One week - Post PULSE assignment

I am still in a state of confusion, time-wise. I am told that it is two days till Christmas by my very excited children but am still unable to comprehend how it has rolled around so quickly! The final week in Romania was a complete whirlwind of good-byes, and best wishes from people I had met throughout my short stay.

Intranet was up and running at exit and I am so happy. The database was glitch free and was being used when I left, also a bonus. I volunteered at my final event, Mojo's Quiz Night and it was one of the most successful ever. There was even a few Aussie trivia questions thrown in as a thank you.

I have to say that I miss Romania already. How could I be so attached to a country and its people so quickly? I understand now how the founder of the Hospices of Hope became so devoted to the future healthcare of Romania and why, 20 years later, he still spends so much of his time and energy championing the cause. One of the biggest issues for me was comprehending how healthcare standards could varying so greatly between individuals depending on circumstance, race, economic background and relationship with the healthcare professional. There is still a lot of corruption in the system and bribery is still considered a standard practice to enable locals to receive adequate healthcare. This simply cannot be seen as acceptable. There needs to be a drive for change. The Hospices of Hope do not accept any payments for their services, and they provide so many. Medical, Psychological, Spiritual, Physical assistance are all a part of helping the palliative care patients and their families. I am proud to say that I will still provide assistance post assignment, on my own time, via electronic means to enable support.

On a personal front, I am feeling the flight overload at the moment. I really enjoyed all the travel, but I have to say, cattle class is not great fun on the long haul flights, the leg cramps, the food, and sleeping upright (which I am now quite proficient at) is not at all fun. I was thankful to the great Aussie hosts on the last flight though, I had chats with them at around 2am, ate all their food and generally annoyed them. I was given a fast past through customs too, so they mustn't have felt too hassled. Now back at home, house bound for the most part, arrived to a sick cat and a broken radiator in my car and a less than healthy bank balance. I am grateful though, two days back in and half the boxes unpacked, and everything seems to be moving back into a general groove of things.

So what's plans next? I am looking forward to Christmas with my family, my eldest daughter is excited about cooking for everyone. Starting back at GSK in early January, a smaller team, a new manager but an enthusiasm to get started and back into the swing of things. On the volunteering front, I hope that once my finances improve to take the girls to either Thailand or Japan this year, closer to home, and both countries needing support in terms of volunteering activities. Watch this Space!!

Merry Christmas Everyone. Blessings and Good Will to you all.

Dani xxx

Just a few thoughts, Christmas and finishing off the assignment...

The last week in Romania. Wow. I am trying hard to contain my excitement with going home although there is equal measures of sadness as I will say goodbye to my new friends and extended families. I have loved every moment of this experience.

Was in Brasov this week and experienced snow!! Real snow! It is soft and fluffy, not hard like hail we get (and I thought it would be). I did end up falling on my butt, runners are not adequate snow wear. I saw fireworks and the Brasov Town Christmas tree lit up, it was the most beautiful sight. Apart from the travel to and from Brasov- (constantly delayed trains), I am really, really going to miss that place. So beautiful and such kind, wonderful friends.

I went to the Bucharest Christmas Market last night and saw the lights and colours of the city. Wow, so incredible! I haven't bought anything to take home yet (I have severely depleted my room in my case) but hopefully I can find some small items for my friends and family before I return.

On the work front, managed to get a lot of work done on the intranet which I am grateful for. The database is working well for those using it, and I am completing my last pieces of paperwork before I leave Friday.

For possibly the first time, I am too overwhelmed to write. Everything I have experienced, shared, has ultimately changed me. I hope for the better. I have experienced such highs and lows, tears and sadness, laughter and happiness.

What have I learnt?

- I swear. A lot. Luckily my team see this as humorous and not offensive (thank goodness!)
- I am quite depreciating. Feedback I have received from my work here has been so warm, so kind and complementary, which I also get at home, but I never really appreciated.
- I need to devote more time to my family and friends. Life can be so fleeting, can be removed in a moment. We need to remember the blessing of every moment we have.
- That you can achieve a lot with very little.

What have I taught?

- Aussies don't sound like Steve Irwin. Sorry mates, but he was in a league of his own.
- That small businesses, companies, organisations need to utilise more computer based tools. If you want to successfully stride into this new era, you must move with the times. I believe that the team are not quite ready, but I am hopeful for their future.
- How to have open and clear dialogue, and how important this is. I think it is so important for people to know where they stand, are they on the right track? What needs to be changed to improve performance?

What would I have changed?

- I believed that I went in with few assumptions. I know now that I was wrong with this. My home team are open to improvements and suggestions for best practise. This can sometimes be misinterpreted as, 'I know better, therefore you should do things my way.' This is not the case nor my intention.
- Language barriers can be difficult with a project. Training a group with varying ability in the English language and having little ability with the local dialect can be a huge barrier. I would like to say that I picked up Romanian quickly and easily but that would be untrue. I would like to think that I would spend more time in prep before starting on learning more about the local language.
- Visa, I think the excessive delays with the processing of the visa was definitely detrimental to my time spent here. I think this needs to be analysed well prior to the assignment and the assignment postponed until this paperwork is complete.

I really cannot believe how fortunate I am to been given this opportunity. I will forever be grateful to gsk and Hospice Casa Sperantei for this time and experience. I look forward to continuing my relationship with the Hospice as a volunteer, helping via skype or remote desktop connection where I can. I will always have the Hospice in my heart as well as inked to my skin.

Pretuim fiecare clipa de viata - Cherish every moment of life.

Dani xxx