So let’s clarify one single fact before you continue reading and that is the fact that the “Thought For Food” is the best organization in the Whole world. Nice that you agree with me! I’ve always wanted to write. To tell beautiful stories but I always never knew where to start from. But a week ago, I got divine inspiration and Voilà! I’d start by being an Event Blogger and no better place to start than at the 6th annual TFF Summit taking place at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. So, I’d cover the event and give a detailed account of it all directly from my point of view.
Let’s Dive Into It
The Departure: I woke up in Lagos, Nigeria on the morning of Saturday the 21st of July, very stressed and grumpy. I had had just 3 hours of sleep because I was trying to get everything set to travel. My excitement overshadowed my tiredness and I was beaming with energy. I had my bath, got dressed and waited patiently for my parents to take me to the airport. I tried to have rice for breakfast but it wouldn’t go down well due to anxiety. My parents were ready by 9am and luckily for us, there were no traffic jams so we got to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport earlier than we anticipated. I waited for about two hours, went through normal security protocols and checked in. TFF had covered my traveling fares with Emirates (one of the best Airlines in the world by the way) so I had no problem at the Airport. I got to the lounge by 3pm and waited till 5:40pm to board the plane going to Dubai. It was my first time seeing a plane so close and they looked marvelous. I have never traveled by air prior to that moment so you can imagine the rush of conflicting emotions I was feeling at that moment. I wasn’t sure if I was scared or happy or anxious. I wasn’t sure if I’d get sick on the plane. I wasn’t sure of anything and all I had to do was wait to find out.
I got on the plane and it was as grand as I had imagined. I didn’t even have to bother about movies. It had it all. Take off was a little scary. It was similar to moving up an elevator but much faster. By the time we were in the sky, I had adapted and it was as if I had been flying all my life.The flight was long and the food was great. I watched the Justice League and slept afterwards. We got to Dubai International Airport by 4:40 am. Although it wasn’t as crowded as I had imagined due to the time we had arrived, it was as beautiful as I had imagined it to be. I took a Short tour around the Airport while searching for my next flight gate. If I had all the money in the world, I’d probably buy everything I had seen and the “duty free” tag made every product look more appealing and enticing. After walking around for about 45 mins, I found the lounge for my flight to Rio de Janeiro. By 7am I was already in the plane and luckily for me, I got a nice spot by the window. This time, take off wasn’t scary and the view was captivating. I could see the clouds up close and the view of the Heavens were breathtaking. The journey was longer than my first lap, the food was splendid but very strange to my taste buds and stomach (I enjoyed the pizza best) and I got to watch two more movies: The commuter starring Liam Neeson and The breadwinner which is an Oscar nominated animation about a young girl in Afghanistan who disguises herself as a boy in order to provide for her family.
The Arrival
I landed at Galeão International Airport, Rio de Janeiro at 2:05 pm. I instantly connected with the Finalist team from my country, Nigeria. We exchange pleasantries, took pictures and I felt less alone being amongst fellow countrymen. We got our passports stamped, located our luggage and found our way to the shuttle bus which was waiting to take us to our hotel. On the way, We met Morris from Uganda who’s a next generation council member and has been a finalist twice and Shashi from Nepal who’s a fellow TFF ambassador. The shuttle driver was really friendly and accommodating and drove us down to the Windsor Plaza Hotel which is located at Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro. It has Warm rooms and features a restaurant, a rooftop pool, a gym & a sauna. Welcoming us was Jared. Now Jared who’s the Programs head at TFF turned out to be much cooler and taller than everyone had imagined. He was always smiling. I doubt he even knows how to frown. I gave him a big tight hug and I wasn’t surprised he could recognize most of us. He checked us in, gave us bands and tags for the Academy and Summit and directed us to our hotel rooms to freshen up. Everyone was nice, friendly and accommodating. It was almost as if they were born this way. My room looked so nice, the toilet was so clean, there were snacks stacked in the fridge and the beds were “bouncy”. My roommate is Mateus, he’s quite tall and very handsome (for the ladies). He’s from Brazil so I’m sure I’d get advices on nice places to visit while I’m here.
I laid down a little then freshened up and went to the “secret room” where other Ambassadors and Next Gen Council Members were gathered from all over the world. Didn’t take a head count but there were over 30 of us present in the room. Monika Jiang and Mira headed the meeting. I was a little late but I met them trying to untangle the Human knot. I joined one of the three teams and as usual, it was impossible to untangle the knot in record time. It was fun actually doing this with other people from various cultures and backgrounds. Then we played the “Jared cards” next. We were to pick two cards each with questions on them and asked to go around and ask a stranger questions contained within the cards. It’s designed to foster networking and encourage better communication. During this activity, I met Mush’ab from Indonesia. He runs https://www.bitebackinsect.com which is an Insect Bio-refinery company aiming to meet an increasing global demand for palm oil by creating a healthier and more sustainable alternative. He said so.ething that stuck which I’d share. He said, “Patience is the key in running your company. Skills and every thing else are commodities that can be paid for”. I also met Diana, Cuthbert who’s my Team leader from Zimbabwe and Mark from Haiti who’s are Next Gen Council Member and quite popular. The meeting ended with Monika have a “round chair” discussion where those present shared experiences and gave suggestions for a nicer outcome for the event next year (P.S: I spoke first 😁)
Dinner
After the meeting, we went to the restaurant to have dinner. It was buzzing in there and filled with lots of energy from hundreds. People were caught either chatting, picking their food or munching and drinking away. There was so much to go round. I hadn’t recovered from the strange foods I had on the plane, so I played safe and stuck with Chip, sauce, steak and fried fish which was delicious I must say. I sat with two ladies (can’t recall their names) who taught me to say “Hello, How are you?” In Brazilian Portuguese which is “Oi, Tudo bem?”. They left shortly after and Monika and Mira joined me on the table to have dinner. We had a fun conversation and took a selfie. Afterwards, I had dessert with Cuthbert, Jared and a few others. Everyone who dropped by at the table seemed to be suggesting a fun place to go to. I was too tired and not up for any outing yet. I’d probably join them tomorrow.
So overall, I had a comfortable trip from Nigeria to Rio. Finally met with the “Awesomest” family Thought For Food and I’d be going to bed to rest for my First day at the Academy at the Escola Eleva at 8am.
Stay tuned for full details of how Day 1 went.
Bye…
