While it is all fun and games for most people on this "work" trip, I took part in the first session of a SaaS sales methodology course, which was actually pretty good - considering I am not a sales person. I am in Sales Enablement however, which means my role is to help our account executives develop and refine their skills in order to improve their results, so knowing the sales processes they use is important. It was interesting - but it is a post for another time, when I have more time.
We have a "live in chef" (one of the sales executive's partner) and it is my shift to help prep for dinner tonight, along with a few others. It is actually really nice in the way this has been set up, as there is no formal agenda, but there are lots of connection points for people to interact in ways they normally wouldn't.
For example, on the slopes. I didn't ski today, but tomorrow I will take a lesson with a few other "non-Nordic" people who can't ski either. The last time I actually tried to ski was 28 years ago - so I will give it a go and if it doesn't feel good, I will rent a snowboard, because I do have some experience and and the last time was only 15 years ago - so I should be twice as good than on skis.
We did however go up in the gondola to near the top. A journey that took us about 15 minutes moving straight up. Coming down it is about a 6 kilometer run and according to colleagues and despite the lack of snow to the sides, the dressed slopes are in great condition.
The reason I wanted to go up "ski-less" is so I could take some photos and show what it looks like at a great ski resort, sans most of the snow and most of the people. This is midweek and at the tail-end of the season, so there is hardly anyone around, making it far more enjoyable in many ways. The areas between the runs is filled with some very fancy cottages and it looks like there are many more being built - suffice to say, I can't afford one of these and most Norwegians can't either, even with all that oil money.
So, unlike most posts I do... here is a photo dump :)
What did you think - Nice views?
Finland is so flat that I miss seeing mountains and all of the "layers" within the landscape. Hopefully tomorrow after the lesson, I will get a chance to get back up there for some more photos, but the gondola closes quite early, so catching the sunset is unfortunately impossible - unless I walk the 6 kilometers up the black run... I am not that sporty.
I am late - my kitchen shift is starting!!
Taraz
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