Transcript 0:00 Angel's interview was really fun, to be honest, but I think she's the bravest woman I've met in a while, aside from my wife, please. Yeah, my wife is the, my wife, my wife is the bravest woman. 0:12 But An-Angel is really brave, shy, sheltered, you know, and then she decides to move to Australia of all places from Nigeria. 0:24 Like, traveling to Australia from Nigeria is give or take at least a two-day flight, I believe, or three days. Like, it is that far. So when you move there, you literally move away from 0:37 everyone, and then, like, and she- that's where she picked to go to. Like, let's listen to her story, okay, because it was-- I mean, I just couldn't stop laughing at her, in a good way, of course. Enjoy. 0:50 [intro jingle] Welcome. Should I, should I pause? Should I- Oh, you, you want to pause? I don't know. It'll be b- It, it, it'll be bad if you pause something. 1:08 You know, just like, you're like, "Ha, hey everyone- Hey... I'm on the Newcomers podcast." [laughing] Welcome. Um, okay. Thank you for, thank you for doing this. Um, 1:19 so, um, I, I'm gonna, I, I, what I say now is I'll introduce you in the show notes, so I'm not gonna introduce you. I'm just gonna go straight to, to the point- Okay... and just kind of start off with 1:32 everyone in Nigeria moves to the US, to the UK. Oh. [laughing] Recently Canada. I mean, Australia became a thing, but still, like, why did you... You've been there for how long now? Uh, about five years now. 1:48 Yeah, exactly. So y- that means you moved before Australia became a thing. So why Australia? [chuckles] I [chuckles] So honestly, I, I, I get this question a lot. 2:01 Everyone always asks me like, "Where did you find Australia? Why did you choose that country?" And I have two answers for that. Um, the first one is just, you know, Australia is best. 2:12 I want to explore the world, all of that. [laughing] I use that for like job interviews and- Yeah, exactly... and stuff, you know. [chuckles] I want to explore the world. I'm very curious about life and all of that. 2:26 But the real reason is that I wanted to run away from home. [chuckles] Well, no, [chuckles] I wanted to go somewhere that my parents did not have, um, a lot of influence, because they know people everywhere. 2:40 And when I was applying for my master's degree, um, 2:44 w- I was considering the US, I was considering Canada, I was considering the UK, and I realized that my parents had family, like, strong family ties in all these three countries, and then some. 2:57 And as someone who went to, like, a private secondary school, went to college, university, I came out and when I started working for the first two years, I realized I didn't really have any kind of social skills. 3:08 I did not have any kind of people skills, nothing. So I was like, "If I should go to a place where my parents have such strong family ties, I will end up living with them. 3:18 I will end up not, um, you know, not learning to be my own person." So I chose Australia. My m- my dad had a cousin in Australia, but it was just one person. I was like, "Mm, I will not be in this state anyways. 3:30 I'll move to a different state. I'll go study in a different state." So yeah, that's, that's the real reason why I chose Australia. I think my parents don't see this 'cause- [laughing] I apologize. You know what? 3:41 I, I, yeah, yeah, we, it's, Dad and Mom, we're sorry. We didn't mean to do it, but we did it anyway. It's cool. I've learnt my lesson. 3:49 [chuckles] Wait, okay, now, now, when you say you've learnt your lesson, like, do you regret it at all? Um, I think no, because I did, I did get what I wanted out of moving far away from home. I'm now very independent. 4:03 I have amazing people skills. I can navigate the world on my own, and I feel like these are things that I wouldn't have learnt in time- Mm-hmm... 4:10 if I had still stayed, you know, with my parents or with my parents' siblings and things like that, because I was very dependent on them. Like, they would pay for everything. I mean, I love them. 4:21 They paid for everything. They never let me stress once, you know. But coming here, I was forced to learn how to do things myself, learn how to look for opportunities, learn how to handle my own money. 4:34 Took lots of mistakes, you know, debts and all of that, but, [chuckles] 4:40 but eventually I learnt, you know, I learnt how to live on my own, how to, um, read people, look at, look for, you know, good friends, because then, again, my parents are very strict. 4:52 "You can't be friends with this person. You can't be friends with this person." And I was the first child, I did not like stress. I'm like, "Okay, no problem. 4:58 No, I will not even argue with them because they cannot stress me." So now I was, like, they weren't here to, you know, tell me, "No," "Yes," "No." Yeah. So I had to, like, learn how to figure these things out by myself. 5:09 So in that sense, it was a success and I don't regret it. I think I did not realize how far Australia was from home. [laughing] I would say that is my only regret because it is very far. 5:23 Like, it is very far from Nigeria, so that would probably be my only regret from coming here. Have h- have your parents ever visited? No. 5:35 I talked to- Last year, last year I went home, and I was like, I was asking like, "Would you guys come and visit me?" My dad was open to the idea. My mom looked at me and she was like, "No." 5:46 Like, why would she, why would she fly for three days, I mean, take a three-day journey just to come for one week? Like, no, she's fine. My daddy can go, but she's, she's okay. So I pray a lot. Wait, wait, wait, wait. 5:59 So you haven't seen, you have, you, so you saw your parents for the first time last year? Last year, yes.I mean, Australia was one of like the, the, the last countries to open up their borders after the pandemic. Yeah. 6:11 I think we, we were on lockdown the longest 'cause they didn't really know how to navigate all of that and open up the borders and things like that. So we're one of the last countries to do so. 6:20 I think that's, that's one of the reasons why, um, I hadn't seen them for such a long time. 6:25 Fortunately, I came-- But, but unfortunately, I came just a couple months before they locked, like, they locked the borders, so I wasn't even able to travel regardless. Yeah. Sorry about that. It was sad, sad stuff. 6:39 [laughs] Just like- Sad stuff. [laughs] Yeah. Like, I mean, I, I can't even imagine. So, like, because you just have, you just had your, your father's cousin there, right? Yes. And so no family, no friends, just you. 6:53 Young girl who has never been- Just-... on her own just goes to- Just-... Australia to- Yeah. Basically, yes. Yeah. And my- You're a wonder woman... 7:02 and my dad's cousin were not really that close, so that's, you know, it wasn't like I could depend on them for anything at all. Yeah. I was in an entirely different state even. How, how did your first week feel? 7:16 So the chaos started from when I, when I landed, because I had initially booked, um, airport pickup from my uni, 7:24 and then I got on the plane in, um, in Adelaide, and as they had sent me an email that they were canceling for some weird reason. And I landed, I remember I landed Sunday the 11th at 12:00. 7:39 So actually Monday, Monday the 12th on a Sunday at, um, 12:00 midnight. And that's when I got the email that they had canceled my airport pickup, and I was like, "What do you mean? There's nobody here. It's midnight." 7:53 [laughs] How am I going to- What a welcome. [laughs] And so the person that helped me was an Australian that I flew with, so he was my seat partner. He was just asking like, "Oh, what am I coming for?" 8:09 So he knew I was new. After we got our bags, I was just standing, like, at the airport exit looking around like- What did I get into? Who can help me book a taxi? 8:20 Like, I did not have, like, Wi-Fi, nothing, except for the airport free Wi-Fi, which was really not the best. Yeah. I was just standing there. Like, I was in shock. 8:29 [laughs] And then the guy that was my seat partner came and was like, "Oh, do you need a ride?" And I was like, "Yes, that this is where I'm going." 8:36 I did not know the full address, but it was, it was somewhere in the city and was like, "Okay, fine." Like, he can take me to my accommodation, which I was super grateful for because where will I even start from? 8:46 So he, he dropped me off and, you know, got me settled in, made sure that I was okay before he, um, went back to where he was going to. 8:55 So every day I thank God for this random person that I met on the, um, um, on the airplane that sat beside me, because if it was someone else, they wouldn't have even remembered that I was there or, [laughs] 9:08 or even thought to ask, because I could not ask. Well, I was too shy to ask anybody. And the way the airports are here, by like 12:00 midnight, you hardly see any airport staff. 9:17 There's nobody in the, like, in the airport. So I'd have slept on the floor because there's nowhere. I wouldn't even know how to leave the airport. So 9:28 after that, uh, the next day I had to run to, to uni to check in because they, they all sent me another email that they were going to cancel my, um, enrollment if I did not come in by Monday the 12th, because my visa was, like, three weeks late, three, four weeks late. 9:47 So I, I came in very late for uni, and they already, like, gave me, like, three weeks to come in and, you know, register all of that. 9:55 So I, I basically got there that same day that they were going to cancel all of my stuff. And I even got lost. So I remember that morning [laughs] I got lost. 10:05 [laughs] You know, you know what- So- You know what I can't get over, to be honest? A shy, s- protected young lady runs away from home. [laughs] Sorry, mom and dad again. Runs away from home to Australia. 10:20 Legally, though. Legally. Mom and Dad pay for, pay for her running away from home. [laughs] And then she lands, and of all experiences, is your cab is missing, your cab is not available. 10:32 You have to, you have to get registered the next day. Yeah. Like, that is such a-- Like, like, you went straight into it. Like, you, you got your wish right from the minute. 10:41 I had- Like, the univ- the universe was answering you. [laughs] There was no rest periods like look at the city and learn where your uni is. I was winging it from, like, from the very next day. 10:53 Um, so I got lost trying to find my uni because... But I think the thing that saved me was I was very strategic with where I, um, where I booked my accommodation, 'cause I, I used the map. 11:05 So I saw where my school was, and I literally booked the closest one to the school. Okay. 11:10 So I was like, so I, I was at least confident that even if I did not have, like, like, Go- Google Maps working, I know that it is somewhere in my line of sight when I come out of my accommodation. 11:19 So all I do is find the school logo. Luckily or unluckily, there were like three school logos. [laughs] So I had to go to each different building looking for, [laughs] looking for which one was my, uh, my department. 11:33 Found it eventually. They had already canceled my enrollment, but I got there, and they're like, okay, they would resho- reshoot again since I was already there. So that was... I think that was good. 11:44 Started classes that very day even. What the- From admin straight to class. It was hectic. Very, it was very hectic. 11:53 [laughs] You know, it's interesting how the universe answers us sometimes, 'cause that's some answer the universe gave you. I wanna be independent. Universe, universe goes like, "Okay, you're gonna be independent. 12:03 Don't worry. Don't worry." Here comes the problem. 12:07 [laughs] You know, just curious, um, what did you think the country was gonna be like before you moved, and what was it like for you?I mean, I had done like a ton of research before coming, so I, I wasn't walking in blind. 12:22 Um, but I was-- I think I was expecting less buildings. I was expecting more animals, because everyone associates Australia with the animals. I was expecting more, um, more animals. 12:35 And I think I was expecting a, a little bit more hostility, or I was just preparing myself for, you know, for that, 'cause that's what I've seen, like, you know, in movies, what I've done, um, seen online as well. 12:47 So I was expecting more of that. But coming here, again, the people are very different. They are very friendly. They are very nice. Um, they, they, they pride themselves with being chill. 13:02 They think that they're all chill people. They're all woke. [laughs] It's the funniest thing, really. It's the funniest thing. So, um, they like to be chill. They're very friendly. 13:13 Um, like I said, sometimes it's very surface-level friendliness sometimes because they've all-- they all grew up together. 13:19 They don't really travel out or leave the country much, so they all know each other, like went to school together, work in the same companies together. So it can be hard to like, make deep, um, friendships. 13:30 But on a surface level, they are pretty nice to everybody. Um, fewer animals than I expected. You hardly ever see, you know, animals outside except you go to like the safari and to the outback really. But fewer animals. 13:48 And so the c- the state I'm in is South Australia. It's actually pretty small. 'Cause I was expecting like more of like a bigger, you know, bigger city, bigger country. 13:59 But I think we have more, you know, empty land than actual cities in Australia. Mm. So yeah, a lot of, you know, few things that, that shocked me really. Mm. You know, 14:16 it's interesting you s- you said what you say about, you know, what you read on the media or research and then what happens really, and it's like, it's always a humbling thing for me. 14:26 I think that's one power of traveling and, or being- Mm-hmm... an immigrant, is that you s- you start to learn to stop assuming that you know. Oh, 100%. 14:39 Because everyone is writing from their perspective, and so- Mm-hmm... it's your duty to lend-- see it from your own perspective, you know? Because like you said- Yeah... 14:47 like it's, it's so interesting like, oh, I'm even shocked. Like I, I, I was talking to someone a couple of days ago. I told them I was going to interview someone who was, who was living in Australia. 14:57 I know the person was talking about, "Oh, that country that has a lot of snakes." [chuckles] You know, that you see snakes inside people's toilets. Like that's, that's a... You know, and 15:07 I, I, maybe some people have seen snakes in their toilets, but then- Yeah... you take that one thing and use that to paint a brush across the whole city or the whole- That is true... the whole, the whole country. Yeah. 15:16 Um, and so, you know, seeing how you kind of went into the deep end straight away and started swimming with the sharks, like, so what was like the first month like? 15:28 What, like, what-- How was it just settling in in general like? Oh. So again, settling in was hard for me. And even I, I think up until last year or a year and a half ago, I was still settling in. Mm-hmm. 15:42 Like [chuckles] for me, because I think for like the first three months, I think I was crying every day. I was cry- I was-- Every night like I'll literally cry myself to sleep because it was cold when I got there. 15:54 Home was so far away. Um, I was stressed out. I, I did not find many Black people, so I was, I was very-- I was panicky. I was very anxious the first three months. And also because, um, I couldn't-- I had to get a job. 16:09 So there are a lot of things that I didn't really consider. I mean, I considered them, but it's very different from like putting that on paper. It's writing down like, "Well, I have to get a job. I have to get this. 16:19 I have to get that." You don't know how hard it is actually just walking into a new country where everyone looks different from you. They have their own culture. They have their own processes. 16:29 And then trying to like settle in. It took, it took me a longer time because I didn't know anyone. I didn't have anyone guiding me. 16:35 I didn't have anybody telling me, "Okay, you should do this first, then do this-" Mm "... then do this." So everything that I was doing, I was figuring out, fig-figuring it out by myself, right? 16:48 So [chuckles] I had to, uh, figure out where the shops were. It's like even the easy parts, finding the shops, what shops to, um, to buy from, what shops to avoid, where to go, you know? So 17:01 it took me, it, it took me a good while to settle in. It took me a very good while to settle in. I was very anxious the entire time. [laughs] You know? 17:10 I didn't think it was going to be as hard as it was, but you-- it, it, it was difficult for me to settle in properly. It was a bit difficult. You know, I wanna pity you. Like I wanna em- I wanna empathetic. 17:27 [laughs] But I can't just stop laughing at you, to be serious, because- [laughs] Because wait, yo, you said- [laughs] "I wanna run away from home." 17:39 [laughs] You said to the universe, "I want to learn to stand on my f- two feet." And the universe goes like- Like it- "Angel, Angel, you are going to stand on your two feet." 17:53 [laughs] It took me-- Like it gave me the hardest, you know, hardest level. [laughs] Okay, let's, let's do that. Far from home, you can't even say I want to go back because [laughs] you cannot. So let's go. 18:05 But I mean, like, it was, it was hard, but again, it forced me to step up. Yep. Yeah. You know? I knew that I couldn't depend on my parents for, you know, sending pocket money, all of that. 18:17 So I was forced to like, you know, step up. I remember for, I think after like the first six months-And getting a job was hard. People weren't really hiring. I mean, I did so ma- I, I've done so many jobs. 18:30 I remember doing... I don't know if you guys have that in Canada, people that hand out like stuff in the middle of like the shopping center and- Yeah, I think, yeah, they have people like that here, yeah. So I did that. 18:40 I, I was terrible at it. Like, and again, y- I think with that job you get paid on commission, you have to get people to like sign up. Oh, no. I had no skills. I was very shy. 18:52 I don't know why did I even got that job in the first place. No. Why'd you, why did you apply for it in the first place? That's the question. [laughs] I don't know. I don't... 18:59 Look, any, at that point I would apply for anything and everything just to- Yeah. And I didn't even, I, I did not last long. 19:06 I made great friends, but I did not last long because I was not making any money from it at all. And like often I would spend days outside, nothing. Horrible, horrible experience. Terrible experiences. 19:18 [laughs] So, but again, it forced me to like learn stuff. Then when COVID happened, uh, we were mostly hiring, you know, Australians first, which again, I understand. You take care of your own. 19:29 I learnt how to make hair on YouTube, 'cause I remember I had only $5 in my account. I needed to pay rent. I needed to eat. I was stressed. I was crying. And I was like, "You know what? Let's learn something. 19:43 It can't be that hard to learn how to make hair. It can't be." I remember asking my friend in Nigeria to even buy me like the mannequin head to practice, 'cause I could not buy it. I could not afford to buy anything. 19:53 So he bought it for me, sent it to me, and I started practicing, and then I started making, you know, money for myself. So yeah, I feel like that wouldn't have happened if, 20:03 you know, I wasn't forced to or I wasn't pushed into that situation where it's either sink or swim, and you have to survive eventually. 20:12 So yeah, a l- a lot of things that I have done now or that I have learnt now wouldn't have happened if I wasn't forced to [laughs] if I wasn't forced to learn it, I guess. Pity me though. Just pity me. Okay. Okay. 20:27 Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was tough. [laughs] I'm, I'm, I'm being empathetic right now. Thank you. I am. Thank you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I know. Thank you. I know. I know. I'm so sorry. It's tough out there. 20:37 [laughs] It's tough. Yeah, it's tough. But you, you're doing well now. You're doing well now. [laughs] You know, um, just thinking about, you know, thinking about the fact that 20:48 you were, you, you, you were, you were not the average Nigerian, thinking about how you've talked about your home- Yeah... 20:56 so that means you didn't have some of the known Nigerian traits, being very aggressive about things sometimes. Just- Yeah... just curious, like how did you manage, you know, the cultural differences, you know- S-... 21:09 between being a n- being a special kind of Nigerian and now living in Australia? Uh, cultural differences like how? Like how the culture- You know, so-... is in Australia? Yeah, exactly. 21:22 You know, yeah, so the cultural nuances. So like you talk about the fact that the, the, the, the, there's, the conversation at surface level, you're not- Yeah... you don't cut across that part. There's all the... 21:36 There are things like how people talk or things people say. Oh gosh, yes. Yeah, those sort of things like- Yeah... like- So, um, 21:44 I think for me it was one of the biggest hurdles, right, was learning how to make small talk. Mm. I did not know how to make... I think a couple of... I think Nigerians in general don't really enjoy small talk. 21:56 Yes, we don't. Because why are you wasting my time? Like, get to the point. But coming here, you have to, you have to make that small talk. You will make it, and it will last like 30 minutes of small talk. 22:06 At some point you're like, "Ah, what else can we talk about?" [laughs] When you've been looking around, looking for ideas. 22:11 So I had to learn how to make small talk because they are very chatty people in Australia, like talk about everything. Um, when I was working in retail, like your version of, um, of Walmart, I was working at Woolies, 22:24 and I was working like in the service checkout. 22:27 You would get a random person just talking about their entire life history, and you have to learn how to like, you know, listen and respond, listen and respond for things that you don't know anything about or don't even care about. 22:39 But you must listen and respond, if not you're considered rude or, you know, people wouldn't really want to associate with you anymore. 22:47 So I had to learn how to like make small talk and enjoy it and even like keep the conversation going. Then, um, also with the way I s- um, speak. 22:57 I remember, um, in, in uni, I think my ver- one of my very first class, the professor didn't want to give me like, um, an assignment to do because he was like I have to do a presentation, because he didn't know that I could speak English. 23:13 And I was like, "I can speak English. English is my first language." And he was shocked. Like he wa- he was genuinely shocked. He did not know that I could speak English at all. And I think it's... 23:28 That made it dawn on me that a lot of people here don't really know anything outside of their own like sphere. So it, for them, I was also new, you know? Yeah. 23:40 While I was thinking that I was like everyone else is new to me, for them I was also new. 23:45 So I think that helped me to have like a bit of empathy with, um, not getting too frustrated with them or getting angry all the time that they can't understand what I'm saying because again, the same way, um, they're new, I'm also new to them. 24:00 The way I speak is new to them. Yeah. So it did help me to empathize more and be more patient. 24:07 So rather like getting angry or frustrated, I would like slow down what I'm saying or I would like just, you know, I'll repeat myself over and over again. 24:16 And it helped again, I became more patient with them, and it just, it helped me, um, in general to stop being angry or frustrated, which really helped as well. 24:26 Then, um, I mean, there are a lot of cultural nuances in Australia. I mean, uh, again, the way they speakIs very different. Mm-hmm. Yeah. [chuckles] The Australian accent is very-- they talk very fast. 24:40 So even though they are speaking English- Mm-hmm. [chuckles]... you're thinking like, "Excuse me? Excuse me?" [chuckles] "Can you repeat that please?" Like three times before you understand what they're saying. 24:52 And they also cuss a lot. They swear a lot. And to them, it's not swearing, it's like- Part of it... they're just speaking normally. Excuse me. Oof. Sorry about your cough. They're just speaking normally. 25:03 So I had to learn not to take offense to a lot of their like more aggressive, um, uh, what's it called? 25:11 Like more aggressive things that they say, because I realized that, okay, it's not really about me, this is just how they- Yeah... generally express, um, themselves. 25:20 So yeah, there was a bit of that, but I had to learn to be patient with them as well, because I'm also new to them as they are also new to me, which I think that helped me to blend in or understand the culture, um, faster. 25:37 You know that that's a really powerful frame that you share. Like I've not thought about it like that before. I j- [chuckles] It is so powerful. Like I, I care 'cause it's true. Mm-hmm. So easy to get... 25:52 feel like, like why the hell don't you understand me? But like, yo, you're new. It's a two-way street. You're new to them- Yeah... and they are new to you too. Like, 26:02 so why don't you th-the give them the same slack you want them to give you? You want them to give you. Exactly. Exactly. 26:10 You know, just ki- this thing you said remind me of something that I was thinking this morning- Okay... when I was journaling, and I said that 26:18 we're so fixated on intelligence in the world, but I feel like a lot of the problems of the world will be solved by empathy and creative thinking, not intelligence. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 26:27 Because just being able to see the other side of the conversation is a different thing entirely. Yeah. 26:33 I- And I feel like it also helps you as the person that's struggling to, you know, when you're more patient with yourself and with other people, you're less frustrated, you're less- Yes... um, anxious, you know? Yes. 26:44 It also helps, again, it also helped me with even networking with people because, you know, understood that it's a two-way street. So, um, you know, talk slower, explain yourself more. 26:55 It's okay to repeat yourself two, three times- Mm-hmm... 26:57 without getting visibly,because we can tell when you're this bit frustrated, and when your, when your face starts to change, it begins like, in the back of our face, be like, "Okay, sorry." 27:06 And that's, that's not what you want. Like you don't want that. Yeah. You know, you want them to want to speak to you. Mm-hmm. 27:12 So yeah, it's, it helps you be more patient with them as well, and gives you like a whole better, you know, a nicer experience. Um, so we're rounding up now. Yeah. And I have... I'm just gonna ask you the final question. 27:25 Like you mentioned to me in the pre-show that you're moving to, you're planning to move to Canada. Why are you planning to move to Canada? [chuckles] Sorry, I'm putting you on the spot. [chuckles] Um, um, 27:43 I think family really. You know how I said I did not notice or I did not consider how far- Yeah... Australia was from home, and it's been... 27:52 I'm a family person, and I think I've, I realized that late because I was so hell-bent on like trying to be my own person and stand up- Yeah... 28:00 stand on my own two feet that I didn't realize how much I relied on my family and how much I need to have my family, um, around me, you know. And 28:11 for the past couple of years, I think it's also made, um, settling in here harder because I had no family around. I mean, I, I did make like my own family. 28:21 I had my friends, which I absolutely love and would die for, but it's not the same thing, you know. And all of my siblings are in America. Last year... Let me tell you what even prompted this. 28:32 Last year, my parents did a whole like tour thing, going away from like one state in America to the next person's state, and then they'll pick up that person and go to the next person's state. Oh. 28:43 And then they sent the itinerary to the family group chat. Oh, gosh. And I was like, "Australia is not on this list. Wow. You would never consider me at all." 28:54 I mean, it was all jokes, but I did not expect that they would do all that in America and then fly everybody all the way to Australia. I was like, "Mm, it's very expensive, first of all," and that's understandable. 29:06 And I think it was the fact that they could have that, and I couldn't. You know, I was- Yeah. I'm always the odd one. I'm always the person that cannot participate in family activities. 29:16 And, and I cannot go home as often as I would like either. So, um, yeah, being close to my family. America scares me, so America was not my choice. I was like, "Canada is close enough." 29:28 [chuckles] Yeah, it is close enough. It is close enough. Yeah. Canada is close enough, so we will do that instead. So just otherwise be close to my family because I really love them. 29:36 I really like having, you know, them around me. I like being around them. Okay. All the best- Yeah... to your move to Canada. Thank you. Fingers crossed- Yeah... with the immigration and all. Fingers crossed. 29:48 So my last question for you is, if you are landing in Australia today, with all you've learned so far while in Australia, like what are the few things you would do to set yourself up for success? 30:00 So the first thing I would do is find the Nigerian community because... So, um, I'm currently the sec- the secretary of Nigerian Association South Australia, 30:10 and I did not know how many Nigerians we had until I became involved in the community. And I realized, "Oh, there's actually a lot." Like there's people that have been here for like 20 years, 30 years. Mm-hmm. 30:23 They have businesses, houses, investments. They are doctors, lawyers. And I thought we were new, but we are not really, like at all. We are not new. 30:33 [chuckles] So I think, um, I would first find Nigerian community or an association or something, and I will start there. Excuse me.And I will start there because they have, you know, 30:47 you need information, especially if you're a newbie coming to a place. You don't have to do it all by yourself. I would not recommend. 30:55 You know, there are people who have done it before who know what to do, who know what not to do. Go and find them and get information from them. It makes settling in easier. 31:06 It will make your entire experience, um, easier and it will also make you feel less lonely because it's a community of people that look like you, talk like you, have very similar experiences. Yeah. 31:18 So I would first of all find, um, a community. If I was coming through school, I will also get involved in like a school club or something. Just again, it helps you, it helps to immerse you in the culture quickly. 31:33 It also gives you exposure. You meet people, you meet companies, you meet, um, just helps you to get involved and get experience and learn the culture faster than if you're doing it on your own. 31:46 I think those are like the first two things that I would advise anyone to do. Find your community. Get in- if you can't find them, get involved in your school programs, anything. Just start there. 31:58 That's great advice actually, and I totally agree with the part about finding your community because, you know, it's funny, a while a- before, before, before this recording, I was talking to a friend of mine. 32:07 We were talking about the mental exhaustion that comes from code switching, which is what you do when you're trying to adjust into a new culture. Ugh. Like it's exhaust- It's tough. It's mentally exhausting. 32:17 Like it's like a, it's a drain on your brain and your energy. Yeah. But you don't notice it. You know, you just, you're just trying to find your way through it. But it's when you're with your people, 32:28 you, you're just relaxed. You're yourself. You don't have to put on-- You're not on, you're not on guard because you- Yes. -understand- Yes, exactly. You under- you know what to expect, you know, that kind of thing. 32:38 Um, but thank you so much for doing this. I know it was a doozy to try out to fix the time. [laughs] Thank you so much for having me. Yeah. And- This was so much fun. Yeah. Yeah, it was, it was, to be honest, it was. 32:53 And I'm looking forward to welcoming you to Canada, you know, probably part of your Canada, Kenya welcome party. [laughs] Fingers crossed. [laughs] Yeah. Well, fingers crossed. 33:01 Like, like we're, we're, we're, we're done with-- We're, universe, we're done. We're done. We don't, we don't stand around too late anymore. [laughs] I've learned my lessons. Please. [laughs] All right then. 33:12 Thank you so much. That was fun. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did because I really enjoyed talking to her. She's such a fun human, to be honest. Um, but yeah, as usual, please like, share. 33:26 You know someone who will find this useful, please share this with them. Thank you so much and have a beautiful day. [blows kiss] [outro jingle]
