No Seriously... Am I Fat?

This is the most recent picture of me. Its not that bad is it?

When I joined AIESEC so many years ago in my first year in University, I was immediately dubbed an "AIESEC Mascot". This was because of my stunning good looks, angelic features, a body to die for and a singular mastery of the English language...

...okay okay, it was because of my nerdy 'Joe-90' glasses, high pitched cackle of a laugh and because I was skinny and short. Not that this is your typical AIESECer of course!

But the skinny part is the one that concerns me.

No one would describe me as skinny now. Not by any stretch of the imagination. When I came out of the arrival hall in on my trip home in June, the first thing my friends said (in loud enough voices that everyone could hear) was that I was fat. "Have I gained a little weight?" I asked? "No you are fat!" they all chorused back at me. And then they hugged me and helped me with my lugagge.

I was having lunch last week in the office with my boss and he asked me if I was still on medication. I answered in the affirmative. "Aha! thats why you are putting on weight". I stared at him dumbfounded, as my spaghetti meatsauce with extra cheese suddenly didnt taste so good anymore.

I was chatting with a cousin of mine on MSN and she requested to see me through my webcam. "I thought New Zealand was a land of extreme sports and healthy living..." she exclaimed! "that part of the country pass you by? Gosh, you're fat!"

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

Cedric the Entertainer is fat; Notorious B.I.G was fat; Tony Soprano is fat. I just happen to have a few extra pounds here and there. I still have skinny legs (my thighs seem a bit bigger. Just a little) and I still have skinny arms!

So what if I have trouble bending over to tie my shoes? What if my favorite pair of trousers seem a little bit snug? It is very unlikely that I am going to go back to the skinny kid of ten years ago. Very unlikely. So here's the deal. I will add some serious weight training to my gym routine and add Mount Eden to my daily walk regime.

So there!

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SHARING MY FRIENDS

Name: Muhammed Olumuyiwa Sanni

Time I have known him: 8 years

Location: Senior Marketing Manager (I think) Youth Dynamix Lagos, Nigeria

Memorable moment with him:

As Local Committe President of our respective AIESEC chapters, (him Uni of Lagos and I Uni of Ibadan) we were both major players in the national executive elections of AIESEC Nigeria in Jan 2001. We were both supporting the same candidate for National President and the mix of politics, passion and sharing the same views with someone you really like made it an AIESEC conference I will never forget.

Mo's handling of some divergent views of some members of his 'constituency' made me get up (mentally) and give him a standing ovation. Actually whenever I remember, I STILL get up and give him the standing ovation!

What I Like most about Him:

His unpretentiousness (is there such a word?) Egbon Mo as he is fondly known grew up in what we call "Isale Eko". The most apt parallel would be the Bronx in New York City. He is one of the most street smart individuals I know. He doesnt judge people and takes things in his stride. When you meet him, you instictively know that if you fall on his wrong side, he would rip your head off but if you find yourself on his good side, nothing and no one will be able to hurt you.

If that is not a contradiction of terms.

Other Comments:

The first time I met him was on a long distance bus on the way to an AIESEC conference. He was sitting with two beautiful girls and obviously charming the hell out of them. One of the girls had caught my eye and I walked down the aisle to them and promptly stole his thunder. The look in his eye told me I was so far down his bad side, it was only the presence of the damsels that was saving me.

We turned out to become best of friends and I was really really sorry I missed his wedding a couple of months ago. If I was there, I would have been the best man.