After Crossing the borders, What has Changed?

I moved to the USA recently. Yes I consider it recently. Its actually been a year, but you have to understand that its a different world from where I have come from, it took me this long to finally come to terms with the reality that I am no longer at home... I am finally trying to make home away from home here in Connecticut USA.

I study geophysics now. Finally working on applied physics(always been fascinated by the physical sciences), solving the mysteries of the solid earth and trying to reconstruct the details of past events that played out underneath our feet millions of years ago. I spend a lot of my time working with computers. I analyse seismic data used to probe the earth's interior, construct mathematical models and then use these models to explain the data. Okay, that might sound like hard core, but as I have come to understand, its not as complicated as it seems. But of course it's my daily routine. Why should it be?

My commitment to science is just one feet in the pant. I have also come to understand that science and indeed any human engagement has a primary responsibility to help solve current challenges facing mankind. The most pressing, I have come to appreciate, is the interconnected problem of resource and energy sustainability, tied to global climate change. It is getting clearer that the way we use the Earth's resources is leading to an imbalance in her normal cycles, resulting in impending crisis. In my spare time I work at understanding how the world's energy systems work, why they are not sustainable, and what future-seeing responsible science and engineering can and should do to change the forecast of doomsday for the Earth.

But really, as an African in the diaspora, most of my social interaction is very unique. This is the most exciting part of what has changed. I walk to class, board the school bus and attend lectures, living within the all to evident reality that I am different. My friends ask me about my home. They are fascinated about the world on the green continent, outraged sometimes, about my brothers: they want to know why the "Nigerian" emails keep coming. I realize that I am an ambassador of sorts. That they use me as a mirror to view a wider Nigerian experience.

Yes, that is just a little of it. Some thing's have changed too... culturally, but that's jist for another day.

My new preoccupation: Understanding and studying new sustainable models for Human Energy needs.

I will be adding new material that can illuminate the pressing energy challenge for the 21st century and why it is important we rethink old models and start innovating in the right direction. It is a complex challenge that involves all thinkers: Science, Engineering, Economics and Politics.

This movie Tells why. The trailer is embedded here but the movie can be watched on Youtube. Link

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Fire Meeting with Aladekomo: Wrestling with Proteus

Interaction taking place on Thursday 28^th May, 2008

“Preparing Blog entry: Mr. Aladekomo is the Managing Director of
Chams. He was assigned to mentor me for the duration of one month
In a youth development programme organised by the
AfriGrowth foundation, an NGO based in Abuja, Nigeria.”

Have you ever heard of the word Proteus before? Most likely you have not. I heard the word for the first time while listening to a movie preview introducing the London business school. The word was used as a title for an executive programme designed specifically for the top executives. A Programme so precious and valuable, it was held only once a year. It is designed as an intellectual journey, a moral journey and a physical journey that was so stimulating that it challenged the assumptions and the ideas of its participants, bringing them face to face with the truth and stimulating fresh ideas and fresh possibilities. Today’s meeting with Mr. Aladekomo is just one of such a meeting. I am convinced that I struck gold today.

In Greek mythology, Proteus is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, or his attendant and the keeper of his seals. Proteus knew all things past, present and future but was able to change his shape at will to avoid the necessity of prophesying. Each day at noon Proteus would rise from the sea and sleep in the shade of the rocks on the island of Pharaohs in Egypt with his seals lying around him. Persons wishing to learn the future had to catch hold of him at that time and hold on as he assumed dreadful shapes, including those of wild animals and terrible monsters. If all his ruses proved unavailing, Proteus resumed his usual form and told the truth. Among those who fought with Proteus to learn the truth was Menelaus, king of Sparta.

In a way, Mr. Aladekomo is a sort of Proteus. I was lucky to get him down to unveiling deep truths to me today. But for this interaction to have been possible, I had to wait long, struggle hard and climb the mountain of confident. I had to even wrestle with my own assumptions and seek for the truth.

Like always, I got to see him in his office, but this time much earlier in the morning. This meeting was coming after a long hold on our meetings because of his busy schedule. He can only manage one meeting in a week now. Well like every interaction with Proteus, there is always something to overcome. Today I was repaid for the long waits I had invested in the entrance porch of Mr. Aladekomo.

As I settled down into the chair in his office, he asked the famous question, “So how do we start today? What questions do you have?” Following the earlier education I had about his business in the other divisions of his company, he had developed a penchant for starting our interactions on this note, making me understand that he didn’t want to offer unsolicited advice: another quality of Proteus... always avoiding the necessity to prophesy. I took his cue, and started with recapping our last meeting where I had gained fresh insight into his business philosophy.

Then, I took the initiative and asked him the question, “sir, I have learnt a little bit about your philosophy on business, and I will like to know a little bit more about some topics that have intrigued me up till now. For instance, I will like to know your views on some important life issues. For example what do you think about money, manhood and family, economics, society and the most dreaded subject matter – Politics, especially Nigerian Politics.”

I was really interested in learning what his views were, but a little uncertain about what his answers might be. I thought these questions may throw him off balance or that he would evade answering the questions. I was way off base. He did full justice to the questions. I will attempt to capture the highlights of the discussion we had.

On Money and these Issues

“The subject of money is a very sensitive issue, but I will begin the discussion with my favourite cliché about money. Whenever I discuss the subject matter of money, I like beginning with this cliché:

Money can buy a bed but not sleep
Money can buy women but cannot buy a wife
Money can buy a bible but not a route to heaven
Money can buy luxuries but cannot buy finesse …

It’s really a discussion about what is important and what is valuable and knowing the difference between both and what the limit of money is.” These entry statements crashed me into the depths of thought and a re-evaluation of my personal values. But that was just the start.

He went further, “Money is a means, and money is a tool. It is a route to an end, and not an end in itself. People make a mistake when they make money an end in itself. It is then that it does more harm than good.” Interested in knowing more, I listened as he continued with an illustration of a notable Nigerian who ran his Bank out of business while accumulating, illegally, wealth and estates for himself.

Unfortunately, the guy’s wealth is now a source of reproach to him, as he is berated daily in the newspapers, while his assets no longer translate into happiness for him. He used this example to redirect me into looking at higher ideals and setting higher goals on my views of money. Exactly the words we settled for in our discussion on money. Focusing on the important things and leaving behind the elementary concerns.

He gave me tips on developing a personal financial policy, with his own life example as a template. Actually, this policy is an adaptation of the book of Solomon – another indication of how highly spiritual Mr. Aladekomo is. “You must hold your financial assets in 7 sectors”, he explained, “in cash so as to fulfil day to day needs; in deposits at home to service your responsibilities to your family and in case of emergencies; in a current account to drive the wheel of the Nations economy; in fixed deposits so as to create jobs; in shares so as to diversify your ownership of Nigerian businesses; and by given to charity so that you can fulfil your religious obligations and experience a deeper satisfaction that comes from lending help to people who would otherwise not be able to get it”. Profound thoughts, I mused, as I let the full implications of his advice simmer. More discussions unfolded as he gave me blow by blow explanation behind the wisdom driving this financial strategy. Summarizing his advice, he left a final ripple on the shores of my mind, reminding me that to think successfully about money, you must always look at money as a means to build something bigger than yourself.