8 Apr 2018 12 Apr 2018 • Abrie Joubert
“This week, show us a smile (yours or someone else’s), make us smile, or both” – as per the request of Ben Huberman, WordPress Photo Challenge
These pictures capture a team-build of one of the departments at work. Naturally these goal driven individuals were seduced into pulling silly faces, by the food which was on offer. The food also enticed me to push the camera button, while the camera button is the excuse for me not pulling faces. Regardless my mouth certainly (more than) quivered into a smile at the attempts and reaction to attempts of explaining words without using words (playing charades).
At our work Can-do-attitude is one of the driving forces to get things done. It has become part of our DNA as I was canning myself at the attempts. But this group despite the 2 cool drink cans in the background do not seem to have the can-do-attitude to solve this mystery! See comments under the photos⇓
Colleague 1: Explain better or I will turn you into into… an empty can ⇑
Colleague 2: You can get up, no use trying to be canny on the ground ⇑
⇑ Another driver especially in the Financial services industry the past few years have been using plain language. Companies can(not) simply fall back on a signed contract if that contract is not understood. Using plain language was really drilled into employees at all levels. At one stage I even felt guilty when reading a book making full use of the vocabulary a language has to offer. Those following my blog have probably realized that I have crossed that bridge, thus the photo above is titled: a study in discombobulation. They do indeed look baffled, bamboozled, befuddled, bemused, and bewildered (I think we must include these words in our contracts)⇑
⇑Paging through the photos (taken 24 October 2011), I wondered what growth have taken place in their lives (yes that too but I am not referring to weight!). The setting for instance – we have moved to a much bigger building indicating growth in the company. But I rather aim this at a personal level:
Colleague 1: He has continued to grow in his saintliness which was inspired by looking positively angelic in this photo…
Colleague 2: He has become a successful professional photographer, even in this photo he is ready to push the camera button
Colleague 3: Among other things this beauty has become a mommy. Which also means that the lady in the middle on the 1st photograph has become a grandmother!
Colleague 4: As is evident, she has become Sleeping beauty! ⇑
The Springbok’s front row in a thinking scrum
Some of those trying to explain discombobulation…
I do trust you have been bamboozled into smiling.
Posted in Wordpress weekly photo challengeTagged Confused expressions,Discombobulation,Funny faces,Team building,Wordpress weekly photo challengeBookmark the permalink.
34 thoughts on “A study in discombobulation”
8 Apr 2018 om 7:01 nm
Lyk my jy is ‘n regte grapgat?
8 Apr 2018 om 9:39 nm
Verstaan nie nou nie Tina – sê jy jy lag vir my boude?
9 Apr 2018 om 6:41 nm
9 Apr 2018 om 9:07 nm
Weet darem nie vir daardie ontkenning nie 🙂
8 Apr 2018 om 9:33 nm
Smiling indeed 🙂
8 Apr 2018 om 9:36 nm
🙂 glad you are Anne
8 Apr 2018 om 9:40 nm
Bamboozled that is what I am now. 😮 Discombobulation!!!!
9 Apr 2018 om 9:23 nm
Ek het besluit om ‘n toneelstuk te skryf waarin 5 blondines speel met die naam Designer Discombobulation wat daarop sinspeel dat verstand ondergeskik is aan voorkoms en kleredrag. Die 5 aktrises se name gaan Baffled, Bamboozled, Befuddled, Bemused, en Bewildered wees. Ek dink dit is soveel sinvoller as die oorspronklike name van die 7 dwergies uit ‘n Broadway toneelstuk van 1912 Blick, Flick, Glick, Plick, Snick, Whick, en Quee
9 Apr 2018 om 9:56 nm
Waaaaaar kom jy aan al jou dinge? Skryf jou toneelstuk… ek sal al vyf rolle vertolk… want dis presies wat jy met my kop doen.
9 Apr 2018 om 10:15 nm
Wonderlik dan kan ek vir nog 4 bloggers vra of hulle daarin wil speel
10 Apr 2018 om 7:03 vm
Jy.weet dat my kop net verhoog toe gestaan het toe ek jonk was nê. My ma se woorde was daar is nie manier waarop sy gaan toelaat dat ek elke tweede man op die verhoog soen en dan nog rondtoer ook nie. Was ek nou nog jonk en mooi het ek gesê skryf daardie toneel… ons vat hom planke toe en gaan toer met hom. Daardie vyf blondines sal ‘n sensasie veroorsaak en sorg vir lekker humor!!!
8 Apr 2018 om 10:23 nm
Jy gebruik moeilike woorde!
8 Apr 2018 om 11:12 nm
My kop hak partymaal uit en dan rebelleer ek teen plain language
9 Apr 2018 om 7:25 vm
En my koppie raak al hoe kleiner en die woorde groter …
9 Apr 2018 om 8:15 vm
Reader’s Digest het destyds ‘n artikel gehad: It pays to enrich your word power (solank mens dit net nie in kontrakte gebruik nie)
9 Apr 2018 om 8:21 vm
9 Apr 2018 om 8:51 vm
Solank hier net nie ‘n detonation gebamboozle word nie, is die Kaap weer Hollands! Ek geniet al die gesigsuitdrukkings. Is jou kollegas tevrede dat jy hulle gesigte hier kom wys het, anders gaan daar dalk ‘n upsetation in die firma wees.
9 Apr 2018 om 9:27 nm
Ek het ‘n dreigement of 2 gekry van prokureurs briewe maar die beauty en haar ma wat ouma geword het is baie beindruk. Ek het toevallig aan haar genoem dat ek skinder van haar en haar dogter in my nuutste blog. Die mense vir wie hulle dit vertel het skryf prokureursbriewe, maar dit is net in jest. Dit is natuurlik so dat sommiges op daardie half the men was wat hulle nou is… Groei is so belangrik in die lewe
9 Apr 2018 om 9:31 nm
Jy kan bly wees!
9 Apr 2018 om 9:39 nm
Dis nog niks ek gaan 5 blondines by die werk nooi om in ‘n toneelstuk te speel met die naam Designer Discombobulation wat daarop sinspeel dat verstand ondergeskik is aan voorkoms en kleredrag. Hierdie beauties se name gaan Baffled, Bamboozled, Befuddled, Bemused, en Bewildered wees. Ek is oortuig dit gaan ‘n Broadway hit wees…
10 Apr 2018 om 7:02 vm
Ek hoop die blondines is almal mans, anders gaan jy beskuldig word van seksisme. 😄
Terug pieng: Smile: Stan – What's (in) the picture?
9 Apr 2018 om 1:25 nm
Facial expressions are so interesting….you bamboozled me into smiling, Abrie! 😀
9 Apr 2018 om 9:29 nm
In is important for a healthy mental state to have the ability to be bamboozled into smiling 🙂
10 Apr 2018 om 4:08 nm
15 Apr 2018 om 10:31 nm
Really great captures of wonderful facial expressions, Abrie! 😄
16 Apr 2018 om 6:51 vm
Thank you Jane. I am discombobulated by the variation of facial expressions
18 Apr 2018 om 8:17 nm
Their expressions are hilarious! I sometimes work in team building and I love watching the participants faces when they are confused.
18 Apr 2018 om 10:01 nm
Hi Kerry thanks for your postcard. Appreciate the visit. And yeah this have a few people going 😄
21 Apr 2018 om 2:59 nm
Iets bly in my agterkop draai…. toe dink ek vra Abrie en kry klaar. Jy het eenkeer in ‘n kommentaar my op my regte naam “Lana” genoem. Hoe het jy daarby uitgekom? Dit tickle my want sovêr ek weet skryf ek anoniem.
21 Apr 2018 om 6:20 nm
Ek het vandag baie interessante roete gestap wat ek later oor sal blog. Wanneer mens op die ou dashboard kyk onder comments volgende eers die epos adres en dan die kommentaar. Op die nuwe dashboard onder comments is daar User info knop pie regs waar jy ook die epos adres kry. En jou naam is in jou epos adres
21 Apr 2018 om 8:07 nm
Jy klink soos ‘n speurder 😕 Dis tyd.dat jy nou uit daardie bos tevoorskyn kom en vir ons met jou kamera die nuwe roete wys.
26 Apr 2018 om 7:13 nm
Heel grappig 😀 Yes, these images make me smile 🙂
26 Apr 2018 om 11:36 nm
Glad to hear that Indah. I’ll try to make you smile again
Gegroet Toweropstal – hello Pollsm…