The Best Bank in the World

Low Interest Rates? - (Actually NO interest at all)

Unlimited Credit? - (You can keep on borrowing)

Long Gestation period for loans? (There is no due date really)

Service with a smile? (and a cookie with a warm glass of milk)

Interest in your long term success? (Probably much more than YOU have!!)

Ladies and Gentlemen, please give it up for the best banking institution in the world:

International Bank of MOM & DAD!!!

So of course if you have been reading my blog, you know i am about to continue my 'AIESEC Experience' in Auckland New Zealand. Apart from being really really exciting and a whole new chapter in my life, it is also costing quite a lot to relocate from Europe to Oceania!

Since i own a Nigerian passport which is the best passport in the world, the visa matters are quite extensive. And New Zealand has some quite extensive procedures when it comes to doling out permits to foreigners going to kiwiland! Anyway... what with the visa issues, one way ticket to Auckland AND add the fact that i have been on an MC salary for the last year...finances were always going to be tight!

I had managed to raise money for the ticket (Deepee, Echemole, Kene, Thordis - TRUE friends) but nothing else. And who should come to my rescue??

My dear parents of course. I just got the message telling me a sum of money was waiting for me in London. And this from retired pensioners living in Nigeria!!!

But what is it about parents anyway? it is said... "A woman will sometimes lie to save herself; A woman will lie most times to save her husband; but a woman will ALWAYS lie to save her children!!!

To my dear mother: Thank you very much for everything! I have not given you cause to lie on my behalf but I am pretty sure you would anyway... Your training... your unconditional love are a large part of what makes me who i am.

E jere omo o!!!

eL

Maypoles and Fertility on mid-summer's day

"...Swedes survive the winter only by thinking of what they will do on that summer's day..."

"...celebrated on the weekend coming close to the real midsummer day...a mass exodus takes place just before with thousands of Swedes evacuating the towns and heading for their weekend cottages in the country. They erect a maypole, erect being the operative word as in fact it is a pagan symbol of fertility...they dress it up in leaves and flowers...and then spend the afternoon dancing around it pretending to be small frogs..."
- courtesy Colin Moon

And the above sums up what I was up to in the last weekend. Mid-summer is such an important part of the summer holidays in Sweden and it formed a part of our official transition agenda in AIESEC Sweden.

I had been a part of it last year when i first got to Sweden and i had been looking forward to it. While last year's midsummer was celebrated in Uppsala, this year we made our way to Bromma which is on the outskirts of Stockholm and very near to where the Swedish Royal Family lives. We were being hosted by Emelie, the very beautiful and classy VPOGX of the Stockholm local chapter of AIESEC. She hosted us in her family's summer house and such a wonderful time (all 45 of us) had.

Traditional Swedish food in the form of potatoes, herring and home made bread was punctuated by the singing of Swedish drinking songs, at the end of each song we drank alcohol. Wine, beer and strong liquor flowed all afternoon and we of course built the fertility pole which i am dressing up here in the picture.

Drinking Games of every sort followed and we still managed to catch the Ukraine v Tunisia match on TV, after which we had a sumptous dinner organized by AIESEC in Stockholm Uni and Uppsala. We had acapella right after and an impromptu kareoke session. Victoria from SU plays the piano and guitar equally well...you go girl! There were a few crazy people who went down to the lake for a midnight swim but i did that already so i just cheered them on from the safety and warmth of the docks.

Click here for all the pics

All in all, a fantastic weekend which didnt end until dawn which didnt really happen as it didnt really get dark. The sun was up and shining by 2am!!!

I will miss midsummers in Sweden, but for sure will be back here to spend more of them in the future!

eL

Our Problems Are Only as Big as we Make them

Twas not a very good day today!

The plan had been to send in my application for my New Zealand work permit today but there were a lot of things dependent on this happening...

My passport is with the British embassy as i am renewing my visa so i can visit my sisters and catch a cheap flight from London to Auckland. It was supposed to arrive this afternoon but it is 18:45 now and it didnt.

I was at the clinic where i had a full medical examination last week...(remember the nice simple Doctor with the $US5000 watch?) where i was supposed to pick up the results of said medical examination! Alas! they were waiting for one more test result from the labs and so couldnt complete the medical certificate, the nurse was very helpful and called the labs and they sent out the results by post. Which means it will arrive to the clinic tomorrow. The only challenge is that tomorrow is a half day and i can only come and pick it up if it arrives before 12 noon!
If it doesnt then i have to wait until Monday as Friday is the celebration of midsummer! (longest day of the year where the sun doesnt really set)

My new employers (as from July) are supposed to be sending me a letter to attach to my application and they had already sent it, but the address they had was incomplete. They have resent it now and it was supposed to have arrived today Wednesday bu Express Mail but that too has not arrived.

To top it all off...I lost my wallet on the way to the clinic which had the cash for sending my documents to the Netherlands. Not a very nice day.

BUT...! Things could have been much worse! For instance...

- I could have gotten the test results and found out i have a debilitating disease
- I could have gotten my passport and lost it on the way to the clinic
- I could have been knocked over by a car and had to spend 2 months in hospital
- I could have NOT been accepted to this wonderful dream of a traineeship and NOT have a clue what i am doing from July 01, 2006!

OUR PROBLEMS ARE ONLY AS BIG AS WE MAKE THEM OUT TO BE!

So what if i send in my documents to the embassy in the Netherlands next week instead? What if i dont get to spend as much time with my sisters as i would have liked? What if I arrive to Auckland a few days late (Dont worry Nikita I will be there on July 9) The important thing to remember is that

- I do HAVE this wonderful opportunity coming up in a wonderful country with such a diverse team (more on that later);
- I am fit as a fiddle and healthy as a horse (well need to jog a bit more obviously)
- I have the love and support of those who are important to me in my life and i am willing to travel to the ends of the earth for them (no pun intended)

Right now I am going to go home, put a few hot dogs on the grill and watch the thrilling (I hope) game between Holland and Argentina!!!

eL

38 Years and Counting...

And England failed to beat us again!

And by 'us' I mean Sverige! I have to admit, in the earlier group games I wanted England to do well. You cant help but be affected by ALL the media hype you are subjected to before any major tournament by the British media. particularly if you follow and support an English football club! And Chelsea has supplied the highest number of players to the English squad right?

But this 'good feeling' was dependent on the fact that my home country of the last one year was also doing well. Since we needed at least a draw to progress to the knockout stages, i found myself actively (mind, body and soul) supporting Sweden! I still gave private applause to John Terry, Frank Lampard and the new star in the World Cup firmament Joe Cole. His wonder of a goal will be played for the next one year over and over and over again on British screens! Twas truly a marvelous goal.

I have doubts about Englands progression in this competition (although i am not counting on Sweden's either) Yes England play Ecuador in the round of 16 but they have to work on a LOT of things, set pieces among them. We play Germany and the headlines this morning screamed "ACHTUNG GERMANY!" which means "Watch out Germany" This is the world cup and anything can happen afterall.

I watched the game in a nice bar with members of the local Stockholm Uni AIESEC chapter and it was a great atmosphere! I am glad i chose to go to the bar rather than mope at home with my computer which was my first choice!

Anyway, the pic here is of Marcus Allback's header going into the net for Sweden's first equaliser! Better luck next time England!!! But well done of course to my Chelsea trio in the team!

PS
Poor poor Michael Owen. Twisted his knee in the first minute. Really sad.

eL

Explosion Of Color

Have you ever seen a whole country transformed almost overnight?

Well...if you lived during the French Revolution or during the American War of Independence maybe...

But if you want to see it year in and year out...then you have to move to Sweden. Stockholm in particular. All through the dark, cold and dreary winter, people are dressed only in dark, boring colors! Not a hint of color anywhere! And this is matched by long weary faces and silent subway trains that sometimes feel like graveyards (well...except at 11pm on Fridays. Its amazing what a few shots of vodka can do to the noise level on a Stockholm underground platform)

But as soon as the temprature starts to move into double positive numbers, oh My God! People start to say hello on the streets, on the trains and even in the restaurants when you go in for a meal (ok an exaggeration, they are still courteous in restaurants during winter) and the whole country comes out in a full color spectrum!

Mini skirts, sphagetti tops, tank tops, T-shirts, short knickers, flip flops, Tube tops, sneakers, all these shoot up in price and are paraded by some of the most beautiful people God has seen to put on Mother Earth. Before I came to Sweden, i was told Swedish girls are the most beautiful in the world. I have been reminded of this very forcefully as summer sweeps over this the Land of the Midnight Sun! Swedes really are beautiful people. I concur!

As i wind up my time in this wonderful country, i am glad i am leaving it when it is at its most alluring and attractive. Both in terms of weather and people! Over the next month, i shall post the most striking things and memories of my time here in Sverige! Pic here is:

from left: Aron - MCPe; Maria my teammate; Emma my MCP; Me and; Joanna former MC member in Finland and member of the AIESEC Sweden Advisory Board

We had just had the last Advisory Board meeting for the current year and we were on the way to have dinner with the Board members
Det varn som Fan! (Well I'll be damned!)

eL

As the World Cup Passes By

How many football players does it take to thrill and excite a 70,000 seater stadium?!

Only One!

A Ronaldinho playing in the colors of Barcelona will travel to Real Madrid and proceed to dictate the proceedings of the game, scoring once and being involved in the other 2 goals in a match that ends 3 - nil to Barcelona. And he will get a standing ovation from Real Madrid fans!!! I love football!

The greatest football fiesta that comes round only once every four years is going on in this month of 'transition'. And I am missing most of it!!! Okay so Nigeria is not playing, but your country doesnt need to be there before you feast your soccer senses! 09:00 to 21:00 working days has not helped my viewing of the World Cup at all. The only concession in the agenda are for the Sweden and Brazil games. Any other game is a bonus. I saw the end of the Holland-Ivory Coast game. And i saw the opening anthems for the Italy-USA game. Apart from that zilch! Have had to rely on www.soccernet.com for updates, pics and reports.

So...Ivory Coast out, Angola maybe so, Togo are no hopers and i havent even been following Tunisia's group! But Ghana turned in the performance of their lives by beating the Czech Republic 2- nil. And this was no fluke, reports have described this as a masterful performance. They outplayed, outclassed and out scored the Czechs. The 2nd ranked team in the world too!

Ghana were the powerhouses of football in Africa in the 70's and early 80's. For a long time, they were the nemesis of the Nigerian Green Eagles (as we were known then). Four time African Champions, a meeting with them was always dreaded and it has always been a mystery why they never qualified for the World Cup until now.

Well, now they have and they put the two goals past Peter Cech (Chelsea's number one) in this last game but i console my self on the fact that Cech prevented it from being 5- nil which it could easily have been according to the reports.

The 1-1 result between USA and Italy throws the group wide open now! Ghana and Czech republic have 3 points, Italy has 4 points and USA has 1 point. And the last group games are Ghana vs USA and Italy vs Czech. So if Ghana beats the US, they are through to the round of 16. The Czechs need to beat Italy to go through, and Italy only need draw to go through. USA need to beat Ghana and hope Italy beat the Czech Republic to make it to the round of 16. What a group! It is turning out to be the REAL Group of Death!

Go Go Ghana! Go out and show the World what you are made of. I thought the whole team was about Michael Essien but Sulley Muntari, Gyuan, Appiah....you guys rock!!!!

eL

Transition Month

if you have been in AIESEC for at least a year, you know what the word "transition" means. It is when an EB/MC transfers information and knowledge to the team coming after them so they can do a really good job. Some do a great job in passing this information and knowledge across, other are just downright crappy at it. And of course, some just skip the whole thing totally.

www.dictionary.com defines transition as:

tran·si·tion ( P ) Pronunciation Key (trn-zshn, -ssh-)n.

- Passage from one form, state, style, or place to another.
- Passage from one subject to another in discourse.
- A word, phrase, sentence, or series of sentences connecting one part of a discourse to another.
- Music.
- A modulation, especially a brief one.
- A passage connecting two themes or sections.
- Genetics. A point mutation in which a pyrimidine is replaced by another pyrimidine, or a purine is replaced by another purine.
- Sports. The process of changing from defense to offense or offense to defense, as in basketball or hockey.
- A period during childbirth that precedes the expulsive phase of labor, characterized by strong uterine contractions and nearly complete cervical dilation.

June is the date when a lot of MCs in AIESEC go through "transition" and AIESEC Sweden is no different. It has been a hectic, frenetic pace and if you add the fact that i am in top gear for another transition, you can imagine how messed up i have been in the last 2 weeks. Like my host LCP in Auckland put it, i am "...winding up my life in Sweden to begin a totally new one" And across several time zones i might add. I havent REALLY begun to get into the "mood" yet. All the things i am doing now are still a bit mechanical, i havent started feeling NZ yet. I know it will come but i hope i get those 4 days off in July just to reflect on my year here in Sweden. Transition. Definitely Transition.

But back to Sweden transition. Its been pretty intense i can tell you with trying to stay on top of the quite extensive visa process for NZ and the equally hectic transition. I had to re-schedule my day today so i could get more than 4-5 hours of sleep. Thank you Anton for the flexibility.

But what a transition it has been so far! I had shared the wonderful weekend we had in Nörkoping in an earlier post and now i was finally able to get the pictures from Emma's camera. The picture here is of me enjoying the nice weather with the beautiful lake behind me.

For a full view of the pics from transition, please go Here

PS
There is something seriously wrong either with my computer or blogger. Its not uploading pics to the posts properly. Anybody else having the same problem?

Raymond Weil as Metaphor...

What is the value or significance of a wrist watch?

I was at a doctor's appointment today for a full medical examination which is required by the New Zealand embassy for visa applicants and I was poked, prodded and told to say 'aaaahh' by a nice elderly Swedish doctor.

All through the time he was asking me questions about my medical history, i couldnt take my eyes off his wrist-watch. I looked on the internet and found a picture of the exact same one which is duly reproduced here. The reason i seemed fascinated by the wrist watch was because of the man himself. He was dressed very simply, his office was very austere and he spoke English with a nice Swedish accent. His hair was thinning a bit but brushed very neatly to one side and his whole manner and bearing spoke of someone who loves the simple life and really enjoys practicing medecine because of the good he could do. He was simplicity itself.

Except for that watch!!!

It was the only 'flashy' thing in sight and it showed that he could still appreciate the finer things in life and be prepared to pay for them as well. I checked and the "higher end watches" go for about US$5000. A wrist watch i would say sets you apart and confers on you a certain status.

I wouldnt mind a nice 2000 dollar Patek Phillipe just in case you were wondering...

Twas a busy day for me, had to go for this medical and an x-ray scan which has done to my bank account what Katrina did to New Orleans. This kain of poverty ehn...! And now i am off to the UK embassy tomorrow to re-new my visa as i just realized my current one is expired. Yet another dampener on the account balance. But i guess it is better than reaching the airport and finding that i cant enter the UK...Now that would be REAL fun.

I havent been sleeping enough the last 2 weeks and i need to get 8 hours straight soon. I am definitely not going to get it tonite as i have to be in the office latest by 8am to make sure Emma and Maria will be able to hold the fort for my sessions which i will miss because of the UK appointment.

No peace for the wicked!

"Crazy Times Lie Ahead Harry..."

Well...actually when Dumbledore said this to Harry it was, "Difficult times lie ahead Harry" and when Amit was leaving HE said, "Exciting times lie ahead Harry". 'Crazy' on the other hand sort of defines what is going on here with me.

In the euphoria and joy of being accepted to this really cool traineeship in NZ (I can still hardly believe it) I am overlooking so many things that are going on in this wonderful world of mine. We had an absolutely fantastic kick off to transition here in AIESEC Sweden by traveling to Norkoping to a wonderful summer house. The weekend showed me that Sweden is a completely different place in the summer.

The house was by a lake and there was a Sauna right on the banks and it was so nice having deep AIESEC discussions with the elects on the grass and a 22 degree celsius sun shining on my face. It was interesting to see the rest of the guys (Maria, Emma, Aron, Anton, Emanuel and Lana) turning this way and that way trying to get as much sun as possible. Like I told Lana today...I have enough sun tan reserves to last a lifetime (hehehehe..ok it was a bad joke!)

We had some really good food (of course we did, Emma Gavert is a food conneiseur), watched Sweden draw with Trinidad and Tobago at the World Cup and we had a midnight sauna session where we drank beer, sweated like pigs, dived into the icy cold lake and back into the sauna again. Oh What an experience!!!

It was especially beautiful to see the sun start to rise again at 2am and i truly understood why they call this place the "Land of the Midnight Sun".

Oh yeah...I discovered that I have allergies!!! Yes! All that time in Nigeria i used to scratch my nose, snort like a pig to relieve my itchy throat and carry watery eyes around, i thought i was sensitive to dust (or easily suspectible to colds!) Apparently, I am allergic to pollen. Pretty interesting ehn?

So now... I have this whole month ahead of me with a transition agenda that is packed 09:30 to 20:00 everyday and i have to balance this with my AIESEC work, and prep for NZ. I have received this really detailed instruction manual from AIESEC NZ which expects me to have a Medical and X-ray, and to make matters worse, the nearest embassy is in the Netherlands!!!

Crazy times REALLY do lie ahead! As it is now, I came to send an email, leaving the rest downstairs as they go through the internal reality of AIESEC Sweden. Have to go back now. Still have to send a million emails after sessions today and also prepare my sessions for tomorrow. Sheesh!

I want my Mummy!!!

Will share the story of the Rope Game we played at the weekend and also put in some pictures from the weekend.

Milk, Cheese and Butter in KIWILAND

I am going to New Zealand!!!!!!!

Yes I am. As from July 10, 2006, I am required to report to Auckland in Kiwiland to start my traineeship as an AIESEC intern. Please go to www.fonterra.com and check out my next employers. I havent posted about the quite thorough selection process i have been going through for the last 2 odd weeks because i didnt want to jinx it! But now I have gotten the email from the New Zealand MC and I can shout it out from the top of the Mountain! (Well...at least i have confirmed that I am a superstitious freak)

Thank You Amy, (MCP NZ 06/07) for that first email you sent to Yat; Now I get to give you a big kiss on the cheek for the phonecalls, text messages and emails you used to support me all through the selection process.

Yat, (MCVPER NZ 05/06, MCVPER Austria 06/07), thank you for that first email, for the professionalism and effectiveness of your work. I will NOT be able to give you that kiss on the cheek for the next 1 year but maybe i can get Amit to do it for me. Vienna isnt that far from Rotterdam afterall!

Let Oceania be ready! Ladajay is about to move into the neighbourhood!!!

Seven Deadly Sins...

SO I took this really interesting test (there so many flying about cyberspace now!) And it has rated me on the seven deadly sins. Greed; Gluttony; Wrath; Sloth; Envy; Lust and; Pride!

The Results:

Greed:	High
Gluttony:	High
Wrath:	Low
Sloth:	High
Envy:	Very Low
Lust:	Very High
Pride:	Medium

Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz


So apparently according to this test...

- I covet other people's SUVs even though i have a nice Toyota
- I eat too much
- I dont get angry easily
- My room is almost always a mess
- I am always happy when other people are successful
- I am a sex crazed addict who cant help but chase anything in skirts
- I am very dignified but can still be described as 'down to earth'

Please note that the above interpretations are solely mine (and not neccesarily true!) and i take full responsibility for it!

(Very High LUST! But Seriously...!!!!)

Me, My Indian and I

(This pic of the millennium was taken
in Baroda, India)

"Stop Acting like a Shee Dude!"

"I'm going to screw your happiness..."

"Party's on!!!"

"Whaaat a Pic... Whaaat a Pic Dude"

These are just four expressions out of many that have become a daily part of my
vocabulary. I, who in the best of times am always quick to pick up the
mannerisms of people around me, how much more when I am working, living,
partying and painting the town of Stockholm red with the same individual for one
whole year!!!

Amit Desai Vipul. My teammate, my flatmate, my colleague, my co-traveler in
the international MC journey called AIESEC Sweden 2005/06, my brother from
another mother, my friend, MY Indian! It was an absolutely fantastic year dude.
And you played a little role...ok...ok...a MAJOR role in my life in the last one
year. But let me tell you a bit about Amit...

Born to a doctor dad and a banker mum in the city of Mumbai (Bombay if you
insist) Amit grew up as an only child in the city of Baroda in Gujarat India. In
his own words, "I have always gotten what i wanted in my life...I have never
failed at something i set out to do" A bit spoiled (you would be too if you were
an only child in India), It was hilarious to see Amit's attempts to adapt to
living in Europe, cooking and cleaning after himself. In the beginning, there
were a lot of burnt pots, pans and food but like the gentleman himself said,
he's not accustomed to failing. It is a testament to his perseverance and
adaptability that I could actually eat what he cooked!!! And i did so quite a
number of times too!

Amit fits the typical stereotype of Indians in AIESEC. Smart, competitive,
brash and loud mouthed. And then again he doesnt. Can be humble, respectful,
generous to a fault and always always on the lookout for a goodtime.

I dont want this to be a long post
so...I am just going to post in pictures from our year with me and Amit. There
is so much i would like to say but we are keeping it short and simple.

As you start the next step of your
journey with AIESEC International, I wish you all the best and know that no
matter where you go, no matter where you reach, all you have to do, to get a
listening ear and a helping hand is to call my name. Thank You for the laughs,
for the learning, for the smell of burnt food on those dark, wintery nights and
most of all....for your trust.

"Exciting Times lie ahead Amit..."

(To follow Amit's journey...you can visit
http://amitdesai.nomadlife.org)

---

Me, My Indian and Majken from Denmark at IC
2005 Agra India

Sending the emails to bring home the bacon
for AIESEC Sverige

Me, My Indian (and my tummy) on my birthday

(Emma, Judit, Nisarg and my Indian)

In Gamla Stan (Old Town) in Stockholm

My Indian looks much better in my glasses
than i do

Dont be deceived! We are dead drunk on
Champagne here on the first official day of Spring

Can two guys look any cooler?!!!!