Away Day

Being employed allows you to use your skills and talents as appropriate. It could also stretch and challenge you, making you rethink on how you operate. And once you have been stretched and challenged, that enriches your experience which you can then add in your CV and 'sell' during your interview.

As we spend our energy and creative juices in whatever field we are in, there is a need for us to slow down. Otherwise, the once enjoyable work can become an agony. 

A few weeks ago, our team had an away day. An away day is organised for us to reflect and plan for the future; in our case, we plan for the next academic year. We gathered in a function area in different campus (not our usual workplace) where our superiors made a brief report on what we have achieved and what are being planned. Later, we were grouped to solve a mystery crime which involved a lot of walking around the city centre. 

It was a sunny, warm day. Wearing summer clothes, including my shades, I walked with my group mates for some sort of a treasure hunt. We went to Nottingham Castle where a statue of Robin Hood is located (https://www.nottinghamcastle.org.uk/)

Further up, we went to the hill where King Charles I raised his standard to signal the start of the First Civil War (1642-46). Too bad, the war he launched did not succeed; he was tried and executed in 1649 (http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/gill1904/charlesi.htm)

Feeling a bit exhausted, we decided to have our lunch outside the Nottingham Playhouse, a theatre established in 1948. The current building opened in 1963 (https://www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/). 

We walked past Albert Hall Conference Centre which is just next to the Nottingham Playhouse. Built in the 1870s, it was the largest concert hall in Nottingham (http://www.alberthallnottingham.co.uk/). 

Across Albert Hall is St Barnabas Cathedral. Inaugurated in 1844, this beautiful church is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Nottingham  (http://www.stbarnabascathedral.org.uk/00_site/Home.html).

Descending from the hilly side of town, we made our way to the Old Market Square, said to be the largest surviving square in the UK,  which is decorated every season. This summer, it's like a beach there which I find to be cool especially with this heat wave going on. Further down is the Council House, where local politicians conduct business (https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/about-the-council/the-council-house/intro-to-the-council-house/). Almost 11 years ago, I took my oath as a British citizen in that building. 

As we kept ticking the list in our mystery crime game, we saw more and more places in town - some we easily recalled, some we struggled to find out. One time, an old lady approached us to ask if we were lost. She mistook us as tourists! 

Our feet led us later to St Mary the Virgin Church, the oldest religious foundation in Nottingham. This Anglican church was the birthplace of Nottingham Bluecoat School, the oldest school in Nottingham. It is also where the remains of George Africanus, a former slave who became a successful entrepreneur in Nottingham, are laid to rest. (https://www.stmarysnottingham.org/)

As we left St Mary, we made our way to Piano and Pitcher Nottingham (http://www.pitcherandpiano.com/home) where we saw quite a number of our colleagues having a drink outside. This used to be a Unitarian church, but was converted into a restaurant. As I made my way inside to buy a drink, my eyes caught the attention of a huge glass stained  window with different characters symbolising a host of virtues such as mercy and justice as well as endeavours such as education, science, and labour. At the middle of the second row of characters, one can find Jesus carrying a little child.

The away day has given us a chance to get to know more about the town and the many places which we may be familiar with, may not have known at all, or may not have taken notice. Preoccupied with work, we may have just walked past these spots without really appreciating what they are and what their significance is. We may have solved the mystery crime in the end, but I think the process that goes with it  - going from one place to another, communicating with group mates, having fun, etc - matter most. The away day recharged us!