Twenty days to go...

Wow, I cannot believe I am reaching the completion of my assignment. I am genuinely saddened to think of leaving the Hospice Fundraising team whom I have grown to know and love. They are an extraordinary group of people with fiercely wicked senses of humour and an ability to pull of the most incredible events with literally no resources.

My reflections?

Although I found it easy to love Bucharest and found the assignment quite sociable from the start, I know that it was difficult for some people to warm to me. I have a strong personality, speak English quickly (with Aussie inflection and colloquialisms) and my assignment wasn't incredibly popular given that the software I was sent to assist with had been implemented years ago and hadn't worked efficiently throughout this time. My friends and family at home know that this would be a hurdle for me, but not insurmountable. Perhaps you are even nodding your heads now and thinking, "Poor bastards, they didn't know what they were in for when Dani came on board".

It has been a time of intense joy and sadness. I love the people, the social atmosphere, the unique location and places to visit and see. The only other country I know that offers mountain ranges, beaches and such varying weather is home. Romania adds to this though with its rich lustrous history. I even love the food now thanks to Mada in the office who makes such delicious Romanian cuisine without the risk of food poisoning.

I miss my children, I miss them more than anything, and have throughout. They have also had their ups and downs, Kaitie has been made School Captain for her year level, she also won Student of the Year at her new school. She has made such amazing friendships and has finally found her niche. It only happens to be two states away from where I work! Hannah on the other hand, has done very well at school given the social butterfly she naturally is and blitzes her assignments and exams with relative ease. She misses her friends in Victoria though and cannot wait to return. Torn.

I have had moments of sadness here, it is difficult to be in an environment where you don't know the primary language. Being ridiculous as I am, I thought that by six months, I would be fluent (embarrassing to admit). I do now pick up the general gist of a conversation, but cannot contribute or understand the little nuances. The team still try and teach me a word or two, but my memory doesn't seem to retain them.

Being an un-socialite has been exhausting too. I love being around people and activities but being naturally introverted means that I need my own space to digest and think things through. Sometimes this has been an impossibility given my commitments and the stress has shown. Last weekend at the Ball I had a small nervous breakdown given the exhaustion from the build up, the late nights and finally the event. I think it was good in a way though as the team saw that I am vulnerable, and cannot be happy or "on" all the time. (Thank you for your help Irina and Oana!) I remember my last manager explaining to me that she was very introverted, but watching her in a room, you would never guess. She explained that she puts that to the side, does what she needs to and regains her senses at a later time. I guess I take this message to heart and try and do this, most of the time!

On a good note, the team are starting to use the software, it has taken almost the full six months, but the database is now cleaned, it has been adapted to Romanian needs (to the extent of my ability as this goes unsupported by the software developers!). My team see the benefits of using a database for their events and how a co-ordinated PM tool will assist and not hinder their efforts. I need to thank Laura for encouraging the team also. I think it will assist as the group rapidly grow and become a more global than local effort.

Our intranet is now a pinch away from release. It is a little slower than anticipated given that the teams have been focused on their events at the most busy time of year and also given IT's location is two and a half hours away. A bit of a hike in terms of collaboration. Some things you just need to do in face to face meetings! Again, thanks goes to the Brasov website team, for their assistance and ongoing support with this initiative.

Twenty days and I will update you again. Thank you again, my Romanian friends (including ex-pats) and missing you my Aussie ones.

Dani xxx

In Memory of Laura

You may remember me writing about Laura some months ago.

Dear Laura passed away today leaving her two beautiful daughters.

Although I am glad that her battle with illness has ended however she had such a beautiful aura, zest for life and positivity. She will be missed.

Please pray for Ramona, her nurse and carer who took such gentle care of her these last few years and pray for her mother and children who have looked after her since she fell ill.

I will remember the rays of light that shone through her window on to her artwork in a beautifully bright and cheery room. Her multi-coloured finger and toe nails. Her smile.

GSK PULSE Assignment Versus GSK Brasov's Orange Day

Well, it wasn't a part of my initial assignment but it did seem like too good an opportunity to pass up. To help create an intranet site for Hospice Casa Sperantei based on SharePoint.

Given that I have had some exposure to SharePoint through using it and implementing Sites and Sub-Sites in GSK Australia, I thought that it was something I could start to play with and work towards implementing closer to the end of my time in Romania. I quickly realised that having full access to SharePoint and not just the GSK templates on offer to us at home meant I would need significant software designer experience and assistance. Enter GSK Brasov.

A little background. Early in my PULSE assignment I met with Marius, IT Director at GSK Brasov when we were both running in the Hospice Crosa (me 4km, he, the full course). I suggested a partnership at this stage and a plan started to form. Orange Day is one day a year given to GSK employees to dedicate to a charity, either individually or as a part of their team. I thought, I wonder whether we can partner the PULSE project and Orange Day in a collaborative IT project? When I proposed this concept to Marius, he agreed to help. After a few initial meetings with Marius and his  team and a brief introduction to the Hospices requirements, the day was set.

At 9.30am the A-team arrived. Victor, the Hospice IT Director and I completed a quick brief on what our expectations and needs were for the project. Basically we wanted a simple intranet site that was in keeping with the Hospice design and profile and inclusive of the teams collaborative needs. Reservation bookings, Event Calendars, Newsletter, Blog Spot, Announcements and Employee Look-Ups were a few of the major features.

A quick overview of the project

 

10am the team had a Inpatients Unit Site Tour, to get an idea of who their work would eventually be benefiting. As one of the staff members at the Hospice said, they usually receive volunteers to help with patients or events but very few people think of the IT infrastructure and its requirements. However if what was created today worked well, there would be nothing to stop Victor and the Hospice from taking the site global to the groups within the network in the UK, Moldova, Serbia, USA and Scotland.

Hospice Casa Sperantei - A Beacon of Hope in Romania

Mirabela, our Volunteers Coordinator explaining the role of the Hospice
and the valuable work they do.

 

Petruta explaining the work of the Medical team to the group

 

Preparing a ward for patients. Although palliative care is a
heart-wrenching industry to be working in, the team at
Hospice Casa Sperantei put the patients needs first, ensuring that
their last moments are filled with light and a peace-filled environment.

11am, The work started. The initial designs were taken back to scratch and the whole site rebuilt. The team were focused, energised and brought a whole new viewpoint and set of ideas to what we initially conceptualised. Proof that a well-structured team can work wonders.

1pm. The team were focused but needed a pick me up. Pizza?

From 1.30pm to around 6pm the team worked furiously. They completed the overall design of the intranet, the IT ticketing system and a strong basis for launch. All that is left for Victor and I to do is add the appropriate web-parts and content. They didn't leave until their tasks were complete and we were all satisfied with the result. What they offered us today was five IT experts, full time on a singular project. Realistically this task could not have been achieved by the Hospices dedicated team of two people given they would need to complete their every day activities as well as implement the site. This would entail payment from Hospices for training, time out of their regular jobs not to mention the need for additional resource. This project could literally run into thousands of dollars to achieve what GSK were able to implement in a day. To say that I am grateful is an understatement.

Mirabela and Victor - They are grateful too :)

Home time!! A job well done

Acknowledgements

Marius Istrate - Service Manager of the Web Technology Centre, GSK - Brasov
Victor Anania - IT Director of Hospice Casa Sperantei Romania
Victor Miron - SharePoint Expert and Overall Designer of Hospice Intranet Page
Sorin Allinca - SharePoint Expert
Codruta Alexandru - SharePoint Expert
Stefan Bustan - SharePoint Expert
Mirabela Vasile - Volunteer Co-ordinator, Hospice Casa Sperantei
Petruta Anania - Assistant Co-ordinator, Social Division