Courage to leap

I am still astonished with myself that, since when I made the commitment to write into my blog every month, I have successfully kept up with a ones in a month posting into it. Big ups to me!!!

Its now two weeks since I arrived into Nigeria and quite a number of things have transpired, obviously; but as you must have known me by now that I always bring out the stories that flashes your eyes wide open or make you want to drop that one emotional tear. Well this post is to continue from where I had stopped from my last one and hopefully intends to touch that emotional side of you ones more.

Nigeria, a country endowed with loads and loads of natural resources and yet is still very poor. Well, Nigeria is not a first of its kind but as we all know, our leaders (or so they call themselves) have failed to do the right thing for the country and now it has led us to the state we currently are. A country which cannot even boast of one thing it is good at, even at the midst of all of our abundant resources. Ok, this is not where my post really intends to lead us to, so I'll stop here!

So on arrival back to motherland and after a couple of days of trying to decipher my left from right, I finally got my way through most of the challenges of transportation (though I had to take taxis most of the time due to fear of getting lost). One of the first places I visited was the AIESEC Nigeria office. You guessed right! How the hell could I forget my home boys and brothers in the game! On getting to their office, I realised that really, nothing there had changed. As a matter of fact it seemed to look a little worse than I had last seen it two plus years ago.

One thing for sure that has changed are the leaders of the organisation. The guys on the current AIESEC Nigeria National team - Niyi, David, Olaoluwa and Fisayo have all been old time friends in the game with me. All formerly LCPs at some point and had created a lot of results for their LC, Niyi had been a guy I had worked on the same stage with on the LC level, but now he is the MCP of AIESEC Nigeria. This wouldn't surprise you why they immediately jumped at me to become the chair of their National Training Seminar at the first site of me in their office and at my second day in Nigeria. Who would have said no to such an offer so tempting?

So I started my role as the chair of a conference which was less than 7 days old to the date the conference was meant to begin. Honestly I was prepared for what ever was to come from this role, but sadly and very depressingly, I had some other major personal commitments that was to be a big hindrance to me. My parents were not even willing to listen to the fact that I was less than a week old in Nigeria and I had not thought of what my main reason for coming back home was, before taking up another responsibility which was completely away from why I was here. As you all know that parents are very influential when it comes to decisions such as this one, after doing my first pre-meeting with the Faci team, all ready to make a blast of this conference, I suddenly had to turn down the offer.

For me, it now seems to be unbecoming of me. I seem to always over promise myself and others about certain decisions and responsibilities and fail to fully deliver. When this issue became this way, I had to pause and reflect a little about some recent decisions I had taking unfulfilled; Like the position of MCP for AIESEC South Africa. Its a lot better for me not to even make a move at the role than for me to do it half way and turn back afterwards.

After this happened I made a promise to myself that I will never step into a shoe I don't intent to wear for a walk. I will think long term and make a decision based on it. I will not make rash and rushed decisions without looking at circumstances surrounding it first. I will be a lot wiser with decision making.

Fortunately this guys understood my dilemma and still wish I could always chair their conference in the near future and I am totally open to this offer; But one highlight of this incidence is that even though I know I had obstacles ahead of me, I still took the courage to leap into the challenges and even if it did not come out positive at the end of the day, I still learned something from those experiences and next time, I have a foothold to thread upon on any similar role to be filled in the future. Thats the power of courage to do the unthinkable and this still makes me proud of myself.

So my quote for today is very synonymous to the title of this post and here goes...

"Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose."

-- Tom Krause, motivational speaker

I'm home!

So yesterday, I arrived into Nigeria but before then I transited in HongKong and Doha but I had quite a number of challanges on the way home. In general I will say the trip was fun with lots of memories, but to be specific, it was with quite a significant number of challenges.

At the airport in Auckland, I got into this conversation with the lady at the counter and she mistook a statement I made that I couldn't wait to see what HK looks like. Even though it was clear to me and an esterblished fact that I needed to have transit visa to HK to leave the transit lounge, this lady pretty much mistook my words and wouldn't let me check in. She took my passport everywhere and made me spend another 45 minutes just waiting for her to get some clarifications from her boss and the boss of her boss. I eventually got that sorted and clarified that I wasn't intending to leave the transit lounge and that what I meant was that I had not gone to HK before, but this will be my first time ever and that I couldn't wait to see it even from the transit lounge.

As if that was not enough. On checking my luggage weight, I was over weighed by 4 kg and this same lady wouldn't let that slip. To cut it short, I repacked my bag, went to another counter and even though I was still overweighed, the lady at the new counter simply just let me go without any hassle.

So I got to HK, checked my back account from the internet and my money had arrived from my family. So I went to the ATM machine to witdraw money and behold. the ATM retained my card. Just when I though I was about to start spending money, as I had to stay in HK for almost 24 hours and needed to get an entry visa to see Elaine, my ex-girlfriend. Well, that plan was completely shattered and I had to stay at the airport transit lounge without any money in my pocket, without my kiwibank debit card and without any food to eat. Imagine not eating from 4.30am on Teusday to 2am on Wednesday. I kept asking for water from the restaurants until they all knew me and started to refuse to give me water. It was hell let loose.

My next stop was in Doha and I met a number of Nigerians in the plane from HK to Doha. This particular guy, a boxer, based in Australia had been boxing for 5 years in Australia and was going back home to see his wife and little daughter. He entertained me all through the trip with his story on how even though he is a married man with a kid, he still has a number of wifes around the world, both in Australia and in the UK and was battling with divorse cases pending in courts (Absord eh?).

In my entire history of travelling overseas, my 2 hour transit time in Doha was probably the most astonishing. Would you believe that an interational airport (or so they called it) does not have a bureau de change in it and to top it all, my new Nigerian boxer friend was trying to make a call to his Nigerian wife, to let her know of the changes in the arrival time. he had to buy a 10 minutes international calling card for 40 Aussie dollars and a cup of coffee for 9 Aussie dollars. To crown it all, the calling card did not work and they refused to help him operate it (very thought provoting experience I must say). he almost ended up utilisig his professional skills as a way to fight for his rights.

My most memorable time of this journey was on my way from Doha to Lagos. This was an over 200 seater plane and all around me were all black skinned, africans, mainly NIgerians. I don't know why exactly this was my most memmorable but I remember that this period gave me goose bumps. Why? Simple. For the last two plus years, I had not been in a room with all black skinned, not to talk of all Nigerians. I met with a number of Nigerians in this plane and powerfully and most memorably I could speak Pidgin English with freedom. I could use the Nigerian accent, I could laugh as hard and talk as violently as we always do. I was home again. But then this is just the beginning of a lot more memories to come during my stay in Nigeria.

Finally I got into Nigeria. You know that feeling of when you get back to where you belong. Even though the polution was there, the traffic was hell and the caursing and fighting on the street was there, I still felt at home. In the private car that drove me home, I couldn't help but smile, laugh and cry. Nothing much has changed but that sense of satisfaction that I was back home was overwhelming.

I met with my sister, her husband and her two little kids. The first born whom had been delivered and was up to 2 years old before I left the country, could not remember me any more. Her second born was so adorable. A Cute fine boy with and as little has he was, already had a sense of humour, a charisma and an astonishing maturity that completely swiped me off my feet.

So I am home now, for the next few weeks, today I will be seeing my dad and mum (can't wait).

Look forward to my pictures on Facebook by this weekend.

Cheers for reading up to this point.



Today's Inspirational Quote:

Today's Inspirational Quote: "Each must for himself alone decide what is right and what iswrong, and which course is patriotic and which isn't. Youcannot shirk this and be a man. To decide against yourconvictions is to be an unqualified and inexcusable traitor,both to yourself and to your country, let man label you as theymay."

-- Mark Twain

Amazed, excited, thankful

So today, I got to work and I got a number of emails from people around the world whom I don't know but do read my blog. I didn't know where to place that, but it suddenly gave me the inspiration to just keep on venting on this space even though I didn't really plan to write anything on my blog today.

Some quick updates from me...today I got on renewing my visa for another year in New Zealand. I'll also be buying my return ticket to Nigeria by the end of this month and I will be in Nigeria for about a month to sort out my degree issues ('Get that out of the way for a fresh start in the New Zealand MC). I'll also likely to getting a multiple trip which will go to Brazil to attend the AIESEC International Congress- Depends on cash flow; And lastly, transition is not completely a fun time when you are the one giving it.

So I decided that a way to keep me motivated to write on this space is to always end it with a quote, so I'll start with this one

"Smooth roads never make good drivers. Smooth seas never make
good sailors. Clear skies never make good pilots. A problem
free life never makes a strong and good person. Have a tough
but winning day ahead! Be strong enough to accept the
challenges of life. Do not ask life, 'Why me?' instead say,
'Try me'."

Anonymous

Indecisive

What the hell do I really want?

In the last two months, I have been moving back and forth with what I want to do next in life. Its been an hectic situation for me. I have started with this idea of applying for MCP of AIESEC South Africa, then I pulled out from that, then I decided that I will go back home for a couple of months before going on an internship; now I am abandoning that plan. Now my plan is to rerun for MC New Zealand but this time for ICX. Damy, what do you really want in life.

See, the point is that for me, I know my future is bright and what ever path I take today will lead me to a rewarding future... this mind is confused honestly!

On a more constructive and positive note, another year in AIESEC will make me actually do the things I really wanted to do for ICX since this was a huge chunk of my ER responsibility in AIESEC New Zealand in the last one year. As ER Director, I am responsible for raising National Exchange Partners and from that I will get to know and understand the challenges of raising excghnges in New Zealand. So by been ICX director, I can generally contribute immensely to the development of ICX locally through the knowledge i have gathered about ICX in New Zealand.

Anyway, to cut my story short, I have sent in my application, had my interview, got ratified, and I have be reselected into the New Zealand MC as ICX.

Even though this is the case, I will be heading to Nigeria by late July for a month. I'll use that month to sort out academic issues, stay with my mum for a while, get some more Nigerian goodies for my new MC team, hopefully go to IC in August and then return back to New Zealand early September to kick ass on ICX .

I'll keep you updated with how this goes in the coming weeks.

Next move reshuffled

The last two weeks have been filled with high level decision making. Decision about how to structure my sessions at the just concluded AIESEC New Zealand Autumn in order to leave the greatest impact I can give, decision of whether I should first travel to Nigeria before my MCP term starts in South Africa- if selected, decision of whether I am really ready to take up the MCP role and if I can create the greatest impact that I will really love to create if selected and knowing of all the challenges I will face as a Nigerian and as an international MCP more importantly.

The last weeks has also come with a lot of remorse for home. I have been hearing series of news about my family members, most importantly of my mum and her ill state. For some of you who are the last born of your family you will understand the connection I have for my parents. For me, I have been away from home for the last 2 years and the connection has really developed into a deep wound on me. So the decision to go home has also been my worry.

The weeks have honestly been a tiring one for me and amidst all of the decisions I have taken, the one that stands out most and worth mentioning in this post in whether I am truly ready and able to take up the MCP role in South Africa. After lots of considerations here and there, I regret to announce that I have pulled out of the race for MCP for AIESEC South Africa. It is not for me to give the reason of why I have decided to withdraw from the race, but the question is what next do I plan to do.

I really think it is time for me to take the next stage of my AIESEC experience. In the last 5 years of my been in AIESEC, I have been remodeled to be this individual who just want to do more and more until I am exhausted to do any more. Somehow, I think I have done a lot for and in AIESEC that I don't know see myself been able to do more. In saying that, this means I am not tired but just retiring from active roles in AIESEC.

So again, what is my next move? One of my team mate has been looking forward to a time to travel round the world and she feels that the time right after her term in MC NZ will be the perfect one. Another feels its time for her to look for an internship somewhere in Europe, maybe. For me, my next move will be a combination of both.

I will be going back to Nigeria for a couple of months to stay close to my parents a little and this time, I will be going around the country and seeing new places I really haven't been to before. During this time as well, I will be looking out for my first internship, potentially in Europe. Can't tell now until it happens. Hopefully, I hope to start in November

In the good sides of things, we (AIESEC New Zealand) just concluded its national Autumn Conference with a 12 man delivery team lead and chaired my Ryan Sheppard former AP GN Director. His presence at the conference brought a lot of energy and fun to the delegates and he was also able to bring back all of the goodies from his former experience of been an Asia Pacific Director and of the roll calls and dances he had learned during those times.

The MC farewell night led almost all the MC members crying and for me, knowing I was leaving AIESEC brought me to tears as well- Lots of drama that night. I am now still reading my sugar cubes and damn, I think I will cry again.

Just felt like sharing...

Family comes first

Family sometimes could be a necessary pain in the ass. Its so hard sometimes when you have to explain some aspects of your life that you somehow try to convey in the simplest of ways but still they just don't want to budge from what they believe. Well, sometimes, I really can't blame them for this behavour.

For me, I have not been home for almost 2 years now and all through this time, I have only been in phone contacts with my family. For us who are last born of our family we can attest to the closeness we have with especially our parents.

Just last night, I was talking to my mum and she was explaining to me of her current position. She just drained her glaucoma recently and at the time I called her, she was in the hospital for check ups. I felt that touch to actually go back home and just stay with her and comfort her for as long as she wants. Really, if I had my way, I would have likely bought the next ticket home or something. Anyway, that aside.

Sometime back, I was chatting with my sister about my next move to potentially go to South Africa for a year. She completely went blue over this and was completely against this. Now, this is quite usual of my sister as this is always her first approach to anything that takes me farther from home. Sometimes, I wander if they don't understand how this leads to a brighter future for me, but then on second thought I feel what they feel. Your family will always be your family. Blood is thicker than water, so the more distant you become with your parent, the more strange and unusual it become even for you internally; But I have always been the different one in my family and my parents have realised this. Anyway, lets not go too personal into this now.

So, I am faced with these issues in my hands. I am meant to do a good job here in New Zealand and then hopefully go to South Africa as well. Lets see what the future brings. If its time to go home, then nothing will stop that from happening and of course visa versa.

Family family family...always comes first!

The Nigerian factor - Opportunity or threat?

Have you ever felt refused simply because you mention that you are a Nigerian? I have!

For me the most embarrassing thing I have been asked lately has been "What country are you from". For one year of my life in Indonesia, I had to face up with many scary looks by people around simply because I was black and by the time they knew I was from Nigeria, it even made matters worse. How the hell can you just suddenly look at one person and categories all as the same, even without you knowing that person at all. In my time in Indonesia, many people who met me at the first instance were completely shocked after one or two encounters with me, to find out that this guy does not think or behave like the others and I think AIESEC really helped me to recreate people's mindset about Nigerians.

Same situation has happened quite a number of times since I came to New Zealand. Every group I come across always had on person asking me "Why do your people like to send scam emails telling about some wealth hidden somewhere, bla bla bla" I just try to give them a diplomatic answer just to escape the situation for a minute. Have you felt that?

Again, I wouldn't totally blame them. I will blame the nonchalant and malignant Nigerians who go about spoiling the country's name and leaving these mess for people like me to face out there. This is completely annoying and depressing at the same time.

I read in News daily about how Nigerians are now using this "black money" rout to dupe foriegners unlawfully off their hard earned money. This now seems to be the norm in the country and everyone seems to do this unruly act. Now the repercussion is that people like us living abroad can't afford to leave Nigeria anymore because all we get are names, stares, negative feedbacks and could even get arrased by passers-by.

Just yesterday, I was in an online skype interview and the question that came was "knowing that Nigerians are the number one most dangerous people in my country, how do you plan to work with the knowledge of this". Honestly, I don't think I answered the question appropriately because the first thought that came to my head was "Not again" and that just completely took me off my feet

Like India and China, one of their key strengths is on the fact that the population is massive, the economy is booming with more local companies springing up to become global companies and lots more global companies having a settlement in these countries, which is now enormously contributing to the positioning of the people as most sort after employees within the global market. Now the funny thing about this situation as well is that Nigeria is now turning slowly into an Emerging African market and just like India and China, it is the largest black concentration in the world and many multinational companies are now looking to invest into the country which somehow well positions us as a nation, but is it enough for me to leverage upon been a potential employee in the global market? This largely brings me to my topic that, is been a Nigerian an opportunity or a threat.

There are other blogs from friends I have read who have also shared different views points and about their experiences abroad and all of which have not been short of mine so how can we, being ambassadors of our country contribute to changing the status quo for the better? What can we do to recreate the mindset of these people abroad about Nigerian?

I feel I can't do anything about this. On second thought, I feel I should simply do my part as an individual by Showing a positive attitude to those around me and keep everyone around me on the right thought about me. So if I can do this, hopefully there are also a number of Nigerians out there creating a slowly widening positive path amidst the huge negative one.


What more can I say? May God help us all!