HOW WE CELEBRATED INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY AT NUE OFFSHORE

It was only a month ago since we had this small celebration but the memories linger on.

Tuesday, the 19th of November, had started off as a typical weekday at the company with everyone going about their usual tasks. It was one of those days when everyone eased into their goals for the week, as individuals and through collaborative efforts on team projects. Low whispers went between the different clusters of staff about how it was Men’s day, while they tried to tackle more serious office-related affairs. It was a typical day at the company, up until around noon time.

Around lunch-time conversations that revolved around what who wanted to eat quietly sprang up and at this point some people began stepping out to get their meals. We hadn’t known about the quiet arrangements that were being made within the HR department to surprise everyone. It wasn’t until a few of us saw small packages rolling into the reception, and then conference room, that we had an idea of what was going on. Soon, Prisca, the HR Manager, made an announcement that we were to hold a brief meeting at the conference room shortly after lunch, and by the time we got in, we were faced with a great-lunch-surprise- Pizza for everyone!

Although, more importantly was the reason for all the merriment. It was a time to specially appreciate the ‘Men of NUE Offshore’ with words and with this little session in honour of them. Prisca went ahead to give a short speech thanking them for their selfless efforts and investments into pushing the company to where it stands today. The female staff were given brief moments to talk about the men in their departments and generally it was another moment of team bonding that allowed us to not just appreciate these people as co-workers, but as friends.

But trust us, when the talk started becoming too much, hands became itchy and the eagerness to start eating became glaring in the atmosphere. So, we quickly rounded up the talk, and took pictures. And before this too started eating too deeply into work-time, we took our packages and returned to our different spaces.

One of the things mentioned in the HR’s speech was paramount. It was about encouraging men, despite the tendency to hoard a lot of emotions and always appear strong; we were encouraged to be supportive and sensitive. It was about not assuming that they will always have everything figured out, or assuming they never needed help just because they are men- because at the end of the day, they are also human. It wasn’t about portraying them as weak, but it was saying to them, that in their moments of vulnerability as humans, they could always count on us to understand and help in whatever ways possible.

This blogpost isn’t just dedicated to the Men of NUE OFFSHORE, It’s also dedicated to the men around us, far and near. It is our big, THANK YOU post to all these people for who they are to us, what they’ve done for us. Even arrears, we say

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY (IN ARREARS)!