A Metaphor for Life...

My original intent was to write a really deep and heartfelt post about how badly Chelsea Football Club is doing in the league...? Or rather how badly Chelsea is doing. Period.

I was going to liken the situation to the realities of life itself. A huge amount of fans from all around the world became 'fans' only when we won the Premier League for the first time in 50 years. (I am not one of them).

I do not need to go into the details of the current situation. Any half decent sports website will have covered the running saga. And all the drama going on seems to be having an effect where it matters the most to me.

On the Pitch.

We are in 7th place in the league and were only able to draw against Fulham. All the other 'top' clubs won their games. It goes to show the level of expectation and sense of winning that has been built into the club in the last 3 years that Ashes would have tasted better in my mouth after the draw with Fulham.

But now comes the important question. Do I stop watching Chelsea's games because they are in a temporary flux? Do I switch allegiance to (God Forbid!) Arsenal just because they are top of the table.

No I dont.

I grit my teeth and watch my team under-perform again and again. I smile in pain as my friends with their unfortunate alliances to Manure, Goners, and Liverless rub it in every week how things look bad for us. Because you see this is what being a football fan means. Having a rough patch (and trust me it is only temporary) makes you appreciate the winning all the more when it starts to happen once again.

Actually, this is what Life is all about.

You dont throw in the towel after just one defeat. After just one knockdown, No Sir you dont. You work your way through the sludge and come out on the other side with character and resolve.

Now I just need to figure out how to get through this week. Talking to Tope becomes imperative. I mean... talking to her everyday. She is my ray of blinding and warming sunshine in this football darkness right now!

Ah Yes! Champions League game on Wednesday. Away. To Valencia of Spain.

Grit Teeth. Smile in Pain. And you might be walking on air on Wednesday again.

Do You Qualify? Part II - A Brother's Response

IMPORTANT!!!

Please read the post before this one.

This is the direct response to that one!

The Brother's Response

You ask, do I qualify.

Can I fulfill your needs and become the man you need me to be?

My sister, are you prepared for what you've asked for?

Can you handle the responsibility?

Can you accept that, by GOD, I am the chosen?one,

the authority, the comforter, and the head?

Will you submit and willingly follow my path?

Or will you fight with me instead?

If I am your King, will you treat me as such?

Will I get the best of your beauty and poise?

Or will I be subjected to an appearance

neglected, and checked with some serious noise?

When I talk, will you listen? I mean whole heartedly and feel me?

Or will you rush me just to make your point too?

Can I be the man at all times? Even when it hurts?

Or is it just when it's convenient for you?

Can you love me for me, and not who you wish I could be?

Will you see the strong Black Man within?

Or will you always remind me of all

the past brothers behind me and make me pay for their sins?

If I don't send you flowers the day your co-worker received some,

will you know that I love you still?

Or will my good name be uttered along with those other doggish brothers?

Will you question if my commitment is real?

Will you be patient and teach me to understand you,

and allow my knowledge of your needs to grow?

Or will you shut me out when I ask, Baby what's wrong?

Or will you respond with, "Well a REAL man would know!"

When we first met, what was it that caught your eye?

Was it my mind, my heart, my personality?

Or was it my suit, or my job, or do you love

what I drive, instead of what's driving me?

Yes I can, and I will, make love to you from midnight to the dawning of the sun.

But, if I tell you I'm tired, will you trust

I'm sincere or believe that there must be another one?

My sister, I love you and my heart can be yours. No woman could lead me astray.

But like you, I have needs, so I beg of you, please, in this love thang meet me half way.

In life's tough times I'll hold you, in the rough times I'll mold you;

your simplest wish will be my command.

My life is yours if need be.

Yes you can fully bleed me, and when hell comes, in your place, I'll stand.

A good relationship is a powerful institution that must be built on a foundation of two.

So to answer your question,

YES sister, I do qualify.

Now, more importantly.....! Do you?!

Do You Qualify? A Woman's Poem!

My sister sent this poem to me on Wednesday January 28, 2004. I was trawling through my email inbox and found it again today. In light of the recent "momentous" events in my life (patience, patience... all in good time!), I thought it would be quite appropriate at this time to publish this poem on my blog.

I hope you enjoy it!

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A Woman's Poem

Do you qualify to be the man I need you to be?

Will you be able to recognize the things you need to see?

Will you be able to understand, that I'm a good woman and in my life I need a good man?

Do you qualify?

Do you qualify to fertilize my unproduced seeds?

Can you fulfill, as I can, all of our needs?

Can you put me in my place if you see I am slippin?

Can you talk to me, wholeheartedly, not constantly trippin??

Do you qualify?

Do you qualify to be called all mine?

Can you leave the other women and temptations behind?

Can you come to me with your problems and not wait until it's too late?

Can you stand up and admit if you made a mistake?

Do you qualify?

Do you qualify to be the honest ebony man I would want you to be?

Would you be able to look me in my eyes and admit your feelings to me?

Could you take me in your arms and make love to me all night long?

Can you be sensitive and still be strong?

Do you qualify?

Do you qualify to be my friend as well as mylover?

Can you put our love before any other?

Can you cherish me as if I were Diamonds & Gold?

Can you make me feel like I'm the last woman you'll ever hold?

Do you qualify?

Do you qualify to be called a good man?

If I have doubts can you reassure me and understand?

Can your love intoxicate me as if I were High?

To be in my life, I need to know,

Do you qualify?

We Lost the Special One

Its true.



The man I have jokingly referred to as wanting to be like, when "I grow up" has left Chelsea Football Club!



The self-styled "Special One", who truly made my claims of Chelsea Football the best club in the world as true as they have ever been in our history has finally had enough of the interference, meddling and constant looking-over-shoulder from the owners of the club.



No not the fans, who I believe really "own" the club but the wealthy Russian Oligarch who had the financial muscle to match the dreams and aspirations of Jose Mourinho. No doubt, without the influx of hard cash we would probably still be an 'almost there' club in the English Premiership. But more than money can buy... the winning mentality and moulding of a conquer-all side was ALL Mourinho's doing.



And now we have lost him.



We didnt let him go... we lost him. And it puts a sinking feeling in my stomach.



Jose Mourinho, I do you no justice when I put the moniker of "self-styled" next to your description. No matter what happens after this. You are already one of the greats of the game and you can only better your previous achievements. Too bad those achievements will not be tied to those of Chelsea's



You really are the Special One!
(I dont feel like working today!)

Hard, Thick and Fast!

The title of this post sounds like a porn movie title doesn't it?

It has been two weeks since I last made a post on my blog and my loyal and caring readers (all half a dozen of them) have filled my inbox (not exactly) with queries and demands to update them with the latest going-ons in my life.

I heed their call and submit.

Something really momentous and life-changing HAS BEEN going on but I hesitate to put it down on this space for reasons I cant quite put into words... I had an interesting conversation with my little indian when I was about to start publishing this blog. He was of the opinion that a blog was an online diary where people shared their innermost and most personal feelings. I begged to differ then. Maintaining a blog for more than a year now has only served to reinforce my feelings on the subject.

Even if an individual sets out to consciously communicate his fears, hopes and dreams on something so open and easily accessed as a blog, his sub-conscious mind would still mould HOW he wrote his posts. If not WHAT he wrote. Many bloggers stick to a particular subject matter anyway and the few that proclaim to share their innermost thoughts are being a bit economical with the truth (thats euphemism for "bold-faced liar")

Now what point was I trying to make with all this...?

Ah Yes... so I WILL eventually share with the whole world (such as it is) the scope of the major happenings in my life but not quite yet. I will also leave the psychological dissertations to people like Brodie Boland. He does it infinitely better!

So WHAT has been going on with me that I can share now? Well... my last post reported laziness on my part and I did have one REALLY lazy weekend but the opposite is now the case as work is in full flow!

The New Zealand Dairy industry is right now in high season, the 4 million odd cows in the country have just calved and their udders are heavy and dripping with milk. This Milk has to be extracted (very humanely and with lots of eye-popping technology), collected, manufactured into cheese (Edam, Cheddar); milk powder (Whole, Skim and Butter); Milk Fat; Butter (salted and unsalted); Casein; and quite a few more dairy products, packed in cartons, bags and drums, shipped into containers and transported across the 140 country sales network.

Now since I sit right in the middle of this huge chain of getting the milk from "Cow-to-Customer" (with particular emphasis on the Middle East and Africa market), the emails have been coming in hard, thick and fast, my phone hardly ever stops ringing and my fax inbox seems to be full no matter how many times I clear it! Product planners, Factory managers, Sales Managers, Account Executives and Logistics planners are in high gear as we work on our constantly evolving (and world class) supply chain network and try to make our customers happy.

I Love My Job!

But it hasnt all been work work work. I finally managed to get my hands on a really cheap car. Which means I have the run of the whole of Auckland without having to rely on the not-so-convenient/reliable public transport system. Or on someone coming to pick me up to go to West Auckland. My social activities have largely been confined to the City Center but now with my Silver Mitsubishi Galant 1997 model (which has seen better days but at least still runs) I can expand my prowling activities to West, South and North Auckland. Check it out...

Dont be deceived by the shine. They apply special polish to make it look better. But like I said at least it runs!

Did I also mention that I played in a Fonterra football team against staff from MAERSK Shipping and TOLL Ltd? I didnt score or any goals but I did huff and puff (and huff and puff some more...) on the mixed team which won the cup eventually. I was supposed to play on the men's team as well but I picked up a knock in my left knee and couldnt continue. (and I was afraid my huffing and puffing might turn into a death wheeze!) First pic above is me in my snazzy jersey!

And here is a group picture of colleagues from work at the company Spring Ball!

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And speaking of football. Chelsea had to come from behind to level scores against Rosenborg of Norway in the UEFA Champions League Round 1 games. Rosenborg probably wouldnt be able to finish in the top half of the English Championship!!! So now in the last 3 games we have played, we have scored a measly 2 goals. This is very worrying. Granted Lampard and Drogba who combined to score about 50 goals last season are out injured but then what is all the prattle about "strength in depth" if other players cannot step up to the plate and take responsibility?

Dont get me wrong.... I think the boys played wonderfully. The Norwegian club was camped in their own half for most of the game and we must have had about 20 shots on and off goal but we need to start scoring goals if we are to move ahead this season.

Long term... the Champions League is sort of our holy grail. We want to win it. And yet I get the feeling that if we dont, the Russian might give Mourinho the boot! And to make it more interesting... if Mourinho does guide us to the ultimate prize in European football, i get the sneaky suspicion he will quit!

We can only wait and see!

Spring Ball Sneak Preview

I have been too damn lazy in the last week to write a post about the rollicking Fonterra Spring Ball which held about a week ago. Actually I have been to damn lazy to do anything else...

I thought I should at least share pictures from the night below.

I was dressed in my morning suit from my brother's wedding and was a bit worried that I might stand out in what was a black-tie event. Well I did stand out and in a very good way too.

One person commented that I happened to be the best dressed man she had been introduced to the whole evening. Hahahahahaha.

And Yes there were other males at the ball. None of my pictures with them seems to have made it into my collection though.

A Wonderful Wild Animal Story...

Make sure you read to the end!
I am almost over-whelmed with "heartwarming" stories through email, and I apologize for making you read this, but this one is truly interesting...



In 1986, Mike Matheson was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University.

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Mike approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and when he inspected the elephant's foot he found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mike worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Mike stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.

Mike never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Mike was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenage son, Tommy. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mike and Tommy were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Mike, lifted its front foot off the ground, and then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man. Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mike couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Mike summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mik e's legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

Probably wasn't the same elephant.

Mistaken Identity

A few days ago, at work I had the funniest conversation ever ...! Well... I seemed to think it was pretty hilarious!

For the regular and loyal readers of my blog you will remember the awesome work Christmas party last year where I went as Michael Jackson. I obviously made a lot of new friends among my colleagues that day. One of the 'friends' I made that day was a nice Chinese girl who had just moved to New Zealand at that time too.

She seemed hugely impressed with my costume and we took many pictures together at the party. We had lunch a couple of times after, where she told me she was desperate to improve her English and I seemed like the perfect person to help. She complained that the kiwi accent (speaking English) was most times too thick for her to understand whereas mine was clear and easy to understand.

Well... my absence from work in the last 3 weeks have of course NOT gone unnoticed and today my chinese friend stopped me over the coffee machine to ask where I had been. I was explaining to her and it somehow came up that I owned a Nigerian passport...

"Wait..." she said. "I tink you are from Hamerica..."
"No" I replied. "I have a Nigerian passport"
"Nee-jay ria?!" she said, with utter disbelief on her face.
"Yes Nigh-Gee-RIA" i said correcting her pronunciation
"But you speak vely good Engrish!"
"Yes, its my first language"
"Dey speak Engrish in Nee-jay-ria?"
"Yes Its the official language. Language of the courts, of parliament and of instruction in schools"
"But... but..." and then she trailed off with what I can only call disbelief and disappointment on her face!

And if I thought that was a bit amusing... she seems to have been avoiding me the whole week! I caught her looking at me and shaking her head over lunch in the coffee room and when I walked up to her and asked if there was anything the matter, she replied in the negative and damn near almost ran away.

Whats Up with that?

I'm Back in the Game Baby!

Finally my work permit has been approved!

Just for the record, I have been waiting 3 weeks for the approval to come through and in that time I have not been going to work as my old permit ran out and could not legally work or get paid.

All's well thats ends well now but I am still pretty sore at the immigration lawyer that was supposed to help me navigate the tricky labyrinth that is the immigration process in the hope that I would be able to do a deal with the Auckland District Health Board about the HUGE hospital I incurred when I took ill 9 months ago (has it been that long ago?)

As it is... I have paid off the Hospital by taking a loan from my bank and spread out the re-payment over 5 years. This means I am definitely going to be in New Zealand at least for that length of time. Taking the loan seemed like a good idea at the time as the hospital wasnt happy with the regular weekly payments I was making complaining they couldnt carry the debt. They had sent my name to a Debt Collection Agency and if I hadnt paid them... it would have gone on my credit rating report. Living in the Western World with your credit rating shot to shit is not ideal. Not at all!

So now I go directly back to work moving huge amounts of dairy products to my customers in the Middle East and Africa! Yipee!!!

And I dont have to worry about posters like the one below anymore.... hahahahahaha


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I had a very good weekend.

I played in the Fonterra-Maersk-Toll soccer championship and came away with a healthy appreciation for the professionals who play an average of fifty 90-minute games over the course of 9 months! 20mins running across the field and I was huffing and puffing like an old style locomotive from the 1800s! And get this... I was playing on the mixed team! So my opponents were delicate (some were fitter than I was) ladies and guys who didnt quite make the All-men's team!

This was on Friday and there was a nice piss-up afterwards with employees from the 3 companies mentioned above. I didnt stop there. I went on to take a shower at home and headed to the Argentinean party downtown! Moved from there to the Hip Hop Club and towards the tail end was reminded of Tope with the song, "Dont Matter" by Akon.

Sunday was even better and I spent the evening with this delightful Ethiopian girl who I thought was called Yudith but turned out to be a Hannah. And some people call her Alemnash. Ah... its a complicated story!

Anyway I saw Die Hard 4.0 and I would definitely recommend it for viewing! As the fourth film in the franchise, it had huge expectations on its head and the likelihood was that it was going to disappoint! But thank goodness it didnt!

Storyline was logical, coherent and wrapped up nicely. Dialouge was superb and funny all at the same time and the acting was top top class. Bruce Willis makes for a very believable almost-obselete-one-time-hero-who-can-still-deliver-heroics-and-save-the-day!

I Definitely recommend!

Food as a Panacea...

Comfort Food.

When some people are depressed, lonely or just plain bored and have nothing to do... they start to eat. I was watching an Australian program the other day called, "The Biggest Loser" and it featured a group of over-weight contestants who tried to lose the most kilos and win the ultimate prize.

The show delved into the life-styles and emotional motivations of the contestants and one thing that seemed common among them all was that when they were stressed, angry, sad or whatever negative feeling... they ate. And ate and ate and then ate some more.

Comfort Food.

I have always liked food myself. When I was much younger... I ate because there was food. Not particularly because I was hungry. There is a HUGE difference if you stop to think about it. I was lucky that I was very active as a kid and probably had a higher than average metabolism. So all the excess food I ate got burned away and I was never ever a fat kid!

I seemed to have slowed down in my old age - or my metabolism has dipped to very poor level as tiny portions of food seem determined to hang around for as long as they can on my anatomy. (there is a preference for somewhere round about my middle).

Anyway... I have re-discovered the joys of food again. A pretty megalomaniac statement seeing as one cannot survive without it right? Well it wasnt until I moved to Sweden and met Emma Gavert that I REALLY started to taste food and know that some types of food go best with others.

The last 2 weeks have been a bit hard for me. I havent been going to work while I wait for my work permit to be extended by Immigration NZ (more on this in a later post) And I have tried to be use the unexpected time constructively! Reading, writing and yes... Cooking.

I have re-dedicated myself to getting fit again and apparently it is not enough to just go to the gym and lift weights. You have to get cardio exercises in... and eat right as well. So with SO much time on my hands I have been getting adventurous in the kitchen and slapping ingredients together. And not just adventurous but creative as well. Seeing as I am not getting paid while I am at home, I work with very limited resources and have still managed to come up with some fantastic dishes!

I cannot wait to have unlimited credit again so I can really go to town!

I have enjoyed my cooking sessions. I used to help my mum cook when I was a teenager (Believe it!) and there is something to be said for taking all those different kinds of stuff and coming up with a tasty meal!

Damola from the New Zealand AIESEC national office (but Nigerian) stayed at my place and he was fortunate to taste some of my culinary prowress.


Master Chef anyone?





Gimme some drumsticks with that sauce!





The Greens and vegetables are very important... and colorful too!

If you wanna eat... you do some work!

My Parents' 40th Wedding Anniversary Today

'It was a warm summer day in the ancient city of Ibadan in South western Nigeria.

The flowers were in full bloom and the University Chapel was gaily decorated as little butterflies fluttered around and birds sang their melodious tunes in the background.

People had come from far and near to witness the soleminzation of holy matrimony between one Oladipo Ajayi and Ms Funmi Kolawole.

The press were there in full force as the bridegroom was a promising University student who had signaled his intention to join the Fourth Estate and indeed he would rise to become Editor of the largest selling newspaper in the country.

There were drop dead gorgeous ladies from the nearby Teachers Training College in their short wrapper skirts, designer blouses and 6 inch 'platform' shoes who had come to see one of their own get hitched to this dashing and handsome young man of her dreams...'

The above scene is drawn solely from my imagination but the actual event couldnt have been that much different from the above. You see, I have heard the verbatim reports and seen the black and white photos myself. Said event was my parents wedding day.

40 years ago today!

Yep! My parents celeberate 40 years of married life today and that is just so impressive in so many ways.



In these days of high divorce stats and selfish individuals all around, I am very thankful that I grew up with this particular couple as progenitors. I will be the third (after them both) to admit that it hasnt been plain sailing all the way. I have witnessed some of the bitterest arguements between my parents but have seen them lauughing and all made up the next day (or next week:-)

One thing my siblings and I learnt very early was never to take them both on at the same time. They had too much practice and understanding between them to ever lose to any of us singly or all of us combined. We found the 'divide and conquer' rule worked very effectively indeed. SO if we wanted something from our parents and knew the chances of getting it were slim, we would gang up on one of them (isolating the other) and before the parent in question could call for help, mission would be accomplished!

As they grew older, they complained more and more about one another to us the kids. But there is never any real conviction in the complaints. I swear they do it more out of habit nowadays than anything else. They might not both realize it (perhaps they do) but one cannot do without the other for very long.

Mummy, Daddy as you celebrate this huge milestone, I just want to say thank you. For giving me and my siblings life. For Life's little lessons (and big lessons too). For providing a warm, secure and well nurtured nest from which you launched four of your many collaborations together. We your kids have turned out very well indeed (if I do say so myself).

Thank You. Thank You very much. I Love you both and look forward to celebrating 50 years!


The couple on Sunday June 10th, 2007





The original 'six'. From Left to right: Yewande,Daddy, Yours truly, Mummy, Segun and Toyin






With the 'add-ons'. My sister's two kids and my brother's wife

Uncertainties Place Me In an Unsual Place...

There is no doubt I am an optimist.

I always see the glass as half full. No matter what happens, I always manage to find the good in whatever situation I find myself in.

The above has been sorely tested in the last one week.

A decision has still not been taken on extension of my work permit and my current one has expired. Which means I cant legally work until the decision is taken. Trust me... being jobless is a bad thing.

Been jobless and broke is even worse!

After clearing debts and hoping to start afresh this month, I have had to borrow money from my sister in the UK (Thank you Toyin!) to cover this months bills (rent, utility etc...) I have an immigration expert lawyer who is supposed to be 'advising' me on the best way to negotiate the quite lengthy process of the 'immigration river'. I thought this was a good thing a few months ago. I am not so sure of that now as I have gained absolutely no value from his services. Or at least seemingly not.

To complicate matters further, I got a phone-call from a debt collection agency late last week. Apparently, the Auckland District Health Board has forwarded my details to them and I have 2 weeks to come up with 21,000 dollars. Obviously not going to happen. I had been in correspondence with the hospital previously explaining that I couldnt afford a 2000-dollar-a-month-over-12-months-payment-plan. Rather I have been paying 400 dollars a month since Feb. I had asked for more time citing my offer of a more permanent offer from Fonterra as a basis but they have obviously not bought into it.

So... while I have to wait for the slow but sure wheels of beaurecracy to churn out my extended permit, my credit rating will officially be shot to shit in a couple of weeks when I dont pay up my 21K debt (It used to be 24K!)
I didnt plan on falling sick. But I did.
I could be dead. But I am not.
Needless to say, I am going through a very delicate period now. I wish Tope were here. Now I know what Mr Oyegbola meant when he said some experiences are meant to be shared. But then... I always knew that!
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On a brighter note... the induction camp for new AIESEC members I attended was loads of fun. I faced a crowd of young, eager passionate faces again. And although it was only for a few minutes... it reminded me all over again why I love public speaking so much!

It felt good to be the 'expert' on AIESEC Dances again. A lot of the dances I knew are still kicking ass and I turned out to know more than most people there.

AND

The English Premier League has kicked off and some unsurprising, cheerful, galling and equally shocking things have been revealed!

Unsurprising - We beat Birmingham 3 goals to 2.
Gleeful - Manure drew nil-nil with Reading at Old Trafford
Galling - Steven 'f%*#king Gerrard scored a winning goal for Liverpool against Aston Villa
Shocking - I actually felt sorry for Arsenal when they went 1 goal down against Fulham and felt some cheer when they grabbed a winning goal in the dying meetings of the game! Whats up with that?

Connecting with my Inner Teenager

I had two options on what to do this weekend.

I had an invitation from a couple who were going to drive up to the countryside and take in a few sights of the lush and varied vegetation that this wonderful country New Zealand, seems to have in abundance.

And then there was also the email invitation from the local AIESEC chapter here in Auckland to their induction camp. This is a 2 day camp that seeks to induct new members just recently recruited into the organization.

I picked the AIESEC one.

If I ever write an auto-biography, AIESEC the organization is going to take up quite a few chapters in the book. I joined as a 17 year old freshman in university and over the next 7-8 years, I found myself, lived my dreams, pushed my boundaries, and met some extraordinary individuals. And not necessarily in that order. Some of my greatest triumphs and bitterest disappointments are related to my experiences in and around AIESEC.

Now, due to my working hours and to be quite honest a conscious effort on my part, I have not been as active as some would have expected me to be in the activities of the local AIESEC chapter here. I was invited to come and speak at the orientation seminar for the newbies last week but seeing as I got a 24 hour notice... I couldnt make it due to prior engagements. So now I have decided to go and join AIESEC in Auckland at this 2 day camp this weekend.

I have very clear memories of my teenage years. I learned some very important lessons and my experiences then will always resonate in my actions as an adult now. For all the clarity I have from those years, it might as well have been a lifetime ago! (it was ONLY 7 years ago I was still a teenager for chrissakes!) I say this because of how I relate to the present day AIESECers. The average age among them is about 18 years old. I have found it very hard going to connect with most of them. The jokes, sense of humour and general outlook on life seems to me... childish at times!

My God What is happening to me?

ME? The original immature, mischevious prankster! Think of it... I did it as a kid! I KNOW I still have it in me... or is it that I am more comfortable playing the fool among people who know the serious part of me already? Am I afraid to seem childish to these (aaaaarrgghhhh!!!) kids? Is it because that was a label that ALMOST got stuck on me permanently as a teenager? Childish? Immature? But that was the beauty of AIESEC the organization. You could still act your inner child (teenager) at breakfast, talk about saving the world at lunch AND actually get round to it by dinnertime!

So... this weekend is going to be a test for me. Have I lost that adorable and mischevious imp or is he just waiting in the wings waiting to be unleashed again? Well... where better to find out than in at an AIESEC induction camp!

My Life and the Beautiful Game

"...Some People believe football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed with that kind of attitude. I can assure you that it is much, much more important than that!"
BILL SHANKLY
FORMER LIVERPOOL MANAGER

The title of this post is not original. It is the title of a 1977 autobiography of the legendary football superstar, Edson Arantes Do Nascimento. Otherwise known as Pele!

Football. I love it. I live it. I watch it.

I USED to play it as well in high school, not so much in University and by the special grace of God I will play it again in a special tourney involving my company Fonterra and MAERSK Shipping Line. Although truth to tell I am more active on the watching side.

And I love nothing better than to watch the best club in the world CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB!

When I moved into my apartment here in Auckland last year, I managed to convince the girls (my flatmates) to get SKY TV primarily so I could catch the most exciting Football league in the world! The English Premier League!

The Community Shield was played last weekend and we lost to those farty Aristocrats Manure United. But it was a meaningless game, nothing at stake and even though we had a lot of injuries (again) we still drew the game and they only won on penalties.

Not that I am making any excuses.

I however look forward to the next 9 months, staying up late here in Auckland to catch all the games (almost all!) of the Premiership.

And then there is the Champions League, FA Cup and Carling Cup! In a land full of Rugby fans and lots of sheep... Sky Sport 2 and ESPN shall become my most watched channels on cable.

Bring it on!!!

To Have At Your Back

When I was researching for my speech as the Best Man at my brother's recent wedding, I came across a lot of material detailing the supposed origins of the role.

Apparently, back then marriage was more than an issue of true love. It was very serious business as marrying the right person added to your sphere of influence in the form of additional lands and titles. Marriages served to cement military alliances and were used as favors to be asked for at a later date.

In Anglo-Saxon England, the Best Man would act as a bodyguard for both the groom and the bride. During Anglo-Saxon England weddings the bride would stand to the left of her groom so that his sword arm was free. The Best Man would keep his hand on his sword ready to fend off trouble and protect the couple. Often during these times, the best swordsman in the area was chosen as the Best Man

In Nordic and Gaulish tribes, the practice was even taken to another level. Wives had to be taken by force from another tribe when the number of eligible young women dropped in your own tribe. A man had to organize a raid to 'capture' his wife and often had to fight his way through the woman's relatives. Of course the intended groom took along the best swordsman who would watch his back during the raid.

But why do I mention this at all?

No it is not because I felt like decapacitating members of my sister-in-law's family. (although come to think of it... ;-) No. My quite vivid imagination just transported me to those times. If I had lived in that period, and I needed to fight a whole village in order to reach my one true love... who would I call to watch my back?

Knowing me, I wouldnt hedge my bets in the least and would probably go with a FULL raiding party. And countless names spring to mind on who would make the cut... one name in particular would DEFINITELY be on that list:

Isaac Okanlawon (otherwise known as "Ba'Jebu")

Ba Jebu Fine Boy?, originally uploaded by Ladajay.

I have known Isaac for the last 8 years now. I met him in AIESEC. And I clearly remember my first impressions of him back then. Intense, anxious to please, brimming with curiousity and oh! so very naive! One clear memory I have is of us both being disgusted at the level of hypocrisy that existed in AIESEC in Nigeria at that time. But while I jumped on the table and screamed to the high heavens about it, Isaac sat there and grimaced. I took it to mean at the time that he wouldnt stand up for what he believed in. I was so very wrong about this.

It was a slight shock when Isaac sought my opinion on running for the position of National President of AIESEC in Nigeria. He had already been a very successful President of his local AIESEC chapter and was halfway through a term as National Director. I had to make a very bemused re-evaluation of this individual who had once paid me the ultimate compliment by expressing his desire to work on a team of which I would be National President.

The roles were completely reversed now as I was also seeking a role on the next leadership team of which he had aspirations to lead. I came to the very quick conclusion that Isaac would make a very good National President indeed. I was however still honest enough to admit to myself that there was still some way for him to go to earn my total respect! And you know what...

...He did earn it. Completely.

I dont know if I ever told him this, but while we served on the National Committee of AIESEC in Nigeria, Isaac constantly inspired me. While I was brash, arrogant and confident in my abilities., Isaac had a gentility that commanded respect among everyone while I had to demand (and got) that respect. People willingly gave their loyalty to Isaac. I would enagage LCPs in shouting matches over their unpaid dues, Isaac would appear on the scene and they readily promised to send the cheque in the post the next day.

Isaac the indecisive boy had grown up to become this purposeful leader who while still preferring diplomacy to confrontation, was not in the least bit shy about banging you over the head with the facts! (and my head got banged a few times!) There were 2 other people on our team, Kenoma and Tobi. And Isaac wasnt just THE leader, he was seen as the leader.

Apart from our professional relationship, Isaac is also something else to me. He is a true Friend. He and I had some enagaging discussions on all sorts of topics. We grew to respect and know each other's strengths and weaknesses and I like to think we could predict what the other would do or say.

One thing Isaac never seemed to lose though was his sense of naivety. He comes from a strict Christian upbringing and he always seemed to express childlike wonder at stuff that a jaded old fox like me would not even blink at. His sometimes childlike questions about girls, sex and worldly pleasures would have me rolling on the floor with laughter. Although after living in Hungary and currently residing in the Netherlands, I can bet Isaac can answer some of those questions better than I ever could now! hehe

Even now, Isaac never takes people for granted. He is not afraid to ask questions in an effort to better understand something. He is generous, cares about those closest to him and has an annoying habit of trying to leave every and anything he comes into contact with, better than he met it.

I have seen Isaac develop as an individual, he has become one of my closest friends but all through the years, Isaac hasnt changed essentially from what he was all those many years ago I first met him.

A decent human being.

So if this was the 10th century and I had to fight my way through a rampaging horde of relatives who were intent on keeping me from the love of my life, This individual would definitely be on my right side.

ISOYIN JOO!

Isaac and I at IPM in the Netherlands, originally uploaded by Ladajay.

Testing Testing Upload Pics...

IMG_0019.JPG, originally uploaded by Ladajay.

AIESEC in Sverige!
e helt endar barra
We know how to party and stay up allnight

The feeling, the magic.. la lal ala la la

I am posting from my Flickr account and just chose this picture at random to see how it would work.

I am having trouble uploading pics to my blog posts in recent days and I am looking for an alternative method.

The pic above has Emma Gavert, Aron Lindberg and myself during our opening plenary roll call at IPM 2006

If Its not One thing...

First I had a Pulmonary Embolism, then I had to work two jobs to afford paying for the attendant hospital bill AND attend my dear brother's wedding.

Now I am back and facing that ogre that invariably affects we nomads that have moved to another country and culture. I am talking about Immigration Issues.

I have an application with immigration New Zealand to extend my work permit with a view to becoming a permanent employee of Fonterra! It's supposed to be routine and shouldnt take more than 20 days. However because of said Pulmonary Embolism above, immigration wanted me to have another full medical. Which I have.

And now I might not get an answer for another 3 weeks. I am crossing my fingers; knocking on wood; holding my thumbs; praying to Almighty God that it comes before that! My current permit expires well before then.

You never get used to this. Moving to any other country will involve a huge amount of paper work whatever nationality you are but for some of us... it's guilty until proven innocent!

Oh Lord... why send me all these character building episodes? I hope it is because you have a greater use for me on a par with leading a whole nation out of bondage and through a parted Red Sea to boot!

A Source of Comfort...

U Rock my World
U are the twinkle in my eye
U make my heart skip a beat
U are the one I've always wished for
U are charming
U are my crush
U are my everything
U bring joy to my life
U make me laugh
U are the one for me
U inspire me
U motivate me
U are my treasure
U mean the world to me
U are my dream come true
&
I'm thankful for U
I'm passionate about U
I value U
I respect U
I love being around U
I yearn for U
& most of all
I LOVE YOU!
{My 1st & Only True Love}
Take me, I'm all Urs...
'cos U had me from HELLO!

No Greater Honor...

My Little Indian has paid me tribute for inducting him into the world of Harry Potter on his blog. Well... he did on the comments page so I am reproducing his words here...

...and just in case anyone was wondering... If Hogwarts was a real place, Amit would definitely be a Ravenclaw! Heck! He would go on to become Head of Ravenclaw house! Even if he screamed and begged the Sorting hat to put him in Gryffindor... it still wouldnt happen!

Accept it dude... You are high on brains, but brawn isnt your scene. Haha!


Amit Desai said...
I am eternally grateful to Oladi popo Adebola who in June 2005 introduced me to Harry's world. I felt exactly like Voldemort - Harry connection both having this significant link ; Voldemort being ofcourse Ladi :)

Thou shall always be thanked for this!

In Search of a Good Conversation

I miss Isaac Okanlawon.

And He’s not the only one I miss.

I miss Ejiro Otiotio, Emma Gavert, Bros Solay, Maria Johansson and Tobi Odunowo. I miss Osibo Imhoitsike, Segun Sangowawa, Amit Desai and Oh. My. God. I MISS Labake Quadri. Of course I miss a WHOLE lot more people than these ones above. (I miss Tope so much its almost a physical pain sometimes!) And I miss them all for various different reasons! But the people above, all have two things in common.

1) – they all live in the northern hemisphere
2) – I had some bloody good conversations with each and every one of them!!!

Topics were as varied as the individuals themselves:

- I spoke about Love, Life and what a Swedish girl REALLY wants in a man with Maria
- Issues of politics, philosophy and what it takes to develop a nation like Nigeria with Isaac
- I was driven almost to the point of insanity by Kene with discussions on religion and belief systems
- Emma Gavert challenged my views on homosexuality and its taboo status in African culture versus its acceptance in Western civilization
- I counselled and shared Segun’s pain on relationship issues
- Osibo and I tried to prove to one another why our respective English Premiership sides were the best in the world
- I debated and regularly almost came to blows with Bros Solay on the state of the Nigerian nation and who was really to blame for the rot there.
- Almost any discussion and/or situation with Labake Quadri turned into a heated argument on pros and cons
- Amit and I went through the finer details of the Harry Potter series trying to decide if Harry was or was not a Hocrux…

…and so on and so forth

The closest thing I have to a good conversationist (sic) is my darling flatmate Mialy, who is from Madagascar and has very strong views on the death penalty and its abject failure in curbing serious crime.
And of course there is Sean my best friend here in New Zealand who I went to high school with in Nigeria. It's always interesting to hear his views on 'proper' behaviour for young girls and I know he is ALWAYS there for me to 'shoot the breeze' with.

So from being surrounded by all these damn good debaters and logical thinkers who are passionate about one thing or the other. I have been left with a couple of shining stars in Mialy and Sean.

Of course I never realized how much I cherished and enjoyed these conversations until I got here to New Zealand . Now don’t get me wrong when I say this. NZ is full of some pretty smart dudes and dudettes. The kiwis I have met and interacted with are hardy, friendly outgoing people. You are much more likely to get an invitation for a drink (or “piss-up” as it is more colourfully known) here in Auckland , after work than you would in Stockholm . But being so far away from EVERYWHERE seems to have its pros and cons.

Pros – You don’t have to worry about some rogue terrorist group targeting strategic locations in Auckland or Wellington . Its just too far away from the action.
Cons – Your distance from everything and everyone else makes you get into a “What’s-happening-in-the-world-not-that-I-really-care“ mode.

There is a serious dearth of good conversations in Auckland . At least available to me.

Anyone who knows me will know that I thrive in front of an audience. Of one or one hundred, it really doesn’t matter. I am so people-oriented that magical experiences that I go through alone hold no special meaning for me. There needs to be at least one other person there to laugh with and share the memories with. I was barely 20 years old when I decided that even girls that shared my bed, in addition to being physically alluring had to be intellectually stimulating. I have had some amazing “pillow talk” in my time I can tell you!

Now I am able to admit that a lot of those conversations fed my enormous ego and left me feeling that I could hold my own with some of the smartest people I have had the pleasure of meeting. (Kenechukwu Umeasiegbu as a case in point). But I ALWAYS increased my knowledge and answers gained led to even more stimulating questions.

Thank goodness for email, phone, skype and all the other inventions by man that has turned the world into a Global Village. The last time I spoke to Isaac on the phone was last week from his base in Amsterdam. We spoke for 35 minutes. And he was just calling to say a quick hi!

So this is what I have concluded. I have to go out more. Expand my social circle and meet some more interesting people in Auckland. Perhaps I should try and start a conversation with those I know already, a conversation that goes beyond Rugby and what the weather will look like today in Auckland. J

I will admit, being a sucker for a pretty face (among other assets) has distracted me in the past from recognising a good candidate for a good conversation. But that distraction is no longer there (or has being effectively muted) by Tope. So the next time I go to that nice Italian wine bar on High Street, I will have my priorities straight.

Providence send me more kindred spirits who recognises the importance of a bottle (or two or three) some cheese, and a never ending list of topics to get passionate about!