How to deal with a special situation

Daily I take both of my kids to school, well they both drive me and I try to teach them how to drive. I have to leave Arturo at 6:10 am where the bus pick him up, and then with Mauricio I have to drive to the other campus.

To avoid setbacks, we usually arrive to this site about 10 minutes earlier, and park on the side of the ridge that is perpendicular to the pick up area. One day, when Mauricio started the car and turn on the lights, at 6:10am, an automobile parked in front of us, and it will not allow us to move on to our next destination.

In addition to the parking action, suddenly the trunk opens from inside and a lady steps outside. I seized the moment to open my window and ask her if she was going to take a lot of time. Notoriously thwarted about my question, she answered that it will take her a lot of time, because she was going to take out her son's wheel chair and then help him to get into the bus.

At that moment, I realized that her activity will take her a lot of time, and that probably Mauricio and me will be late to the next site. So I have to ask her, please, that if she could move her car, because we were about to leave and we probably be late if we wait her.

She seem extremely odd, and probably a little upset from my lack of empathy to her situation, but she decided to move her car and we could leave without any problems.

In our way to the school, Mauricio and me had the following conversation:

-- Mom, the boy had a wheel chair

-- So?

--You should not ask her to move.

--You think that we should arrive late because one person who has this wheel chair?

At the end of the day, I asked Arturo how long did this boy has been using his wheel chair, and he told me that it was his first day. Neither the boy or us arrive late to our destiny. I also asked Arturo to be aware if this boy arrive to that site, that he should help him to unload the wheel chair or help the boy.

In your personal point of view, what you should do? I leave you with a map of the positions both cars had so you may figure the situation:

Networking and Personal Relations

Today I'd like to write about some tips that could be helpful to improve your network or your personal relations. This advices may have been written by a lot of people, but I think you may remember some of them the next days and improve your projection:

1.- Don't forget your manners: Words like "Good Morning", "Good Evening", "Please" and "Thank you" are essential to start a good personal exchange.

2.- Remember the name of everybody: Maybe at some point it could be a little difficult, but you just have to remember that the name is the sweetest sound some people may heard. Take your time and learn the names of the people with whom you are going to meet.

3.- Say people how special they are: When someone hears that he or she is been appreciated, immediately their behavior looses up. Make your comment authentic.

4.- Show the people you are making your best effort: People realize when other people do things for obligation or in a bad mood. Make yourself aware and put all your enthusiasm in what you do, it will bring you a lot of benefits.

5.- Keep a honest smile: In almost every situation smiling will help. Try it, it's the best make up in the world.

Have you ever failed in this advises? Tell us about your experience and the way you solve it.

Sancocho Meal

This weekend, Thelma invited us to eat Sancocho, a typical meal from Dominican Republic and it looks that it has a lot of cultural traditions in this meal invitation.

First, this dish is considered one of Dominican national dishes, it consists of white rice, meats, tubercle, vegetables and spices. You can also add orange juice. They explain me that this soup is made on the rainy days because of the warmth that this cooking brings to the house and to the people. 

I think this is why this Sancocho is so popular among my friends, its perfect for Mexico City, here it rains every day and the weather is mostly cold. There will be people that say that it's not true, but I can't get used to it.

Else wise inviting some of our common friends, Thelma also invited her Dominican friends. So the moment I arrived to her house, I could listen that the conversations were a little different of mine. Almost all the people there where foreigners, the accent theme was interesting.

Before bringing the soup, they play some music and all of a sudden there were a lot of people dancing in the living room. Thelma explained me that in Dominican Republic they dance every time they gather around. There are not explanations to be done, when the music starts, the people stand up and dance. I thing that I should be born Dominican, because I love dancing.

One the people get tired of dancing, started the appetizers time, of course they where done in the Dominican way: Banana with Chorizo, Fried Yucca, Yucca's bread with Chicharron. The Sancocho was done in two types, first the traditional one and the second one with some beans. Because this soup has a lot of texture, I just eat the traditional one. I left the second one to the next invitation to Thelma's Sancocho.

When the party was getting to it's end, we had appetizers, soup and desserts. We have been dancing, singing and speaking about this delicious food. Once again, the interest of tasting some different types of food, learning about cultural traditions and making some networking lead me to have an excellent Saturday evening at Mexico City.

Have you tryied Sancocho? Let us know about your experience.

One Emailing Rule

The other day we were chatting on lunch time, about the importance of knowing who is sending an email. So different comments where made by the group. Today I want to tell you about our discussion and why did not consense:

How many times you have to sign an email?

We all agreed that the first time you send an email its important that it has your personal information with your contact data, phone, cell phone, skype, web page, among other. So the people receiving this message will know where to find you when necessary.

But then the discussion continue, if the mail is in the same sequence, will you sign all your contributions or just the first one?

Personally I say that all the contributions have to be signed with all your data, in this way you may be contacted immediately and find your information easily.

But Frank say that if you where receiving and reading in your cell phone the messages, and if all of them had institutional signatures, it would make long and hard to read the information search in the same email chain, so he suggested that the first email should have your signature, but not the rest.

Being this blog a networking one, I would like to know your opinions about this fundamental rule of emailing, How do you prefer to read your emails, with or without each comment signature?

Send us your opinions to try to reach a social consense.

Encuesta

Duckworking

Some weeks ago, I was driving with my sons, we wanted to have some "Tacos" and meanwhile we where chatting. All of a sudden, Mauricio told us, "Look, there is a lady walking a duck.".

In the beginning we didn't understand, the sentence was meaningless, so we asked him, what are you talking about? So he ask us to turn around and look at the sidewalk, and we will find the woman.

It happens that a lady, with some Asian characteristics, was walking down the street, with what it should be her pet, a duck. And not a small one, a big size duck, adult, with all his white feathers, and his yellow duck beak.

It was kind of a strange picture, this lady, hasn't her pet with a strap, as if would happen if her pet was a dog. But when she walked, she was talking to her duck, and tell him to walk faster or to move to the right. Something totally strange for me and my sons. When she arrived to the corner of the street, she take the duck with both hands and they both cross the street, and when arriving to the next side, she place the duck back for him to walk with her.

We couldn't get down the car, but watch was happening, we could see some people stopping her and asking about her unusual pet. We could imagine some of this questions: How do you get a duck for a pet? What's his name? How old is him? How did you train him?

Some of my suggestions when you have a duckworking:

1.- Having different pets, could give you the opportunity to meet a lot of people, moreover if you take them for a walk. Give yourself the chance to answer all the questions you've been asked and seize the opportunity to increase your network.

2.- Consider the fact that in some cultures, some people may be offended, if you are not hurting your pet, and you learn about the caring of it, you have nothing to worry about, just think that it may be someone that do not agree.

3.- If you are the type of people that do not has a pet, give yourself the opportunity to meet people that does. Ask them about the care they should have, the space, among other things. Maybe you won't go and buy a pet, but you will seize the chance to meet another people.

Transportation Networking

Arturo, my youngest son, enrolled this semester to a high school that is far away from where we live. This has made that he develop some networking skills. He says that he didn't learned that from me... but I love to tell this story, because the parents example is then copied by the kids.

It happens that there is a transportation that takes him and brings him back from his high school, but the nearest point that the route could bring him is about a 50 minute walk, it means its about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from where we live. In the mornings, we organize ourselves to drop him in my way to work. But in the afternoon, he usually arrives earlier than me, so he has made some arrangements to solve his transportation problem.

The first thing he do, was to meet his bus peers, then he watched the ones that lived on his way, and when the mother of one of his friends offered a ride to the other bus stop, he took her word and get the first walk free.

When he arrived to the bus stop, he realized that there was a lot of people waiting, and when the bus finally arrived, it has no place to get up. That happened with 3 different buses. So one of the guys standing there say out loud: "I'm heading to Cacalote, do someone want to share a cab?", with my son, 2 more people say yes, and shared a taxi, they save some money, and get to know some other ways to solve the transportation problem.

The last time, he didn't get to board the bus, neither share a ride, so he started walking and eventually the former owner of the transportation company that give him service, ask if he want a lift, of course Arturo, get into the van and thank "Pepe" his gesture.

With this story in mind, my recommendations to do some networking are:

1.- Get to know the people that do the same activities than you, like being students at your same high school, it will give you some confidence token and you may seize the advantages like getting some free rides.

2.- When some other people need the same service than you, try to share, this will become really useful if you are on vacation, you may get the opportunity to meet people, and get some good discounts.

3.- Have some friends with people that you used to have services from, and having a good relationship, will allow you to get recognized and offer you some type of help.

Have you lived an experience that you want to share?

Conduct Networking

I received a video related to the crowd control or mass control. In this example, you can easily watch that a girl starts doing the same activities than the group without making any questions. 

As you see this girl, when at the doctor's place, and started to see what the other patients do. she wanted to adapt to the group customs, so each time the bell rings, she do what other people do. She didn't make a question, just mirrors the attitudes from the people surrounding her. 

When the people leaves the room, she still continue with the behavior that has been developing, for about 5 minutes. Then an outsider arrives and it's suppose not being conditioned, so this boy does what I recommend to do, ask the people, Why are you doing this?

Her answer that it is because everyone else does, is not a grounded answer that explains her behavior. Until here the video facts. Relating this with the Networking Theme, you may understand why people chooses to do what they do.

Everything can be asked, so you may take an action to do what the rest of the people do, without knowing the causes and just act or ask the people about their actions and then act. In a personal relations context, this second attitude, allows you to make some more interactions and learn about the causes of making some ordinary activities.

When you are a small child, you are generally taught to obey without making questions, and when you are a grown up adult, you have the obligation to make them. So for people that studied around the 80´s or back, for sure your education be a little more rigid or traditional, where students not easily make questions to teachers. Nowadays its easily to collaborate because of the development of new teaching-learning techniques. Now is expected that the students make intelligent questions to understand the different possible answers.

Getting back to the point, the networking gives you a chance to understand causes. Some recommendations include:

1.- Ask to understand causes, be an observer, and ask questions, no one should get mad if you make some questions. Maybe you could get some insights.

2.- Be careful on your asking manners, avoid being offensive or rude and that your question is not a mock of the people or their customs. Only ask why they are doing the things that way, and  maybe you find some other ways of thinking or acting.

3.- Once you get the information in a correct way, then you can decide if you want to continue with the behavior or not.

Have you asked some of this questions before?