in the House of Commons. And yet, the value of age diversity is yet to … Continue reading
Art – what drives taste?
THE art-loving engineer does not miss a beat when I ask him what he believes drives taste in art. “Tradition, of course,” he responds curtly. “Think back about 250 000 years to when I believe the first archaic human in … Continue reading
Exporting etiquette: Knowing me, knowing you
ONE of the first lessons in exporting maintains that successful international dealings call for more than just commercial expertise. Ignorance about a customer or supplier’s culture can lead to misinterpretation, frustration, and sometimes even acute and costly embarrassment. You surely … Continue reading
SA leads western supply of farmed abalone against hot competition
FOR many of us, abalone (or perlemoen) is a word that haunts newspaper headlines, typically accompanied by the words “poachers”, “illegal”, “ban” and/or “extinction”. Here then, is a headline that may surprise you: South Africa (SA) leads western supply of … Continue reading
Penny Haw 