₦airaland Forum

T_Bademosi, even though I said in my earlier post that this is a cultural issue and it is, you have to understand culture in general and the company culture for that matter to survive or move up at any job you are in. If that is what is expected in that job culture, you simply have to brush your ego aside and get on with it. Especially if other benefits you get in your job outweigh helping oga out once in a while. However, if this seems to be an issue for you and the oga is not leaving the company anytime soon, perhaps you need to start looking for another job. But guess what, if this is cultural as we know it is, you may need to skip to another culture, the west…

This is obviously a cultural etiquette issue. If you try that with a western boss, he/she would wonder if you were trying to steal from them or wonder what came over you. But since this is cultural, especially a Yoruba one, it may be expected by a cultural Yoruba boss – meaning your boss grew up and was educated in the system. If your boss is from diasporas (especially Yoruba), you may see him or her behave in a similar way (expecting the treatment of someone lower in ranking in the organization taking their bag, etc), trying to assimilate (or told to do so to assimilate) into the culture. Unless this cultural etiquette of patronizing bosses in this manner (helping with bags on their arrival at the office) has filtered through most Nigerian cultures.

Nevertheless, don’t interpret this to mean that there is no boss-subordinate respect in the west, there is but not the type you described in your post. In the west, the respect is placed on how you communicate with those above you within an organization. The culture doesn’t expect subordinates to help with chores around the office or outside work for that matter.

Brand_new, the picture is not complete. Where is the wife/mother, and the iPhone? Anyway, these tools (not material things) are becoming ubiquitous. Last week, my son’s school gave the 5th Grade 6-hours training on the use of an iPad and my wife (or a parent) had to attend the first 2 hours. All their books, math(s), etc, would now be provided through an app on the iPad. Obviously not all the subjects at the moment would be adequate accommodated by an iPad app, but that seems to be the future. Licensing for apps can be cheaper than a traditional PC application. You are also not overwhelm with too many functionalities (PC app) and are getting what you need (iPad app) right there and then.

Where are our local Civil Engineering firms? I would have thought a local firm would be the lead (or prime) and the Chinese firm would be the sub-prime. It get as e bi...

I’m not sure if this is a wise decision or not. Investing tax payers’ funds or state money in equities sounds like gambling to me. How, where and when would we consider investing as individuals? How would we spend our own money? As we know, it is very easy to spend other people’s money. That’s why business sense suggests borrowing money, if you can, to start a business. I see Sabmiller Breweries found a bank in Anambra Governor/government. If you are rational, I would think you will first put your house in order and also save up before investing in equities. It doesn’t appear to me that the State of Anambra is in order considering the lack of energy, good infrastructure, education, etc. While on the surface we are being told he invested $60 million dollars in Sabmiller Breweries who is aware of what other shenanigans are involved? Sixty million dollars is not chicken change. Who thinks this is a good investment? Who has seen Sabmiller’s business plan and financial report? Mr Governor, I too have a business you can invest in as an Angel investor. No wonder people say there is money in Nigeria. Wow how dumb. If Anambra has that much money to gamble, perhaps there should be full employment for all the local graduates, and residents of other states should be fighting to relocate to Anambra. But I doubt this is the case on ground.

I also read some comments saying this or that business can never collapse. Obviously such comments are not from students of business and finance. My friends just in case you don’t know, some appeared-to-be legitimate businesses are created to siphon or steal money. Do not be fooled. Always follow the money…

jswags, it's a shame you are asked to pick between Physics and Statistics. If your desire is to study Computer Science, I suggest you keep that desire burning. There are still a lot of opportunities for aspiring Computer Science grads everywhere in the world. However, I can't say that for Physics and Statistics. Back in the day, those courses were labeled as single honors. In addition, if you are not in the West, your career options may be somewhat limited. However, with Computer Science you can become a Computer entrepreneur, software developer, hardware engineer, computer/software tester, web designer or security expert, etc. There's just a lot of opportunities within the foreseeable future. Besides my point, if you do find yourself studying physics or statistics, you can in the near future pursue other technical professions as well, Computer Science, Accountancy, Law, etc. The fact is that you have elevated yourself to the group of few that have a BSc. in any field. Good luck my friend.

ZUBY77 said it well. It’s certainly the library. Both the church and mosque have a spin on the type of knowledge they want their brethrens to consume. Like being in the so-called Garden of Even and eating JUST from the apple tree. But eating knowledge from the library, you could if you so chose to consume knowledge from a menu of well organized headings and topics, and could also customized the type of knowledge you want. And in Anambra, it would appear, you can do it from the corner of your own home or wherever you find internet access. What a blessing this gesture is to the people of Anambra. About time we slow down the building of new churches and increase the building of libraries and rebuilding of school. Hidden in the holy books from the so-called gullible followers, it says, “Without knowledge his people will perish.” Mr. Governor, it would appear you read and took to heart this quote for the people of Anambra State. Now your people should say, “God bless you.”

In the West, nurturing in sports begins from a very young age, even as early as 2-years old. In addition, organized sports are also ubiquitous at very early ages and available to most. The gathering and events that stimulate competition in these sports are sponsored by parents, schools, universities, the city, the province, local or national government. I recall when I was growing up in Surulere playing soccer with my bare feet. Soccer/football cleats (shoes) were a luxury at the time. I recall playing table tennis on classroom tables, concrete, etc., again because facilities were not readily available. How many of us on the mainland have parents that can afford the membership of Ikoyi club, talk less of the commute involved? Each precinct or community should have multitude of facilities affordable to the average boy/girl on the street that wants to play any form of sport either for exercise or as a hobby. We have land if properly allotted and zoned. In Lagos State, where is LSDPC or the old LSDPC? They’ve forgotten their mission that’s even if they know where to find it today.

I think as a nation, we can do it once we make sport a priority. The current priority for most of our leaders is to enrich their pockets and elevate their immediate and extended families. Perhaps we’ll be tired of that pursuit 30 years from now. And then, the true selfless leaders would emerge caring less for money, the luxuries of the world, like India had in Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, USA had in George Washington, South African has in Nelson Mandela. I believe such a time is coming, perhaps not in our life time. Oh, what a shame. In the West, nurturing in sports begins from a very young age, even as early as 2-years old. In addition, organized sports are also ubiquitous at very early ages and available to most. The gathering and events that stimulate competition in these sports are sponsored by parents, schools, universities, the city, the province, local or national government. I recall when I was growing up in Surulere playing soccer with my bare feet. Soccer/football cleats (shoes) were a luxury at the time. I recall playing table tennis on classroom tables, concrete, etc., again because facilities were not readily available. How many of us on the mainland have parents that can afford the membership of Ikoyi club, talk less of the commute involved? Each precinct or community should have multitude of facilities affordable to the average boy/girl on the street that wants to play any form of sport either for exercise or as a hobby. We have land if properly allotted and zoned. In Lagos State, where is LSDPC or the old LSDPC? They’ve forgotten their mission that’s even if they know where to find it today.

I think as a nation, we can do it once we make sports a top priority (electricity is currently not, neither is education, neither is good drainage or better roads, neither is having standards or best practices of any sort, in general). The current priority for most of our leaders is to enrich their pockets and elevate their immediate and extended families. Perhaps we’ll be tired of that pursuit 30 years from now. And then, the true selfless leaders would emerge caring less for money, the luxuries of the world, like India had in Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, USA had in George Washington, South African has in Nelson Mandela. I believe such a time is coming, perhaps not in our life time. Oh, what a shame.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19077138

My favourite side dish is being blamed for diseases and being a nuisance. Is there anyone out there that also enjoys eating snail?

4:10 in the 2nd quarter:
USA 68
NGR 36

My fellow brothers and sisters, let's follow the money. The phones people are buying today are: Samsung Galaxy S III, AT&T Nokia Lumia 900, HTC One Series (X, S, EVO 4G LTE), Apple iPhone 4S, and Nokia 808 PureView. The BB doesn't make the list of Top 5.

Julie55, I wouldn't worry too much even though I know it must been a lot of stress for you to go through including financially. My advice would be to research 2 top dental schools in 5 western countries. The US is not the only place with quality advanced/research programs - there's Canada, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, etc. I'm not sure about the UK though. There is also some of the islands, Jamaica, Barbados, etc. If it is your wish to study abroad, just keep trying. I'm a sole believer in the proverb, "Where there's a will there's a way" Follow your destiny or change it. You have the power![b]Julie55, I wouldn't worry too much even though I know it must been a lot of stress for you to go through including financially. My advice would be to research 2 top dental schools in 5 western countries. The US is not the only place with quality advanced/research programs - there's Canada, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, etc. I'm not sure about the UK though. There is also some of the islands, Jamaica, Barbados, etc. If it is your wish to study abroad, just keep trying. I'm a sole believer in the proverb, "Where there's a will there's a way" Follow your destiny or change it. You have the power![/b]Julie55, I wouldn't worry too much even though I know it must been a lot of stress for you to go through including financially. My advice would be to research 2 top dental schools in 5 western countries. The US is not the only place with quality advanced/research programs - there's Canada, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, etc. I'm not sure about the UK though. There is also some of the islands, Jamaica, Barbados, etc. If it is your wish to study abroad, just keep trying. I'm a sole believer in the proverb, "Where there's a will there's a way" Follow your destiny or change it. You have the power!

Puskin, if you had a phone 20 years ago, you be senior boy/girl Ooo! There is obviously a technology gap between the younger generation and the older ones. I work in tech and I’m married with kidz. I use my smartphone to access the internet while helping with homework with my kidz in the car - easy access to wiki for fact checking and online dictionary. I use my smartphone to take notes - I still use a paper notepad of course but the notepad on my smartphone is searchable. The paper pad is not. The laptop is bulky and takes a few minutes to boot and all processes launched. I use my smartphone to check the weather which helps my family and me dress accordingly for the day. Living in the west, I use my smartphone to Yelp, to access online maps, to check my bank statement or query if a check has cleared. I use my smartphone to deposit a check. In certain instances, my kidz use my smartphone to play games. I also perceive my smartphone as money, since I’m also in business for myself. I can read documents on the fly with my smartphone. If you happen to be my competitor, you obviously would not be for long.

In addition, I use my smartphone as my backup alarm clock. I use my smartphone to check on traffic delays en route. I read some books on my smartphone – no longer than 30 minutes at a time due to the small screen. I watched the recent Euro 2012 Finals on my smartphone while away from home. I most certainly use my smartphone as a camera – one less gadget to carry around. At work, before we erase the board of brainstorming content, we typically take a picture and use the e-mail capability of the smartphone to quickly send to all involved parties. This is impossible with someone sitting down and taking notes to type up and distribute later. I use my smartphone as a hotspot for other internet capable devices when needed. I use my smartphone to listen to my audiobooks or music. As a Christian, I use my smartphone as my bible – yes, you can highlight, underline, and bookmark. I don’t have to carry around one pretending to the saved. I use my smartphone to send and receive text messages. My dental office would text me to remind me of an appointment for my kidz or me. I use my smartphone to listen to radios all over the world including childhood favorite stations. I use my smartphone as a CRM tool. I use my smartphone as calculator. I also use my smartphone to capture voice memos. I use my smartphone as a compass. I use my smartphone as a translator. If I’m meeting a client from a different part of the world, I can quickly learn how to say good morning, good afternoon or thank you in their local language. It helps break the ice. I use my smartphone for drafting – I’m sure you are now beginning to scratch your head, but yes I use my smartphone to draft simple layouts. Please check out an app called MagicPlan. My smartphone is also more practical when it comes to meeting reminders than a laptop that you don’t carry around.

I’m sure there are many more reasons, multiples of fives, why you SHOULD purchase a smartphone, soon. If not, but to bridge the technology gap between our young ones.

Puskin, if you had a phone 20 years ago, you be senior boy/girl Ooo! There is obviously a technology gap between the younger generation and the older ones. I work in tech and I’m married with kidz. I use my smartphone to access the internet while helping with homework with my kidz in the car - easy access to wiki for fact checking and online dictionary. I use my smartphone to take notes - I still use a paper notepad of course but the notepad on my smartphone is searchable. The paper pad is not. The laptop is bulky and takes a few minutes to boot and all processes launched. I use my smartphone to check the weather which helps my family and me dress accordingly for the day. Living in the west, I use my smartphone to Yelp, to access online maps, to check my bank statement or query if a check has cleared. I use my smartphone to deposit a check. In certain instances, my kidz use my smartphone to play games. I also perceive my smartphone as money, since I’m also in business for myself. I can read documents on the fly with my smartphone. If you happen to be my competitor, you obviously would not be for long.

In addition, I use my smartphone as my backup alarm clock. I use my smartphone to check on traffic delays en route. I read some books on my smartphone – no longer than 30 minutes at a time due to the small screen. I watched the recent Euro 2012 Finals on my smartphone while away from home. I most certainly use my smartphone as a camera – one less gadget to carry around. At work, before we erase the board of brainstorming content, we typically take a picture and use the e-mail capability of the smartphone to quickly send to all involved parties. This is impossible with someone sitting down and taking notes to type up and distribute later. I use my smartphone as a hotspot for other internet capable devices when needed. I use my smartphone to listen to my audiobooks or music. As a Christian, I use my smartphone as my bible – yes, you can highlight, underline, and bookmark. I don’t have to carry around one pretending to the saved. I use my smartphone to send and receive text messages. My dental office would text me to remind me of an appointment for my kidz or me. I use my smartphone to listen to radios all over the world including childhood favorite stations. I use my smartphone as a CRM tool. I use my smartphone as calculator. I also use my smartphone to capture voice memos. I use my smartphone as a compass. I use my smartphone as a translator. If I’m meeting a client from a different part of the world, I can quickly learn how to say good morning, good afternoon or thank you in their local language. It helps break the ice. I use my smartphone for drafting – I’m sure you are now beginning to scratch your head, but yes I use my smartphone to draft simple layouts. Please check out an app called MagicPlan. My smartphone is also more practical when it comes to meeting reminders than a laptop that you don’t carry around.

I’m sure there are many more reasons, multiples of fives, why you SHOULD purchase a smartphone, soon. If not, but to bridge the technology gap between our young ones.

Sorry, I have a contradictory answer to your question. I LOVE all the exercises at the gym. If your goal is to lose weight or perform a therapy of some sort, I would advise approaching the gym with a positive mind – not hating any form of exercise because they are all there to help us. No pain, no gain. Some of the exercises truly hurt physically and/or mentally. The ones that hurt physically should be taken on slowly and the ones that hurt mentally should be mitigated with staring at a TV screen or armed with some type of mobile device that can render an audio book or music.

I live abroad also and I've been in a similar situation in the past unsure of what direction to go. The question about more degrees or nursing may not be the right question but what you think you enjoy doing. If for example, you don’t like the smell of a hospital then going into nursing would not be the right choice. Don’t just consider where you are today but where you want to be in future. If your true calling is in management, then find a local charity to volunteer, to start harnessing that skill. It’s not just having a degree(s) even though at some point it would help, but it is what you have done or can do with it. Moreover, if you do fancy nursing and go into it, you may become a manager soon with your MS in management. But proceed with caution and don’t go into one profession or another just because that is what others around you are doing. Good luck and have faith.