..it all started with a Thali and it finishes here as well..

so remember when i wrote a post about my first thali - it was in a place called "woodlands" not that far from where we live, well the team, or the left overs from the team decided to go there for dinner, after we had a small hugging session on the 2nd floor, we got some small presents from the hotel staff and in return they got some tips for their work during the past 4 weeks, it was a nice couple of hours, although i caught myself several times in going from high laughter to being quiet for a while - thinking to myself "its all over now, the end is near .." and a long flight and day is in front of me tomorrow morning, oh well no time to be sad about it now - i can do that when i am home alone right, so i refind my good mood, and we walk of to woodlands...

(Kristian and Susanna discussing the outcome of the program .. note her Saree .. ) 

at woodlands we spend most parts of our time to talk about our lessons learned, what we have changed or improved on, what we have developed, and the conversation is really great..we are talking and discussing whether or not it was long enough, or to long time spend in india, and in general we all share our opinions and feedback from the 4 weeks - the passed by in a blink of an eye ... and once again i blink and i find myself standing outside the hotel saying my goodbyes to Kristian, and after that we spend another 2 hours talking on the 2nd floor, before i at around midnight say my last goodbyes and then i am off to a night that is going to be short - and eventually bring me nothing but twisting and turning... tomorrow is going to be a long day ...



"...the end of our trip is near, the time is up, we say our goodbye to each other, to what have become friends and family, and to a fantastic country and city that has left its marks on our souls forever and ever, memories that i hope will never be forgotten, faces that will stay with me till i am old and grey..." 


Martin Nielsen, November 11th - 2011 

..what do you reply to this?...

so the party is over, we are signing the last papers, postcards, having some more picture taken, and have a final sitting with Virgil, on my way out, i get "pulled" aside by one of the ladies that we work with, she looks all teary, she sits me down at the couch, grabs my hand, and starts to tell me how her last 9 days has been for her, this is what she tells me:


... for many years i have had problems with managing my family, my two sons, and my daughter. i want to work, and believe i can work, i want my family to be proud of me, and show me the respect that i deserve, but for many years i havent been able to achieve that, what is worse is that me working has taken a torn on my relationship with my husband and children, they dont feel i am there to support them and in the same way i dont feel they support me, and with that we fight a lot, and it is not pleasant for me to be at home... now over the last 9 days you have given me the tools to get more organized, more planned, to focus on what i really want to do, and understand what i have to do, you have taught me how to prioritize in my everyday, and how i can free up more time, get more done with less, and you have also shown me how important it is to talk about why i decide what i decide, you have given me the tools to give and ask for feedback from anybody - and with this i practise every day, at work and more important at home, and my family sees a different, and i feel there is a difference happening - i explain and express why i want to do what i want to do, i share with my family how my day looks like, and i ask for their help and support .. and they now are starting to understand me better and accept what it is that i want to do, that it is not only for me, but it for them, it is for all of them, so they will be proud of me, their mother and wife..So Martin you have changed my life - and have changed my family to the better, you have supported me without knowing it .. and in 9 days you have done something for me, that i havent been able to do for myself in many years.... Thank you ... 

in general i am not very good with compliments - but this here is simply to much for me, for the second time in Chennai i dont know what to say .. i am speechless, i have never-ever heard anything this powerful .. and the only thing i can find as a reply is "thank you and it was my pleasure" .. anything else would i guess have ruined one of the most heartbreaking stories i have ever heard...

...and now to something completely different..

what do you need to cheer up a woman from Sweden and a guy from Denmark, answer, - 7 people from India, a sari and a kurta .. so after lunch around 14.30 Susanna is all of a sudden rushed of to one of the rooms on the floor we are doing trainings at (we both kinda had the suspicion that something was coming..) and for 30 min almost she wasnt allowed out, more and more of the women we showing up for the goodbye party that was being hosted for us today, i am sitting waiting, chatting with some of them, as i move to go to the toilet (well you saw the picture, not really a toilet more like a hole in the ground) Peeti comes up to me, he seems very tense, and as i finish my visit he tells me to join him on one floor up, on the stairs, where he literally tells me to undress (this could be misinterpreted ..- i somehow choose not to ..) and he hands me a brand new kurta, white trousers, and something looking like golden overpart .. it is soo nice, and of course i slip into it...

as i enter the training room i kinda guess what i will see, the ladies have dress Susanna from top till toe in the traditional Saree, gold earrings, necklace, bracelets, even the bracelets for her ankles, hair is done, make up.. the whole real deal .. - and she looks fantastic, it seems like we are become all accepted into their lives now as we are dressed up, i guess this was what was missing for the final acceptance - here it is, and they are loving it .. and i have to admit, so are we.

Needless to say the amount of pictures being taken is rather high and to be honest - this time around i dont mind, and i eventually end up striking a pose .. .(well not really - just wanted to write that..) after the first initial photo shot is over, Priana starts to welcome the different people to take the stage to say a couple of words about us, our work here, their weeks of experience, and it becomes once again a bit emotional - i even catch Virgil being a bit wet-eyed - and seeing her like this, all emotional and sensitive i very fast feel something in the corner of my eyes .. as i try to hold it back, i see several of our team members having the exact same problem as me .. i am happy i am not alone with me feelings and emotions..

Time is certainly running fast when you are having fun, and on this last goodbye party time is all of a sudden up and it is almost time to say goodbye for the very last time (or as i like to put it .. - see you later..goodbye seems so much like never again ..) we are given one final present.. and with that it is time to take one last bow .. - and so we bow our humble heads to a set of people that for sure deserve all the respect i can ever find ..

.. one last song ..

so we hit the office at 10 ready to deliver our final presentation here in Chennai, some 4 weeks ago we stood almost at the same spot talking about what we were going to do, and now we done, it is all at the final stage. We still however have one last exercise and that is to share with the management team, our findings, our work, our conclusions and our recommendations .. - and i am the type of person that if i have to go, i will go with a bang, and seemingly so is Susanna (my eternal partner in crime..) so we have a power pact and up-beat presentation for 3 hours, which i think now reflecting over it, went really well.. Virgil the director is joining in today and it seems that we are hitting a couple of points that she has seen and have been trying to resolve for some time now, it does indeed seem that great minds think a like ..

(One last and final presentation in Chennai...)

As the presentation draws to a closure, we take our last chances to thank all of them for their help and support, their leadership, their patience with us, their energy, excitement - and for my part, their motivation and inspiration.. and as i boldly put it - they themselves has become stronger leaders, and should they ever want to see what a great person and strong leader looks like - simply look in the mirror .. and with the sentence i get a couple of nods of appreciation from the team ... - no need you all deserved it ... without spending to much more words on this kinda depressing conclusion of the 4 weeks - you all made a difference to me and my life, i think we have delivered something to be proud of, i believe we have made a difference, i believe we have shared a passion to do good in the world, i think we have shown leadership - and i think we have found leadership, but more important for myself, i think i am a little step closer to making sense out of my life.. and a little step closer to being a more complete leader..