An Enquiring Mind

My Goodness! It's been such a long while since I posted hasnt it?

And it is not for a lack of interesting things happening to me. I have gone through what I am sure the hundred (thousands) of other bloggers go through when they go so far as to open the "New Post" window but then just close it. Too lazy, not inspired, just plain cowardice, lack of discipline, call it what you will. Ah Well... now I am posting, let us hope I finish it.

So can you put a price on a human life?

Of course not. We generally put a price on most other things (including other 'lower' animals) but human life is generally seen as being sacroscant and with immeasurable value. Thank Goodness for civilization as we know it now.

But what CAN be measured in monetary terms is the effort that goes towards saving a human life. And if you think I am talking baloney... why do you think doctors are some of the most well paid members of society? (Functioning societies at least)

Anyway... those of you who have been interested in my particular odyssey will know that I had a near miss incident at the end of last year and spent 8 days in hospital. What most of you will not have known is that I got slapped with a twenty thousand dollar hospital bill. US$. ($US20,000.00) And before I go on....

IF YOU DONT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, GO OUT AND GET ONE RIGHT AWAY!!!

Ok ok ok... my bad! I SHOULD have gotten health insurance as soon as I got into NZ but I didnt, I mean... I have never been majorly sick in my life before and I just kept postponing it! But thats all in the past now. So not only am I stuck on blood thinning tablets for a while but I also had to contend with a crippling interest free payment plan.

I said "had", its not all doom and gloom.

I realized while I was in hospital just how much of an impact I have had at work. My boss and indeed the whole Fonterra management structure were and have been absolutely wonderful. And my boss gave me good news some weeks ago that she (and HR) would be absolutely delighted to offer me a more permanent contract after my traineeship is over! I am one of eight AIESEC interns here and I am the only one who has received this offer.

The original payment plan with the hospital was based on my 18 month contract with Fonterra and was spread across my remaining time in NZ. I would have been paying more than half of my salary from Fonterra (Did I ever mention how GOOD the salary is?) and after my other bills, it would have been a real slog I can tell you. And I would have done this for 12 months! But now with the offer of the contract from my wonderful first class; market leader; progessive and innovative company (just in case my boss is reading) I can spread the payments across a more longer period than 12 months.

I actually made one payment in January and boy... It was worse than when I was living in one of the most expensive cities in the world and earning 350 Euros a month!!!

So now I am in the process of getting things finalized with NZ immigration so I can have something formal to present to the hospital and in the meantime, I still have to make some sort of payment to the hospital, which I am. I have however drastically reduced the amount I am paying .

However... my one and only big brother is getting married in June in Nigeria and I happen to be best man! (More on this later) So in order to make sure I am there to prevent my bro from bailing out on the day... I have had to get a second job!!! (Think Flight ticket, paying for the tuxedo, spending money... and I am soooooo far away)

Yep... I am now working a second job in a really trendy hotel in downtown Auckland city. Its actually less than a hundred meters from Fonterra Center so it works out really good since my place is just 15 mins away as well. Check out the website on The Quadrant and 'we' even have a blog!

So from 1300-2200 NZT, I am a corporate Customer Service Executive with major accounts in the Middle East and moving millions of dollars worth of milk products every week. And from 2230 to 0630 the next day for 4 nights a week, I am a concierge in the Front Desk department of The Quadrant. I make sure Guests get a big welcoming smile when they arrive, help them with their lugagge and generally strive to ensure their every need is met while they are staying with us!

Welcome to the real world.

I called a friend in Nigeria and when I told him, he commented, "You poor lazy mummy's boy, how are you coping?"I work 16 hours a day now and for someone who has been used to sleeping at least 8 hours a day... my poor body found it hard going the first week. This is my second week and I am still adjusting. I leave The Quadrant at 0630 (no exceptions) and I'm in bed by 0700. Get up at 1230 and rush around trying to get ready for Fonterra. I am so thankful that I do not have problems falling asleep.

I am also thankful for a lot of other things.

- For being alive to have these 'challenges' (I could be dead)
- For being blessed with such an optimistic personality
- For the support of my parents who would have sent me financial assistance (but they are not)
- For my siblings with their constant show of love (even if they still treat me like a kid);
- For friends and colleagues;
- I am thankful for AIESEC and the experiences I had there

My dear friend Kene Umeasiegbu it was, who said to me when I was leaving for New Zealand. "Approach each experience with an enquiring mind..." I take this to mean that I should not fall into a 'routine' and closed mindset but constantly seek to learn and truly "live". Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish you might say.

So expect a lot of exciting new stories from my new job, I already have quite a few... "Naked people opening their doors to collect room service; A bewildered elderly guest who thought he wsa in Australia; Nafeez, the ebullient manager I work with..."

Endless, endless journey called Life!

Running of the Bulls...

My company held an event involving all members of staff, jugs of milk, the steepest hill in Auckland and lots of huffing and puffing!!!

It was a relay in which each floor of our 11 floor building had to field a team of four people who would run relay! Each team had to have at least one female.

I was very keen to be a part of the Level 1 team but my boss insisted that a body bag could not be easily allocated to any cost center. Moreso as this was the same hill I had my Pulmonary Embolism!

It was a very nice Kiwi summer day and staff emptied out in their droves to cheer on their teams. Since I was not a member of the relay team, guess which floor had the most colorful and vocal supporters??? It also helped that we have a Latin America team on my floor!

Its events like this (The Running of the Bulls") that let Fonterra be such a nice and fun place to work!
PS
See if you can spot me in the picture above... hint - I am wearing green!

A Huge Load off My Shoulders...

Journey of a thousand miles begins with one step

I took that step, in what is turning into a multi-faceted, action-packed story of life. Of Epic proportions. And I felt like Atlas on a sabbatical from his world-carrying duties!

I am too tired to write more. What a journey though!
PS
That's David, President of AIESEC in Auckland and my host when I first arrived in NZ, in the pic with me!

I Like Birthdays...

Here I am with Rusha who shares my birthday date. Not the actual day. We are seven years apart. (Gosh I am old!)

I had dinner at a really posh Thai restaurant with a bunch of friends to round up a really relaxing birthday for me. I also got phone-calls literally from around the world wishing me a happy birthday.

I like birthdays!

Feb 04 - That Special of Days (I think!)

Yep Its My Birthday Today!

So send in all your best wishes. I expect more than 20 comments on this post by the end of the day. Well...maybe by the end of Feb 05 in the northern hemisphere. Haha

I share my birthday with quite a lot of notable people. Labake Quadri, Rusha, Leah, Natalie Imbruglia, Oscar De La Hoya, Rosa Parks, Sean's mother... (It's amazing the information you can get from the internet, isnt it?)

And here are some interesting facts on me for being born on the exact day I was...

- My date of conception was on or about 14 May 1980 which was a Wednesday
- I was born on a Wednesday
- My birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/16/1980 and ending 2/4/1981. Chinese year of the Monkey Twas the very last day of the Monkey!
- My age is the equivalent of a dog that is 3.71624266144814 years old. (Life's just a big chewy bone for ME!)
- Endless Love by Diana Ross & Lionel Richie was a top song in 1981


If you would like to know when or about your parents conceived you and such other miscellaneous facts, you can visit Paul Sadowski.

Off to the Beach now...

Harry Potter Fever...

And So it begins all over again!

Well actually, it began a little after the first book in the Series was published and Harry Potter and the Philosper's Stone had more or less been transformed by word of mouth and some slick marketing by Bloomsbury's Press into a global phenomenom! Or perhaps... it's not fair to say that. The book ACTUALLY sold itself and opened up a hirtherto unknown world of imagination to kids.

Kids had been having it easy (or hard depending on how you look at it) and not given the opportunity to use their own imagination in the way that books are wont to do to you. Multimedia, Television, Video Games were basically the order of the day (they still are to a large extent) and kids were plugging in to already created worlds and fantasies and not necessarily creating one for themselves!

I remember as an 8 year old kid myself the Enid Blyton books I read. She had the ability to take you away into her world of fairies, golliwogs, elves, kid detectives and once you were there, you just started creating and expanding this world until you made it your very own! Hans Christian Anderson book of fairy tales was also a favorite. And who can forget Archie comics? Tintin? Asterix adventures? Ah! Those were the days!

Joanne Kathleen Rowling has become a force to reckon with as well. Credited with bringing kids back to reading books, having her books translated into various languages and into a hugely successfull movie franchise (you cant avoid it can you?!) and becoming a billonaire in the bargain! This a woman who was once on welfare! (can you imagine?!)

To be honest I wasnt interested in the Harry Potter books when they first came out. They got up to Book 5 before I was snatched bodily and dumped on the bandwagon. I was in a London bookstore buying a book in another long running series (Wheel of Time). I was told I would have to come back the next day to pick up the book. I had been looking forward to reading that book that day and looked round to see if I couldnt pick up something else to occupy my time until the next day. Harry Potter happened to be sitting on a display stand right next to me (the book not the boy). I purchased "The Philospher's Stone" and took it it home with me.
When I went back the next day to pick up my ordered book, I purchased Books 2 - 5!!! Been hooked ever since!

Waiting for Book 6 was such an interesting experience. There is a whole sub-culture of Harry Potter on the internet, I joined internet forums dedicated to discussing plots and snippets of the series. You can sign up to become a student of Hogwarts (the training school for Wizards and Witches), answer questions to determine what house you would be 'sorted' into in Hogwarts and so much more...

When Book 6 was released, I was in Nigeria and it didnt go on sale immediately there. Luckily I was leaving for Sweden via London and Amsterdam and I was sure I would get it in one of those cities. But alas! It was sold out in ALL the London bookstores I went to (it sold 2 million copies in the UK on the day of release) sold out in Amsterdam as well, I had to wait till Stockholm in maybe the 6th bookshop I tried before finding a copy!

And now I know the date for the release of the 7th and final book. Before it was announced, you were able to slip it to the back of your mind. It's coming but you dont know when exactly! Now I know and it ranks right up there with going home to Nigeria in May and my brother's wedding in June! Ok.. maybe not the wedding but still....

Let's see how many records this one will break. Oh Gosh I can hardly wait!!!

What's in an Accent?

So there I was.

The Fonterra Customer Service Management team had scheduled presentations to selected groups of individuals. The presentations were going to cover the vision and strategy guidelines for the FCS for the coming year.

I had of course opened my big mouth too many times relishing the level of discussions and remembering my MC days in AIESEC International Congresses.

The Facilitator was just about to make a point on the difference between kiwis and Americans when he paused, turned and looked in my direction and asked with a quzzical smile on his face, "I hope there are no Americans here...". I looked behind me before I figured out he thought there was a chance I was one!

When I was in Sweden, I found that a lot of young Swedes spoke English with the accent of whatever English speaking country they happened to have gone to on their 'gap' year. Annika Hedstrom for instance had this Irish twang to her English having spent a year there as an exchange student! And the twang only got more pronounced when she met an Irishman!!!

Now my flatmates (and countless other people I have met over the years) have said when I speak English, its with an American accent. Emanuel Gavert in Sweden insisted I had a British accent. And others found it hard figuring out where I was from just from my English. All these people were however united in saying that my English was better than what they expected.

Small Wonder.

Nigeria was a British colony and English is the official language of the country. It is the language of parliament, the judiciary and the language of instruction in schools. From Kindergarten to University. With over 19 distinct native language groups in Nigeria, you can usually tell which part of Nigeria most members of my parent's generation come from due to their accents when they speak English. For their generation, English is a second language and the native language comes first. They think in the native language even if they are very articulate in the sometimes heavily accented English.

You can tell where many members of MY generation come from in Nigeria when they speak English too. However there is a growing concern for kids under 15. They have been exposed in many and more innovative ways to Western culture and icons. Particularly icons of the American brand. Rap music, hip-hop artists and sports personalities from the US are a big deal in Nigeria especially for kids who grow up in cosmopolitan urban centers. These kids speak flawless English with narry a hint of an accent (if any it would be American) and they DO NOT speak their native tongue! Parents actively support this by not speaking the native language to the kids at home and for some it is actually a source of pride!

Wise people have called for a discouragement to this trend and I agree. Nigerian Society loses touch with an integral part of its make-up when its kids shun the native languages and embrace English as the sole medium with which to communicate. The countless Indians I have met in my travels can argue points of law, strategy, science and philosophy in very articulate but heavily accented English. It is very heartwarming to see Hindi (or Gujarati, Kanada, Marathi, Tamil, Punjabi etc) being spoken when there are more than 2 Indians in a group.

My flatmates who say I speak flawless English are always astounded when I call home (or friends from Nigeria call me) and my accent, pronunciation and grammar changes! They struggle to understand me even though they are pretty sure I am still speaking English. Although I think in English more these days, when I am back home in Nigeria and surrounded by Yoruba speakers, I find that I can usually think in both languages.

One of the enduring memories of my time in Sweden was watching the finals of the Swedish Eurovision contest with my dear Maria. There was this comedian who was doing a mimic of the different Swedish accents from around the country. They all sounded the same to me but Maria was cracking up the entire time!!!

So what about you? What language do you think in? Do you speak English with an accent? Or do you speak your first language with a hint of an accent depending on which part of the country you come from?

Now THAT is what I call a Network...

I just had the coolest phone conversation.

Its 3am in the morning here in New Zealand and I just got off the phone with Kartik who used to be President of AIESEC in India.

The fact that our conversation even took place at all should be made a case-study and researched by some fancy think-tank who wants to examine the phenomenom called the "Global Village".

So there I am, chatting with various friends in the northern hemisphere on MSN. Kreta Shah a cute Indian girl who works for AIESEC in Denmark (and worked for AIESEC in Estonia last year) buzzed me and told me Kartik wanted to speak to me. Kartik added me on MSN and asked if it would be okay for him to give me a call. "Of course by all means" I replied, a little bit intrigued.

As it turns out, Kartik is in Mauritius (a tiny island off the coast of Africa, near Madagasar) working on a project for Inbev the huge global brewery. His next project will be in the "Heart of Africa" my dear country Nigeria! And he was wondering where he could get first-hand info about Nigeria, apart from the slanted and biased reports and accounts in Lonely Planet and on the BBC or CNN. So he turned to the Nigerian he knew who happens to be in New Zealand!!! How cool is all this? Or am I getting all tripped about this for nothing?!

I met Kartik (who is Indian by the way) in Switzerland at AIESEC's International Congress 2001 when he was still an LCP (I think) and then again at IC 2004 in Germany. He was national President then and there was a certain individual on his team who was also in Germany, although i didnt speak a single word to this individual.

I certainly had a lot to say and do to this individual the following year in Sweden when we worked together for AIESEC Sverige. I am of course talking about "my very own Indian" Amit Desai! The cute Indian girl mentioned above used to be his girlfriend.

If you are reading this and you have an international network of friends... know that you have something potentially powerful enough to make a key difference in how your life is shaped. And if you dont have one... well... I dont know what can be done... Get one I guess (an intl network I mean)

Whole Milk Powder or Milk Fat?!

My Cosy little corner on the Fonterra Customer Service Floor, Level 1, 9 Princes Street Central Business District Auckland.

Its a Friday evening and I had the Friday weelies! You know... when everything that can go wrong does, at 10 mins to 5pm!!!

I have had to look for an errant container of Whole Milk Powder originally scehduled to go to Syria but stuck on a vessel to Saudi Arabia to a customer who wanted Anhydrous Milk Fat! At a point... I threw up my hands and wondered aloud if we shouldnt just leave it on the boat and hope the customer doesnt notice the difference. Haha

I hope all y'all just waking up on the Northern hemisphere have a better one than i did.

Before You Leap...

"What Doesnt Kill You Only Makes You Stronger... as it exponentially increases your Insurance Premium"

I stumbled across the above quote in this gem of a book written by Kermit the Frog. It was credited to Gonzo. It kind of gives you an idea of what the book is about... Kermit attempts to give us good common sense ideas with a comedic twist and the warm humour he has been known for in the last 52 years.

I havent read the book myself but I certainly intend to go and buy it ASAP. Please find below an excerpt from the book. Courtesy of the ABC News website:

Hi ho! Kermit the Frog here! As you've probably guessed from the cover, the title, and all of these words, this is a book. Actually, it's two books. First, it's a book about my life. Second, it's a book about your life. Let me explain.

The first part of the book — the part about my life — tells the story of how I got here, from growing up in the swamp through my long career in Hollywood. (Call it an autobiography, if you must. The truth is we frogs have a real problem with any kind of autos, which is why street crossing is so stressful for your average amphibian.)

I've had a pretty extraordinary life so far. I've met kings, queens, presidents and pigs. I've worked with some of the greatest talents of all time — from Bob Hope and Rudolph Nureyev to Quentin Tarantino and Robert DeNiro. I've made movies, TV shows, music, and the occasional tabloid headline ("Frog & Hog: The Photos You Really Didn't Want To See!"). And through it all, I've been surrounded by some of the finest friends and fans a frog could ever want. This is my chance to tell that story.

It's also an opportunity to answer a lot of questions: How did a tadpole like me, born one of 2,353 brothers and sisters, make his way from the obscure snake-infested swamps of his youth to the, uh, snake-infested swamps of Hollywood? Who helped me, who influenced me, and what did I learn along the way?

Most of all, it's a chance to set the record straight. Let's face it, a lot has been said about my life over the years, most of it by Miss Piggy and her publicist. Here, at long last, I get my say.

The other part to this book — the part about you — is even more important. Y'see, I didn't want to write just another kiss-the-frog-and-tell celebrity book Hollywood can turn into a movie of the week starring someone who looks nothing like me but tests really well with 14- to 39-year-olds. I wanted to write a book that can actually make a difference in your life; a book that can help you rise above the muck and mire of your own personal swamp and reach for rainbows.

I want to fill you with hope and encourage you to dream. A good friend of mine, Jim Henson, captured this spirit perfectly when he said:
"I believe that we form our own lives, that we create our own reality and that everything works out for the best. I know I drive some people crazy with what seems to be ridiculous optimism, but it has always worked for me."

If this book can drive you — and those around you — crazy with ridiculous optimism, then it has done its job. Who knows, maybe by reading these lessons from my life, you'll be inspired to drop your tail, leave your swamp, and set out on a journey that's just as amazing and wonderful as mine.
Amphibiously yours,
Kermit the Frog

The very idea that Kermit the Frog could be writing a book, just touches that part of me that will never grow up. And it touches it in a way that my grown-up(?) psyche can actually relate it!

So go and get it... I certainly intend to.

"My Girlfriend's Diary"

~"I looked at the latest entry in my girlfriend's diary and read the following..."

I think my relationship is hitting the rocks.

It all started yesterday when my boyfriend became really moody and wouldnt talk to me. I asked him what was wrong and he just shrugged his shoulders and muttered "nothing'.

I wondered if he might still be mad at me over the arguement we had last week about the dishes? It was a minor arguement that really spiralled out of control. He was moody the whole day yesterday and I decided that if he hadnt snapped out of it by this morning, I would have to do something really drastic! Meanwhile, we made love last night and it seemed to be lacking that special something. Although I had 2 orgasms, his mind didnt seem to be there.

So this morning, I asked him if he wanted to go shopping and again that non-commital shrug while he muttered, "anything you want dear". He hates shopping!!! I took him on a whirlwind shopping spree downtown and bought a whole load of stuff and get this... I checked it all to HIS credit card and he didnt even blink an eyelid!!!

I then took him to this nice fancy restaurant where we had our first date AND our first kiss and I tried to get him to talk to me and tell me what was wrong. But he seemed distracted and kept insisting that there was nothing the matter.

By this time I was getting desperate. I had bought this nice silk negligee during our shopping spree and when we got home, I rushed into the bathroom, slipped into the negligee, put on the perfume he got for me at Christmas and got him into the bedroom where I managed to seduce him. The sex was really awesome this time but I just felt like something was still missing. When I tried to cuddle with him afterwards, he just fell asleep!!!

I am sitting up in bed now listening to him snore and I just know that there is something wrong. But why wont he talk to me about it????

My entry in my diary for the corresponding period was as follows:

"My Football team Chelsea, lost to Liverpool yesterday. But at least I had GREAT sex two nights in a row."~

PS
Above ancedote shows that Men really are from Mars and Women from Venus.
Chelsea DID lose to Liverpool but I dont have the slightest chance in hell of 'getting it' two nights in a row. At least not just yet!

A test of Optimism...

Last week was one of the most terrible I have ever had in a long long while...

I was sick with food poisoning after eating some old tuna fish in the fridge...

I consequently couldnt go to work for four days and was at home. Couldnt sleep, couldnt eat, very misreable...

On Friday, I started getting symptoms like the ones I had the day I had the Pulmonary Embolism, went to hospital and ended up staying at the doctor's pleasure for two nights. Came home on Sunday. Luckily, there was nothing wrong. (not more than usual) Just a slight cold that brought on asthma like symptoms. SO now I have to carry an inhaler around. Gosh! Am I slowly breaking down?

But on the plus side...

I found out how appreciated I am at work. My manager told me just how much but more on this later...
I am back to work and feel energised and healthier than I have in a long while.

But I have to admit, the previous week sorely tested my claim of incurable optimist! I am just glad to say I passed with flying colors!

The picture above is me with 2 of my teammates from my MC term in Nigeria. (the girl in the picture is some random member who was besotted with Isaac my MCP)
Dont ask me why i have it here. It seemed like a nice picture to go with the post.

An Irish Blessing (Or Two)

Two Thousand and Six...I got to say goodbye to you (and not vice versa!)
Two Thousand and Seven! I say welcome.

To all my friends, family and loved ones I pass on to you an Irish blessing I received from my friend Echemole in London...

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand

And just because it IS the second day of the year already in New Zealand... here's a second one as well...

May your joys be as bright as the morning,
And your sorrows merely be shadows that fade,
In the sunlight of love.
May you have enough
happiness to keep you sweet.
Enough trials to keep you strong.
Enough sorrows to keep you human.
Enough hope to keep you happy.
Enough failure to keep you humble.
Enough success to keep you eager.
Enough friends to give you comfort.
Enough faith and courage in yourself to banish sadness.
Enough wealth to meet your needs.
And one thing more: enough
determination to make each day a more wonderful day
than the day before

Handel's MESSIAH

"Handel is the greatest composer

who ever lived.

I would bare my head

and kneel at his grave"

-- L.v. Beethoven (1824)

In some Christian theology that I have read... Satan (the Devil) was an Arch-angel in heaven, and not just any old Arch-angel but THE Arch-angel! He was known as Lucifer Morningstar and was in charge of music in heaven. As the angel in charge of praise to the Almighty God, he commanded the Cherubs and Seraphs and all the other hosts of heaven in daily praise and worship to God Almighty.

His rank was above that of Michael, Arch-angel of war; Gabriel, Seraphiel and all the other angels. He was the top dog! Which is probably why according to these texts, he let it all get to his head and was cast out for the sin of Pride.

My point is that music was/is recognized as a powerful...very powerful tool and medium for spiritual experiences. Up to the degree that the choir master in heaven was considered the most powerful being after the Supreme Deity Himself. When I used to attend church regularly in Nigeria, the praise and worship session was always the best part for me.

I was caught up in the magic of music in a really special way when I attended the Auckland Choral performance of Handel's MESSIAH on Monday December 18.

What an experience.

4 lead singers (Soprano; Soprano-Mezzo; Bass and; Tenor)

24-member orchestra playing 2 types of violin, viola, cello, bass, oboe, Basson, Trumpet, and a Timpani

1 Piano organ concernist

130 strong choir (46 Sopranos; 20 Tenors; 48 Altos and; 26 bass)

And of course proceedings were directed by the slightly balding rake-thin conductor!

One thing that struck me is that performing and producing such music as those singers and orchestra did requires intense concentration and they are under a lot of pressure to deliver.

The Auckland town hall where the performance took place looks like a majestic old church with a huge stage that sloped up and was set with seats where the 130-strong choir sat. The orchestra sat in a sort of 'pit' right below the choir seats, still on the stage while the conductor had his piano nearest the edge of the stage. The orchestra were arrayed in a loose semi-circle round him.

All four lead singers sat on chairs on stage and took turns to sing different parts of the composition. And when they were not singing, sat down in their chairs. The Soprano was this beautiful young lady and when she was not singing... had this intense look of concentration on her face, listening to the other lead singers or the choir. Ditto for the other leads as well.

But when they got up and started to sing... a startling change came over their faces as they sang. Most members of the audience had rapturous looks on their faces all through but the look of... ecstasy on the Sopranos face as she sang... My God!

If you havent heard Handel's MESSIAH in its entirety... I suggest you do. It captures the essence of what Christmas (and Christianity) is. The birth of a saviour for the redemption of the world. It doesnt matter what your particular beliefs are. Soak your soul into the music and let it take you on paths hirtherto unknown.

Golden Jubilee of True Love...

Prof and Mrs JF Ade Ajayi



















"...and may you meet the bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh"

So said my Aunt, Mrs Christie Ade Ajayi when I called her up in October to wish her hearty congratulations on staying with the same man for 50 years!

Yep! You read right! Prof. and Mrs Jacob Festus & Christie Ade Ajayi celebrated FIVE DECADES of marriage in October 2006. That is more time on this earth than MOST PEOPLE who have ever visited my blog (or generally visit blogs) have lived.

But who exactly is this couple? And what do they mean to me?

My Dad has nine brothers and one sister (officially). My late Grandfather had two wives (very normal back in those days... and still a common practice in Nigeria even till this day) and between both wives they managed to have more than 15 children. Of which maybe 4 or 5 did not make it to adulthood. (High infant mortality in those days)

Prof JF Ade Ajayi is the first son and 'heir' if you will, to my late Granpappy who was the King's secretary and a very important man in the town back then. Being the first son of such a huge and respected family meant a lot of responsibility and high expectations. Expectations he has met many many times over and responsibility he has shouldered with grace and magnanimous humility.

Big words I know. But the man himself would expect no less from me. A Professor Emeritus of History, former Vice-Chancellor of a University and world renowned academic and leading scholar. But I am guessing... that he would count his more successful roles as a husband and father of five. Married to the formidable "Mummy 1" as we all call her, my aunt who is a leading early childhood psychology and learning expert in her own right; and writer of children's books, this couple is one of the prime reasons (together with my own parents) I belive in true love.

I mean... it cant be easy to stay married to the same person for half a century right? You have to be in love, true unconditional love to do it. Strong enough to weather the inevitable rough patches, worries, highs and lows wedded life must bring. Especially in these present times of increased divorce rates and selfish individuals who dont know the meaning of sacrifice anymore.

My earliest memories of Prof and his wife are going to their nice quarters in the University of Ibadan, Nigeria where my aunt had (and still has) some of the coolest literature for a 6 year old boy who absolutely loved to read. And there always seemed to be an endless supply of cookies and soda. And lunch there was always such a stately affair, with my mum always telling me to stop slouching and sit straight and my aunt more concerned with if I had enough meat on my plate!




With their offspring from Left: Bisi-Interior Designer; Yetunde-Lawyer; Niyi-Pediatric Surgeon; Titi-Architect; Funmi-Investment Banker. 5 of their very many successful collaborations together

My uncle retired (but being an Emeritus still retained his office in the university) and they moved in the late 80's i think, to this stately white house where I was to spend a lot of my formative years as an undergraduate at the University of Ibadan.

Nigeria being a collective society, moving away from home to University doesnt actually qualify as 'flying the coop'. If you have relatives in the same city you are expected to go there every Sunday at the very least and eat lunch . I took it to the extreme at a point and abandoned 'my digs' in the University halls of residence and just went from Prof's house to my lectures. I ate better at any rate and could always borrow my aunt's old car from time to time for the odd date or party in town. And with her permission most of the time too (cheeky grin!)

This was the funny thing. My aunt is generally considered to be a "tough old cookie" who didnt brook nonsense from anybody but I somehow ALWAYS found it eaiser to ask those outreageous favors (like borrowing the car for the whole night) from her than from my uncle. Prof. spent (and still spends I guess) a huge amount of time in his study which consisted of a 2-floor library and some 2-3 staff to run it. The University History department used to ask permission to do research in the library for crying out loud! Walking to the study door and knocking to disturb my uncle was always a second choice thats for sure. Never the most expressive of men, my uncle would peer out at me from over the top of his reading glasses and I could never be sure what he was thinking exactly. He never wasted words either. I definitely prefered 'bothering' my aunt. At least with her, you knew EXACTLY where you stood!

But at the same time, I pride myself on being able to chat quite extensively with my Uncle. I especially remember one conversation about slavery and how hollywood movies seemed to make out that all slave owners had this really harmonious relationship with their slaves back then. This when we watched the Mel Gibson movie, "The Patriot" together.

As you celebrate this huge huge milestone, I would like this to be my own tribute to a couple who have meant many things to very many people but most especially to me, for being the kindly 'grandparents' who tolerated my excesses and remain an inspiration to me and a shining example of how I want to live my life.

Happy 50th wedding anniversary "Daddy and Mummy UI"!

I take on board my aunt's prayer for me that may I find "...bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh" and spend at least a half century with her as well. (I actually might already have!)
Simone on the NZ MC made a post on her blog recently about her parent's 25th wedding anniversary (i think) and I remember thinking at the time, "very impressive Simone, (which it is) let me introduce you to my uncle and aunt one of these days, or even to my parents who also celebrate 40 years next year in 2007."



The "Tribe of Jacob"! (Surrounded by kids, in-laws and grandkids)

My Native Guy... Is Getting Hitched

Oghenejiro Izreal Otiotio just got married!

Everyone calls him Ejiro. And his close friends call him "Tiny". Dont ask me why!

I first met Ejiro in Feb 1999 at an AIESEC conference. I had this really great joke on paper and was passing it round the whole conference. People were doubling up in laughter every single time. I approached Ejiro who was an LCP (and I was a fresh faced newie) gave him the paper with the joke on it, he read it without the slightest expression on his face, handed it back to me and said, "yeah... so?"

I hated him instantly.

I discovered I would have to get in line to kill him as he sort of brought out that kind of emotion in people. He typifies the statement, "Love him or hate him, you cant ignore him". And I do believe a lot of girls 'loved' him quite frequently.

He came to my University shortly afterwards for a President's meeting and I was supposed to be his official chaperone. I confirmed my initial assessment of him as one of the most arrogant people to walk the face the earth but he also showed why his friends were fiercely loyal to him.

He was and still is one of the most brilliant and intelligent persons i know, he was almost always right and was never afraid to push forward his ideas. Even at the risk of alienating the whole country. He showed almost no grace in conceding when he was proved wrong on a point but most choleric individuals never do. That was back then. In the intervening years, it has been amazing to see how Ejiro has become a bit more mellowed and tolerant of other people's views.

I spent a period of 3 months on the road with Ejiro in the summer of 2000 when he was an MC member and I was a support member of the MC. Funny, exasperating, loyal, downright born for leadership and I came to be one of his loyal 'acolytes' in this period. Although he did admit once (not to me) that I was one of the very few people who could stand up to him.

Now Ejiro is getting married.

I have spoken to Obehi his bride, although i havent met her and I have a sneaking suspicion he might just have found his soul mate. They do make a lovely couple on the wedding invitation do they not?

In Nigeria, a term used instead of 'buddy' is 'my guy'. This indicates a closer level of friendship more than ordinary. And I was very honored when Ejiro said I wasnt just his 'guy' but I was his "native guy".

As you take this all important step my native guy, may you have more kids than your dad did, and may the strength of your arm be sufficiently strong enough to be a loving father and perfect husband. AMEN

You can visit Ejiro's wedding website here
Ejiro's happy day of joy has made me nostalgic about when I will be able to have mine. Tope and I have to start making some concrete plans on taking that next step. God Help me... why am I so far away from her?

Patient in the ER

Some really ghastly pictures of me in the hospital. I looked like a patient in ER... well actually I WAS a patient in Auckland City Hospital ER. But I meant "ER" the series. Hehehehe...

Two things I learnt/confirmed while in hospital

- I am an incurable optimist
- On certain issues, I accept my father's views/decisions without question!

Gosh! I look really terrible in these pictures. Why the hell am I posting them for the whole world to see??!!

A Life-Changing Experience

Its amazing how much your life can change in 7 days

And no... I did not attend an AIESEC conference. On Wednesday November 29, at about 1300 NZT, I had what is in medical terms known as a Pulmonary Embolism.

You and I would call it a minor heart attack.

And before you break out in a sweat or start crying, I am stable and even back home, which is where I am obviously blogging about this. I have spent the last 7 days in the Auckland City Hospital being prodded, poked, run through scans and listening to the infernal midnight snoring of the nice gentleman in the same room as I was.

It all started last Monday, when I developed a pain in my leg. My left leg to be exact in the calf region. It felt like I had strained the muscle there and the pain was sufficiently severe enough that I was walking with a very pronounced limp. "This is the damndest thing" I thought to myself and when nobody seemed to have a clue what was wrong, I decided I would go and see the doctor on Tuesday.
However, waking up on Tuesday the pain was very reduced and I rubbed my left calf down with some Chinese balm and postponed my trip to the doctor's. Wednesday, I woke up to clean my apartment and found that I was having to stop every 5 minutes to catch my breath. "What the hell is wrong with me" I thought to myself as I leaned on the dining table gasping for breath and with the vacuum cleaner annoying the hell out of me with its loud noise.

I took a shower and felt slightly better, got dressed and made my way into town to meet with a friend for coffee at 11am. I start work at 1pm NZT and so had 2 hours to kill with my friend. I eventually spent an hour and a half with her and made my way to the library to return some books before walking to the Fonterra building.

Auckland happens to be a very hilly kind of city with a lot of really steep roads and the Fonterra building sits on the top of what must be one of the steepest roads in Auckland. I got to the bottom of this steep road and decided to take the elevator in a public car park on the road which would place me halfway up the steep road and at least on the same level as the basement of Fonterra. (pretty hard to explain if i dont show you some pics. Maybe later)

I was really gasping for breath by the time I got into the elevator and when the elevator started moving, while it wasnt quite all the pain in the world it came very close, it collected in my heart and squeezed! I felt light headed like I had gotten up too fast after sitting down for a long while and although I have never fainted in my life, I knew this was exactly what was about to happen to me. "Not in the elevator, Ladi! Not in the frigging elevator" I thought furiously to myself. "Get out to where somewhere can see you". I managed to stumble out into the carpark and lean against a car. I was sweaty and gasping for air and it felt like my chest was about to explode. My heart was beating that fast! And I couldnt stop thinking about how much I wanted to pee.

After about 10mins, my breathing seemed to come under control and I whipped out my phone to call into work and tell them I was on my way to the hospital. I should have tried to call an ambulance instead! My plan was to walk up the rest of the steep hill - taking it very slowly - and take a taxi from the Hyatt Hotel which was right opposite the Fonterra building.

I never made it.

I started to make my way up and knew immediately it was a mistake. My heart started to beat really fast again and I started gasping for air. These 2 chinese boys passed by me and looked at me as if to say, "...a bit early to be drinking matey". Halfway up the road, I came over all light headed again and the pain squeezed really harder this time in my chest. I looked around me and saw this one gentleman coming up way behind me, smiled, sat myself down on the road, put my head back and passed out!

You know how hollywood movies have people who are unconscious hearing voices as if from a VERY long way away? And how the voices slowly come into focus? Well... hollywood was spot on!!! When the voices came into focus, I was still on the ground and was surrounded by lots of people.

"Is he breathing"
"He's got a swipe card that looks like one of ours"
"What do you mean he just sat down and passed out"
"He's very cold"
"Roll him onto his side so he can breathe"
"Can you hear me buddy?"
"Hey, I know him! His name is Ladi and he works on my team"

This last was from Daniel, a colleague of mine who was also making his way to work. He called out my name and I was able to grunt out... something. By this time the ambulance had come and I was able to get up with some help and get into the back.

To cut this story short, blood clots were discovered in my left leg, some of which had broken off made their way to my lungs and blocked some vital valve and put my poor heart under pressure. So my vital organs are fine. The blood clots just blocked vital passageways and put everything on high alert! And now this the damndest thing...! They know what is wrong with me and they know how to fix it. But no one seems to have the faintest idea WHY I have blood clots in the first place.

According to the doctors (and the internet) the following are the most likely causes for Deep Vein Thrombosis (or clots in the blood)

- Preganant Women in their third trimester (I dont think I am preganant)
- Women on contraceptive pills (female over-35s' who smoke are more suspectible)
- If you have recently had surgery and been holed up in bed for an extended period
- If you take a Long haul flight (older people 65+ are more suspectible)

Or generally if you are immobile and your blood does not circulate properly.

People who have been hospitalized for long periods are suspectible to it Considering that I have been very active in the last 5 months (I joined a gym for Christ's sake!!!) the doctors were very very puzzled. My Long Haul Flight to New Zealand five months ago does not count as the clots generally make their move a day or two or at most a week after the flight.
It could also be genetic but I have been speaking to my parents and no one of my grandparents or uncles or aunties or anyone in the immediate extended (oxymoron?) family have died from a heart attack. My dad is pushing 70 and is healthy and my grandparents died from natural causes at well over 90. Its the damndest thing!

Now I am on blood thinning tablets and will be for 3-6 months. The tablets stop any more clots from forming while my body deals with the ones already there. I had a filter inserted into the major vein leading to my heart and lungs to stop any more clots reaching there. Dont worry, its not as gross as it sounds. It was a 'minor procedure' and I cant feel there is anything there, thank God!

No more alcohol while I am on the tablets, no rough and tumble games or extreme sports as I dont want to start bleeding and not have my blood able to clot and stop the bleeding. No long haul flight in the immediate future and oh yeah... there might be something wrong with my blood but existing clots have to disappear first as any blood test taken now will obviously be negative. If they do find anything wrong, i Might have to be on the tablets for a very extended period! Like the rest of my life!!!!!!

Amazing how much your life can change in the space of a week!

At my age (25) you think you are bullet-proof and particularly for AIESEC members we put our bodies through so much punishment and deprivation at conferences, traveling and living out of a suitcase and so on... and you think you can go on forever!

I would like to acknowledge the love, support and concern I have received in the last one week. I have only been here for five months but I had a steady stream of visitors from AIESEC, work and friends I had made outside work and AIESEC.

My two flatmates have been ABSOLUTELY fantastic! Mialy and Cristiane have been my surrogate family here. Worrying on my behalf and making sure I had an easier time of it. Thanks guys, you are starting to mean a whole lot to me.

Vicki, my darling 'boss' at work. I have to marry her. As I have fallen in love with her. And dont blame me. I was pretty vulnerable and she was and has been very supportive! Haha

Xing Hua, my new friend. This incident has brought us closer together and I am very happy that all my instincts about you were correct.

Ying, you were the one of the first on the 'scene' and those muffins and cupcakes you sneaked in couldnt have tasted better!
Auckland EB; all my colleagues from work and every single text message I have received from around the world (I will probably receive more after this post) Thank you all for the concern and love and support.

And if you have a funny pain in your leg, better check it out!!!

The Life of the Party...

Loads and Loads of fun!

Thats what the Fonterra party turned out to be. It was billed to start at 7:30pm but my flatmates and I, together with 2 other colleagues arrived there at about 9pm. To a fully packed house! And I was sufficiently dressed up enough to get a loud cheering and sustained applause as soon I stepped into the hall! Talk about a grand entrance!

Red Jacket a la "Thriller"; Gangster Hat a la "Smooth Criminal"; Skin tight leather pants a la 'Bad' and; White gloves a la live stage performances and I was looking the part! (Minus the lightened skin of course but hey! This was MJ from the eighties right?!)

Unfourtunately they had played "Thriller" already and the damn DJ didnt play it again despite repeated requests. So the 3 hours i spent watching the Thriller video over and over again learning the moves just went to waste!!!
He did play "Beat it" and i can only say I have a much better appreciation of entertainers now! It is frigging hard work!!! I was positively exhausted after dancing all alone in the middle of the crowd for the duration of the song!

I had half drunk ladies coming to rub their hands over my skin tight leather pants and there was this particular lady who kept telling me (and everyone else) how hot I looked and blowing me kisses all night! I DID NOT catch her name never mind her number. Bugger!

And to crown it all, I got the award for "Best Dance Moves". Award which turned out to be a 50 dollar gift certificate for a fancy restaurant in central Auckland. Since the costume cost me 59 dollars to rent... I guess I still made a loss!

But here are some of the pictures to prove what a wonderful night it was. I am currently uploading a whole bunch of others on Flickr. So check my flickr badge to the right in a couple of hours or something...




So Here is the great Michael Jackson rehearsing his dance moves before going to the Fonterra Xmas Party... notice the subtle twist of the legs? That is the true mark of a dancing genius






















And there he is living it up in the middle of the dance floor. His adoring fans loving every single electric move...






















This fan asked for a personal photograph with our star and he was his ever obliging self...





















But then she tried to steal a kiss! Much to the chagrin of our adorable Star!!!







CLASH OF THE TITANS!!!



Manchester United host MY club in a few hours in what the media has billed the most important game Manure will play this season. Its also a huge game for us in Chelsea as if we win we go level on points with the Red Devils. If we lose, a six point gap opens up between us. But with more than 20 games still to play and the league not yet halfway through it wouldnt be the end of the world if we did lose! We have played Barcelona already in the Champions League this season and came away with a win and a draw from that.

Having said that, I fully expect Chelsea to win this game and shatter United's self belief and conviction. I made sure I took a nap this afternoon as the game is at 4:55am NZT. I just wish Sanni Muhammed was here to watch the game with me. Or even Segun Sangowawa who is a newly converted Manure fan too. He's always been a wanker anyway! These are two of my good friends from Nigeria.

Rob I know is a Manure fan as well. Ah well... he's a great guy in every other respect. Hehe

Going as Michael Jackson...

Can anyone spot the difference in the pictures above?

Okay Okay... Michael Jackson's transformation over the years must be one of the most documented ones in the history of showbiz. Physical transformation that is! In looking for pictures for this post, I found some pretty amazing before and after pictures of the one time King of Pop!

But being a die-hard Jackson fan (the weird one, not the Middle Earth one!) I couldnt publish those horrible pictures on my blog. And they were pretty horrible. Brought to mind that old joke, "Only in America can a poor black boy grow up to become a rich white woman"

But having said all this, whats all the hullabaloo with MJ all of a sudden?

Well... tomorrow is the company Christmas party in Fonterra and the theme is "Miami Vice - '80s version" or something like that. You are supposed to dress up like characters from the original Miami Vice series or just as someone from the 80s. So I am going as MJ as seen in the Thriller video.

The problem is that every SINGLE person I told I was going as MJ said, "you are not white enough; You will need some foundation; You are going as Michael Jackson while he was still with the Jackson 5???" or some other such comment to drive home the fact that a black man cannot honestly go as Michael Jackson to a costume party! Anymore than my white, 5 foot, mid thirtyish something female boss can go as Will Smith!

I am picking up a red jacket and pants a la Thriller from the costume shop and I had better print a sign and paste it on my back that says, "...MJ from the '80s".

Pictures to follow of course


U2 in New Zealand

I shook Bono's hand today.

Okay I didnt. But I could have.
U2 are in New Zealand for concert and they are staying in the Hyatt Hotel which is right opposite the Fonterra Building. And which incidentally is where i go to gym. Going to work this morning, there was a small crowd gathered at the entrance of the hotel waiting to catch a glimpse of the band. I thought about going for an impromptu gym session right there and then, but figured that Bono and co. would more likely be in the bar.. or more realistically have the bar brought up to their suite!!!

Right about now, Bono and the rest of his band are thrilling thousands of kiwis while I am stuck here still nursing the after-effects of my lung infection and flu. Well... they are playing tomorrow night again but tickets sold out months ago and besides I am off to my party!

I wont miss my Saturday morning workout at the Hyatt. You never know!!!