Blog with a view

Tribal-hypnosis

2012-01-18T11:26:00.000-08:00

The following is a transcription of a telephone conversation I had the misfortune of having this afternoon with a prospective landlord (hereinunder, PL):

ME: My name is Susan... is the advertised house still vacant?

PL: Yes it is. Eh, my name is Brigadier Mbithi of the Armed Forces.

Assurances are exchanged: He informs me that he is the property owner (truth be told, I have no desire to deal with crafty agents, and neither does he). I quickly lay his fears to rest, and with the preliminaries sorted, our convo continues merrily. The gentleman proceeds to unleash a mega self-intro, on my air-time mind you, and I listen patiently. Then he interrupts his monologue to ask the all-important, deal-determining question.

PL: Susan, what is your name?

There is nothing random about that loaded surname question. It goes beyond Identity. It's almost always the camouflaged 'ethnicity' issue. (Ok! I have blinders too... such a blanket assumption (lo!). I hope he can prove me wrong). So, on this occasion, I 'go blonde'.

ME: Susan

PL: As I said, my name is Mbithi, and as you can tell I'm a Kamba (really? oops sorry, I hadn't stopped to connect the tribal dots). What's your name? (he repeats )

Typical! I know his type! But, why jeopardise my chances? Besides, I figure, a certain level of disclosure is necessary when entering into these Tenancy Agreements. So, I blurt out my surname (That singular response brings the convo to a screeching halt).

PL: Kikuyu Sitaki!

Tribalism is the 'enfant-terrible' of Africa's diversity (BTW, some Indian landlords, unlike Mbithi's nude overtness, are more subtle. They take the trouble to cloak their biases. Their version goes something like this, "Sorry, vi vont wegeterians only!" (that standard script, complete with the head-movement and a blank oriental-look marks the end of that 'non-Indians not-need-not-bother' conversation).

Questions: If a public servant like Mbithi can be that blinded by the dizzying reality of our ethnic animosity, who will take on the harrowing task of transforming our 'sick-and-sour' selves? Who will build ethnic-bridges? I have to wonder about the thoughts and sentiments being pedalled among the illiterati in far-flung counties on this issue. This being an Election year, I pray for divine wisdom, cohesiveness and national reconciliation (I dare not get started on the TJRC).

This is a battle we (Brigadier and the rest of us Kenyans) must fight. And Win!

Later, I had a good mind to call this soldier fellow and respectfully show him the error of his ways. But, before throwing myself to the High Priestly duties of exorcising the demons of tribalism that clearly plague his soul, I was filled with compassion for this burdened man - demonizing a whole tribe is a heavy load to bear! I wondered about his ability to think or see clearly through his blurred, myopic 'tribal lenses' - O what poor vision.

P.S: My heart goes out to the poor troops in his battalion... especially those whose mother-tongues are foreign to the good Brigadier:(.

P.S II: It would be pretentious to say that any of us is blameless. So, before I hurl another huge boulder at the Brig., I'll take a nice, long and hard look at myself... and, as MJ put it, 'make the change!'. Ouch!

What pain!

Surmountables

2011-09-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

A fortnight or so ago, yours truly et al engaged in 'extreme sport'. We embarked on the uphill task of scaling the great Mt. Kilimanjaro!

With our supplies firmly strapped to our backs, we found our way to First Caves... slogged through to the Second Caves before toiling up to the Third Caves... Eventually, we made our way to School Hut, where we launched our final assault on the unforgiving mountain.

At the stroke of mid-night, we embarked on the last leg of our ascent (this is where, as some clever guy put it, team work became an individual sport. For real!).

Up, up & up I laboured! Up past Gillman's Point... dragged my fatigued self through Point Stella... before crawling to, yup, wait for it... Africa's highest peak: point Uhuru.

It took everything I had, and then some! My endurance has not been stretched to such limits in recent memory.

'Why am I here?' my revolting body asked, doing its best to deal with the lower levels of atmospheric oxygen (at that altitude, the air composition does nothing to endear the mountain to the climber)... I tell you the truth, the Kili sights & heights very nearly 'took my breath away', literally.

Anyway, my mute response to the seemingly mindless, self- inflicted toil was turning a deaf ear... (a mind-over-matter moment right there!). ... ignoring the nausea and my aching limbs... & never disregarding the need to pay no heed to the persistent headache that seemed to have 'pitched camp' in my head... (BTW, if you think this sentence is long and winding, try the Zig-Zag section of the Kili-ascent, yo!)... Still, I pressed on.

So, why did I do it?

On one level, I needed time alone with my Maker... time to think things through... On another level, I needed a win, 'motisha' to catapult me to my next challenge!

Thankfully, I managed many wins on this expedition... Now, with my feet firmly 'grounded' in the Plains and with an 'un-clouded' head (pardon the pun), I can safely say that reaching that Pinnacle was well worth the stretch!

unrelenting Caller

2011-08-30T02:22:00.000-07:00

2007
the Caller beckoned, gently
gently, i dismissed the Call

2008 – 2009
the Caller beckoned rather loudly
i turned away rather hastily

2010
the Caller would not cease
... mercilessly disturbed the peace

"c'mon, you have the wrong number," i insisted
but alas! my plea went unheeded

in sheer frustration, i turned & fled
... afraid to stop & listen... lest i yield

2011
the Caller’s now relentless
completely suckin’ the air out of my one-time ‘quiet’ existence
consumin' a-good-many of my waking moments

so,
saddled with reluctant submission, i’m
slowly succumbing to this unyielding Caller. i’m
silencing the inner critic & i'm
stealthily steering towards my Call.

... any day now!

A cry for my unborn children

2011-06-24T02:58:00.000-07:00

I looked at my aunt’s lifeless body, and wept!
... She’s 'been gone' a couple of days now.
BUT, a fortnight or so ago, I reclined on her couch, wasted!
We'd broken bread together, shared our stories and laughed heartily.
Unbeknownst to me, ‘twas a ‘Last Supper’ of sorts¿
...still, on & on we indulged...
merrily chompin’ away her legendary chapattis,
... down to the last morsel.
Oh how such moments evoke many fond childhood memories!
Yes, tata knew how to fill my life (& platter) with ‘all things nice!’
No, nothing could hold a candle to her delightful company & sunny disposition.

I cry for my unborn children,
They, who’ll never be held in her loving arms,
Nor see her warm smile and loving eyes,
Never-mind hear her hearty and body-shaking laugh – 'twas just spectacular!
It saddens me that they’ll never be touched by a heart so beautiful.

I cry for me too.
... BUT, I know that it is well!
Someday… we’ll see you on the other side.
When that happens, I shall introduce you to my entire tribe.
... THEN, we’ll catch up on lost time...
Till then tata,
R.I.P!

I prayed for rain... but nearly went ballistic when it came pouring!

2011-02-24T23:48:00.000-08:00

In an earlier blog-post I had made mention of my interest in "plunging ...(finger-first)" into the caring waters of Customer Service. This was going to happen in the sweet by and by… I must admit that from the comfort of 2010, the year 2012 seemed way out yonder… somehow, somehow, I figured, I still had time to get my act together... but alas!

Fast forward: A really cosy evening in January 2011... I am relaxed, minding my own business, when suddenly... ring, ring... I answer the call, and it is from someone that knows someone I know (... this ‘Small-World’ phenomenon is just plain wonderful, huh?!).

Request: My availability to facilitate Customer Service training.

Response: Let’s just say, the next two days were marked with uber-activity in the name of preparation: net-surfing, info-gathering, fact-finding… then came sorting, reviewing, editing, consulting… Jo!

Lesson: With every rising sun, answers to prayers are that much closer to unfolding... better be chonjo... in season and out of season!

Results: ‘Glory, glory, hallelujah’ was the melody roaring in my heart when my debut, solo-flight touched the ground three days later... the trainees were still on-board... and alive!

... So, if you see me rocking a trench coat, an umbrella and a pair of gum-boots (ok., that’s a bit of an over-kill) in the hot Nairobi sun, don’t worry about me, I haven’t lost touch with myself. I’m only eagerly awaiting ‘the coming rains” … and, staying in tune with my 2011 mantra: “... Any day now!”

Out and About Namibia

2010-10-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

As the aircraft descends at the Hosea Kutako Airport, the huge tracts of land, take me aback... they just lay there, fallow and under-utilized... mmh! I wonder about land ownership here...

The kind Namibian gentleman chauffering me to my new base of operation comes to the rescue. He informs me that rural Namibia is largely communally owned and controlled by the local Councils. For a ‘barely-there’ sum of cash, residents get the right to live in and graze on the land.

However, it is not all 'free-range'. There have been calls for land reforms as most of Namibia's commercial land is still owned by European farmers who make up six percent of the country's population.

Now, Kenya's population is nearly 20 times that of Namibia (2.1 million). History records the tragic genocide (between 1904 - 1907) of nearly 70% of the Namibia's population in German concentration camps built in Africa for Africans.... Behold, the savagery of European colonial ideology!

Back to the land question: If we were to distribute the land equitably, each Namibian citizen would bag 300 sq. meters of land, compared to their Kenyan counterpart, who would have to eke out an existence from the 10 sq. meters. (This translates to an acreage allocation ratio of 30:1).

The abundance of land notwithstanding, Namibia has the most uneven income distribution on the planet. With a Gini co-efficient of 70.7, the gap between the rich and the poor begs for urgent action.

Anyway, 40km later, we get to Windhoek CBD. It has a very European feel to it. Unbeknownst to the 'pedestrian' traveller, poverty lurks in the periphery, meaning that you have to go out of your way to find it.

And find it, I did. It is alive and well in townships such as Katutura and Babylon, only a few minutes from the squeeky clean city. (Ironically, Namibia has been declared a middle income country... the paradox of International Development ratings!)

Later in the afternoon, I make my way past three metal gates and two dogs (I dunno, but this dog-phobia has got to go... cold-turkey!) and prayerfully navigate my adrenaline-pumping self into my new 'home' (or shall we say Fort Knox?), unharmed.

Tootsie (Afrikaans for bye)!

Witness to History

2010-09-01T02:11:00.000-07:00

No amount of dissuasion: possible eruption of violence (courtesy of mama dearest); contraction of contagious diseases that lurk about in crowded places (my own fears); the morning drizzle (nature); not even the possibility of a human stampede (my darlin' brother) was going to keep me away from the historic promulgation of the new Constitution at the crack of dawn on the 27th of August, 2010, that Promulgation Friday.

It was as if the City had thrown up its inhabitants into Uhuru Park. It was raining wananchi. As the seconds rolled into minutes, the Park’s terraces were swollen with humanity, with still a good many others perched on trees and the roofs of the buildings around the Park, we waited with great expectation!

My calf muscles were screaming for relief after a morning of balancing my entire body weight on my toes. My neck muscles were not silent either; having been stretched to the max, craning to catch a glimpse of the day’s events, which went well, for the most part. The new Constitution was signed into law, and we rejoiced... our hearts filled with fresh hope!

However, there were a few flies in the Promulgation ointment:
i) Kamlesh Pattni: When this man (in my eyes, he’s still not managed to shake off his image as the personification of all things corrupt) strolled into the VIP section of the Promulgation arena, the wide grin on his face awakened in me memories of lost billions from our national coiffeurs and disregard for common man which I had buried in a shallow grave. (Oh, Brother Paul, was it absolutely necessary to rub these un-glittering national indiscretions in my face on P-day?)

ii) Omar el Bashir: Yo, enough has been said about this one already! Still, I wondered whether his presence in Kenya was a premonition of things to come. Could we trust our leaders to uphold the spirit of the new Law? Methinks not! But, I earnestly pray for God’s wisdom and political good-will in the process.

iii) The on-again off-again sound system: It stretched my lip-reading skills to the limit.

The side-shows by my fellow country-men included live commentaries, jokes and heart-warming camaraderie, which were a great source of distraction and hilarity. Kenyans have a great sense of humour. It helps ease the pain of our collective existence.

Nature kept smiling upon us. From time to time, a cold breeze would sweep through the Park and refresh the stale, still air... Oh, sweet relief! I pray that the new Constitution will offer Kenyans some relief from some of the man-made (read corruption) pain and poverty that plagues many of our people.

God bless our beloved country!

The paradox of life's journey

2010-07-20T03:48:00.000-07:00

"It is only when we realize that life is taking us nowhere that it begins to have meaning."

P.D. Ouspensky

Beyond Ring-side Seat... This is Yours Truly in the Ring

2010-05-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

I asked God for fish... He’s given me a boat, a net and pointed me to the sea.

I have had this idea brewing in my head for a while now... I am on the brink of engineering my contribution to humanity ('Oh, please!' you say)... I know. I can be a bit much, shrouded in all this mystery... Well, that this loaded message is carefully coded is fully intentional – partly to precipitate blog traffic come 2012, (when my idea is matured & unleashed), and secondly, the idea is presently still in the dark room stage... and so, my dear project remains under wraps.

Back to the beginning: Early last year, during one of my volunteer stints, I stumbled upon a Transformation and Change Management guru. This month, our paths crossed again, and the CEO asked me to join the team. I accepted the offer with much delight. The brief to which I have been assigned, for the most part, falls squarely in the path of my Vision 2012.

The Buddhist expression, ‘When the student is ready the teacher will appear’ rang true for me with resounding clarity... God has been ordering my steps and that journey has brought me to this place, this moment... to accomplish 'this task'.

This experience is beyond ring-side seat... This is me in the ring... Oh so divine... Absolutely love it!

Finding My True North

2010-04-09T05:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a good many moons since I last made contact with any of you beloved blogites (sounds like some of those warring bible tribes, (Hitites, Amalakites and other –ites…huh?)).

A good many things have happened since that last time... the most major of these changes being settling down north of South. T's been pretty hot-and-cold... finding my feet and bearing. This transition business is oh so not my cuppa tea!

However, there is an upside. I get to experiment with ‘this-and-that’ as I toy around with various possibilities that life presents to me from time to time. One of the highlights has been the opportunity to immerse myself in my pet-project: writing short stories. I have my first works of fiction under my belt, well almost... loving it!

Another of my little self-indulgences (or is it an act of sheer courage) has been signing up to learn French. Moi! I have had a love-hate relationship with the French language for years now... This year, I decided to take this flirtation to the next level, Oui! I am presently stumbling all over my French conjugaisons like a non-sense (if ever there was a totally tired Nairobian expression, this would have to be it!)

I have been involved in some community work too. That has been very insightful. I have learnt truck-loads about us human beings. We really are complex… This place called dunia and the people who live in it have a way of bringing out the best and the worst in all of us… (enough said... lest eh, mmh!)

I also intend to make my fair contribution towards saving the planet. I have decided to sacrificially shed off a few pounds in the name of traveling light through life (both literally and figuratively speaking). Watch this space[:)].

Been busy... so busy that I have opened an idea journal... (with enough luck and action, these ideas may just translate into cash... soon. Then, I will throw a legendary E-bash!).

The Verdict is In

2010-04-09T05:42:00.000-07:00

Return of the Jury:

JUDGE: In the matter of Susan (the Plaintiff) vs. Gainful Employment (the Accused), what say ye?

JURY: In the matter of Susan vs. Gainful Employment, we the Jury find the accused NOT GUILTY.

JUDGE'S SENTENCE: This court therefore rules that the Accused is not guilty of either of the charges: namely, suitability for or compatibility with the Plaintiff. Further to this, the plaintiff has been ordered by this court to serve her time in the Unemployment penitentiary until this, or another court repeals this ruling.

… And so, that is how that went down... a less than impressive ruling if you ask me.

Ok., before I start ranting on and on about how blind justice really is, let the record show that with a little hind-sight, I am not entirely oblivious of the fact that part of my testimony and the overwhelming evidence unleashed by the Accused’s Counsel, may have provided the jury some of the rope they used to hang me... grrh!

Yes, that opportunity slipped through the cracks of justice. However, I am hesitant to share the “c’mon, you-should-have-known-better” lessons I learnt at ‘The Trial’ on this blog. Truth be told, that discussion would leave me with more than just a little measure of embarrassment. I would be running the risk of causing permanent and irrevocable damage to my person (kindly allow me to save my e-face). Still, I am the better for it.

I may not have gained the employment opportunity I was in hot pursuit of, but I sure did gain some invaluable lessons.

The Interview Finale

2009-11-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

... the interview came,
the interview went ...

The oral interview was, to say the least, interesting. The entire Board (there were at least ten-pairs of eyes in the room) was present to interrogate, probe and analyse the stuff their prospective employee was made of.

There were the good cops, and the bad cops;
There were questions that offered me an opportunity to unleash my preparedness;
There were answers that left me thinking, "Silence would have earned me a higher score"
Still, I plodded on courageously!

The eternal optimist in me is sure the gig is mine.
We have so much potential together. We belong together... methinks!

The Committee of Experts looked sufficiently inspired. I expect that they shall make the right decision.

Gotta leave this noisy Cyber Cafe. I'm expecting a call... from you know whom...

Till the next time,
Adios!

Post Interview Analysis

2009-11-10T00:47:00.000-08:00

Jo! I have just received a killer licking; delivered unrelentingly after the one-hour job interview I have just emerged from. Jo, I have a pressing need to 'detox!"

It was a written interview. The question seemed a bit off, but thankfully, when my fingers hit the keyboard, I was pretty confident that although my brain was delivering the answers in dribs and drabs, I had given a pretty good account of myself... This feeling did not last long. No sooner had my feet carried me out of the building than my brain went into over-drive; delivering a deluge of what would clearly have been the more appropriate responses.

Jo, the self-flagellation (a brand of mob-(in)justice inflicted on self), that has happened between the interview room and the Cybercafe, where I am presently off-loading, has been massive.

Why do things seem clearer afterwards? the morning after? a divorce or separation later? a fight or argument later? an interview later? Grrh!

Enough of this whinning business. I still have a chance to redeem myself. The interview ain't over by a long shot. The oral component will take place over lunch on Thursday. I need to brace myself for that... upto & including working up an appetite. After today's performance that is going to be an uphill task!

Sages, Small men and Standers-by.

2007-11-28T01:47:00.000-08:00

Halleluya! Yesterday marked the end of my long walk to graduation... and what a journey this has been! As I walked down the aisle to pick up my graduation certificate, something in me leapt and screamed, “...it is finished!”

The crowning moment of the graduation ceremony was when a Wits alumnus, (with the presence of those filthy-rich and powerful matriarchs cast in the South American soaps. You know... the kind that run companies whose turnovers could run a small third-world economy and have change to spare...) took to the stage to deliver her low-toned speech. Anyway, by the time Maria Theresa Heinz-Kerry, (Head of the Heinz Endowments, a trust that has given over $57 million to charity)was done speaking, you could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium as she dropped gem after gem of her wisdom and experience, “as a fellow traveller in the journey of life”.

Jo, when I grow up I want to be her speech-writer!

She said two types of people made history in the world: the sages and the small men. The 'sages' are the Mandelas of this world (and other ordinary folk), who are persuaded by the power of their own convictions to stand for up for something. This lot is willing to put their lives on the line to see change in society. On the flip side, there are the 'small men' (still ordinary folk), who are driven by self-interest or at best, are perpetuators of the status quo at the expense of others.

Then, she pointed out that there is a third category of people. These pitiable souls are the 'by-standers', - regular folk, who, consumed by indifference and/or ignorance, watch as events unfold and do nothing. This sorry lot does not even make it on the pages of history.

In short, we have a choice as to which side of the divide we will stand.

By the time she was done speaking, I was panting... not so much from my earnest fast-tracked scribbling, but from the soul-searching gymnastics that were bringing to my full view the glaring gaps in my own life that need fixing, fast!

Retracing my steps to the blogging-fold

2007-10-25T03:05:00.000-07:00

I wandered off from the blissful world of blogging nearly three months ago, and like a repentant sinner, I have been up to loads of stuff and a little mischief too...

I never intended to deal my beloved blog a fatal blow or burn my blog-bridges through my on-again and off-again relationship with my blog. We are back... (until the next time, anyway). I am aware that this kind of behaviour can bring blog-traffic to a screeching halt, when you, my fellow blogee, in sheer frustration, decide to de-blog me from your blog-consciousness...

All this blog-talk is making me 'bloggy'... Over-compensating perhaps?

Anyway, let me bring you up to speed with what I have been up to:
a) I have put on a solid 10 pounds since my last blog post (I can still hear Beauty screaming in pure horror when she saw me after three months. She nearly shocked me into dieting...).
b) I have since finished my three-month internship at AICC, and been granted an extension until December, thankfully.

My spell away from the blog-hood has taken me on a serious learning curve.
Lesson learnt and worth sharing:
There is truth in the pidgin wisdom: “The world is go buy you the way you sell yourself” (sic!). Jo, people, there is this former staff member (pioneer WoWer), who left AICC to pursue his MBA in the U.K. Upon his return to S.A, Nkosi Ndlovu has become hot property, with some seriously attractive job offers throwing themselves at the brother.

Picture this: No sooner had the guy recovered from his jet-lag last week, than it was time to sign on the dotted line of a very lucrative contract the AICC had carefully drawn up for him.

Possible question: Are the Laws of Attraction (as in Rhonda Byrne's bestseller, The Secret) at work here or is it simply that the world loves a confident and skilled professional?
Is it perhaps that his qualifications now affect how the world sees him or does his education affect how he sees (and sells) himself, and therefore changing the way we see him?

Positive vibe: I have since come to the conclusion that there is a domino effect and relationship between how we see ourselves and how the world sees us. Yes, we can appreciate in value. If we change the lens through which we see ourselves, the world around us will follow suit... most probably.

Skills-infested NGO environment

2007-07-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

It has been a fortnight since my internship started, and what an incredible two weeks it has been! During this time, I have been assigned three main tasks, and these have called for some seriously out-of the box thinking and time management skills. One of the tasks required that I draft a proposal to the media. And so, I did. Many hours later, I presented my “labour-of-love" to my supervisor.

He worked his magic all over my original draft by re-wording and re-packaging it in sheer brilliance that when the final document finally emerged, it just blew me away. This episode reminds me that I still have a long way to go before I can get a handle on this skill.

Another thing that I have observed at AICC is the value of team work. When someone is handling a project and there are deadlines to beat, it is amazing the swiftness with which the staff rally around each other. Terms like ‘organisational fit’ and ‘team-player’ begin to make sense when you are part of a small outfit (less than 10 members of staff on board) like ours (did I say ours?).

But, it is not all desk work at the AICC (yup!) We had a two-day breather when we hosted a multi-stakeholder round table meeting (that is NGO-speak for you. I picked up another term as well, ‘beneficiation’). These people! Anyway, this event was held at the South African Human Rights Commission where I met a whole range of these NGO-types who are involved in tailoring a South African self-assessment tool on human rights for businesses. I actually got the opportunity to witness some high level brain-storming session in action... Yo, I tell you, there are some seriously brilliant minds out there.

Whether it is contagious or not, I am determined to catch (or learn) as many skills as I can from these skills-crammed individuals.

My ship finally docks

2007-07-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

When Paul Kapelus, CEO of the African Institute of Corporate Citizenship (AICC) made his presentation on mentorship at the Growing Tomorrow's Leaders workshop in June, he said that interns at his organisation were thrown to the deep-end of the business and they were expected to learn the ropes and swim to shore... quickly.

Fast Forward... 30 days later... and believe me, Paul meant business...

This week marks a new dawn in my career. The first day was a time of induction into the organisation. I spent a good chunk of my time hoping from desk to desk interacting with my colleagues and getting the low-down on the on-going projects. On the second day, I was assigned the task of drafting AICC’s Communication Policy along with a more seasoned colleague. I am still getting my head around this task.

In an organization this tight, there is no falling through the cracks!

Something else:
It is possible that I took to AICC like a duck to water because of its family-like bond (you should have seen the reception the 6-month old baby of a colleague got yesterday from the staff... yo! Did I mention our happy faces and merry chatting that fills the boardroom over lunch?) or perhaps it is because the AICC canoe is paddled by half-a-dozen Wits alumni... (mostly WoW-graduates, if I may add).

Something in my heart tells me that I am in the right place. The truth is, I have mixed feelings - a part of me is excited immensely and yet another is intimidated by the challenge ahead...

Bursted bubbles

2007-06-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

When the sun finally set upon the one-month info-packed internship programme, we the interns were ready to be unleashed upon the workplace. I felt like all my ducks were in a row, and that I was ready to plunge into the world of work, head first.

Sure enough, things fell into place quite nicely. The following week, I had three interviews lined up. In fact, my schedule to meet prospective employers was so tight; two of these interviews were scheduled on the same day. Yes, I took it all in my stride and marched into the future with a bit of a spring in my walk... things were coming together quite nicely...

By the end of that week, I spared some time and thought to consider the feelings of the two employers whose hearts I might have to 'devastate' by turning down their job offers. (Laughable!) With great compassion, I drafted a generic “corporate” Dear John letter - in my mind. I was going to let them down… gently.

But alas! By the end of the following week, my prospective employers beat me to it and completely burst my bubble. They sent me not one, not two, but three “Thank you for your interest in our company, but regret to inform you that…” sorry messages. Grrhhh!!

But all was not lost. You see, the prospective employers were gracious enough to point out areas where I was completely out of my depth and their constructive criticisms will help me improve and better prepare for my next interview. (... have I acquired a taste for limonade or what?)

Fellow intern, be fore-armed with a thick skin to survive the interview process and its possible outcomes.

Tip: Your job has your name on it. If you do not succeed to bag the job after the first, second, third… interviews, don't despair! Stop. Breathe. Focus and march on to the next interview... the pot (job)at the end of your rainbow beckons!

Behold, an idea is born!

2007-06-02T12:43:00.001-07:00

Breaking News:
It is now official; the ‘Book project’ was born over the weekend.
This news was divulged at the Wits Alumni Club, where the proud parents, the “Fabulous-12”, aka the WoW-2007 interns met to share their joy with the world at a media briefing today.

The '007' family has agreed to nurture to maturity, this publication that will assist in preparing South Africa’s future workforce for the world of work. This noble idea will involve processing the knowledge the interns gleaned at the month-long WoW internship programme through the eyes of an intern and presenting the results in a ‘fresh-graduate’ friendly publication.

This is the first joint venture for the interns, in what they hope will be the dawn of a creative phase in their union. There was boundless enthusiasm at the meeting, as the team fired ideas across the table.

If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, then the proof that these interns are ready for the world of work is in the execution of this idea.

South Africa awaits to receive this pet project – the internship publication by interns and for interns.

Susan Mwangi,
Johannesburg,
WoW-TV reporting.

A night of song, dance and… some star-struck dudes

2007-06-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

Last evening our very own ‘Bulgarian Stallion’ - Valentin treated us (about half a dozen WoW-2007 interns) to a funky night in town. We watched the musical, “The Heart is Round” by the UJ Song and Dance Company at the University of Johannesburg. The story line revolves around people daring to follow their dreams and possibilities in life. There was a good dose of romance, disillusionment, love-found and love-lost. We were also served with a good helping of tragedy, comedy and mysticism. This musical was a buffet for the senses.

The music, the choreography, the circus routines and the overall production of the show were exceptional. It was obvious to me that the students had poured their hearts and energies into the production. I absolutely loved it. (The musical’s refrain, “I am so sorry…” is still playing in my head).

On our way home, we passed via Campus Square, for the ‘post-musical’ analysis over a bite and drink. Well, while there 'Madam Fortuna’, the star of the show, joined our table briefly for a chat… and left some among us quite star-struck (no naming names -as agreed, what happens at Dros stays at Dros)!

This blog-post is my gift (community service) to the 007-WoWers who were missing-in-action, and therefore unable to indulge in the unfolding events of this jolly evening. Big thank you Valentin.

A house divided

2007-05-06T12:49:00.001-07:00

No disrespect, but when Kuseni Dlamini of Richard Bay Coal Terminal walked into the seminar room, someone should have warned us that we were on a serious collision path… or better still, sounded a war-cry. This eloquent speaker provoked us, challenged us, and quite frankly, I was taken aback by some of the unexamined views and positions I hold on various global issues.

We discussed globalisation and its impact on business. We also talked about value-driven corporate culture and the need for organisations to unlearn outdated ways of doing business and learn new competitive ways if they plan to thrive in the dynamic global business environment. We agreed that the changing global landscape presented opportunities for business… look at how the Chinese have fong-konged the world.

Anyway, what started out as a discussion on the challenges facing leaders in a rapidly changing business environment turned out to be a heated debate on ‘self interest’ at both the national and personal level.

Of course, no discussion on national self interest can be complete without discussing good ol’ U.S of A. Most of the class wondered in whose name and national interest the U.S had attacked Iraq. We (there I go exposing my biases) felt that the U.S was behaving like a school yard bully controlling the world with an iron fist (and a few bombs).

Two schools of thought emerged in the room. On the one hand, there was the Machiavellian camp who thought that for God and Country, there was no limit to what one could do in the name of national interest. Then there was the ‘other’ (my) group, who thought that if left untamed, self or national interest mutated itself into corruption, exploitation and domination of the weaker by the stronger.

Even though I still hold my position that self interest should not be realised at any price, the thought-provoking discussion forced me to re-examine some of the ideas and assumptions that I peddle around.

Setting the captive free

2007-05-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

On my bedroom wall... hangs a priceless Picasso.

Wait a minute, before you dismiss me with a casual “so what?” allow me to tell you how this little beauty found its way into my room...

At the WoW seminars, which is where I have been spending most of my time lately, there is hardly ever a dull moment. You see, we tackle a myriad of topical issues and engage in intellectually stimulating debates most of the times. However, if you had strayed into the Graduate School seminar room last Thursday, you would have been forgiven for thinking that Wits had taken its social responsibility portfolio a notch higher by providing Day Care for the children of the staff members.

The place looked like a kindergarten class. There were crayons, coloured paper, scissors, glue, glitter, wrapping paper… all over the floor. For nearly half an hour, we cut, we pasted, we drew, we glued… Our first production depicted our inner critic. Believe me, the images in the room were non-descript and generally quite boring!

Then, we were commissioned to draw pictures that portrayed our creative side. This was when the masterpieces were born. Our collective creative juices started flowing freely and flamboyantly, we were unstoppable. In fact, there were at least two artists in the room whose illustrations were 3-dimensional. Maxwell took it a step further and spun a complete narrative on his canvas. … I felt like a child gone wild with excitement or perhaps it was more like a prisoner tasting freedom after years of incarceration…

Interesting how believing in oneself, one's abilities as well as a positive attitude can change one's whole perception of life. Roy pointed out that there is a need to break out of the rule-bound thinking, and that playing is fun and a great motivator. For me, there is no looking back. I am now on a journey to re-discover my wildly creative side. Let freedom reign… yipeeee!!!

P.S: For all you art collectors out there (and those who appreciate the finer things in life), this particular masterpiece will not be up for sale any time soon…

Eating an elephant

2007-05-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

RIDDLE: How do you eat an elephant?
RESPONSE: Bit by bit

Allow me to draw from the rich reservoir that is the well of age-old African traditional wisdom. (Can you hear quiet echoes from Professor Lovemore Mbigi’s lecture?)

Let me blog this mental note before it slips my mind: I should read up on how he incorporates Ubuntu and African culture into the world of business…(oops, that is me thinking aloud).

Before I wade all over the place, let me re-trace my thoughts back to the beginning and allow the elephant back into the room (and discussion). Where I come from, when life throws a curve ball in your direction, and the problem seems insurmountable, we generally say,“things are elephant”. We also understand that resolving a huge problem takes time and it is best tackled in small little steps.

Roy verbalised the problem solving strategy that is implied in this riddle in 4-step process:-
a) Call the problem by its name and prepare the necessary tools and resources needed to resolve it. At this point, it is also important to set deadlines; (GET READY)
b) Randomly identify the various components and possible solutions to the problem; (FIRE)
c) Draw a step-by-step process of how to resolve the problem. Prioritise the process by starting with the easier steps and progressing towards the more difficult steps;( AIM)
d) Implement your plan by effecting the solution outlined in step (c)above; (ACTION).

Chomp, chomp, chomp… and voila, the complete beast is gone!

I create therefore I am

2007-04-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

It was with great pleasure that I learnt that there is no such a thing as a “stupid idea” …and what relief! You see, I cannot even begin to count the number of still-birth ideas that I have carried to term in my mind. These thoughts were buried alive because, for some reason, I was too frightened to voice them.

What? there is no way I was going to run the risk of looking like “the foolish kid on the block…" no way!

Well, that was before I met one Roy Blumenthal. I have since buried my inhibitions. After the session on corporate creativity, the scales have fallen off my eyes and now I can see clearly that my creativity is the one true legacy I will bequeath the world... it MUST be unleashed!

On that note, please read my version of the small print on the “Blumenthal Creativity License”©:-
• A stiffled idea could be a solution suppressed!
• If you can think it (an idea), it is not stupid;
• To unleash your creativity (or while brain-storming), fire all the ideas that cross your mind;
• To allow the free flow of ideas, record your ideas pronto!
• Tame the inner critic so that it will not paralyse your ability to explore the labyrinth of your mind;
• Take a dip into the pool of your thoughts and come up with the ideas that are most likely to solve the problem at hand;
• Prioritise the steps you need to take on the journey to reaching your solution;
• Arise and take action!
• Have some fun while you are at it:)

ANNOUNCEMENT:
R.I.P: Dearly beloved, we are gathered here (at Ground Zero) to remember all the creative ideas that died before their time. May we never forget the havoc wrecked by fear-bombs!

SCReeeeACH!!! …I will take this as my cue to stop firing any more of my random thoughts and ideas (and the merciless abuse of this license) …until the next time… pax-blogosphere... Was that a sigh?

He preached wine and drank it… by the barrel!

2007-04-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

Three and a half hours slipped by unnoticed as Aki Kalliatakis, MD of Leadership Launchpad, delivered his boisterous and passionate talk on customer care. As our eyes followed his every move across the room, you could see that he had cast a spell on every intern [customer] present. And so it must be with any organisation that aims at growing its business; its focus must revolve around meeting the needs of customers as well as captivating their interests.

Because customers are the life blood of business, care must be taken to find them; win them over; and retain them if a business is to thrive in markets characterised by cut-throat competition. As Kalliatakis pointed out, “... in Africa, when the sun comes up, you had better be running".

The video clip on a bunch of highly motivated fishmongers at demonstrated that work does not have to be a dreary affair. For these 12 world-famous guys, a day’s job incorporates fun, games and profits, all rolled into one. Their positive attitude to work transforms even the most mundane task at Seattle's Pikeplace fish market into a fun activity, and not just for them, but also for the prospective customers.

However, when all is said and done, would I plunge back into the wonderful world of Customer Care? … That my friend, is an entirely different kettle of fish….

As I hang on to every word he said, the words written on the cover-sheet of his presentation rang true. “Delight your customers with positively outrageous service”… and delighted with the customer care lecture Kalliatakis delivered, I was!

Dance of Conflict

2007-04-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

I had no idea that relationships, organisations and societies needed a bit of friction to thrive. Who would have guessed that a reasonable amount of feather-ruffling was required to optimize productivity? The thing is, conflicts, like fire, make good servants but bad masters and both need to be managed properly, according to Bernice De la Croix. Conflicts urge the parties concerned to come up with solutions in order to improve the dynamics of the relationships.

Conflict is inevitable in human relationships and it should be used as a catalyst for change. De la Croix pointed out that South Africa’s new political dispensation was birthed out of the conflict and the fight against the oppression under Apartheid. The same is true of Zimbabwe’s political crisis in which the citizens today are agitating for change. In response, the world is turning [albeit slowly] its focus on this southern African country. Conflict triggers change.

Creativity and lateral thinking are required in conflict resolution. As was witnessed at Wits this week, one way of resolving society’s conflict and promoting understanding is through dialogue. Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and Nadine Gordimer along with Finance Minister Trevor Manuel were hosted by Judge Cameron at the Great Hall, where they discussed the application of economic theories in the production of social justice and development. There was also a Q & A session where the panel fielded various questions [ranging from tax on books to the possibility of reconciling social equality in a capitalistic society,] from the public. The occasion was also graced by South Africa’s first lady, Zanele Mbeki.

Expanding Horizons

2007-04-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

When I signed up for the WoW programme, I had some pretty clear ideas about the kind of institutions I wanted to work for. On my short list of prospective employers were media newsrooms and HIV- or development-based research organisations. Well, that was until we had a WoW session with Steve Grudz’s South African Institute of International Affairs(www.saiia.org.za/), which opened my eyes to whole new world of possibilities and career options... I feel like a kid in a candy shop…

I am not sure what sparked off the deep unsettling feeling within me. The session provoked me to get off my laurels and act before the rag of underdevelopment completely wipes us off the face of this continent... It is possible that it was Grudz’s passion for Africa that rubbed off on me. It is also not unlikely that the reality of Africa's glaring social, economic and political gaps and issues we discussed stopped me in my tracks and demanded my attention. The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) are Africa’s own home-grown tools and instruments created to address the developmental issues on the continent... some big brother!

Other ‘local’ initiatives that focus on solving Africa’s problems include efforts of people like Anton Gollub of the Johannesburg Housing Company (www.jhc.co.za/). These private developers are in the business of building affordable rental houses for the low- to middle-income families.

Gollub interrupted his discussions on the various aspects and challenges of social housing and asked us: “What is your purpose in life? Think about it… it will keep you awake at night”.

Thinking aloud!
I solemnly suggest the possibility that part of my purpose might be realised after my conscription into an army of crusaders who champion the causes of our beloved continent… Something tells me I won’t be getting too much sleep tonight... I will be pondering on this matter of existential proportions …

One thing is for sure though; nothing is cast in stone… least of all, my career interests.

My CV

2007-04-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry, the blog administrator has deleted this post.

Be prepared!

2007-04-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

“Many interviewers are looking for reasons why they should not employ you, rather than for reasons why they should.”

- Colleen McLintock-Rudnick

One of the common mistakes that internship- and job-seekers make, is to show up for interviews with little or no knowledge of the companies for which they hope to work. This, ill-preparedness, according to Sipho Dayel and Janet Pringle of ECIAfrica is a definite “no – no!”

As Steven Gruzd of SAIIA reminded us, "You don't get a second chance to make a first impression!"

These sentiments were echoed by Raj Naran and Eileen Maleka of Wits’ Counselling and Careers Development Unit (CCDU). They said that once a candidate had secured an interview, he must prepare for it by doing an in-depth research on the company, having mock-interviews and familiarizing himself with common interview questions.

In addition, they gave us tips on how to write a winning CV, which, according to Naran, must be given a lot of thought because its content is “used for the elimination rather than the selection of candidates”.

So far, all the speakers seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet. The tune? … “You are a product and you need to market yourself!”

Paradigm shift

2007-04-18T02:45:00.000-07:00

“Ask not what your country [read employer] can do for you; ask what you can do for your country [again, read employer]”.
John F. Kennedy – Inaugural speech 1961

This was how I was welcomed by Andrew Hoffmeyr to the WoW programme – and what a wake up call! You see, I had previously imagined that my core duty as a prospective employee was to throw out as many applications to as many prospective employers as I could. I figured that my qualifications could “do the talking for me”, but alas!

Hoffmeyr made it abundantly clear that the notion that “good things happen to those who wait” does not apply to candidates who are serious about pursuing careers in their chosen fields. He said employable individuals were those who took the initiative to do research on specific companies, identified threats or opportunities in specific areas and then tailored possible solutions to address these “gaps”. His parting advice (and challenge) to us was, “Go ye therefore and create jobs for yourselves”.

Bottom-line: Employers are interested in solutions and our employability is determined by the value we can add to any organisation!