Hardship

Habari,

When I first agreed to come to Kenya for this assignment and negotiated my package, I thought it was a great bonus to have a hardship allowance attached to your salary.  Now that I’ve been in Nairobi for almost six months, I think expats earn every damn dime of that money!

Lately my commutes to work have become harrowing experiences.  I’m not sure I mentioned it previously, but I’ve moved to another apartment in a part of the city called the Westlands.  This is the hip and happening  part of town that feels even more like home than my previous address (that’s because it’s around the corner from a really nice mall, yet it is peaceful and serene).  However, it is much further from work than my last apartment.

My new apartment

The apartment itself is really nice and I’m in a very peaceful part of town.  So far, I’m the only IBMer in this complex, but more will join me in the New Year.  Getting to and from work will be my greatest challenge.  Last week one of my drivers, decided to take a short cut to get me to work on time. By the way, if you don’t use the back roads here, you will never get to work.  He took me through a slum to cut the commute time.  Let me tell you something.  I have never seen anything like this.  Explaining it will require an entirely separate post. 

The roads on this side of town are BEYOND horrendous.  At one point the ENTIRE van rolled into a pot hole.  I was scared to death that the van wouldn’t get out of the hole.  All I could think was, “If we get stuck in this hole, I’m not getting out of this car.”  The mud in Nairobi is so thick and sticky, nothing would have been salvageable.  I’ve already lost a pair of shoes to this mud.  Driving over the pot holes that day I felt like I came away with a bit of whiplash.  I’m not kidding!  I had to ask Master Pu for some painkillers when I got to work. 

There is nothing in the United States that matches Nairobi traffic.  There’s no predicting the traffic.  You can only hope for the least of the worse.  Traffic occurs at any time of day or night.  Anyone who lives here knows that driving home on a Friday at the end of the month is pointless.  Apparently everyone gets paid at the end of the month and goes out to spend their money.  True story.  You might as well go to a bar and pass the time on those days.  Master Pu experienced this just the other week. 

I was clairvoyant enough that day to work from home due to the horrendous experience I had the Friday before, where I literally sat in the car for hours trying to get home.  It got so bad my driver started chatting with the drivers in neighboring cars.  Even though there was nowhere to go, this annoyed me to no end and I told him to stop.  LOL.  They know me by now so he started to laugh.

On the night Master Pu got stuck, a horrible thunderstorm hit Nairobi.  Since I was working from home, I was feeling very smart because I knew traffic was going to be a nightmare.  I had only been in the apartment for a little over a week and it was starting to feel comfortable.  Every time I heard a lightning strike and heard the downpour, I smiled even more because I was in the safety of my apartment.  My smile disappeared when the lightning hit right outside of the apartment and shook the building. 

I was having friends over so we all commented on how scary the strike was.  We had ordered takeout and finished dinner.  Now, I can survey the apartment compound from the kitchen window of the apartment.  As we started to clean the dishes I notice that a huge section of the security wall (brick and mortar) was gone.  These walls are made with heavy stones and electrified wires are layered on top of them.  All of that was gone! 



Crumbled Wall Outside my Window



On top of that, the paved parking lot that was beside the wall started to crumble into the crater that was left.  Folks, lightning struck the darn wall!  I couldn’t make this up if I tried.  My neighbors started coming out of their apartments running to their cars to move them before they fell into the crater (All of the cars were saved).  I turned and looked at the local Kenyans having dinner with me and they began swearing to me that this NEVER happens.  I’m not buying it and my lips were pursed. 

All I could think about was the fact that IBM Security was going to make me move because of this damn security wall and I just got here.  L To my delight, the landlord started cleaning things up and rebuilding the wall the next day.  You see, there are people from the U.N. and U.S. Embassy staying here.  IBM Security never has to know anything.  LOL. 

I have a whole new respect for the hardship allowance benefit.  The near death experiences in traffic, the pollution from cars that don’t have to go through anything that resembles an emissions test and the fifty million times a day that the electricity goes out (it has gone out four times since I started writing this…it’s a bad day).  The hardship allowance is meant to compensate us for enduring these things.  As I head home for an extended stay for the holidays, I can’t wait to experience the joy and wonder of things that actually work and the presents of laws that govern the highways.  It will be a glorious experience. 

I will be home for my next post people.  Join me here next week where I will be writing from the good old U.S.A.  See you next time.

Asante Sana,

Della Rochelle

Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams

Missing More Than the Turkey

Habari,

I apologize for skipping a beat last week, but I think I was already mourning the fact that I wouldn’t be with my family on Thanksgiving.  This is the first time in over a decade that I missed Thanksgiving at my Mom’s house.  I actually worked on that day so it pretty much felt like any other day until I went back to my apartment and called home.  My niece Charisse answered the phone.  Those of you who really know me, know that my niece and nephew are a source of such pride for me. 

My niece is in her final year of college (Purdue) and I have to brag a little about the fact that she already has 3 job offers from top consulting firms.  Yes, we are very proudJ.  And, she did it all while pledging Delta Sigma Theta and enjoying to full college experience.  Once we were done chatting, she passed the phone to my nephew Greg. 

He’s in his second year of college (University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign) majoring in environmental engineering.  He’s such a little man…well, I should say big man.  Greg is bigger than his dad and you all know, none of my brothers are small men.  I always love talking to Greg because he’s very inquisitive and has interesting opinions about the world around him.  He can hold a decent conversation for a 19 year old. 

However, he can be amusing.  As he was telling me about his current course load, you could hear in his voice how annoyed he was that the courses were hard.  Now, mind you, he is taking some crazy things like Calculus 14 (okay I’m exaggerating a bit, I think it was Calc 4) something called Magnetics and a whole bunch of other scientific jargon that would make my head hurt.   I couldn’t help but to burst out laughing about him being annoyed.  I told him college was supposed to be hard. 

He said, “I know,” but you could hear the, “but still” lingering in his voice.  I asked him if he was still getting out to party and there was this resounding, “of course, you gotta do that.” There was no doubt in my mind that he wasn’t missing too many parties…he is his father’s son.  There’s also no doubt that his GPA is intact in order for him to maintain his full scholarship…yes, I’m still bragging. 

My brother Allen got on the phone next.  The tables always turn when I talk to my brother.  He asked me about how things are going here.  He’s always been my sounding board and mentor about anything in business.  I do believe he thinks I’m crazy by being here doing my thing in Kenya.  He always gets a good laugh about the craziness I have to deal with here.  He gets to hear many of the ‘Things I Can’t Say.” I told him about my recent trip to South Africa.  Yes, I went to Johannesburg from November 16^th through November 20^th. 

I went there to address an urgent situation we have at work, but Master Pu believes I just went there to party and visit wineries.  There were no trips to visit wineries, but there was some partying.  Even I was surprised by that. LOL.  Our South African counterparts know how to have a good time, but there were some late nights working as well.  

There were five of us who hung out.  A South African, Australian, Kenyan, Irishmen and me.  We had a ball…and there was lots of dancing.  Apparently the bathrooms in clubs need more visual direction than I’m use to in the States.  I had to take a picture of these signs.  LOL. 

Ladies Room

Men's Room

On Saturday we went to the Lion Park during the day.  I wasn’t the least bit nervous about checking out the lions.  I guess my threshold for adventure has risen a little bit.  We drove through the park in this caged truck.  They animals roamed freely, but it was early in the afternoon and a little hot so they just barely tolerated us. 

I was telling my brother about the guy in the park whose job it is to chase the lions back into their area when they try to escape.  We both got a kick out of that.   The guy travelled on foot and didn’t have a big rifle, but a pistol.  As I tried to take the guy’s picture, I felt like I was capturing the image of a dead man.

Really?

Not little enough

Once we made it through the park, they took us to a section that they called the “Cub Park.”  Before I got there, I was looking forward to snapping some pictures with baby cubs.  Then I saw the sign to the right and the cubs on the left. 

I changed my mind very quickly.  Some of those crazy people actually took their kids in to pet the cubs.  Some of those kids weren’t as big as the cubs.  That was an experience that I happily missed out on.  I’m not that adventurous or crazy, yet.  LOL. 

All and all, we had a wonderful time in South Africa.  I don’t know how we are going to outdo them when the team comes to visit Nairobi.  But, the “WORK” we did will help our team in Nairobi tremendously!!  Right Master Pu?

I will see you all back here next week.  The countdown to Christmas has begun!

Asante,

Della Rochelle

Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams

The Things I Can't Say

Habari,

I know when Master Pu reads that title, he will have an OMG moment.  You see he directs me on what I can and cannot discuss in my blog as it relates to the business.  I understand the concern considering the fact that I do work for IBM.  I get it.  No worries Master Pu, I haven’t completely lost my mind. J I’m not sure I’ve talked in-depth about what I’m doing in Africa and I have no intentions of doing it now…I would like people to continue to tune into the blog.  LOL.

Seriously though, as the Africa Shared Services Manager, I’m responsible for all of those areas of the business that every department needs to operate.  So, HR, Finance, Procurement, Quality Assurance, Risk Management, Program Management Office, Contract Management, Business Controls and Communication all fall under my area of responsibility.

Let me just say, Master Pu came up with this job description.  I’m always up for a bit of a challenge, but some would say I’m not wrapped too tight to take on this level of responsibility.  I thought it would be an amazing experience to build the structure to support this account in 17 countries in Africa.  The reach and possibilities go way beyond IBM.  But, then there are those things that I can’t say. J

You see, there is an area within my realm of responsibility called the Program Management Office or as it is affectionately known, PMO.  The PMO is a relatively structured organization that handles everything from managing deliverables to our client, to managing the plan for projects for the year.  What it tends to become is a catch all for all the problems on the account.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a challenge, but c’mon!!

The PMO handles everything from building issues, to accommodations for employees, to transportation for the account.  If someone arrives in the middle of the night and their transportation doesn’t show up at the airport, guess whose phone rings?  If another member of my team can’t be found…MINE!  Now, those of you who have known me for some time know I am not the one to be disturbed in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning.  You all would be proud of the way I have handled myself, so far.  Okay, there have been a few causalities along the way, but you’ve gotta give me something. 

Nevertheless, I am enjoying my role and the challenge it presents.  But, the things I can’t say would be material for a great book someday.  If only I could write it. SMH.  I’m heading off to South Africa tomorrow to meet another challenge.  I hope Nelson Mandela is home, I may pay him a visit. LOL

See you here next week everybody.

Asante Sana,

Della Rochelle

Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams

My London Hangover

Habari,

I apologize for missing the mark this week and not publishing on Monday, but it completely skipped my mind.  Last week was a bit of a bust.  When I got back from London I was feeling a little run down.  As soon as the scratchy throat started I knew I was doomed.  This sickness was more around my sinuses than down in my chest or up in my head.  I made it to work Tuesday, but I didn’t feel like myself.  I felt like I was swimming through sludge.  That statement would actually mean more if I could actually swim. LOL.  I know, I know…43 years old and I can’t swim.  It really wasn’t a priority growing up in the inner city of Philadelphia.  Forgive me. 

As the day went on and I started playing catch-up, (you know the drill… 50 million emails, everyone staying at your desk with all of the nonsense they’ve been holding onto the entire time you were gone), my head started to feel like a balloon.  Something told me the dreaded sinus cold was coming.  At first my reaction was one of a little panic.  The idea of being sick in Kenya made me nervous.  Even when my pressure medicine was being held hostage in Kenya Customs, there was a quiet panic going on behind the scenes.  At this point I still had hope it would pass.  I made it through the rest of the day, but things were not looking good.

I barely slept a wink that night and the balloon around my sinuses grew.  I made it into work that day, but I knew it would be the last time that week.  The dreaded drip started.  I was using tissue provided by my employees like crazy.  By the way, these women have tissues and baby wipes available at a moment’s notice.  I questioned it when I first got here, but now that I see the amount of dust and dirt that flies around, I don’t say a word.  Their tissues were a lifesaver at that point.  But, you know it’s time to go home when you want to roll up the tissue and stick it in the nostril you can no longer breathe through.   LOL.

I decided I would not gross my employees or coworkers out by returning to the office the next day.  EVERYBODY SHOULD BE SO CONSIDERATE.  That’s for all of you people who drag into work, sneezing, sniffling and dripping all over you colleagues.  It’s nasty!  Stay home!  No one thinks of your dedication when you sneeze all over them spreading your germs.  They think of how trifling you are for bringing your behind to work while you are sick.  Okay, I have always wanted to say that to an audience, because I think people in the business world need to hear it.  We have the Internet now and most employers will allow you to connect from home, so give us a break and keep your germs at home. J Whew!! I feel better that I got that off my chest.

Anyway, I dragged myself home that day determined to stay in the house until the cold passed.  On the way home I had a moment of panic when I thought I didn’t have any Nyquil.  Now you know Nyquil is the best cold medicine ever invented.  A good night sleep is all but guaranteed once you take it.  Well, there’s no Nyquil in Kenya!!  Luckily, I was thrilled to find that I had one package of Nyquil in my pharmacy stash in the apartment.  It was just enough to see me through this cold. 

Okay, our muling isn't this bad. LOL

I realized I would have to have someone ‘mule’ more Nyquil across the border once I got better.  Yes, I used the term ‘mule.’  It is a term I learned from Master Pu that describes what ex pats have others do to get unavailable contraband (Nyquil) into third world countries where it’s not available.  It is similar to its cousin in the drug trafficking world, but the consequences are not as dire. LOL

Contraband can be can be a number of things, Excedrin, American Sweet Potatoes/Yams, Aunt Jemina Pancake mix, Sensodyne toothpaste and roll-on deodorant.  Now the last item just doesn’t sit well with me, I can’t see myself muling deodorant for someone.  It’s amazing what people will ask you to mule when they find out you are going to a western country.  After a while, expats find themselves asking people what they need when they are going back to ‘civilization.’  Oh man, I could have written a whole blog on muling!  LOL. 

Guess who the BIGGEST muler is?  Master Pu of course!  He is indignant about his muling.  His wife has him bringing all kinds of stuff across borders including full meals. LOL.  He is at the point where he dares the border official to say anything.  LOL.  They know him now.  Okay, I’m done.  But, if anybody can find a way to get American Sweet Potatoes or Yams into Nairobi for me, please do.  You all will become mulers if you come to visit me, so put your game face on.  LOL.

Anywho, I’m back at work now and feeling well.  Thanks for continuing to tune in each week.  Don’t forget to sign up as a follower!  I’m having the time of my life even when I’m sick.  God is good, all of the time!

Asante Sana,

Della Rochelle

Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams

Filling In for the Queen

Me Across from the
House of Parliament

Habari,

Happy birthday to me.  Happy birthday to me.  Happy birthday dear me….happy birthday to me!  As you all know, Saturday, October 29, 2011 was my 43^rd birthday.  Yes, 43.  I’m not ashamed.  I have to say, I’ve been having the time of my life.  Thanks to my dear friend Carol, 43 was one of the best birthdays that I’ve celebrated.  She was gracious enough to play hostess to me in her hometown of London, England.  Considering the fact that I’ve never been to London, I was thrilled that she was willing to let me come there to celebrate.  Now, I pride myself on being a really good hostess, but I will say Carol can give me a run for my money.

First, she has the cutest house that she has painstakingly seen through a full renovation.  It is equipped with a beautifully renovated kitchen, bath, marble-surround fireplace and the cutest garden that she maintains herself!  See, she trumps me right there because I just can’t do the garden thing.  I tried, but it just didn’t work out.  Brad from Johnson Landscaping does a fine job of keeping my garden up to par and who am I to deny him a job.  I do my part for the economy.   But Carol has a garden in the front and back of her house that she maintains with occasional help from her mom.  Considering the fact that Carol works in the high pressured banking field, I am impressed.

Carol and I became friends on a 2009 trip to Athens Greece and the Greek Isles.  We met through our mutual friend Tanya.  We hit it off immediately.  We have a lot in common and similar temperaments…okay, I’m lying Carol is MUCH nicer than I am. LOL.  But, I have the same intentionsJ.  When she heard that I was going to spend my birthday away from friends and family, she was more than willing to have me come to London to celebrate.

She went out of her way to make sure my birthday was special.  This was perfect since Queen Elizabeth couldn’t find time in her busy schedule to be in the city during my visit. SMH.  That’s fine, cause I was Queen Della for the days I was there.  Carol took a day off work the Friday I was there and played tour guide for me late into the night.  She cooked breakfast for me in the morning.  Now this is where we differ again.  I will take you to my favorite diner for breakfast when you come stay with me, but chances of me cooking are slim.  LOL.  Even her mother and brother were so kind to me while I was there, making sure I didn’t get lost on their transportation system.  I was proud of myself for getting around on the train system (at least the Piccadilly Line) while Carol wasn’t around.  

Eros Statue

Friday was a whirlwind day. It started out very leisurely with Carol making omelets for breakfast. She let me sleep in so we didn't get out of the house until almost noon. Once we did get out, we walked all over God's creation and rode the subway (oh I’m sorry, the tube) back and forth. I felt like I knew the system by the time the day was over. In the middle of the day we went to this fabulous champagne bar that overlooks the city.  It was suppose to be a quick drink, but we both ended up getting tipsy.  LOL.  London was so much more interested after that.

Carol took me to see The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, the House of Parliament, Big Ben, Shakespeare's Globe Theater, Buckingham Palace and Oxford Street all in one day. I was exhausted. On our way to dinner, Carol kept telling me about this wonderful statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus.  I couldn’t wait to see it and be near it to see if something could rub off and bring me that beautiful, sane man I’ve been asking God for.  She had built it up so much that I was expecting a replica of The David (which if you have ever seen it in person, you know it will take your breath away). 

What I Saw

What I saw made me stop in my tracks and laugh hysterically!  Sorry Carol I had to tell the story.  The statue was this tiny little thing perched on top of this huge base.  It got lost amongst the tall building and large crowds of people.  When I told her what I was expecting, she had to laugh herself and say that maybe she built it up too much.  My expectations were way too high…could that be the problem with finding that beautiful, sane man?  Hmmm. 

Anywho, we ended the night at a Cuban restaurant in an area called Piccadilly Circus. Dinner was amazing!! After dinner we took the train and a cab back to Carol's.  I was a complete tourist, taking pictures of the cab.

On my birthday, we decided to travel outside of London to Bath Spa, England.  We took a train with a very scenic route (Carol pronounces this ‘root’) that satisfied my yearning for the October turning of leaves.  The weather was very October-esque and we didn’t have any day washed out by rain.  For two thousand years Bath has been a spa town, built around Britain’s only hot mineral springs.  It is beautiful.  I will have to return just for a trip to Bath to stay at one of the fabulous spas.  You all know how I love spas!

Bath Spa, England
I took this picture!

We returned directly to the city’s center when we left Bath.  We went to a cute little French restaurant for dinner.  The place we went to was in a wonderful piazza in Piccadilly Circus.  There was tons of shopping, musicians and performers.  It was a great atmosphere.  I definitely need more time to explore London.  We didn’t even scratch the surface.  We returned home that night, we popped a really nice bottle of champagne and finished it. LOL. 

Exhausted doesn’t begin to touch the surface of what I felt, but I had to get up the next morning to catch a 10am plane back to Nairobi.  I certainly felt like a queen for the three days I was there.  Someone had to fill in for the Queen…why not another queen ;-) 

See you next week people!

Asante Sana,

Della Rochelle

Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams

Operating On High Alert

Habari,

I’m writing you from the comfort of my apartment in Nairobi, Kenya after a long, hard day at work.  The day was chaotic, not because of the recent terrorist activity in and around Nairobi, but because Master Pu returned to the office after several weeks away in the U.S.  Now I’m sure many of you have heard the news about the growing military activity by Kenya against Al-Shabaab in Somalia.  Al-Shabaab is a terrorist group of militants fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia.  We have been operating under high alert since Saturday, but the alerts started coming out last week. 

This all began with the kidnapping of two Spanish aid workers who were captured in Kenya and carried over the Somali border.  Now, my hat is always off to the thousands of people who travel into these conflict zones to help their fellow man, but there have alerts for a while now telling foreigners to stay away from the Kenya-Somalia border.  I know everyone has a calling, but my calling would have been delayed a bit until Al-Shabaab lost interest in snatching people up and dragging them into Somalia. 

This isn’t the first time people have been kidnapped in the same vicinity.  These people made the third kidnapping in a month’s time.  SMH.  Nairobi is pretty far from the Somali border, we’re talking hundreds of miles away and I’m not planning to travel there any time soon, so please no worries.

If I were back in the States watching this conflict unfold on CNN, I would be wondering why those crazy Americans were living and working in a war zone.  But, I must say being here, in the midst of things, this is the most inactive conflict I’ve ever been a witness to.  I have witnessed more activity when the Philadelphia Police Department executes a drug bust in North Philly. 

I can understand how ex-pats can get a false sense of security in this type of environment.  I’m not saying that nothing will happen, clearly plenty has already occurred (bombing of a night club, bombing at the bus station), but there are no sirens or alarms going off anywhere.  People are going to and from work like there’s nothing happening.  There’s more noise and activity on the floor of my apartment building with the bad ass kids who live next door.  LOL. 

I must say, the US Embassy does a great job of alerting their citizens of dangerous situations and informing them of where NOT to go, like a night club.  I’ve sent out notifications to the IBMers in Nairobi, telling them not to go to high profile locations and to put off treks to remote locations (these folks love to hike something).  SMH.  All in all, we are being careful, besides, I’m leaving for London in two days.

Yes, I’m going to London to celebrate my birthday.  My friend Carole has so graciously invited me to come spend a long weekend with her.  I cannot wait because I’ve never been to the Queen’s hometown.  I’m feeling a little run down and home sick so I’m looking forward to the change in scenery.  So, join me here next week when I’ll give you the 411 on my London adventure.  A western society may seem boring to me after being in the third world for four months. LOL.  See you soon.

Asante sana,

Della Rochelle

Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams

Home Sick for October

Habari,

Sorry for my absence last week, but work is getting a little crazy.  Anyway, I’m back on track so here is goes.  October is my absolute favorite month of the year and that’s not just because it’s the month of my birth. I love the cool crisp weather, the turning of the leaves and the colors of the season.   I love wearing wool sweaters, cashmere scarves, light leather jackets and who can resists the cute boots that come with this time of the year.  I miss seeing the leaves change in the northeastern part of the U.S, where the vibrant colors peak during the month of October.   I love the comfort foods of the month and I could hurt somebody for a Pumpkin Spice Latte right about now.  I SO miss Starbucks.  J This is the first time in this journey where I’m feeling a little home sick.   

It doesn’t help that the Kenyan government is holding my medication hostage in customs.  I can’t even blame customs because they are behaving exactly like I expect them to behave.  I’m getting use to it and am starting to take pride in my ability to maneuver through the system.  Now Federal Express, on the other hand, is on my s#*! list.  They charged my mother $157 to ship the package in four days two weeks ago!  In hindsight, I must have been crazy to ship medication into Kenya, but I didn’t have a choice.  My insurance company won’t ship into Africa.  Really? 

Well, anyway, Fedex told me that customs needed me to get my doctor, who is in the U.S., to send a copy of the prescription.  Are you kidding me?  Well, thanks to the support of my family, who already think I’m living in hell, LOL, my doctor sent the proper documentation without delay.  Now wouldn’t you think that if your company is in the business of ensuring the safe, timely delivery of packages, that you would follow-up on the package after your client has provided the required documentation?  Maybe that’s just me being crazy by believing in customer service! 

Mind you, Fedex believes that you can just let things sit in customs without checking and it will magically get released.  Hello, this is Africa!!  I was trying very hard to be calm as I spoke to the young mindless drown on the other end of the phone, because the pills I’m waiting for are for my hypertension.  High blood pressure, stress and lack of medication is not a good combination.  SMH.  My poor mother has been worried to death every since the package left Philly.  Needless to say, I took matters into my own hands and contacted customs on my own. 

Surprisingly, I got a response in minutes.  The only contact information I had was an email address.  The woman on the other end of the email, Jacqueline, quickly informed me that the drug inspector didn’t work on weekends and he would review the package today.  Now, why couldn’t Federal Express make that one gesture to put their client’s mind at ease?  SMH.  There I go again thinking with a customer service mindset.  I think Federal Express needs to rethink their decision to do business in Africa.  They don’t do it well.  So, if you have a package to ship to Africa, send it through DHL!

Now, this was not at all what I intended to write about, but it is holding my brain hostage right now.  Hopefully the package will be released tomorrow…or else.  As far as October goes, there are no traces of it here.  The weather is pretty much the same as it was when I arrived, although the Africans think its freezing.  I admit it gets a little chilly at night, but they are wearing wool sweaters!  There’s no turning of leaves here and no Starbucks so there’s definitely no Pumpkin Spice Latte.  Next year I may have to make my trip home in October.  I didn’t realize I would miss it so much. L

I’ll see you back here next week folks.  Stay tuned.

Asante sana,

Della Rochelle

Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams

Our Differences

Habari,

For weeks now I have been trying to figure out how to share my boardroom experiences with all of you without uncovering too much of IBM’s corporate culture.  What I’ve come to realize is that what we are experiencing here isn’t the IBM culture at all.  You see, there is a certain protocol that is used when conducting yourself in a business environment.  At least, that is what I was always taught.  Even the most nonchalant Dilbert wannabe among us, knows how to straighten up and conduct ourselves appropriately in a boardroom meeting.  This sense of heightened awareness is increased two fold when there is an executive present. 

Now, I understand that I’m in a multicultural environment and I’ve tried to take that into account as I experience this, but, I’ve encountered all of these cultures in boardrooms in the U.S and I haven’t seen anything like this.  Usually in an outsourcing deal, the relationship between the Outsourcer (IBM) and the Outsourced (the client IT department), is like a dysfunctional family where most of the children were given to an orphanage and a few were kept by the parents.  Okay you know what; Master Pu won’t let me tell that story.  Any who, the outsourcing relationship is supposed to be a partnership, but it takes time to develop. 

A few weeks ago I was summoned to a Saturday meeting where the client would be present.  Usually our weekend torture sessions are reserved for IBMers.  This time it included the client and some of our vendors.  I was expecting a more formal environment with presentations, pleasantries and order. Well, first of all, the presentations that some of my colleagues painstakingly put together were not allowed to be reviewed. 

They were instructed to just talk about the subject so there could be an open dialogue.  At that moment I was thankful I wasn’t the person presenting, because I would have been pissed and the tone for the day would have been set.  We would have had to have an open dialogue with my presentation as a slide show in the background.  I mean, these presentations take a long time to put together and to have them thrown aside and to have your Saturday taken away would just put a bitter taste in my mouth.

On the issue of pleasantries and order…HA!  I have never experienced so much chaos and disorder in the presence of Directors, Vice President and Managing Directors in my entire corporate career.   And all of the aforementioned executives were either complicit in or active participants of the chaos.  Master Pu kept watching my reaction to the mayhem.  During one of the few breaks we had, he could not contain his laughter as he came over to me to gauge my reaction.  It was like I was watching the human version of cock fight.  First of all, there is no such thing as allowing an individual to speak without interruption.  Everyone speaks over everyone and the tone in which they talk to each other is so aggressive that it’s hard to determine if you should be offended or ready to fight.  LOL.

Usually there is a gathering before the client meeting to make sure the team is on the same page and I’m sure the client does the same thing.  You would never believe there was any alliance at all as you watched the fur fly in this meeting.  Members of the same team jumped on each other and called each other a lie.  SMH.  Even Master Pu was asked if he was calling the client a lie.  I had to laugh at that one.  The level of yelling reached a pitch that would make you believe you were in an asylum.  

I couldn’t stop shaking my head in disbelief.  I was paralyzed by the display.  It was hard to understand where to jump in or if you should jump in at all.  Master Pu has said several times that he won’t be employable when he returns the States.  I can completely understand that statement now, because in order for you to adapt here and get the job done, you have to lay down all of business etiquette you’ve learned and get ready to rumble.  I’ve told Master Pu I refuse to submit to this altered reality…I need a job when I get back home!! LOL 

Ok folks, I’ve tried to give you a glimpse into the corporate culture here.  Now, I guess I should be clear, the brawlers in the boardroom here aren’t Africans.  My colleagues further east are the real culprits…you all know who you areJ.  That’s it for me this week.  Stay tuned.

Asante sana,

Della Rochelle

Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams

Unimaginable Events in Nairobi

Habari,

I returned to Nairobi on Saturday, September 10^th exhausted, but thrilled by the memories I had created.  I was thankful for the day of rest on Sunday before I had to return to the office Monday morning.  Monday, morning brought about the usual chaos when you’ve been out of the office for a week.  I found myself entering one meeting after another until I looked up and the day was over.  When I returned to my apartment that evening, I was met by a frantic email from one of my old Tyco employees and now good friend, Kevin.  He was checking to make sure I was okay because he had heard there was an explosion in Nairobi.

I had to scratch my head about this, because I hadn’t heard anything about an explosion.  So I went out on the Net to see if anything had hit about the story.  You see, Nairobi doesn’t have nightly news like we do in the States.  You have to wait for the newspaper to come out the next day to get the news or turn on the radio and hope that the story has been picked up.  CNN had picked up the story, but the coverage was brief.  When I finally found some substantial information on the story, I couldn’t believe what I was reading.

Apparently there was a major pipeline explosion in the Sinai slum in Nairobi.  Pipeline explosion?  In the Sinai slum?  I know what many of you are thinking, because I thought the same thing.  What the hell is a pipeline doing in the middle of a slum?  People live in slums!  It may not be the best environment to reside, but people live there none the less.  I’m wearing myself out with the constant comparisons back to the States, but I can’t help it.  I can’t imagine that people would be allowed to congregate around a pipeline, let alone build their homes right up on it in the States.  Well, in many third world countries, that is exactly what happens. 

It appears that the residents may not help their situation much either, by puncturing holes in the pipelines and siphoning fuel from them.  So, there are always leaks.  It is reported that stealing fuel from pipelines can be big business for the criminal element in these areas.  SMH.  Once the holes are open, apparently everyone comes to gather fuel for everything from cooking to running old cars.  Now, keep in mind these people are desperately poor.   Anyone who has grown up poor can think of at least one thing that you or someone you know has done that is extremely dangerous (e.g. Stealing electricity from the electric company or jumping on the back of a moving bus to get a free ride.)  For those lifelong suburban friends of mine…you will just have to trust me on this one.  But, this scenario is so outrageous to me that I’m finding it very difficult to wrap my brain around it.

There are so many reasons why you wouldn’t want to live around a leaking pipeline.  The obvious danger became a real life nightmare in Nairobi on September 12^th.  There are all sorts of rumors about how this happened, but somehow a hole opened up in the pipeline, large enough to draw crowds to gather free fuel.   People, they were running towards the fuel.  OMG.  Something ignited.  No one knows if it was a cigarette or a random spark near the sewage where the leaking fuel flowed freely, but there was a major explosion and fire was everywhere.

The scene that followed was horrific and unimaginable.  There were charred bodies everywhere in the aftermath.  The fire caught on to the makeshift houses that the residents built.  It was reported that there was an informal school in the area where all of the children burned.  Horrible!  The last count I heard was over 120 people died and over a hundred were injured.  For days after the explosion, you would hear on the radio about how the Kenyatta national Hospital was overwhelmed with survivors. 

How in the world does something like this happen?  In the States, a pipeline company would never be able to put a pipeline in an area without properly securing it.  The government would never allow people to dwell within close proximity to the pipeline.  The really sad thing is that some of the multinational companies that operate carelessly in these third world countries operate according to the rules and regulations of the richer countries.  Shame on them and shame on the governments that allow them to do so. 

You will all be happy to know that none of us were ever in any danger and none of our local Kenyan employees were impacted.  Sorry this week’s post wasn’t the usual upbeat story, but I think it’s important for you to experience the entire journey with me.  I apologize in advance for the gruesome pictures.

I’ll see you here again next week.  Thanks for signing up as a follower Deb!  The rest of you, don’t be shy.

Asante sana,

Della Rochelle
Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams

Shaking Things Up in India

Driving to the Office

Namaste,

Okay folks, this is the last installment of my Indian saga.  After our adventurous trip to the Taj Mahal on Monday, we were ready to get about the business, for which we came to India.  We both put on our business best to make a good first impression at the IBM offices.  The hotel transport was waiting for us when we got to the lobby.  By the way, I was thoroughly impressed with the impeccable service of the Leela Hotel.  As we headed to the office, we could see the IBM building from the expressway. 

I've seen 15 people in this

Now, let me tell you about the expressway.  Those of you in the States, think of driving down I-95 during rush hour, sharing the road with bicycles, auto rickshaws and people.  Yes I said people.  The buses let people out on the expressway.  All at once, you can see droves of people crossing the expressway to get to the overpass.  Shocking!  I would hate to know the mortality rates of those who drive and walk on the expressways.  The remainder of the trip to the office was a repeat of the day before, minus the animals on the road.

Right outside the IBM office

Once we got to the office, the driver was only allowed to take us as far as the security gate.  As beautiful as the IBM building was, the roads around it were a mess!  There was water and mud everywhere.  I was not amused considering the fact that I had on black suede peep-toe pumps.  Ugh!  It was the first and last time I wore the shoes during the trip.  The locals were very casually dressed at the office.  I felt like it was casual Friday on Tuesday.  The first day at the office went off without a hitch.  As we were waiting for the hotel driver to come and pick us up, we saw a warthog walking, unattended, through the IBMers going home from work.  Kangai and I were the only people amazed by the site. 

The second day at the office, September 7, 2011, proved to be a little more exciting.  Another member of my Africa team joined us at this point.  She was coming from the States and had been in India previously.  This tall, blond powerhouse is my second in command.  She is more G.I. Jane than Barbie, although she can be mistaken for the fictional American icon.  Blondie is a heritage IBMer and very knowledgeable.  She’s not phased by much and is willing to jump into anything.  I definitely brought my A Team to India. 

Shortly after I arrived at the office, I was summoned to the client site, which was a short drive from the office.  I jumped in a waiting taxi with two of my Indian counterparts and left my A Team behind.  Now I was dressed for business, but I had on sandals that day.  As we were barreling down the back roads, rearranging my internal organs in the process, one of my Indian colleagues got a phone call.  He answered the person on the other end of the line with some very nonchalant, “uh huh, uh huh…okay.”

He hung up the phone, and as if he was saying, “The sky is blue,” he said, “There was a bomb explosion at the court house.” My head snapped in line to face him and I said, “Excuse me.” He repeated what he said in the same blasé tone.  I was like, “should we be heading back to the office?” I wasn’t sure what direction we were headed in or how close it was to the courthouse.  I followed that with, “Should we be trying to get flights out of the country.”  He poo, pooed my concern and said, “It will be fine.” We continued on to the client’s office.  No one there seemed to be concerned either.  There weren’t any crowds of people around the water cooler discussing the explosion.  At that moment, it dawned on me that this was a regular occurrence for them.  They had become numb to these types of events.  Well, since I don’t believe in lightning striking in the same place twice, I went on with the show as well. 

It wasn’t until I got back to the hotel that evening that I found out 11 people died and 91 were injured.  OMG.  While we were doing more work in the hotel and watching CNN, the hotel shook.  It wasn’t like a door slamming or someone jumping on the ceiling above us.  It was enough of a rumble to stop us in our tracks and ask, “What the hell was that.” A short time later, the story came across the television. 

There was a 4.9 earthquake in Delhi.  Now although this was a very minor earthquake, I had to ask myself if something was trying to tell me to take my ass home.  Since both stories had hit CNN, I figured it was time to call my mother to let her know I was okay.  So I called her up.  When I told her what happened, she said, “So when are you coming home?” Mama is not use to me being in these types of environments. 

I wondered the same thing myself, but again, thinking that lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice, I felt we would be okay.  So, we stayed until Saturday morning.  We actually enjoyed the remainder of our time.  The Leela Hotel had a WONDERFUL spa that we took full advantage of.  Those of you who know me; you know this was right up my alley.  We ended the week on a high note by going out with the Indian team for drinks Friday.  I haven’t had this much excitement in my life in years.  India was definitely a trip I won’t soon forget.  This journey is changing my view of the world.  I’m excited about what comes next.

Join me next week when I will get back to my adventures in Nairobi.  Stay tuned folks.

Asante sana,

Della Rochelle
Copyright © 2011 by Della Rochelle Williams