LEARNING

I learnt a lot! The lessons were subtle. I am sure they were not the things the organizers had intended for me to learn. This is me being selfish and doing what is needful for me only. This is why I was (pleasantly) surprised that I learnt the lessons I learnt. Seemed like every single activity was a full period of lessons in something or the other. It was in all, an addition to my education in ways that no-one could have envisaged.

Lesson 1-

I dreaded the trip for the simple reason that I obsess about everything other than sleeping and so I slept badly and gave up trying at 2am. Three different flights to get to the seminar venue and I thought with my luck, forshure, there was no way I could make the journey smoothly and of course, as with all things unpleasant, I was right! Flights 1 and 2 went according to plan but as I got off the plane, the announcement that flight 3 was delayed.....then cancelled.....then re-scheduled......then further delayed.....then cancelled again taught me to be patient. It also reminded me.....most things that you worry about will eventually happen cos thoughts have power. Dont believe me? Ask Job!

Lesson 2-

I truly tried but just could not make meal-times at the proper time so my meal times consisted of me wolfing down my food and trying to make the first session without regurgitating my food. Lunch was usually sandwiches of differing types and composition and I hate bread in combination with stuff so I endured a couple of times before I went to the restaurant and got plain old chicken and chips cos I just could not stand all the leaves and cold cuts and breads anymore and of cos, immediately my African compadres saw it could be done, they went and got theirs also. It reminded me that my hang-ups are all mine......and a huge number of others also!

Lesson 3-

Everyone seemed so strange and with my compartmentalized mind, there just was no way I could remember the names of everyone, but devising a method was easy. The one with the wide smile, the other with the quirky smile. The one who taught me 'como estas', the one who laughed at my French. There was the one who was a clown, the don Juan, the one with the severe look. There was the detached one, the engaging one. The leggy one and the pretty one. I could go on and on and it reminded me that even though we were there as the UN of intelligent minds, where we were from did not matter in the least!

Lesson 4-

Our assignment was simple, prepare a World Bank policy for achieving a goal and we got to it with the right mix of enthusiasm and excitement, knowing we were pitted against each other. We did an awesome job the first day and resumed the next day, to the news that our work had been misplaced and some were understandably angry but somehow we rallied and put in vast amounts of work and when time came, RI3 won! Challenges define you as much as you allow them to.....they sometimes hide within, the potential for greatness!

Lesson 5-

This was by far the easiest of lessons to learn, I am not as reclusive as I think and I am not anti-social!I love being with people and I loved having periods of solitude, to do whatever I wanted to do with myself and most always, I read and loved it! I gave up clubbing for a night in and Kiru Taye's His Treasure was my fantasy. As someone said, wish it could have been twice as long. I loved it!

Lesson 6-

The annoying thing about ignorant people is that they wear their ignorance on their sleeves, you would think something as despicable would be well-hidden but no! They proudly show it off in their inability to look at everyone and interact with them based on who they are rather than how they feel they are. Return trip was marred by a discriminatory check-in which advertised a $400 ticket for anyone with flexible travel plans and becos no -one had, 3 people of  certain descent were checked in sans seat assignations, only to be told the flight was full. 2seconds before I blew my top, she found space for 2 more. I spent the entire trip of 30minutes or so ranting in my head at an imaginary person......racism is so yesterday and even though I never play that card, I was a victim and ashamed that this happened in 2012!

Lesson 7-

The final lesson is that I learnt lessons that I needed to learn. When I entered that building I knew there was a weight of intelligence available that was heavy enough to make changes in lives across the globe and when the term, gamechangers was introduced, I knew without a doubt that I could be one of such and so I embraced my inner geek. The world is waiting and will see when the time is right!