Another Christmas and New Year in another country

Christmas is here again. By this time next week, I will be celebrating another Christmas in another country. I look back at three years ago of when I had my last Christmas in Nigeria. Now away from the country for the last two years I have just suddenly realised how much I have missed home.

I was chatting with my sister just a couple of days ago and she was telling of how things have changed so much. I have always felt that I wouldn't miss much by the time I get back to Nigeria, but of course thats just so ridiculous to say.

Still speaking of Christmas and New Year, it makes me remember of my time in Indonesia; One of the best New Year I ever had with now the MCP and the MCVPIS of AIESEC Indonesia. We spent it watching the New Year's drama as only seen in Indonesia. Watching vehicles break all the traffic rules and trumpets going off with really wonderful, uncoordinated sounds coming out from cars, motor bike and tricycles, also with fire works flying off into the sky at the same time. You would think it was a traffic jam or probably another earth quake. or maybe an army parade. What ever it was, all I can say is that It was the noisiest and the most involving New Year I ever had.

Now I am counting down to Christmas again, but this time in New Zealand. For now I do not know what to expect.

Just last night I had a 'Secret Santa' with my team mates. It was fun to exchange gifts, to see people's face gloom with happiness and surprise at the gift they received.

Some how, I believe this experience is eventually going to pay off. I have left a number of people and responsibilities back home in Nigeria. sacrificed a lot of money and time, but I know that my future is bright.

I'll let you know in another week of how Christmas goes in New Zealand. For now lets just enjoy the count down.

Cheers

An end. A new beginning.

For a long time now, my blog as been left dormant. I just realised that I ones made this statement ones before in some old postings. Anyway, I really should start on with my blog again. I have titled this blog "An end. A new beginning" because its been a while now since I left Indonesia and now I am in New Zealand. I did face a hell of a hassle to get out of the Indonesia borders with all the bureaucracy issues in the country, but that is all past tense now.

So now I am in New Zealand and everything is a complete difference from what I experienced in Indonesia. Please note that every country has got their own unique features; specifically I do miss Indonesia a great deal. But thats not the point of this posting.

I had worked with a team of 3 awesome guys in my term in Indonesia. These guys made me see things in a new perspective. This people now have become life long friends for me. Now I work with another set of people whom even though I have work with already for 3 months I am still getting to know them more. It feels like a new beginning for me. Feels like everything should be lived all over again. Like nothing existed before. Like I am re-born into a new reality and made to start things afresh. This feeling is I can refer to as 'a new beginning'.


One good think that AIESEC has and is still giving me is this opportunity to see things from a global perspective; to work with people from different backgrounds, countries, beliefs and values. This makes me think back of this day before I joined AIESEC, how lackadaisically lived my life was, always dependent on my family, in a comfort zone that had provided me with everything I needed. Who would have ever imagined that i could be able to leave home, now thousands of miles away.

I don't really have much to say right now. Maybe because its 1.40am and I just cant think anymore. One thing I can say is this - I am back!

I'm sure in the morning I should be able to be more composed to render more useful things into my blog.

Celebrating Nature

Have you ever thought about the idea of what you would do if you are selected for a position you never imagined. Would you scream at the top of your voice, or would you cover your face with tears of joy, or just go flabbergasted about it and seek for fresh air because you feel you are choking from too much anxiety? What ever you do, definitely you’ll feel like…I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO?

After a sudden phone call from New Zealand announcing me as the next MC 07/08, the expectation and reaction was not short of any above.

So I decide to take this trip away from the office and the MC flat, away from the hustle and bustle of Jakarta main city and its traffics and pollution, to the very far east of it, to this place called Karawaci. First expectation was; what will I be doing in this completely new and strange place to my knowledge, even though I am exposed to many new locations daily through my company meetings and visits to different events.

I thought maybe I’ll just stay in my room in the 60-story-apartment that’s got one of the best views you can imagine, or simply decide to spend most of the time at the internet café or ah! Go round on site-seeing of the beauty of this place, entirely different from what you get to see in Jakarta. With lots that reminds you of nature and its gifts to human kind.

By the way, the main objective of my decision to take this trip was just to reflect on the new MC position in New Zealand and think of my next moves before final departure in end of May. It was also for me to reflect on how to break the news to my beloved ones in Nigeria and as well, do some expectation setting on how to ensure that I well know the LCs, specifically the current LCPs, potential LCP elects and other EBs. So this was all about reflecting on strategies to do all of these. In short, it was all about setting plans and expectations for my to-be new role in New Zealand.

So the final decision taking and it was to do some site seeing. As a lover of nature and in a place that provides the freshest of breeze to be felt in Jakarta and with other natural sceneries, I’ll say, my final decision made was the very best to have been made at this time.

Why I put this experience in my blog is because, for me, certain things that people take for granted are actually as important as the most important things they feel are important to them. Not every one believes in Nature or the natural, but for me, I count it as a way to celebrate any new success achieved, more like giving back to nature through celebrating it. And that’s what I’m doing now

Think about it.

A big thank you to M-Knows Consulting for having us

I think it is ideal that i seize this opportunity to thank M-Knows Consulting for having us( Ewa, Yusaf, Ana and I) as international guests to its training event organised for the training and development of Lipindo Assurance staffs. We supported the day long training with facilitation of groups of employees of this companies who were been groomed for managerial positions in the company.

By the way, Lipindo Assurance is one of the largest Insurance companies in Indonesia with over 80 branches across Indonesia. As part of the training event to which started on the 4th of January and should continue till 2nd of February 2007, is the cultural day. The event was established to make the delegates understand how to work with an international perspective. Like in situations when they might deal with a foreigner, How will they deal with the communication challenges in such situations, for example, where they have to use English in their communication to a team member of theirs who happens to be a foreign expatriates . For your information, Indonesia's official language is Bahasa Indonesia, which means that this delegates are only used to speaking in this language for communication with their colleagues and customers. So this was meant to allow them use their little English skills to communicate with us and as well see how it feels to really associate with foreigners, while we had team activities that really made us relate in a strong communication atmosphere.

Not only was this event the first to which i had to lead a group of as many as 40 non-youth delegates, it was also the first i ever had to do without any relationship with AIESEC. Basically, everything was done only using ideas from AIESEC and as well introducing things that this individuals could associate with but was totally different from what we know in AIESEC.

It was an awesome time for me and i also got to learn many new concept on how to really associate with the Indonesian both the student groups and the companies. Also know what are the things they want to hear and/or see.

I must tell you that the decision to accept the invitation from M-Knows Consulting to train at this event, was a worth while one. And also, that my Saturday was one of the best i ever had. Thank you M-Knows Consulting for giving me another opportunity to do what i really want to do with my time, that is, increasing my practical and theoretical experience.

For your knowledge, M-Knows Consulting is one of AIESEC in Indonesia's learning partner who gives training supports and mentorship to our members and as well to the Member Committee of AIESEC in Indonesia

My Holiday in Bandung, Indonesia

From some reasons or the other, this blog spot as been left vacant. Finally, with a little pressure from here and there and after a personal decision to have a New Year resolution, I decide to reactivate this place, to which I can share my feeling, experiences and as well seek for comments on what ever issues to which bothers.

What better way can I reactivate my blog than for me to share my 9 days long holiday in Bandung (23^rd Dec. 2006 to 1^st Jan. 2007). Initially I had the feeling that it was just going to be another time wasted, even with the precise understanding that my task for the year were not fully accomplished yet, but then, it really proved to me that sometimes, one just need to have a break from work and as well a time to reflect upon what has been done and map out what the next step to go in life is. My quick advice to you is this; “never decide to go on a vacation without having your own plan, I mean a plan you can call your own, because you might just be disappointed with the shared plan you created with others accompanying you on the trip”.

I could never celebrate this year’s Christmas eve better than the way I did, with a bunch of crazy guys and girls popping bottles of wine and drink lots of bear. First question that’ll come to your head should be “Is he not in Indonesia? Indonesian don’t drink alcohol” good question, cos I had this nice time with BOLÉS (Indonesian word for white foreigners) from Germany(3), Czech Rep(1), Poland(3), Hungary(1) Sweden(2) and of cause me from Nigeria(1). The best part of the night was the count down. Most of the guys had gotten to a stage of little or no understanding of what was going on around them, but some how we were all conscious that it was 11.59pm. Suddenly came in a load voice from one of us “Guys its Christmas day”. And what do you know, lots of hugs and kisses started to spread round the house. The disappointment that faced me afterwards was that the day itself was less than what I had imagined it to be, after witnessing a joyous event the night before. I was consoled somehow with my laptop and some CDs I bought as far back as a month ago, but then without any time to watch them until now.

26^th, 27^th, 28^th, 29^th and 30^th just passed without me really figuring out what real events I was able to accomplish. But then thanks to Neomi who invited me to the Braga festival that lasted for three day and as well took me to her Javanese dance classes. I also took a time out to go to the Bandung zoo, to which was my second time of visiting a zoo in my entire life. The first was at the Ibadan zoo back in Nigeria and the time was when I was 13 years old. It’s obviously seen here that I am a fan of nature and especially I take much observation and love for the animal kingdom. Now it shouldn’t surprise you to hear me say that what you see on animal planet (one of my best stations on cable TV) really came alive for the first time and there right in from of me, breathing from the same air to which I breathe. I stood there staring at the majestic look of the lion for almost half and hour, watching the way it moved and yarned, to the way it scratched his body and then stared back at me. I felt in control of a beast that till date is referred to as “the king of the jungle”. Ah, how could I forget the stretch of the giraffe way over its unroofed house to which it stared at me from. To cut the story short, I saw as many animals I had always saw on TV and some I never even knew exists in the world. It really was a special moment for me.

Also thanks to Imas who took me to visit her friends and as well set up a dinner with 5 of us present and as well inviting me to the reception party for Mary’s guests from United States.

I did have a nice time with my girl friend as well, she didn’t have much time to take me places, cos she was working her ass out daily for this company to which she currently works as an intern. She was able to visit me during the Christmas day and as well brought me a Christmas cake. Thanks dear,

Ah, final thanks to Aidy and the 24-houred AIESECer David. How could I ever imagine that I would ever spend new year’s eve and as well the first minutes of the new year walking on the street with these great guys, making lots of noise while we watch the fireworks detonate and running to see the spot from where it was lunched; as well the sumptuous dinner your mum (Aidy) prepared to celebrate the New Year’s Eve, joined by others who lived in the kost at your house; Also seeing the Indonesian style of celebrating the new year. How you ask? As at 11.30pm, the streets were filled with lots of vehicles. You’ll almost wonder if there was a stampede, say maybe some earth quake or another round of tsunami occurring, with lots of noise coming from their roaring exhausts and as well sounds from the symbol of Indonesian celebration- a trumpet-like looking piece with a sound that’ll definitely make you hold on to your hears. Now, every single car and motor bike that passed us had one sort-of-sound coming from it. I finally learnt that during events like this, people always troop out in large groups, driving about and breaking every single traffic rules that existed in the country. How crazy, but fun to witness. All that’s left for me to make you see how much fun I had is to see my pictures.