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Wednesday 7 May 2014

Chronicles of Sebastian - African Time and God's Time

Time - we never have enough of it, right? "Sorry I don’t have time, I am sooo busy". I hear it all the time; in fact, I use it quite often myself - Ayo can testify :-) While we all struggle at times how to make the best use of our limited time, Germans and Nigerians still have quite different approaches to time and efficiency. As usual, I try to provide some examples and lessons for all of us: 

Sabba Sabba reflects!
1. It’s good to enjoy life.
Once in Nigeria I bought my morning “moi-moi” (cooked beans) and since I was somehow busy, I ate it while walking to my lecture. People stopped me in disbelief and told me basically that in Nigeria, there is NO WAY to eat food in this 'on the go' manner. I was supposed to properly sit down and eat it slowly, or even better, go inside and 'chop' it there. That little incident illustrates one major difference: While most Germans try not to waste time, many Nigerians can enjoy 'the moment'. A great number of Germans are very time-conscious and like to save time whenever they can. We have a lot of 'to go' and 'instant' products that you can enjoy 'sharp sharp', for example coffee or burgers. One thing I liked about Nigeria is that it helped me to calm down and take it easy. People always seemed to have time for a little chat and even if they were late for lectures, they looked rather relaxed than pressured. When I was sitting down to eat (I’ve learnt my lesson! :-)) they often said “You’re enjoying, hey?” - and that is exactly what we need to do sometimes - enjoy, chop life and be grateful for God’s blessings. 

'Chopping life' with the guys :-)
                                                                                                  

2. It’s also good to be reliable and efficient.
In everything, we need balance. We can only enjoy rest once we’ve worked hard. If your whole life is about enjoying, you’re 'in soup'. After a while, I began appreciating people with good 'home training', those who were reliable, not just some 'nice to hang out with' guys who talked about some vague exploits yet kept forgetting their assignments. I felt appreciated by those who kept their word, who showed up on time (at least roughly :-)), who checked on me and, if needed, helped me directly instead of making promises such as “Tomorrow now!”. While I loved the easy-goingness described in 1, some things in Nigeria just took waaaay too long - at least for me: administration (eg registering for exams), waiting for busses to fill up, waiting for people who forget appointments, waiting for people who are not in their office and waiting for many other things. I guess God wanted to test my patience and I sense that I took this spirit of not stressing yourself too much to Germany, thank God-oh :-)!
Still I believe that we can enjoy life more by optimizing some procedures in day-to-day life (e.g. online exam registration), which provides valuable 'real free time'. Being efficient (looking for ways to do things faster, easier and better) and being dependable (“your yes be a yes”) with friends are ways to enjoy life, to honor & serve others and to just feel 'on top of things'. 

                              

3. Be available for interruptions.
Interruptions often annoy us since they might disturb our schedules or our rest. In Nigeria I learnt to see interruptions as God-given opportunities to do good, to connect with people and to be open for surprises. While I can sit in a German library for a whole day without anyone interrupting me, in Nigeria a lot of fellow-students didn’t mind the 'Silence' signposts and asked me “how far” am I doing. Trekking to school sometimes took over an hour (instead of 10mins) because children wanted to play, people wanted to talk and mummies wanted to sell fruits. I’ve met some great strangers just by being open for these interruptions. Sure, sometimes you need to “do quick”, remain focussed and get your work done, but remember that even Jesus openly received interruptions constantly and thereby blessed lots of people.

                             
                               

4. Think in seasons and make good use of them.
Nigeria was a beautiful season of my life I’ll never ever forget. Bearing in mind the short time span that God gave me in Nigeria (just one semester) prompted me to spend my time well, live life to the fullest and cherish each moment. Now I need to focus on my family, friends, studies and ministries here in Germany and doing so helps me to enjoy the present. Oftentimes we yearn either for a nostalgic past or a seemingly brighter future and forget to see the benefits and opportunities of the present season God has put us into. Sometimes people ask me why I am still not getting 'hooked up' and honestly I cannot really come up with a specific reason. I’m enjoying my current season, I sense God is using me somehow and I’m excited at what God has next. My singleness grants me a certain flexibility, for example to travel to Nigeria and to just be 'there', both physically and emotionally. In addition, I can easily say yes to new commitments, friends, spontaneous trips - for more, check out this great article. There is a time for everything and I’d recommend everyone not to rush things too quickly, especially in the area of relationships and singleness. Meditate on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and let God’s sovereignty over time sink in.

                                  

Whether you struggle with African time, Western stress or unmet desires - ask God to help you redeem the time (Eph 5:16) make the most of each day and each season, by being relaxed, reliable, open and, most of all, sincerely grateful.
Speaking of gratefulness: I want to express my deep gratitude for all the support you’ve shown me so far, I really enjoy reading your comments and being part of this small community. Keep it up and see you next week :-)

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Sabs, says it wonderfully well again and as usual, I was nodding and smiling while reading the post :-).. The last paragraph for me is soo important - Enjoying the current season of your life. There are certain things I expect to have happened in my life right now and if I were the one writing my life story, I know what it would look like right now... It sure would involve a God-ly, tall, handsome, (insert more adjectives here) specimen of a gentleman, a beautiful beach house with a lovely view of the sun - rising and setting, a very healthy looking bank balance that would see me searching for the next project to embark on, jet-setting to different parts of the world impacting lives and spreading the love of Jesus (Do I have to stop dreaming yet? lol) Anyways, you get my drift..
But The One who IS the Author of my life story, has thought it best for me to be in this particular chapter and I would be wasting a very good episode by yearning for what was or what should be, rather than focusing on how much He has blessed me with for today and optimising every single blessing and opportunity. 
What's your story with time? Do you believe (as in really really) believe in the efficacy of God's timing? Do you believe that He has made you in this season of your life for a purpose? Are you grateful to Him for it? Are you grateful that even though you are not where you desire to be yet, you trust that God knows the best for you and it's only a matter of time (irrespective of how 'long' it seems to be taking?). Like Sabs says, I encourage you to enjoy your life now, appreciate the beauty and the blessing of your 'now', and trust God's timing for things to fall into place at His right time :-)

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" - Ecclesiastes 3:1

For all previous Chronicles of Sebastian posts, please click HERE.. Join Sabba again next week Wednesday..I look forward to what he will be sharing with us!
Please visit Sebastian's blog http://seb2nigeria.wordpress.com/ It's in German but you can use 'Google translate' if English translation is required - Lovely lovely blog!

Remember you can send an email: oneplustheone@gmail.com
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28 comments:

  1. I kinda disagree with the first point, but maybe its because I'm in Lagos. We are always in a hurry... to nowhere. We are known as one of the most-hurried people in the world. As I said, it might just be a Lagos thing.

    I love his number 4 point about seasons. Very apt. Sometimes, I don't enjoy the present because I want to jump into the future.

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  2. @@ilola
    Thanks for your comment. It's true, Lagos is sth different!! Such a crazy city, been there. I've spent most of my time in Enugu which is quite a peaceful place. Lots of people just hanging out, not that much traffic etc.
    Jos people also seemed not that hurried. I should have distinguished more within Nigeria, you're right!

    We'd all like to skip some present things, I totally relate. Let's try to enjoy each and every season :)

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  3. Hey Sab! I think you are on point with your observation.Yes !Lagos is a busy place but the common trend in Nigeria about time is also prevalent there. Events never start when they say it will start, even when I was in Unilag lectures never seemed to start when it was supposed to,i submitted my masters thesis about six months after it was due,and some people still submitted later than I did.
    I guess that in Germany something of that nature won't be permitted. I can submit my thesis late because I know there will be others like me,arrive late to events cos I know that the organisers are unlikely to start on time,go late for a wedding because if not I will spend 9am to 6 pm there from church to reception,arrive in court at past nine because I know the judge will never sit at nine on the dot, I guess the difference is that in Germany, 9 o clock is nine o clock and excuses are not tolerated.
    As you said in point 2,a balance has to be gotten.the flip side is when you are waiting for someone who is meant to resume 9am and it's 12 o clock and they are yet to show up or have an appointment and you are there only to get a text that "sorry!i have traveled and forgot to tell you".
    Your words make sense though!I am really feeling points one and two.

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  4. Hmm @ilola, while Lagos people are always in a hurry, services are still very slowwww! Oh sometimes I want to shake some people and say "I don't gat time!!" lol.. I kinda agree with Sebs and Anonymous on this one.. We can like to take our sweet sweet timeeeee!
    @Anonymous, you submitted your thesis 6months late!? lol..
    The wedding timing deserves a Pulitzer prize on its own lol
    I literally just had a similar experience to your appointment one.. We had an appointment to see someone for 11am.. We got there, waited till after 11am and decided to call to find out what happened - Alas, the person says she's not able to make it (about to travel too!) and to re-schedule.. Just like that!! *arghhh*

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    1. My dear wonderful Ayo! Indeed I submitted late.And to my surprise I still made convocation list oh.the thing is universities in Nigeria when they make deadlines like that usually leave the space for "NFA"s like us.so they give us the first deadline,then the second,then the third final one.but as I said it has its flip side too. Our students when they are outside the country may have difficulty adjusting to such strict timing.
      Lol at your experience. My dad went to Ado to see someone and he got there and called only for the man to say he has gone to campaign for election.i didn't dare ask what kind of conversation they had before my dad too headed all the way to Ekiti State.
      Thanks for ur blog.One day all your dreams will be reality in Jesus Name.

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  5. Hey Anonymous are you the same Anonymous who shared about your anxiety of going to the wedding? Did you go? Prayed for you!

    It's true, in Germany you're kind of doomed if you miss a deadline. Some lecturers might show some mercy, but usually you have to stick to times, deadlines and arrangements. It sounds harsh, but if you get used to it, it helps you being disciplined and focussed. It offers you a certain predictability as well.
    Interesting that different points speak to different people.

    @Ayo: thx for your comments beneath the post, lol I had to chuckle reading your dreams, very sweet. I wish they all come true, especially the "jetting around the world spreading the love of Jesus" part. Make sure you check out Europe as well ;)

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    1. @bassi,yep I am. Lol! what gave me away?
      No I didn't eventually go. I fell I'll the day before the wedding so I sort of had an excuse not to go. made do with getting them presents and calling them.
      Waoh!u prayed for me! Dats heartwarming. Thanks.God bless you really really good!

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  6. Awww, Sabs! Chopping life! Hehhhe.
    This post is so full of lessons. And the interruptions bit resounded with a post Eloxie just posted,just do different. Interruptions could be a way of you blessing someone or God's way of blessing you-we should never be too busy for it..
    I so so love the enjoying the season we are in.never rush to the next, savour it,live it and learn what God wants you to learn.
    And as for redeeming the time? That's my utmost prayer right now.

    And Ayo! Thank you for this!
    *love

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    1. Hi.want to read the post too.whats the blog title.cant find eloxie on google

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    2. Hi.want to read the post too.whats the blog title.cant find eloxie on google

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  7. @Bassi, Hiya!! Aww, you prayed for her? That's really kind of you! God bless you too.. And I say amen to your prayer for me too! I look forward to sharing the testimonies of God's goodness :-D .. I will certainly be stopping by Europe - A tour of the world is what I aim for..
    @Frances, Love right back! (I hope we can get to meet soon).. I am going over to Eloxie's blog now to read her newest post. Thanks for stopping by hun xx

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  8. Sabs, you never fail to make me smile every Wednesday. Your descriptions are very apt and I find myself falling in love with my country all over again. I'm glad you had fun and I wish you continued success in all your endeavors. Cheers!! :)

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  9. @Anonymous, You were the one! I didn't even guess! Nice one Bassi.. (Please teach me your skills, how did you figure it out?).. I try as much as possible to guess who is behind the comment but usually miss it very much lol)... Amen and amen to your prayer.. LOL @The Ado story.. I can't even understand why or how it happens! Thank God for grace-period oh! What would have happened if the Lecturers didn't extend your deadline?!
    @Maggielola, awww that's lovely!

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  10. just check out her writing style (honest/vulnerable, longer than other posts, a bit huggy-touchy). It was very similar to her last post. And of course her "name" (Anonymous) was the same, that was also a hint!

    Lastly, guessing sometimes just requires some luck ;)

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    1. @Ayo seems like you have to start giving prizes to @bassi and @sebastian for their detective "anonymous unveiling" otherwise known as show your face.lol
      I am just kidding.but seriously @bassi tried.

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  11. @Frances: Thanks so much for the hint, I've just finished reading her post and LOVED it. :)
    @Maggielola: Thank you for your sweet comment, that was really kind! :)
    @last Anonymous: Ola this is you, isn't it?? - written from the German library, I'm pretty sure ;) Don't always hide behind "Anonymous", abeg ;)

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  12. buh i so miss d fact dt i can copy my frnd's assignmnt and jst fynd some fake references to include at d bottom, i can walk in2 my frnd's room widout gvn ar prior notice or booking 1 crappy appointmnt, i kan talk and laff out loud in d library irrespektv of d 'pls be silent, u r in d library note' (i'm thnkn i ll soon b banned frm reading in d library here as i av some european frnds who i have greatly influenced with my Nigerian eccentricism; but i kan always flaunt d race card anywayz #oh, i am being marginalized cos of my phenotype# Lol. I am too nigerian to be influenced by d german-workaholic culture as i always neva complete my assignment b4 d deadline, if we asked to submit 3abstracts, i end up submitn 2 with strong-rooted excuses as to y i decided to write 2(you kan take d *** out of nig buh knt take d nigerian outta ***), buh stl av 2 b xtra kiaful i dont plagiarize as d punishmnt is lyf imprisonmnt;atyms i label myslf stupid cos d hrs i sit draftn out my xcuses 4 nt completn my assgnmnt and doing serious research on lies i kan gv, i wulda used it 2 complete d homewrk. my profs always say my incomplete essays are so kul anywayz, buh i'm nt so sure if dey truly kul or if dey scared i kan always pull d race card of marginalization #hehehehehe# i lyk dt wrd die. i ril miss home whre spontaneity is d order of d day; of course it kan b vry annoying atymes wen u at d mercy of d prsn; lyk ur supervisor, who u av to cajole with text msgs and kals b4 u meet him on seat; buh here, office hr is offc hr and nt d tym wen u remb u av to go gist or eat at d mensa; u av to b on seat 2 attend to ur stdnts. i stl avnt learnt aw 2 b mechanical anywayz, writing out plans 4 d day. I always gt home frm my spontaneous waka to fynd notes on my door frm my frnds who i'd promisd to go out with or do smthn for, buh being a typical nig 4got. of course, i kan write 4 hrs on d diffs btw our countries, cultures and persons; buh above all I miss home #d gud, d bad, d biutiful nd d ugly#.
    #my eng murdering commnt again. gud luck tryn 2 untangle it#.

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  13. ah sebastian, dts so nt fair removn d mask bhind my black face o. yes o, i decided 2 commnt in writing wen i was tired of studyn and marta so obsessed with ar fone,refused 2 talk 2 me. and u also nt being dere to gv my usual wahala. i decided to gv my idle nd restless hands, eyes and brain if nt my mouth smthn 2 do.
    i knew i had no chance of writn unnoticd cos of my diction.#laffing#

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  14. I knew it, chai! The funny thing is I can understand this instantly, but I would never be able to write this way, because I would need to think hard about how to abbreviate each word...

    We talk about this mechanical (I still prefer "disciplined" lol) issue another time, I need to waka to bed nd catch sleep. And we should stop chatting here, maybe Ayo will kick me out and stop this series lol ;)

    Above all things, we should not forget: There is God-OH!! gn8

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  15. @sebastian!There is really God oh.I am really curious, did you have a hard time getting rid of Nigerian expressions like Chai! When you got back to Germany or was it a breeze?

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  16. @Anonymous: Are you another one? Wow this is confusing. Don't be shy-o, I need to be able to distinguish all of you.

    Well, anyway, this will be my last comment for this post, I promise!!

    I can adapt quite well so it was not that hard to talk to my German friends again, but I have to say sometimes I still use some expressions that you cannot really translate into German and that so fit a situation, for example "e-he-now" (I don't even know how to write it, I hope u know what I mean, u say it to express approval or sth). And whenever I meet a Nigerian in Germany I instantly switch to Nigerian English (at least the few words I know) because it is always so funny, relaxing, down-to-earth to talk this way and it helps me to connect with Nigerians. Just using & hearing these expressions makes life seem .. somehow less complicated and more direct. Most of Nigerians laugh loudly and are so happy when they here a white guy using their expressions.

    Language, code-switching, Pidgin etc. is worth a topic on its own. Although it feels overwhelming (as a new overcomer) in the beginning; it is very rewarding to get a feel for this diversity :)

    Thanks for the question, I appreciate your interest! :)

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  17. Thanks for your answer.My brother is in Germany for his Phd.I wonder if he will also have German expressions he can't get rid of.
    @olas comment above made me realise how different the environment will be for him compared to Nigeria. i never really gave it a thought. Just assumed he was chopping life. hehehe.

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  18. Here's the link: http://stupendousgrace.com/2014/05/08/just-do-different/

    Wow that is nice!! Currently rain is beating us in Germany, I'm telling you! It might be hard for him to re-adapt to Nigeria, so try to be patient and understanding :) But he will be fine, I'm sure :)

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  19. yeah, ur comment abt nt being able 2 adjust makes m remb my visit to nig for d last chrstmas brk, my 2wks stay felt lyk 10yrs and i felt lyk hoppn bk on d plane ryt frm wen it landed at d lagos airport. buh u knw, I also av 2 gv kudos 2 germany who has instilled some values in me i neva knew existed til i gt to nig. i kud stay on d queue for hrs widout hissing, insultn or tryn 2 jump it, i said 'keine problem, take ur tym' -no problem evn wen i felt lyk blowing d roof off, i always said thnk u vry much for no or slow services rendered, 'aso'- ehn now evn wen i rily didnt understand and was at my wits end; sorry wen it wasnt evn my fault. i always made xcuses 4 pple and always implored my peeps to put demslvs in d oda party's shoes. i was always stared at as a weirdo cos i was always smiling and sayn hallo evn wen i didnt knw d prsn frm adam; and always kald my frnds 2 ask if we kud do lunch 2geda nd if it was ok 2 come pay dem a visit. and hehehehe, d lagos conductors rily benefittd frm my 10naira changes as i jst kudnt scream or fyt 4 my change again. dem wan die b4 mk dem no gimme my change ni. germny instilld in m efficiency and patience evn though nuffn takes so long here anywayz and almost evrythn is hlp urslf or d machine hlps u #lol#. sitting down to thnk of it nw, i rily commend u 4 being able to live in nig for 5mnths whre nuffn absolutly wrks compared 2 whre u comn frm whre evrythn wrks; (google map, busplan, train connktn etc), buh d system in nig hlps us relate 2 each oda i thnk, whreas u dnt av 2 talk 2 anybdy for decades here if u rily dnt want to. i just sit in frnt of my laptop or my fone and gt wateva info i want.
    PS: i miss home buh i also av made germany my 2nd home with d biutiful, nyc frnds who akomodate God has gvn me, who akomod8 my nig eccentricities. i luv dem lyk mofedaku #lol# and ll b ready 2 donate my kidney if deirs fail #dnt take d kidney thn seriously sha o# And b4 u yab me abt attendn to trivial and frivolous issues early in d mrning instead of gettn ready 4 klass, my system was on overnyt wif d page staring me in d face on my bed, so twas d 1st thn i saw opening my eyes o, afta doin my quiet tym ni sha o. #lol#.

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  20. @bassi, lol.. Well done. Nice one!
    I have absolutely enjoyed reading your conversations Sebastian and Ola. LOL (Sebs, you are absolutely hilarious.. PS Ola I needed Google translate to decode your comment and Sebs got it instantly... If I knew you, I would know too! :-) Thanks a lot for stopping by dear and thanks Sebs for introducing us to Ola xx

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  21. Thanks Sab, as always loved your post and thanks to Frances and Ayo for sharing about my last post.
    Time is one non renewable resource that we often overlook and misuse and this is in every sense. We often spend time asking so many questions about the season without walking in it, learning what we ought and maximising it and then when it is over, we wish we did more. Sometimes, we simply lack discipline in our approach to time with God and time with others so yes, we end up being less productive. Or we become so rigid and time conscious that we do not permit God to disorganise us to fulfil His purpose. There's a reason we pray 'Teach me to number my days, that I may apply my heart to wisdom'. That breaks time into smaller units, so everyday we are able to review how we lived, cos one day, we'll wake up and realise that years just flew by.
    Im learning how to be spontaneous but also praying for grace to 'redeem the time' and by God, when God leads us per second, we are clearly efficient and time has a lot more meaning. So that's the prayer, to be led by God by the second. So that in spite of the hurriedness of day to day life, we live fruitful and impactful lives.
    As always, I love the fact that your writings remind me of beautiful things about Nigeria that I may have forgotten and I love your pictures too. I also love the spiritual and life lessons you glean from your experiences, very insightful. God bless you.

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  22. wow finally managed to understand this blogger- profile system. now with pic :)

    Thank you Eloxie - love your thought-provoking writings too! My favorite one is the one on "Accents" :)

    I just broke my promise of not to comment on this post anymore; well anyway I'll try to write the next post soon :)

    All these blogs are wonderful interruptions but I need to be disciplined not to spend too much time here, which is tough for me hehehe... God bless you too!

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  23. Thanks Eloxie.. You're writings are a blessing xx
    @Sebs, do you know I didn't realise you were the same as 'Bassi' haha.. Thank God for your blogger profile 'breakthrough'

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