Today’s fun adventure included a security orientation, an orientation on health services, and the last free day before the kickoff activities and work begin tomorrow. We also did some ice-breakers to get to learn some more about each other. The team continues to get along really well and that is nice. And working with my sub-team is also great. We have similar thoughts on most issues and have good discussion for a great exchange of ideas. So what can I say? So far so good 🙂

The hotel also has internet and a fairly nice restaurant. I don’t really have a lot of reason to complain. The hotel staff is just fantastic and they are so warm and friendly. That is going to be a recurring theme over the next weeks. I can’t really overstate how welcoming and friendly each and every person I have met has been.

In addition to briefings and orientations, we also had an opportunity to visit a local private university, the Afe Babalola University. The university was not in session unfortunately so we made a promise to make a return visit, but the University is notable because it is funded by private investment. In addition to several colleges within the University, they also have their own bakery, electricity station, access to water, and a mango farm. It will be exciting to make a return visit to see the University when it is in session and hopefully get a chance to talk to the students.

As normal, we end our night back at the hotel and make sure we are ready for our big day tomorrow – our press conference, meeting with the Ewi (King) of Ado Ekiti, and our formal reception with the Governor.

The weekend to acclimatise has been a great idea. I suppose we could have been dropped into the middle of it all and just left to run with it, but the structure and set up so far have served us well. The only wish we have: more opportunity to interact with the local population at some point in the trip. I feel perfectly safe in Ekiti and statistics and other measurements really do bear out that the State enjoys a relative peace and calm, but I also understand that we have to take reasonable measures. Our security team could not be nicer and friendlier, and our local hosts assigned really do go out of their way to accommodate us. But just the same, we’re already ready for some visits to market, etc, etc. However, one of the things you can easily see in Nigeria is the enormous opportunity to develop tourism (particularly on the sustainability and eco-tourism sides). So maybe our eagerness to buy local crafts will help kickstart that as well 🙂

Yesterday I arrived into Lagos after what I can only describe as pleasant flight experiences. I flew with Lufthansa and I have to say that I usually always enjoy it. I felt under no pressure or stress as I had finished packing around 20.00 the night before and was able to have a nice and calm evening.

So after 12 hours traveling time (2 hours to from Stockholm to Frankfurt, 3 hours of layover, 1 hour of delay, and 6 hours of flying), I finally made it to Lagos, Nigeria. The first thing I noticed upon arrival? The heat! Glorious, comforting, 25-degree heat. The sweat underneath my eyes at the thought of not needing a winter jacket again for 4 weeks were actually tears.

Going through immigration was painless enough, if not a bit lengthy. I got my immigration stamp rather quickly (as it would turn out, the stamp needs to be re-done because they only stamped until 07 March and I will stay until 09 March, but this is being solved for us). The fun part was trying to find the people waiting for me. As it turns out we walked past each other quite a few times, and in the height of hilarity, after 30 minutes (and both parties making a few calls to our local coordinator), we were standing back-to-back to each other…literally. So that sorted, we head over to the bus and additional police escort and wait to collect more of our colleagues who are also arriving. A couple of hours later (in retrospect the time went by quickly…I was just cranky for a hot shower) and we were at the hotel, meeting the rest of the group who had arrived. Some dinner and socialising and everyone was in good spirits. If you had walked past the group, you would have thought that we had known each other for years instead of having talked over the phone for a few months and hadn’t met face-to-face before. But that in some way is the typical IBMer: we tend to bond really quickly when placed in groups 🙂

Our local IBM, NGO, and Government contacts are all awesome and amazing people – we are so fortunately to be working with them over the next 4 weeks.

This morning was our briefing about logistics and other matters before we set off to Ekiti. The Sheraton Hotel by the airport is a nice place to wait to depart 🙂 No time to dip into the pool unfortunately, but I am satisfied with the fact that there is not a snowflake on the ground to be seen anywhere.

We haven’t been anywhere in Lagos or other places to take pictures, so the only pictures I can offer are the ones I took on my flight from Frankfurt to Nigeria. The first picture is snow-capped mountains, and second one is beautiful desert. I’ll look forward to complimenting future blog entries with more pics and less words 🙂

#ibmcsc Nigeria

It’s hard to believe that in 7 days from now, I will be in Ado Ekiti in Nigeria getting ready to work on my CSC assignment. I have a nervous excitement about it all. I am eager for the assignment to begin, to meet my fellow teammates, and to look to make a positive contribution through our project.

This week has really been about the final administrative tasks that need to be done before I leave. I dd a crappy job of following my detailed list for preparation over the last week, so instead today I managed to complete most of the pre-departure activities. Our team I think is as prepared as we can be in terms of the assignment. And on Friday I talked with a Service Corps alum and got some really good advice of things to think about and to remember not only the expertise that we have, but the expertise that is all around us in IBM. Whatever anyone’s expectations are on me, my expectations of myself are probably exponentially higher. I don’t mind though, it means that I will be thoroughly motivated to do the best job possible.

Over the next few days there will be a lot of e-mails, posts, instructions for friends and workmates, documentation sharing, and the thousand little things you do before you leave.

I guess in some way I should be nervous that I have forgotten something, but when I think back on my life and experiences, my time in Corporate Audit and spending 300 days traveling each year has also left me prepared in a way that I am surprised still serves me well over a decade later. Because I’ll be going through 2-3 climate changes over the 6 weeks I am away it is a little bit different, but many of the basics stay the same:

• Functional clothes win over unique pieces
• Layering will be my friend
• “Think from the inner layer and outwards” as a good friend and army buddy once told me (means start packing from your innermost layer of clothing and work outwards
• Once all that is done, subtract 20%

Packing is made all the more interesting because I must pack for Kilimanjaro as well. That requires and additional set of clothes and a logistical challenge. My hope is that I can fit everything into 1 bag. If not, I am prepared to bring 2 bags and pay the extra baggage charge. But my preference is to get everything in 1 bag – not just to save money, but because someone has got to carry all of that around…and that someone will be me.

Overall, I am really looking forward to the trip. Tonight is dinner with friends and will probably be the last time I see them for 6-7 weeks. Bitterweet. In thinking about the opportunities and adventures that await me, I am really looking forward to it! And I would be lying if I didn’t also say that I will be welcoming some warmer weather in my life 😉

Looking forward to keeping you all updated. I promise to try and not over-post during the next 6 weeks. Notice I said try 😀

Until next time.

#ibmcsc #Nigeria