Shandiversary

I've been in a sentimental phase as tomorrow marks ten years since I began working with Fauna & Flora International. What a fantastic rollercoaster of an adventure, with no end in sight. I'll be moving to Mozambique, likely by the end of September.

I was asked what my highlights have been and they're truly too numerous to list. Trips to the Tibetan Plateau, the privilege of developing our South Sudan work and the incredible luck of seeing a tigress and cubs in Sumatra on my first ever visit to Asia. Working with Vietnamese, Liberians, Indonesians and South Sudanese has helped me grow professionally and personally and I'm grateful for the range of projects, people and places I've been exposed to. I've developed some mega friendships that bring so much fun and depth. It was such a lucky move to get into the organisation, as I regularly wonder about others from my masters course, who haven't been so fortunate.

Working conditions at FFI may be more favourable than at the Portuguese bakery Elizabeth and I visited before work. The proprietor is a stern unsmiling matriarch and the temperature inside is at least 30 degrees. Her custard-filled almond croissants and coffee are second to none, and we snaffled them on a bench in the cemetery. The wood was slightly damp but otherwise the ground is so thirsty that there was no hint of the heavy overnight rain. Elizabeth had picked some sweet peas, which were later displayed on my desk.

The temperature in the office was sweltering so we had to do a mass break out mid-afternoon for ice cream. The benefits of peer to peer networking as we waited in line, and the reduced body temperature that supported greater productivity, must have been worth the collective person hours lost at desks. That's how I would defend it to the upper echelons.

I wanted to gather a rabble for a pub night to celebrate the milestone, but another colleague announced a house party for the same night. He kindly suggested a boozy stop-off en route to his, which I duly encouraged. We got drenched by rain in the beer garden, but it was otherwise great fun, and several shandies were consumed. Given our amazing run, I'd pledged to give the weather a few days' grace when it finally turned. My good intentions failed. I don't like getting rained on, especially when everyone rushes for cover into a grimy pub and everything is glistening wet and clammy.

Jonty's party was great fun when we joined it fashionably late. Some impressive 80s outfits and classic tunes from the era. I think his kitchen floor was trashed by too much dancing to Africa by Toto until 3am.