There are some new people on the bus so here’s a little cameo of my fellow passengers.
Melissa – There are two Melissas. The one at the start of the day, that lives with us during the events, is a consummate professional, focussed on making everything happen that should happen, and preventing everything that shouldn’t. Whilst she is not bossy, there’s no doubt she’s the boss as far as the day-to-day logistics are concerned. She’s the mortar that holds it all together. Daytime Melissa sometimes smiles, but has little time for my tomfoolery. But at the end of the day, when every crisis has been averted, the other Melissa surfaces, swapping stories and letting rip with an infectious belly-laugh.
Janett – Everyone’s boss. Everyone except me, that is, as the sole non-Microsoftie left on the bus. She joined yesterday afternoon, so I don’t know that much about her yet, but just like everyone else, she’s part of the team. We’ve chatted about the bus, about Windows 7, shop-talk, but also about books and the challenges of raising children. IT is too new an industry to have stuffy traditions and rigid hierarchies.
Ken – I’ve known Ken for years, but only electronically. He rejoined the tour on Friday, having recovered from Bus Belly, which then sadly struck the other competition winner, Chris. Unusually, though Ken has changed job roles a couple of times, he has stayed in MS Learning, and is well-known for championing we professionals. I get the impression he’s a little shy, and get him on his own and he’s soft-spoken. But on stage his enthusiasm shines through and delegates are keen to talk to him during breaks. Steer him onto the subject of Bruce Springsteen and you’ll never get away.
Tjeerd – Another name I’ve known for some time but only briefly met. I’ve always been taught to avoid the use of the adjective ‘nice’, but Tjeerd is one of the nicest men I’ve met. He always has time to chat, listening to my stories, chuckling at jokes and adding his own. Whether it’s because we’re both Europeans, or whether he just wants to look after the non-Microsofty, I seem to have spent the most time with him after Chris.
Liberty – On the bus not for her in-depth computer knowledge, but rather for her skills in exam formulation and monitoring. She laughs easily and often, even occasionally at some of my jokes. She shares her enthusiasm for psychometrics, enthusing others, and when she invites people to ask her about it, you just know it’s not an empty offer. She’s also our quartermaster, apportioning the swag at each event.
Stephen – He joined us in Amsterdam. When I first heard of Stephen – especially when I saw his video – I had him marked down as my competition. Everything about him is big. He’s a giant of a man with a shock of black hair that looks like a hairbrush and a matching shaving-brush of a beard. His voice, when he wants it to, booms. He can deliver an unbroken used-car-salesman patter without pausing for breath. He’s also a comedian, throwing a comic Bruce Springsteen T-shirt at Ken when he arrived and demonstrating his sound-effects T-shirt he bought especially for the bus. I concede the contest.
Ian – The Hammer, which I suspect is a nickname only he uses for himself. He too joined us in Amsterdam. I quickly learnt that he is my real competition. He has a quick comeback for any attempt at wit from me, but is open and friendly as he does so. He replaced Chris as my bedroom partner when we collapse into a hotel in the small hours.
Bob – token non-Microsofty. He smiles. He smiles a lot. He smiles so much people become uncomfortable. If he was a tenth as funny as he thought he was, he’d be on the stage. If he was ten times funnier than he actually is, he still wouldn’t be good enough to go on the stage. He has no technical skill in the products that are being showcased on the tour, but he’s useful for shifting boxes and guarding swag.
Such different personalities, such a mix of egos, such a clash of cultures. How is it we don’t start World War Three? I think the commonality is that we are all people persons – I mean person people – I mean, we all have an interest in meeting and interacting with people. Why else would we be involved in learning? And great as sleeping in a coffin is, fantastic as living cheek by jowl in cramped conditions sounds, it’s the people that really make this adventure such fun.
Bob s travelogue can be read at http://www.qa.com/qa-a-learning-company/blogs