Coconuts are great but not in the fast lane

Last night I had a quiet peaceful contemplation about my life. Here I am enjoying every moment of it in Honiara and then I look beyond today and the future that awaits. It is mostly unclear but one thing is close to being certain, I will soon embark on an international career with the United Nations. That is the bit that troubles me. Not that I am having second thoughts, it just represents everything that is new. I laughed at the thought but the reality is I would need to learn a lot of things all over again. Read on and find out some of my most pressing issues with moving to life in a cosmopolitan environment.

The UN recently sent a survey and an interesting quote that caught my attention was “…we hope to place all candidates on the roster by the end of the year…” They are moving very quickly finalizing the 2009 Statistics and Security roster this month. Candidates in IT and a host of other disciplines will be interviewed in October and November. I believe the 2009 roster will be finalized by the end of the year. The 2008 roster which I am part of has been completed and finalized. Like me, there are currently more than 100 candidates waiting for job placement at the United Nations.

But here are some of the issues this “island boy” is grappling with as I think about the move from Honiara to New York, or Geneva, or Santiago, or Addis Ababa or Bangkok.

Suits, suits and more suits: I clearly remember only 3 times in my life when I had to wear a suit. When I competed in the Asia Pacific Plain English Speaking Awards in Melbourne, Australia in 1994. I wore another suit on my wedding some 4 years ago and during my recent interview at the United Nation’s headquarter in New York. If this life should allow me to move on and begin my career in New York as I think (hope?) it will, I will be wearing a suit every day. Ouch! From only 3 times in my lifetime to the suit becoming a daily attire is certainly not something I am looking forward to. Hellen Beck said to me, “…c’mon its going to be fun dressing up!” Yeah right for those who enjoy dressing up. I thank the Our Telekom god’s for making sure we have a uniform; it simplifies the dressing up for me! But suits – oh well I might as well allow myself to accept the thought…maybe the practice too!

Food: Home cooked rice and Taiyo, with coconut cream and cabbage. That’s me or was it simply Ming Goreng noodles? Get ready for different tastes, different food and eating habits. Remember Mr. Bean eating in the Paris restaurant in the movie, “Mr. Bean’s Holiday”; that would probably be me in a big city like New York. Mind you I have been to some big cities like San Juan, New York, Bangkok and 3 memorable hours in Los Angeles and to beat my fear of restaurants or eating out, I survived on MacDonald’s, KFC and ordered pizza but surely I cannot live on fast food all year round for the rest of my life working with the UN.

Lifestyle: I can find my way around Brisbane with ease. I am able to use the public transport system very easily thanks to my regular trips to Brisbane since 2006 but the pace and subways in New York is something else. I have been assured, it will grow on you until you will get into the groove. But that’s saying goodbye to the easy going lifestyle of Honiara. The laid back rhythm that I have enjoyed for most of my life. Living in Suva for almost 5 years was already hectic and taking its toll on me; I wonder what New York or any of the cities where UN headquarters is located will be like?

The weather: Say goodbye to all year summer, sunshine and of course our usual dose of rainy days. White sandy beaches and fresh fruits and vegetables. The other day my wife and I spent some time at Kakabona just enjoying the beach and sunshine. It was an exquisite experience and as we threw rocks at cans and debris on the beach, I wonder to myself what would I do if I cannot just drive 20 minutes to the beach and enjoy nature’s pleasure even if it costs SBD20.00?

Family: I have my own now just the three of us, my wife Christina and child, Alysha. I am talking about my brothers and sisters, my mum and dad. Of course you can skype, phone or email home but nothing beats the warmth of personal relationships that you have known and grown to love for your entire life. The other day we celebrated my wife’s birthday, just me, my wife and our little princess. I remarked “It’s just a fore taste of how life would be if we were all to leave and live far away from Honiara!”

I am looking forward to working with the UN where ever they will place me. However, it does call for considerable changes on many aspects of my life. Underneath the exterior shell, you will only find a very simple guy who expects nothing more than “rice and 2nd grade Solomon Blue Taiyo” to eat. Its unhealthy food they say but it is also testament to a lifetime of contentment. I may have traveled the world, seen what life is like on the other side and life may have offered me an opportunity of a lifetime – something many of my peers can only dream about, but at the end of the day; I am just a simple guy with simple dreams and not a lot of expectations. It keeps life very simple for me.