WEEKEND BLAST

Okay, I think I had myself a great weekend.

There is so much gist, I wonder if I will remember all.

Saturday July 21

On Thursday, I received a text at about 5.13am from a "really good friend" - now, it is not what you think. Imagine the timing, cheeky eh?

Text had read thus:

"Good morning -stop- angels and devils alike -stop- I'd like to know tho -stop- anyone interested in hitting the beach on Saturday -stop- Got a date with a shark -stop- or something -sop- so -stop-

The first three to five words of that text almost got me jumping outta my skin. alking

But, knowing this fellow who sent it, I smiled and prepared for my day.

Well, I finally decided I'd make it and be there. Knowing it is an opportunity to meet the 'shark' and also hang out with friends.

So, off to Oniru I went. But, somewhere between leaving my house and getting on the first bus on the road, I decided I was going to see a bit of downtown Lagos. So, after alighting at Mile 11; I bought a BRT ticket for CMS.

My earlier fears of traffic was non-existent. The roads were very free. So, I was at Leventis very early.

So, guess what I did?

I walked. The entire stretch of Marina from Leventis. Oh no, not straight all the way down.

First, I crossed over and went into Balogun market.

The old buildings were a beauty. As it were, Balogun was just being roused to the hustle and bustle of commercial activity which marks it as one of the biggest markets in Nigeria.

So, I walked on. Enjoying the scenery and how the place looks so peaceful at such times. Without the pushing, cursing and shouting it is usually associated with.

I strolled through Broadstreet, past the dirty looking CBN building through Kakawa street and then headed out through towards Marina.



Have you taken out time to appreciate the resplendent beauty of the Methodist Church?

I tell you, I saw that building in another light.In a way I have never before in my life seen it. If the doors were open, I most likely would have gone in. Imagine how many people seeking God, that can gain access.

On through towards Marina I strolled stopping at a few book vendors looking for Salman Rushdie's The Ground Beneath Her Feet; still can't find that book.

The water along the Marina is another matter. I stood on the pedestrian bridge at CMS for like twenty minutes just taking in the view. It was peaceful. It was restful and it was really beautiful. If I had more time and it was another time of the day, I most likely would have visited "The Fish Shark", you remember don't you?

Well, there was no time so at the end I had to skip my sight-seeing so I can be at Oniru before the set time of 10a.m. At that point, I could only hope for a taxi.

Luckily, I didn't have to wait long before I saw an empty one.

As I suspected, I was the first person around. So, I used the opportunity to just take in the view. Water has always been a major attraction for me.

I sat and just mooned.

It was my "good friend's" call that jerked me out of my reverie. As it happened he had been around a while with one of the other guys, K.I. (all of us belong to this NaijaStories platform), and they had been chilling out at SHOPRITE.

In a few minutes they arrived and we didn't waste time breaking out the bottles and stuffs.

One hour after, another of the guys. T.O. showed. The ladies typically, showed up last.

But when they did, the place had a different 'feel'.

In all, we drank but didn't smoke; we chatted and some danced...while others disappeared for long periods. Not what you think again!!!



I swear on my church mind.

After all is said and done, we left for around past five and that is also because "my good friend" was not feeling tops. He was just getting back, you see and shouldn't have been exposed to so much sun and allowed to drink. The two both of them he did, to what extent?

*lips sealed*.

Heading back was a total chaos. Just like the first time we all ever met each other, at Elegushi, K.I. launched into this idealistic debate of literary culture in the country.

Needless to say the #twitpack seem only partially interested in exhibiting the same level of passion.

We discussed the issue all the way from Oniru on the Island to TBS. I am sure the taxi driver would have thought all of us young, noisy, rotten fools.

Well, maybe we were...but not all so young- as K.I. wrongly posited in the BRT we hooked from TBS to the Mainland. The discussion had continued in the bus, before a larger audience, who would have thought the same thing as the taxi driver. Albeit, most of the talking was done by K.I.

Eventually, some would have been left with the impression that the passion is fueled by something else.

Out of the five, who got on the bus I was the last one off.

It was fun. Listening to the craziness of the ideas that were uttered...and seeing all the beautiful faces again.

Particularly....

As it happened, the discussion continued over twitter later in the evening. The banter didn't stop.

Some other twitter contact (not from the #twitterpack) was forced to ask me if I ever quality family time.

Unfortunately, how could I defend that? When I spend so much time online...But, I sure do. Online is a platform for expression for me. It is what I have always done. Even before I started a family.

But, I created quality time and spend it with the family.

I just couldn't explain it all to her. I hope one day she finds this blog and understands better.

As usual, I slept.

Hahaha....

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Sunday July 17

It was cat and mouse day as far as the rains were concerned. It rained and rained, stop-start, stop-start. Almost all day.

I was able to spend some quality time with the family.

I will leave you with pixreel.

Enjoy.

A WEEK OF RAGE

Ah!

Am back. Late as usual. I am really sorry about that.

It would be my joy to be here more often, like the old days; but work is taking so much of my time these past few weeks. If you have followed this blog, you will know why.

Work, and my rage. My rage at everything that has connived to take away all my time. Time I love to spend with family, friends etc. Time I love to spend in other things and with other people that reward me with immense personal joy and satisfaction.
Yes, that time has become almost a long-forgotten memory now.

Hence, it is looking more like I would be doing a lot of the weekly review format I have been doing lately.

In other news, I got myself a new blog. I created it a couple of weeks ago. It is a personal development challenge for me. Something I have always wanted to do is write in prose. Sure, I have my own volumes of soon-to-be-disposed diary entries; I have written for both print and electronic media; I write all the time online; develop reports and proposal documents at work etc.

But, nothing like serious prose writing. The fictional kind that tells a story- a wonderful (if mostly superfluous) stories; you know the type? Those that make you said, "Wow! This is sweet" or "This is so true".

Well, I got the blog out there at http://shaiguydotcom.wordpress.com, you should visit. I will welcome you with both arms and a few wet, sweet kisses (offer only for fine, sweet girls please).

But, this blog has taken so much more of my spare time.

So much!

Whatever the case though, I intend to still present to you all of the things that have been happening around me. Maybe that way, you guys can help me find solutions to these issues of life.

Isn't it true what they say? Two heads are better than one....

How about I get a million heads here?
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Monday July 16

Status meeting was a killer today!

The LASAA ruckus rages on - further compounding my own roaring temper. The blame for the present predicament solely lies at the feet of management.

I guess that is why no one has dared come to my department asking for in-bound cheques from clients. In the past, we would have been fed with the soup of Hell. Now, it is the finance guys that have to slap the streets canvassing for advance payments of yet-to-be-due payments.

All through, I just smiled and exchanged knowing glances with my colleague. Shit! I keep forgetting she is also leaving soon.

All through the four hour meeting, I kept receiving calls from my Sony campaign contact. I know he wanted to find out what the status with the posting of his boards was. He had called me over the weekend, almost begging that I should find a way to make it happen. He had ended the call with a ringing statement, "Shanu, you know my material has been in your office for almost two weeks? If we do not show evidence of deployment, I cannot push for payment and if I cannot push for payment you can't get paid. We both lose."

End of story.

But, my finance controller had been playing hardball with me over that campaign. He is looking at the financial side of the argument, saying the client was owing money from previous campaigns - which is not true; but finance guys are always finance guys. I was looking at it from the marketing and relationship management angle. I think these guys, finance and operations,should be trained on aspects of client service and client relationship skills. They are causing me a lot of headaches lately.

Anyways, I was able to get the matter resolved by asking the client to do a simple letter of commitment, stating how the payment will be offloaded. It is not ideal; but under the circumstances, it is the only thing that will assuage my numbers loving finance tricksters.

In the final analysis, I am afraid we have succeeded in potentially losing ourselves another client.

What else to be done?

It was my Ovaltine contact's birthday today. So, I was out there to personally say "Happy birthday".

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Tuesday July 17

I was supposed to be at Shoprite, Alausa today to do some shopping.

But, oga (the numbers lover) made sure that plan was truncated. He hijacked the car allocated to my department on the excuse that he was going out to "source funds". Funds to settle the LASAA palaver.

Well, that meant I was grounded in the office.

What did I do? Listened to music, went through a lot of really really eye-popping pictures on twitter (ah! twitter, the virtual land of the wicked), and wrote for my new blog.

I poured my rage and fury into that writing. And the title of the piece I was writing for the blog reflected that - Vendetta!

I wrote that for the better part of the day. I didn't finish it though. I couldn't. Too many ideas competing for prominent space in my head. It is supposed to be a story of a girl who shunned a guy's love advances, even after urging him on for most parts of the guy's pursuit, and the guy's carefully laid plan for revenge and how that backfired too.

That is what it is supposed to be....

Don't be surprised though when you read Vendetta, all that will be familiar will be the title.

Anyways, I wrote for most of the day.

I was able to get some pictures across to my Sony contact person, pictures of some of the sites up. He should be happy now.

One of my colleagues in operation almost made me lose my handle, and right before oga too (departmental oga this time). The guy is fond of interjecting in departmental discussions with him. Because he was padi padi with oga does not give him the license, and I made him know that today. I was cryptically brutal with my attack. I called him a snout-nosed rat - elenu-eku and right in front of oga too. That will teach the snout-nosed (actually he is snout-mouthed, but that won't fit the description) poke noser.


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Wednesday July 18


Finally, I was able to go to Shoprite today.

My mistake? I went with my female colleague. Women and shopping, grrrrrrrrr!

I was supposed to just go in and pick a gift item for my Ovaltine contact who celebrated his birthday on Monday. A quick dash in and out operation. But, she told me she also wanted to buy water dispenser and asked if she could come along.

I acted the good sport.

My error.

Guys, when you want to shop for small something, make sure you go alone or if you must, with another guy. Never with a woman o!

I should have known better sef, judging by what Kinky makes me go through every time she succeeds in dragging me along for shopping.

My eyes saw pepper.

We had separated at the ATM machine, because there was some sort of queue, and there was really no need for me to hang around for her since she is going to another section for her dispenser. We agreed to meet at the car in forty-five minutes tops.

I had bought my stuff in recod time - Under one hour; it was a washing machine and I was given a big bag of Ariel detergent soap to go along with it. I had two guys help me with the whole stuff to the car in hope that my colleague also would have been done with her shopping. But she wasn't and after waiting some ten minutes and several unanswered calls after, I went looking for her for another thirty minutes before giving up and coming back to wait in the car. I was there in the car waiting for another hour and a half, before she emerged from the entrance near the city mall wing.

If she had come out lugging a water dispensing machine, I wouldn't have minded.

She came strutting out empty-handed!!!

That's not right - She had two overstuffed, white bags in her hands. Those clearly won't hold a water dispenser though, or could they?

Hell!

I just glued my eyes on her as she sauntered down to the car.

"They don't have dispensers jere," she announced as she stepped in.

"Ehen!"

There was nothing more I could say, unless I want to be angrier than I already was. Now I had to pay out six hundred naira at the exit.

Hmmmmmm.

We headed for NECA house on Hakeem Balogun, in central Alausa, to drop the package to the client.

Traffic back to the office was light and so we dashed quickly into Biggie Mart, on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, where she eventually got her dispenser.

This time, in less than twenty minutes.

Women!!!
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Thursday July 19

There is still some back and forth between oga and top dog on this my Kinetic contract. If I had handled this affair myself, I'd have resolved with the top dog since.

It was a simple matter of how much commission we should concede to the contact as the conduits for the business. They had asked for twenty percent on a contract worth over forty-five million. That was roughly nine million.

Even though there was no agreement between myself and the contact during our negotiations, I had asked her to get her MD to call top dog, to agree on a discount percentage.

It was a straight-forward matter, but oga had been on it for three days now and we still don't have a headway. I had suggested to him we propose a ten percent offer to the contacts, which he agreed to; but he wanted to "bounce it off" with (the head) of top dog.

I just shook my head inwardly.

This dude is not taking charge of his office as Head. Why ask for that permission? If he is earning what he is earning, he should be able to take some decisions. And ten percent is fair. We can't say those guys shouldn't earn anything (even if we perceive it is extra) on the business. Moreover, the sites had been offered at lucrative rates from the onset, so things balances out evenly for us in the final analysis.

Well, he bounced it off alright and was told we "can only offer" five percent. I knew that was going to be the feedback he will get, especially as he had sent a mail and not a personal discussion.

So, I had to grudgingly do a mail stating the five percent offer. It was insulting to the contact organization really.

Hence, I wasn't surprised when I received their response :

Hi Shanu,

How is work.. Am quite sure you are aware of the client we are dealing with. They are an agency and are asking for even more than the industry 15percent.
Your offer of 5percent will definitely not work for any of the party. We have been on this for a long time and will not like to delay more.
Kindly get back to us so we can push for the payment.

Thanks in anticipation of your positive response.

We are pissing these guys off.

That was the first thought when I read that on my galaxy tab screen.

And I was less surprised when a couple of minutes after, oga as is usual, burst into my office.

"Did you see those guy's response?" He asked

I nodded, placing my tab on the table and reaching for my cup of water.

"What do we do now? The tone of that mail is somehow, abi? Like She is angry...," I just kept looking at him. Why won't they be angry?

"Should we go back to ** and tell him? Maybe we should just settle for fifteen percent and get the order fast before they give it to someone else."

"Really, the deal is even good for twenty percent off. If we take into consideration that the sites were significantly marked up when it was proposed to the client. We should still be in very green fields. However, fifteen is not bad. I know those guys are playing smart. But, our own bottom line has been taken care of and that is what should be more important." I finished off. I took out my calculator and did some calculations for him and we were both agreeable to fifteen percent.

"Okay, so I will let ** know that fifteen is okay. Present this is a document and attach to this mail, print out so I can discuss with him." He turned and left.

I shook my head again.

Some forty minutes or so after, my intercom buzzed.

"Hello,"

"Shanu, please come."

I shook my head for the third time. It was oga.

"** has responded," he announced to me as I entered his office.

"Okay," I replied.

"He replied the mail I sent him, he asked ...." he stopped and clicked a few buttons on his Toshiba laptop. "Let me read his response."

I wondered to myself how come we were talking about mail messages, when we agreed he was to see ** about the matter and get a resolution. I cursed him in my mind. We have been on this matter for almost a week.

Just agreement on discount!!!

" Thank you for the mail and update. I would think fifteen percent is rather high, but if you recommend that it is fair, I'll accept the position. I am only here to guide and will hope that you will take better charge of the responsibilities of your office...." He stopped.

I grinned inwardly - BINGO!!!

"Well, so I will just communicate fifteen percent to those guys and it is left to them to take it or leave it. I confirmed from Wole, you know him now?" he asked and I nodded - Wole is the finance with the contact company and a personal friend to oga, "he confirmed that those guys just want extra cut on the business. So fifteen percent is enough."

I shuddered. So, this chap knew this and he still went round a thousand miles and eons to arrive at a decision - albeit one slapped on his head by **.

"OK." I muttered, got up and left.

Some people sef.

Choi!

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Friday July 20ube, and demanded to speak with my contact.

"Sorry to butt in on your discussion," he said turning to address me also. He stopped then, looked quizzically at me, "this face is familiar."

I shook my head, "Well, we might have met. I don't know and am bad with faces and names."

"Ojere, " He quizzed.

"Oh! That will be it then." I was taken me by surprise. People have done that before, still I get surprised. How can't I recall them but they do me? And I wouldn't say I was the most popular in my department back in school, not to talk of the entire school. But, this chap knew me. But, I didn't want to encourage him. So, I turned slightly away.

He was forced to return to the main object of his intrusion, "I don't know why Chika has refused to give me the remittance advice for the payment I picked up. My finance people will ask for that advice,but she is refusing to give me a copy." He rushed this and was almost stuttering at the end.

"But, why would she not want to give you your cheque?" My contact asked. "No, I have the cheque, it is the remittance advice I want now," the fellow responded.

"What is remittance advice?"

"That paper that I sign on that I received payment."

"Oooooh! Okay, did she say she won't give you? Wait I coming," my contact turned away from him in a gesture of dismissal.

"Okay," the fellow left. "Nice to see you." He offered to me.

I nodded and smiled, finding it hard to believe I just saw a man as dark as the ube fruit.

"All this people sef; too much wahala."

We talked some more and he mentioned something oga said to him the last time we were there. I was shocked. Some people might no dey close. My oga own na basket!

Soon, I made to leave after learning that next week looks mostly likely when payment will be made for the other site the client has with us.

On our way out, I decided to say hello to another friend. I had spied he was around from the look-through dividing glass that demarcated his office.

So, we had gone in and there was the fellow that had come earlier.

Gosh!!!

I said my hellos, but could hear the minor drama that was playing out between the fellow, my contact and the female Client Service rep. My ears ehn!

"...but you have to give me the remittance to indicate what the payment is for," I could hear the fellow say.

"But, I have already written the percentage the chheque represents on the photocopy for you. You can take the photocopy, but these ones are our own internal documents. One for my file and one for finance." The CS rep was waving the papers. She seemed at her wits end.

"But, why can't you make a photocopy for him," asked my contact.

"Oho..." Chimed in ube

"I have written it on a copy of the cheque." It was obvious the CS rep was in no good mood.

"Oga," my contact turned to ube "you can use calculator to determine the percentage that was paid now. And the cheque will also validate that figure in the overall invoiced value."

"That is not enough for my finance people. They usually insist on this remittance. So, they can track payment."

"Okay o. Shanu come let's go. This man is not ready. Which is more important tne cheque or the remittance? Come jere."

I couldn't help but smile, remembering my numbers lover in the office.

Ube also has another numbers lover breathing down his neck in his office.

Small world!

Have a nice weekend people.

Cheerios!

LASSA FEVER

It's been more than a week I had been here.

Yeah, I know. I have reneged on my promise, once again.

It hasn't been easy I tell you. Not with the fact that a colleague has left the office for other sojourns. Now, work done by three of us is left to only two. And soon, that work might only be left for yours truly. I haven't seen any activity to suggest that a new hand is coming in soon.

This coupled with a number of other things have ensured that I have little time for anything else. Well, almost...some things you just have got to do still.

I will give you a condensed rundown of things and happenings between Monday July 8 and Sunday July 15. It won't be very pretty like the usual, but it will be something, right?

Ok, let's do this.

Monday's status meeting was really short. Shorter than most. Partly because the 'top dog' wasn't around, but mostly because people didn't have much to say. Maybe a result of the morning rains. So, the business of the day was crisp and done with in record time. There was a minor drama though between the head of the electrical unit and the finance controller. As always, the issue was over delays in release of funds to execute jobs. These things ehn....

Tuesday though was a bombshell!

The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), pulled down the display material of the company's premium client on our marquee site at Dolphin. The site is one of the biggest in West Africa and the said client is paying huge fees to occupy that space. Now, I wonder why the guys at LASAA will act so Machiavellian in this matter.

First, the demand for upfront payment for the full year is absurd. Even clients that occupy our out-of-home advertising spaces don't pay one year's rental in advance. Where does the agency then expect OOH companies to get monies (running into hundreds of millions) from to offset their bills? Go to the banks? And incur additional costs in interest charges? It is unfair, and what is more pathetic is that the practitioners seem helpless. ADVAN, OOAN and all the other stakeholders seem to have laid their heads down on the chopping block. So, I only half blame LASAA for going for the kill.

(So, the material came down and now we are left to patch the damage done. I can imagine how the meeting with the client would have gone. )

Makes me remember the white lies and half-truths I had told another client of mine last week when two of the boards three of of my big clients occupy, were asked to be removed by same LASAA. Yea, I know - those guys again!!!

I had felt horrible saying those things to the client, but I didn't have a choice. It was a necessity. Now, even Kinky has started to make jests of me.

"Shai, your company have turned you into a really good liar." She would laugh, but in play you hear the real thoughts of the heart.

I swear I don't lie to her often; only essential lies (don't scrunch up your face).

We all lie!

No?

Yes!!!

Suffice to say the company's top dogs have begun to "engage" authorities at LASAA to try and untangle the royal mess they have put us in with the client.

One hundred and fifty million is no joke! Plus said client has also issued a four hundred and twenty million, two year contract for the conversion of the same site into a digital board. Hmmmmpf, LASAA! No pour sand sand for Garri na!!!


Wednesday was slightly better. Personally that is.

I entered into the final lap of negotiations with my Pronmoworld contact for our "Landmark" site at NEPA Building. Yea, you know it? The one along Eko bridge...yes, that one.

One hundred and fifty smackers for that one. From the body language I can read from across the table, it's going to be a windfall soon (Yes, plus the MTN contract it is looking like it). There is a big client, the biggest in the I.T. business (name withheld) looking to make a strong entry into the Nigerian market.

Fingers crossed on that one and I am not counting my chickens yet.

The regular Thursday "marketing team" seem to have been temporarily forgotten. Not with all of the drama going on.

Since I resumed, we have only had one meeting. And at this rate, the next meeting will probably have me and "oga" sitting across each other in the conference room. We would be the only ones in the department by then. I guess he did his job well!

Wait.

But, the whip has turned round on him too.

I heard same day, from reliable sources, that he was issued a memo. In it, he was told in no uncertain terms, that if the company doesn't hit it's projected half-year sales target by August, "necessary action" will be taken against him.

Hmmmm.

And the said "expected sales target" is two billion.

We told the murda-fucker when he was drawing up the sales target that it was not possible, but he didn't listen. Now, those figures are being used to whack him on the head.

As at June ending, we are close to seven hundred million. Good or bad? I wait to see the magic wand o!

On Friday, I received a letter from my Promoworld contact. Not what I was expecting. But, can I complain?

I had been expecting a contract. But, I got a "statement of intention" letter shortlisting three sites the international I.T. company was interested in occupying, with the pro-rated rates for the remaining months of the year. The sticking point though is the fact that my contact wants to claim some discount, which we never discussed in our negotiations.

Nigerians!!!

I am damned sure that the rates to the said I.T. company would have been much higher than the rates I proposed to my local contact. However, as everything in this country they still want to make something extra on the side. That is not bad, but twenty percent off the total figures?

Haba!

I didn't waste time doing her a mail and making my reservations known.

Let's just say we were able to reach some kind of agreement.

A fifty million contract for three sites varying from three to five months' occupancy can't be bad?

Well, I hope the Top Dog and Oga don't scupper this one for me.

So, I await the contract proper.

It rained on and off all weekend....so, I just curled up on the bed or the sofa finishing my Ludlum (Holcroft Covenant) or watching a succession of Indie Movies. My top pick of those, I am Khan!

Yes, and Kish had his older cuz around - Tofarasin.

The house was a hell of a lot noisier!

Be seeing you around.

Cheerios.

HURRICANE A-COMING

July 4, 2012

It has been a bit crazy around here for the past three or four days.

Just like the rains have decided to make it a point to fall every day, so also it seems another kind of rain has decided to fall every other day at work. This time though, only in my office.

In the past two weeks, there has been two resignations and both in a department of just four. A key department to boot.

Now, not that resignation is a bad idea or a bad thing. What is bad is that the organization has driven people to take drastic actions. Action they might actually not have taken if the management was listening.

But, even now am not sure the management is listening or ready to listen. So, I foresee more rains to come. You know what I mean by that, right? In other news, the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency has decided to be a real pain in the arse.

This is becoming too much. More outdoor businesses will fold under this pressure. The strain is too much. And the seams seem to be coming off at the edges. It is only a matter of time before the whole thing bursts in everyone's faces.

Just yesterday, the regulatory body asked us to remove two more spectacular boards along the ever busy Apapa-Oshodi expressway. Now, how can a responsible government desirous of economic empowerment and development ask corporate organizations to remove their assets without giving ample window of relocation or any form of compensation? To add salt to the injury, an ultimatum was issued for the removal of the boards failure upon which the affected boards will be forcefully removed and the defaulting firm fined #750,000.

Needless to say these are million naira investments; plus there are clients with campaigns running on these sites. Unfortunately, my major clients are resident on the two structures. Now, I have to placate my Nestle, Seven Up and SBC Johnson contacts.

Naturally, it is one of those days when I want to just throw up my hands and say "Fuck IT".

WHEN IT RAINS....

Monday July 2, 2012

It rained today ehn!

Rained like it was going to go out of fashion. This particular rain more noticeable to me because it was a Monday, and Mondays in Lagos are usually hellish. This one, particularly more hellish than the others I have had to endure.

I woke up pretty late. Later than my usual of 4.30 - 5.00. As soon as I opened my eyes, I knew it was going to be one of those mornings. I felt weary to the bones.... Anyways, I still made it out of the house in good time. But then it started raining and everything went crazy from there. First, the roads were badly flooded (as is often the case around my part of town when it rains), then when I thought I had escaped without serious delays due to the engine stalling or getting stuck in the flood I encountered this 'killer' traffic on Ikorodu road. This is the last of what I need this early in the day!!!

As if that was not enough, it began to rain.... Heavy downpour.

Suffice to say when you combine early morning rain with Monday morning traffic in Lagos what you get is sheer madness.

So, we all went mad...hehehe. Eventually, I made it to the office around 10.30am. Effectively missing the Monday morning status meeting. From what I heard, I was 'looked' for twice. The meeting was still on when I arrived, but what the heck. I don't need anyone else getting on my nerves this early...and on the first day at work in a new month too. So, I skipped the meeting all together and ignored the message that the MD had asked for me twice- let him ask.

It was a rotten morning. However, we still got work to do. I actually had to smoothen out a few ruffled feathers. No thanks to my colleagues selling off one of my client's sites. This internal competition sef, it gets so infuriating.

Well, thankfully I was able to smoothen the client out. It was not easy. Had to do a bit of cajoling, a bit of begging and some cheap blackmail. Hanging our long-term friendship on the client's neck. Anything and everything comes into play when it comes to matters like this. I don't like it, but what can you do? Everyone does it. The other client, was a bit problematic though. I might have to shoot her dead someday. She won't pay up and would expect the best of what I got on offer. One day my patience will finally wear thin (Hoped you would smile there). Getting to work was hell, getting back home.... Either way, I got to my destination.

Tomorrow is another day.

P.S: Oga boss is beginning to see the light!!!

I can't laugh. Being perceptive, and knowing how to look beyond what is presented at face value should be a skill everyone cultivates. This dude missed it, and I hope it is not too late in the game for him to 'step change' his game.

Me, a Bully?

Saturday June 29, 2012

It is another environmental sanitation day. You wouldn't know it was if you live in the part of Lagos that I live in.

Anyway, did the best I could do around the house.

I once again absented myself from the monthly CDA meeting where I am (was unwillingly elected) the secretary. Am not much of a person for that BS. Sitting around for two hours shooting Breeze! Not my style.

After the sanitation, which was abruptly brought to an end in any case by the downpour I sat back to enjoy some other entertainment.

Entertainment for me is music, movies and books. I did the book this time- Ludlum's The Holcroft Covenant. A good read so far.

Chatted some on my bb with a few pals. It was later on I heard one of the most shocking news I have heard in a while.

You see, I like to write and belong to a number of online platforms where I can pursue this past time.

So, when one of the writers on one of the platforms complained that his work had been tampered with, the said tampering having to do with the title and some of the characters and plots altered, I was miffed.

I do know that such sites put up terms and conditions that ultimately gives them supreme control over any works published there, however I had thought that this particular platform, being one promoting local content and local authors will at least be more refined. All it would have taken was to bring the said author on board and make him feel a part of the decision making. Afterall, it's his work.

Well, said author complained. Complaint was brushed aside. Then another author complained, she was equally brushed aside. Then the whole thing snowballed.

I made a few jocular comments.

Hopefully, everything will be resolved. The way I see it though, the guys running the site are well within legal limits to do what they have done.
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Sunday July 1, 2012

Once again, no church service today.

I know someday I will find my way back to church - Someday.

I was appalled to learn that my jocular remarks on the site where I write was taken exception to. I felt sick to my stomach when I read in fine print that I had been labelled a "bully". Me of all Things? A bully.... I didn't find it funny and gave as good as I got. The rest of the day was spent in relative peace.

Kish up to his regular tricks....