A couple of years ago I was working in a web project with a department of the "The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions" . The task was to create an interactive web site for people involved in the development and management of Public RealEstate. A site like this involving all organisations of public Real Estate owners in a country is not easily hosted in any of the involved organisations. We decided to use a web service from the Swedish company WebForum and named it www.offentligafastigheter.se/ (translates "publicrealestate") and started to work.
We were struggling with how to present the project to target groups, and what to focus the spotlight on. One day one of us asked "What should this web site be like, or being compared to?" The answer was immediate - "A waterhole"
Suddenly we had a wonderful discussion about waterholes, and in what ways our web site could be compared to a waterhole.
A few years earlier I had been in South Africa. At a visit to Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve I was guided by Jeff, a great tour guide. This memory came to my mind and I thought it could be interesting to develop this idea of waterholes further by asking him if he had any pictures of waterholes. Now how would I find him? I started to look back at the old pictures and on one of them I found his "Kalahari Ferrari" with the phone number on the door!So I call Jeff and he answers!!! Imagine the conversation
-Hello my name is Leif and I was on one of your safaris a few years ago.....
-Huh?
-You remember, it was a day when there hade been heavy rainfall during the night and we witnessed three elefants that almost drowned...
-Yeahhh! You sent me the pictures!
-Well I am now working with an Internet Project with public property owners of Sweden and I wonder if you could help me....?
-????????
You see, we got very inspired by the idea that our website should be like a waterhole. We have talked a lot of our understanding of what a waterhole stands for. I wonder, do you have any good pictures of water holes.
-Hmmmm. What a wonderful idea. You know, I will try to get some good pictures this week when I am out in the park. OK?
-It would be wonderful. Coming to think of it, I have this other idea as well. Would it be possible to write something about the meaning of water holes from your perspective?
-I will do my best, sir!
The next weekend I got some incredible pictures from Jeff, and a wonderful story around the meaning of Water Holes.I thought, wouldn't it be wonderful to think of going on Metaphor safari. The idea was there. Now is the time to make it a reality. Join us in the Metafari, either by just subscribing here on http://www.metafari.eu/ or by joining us in Tanzania where the physical Metafari will start Nov 22 in Tanga International Conference Center.
What is your story, Lena?
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