I traded my one ordinary green pen of the ballpoint variety with Megan tonight for her fluffy frog. Here we are.

Rodrigus was just sitting there next to the computer and cannot wait to get out and about. You see, as Rodrigus and I were catching up on the way home, I learnt that he’s got quite a story to tell!

He was born in China, and then shipped to Canada. Megan’s friend bought him from a tourist shop in Canada and, he thinks he went via London on his way to South Africa where he was given to Megan.

Now the thing is Megan had a really bad time getting on with frogs (until recently)… some might even term it a phobia of our amphibian friends that Megan grappled with. So when Rodrigus was dropped off at Megan’s home in Edenvale, Johannesburg, well, let’s just say that there were no fireworks between them. Megan agreed to take care of Rodrigus, feeling that it might help her overcome her dislike of anything that jumped and croaked.

Megan then went travelling overseas for a few years, and during this time Rodrigus spent too long in a dark, cramped box in the storage room of Megan’s Grandmother, at her Retirement home in Edenvale.

Upon Megan’s return from travelling in Europe and Asia (and those travel stories are for another blog, another time Megan tells me) she moved to Sandton with her boxes. Rodrigus was set free again to sit next to Megan while she studied, alongside to her computer.

Megan is a Psychologist finishing off her Masters this year, and she specialises in Community Psychology. She was telling me some of her exciting dreams, like this one of creating a network of people who would like to give back and do something for those in need, but don’t know how to give back. She comes in contact so often with people who just need something small that will make the hugest difference in their lives- something like a phone card to call their child living in another country to see if he is alright, or a pair of shoes, or stationery for their child at school.

So she’s got this idea to put the people’s requests out to a network within the community, so those that want can help those that need it. Great idea, Meg! (If you have any ideas for Megan on how to do this, or would like to be a part, or just cheer Megan on- send me an email and I’ll send it to her!)

Back to Rodrigus… so he’s been sitting next to her computer, getting used to seeing the sunlight again and mixing with people. Just being there helped Megan out a bit with her fear of amphibians, and then lately with the help of the Neuro-Semantic phobia cure pattern, Megan is feeling a lot more tolerant of things that jump and go croak in the night. So as Megan said, it’s time Rodrigus moves on.

And he agrees. Actually he’s got big plans, and this is where you come in.

Rodrigus wants to travel the world! He’s been dreaming of it! He feels like he’s lost so much time sitting by computers and in boxes, that he wants to make up for it and see as much of the world as possible.

(Here's Rodrigus taking a self portrait with Megan.)

So he’s asked that he finds a home that will allow him the freedom to travel, and he’s agreed that he’ll keep in touch and send me photo’s of all the places he visits, so I can post them here for us to see his adventures.

So this is our plan, and we’re hoping you’ll be able to help out: Rodrigus would like a nice, safe, cosy home to call his base. He’d ideally like to live with someone who travels a lot, but if not, he’d like a place that will allow him to get picked up by travellers. He’d then get to travel and see the world, and still get to come back to his nice, safe, cosy home-base in between travels. So his ideal new owner could be someone who would be ok with people getting in touch with them via me on onematchstick, to come pick him up to take him on their travels and to send the photo’s back to me.

So would you like to help Rodrigus fulfil his dream of travelling all over the world? If so, send me your offer to onematchstick@gmail.com

I’ll be off now to help Rodrigus settle in for the night at his new temporary home next to my computer.

Cheers!
T

I think I made history today. Has anyone ever traded one matchstick before? I wonder! If you know, let me know and I’ll publish the details here. Otherwise, I got to make history with the first trade ever of a matchstick for an ordinary green pen of the ball point variety.

I did the actual exchange this evening at the Piatto – the best Mediterranean restaurant in Jozi by the way- in Cresta, at the INNER Circle Cresta, with Nikki Viljoen. Here's a self portrait of us- that's Nikki with the matchstick, and me with the green pen. See how green it is? click on the pic to see more...

The pen is totally green and it’s a BIC pen, one that you can click to annoy the people around you. And the green ink is a pretty funky hue, just as I imagined!

Nikki’s an ace internal auditor, and networker! Boy did she get the networking going between the decision makers at her meeting. Thanks Nikki for fitting in the trade with me at your meeting! I wonder now if any of those decision makers will think of what they can offer me for my green pen? They might need someone to help with auditing their books, like Nikki, and then the pen will come in real handy! Or maybe they just like writing their notes in a funky green. Anyway, it’s late and I’ll be off to never never land now… so send me an email with your offer for my ordinary green pen of the ballpoint variety on onematchstick@gmail.com

Cheers
T

There’s a first for everything. And today is the day I did my first trade. And it’s the first time I traded one matchstick. And it’s a first time too that I traded one matchstick with an internal auditor. Actually it’s a first that I traded anything with an internal auditor!

I just got off the phone with Nikki Viljoen and accepted her offer for her ordinary green pen of the ballpoint variety, for my one matchstick of the sliver of dead tree with a sulphur head variety.

I love green pens- I remember using a green Bic pen at school and varsity… somehow the green ink was far more exciting than black and blue ink. The teachers didn’t appreciate that though. Nowadays I prefer a sharp HB pencil- not those clicky ones, but the kinda pencil you got to sharpen with a spiffy sharpener of sorts.

So Nikki was busy in a meeting- but felt this trade was also important so thank you Nikki for taking my call! She’ll be sending a photo shortly of her ordinary green pen of the ballpoint variety so you can see it soon. I’ll be going to make the trade officially next Tuesday at her INNER Circle meeting, so that should be fun!

So who likes ordinary green pens of the ballpoint variety? Who could do with one? As Nikki pointed out, “the green pen and/or green ink is used exclusively by Auditors world wide” and so if you trade with me, you’ll join the ranks of esteemed auditors like Nikki Viljoen and get to make your scribbles in green ink. Or maybe you’re an Internal or External Auditor and need a green pen? Or maybe you’re just like me and dig the funkiness of writing in green?

Whatever your reason, just note that if you use this ordinary green pen of the ballpoint variety at work… you may get into trouble if you’re not the auditor (and one matchstick takes no responsibility for the consequences of using this ordinary green pen of the ballpoint variety). So send me your offers for one ordinary green pen of the ballpoint variety to onematchstick@gmail.com

Hi Telane

I read the one red paperclip story, so I thought I would get the ball rolling. (don't get confused, I am at a meeting at Trevor Nel and waiting for my cup of coffee, so I am replying from his computer).

I will trade you one green pen for your match stick. Now don't get me wrong, it is an ordinary green pen of the ball point variety. The reason I am trading you the green pen is as follows:-

Most people don't know that the green pen and/or green ink is used exclusively by Auditors world wide. This is to differentiate between the person who is doing the writing and the person who is doing the checking. When the auditor checks the work, he/she uses the green pen/ink to indicate and or evidence that they have checked that particular item.

In huge corporates and businesses, the usage of a green pen and/or ink by someone other than the Internal or External auditor can constitute fraud and can there therefore be a dismissable offence, so my advice to you, should you choose to accept my offer, would be to use it carefully and wisely.

I would suggest that we do the trade at my next Inner Circle Meeting (to get the most out of it, I will invite Ian from Caxton who can then do a write up for us) at my other office at the Piatto in Cresta.

Should you wish to take me up on this offer, kindly contact me on my email

Regards
Nikki


I will be boring and trade your matchstick for a pen? Grant

Well, I can think of plenty of uses. Perhaps you’d like to share one nifty use that you can think of, for one matchstick, here ? I’ll start, and you can add comments with your ideas. Ok?

What you can do with one matchstick:
1. Trade one matchstick for offices
2. Light a candle
3. ....

Well, now it's your turn... if you're not sure how to take part, then click here to find out how to add comments.

Later,
Telana

If you didn’t have any matches, and needed just one to make your day, what would you trade for that one matchstick? Well, I’m hoping that day is today, and you’ll consider making that trade for one matchstick- which is the last matchstick I have in this box of matches – so that I can get to make your day! (and mine!) So if you have something that you no longer need/want/have space for/etc., and are wiling to trade it for a matchstick, then contact me by sending an email with your offer to onematchstick@gmail.com

You see, I‘ve been wishing for an office for a while now... don’t get me wrong, I have a nice, cosy one at home that is meeting my needs, but now that my business is growing, I’d like some offices away from home. Recently a friend sent me an email that lead me to Kyle MacDonald’s project, and that inspired me to start a project of my own (thanks Kyle for the awesome inspiration!) If you don’t know what I’m talking about, have a look at oneredpaperclip.

And so I’m trading one matchstick for an office. Or a whole suite of offices, even a whole building! How it’s going to work is I’ll be making a line of trades up each time, until I get offices! And I'll go anywhre in SA to make the trade. (I'll even consider anywhere in the world if the trade is right!) Then what I’d like to do is use part of those offices to help a fellow start-up entrepreneur get his/her enterprise off the ground. So send me your trade offer to onematchstick@gmail.com

Hope to be trading with you soon!

Thanks
T

My name is Telana Simpson. I’ve lived in Johannesburg for most of my life, except for my adventures in London and Sydney.

I’m a Courage Coach, and when I’m not helping people have no regrets in their lives by having conversations that count, I’m busy learning something new, taking time out with friends or talking to my 55 year old parrot.

I’ve skydived, scuba dived, eaten eel once, finished 3 Argus cycling races, loved and lost, started a few businesess, hopefully inspired someone and been inspired. Oh and I enjoy rock climbing and roller blading too when I can.

One of my adventure was a thrilling micro light flight, which lead to adding “getting my micro light license” to my list of 101 things to do before I die- yes, I have such a list and have just over 80 goals so far, waiting to be achieved (trading a matchstick being one of them).

I love tango and ceroc dancing, getting caught in the rain, decaf lattes, sitting on the roof watching the moon rise, good company, balloons, candles (and matchsticks!) and conversations that leave a mark.

My favourite song is “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone, all time best movie is the Matrix Trilogy followed by Moulin Rouge, and much-loved novel is “A bridge across forever” by Richard Bach.

Get in touch for a coffee or skype if you'd like to know more!