New Role, Who This?
The most exciting thing about my new job is that I get to hear and speak French so often. I’m in awe!
It’s not like I didn’t expect to hear French at all but the frequency is even more exciting.
LinkedIn and co. will be informed when I’m ready for the hustle, bustle and fuzz. Kuro has consistently asked me when I’ll announce to my good people — he believes I can make for a good content creator 💆🏾♀️, btw. Who am I to disbelieve a celebrity?!😉
So, more writing till God orchestrates something that’ll make me do video content so frequently as Kuro wants.
Back to my story.
Following series of conversations (read: interviews), prayers and a truckload of anxiety, I started my role as an intern sometime this year — earlier than today sha.
When I was picking a project topic in uni, I only knew that I will love a career in international trade/law but how far it will take me and the possible places I’ll find myself are things that the universe is unfolding to me and will continually unfold.
Going to Lomé, Togo to perfect my French was just another step in the quest to ensuring a not-so-small life as I’ll tell my friend, Mandie sometime last week. It was even funnier as I spoke French in all but one of the 5 conversations (read: interviews) that I had. Something that I also realized recently was that until after I signed my contract, nobody asked me what school I attended — I usually had to bring it up.
Gratefully, I’m not forgetting my French anytime, not ever. If anything, we’re becoming pro pro this year ‘cos I and my German colleague, S were on roll yesterday when I was helping her set-up her car- hailing app (Nigerian number issues).
Like me, she has her phone in French (I’m not so strange after all). It was a particularly great way to continue our conversation that started in English in French. This was after I had spoken French with her in our Team workshop the previous day, an attempt at expressing myself better and ensuring that I immerse myself in my new space — dazzle some, razzle some.
Then, guyssss. There’s this thing my organization does when a new person joins — noteworthy and cringey. Your colleague sends a mail with your profile (prepared by you) attached to the whole organization-top to bottom. It will be the first time my office-mate was seeing me in action. The anxiety!
On the bright side, someone gave me a very wide smile confirming my identity the next morning. Two people in the team workshop also addressed me by my first name on sight. Sweet stuff.
I know the story is sweet, but I have been met with my own share of hitches in the few weeks I’ve being here.
Swollen feet and long commutes — I’m a little surprised that I haven’t cried ‘cos despite my high pain threshold, the pain from swollen feet, riddled by trekking is one that reeks of suffering (rightly so); a feeling I do not particularly enjoy.
Thankfully, that’s getting sorted soon and I’m just a grateful girl for it.
One day, hunger almost finished me. Since then, I’ve faithfully carried lunch. Chowdeck has also come in handy once.
Don’t worry, I have work.
I do loads of research, a way of my superiors ensuring that I’m immersed in the terms and happenings in and around Africa.
I submitted a draft of my first article and thanks to God for star girl doings, I got great feedback and was instructed to expand on it.
Talmbout volume of trade, trade between this and that, amongst others. I’m now wearing an economics hat, as well as a law hat as I also have to look into the legal implications, Vienna Convention (Law of treaties) et al.
The second one (article) goes in tomorrow.
When you can, help me ask Niger, Mali and Burkina why they decided to ball out of ECOWAS at such critical time in history. There’s now no literature, save for pieces from news outlets.
So, the arm of my org that I’m attached to provides support to the ECOWAS for the implementation of the AfCFTA, the very agreement I worked on for my final year project.
There’s also some admin work — office baby, not complaining.
My work laptop is gorgeous too✨
Things I’ll love rn:
- That all my friends are in my industry — if wishes were horses. I want to be able to brainstorm with them on these subjects. On the bright side, I may have to consciously get better acquainted with people that can banter with me on international trade/law especially as it relates to Africa. If you know anyone, let me know. I’m more playful than I seem😉 & I have sense. Share tips on improving my networking skills-I’m great at it in theory.
- Motor car🥹
- More stilettos 😇. Who’s a corporate girlie without badass shoes?!
In essence again,
Finally, I read a quote as posted by a woman I so greatly admire. It reads: “It doesn’t matter where you are, you are nowhere compared to where you can go.” —Bob Proctor
My dreams are lofty, my goals are big. I’ll however do what I can because although I don’t know tomorrow, I know who holds it.
Frankly, grateful.
Karinate Olali.