Speaking at a global data science conference in Belgrade, Europe: The Episodes
They say you never know what life is like beyond the shores until you are beyond the shores. This was my first travel outside the African continent. In 2022, I toured 3 African Countries. The cultural differences in food, transportation, locals and dressing intrigued me. Travelling outside your country exposes your mind to different perspectives and helps you embrace diversity better.
Early in the year(2023), I journaled about travelling to Europe without a definite plan. Many people write New Year resolutions and mine is focused on what I want to achieve in the new year. The thought of visiting Europe was exciting, having consumed a lot of media and literal content from that part of the world. Though appalled by my experience with food in Tunisia, my enthusiasm for the prospect was high.
Before I delve into the meat of this gist, here are a few things I find fascinating about Serbia
- Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, is a beautiful city! I would definitely love to visit again.
- Serbians like to drink — a lot
- Serbians love pork meat.
- 4pm in Serbia is synonymous with 7pm in Nigeria. Everywhere is already dark.
Call for Papers or Speakers (CPFs) are usually open all year round but peak between May and July. I came across the DSC Europe 2023 conference via Google search. I was reluctant as I have had many of my talk submissions declined by other conferences. But then, it’s better to try and fail than not try at all. Plus, the application process was seamless.
DSC Europe is one of Europe’s largest data science conferences, featuring experienced AI and Machine Learning speakers, from business executives and AI engineers to key industry players. “This is totally out of my league!” I thought. It’s usually a tussle for me to decide on what to speak on, having explored so many tools and approaches during the enthusiastic parts of the year. After a few back and forths, I chose to talk about Ethics in Predictive Analytics — an excerpt from a writeup I published some months ago.
I sent in my application and was ready to expect a No; It helps me deal with rejections. On the 15th of August 2023, 10am GMT + 1, I got an email that my talk had been accepted. Yay!
Like whaaat!
My eyes jeered from sleep — I was super tired from the previous day and woke up late. I took some minutes to soak it in before sharing the good news with my dad. Hey, I might be travelling to Europe after all. But there was a thing: the conference wouldn’t sponsor my trip, and they asked if my company would do that. I didn’t think to involve them, so I opted to fund myself. I would sponsor the travel, and they will sponsor the accommodation.
The Visa
Okay, let’s begin the process of travelling to Europe. Fortunately, I had some savings I could put together to sponsor my travel. I got my invitation letter some weeks later due to delays at the notary’s office, but that’s fine. Now, let’s get this VISA! So, I called the embassy of Serbia in Nigeria to let them know of my intentions to travel, only to be surprised at the response. Sorry, we are not currently accepting applications because of a technical issue. I thought perhaps something broke with their system.
I called once a week for five weeks and got the same response. It was getting tiresome and started to sound bot-like. It began to seem hopeless when I was told I should reapply next year. Yup, you heard me, next year. It was becoming unsettling. Luckily, I was doing three months of IT(compulsory Industrial Placement) around this time and was unaffected by school activities. I notified the organisers of my inability to submit a Visa application, and they promised to check in with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Serbia.
The Beginning of Jacob’s Trouble
I got a response two weeks later, sent my identification details and began waiting for the next phase of the process. I also got my flight tickets to transit through France and the Netherlands. I was thrilled. I prepared my documents as I might be called at any moment to submit them. It’s one month before the conference(in October), and I still don’t have a reliable response from the organisers or the embassy. This girl won’t give up yet or take no for an answer. I tried to reach out to other embassies in nearby countries through email. Only Nairobi had a consulate, and they didn’t want applications from the West. The focus now is on the embassy in Nigeria and the organisers.
Two weeks before the conference, I said, “We are still waiting for feedback from the ministry”. Tensions were high, and it looked increasingly unlikely that I’d travel. I contacted some friends who have travelled to Europe, but none had been to Serbia. Even YouTube wasn’t helping. At the same time, I realised that I’d need a transit visa through France, and I still don’t even have a Visa to Serbia, nor have I submitted my application for a Visa. Okay, things are getting messy. Through this, I was praying to God because I believe in miracles. It’s easy and logical to back out because there’s no way your Visa can be processed as a Nigerian in two weeks unless you are super rich, have a diplomatic passport, or are on official assignment.
While waiting for “some good news” from the organisers, I applied for a transit visa as I was to travel through France and the Netherlands. I know it’s ridiculous, but let’s do crazy faith. I hoped to have some good news before my appointment for a transit visa at the French Embassy. I travelled to Lagos for my appointment with the French Embassy on Friday, one week before the conference! I did my interview the following Monday.
The conference was in a week and I had yet to get a positive response from the organisers. They even proposed that it might be too late to do anything useful. I explained the situation to the Visa officers at the French Embassy and that I might be called during the week for Visa processing at the Embassy of Serbia. I did this in faith, not because it was apparent, but because that was what I hoped would happen.
On Thursday, 16th of November, 2023, my transit visa application was completed, and I was asked to pick it up. My flight to Serbia was on the 19th of November. My flight was on Sunday, which is 3 days from my flight! Half an hour before, one of the organisers asked me to make a virtual presentation as it was too late to make any travel plans. I didn’t respond to the message because it was the reality, and almost nothing could be done, but in the midst of all this, I had this unexplained peace.
For the next 30 minutes, I prayed the prayer of Hezekiah when Isaiah, the prophet, told him that he would die(if you are familiar with the bible story). A few minutes after the prayer, I received an email from one of the organisers that a notice had come from the Prime Minister’s office for an expedited processing of my Visa, which should be done today or tomorrow(Friday). I screamed and jumped for joy. This was so unreal!!! I could travel again!
On Friday, the last business day and last chance to obtain a visa before my flight, I went to the French Embassy to pick up my passport. It was rejected as expected, but nothing to wail over. I had to cancel that flight and book another one through a country that doesn’t require a transit visa — Qatar. I boarded a flight to Abuja that morning and arrived some minutes past 1 because I had to wait for the Muslims who were praying on the road to move their cars so that I could drive through. I waited for 30+ minutes but finally escaped.
When I got to the embassy, another war started with them being “unaware” of the notice. I waited for a while before the Ambassador invited me in. Several things happened that I can’t talk about here, but by 5:00pm WAT, I got my Visa!!! I can tell you this for free: God speaks for you in places humans cannot. I booked the last seat for a return flight to Lagos and went home to pack my bags!
You might want to breathe now. It’s been an experience.
The Trip
Sunday finally came. My flight boards by 7pm, so I arrived at the airport a few minutes past 3pm. I was calmly excited. I looked around at the faces and wondered where they might be headed. For some, it’s their first time out, evident from how they talked and the countless pictures they were taking. It was my 4th time travelling outside of Nigeria in 2 years. I sat close to three people who looked like Black Americans from their speeches. While they talked and laughed, I wondered about the occasion that brought them to the country. Ah, I was forgetting something significant. I needed to print some documents. But this was the new airport, Muritala Mohammed Airport 2. I couldn’t find one.
Some minutes past 4pm, I stood up and walked to the counter with my bags to check-in. I was so happy I could share the documents from my phone. Then, I was asked to provide proof of accommodation. Well, I didn’t have that. I didn’t think I needed to show that to check-in. So, I called my Serbian correspondence and requested it. For 25 minutes, I stood away from the queue like a lost sheep. The lady at the counter later allowed me to go as she said I’d been standing too long. I got the proof of accommodation 45 minutes late. By that time, I already got to immigration.
I got to my boarding gate some minutes past 6pm and decided to eat before boarding the plane. My experience with in-flight foods hasn’t been pleasant at all. I got to this restaurant, and the price choked. A spoon of rice was N 1000 (about $1), and chicken was N3000. I got two spoons. The woman was looking at me. She said, “Madam, are you sure 2 spoons are enough? It looks small”. I said yes, I don’t eat much, which I don’t, but the price won’t allow me to go further. When I was done, I went back to the boarding gate.
When we were to do a pre-boarding check-in, one of the attendants approached me and told me to repack my bags, stating that I could have only one carry-on luggage. I explained that my laptop was in one and a few shoes in the other, but she wouldn’t budge. So she weighed the bags, and to her surprise, they were very light — they contained a few shoes and my pullover. After what seemed like an hour, I finally entered the plane. Called my parents and friends. I’m travelling to Europe, y’all :)
I sat beside this young tech bro and a pilot. A pilot! I know it seems ridiculous, but I have always admired pilots. I stole glances(at the pilot)a few times because I couldn’t believe it. He was relatively calm, looked German(not so sure)and was friendly. I went to sleep quickly, knowing how long the flight usually take. I woke up 5–7 times on an 8-hour flight to eat, look around, adjust because of the cold and stretch my legs. Thank God for the pullover I had; the cold was much.
I arrived in Doha just in time, as it was the last call to board the plane going to Serbia. They literally knew me as I was the only one flying from Lagos. We were just 2 black people on the plane. It was a 4-hour flight, but it felt longer because I was already tired + jet lag.
In Belgrade, Serbia
Finally, I landed at Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade and moved to immigration. After all the check-ins, I got my baggage and headed straight to the pickup area. I made a currency exchange, purchased a SIM and got through to Zivojin, one of the organisers who was to pick me up. While trying to locate me, he spotted a black female lady standing like a lost sheep, and he instantly recognised it was me(although he already had my picture).
After a 30-minute drive, I arrived at my hotel, which was quite elegant. I had to wait because check-in was by 2pm, and I came by 12pm. I went to the in-house restaurant for coffee and some real food. And then, the cigarettes. It was very uncomfortable initially, but it never stopped, so I had to adapt. I wore a nose mask because of the cold, but it couldn’t do much with the cigarette smoke. I was exhausted after having a 13-hour flight, and now I couldn’t breathe in peace for the next 2 hours. I wanted to stroll around town, but as I stepped out, the cold that kissed me good afternoon sent me back in.
Plus, I didn’t have a SIM card for the internet, so I could locate nearby places, and it wouldn’t make sense to get lost on my first day in town. So, I had to go back and wait. People kept stealing glances at me because they were surprised to see a young black girl in their country (and at a luxurious hotel). This was not in any way discriminatory. I enjoyed the attention for a while but needed to rest a bit.
When I finally checked in and got to my room, I crashed with my socks and hoodie on. I woke past 5pm(barely 3 hours because of the coffee) and looked outside to see everywhere so dark. I needed clarification. It was a few minutes past 5pm, and it looked like 8pm in Nigeria. I had a similar experience in Tunisia, but it was with the Sun. By 5am, everywhere was so bright, like an 8am Sun on a Monday.
Now I was hungry. I had only taken coffee since I got back. I mapped out restaurants nearby, took a screenshot and decided to walk. Everywhere was freezing cold; it was 6 degrees! I hadn’t been in this cold for a long time. I just had a pullover and shoes on. I initially missed the restaurant I wanted to go to and decided to stroll to see other options. After 20 minutes, I found a pasta shop. It looked Italian, so I walked in and asked the attendant what was best for a newbie in town. She recommended pasta, spinach and chicken, so I ordered that. I was familiar with chicken; what could go wrong? After some minutes, my food was done. It’d be nice to get some snacks too, so I went further and saw a small shop. I greeted the attendant(as usual in Nigeria), got some snacks and returned to my hotel.
When I opened the plate, I was surprised at what I saw. It doesn’t look like the “pasta,” but I took a bite. It felt warm, soft, and tasty but too cheesy for me. I barely took five spoons before I felt nauseated. It was delicious with the toasted chicken, but the idea of pasta and cheese didn’t swallow. I almost puked. It was a weird combination, and I knew I had no dinner that night. After a long day, I was happy I got snacks. I ate them and went to sleep.
It’s been an adventure, but I have more to tell you. The conference was incredible! I got invited to a VIP dinner party to network and connect with the big guys. I met a gentleman interested in the ML deployment process and, like me, didn’t like that people rarely talk about it. Now(as at the time I wrote this), we are good friends. I later realised that he is the head of global data science at some company. And there’s more.
During the conference, I was the only black person in the room. I met a lot of VIP attendees and got invited to hang out with one during the weekend. During one of the sessions on AI in Diplomacy, I got confused with a panellist who was black but was unable to attend in person. I met Marko, Nikko, Alexander (3 different people with the same name), and Vuk. I attended the closing conference party at 12am with other organisers and speakers. I had so much fun, learned a lot, and toured the city with another speaker(who’s now my friend). I wrote about this in my other article. Check it out[I will add the link soon]
