The Non-Immigrant Student
The Non-Immigrant Student podcast is an audio journal of my grad-school (and now corporate) journey in the United States of America.
It is an inspirational podcast that seeks to encourage and provide guidance to other non-immigrant students across the globe on how to live their best lives while fulfilling their Study/Work Abroad dreams or living far away home!
My stories reveal all the lessons I'm learning on this journey, and I honestly believe that ''If I can do it, you can do it too!''
So excited to have you with me on this journey, Welcome!
The Non-Immigrant Student
S4 E4 - Losing our USA Work Authorization ft. Excel Chukwurah, T/PgM at Google
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Hi guys,
I'm back with yet another episode featuring one of my best guys, Excel Chukwurah! "A friend, a colleague and a brother", we've spent the last two years making the best of our work & personal lives in New York City since we both moved here from Chicago and Ithaca, NY. Sadly, Excel & I will be temporarily saying goodbye to the US as we will be moving abroad to keep our jobs and maintain legal status of our US immigration. In this episode, we reminisce about our individual journey(s) to the US, dealing with shitty work situations, and all the fun memories we made while living in New York City. We also "schpiel" the tea of our new work locations/countries and options to consider when at a risk of losing your work authorization as a US non-immigrant. Fun-fact: One of us will be moving to another country in the Americas while the other will be moving to a country in Europe. Can you guess who?! It's definitely an episode of mixed feelings, bitter-sweet emotions and happy nostalgia of our time in the US so far. We had so much fun recording this and we hope you have as much fun listening. Lastly, if you have any well-wishes, advice or tips to share for moving to a new country, please send them via the 'Fan note' link and be rest assured that it is received with gratitude.
Tasty Bagels & Crusty Pizzas, from NYC,
Tolu & Excel
Please rate the podcast and leave a review wherever you listen; it helps me reach other people like you. Also, follow here for more :) Thank you!
Intro x Shenanigans
Speaker 1You've started, we've started, guys who are you for? Me Guest. This is going to be this is not going to be your ordinary podcast.
Speaker 2Oosh, Okay what's it going to be?
Speaker 1This is also going to be a therapy session.
Speaker 2Okay, sure.
Speaker 1With your boy XL.
Speaker 2He says your boy love. Look at his face.
Speaker 1He's going to be my podcast voice.
Speaker 2No Allah.
Speaker 1No, no, no, let's jump right into it. Relax now, let's catch up. How was the day? It was fine, it's not the beginning of the podcast. No, no, we'll jump right into it.
Speaker 2See you guys later. Bye, ask about me on the streets of Ithaca. They will tell you I'm popular everywhere. I mean, I'm that new Nainera girl who just came here and has friends in all sects and factions of this university mba graduate students, undergraduate students, phd students. Like girl, I'm popular. But yeah, welcome to the non-immigrant student podcast. This is the podcast where, if I can do it, you can do it too. Hi guys, welcome back to the podcast. Why are you? Why are you decomposed?
Speaker 1let me know I got meant in my feet sorry you didn't like.
Speaker 2This pigeon is so rad guys you can address with pigeon on this episode, this podcast. But anyway, welcome back to the podcast. Um well, I would. I would have said it's been a long time, but we're just here with pearl. But now I bring you yet again another spectacular guest your boy excel please can you introduce yourself briefly? Hi everyone oh okay, why are you for me buzz?
Speaker 1this is my podcast voice it is your.
Speaker 2Oh, okay, okay.
Speaker 1I have to take it a little bit slow yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2Alright, my name is Excel, like Microsoft Excel you just had to, I had to, oh my god, and I am a friend, a colleague and I don't know what am I again, my brother? You know there's also professional zone. Do you know all these linkedin people? Are we? No, we're not professional. We're not professionals, although our first, actually our first- LinkedIn Was professionals, though We've come a long way, guys.
Speaker 1If you see to lose LinkedIn, or if you saw to lose LinkedIn, then oh my god.
Speaker 2What was your first impression?
Speaker 1Ah, which is? I thought you were the most Stuck up. Serious, I mean Honestly, I didn. Serious, I mean honestly, I didn't want to talk to you.
Speaker 2Oh my god, you didn't say I never wanted to talk to you I didn't, oh my god.
Speaker 1I was like. I was like, oh god, this girl just looks like a christian sister that is going to preach to me, even with my blonde wig.
Speaker 2It was the look I was in that era where I wanted to perform in bible living body.
Speaker 1But you see, bible believing body where he's to perform in Bible. Believe in body, bible believe in body.
Speaker 2Bible believe in body when it's like I want to look like a body.
Speaker 1But I mean I, but you saw through it, I can see.
Speaker 2I guess I can see that now that you say it, but it just it was just like if you talk to me, I will pray you out of my life oh my God, okay changed when you met me, and I still remember what I've learned first day I met you do you know, what you were wearing was not when we came to your house.
Speaker 1Yes, actually that was first day I met you, but wait, we're jumping, we're jumping.
Speaker 2Your name is excel, like microsoft excel, and we first met. But, guys, I'm not stuck up she's not. She's not no, I'm not. I'm not, but I feel like I get that feedback when you are, to an extent, yeah, it's okay.
Speaker 1Now we are beginning to do therapy.
Speaker 2Yes, okay, it's okay, it's okay, your name is excel oh my god and yes, to introduce you guys, excel is a good friend of mine, has now become a good friend of mine over the years.
Speaker 1Um tolu is one of my closest friends, especially since I started working at google. The way I knew tolu was in stock up was when we spoke and said you had broken your leg when I was looking for an apartment. Oh yeah, I was like, okay, maybe she's not. Maybe she's not that bad so why?
Speaker 2why did you need to hear bad news for you?
Speaker 1it wasn't, it, wasn't it wasn't the bad news, it was the communication. Pretty bad news that I've been looking for apartment. I'm going to check on a book like it sounded very open.
Speaker 2Yeah, I was like okay are you serious? This is crazy.
Speaker 1Oh, this is crazy but I've told you before something like this. Yeah, you told me somehow okay?
Speaker 2wow, that's interesting to know. Yes, you don't judge your book by its cover. Sometimes you have to no that picture that I use is underdressed. Konya made us take linkedin picture and I don't have and I was looking for job, so I said I'm going to dress up and go. I want my best white shirt, and then I packed my hair in a very weird way.
Speaker 1Yeah, it's a suit that came to my head.
Explaining the US Work Authorization process
Speaker 2Yes, I looked actually okay, you know what it's okay, it doesn't matter. We've spent almost five minutes not talking about it sorry let's jump right into it.
Speaker 2So you guys, please don't forget to listen. This, this season is season four, a season of embracing change, and, as you can see already by the title, the title is losing our US work authorization. That's already another big change that we're kind of preparing for but did not necessarily know how to go. So just to give context, in the US how it works is after you've studied for one or two years your master's, your PhD, if you're a STEM student study science, technology, engineering or math you have the opportunity to stay back for one year. One to three years, right, and now those three years for us are up.
Speaker 2But while you're in your three years, whatever company you're working at can file for a work visa for you. But the only caveat is that that work visa is a lottery visa, so it's a 50-50. In fact, lawyers tell you that it's a less than 30 chance, so not necessarily 50. So sadly, we did not make that lottery, and so that's why we're here recording this. Um, by the time this is out, excel would have already moved to his new country. Do you want to?
Speaker 1tell us where you're moving to. I don't think.
Speaker 2I don't think so really no, no, oh my god, okay, are you sure?
Speaker 1are you joking I?
Speaker 2have this written everywhere on this.
Speaker 1All these are my questions.
Speaker 2Okay, it's okay, now we know Basha.
Speaker 1Cut, cut, cut.
Speaker 2Wait, I can speak right, yes, you can, oh my.
Speaker 1God you can talk, you can talk, you can talk, so ready for everybody to know I'm going to canada because I'm planning to be lucky there okay, and this podcast is coming out in july, so is it too early? It's too early actually I think it's fine. I mean, what the hell it's?
Speaker 2not the no village person can come and look for you yeah, I just want to just be.
Speaker 1Just, am I taking this part of the?
Speaker 2podcast out or not, which one?
Speaker 1okay, I can leave it, it's fine. So are we talking about it?
Drum Roll: We'll be moving to....
Speaker 2okay, so do you want to tell us where you're moving to?
Speaker 1guys, so I am moving to canada, canada, drumroll, canada canada. I'm with canada ontario. Canada, yes ontario, canada.
Speaker 2He's the one. He's not too far. He's not far. We're still in the North Americas, Exactly. But some people like me please ask me where am I moving to? Where?
Speaker 1are you moving to?
Speaker 2Help me to ask oh my God. My mother say, when they ask me maybe like say my daughter is, she's in Warsaw. Some of you might never know where it is. You might have to go and Google it. Warsaw is the country where people fled to during the Ukrainian war. Please, why do you have that conversation, guys? I'm moving to Poland. I'm sure I'm moving somewhere in Europe. It's still tentative.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2It's still Schengen. It's still Schengen, it's still Schengen. But I'm sure I'm moving to the EU. My currency is changing it's changing To euros.
Speaker 1I'll send you some pounds.
Tolu's Arizona travel recap (insert winks & butterflies)
Speaker 2Yes, actually, that's if the woman allow me to spend money. It's lotties, remember. Oh my God, oh, so sad. Oh my God, this podcast, I wonder if we can ever do it structured, you can? I'm so sorry. You're the one guest I was like I don't think I can do this podcast seriously, but we'll try, okay. Okay, we need to be serious. But you guys also know that I've been traveling, you know.
Speaker 1I also need to give like I need to give Loki recap.
Speaker 2I just came back from Arizona. You guys, I was in the desert, in the beautiful desert. I had like mountain dinners, watched the sunset.
Speaker 1Oh, you had a dinner in the mountain, yes, ma'am. Okay, now repeat.
Speaker 2Yeah, I've showed you some of the pictures. You know Watched the sunset and some cute we went to grand canyon and sedona. You know, it was all beautiful and butterflies. Guys, just respect yourself. Please just respect yourself before you put your mouth inside this mic where sedona and grand canyon.
Speaker 1Please don't expose me on this street, okay, thank you but on the on the other hand, guys, if you are single, don't be single yes, don't be single.
Speaker 2That's one advice. It's not worth single. Don't be single. Yes, don't find love. That's one advice.
Speaker 1Don't be single like there's no value my sisters and brothers find love.
Speaker 2Is that what you did? It your own excuse me you better respect yourself this is my podcast better, even if it's the episode in my podcast. Thank you madam, madam okay, and also something else I was fond of I experienced was taking a driverless car using Waymo.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2I posted it on Instagram. It was an 8 minute drive. Yes, I did take the Waymo.
Speaker 1I'll show you.
Speaker 2Yes, I'll show you the video to tell you to like, wear your seatbelt. And he was driving. I felt it was crazy. I kept saying, oh my god, is this real? Is this real? There's nobody in the car. Who is driving the car. Yeah, it felt like, oh my god, there might be a spirit. It was so weird. Eight minutes and we go there in parks and I'm telling you, red traffic light is stopped that's something that I really want to.
Speaker 1Almost every day I check oh are you serious?
Excel's journey to studying & working in the US
Speaker 2oh, it's true. You're a techie. Oh, that's true. Okay, you guys. Sorry, you are not hearing us how we talk, how we banter to ourselves. Let's be fast. This is only one hour, people, let's not waste anybody's time, okay, so first things first. Please can you introduce yourself? Tell us, okay, very, tell us, your name is excel, but where are you from? How did you get to the US basically?
Speaker 1So my name is Excel. I am from Delta State.
Speaker 2Why do I feel like I don't know that about you, not Imo State?
Speaker 1No, Imo State was my NYC.
Speaker 2Okay, sorry, sorry, delta State. No, that's fine.
Speaker 1So I'm from Delta State, both parents from Delta State, igbo boy. I was born and raised in Lagos. So I got the best of both worlds and I'm able to understand both languages because of that how long were you in delta state for?
Speaker 2I I only visit in december okay so I never like oh, I see, okay, once I come to school, I'm primary school. What primary school did you go to?
Speaker 1this is not all the questions to my social security number.
Speaker 2Calm down Joy, so that people can relate to you now.
Speaker 1So I went to a very Jaguda primary school. It's called Divine.
Speaker 2It was street. Okay, where was it in?
Speaker 1Lagos. It was in Lagos, where I don't remember where in Lagos.
Speaker 2Street is like Leagege. No, leagege is not it. I don't remember when. Lagos Street is like Agege. Agege is not, it's not street, agege is street.
Speaker 1Ajegule. Sorry, no, not Ajegule, but it was somewhere in Yanopaja.
Speaker 2Okay, that's where we did camp NYC, camp Yanopaja Folks in Lagos.
Speaker 1But then Prime risk Imagine how we looked. And then secondary to faith academy oh, you should have a lot of fa fans and then uh for uni covenant university graduated in 2016, studied mis.
Speaker 2What's the management? Oh yeah, mis management information system right and then so after mis, after after uni in 2016, in 2016 2016 to 2017 was service year, so one year nysc and I served in most states and you always tell me how there was no light.
Speaker 1Tell us too, he loves telling you I love this story because it's like it. It encourages the streets in me. Oh, my god no, no, but honestly, but honestly. My service in Imo state. I didn't serve in the capital, I served in a village, and then there are so many things that happened throughout my, you were a teacher right. I was a teacher for math and vocational studies Okay.
Speaker 2And agreek.
Speaker 1But the funny thing is the agreek the students knew more than me because they were farmers. Oh, I me, because they were farmers, oh I see, wow, they pretty much knew most of it, so they still correct your uncle. Start, excuse me, sir, I'll tell them. Put in band. They say what is ban and his ebook? They spoke oh, my god, you know what is banned. Please we put it in xyz. Now I say, hey, wow, I'm just teaching you what to detect I would have loved to be a teacher.
Speaker 2That's nice, it was actually nice and I always wanted to teach.
Speaker 1So to be a teacher, that's nice. It was actually nice and I always wanted to teach, so I was, but I stopped, for I stopped teaching after six months because I was. I wanted to prep for my gre, which I failed, by the way that's the way you won't be able to hear.
Speaker 2What was what's failure to you for jerry? What's failure? Was it less than 300?
Speaker 1yes, uh, the first time I wrote it I had 288, I believe, and I think for me, because my sister got in her first try and she had just two weeks to prep she got like 305. So to me, getting to 288 was kind of like a low score in my opinion.
Speaker 2Oh, I see, I see, and then so did you rewrite it.
Speaker 1Yeah, so I wrote it after the NYSE and you know I'm not trying to my own, but I did well. What did you know? I get like a 317, or is it like?
Speaker 2oh my god, oh my god, why do you do your eyes like that?
Speaker 1317 is crazy you have to be smug about this thing yeah, yeah, that was a very smug look that was not humble at all.
Speaker 2317 is nice. It's nice.
Speaker 1I had a 303 and then when I read it, I got 301. It was so bad, but anyway and so then. So, like nyc was, it was a whole vibe for me, like you know, we wouldn't have network we have to climb.
Speaker 2By the way, for non-nigerians, nyc's national youth service core is a year of service. Our country, yeah, where we shall act like we're in the military, paramilitary or something it's like pretense minute.
Speaker 1Yeah, military for only three weeks out of the whole year, basically and then every other year you sort of like go to different places where you or you're posted to somewhere else where you are forced to serve the country.
Speaker 2So Excel did a real NYC. I worked in an oil and gas company and I was earning good money. That is insane, I know you did do NYC.
Speaker 1Now, how many times did you wear the uniform?
Speaker 2A lot every Friday.
Speaker 1I used to wear that uniform to CDS. What was your CDS Community Development Service. What did you do for your CDS?
Speaker 2Sorry guys, cds is like Community Development Service. What did you do for your CDS? What was it? We shot Bill Sigbe For Eteo Saluka government.
Speaker 1Guys this is what you call a wealthy. A wealthy, you know what I did for my CDS Every Wednesday, I would go and cut grass Every Wednesday.
Speaker 2Why are you cutting grass?
Speaker 1That was it For two hours today. Like you have blisters when you're done cutting grass we're cleaning the council, so sometimes we cut grass sometimes we like.
Speaker 2I hate the fact that they do all those like I'm sorry, I can't relate I, I really cannot relate right.
Speaker 1It was crazy, oh my god.
Speaker 2No, I was rebuilding bmw plaka and we went to encouraging the city that is so rich and we went to the encouraging, the scenic. That is so rich. But look how good I was in VI. I was in Victoria Island, lagos, okay, anyway, anyway, that's a size point. So after NYSE, when did you? Did you immediately come to the US?
Speaker 1No, so after NYSE I met. During my NYSE I met this lady who was into sewing Like she wanted to learn fashion and I was into software development right so I used to do a lot of like web development. I was good with back end, but the front end development was terrible. So in my head. I was like you know what, let me learn something in fashion to maybe spike your creativity?
Speaker 1yeah, exactly exactly, and so after mysc I left where I was working and I went to learn how to sew. So I was an apprentice for a street tailor. I'm not talking about like a fashion school, like I'm talking about this guy Like what do you call them?
Speaker 2Is it new for the Obioma?
Speaker 1No, not the Obioma.
Speaker 2Okay, no, Obioma is a tailor hawker.
Speaker 1This one had a shop and he was pretty good actually. This one had a shop and he was pretty good actually. So I, I, I worked with him for about eight months, nine months, and then, when I learned as much as I needed to learn and I left and I started a what was the name of your artillery? It was called put us put it. Who is the great?
Speaker 2Oh, I see, oh, put us fashion.
Speaker 1So just put us luxury.
Speaker 2Put us Ooh a true evil. Oh, potius Fashion.
Speaker 1No, just Potius Luxury, potius, luxury Ooh. I had like a whole, a true Igbo man. I love you. One name Abumoyi Igbo. Forget that.
Speaker 2Yeah, Abumoyi, Say what's Abumoyi.
Speaker 1Igbo, abumoyi, igbo. What does it mean? I'm an Igbo boy.
Speaker 2Oh, I like that.
Speaker 1Where's luxury?
Speaker 2oh sorry, purchase luxury. Yeah, well, it means the great. I love that I learned. How long did you do the fashion for?
Speaker 1I did it. For how long did I do that? I did it from 2017 to 2019, so yeah, oh 2017 2019.
Speaker 2That means you're in the us at some point no when did you come to the usi?
Speaker 1came to us 2019 oh, I see.
Speaker 2So while you were doing fashion, were you working in nigeria?
Speaker 1no, no, I wasn't working in nigeria, that was like my full time is a lie.
Speaker 2You're an entrepreneur. Say it again. Say it again what's my response?
Speaker 1what should?
Speaker 2I say what should I say? Wait, you might want to agree with something. Sorry, I'm so sorry. Okay, okay, okay, sorry, okay, that's my response Okay. Wow. So what? What was your biggest profit? What was your how?
Speaker 1much did you make? I was, it was very. It was so profitable then, because you know there was no COVID and all of that. It was very profitable.
Speaker 2So you were selling like a badass and like all these things for people. Where was your shop?
Speaker 1I was staying at home, so I didn't have any overhead costs did you have tailors? I had. I had like two people that would. I would outsource some things to like, the basic things like pants, some shirts that I was confident in, you know, in their abilities so till today, do you still have the sewing?
Speaker 2no, I haven't sewn since 2019. I can't but I'm sure you'll still be there, right, you'll still be there I hope so.
Speaker 1I'm planning to. Just funny enough, yesterday I had a dream about me sewing. As weird as this is. I'm telling you now that I said I just dipped it right. Are you serious? Yeah, I remember I was. I remember in your old life.
Speaker 2You know, these things happen sometimes recently I've been, I've been on someone that was. I've been dreaming. I saw myself at home. My sisters were playing all five of us and I'm like does that mean I want to go?
Speaker 1for.
Speaker 2Christmas, I guess we all remember sometimes. So now, after the story, did that help you with your front-end development?
Speaker 1I would say no, but I think what the story really did for me was it helped me know that I didn't want to be in the coding development.
Speaker 2Oh, I see. Yeah, I didn't want to go down that path like full-time, I could do it like part-time, I still do it currently, but it just made me realize that I'm more of a I guess processed person, so it has process now. No, you caught you draft, you caught right.
Speaker 1So that's what it helped me, oh yeah like the structure, like that, you know there's a defined process okay, okay, that's what you mean.
Speaker 2I see, I see, I love that, and so how much did you make?
Speaker 1oh, I don't know, but I know that as I was living nine. So I I learned another guy for a year and then I worked for myself for a year and I don't know. I I would say I had close to half a million okay, that's in profit.
Speaker 2Profit. Not even like yeah, you know so all the money people were paying you to sell yeah, it was a lot and I didn't even have.
Speaker 1I hadn't even published myself, because on my sports clothes guys like I used to say they always come and hold you that they like you know, when they say I was, I was, I was not even like, like when I first started.
Speaker 2Yeah, because you learn something from the guy.
Speaker 1But because I went to. You know, luckily I went to school so because I I went to school, I I would want to look for an easier, more streamlined way of doing this thing right. For example, the guy would say oh, cut everybody's arm nine. And I'm like what are you somebody's small? Would you cut nine? The song is so I had to like find a more like science.
Speaker 2I don't think I'm more. You're saying scientific, mathematical way to adjust to everybody. Yeah, but don't you take measurements. Why do you have to cut nine?
Speaker 1you do, but some things are not. You don't. You're not making suits so you can. You don't necessarily have the the time to like measure every single part is an art. Fashion design is a serious art like, like the numbers yeah the numbers part, when you actually sit down and figure out. Okay, this is the proper way to do this thing.
Speaker 2The calculation numbers is crazy okay, now we're going too deep but, that makes sense. Okay, 500k of money in one year, guys, I would advise you to always pick up like a blue color. It's blue color, right yes, a blue color job on the side, like it's it's very helpful.
Speaker 1I mean now that, yeah, it's taking everything, yeah, it's not going to show my clothes exactly what Exactly?
Speaker 2I don't want to hear the word AI on this podcast.
Speaker 1Sorry, sorry, sorry.
Speaker 2Every day. This is what we hear for a living. I don't want to hear Shumbay on this podcast. Thank you, and then? So what made you?
Speaker 1come to the US in 2019?. Why did you leave the business and come to the US? Coming to the US was kind of it wasn't even it was. Traveling was kind of defined, because my older sister already did her master's here and my folks were like they don't care where you are or what you are Like, you must travel for your master's. Like that was a given in the family.
Speaker 2You must go for your master's.
Speaker 1The only thing is, the only thing that they sort of like emphasized was nobody's going to the UK, nobody's going to London.
Speaker 2Oh really, yeah, my dad was very practical about that. He was troll of you and he came to the us.
Speaker 1Yeah, he's like nobody's going to uk, either canada or any other state, but I don't know why, but he just doesn't value that place, yeah. So he was like okay, so yeah, he, he just sort of. So when I, when I came to, when I came to the us, when I was finishing my my the sewing thing, I knew that it was time for when I came to the US, when I was finishing the sewing thing, I knew that it was time for me to come to the US and I started applying. I actually wanted to go to Canada, but Canada didn't work out.
Speaker 1Look at God, look at God, look at it.
Speaker 2Look at it. Hey, okay yeah.
Speaker 1A very good friend of mine. She just recommended a school for me. That was where she was and she advised me to apply there, and what's the name of this university? University of michigan guys that's a smug voice not humble at all, but I love it.
Speaker 2I love it. And what did you study?
Speaker 1for your masters, for masters, I studied a program, that project management engineering program, oh that makes sense.
Speaker 2Oh, I see, I see, I see, and this is with and did you apply to just one school with your 317?
Speaker 1you don't apply to other school I feel like she's throwing some shade yes, I'm throwing some with your 317. Only one school you apply to apply to three schools university of maryland, university of college park yeah um, then two other schools I don't remember them now.
Speaker 1Two of them put me on wait list and one rejected me, so I'd already given up. I continued my sewing and then my friend is like excel, why you like? Randomly, this is someone I hadn't spoken to in a long time. Wow. And then she's like excel, I, you know, I heard you were rejected, do you want?
Speaker 2to apply to my school.
Speaker 1I see, wow and I'm like, yeah, sure, why not?
Speaker 2you know, my application to cornell was different. I could. Stanford was my dream school. I said it's all the time I wanted to go to California. I was California dreaming. But then she was like, oh, you should check out Konya.
Speaker 1I heard there's a lot of. I don't know if California or Fiji, though.
Speaker 2That's what people say. So you think New York Fiji more than California?
Speaker 1Way, way more than California Really Like, to an extreme.
Speaker 2This place. I mean I have love-hate relationship.
Speaker 1Yeah, yes, for two years For about two years.
How We Met
Speaker 2So how's your journey? And, by the way, now we both work at Google. See our jizz, jizz, our talk, talk did not allow me to follow the structure of this podcast. We're supposed to talk about how we met. I always tell people how we met, but this is how Excel and I met now. So, after school, I started working at Google in 2022. When did you start working at Google? 2021. Immediately after. Okay, we'll come to that. But so then we have a friend called Roma K, a mutual friend. Shout out to you Ramzi um shout out to you, romy what's wrong with you?
Speaker 1this is my uh podcast voice, okay noted, noted, lol.
Speaker 2Okay. So Roma K was like oh Tola, I hear you in New York. Now I googled, I have a friend that works there too. I should. I will introduce you both. And then she connected us on LinkedIn or told us to reach out to each other on LinkedIn or something. I don't know if it was me that did first. I think it was me. I was like oh Ram, it was you. Oh my money. You were saying that you pray me out of your life. Go punish your mother. That's it, man.
Speaker 1Guys, I can never forget the first time I had a Call with oh yeah, you're right, I think so. I'm not sure what happened I was trying to look for a roommate and to be rejected the idea before it even came oh yes, I was like I cannot, I cannot, I don't know how it appears and you're not in nigeria on the top.
Speaker 2I'm like jesus christ. I did the sign of the rosary. I cannot rule with a man. First of all, you have to understand.
Speaker 1Let me paint a picture Of the condition I was in. I was in the car, it was summer, it was hot, oh my god. I didn't have the keys with me and the windows were wind up and the car was locked, so I was sweating In the car. On the call I hear somebody.
Speaker 2I'm trying to Suggest let's rent a 2 in new york, because new york first of all, why are you in a car when you just say things to pass by this? Why are you in a car? The windows are up.
Speaker 1That's a story for another day. Oh my god I've never heard this before and then so I, as she was saying, oh, giving me all the rejection, like she's a job offer I was just looking at this guy. I'm wondering why am I on this call? Oh my god, I'm on this call in this heat, sweating and being rejected. Oh my god, you know the crazy part, what I could have? Just walked into the office because it was in front of me oh, I see, that's still finally.
Speaker 2It's history. You know you're weird, but that is the final day. Anyway, I want to talk about, like, the job to google a bit, before we go into now why we lost our visa. So where were you before google? I know that you did some other blue collar jobs and if you want to talk about it and I will have a story, I want to tell people. I want to remember that I was telling you how somebody ate my chick-fil-a fries. Okay, yes, let's not.
Speaker 1Yeah, that's a long. Okay, let's, let's stay focused. Let's stay focused as a motherfucker. No way to mention that as part of my blue card jokes.
Speaker 2Okay, okay, okay. Let's not mention it, because now that you're selling people deep, deep. Moving on, guys okay, moving on, moving on. Sorry for the detour, apologies. Where did you work okay? I was like where were your white collar jokes?
Speaker 1exactly, exactly. Thank you, I'm all posh, don't mind too, I don't know what she's talking about okay, okay so when I came to, when I came to the us, I met a nigerian. Like shout out to Tomoa, by the way, wonderful guy, and shout out to Yemi, beautiful people, yeah, shout out to Yemi.
Speaker 2I know Yemi, you know Yemi. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1So Yemi and Tomoa, they, like you know, they just linked me up to one guy, one of the international office guys, and he's like okay, I know nigerians are hustlers, like I see it in you, and this was like first day guys, orientation, I'm going to connect it to somebody that can help you with campus job in the it department so I was lucky in nigeria and just left the department and he did well oh yeah.
Speaker 1So the guy's like oh, he likes nigerians, and then he just I went for an interview, wrote an exam and then I got hired. So that was my first five months at the university of michigan. Oh, I did eight months actually at the university of michigan then I got an internship at equity did you teach while you were there? No, no, I was just working in the it department. Okay, then I got a. I got an internship at equinix. I did the internship for about 11 months.
Speaker 1Oh, zero, it was a tpm technical program manager at Equinix, and then I got a job at Google Google.
Speaker 2Oh, I see 2021. When is your Google anniversary?
Speaker 1I think it's either June 17th or July 12th.
Speaker 2Oh really, it's on your birthday, july 12th.
Speaker 1I signed the offer on my birthday. It was July 12th.
Speaker 2Oh, I signed my offer. Oh, no, I signed my offer A month after my birthday.
Speaker 1I wanted it to be related.
Speaker 2I wanted to always remember that it was a month After my birthday. I signed my offer.
Speaker 1That's a birthday gift. How come you had your offer On your birthday gift On your birthday, because I got the offer Before the birthday and I just waited for, like A few days.
Speaker 2So you signed it. Oh, look at you, I was in my mushy era, guys. Look at this one.
Speaker 1I was in my, I was in my, I was in my, I was in my, I was in my, I was in my, I was in my, I was in my. I was in my, I was in my, I was in my, I was in my, I was in my, I was in my, I was in my, I was in my, I was in my.
Speaker 2I was in my, I was in and building that and actually you guys should know that excel. I don't know is it proper now that you know I can't be calling you workers, band up and down. You know I'm saying that, but it was. It was this close. I had a work wife before shah I'm not by work wife I mean like we used to sit them beside each other. We used to go for lunch together. She used to sit beside me. Shout out to you fatma, she's from bahrain. Then she got married and moved to boston.
Speaker 2It's an arab country, Sha. No it's not in Africa. Hey God, I'm about to go to Jabo.
Speaker 1It's an Arab country, but right Middle East.
Speaker 2Middle East probably. Oh my God, I can't believe. I just said that, Sorry. Yes, I was with them, beside each other, so we would go for lunch together. Anything, Sha, any go. And then she left. When she got married to Boston, I remember that it was so sad. I was like, wow, you're really leaving. And she used to name me and my manager, so you can imagine now she was not taking any way. I was like Jesus.
Speaker 1Did she leave the company?
Speaker 2No, no, no. She got married but moved to go and be with her husband in Boston. Anyway, yes, and that was around the same time you finally moved and we would start talking and I was like, wow, I actually like this guy and I think what actually happened was now he went to Cumberland University, so that helped our relationship. Right it felt like I knew him from another life, you know, and so every time, like now, be like.
Speaker 1Excel are you? This is any social activity Like the only reason why Google makes sense to me, the only reason why I feel like I can say I enjoy working at Google is because of Tolu, Like she's, like Excel, we're going for this activity and I'm like oh yeah, sure, yes, Excel doesn't know where anything is happening. Let me tell you for me, you guys me small picture.
Speaker 2I think excel doesn't care about the bigger picture, he's just focused on the details, like the small, like what am I here to? Do? So for me? I needed to enjoy, I needed to know, like me, actually. No, actually you, you read, actually you focus on the big picture. I know you read financial reports, kind of it's because of you now starting listening to investment earnings and stuff like that. But that would not concern me, means the culture I'm interested in, like okay, what's happening at google, like the tgifs I don't even know if you watch it, if you're subscribed to this thing called TLDR.
Speaker 2It's like Google, like short, short videos about the most important things Sondor has done, maybe when our CEO has traveled to somewhere and all that. So things like that keep me abreast of the business, of the company's business. I like all those type of stuff and anytime I hear that there's where, even tomorrow, I'm dragging him to a summer event at pier 50.
Speaker 1I'm looking for OT. What's hot this is your last event in this New York you better.
Speaker 2I don't want to hear anything tomorrow we are headed we are headed to the pier 50 rooftop things exactly so I always force Excel to come for all these things, and so that's how he became my workhorse band just the head.
Speaker 1I'm not. I'm not antisocial, I'm actually very social.
Speaker 2That's what an antisocial person would say, for sure.
Speaker 1I think it's just. It's just when it comes to activities, I'm just like eh, just put it in the back burner.
Speaker 2I see.
Speaker 1And honestly, I wouldn't advise anyone to do that.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Because, like, look at Tony's birthday guys.
Speaker 2Look at the google. I forgot my own baby I'm serious baby that we asked you to come and give parting words of.
Speaker 1I mean drs was no, no, that one is that one was pure indian anxiety guys, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay.
Speaker 2But anyway, yes, google has been a fun place to work and I and I also. I would say that's too because of you, google, nyc, I mean particularly because a lot of times I never like coming to the office. I mean I had work friends. I had white friends, the arab friends, trust me, I had. I think I had every race of friends that could exist. At least I work. But like having a nigerian and then an ego, which is what we call alumni of korea university, it was. I felt like I was so happy sometimes I was. I was very grateful to god I had that. You know I'd come to me, so he made coming to the office.
Speaker 1Again, rumi shout out to you.
Speaker 2Yes, shout out to you.
Speaker 1Rumi, we did a good matchmaking here. Thank you for match relax, relax, operate matchmaking, professional matchmaking.
Speaker 2I beg you, but anyway, so that was, that was fun, and my first impression of you was like you just look like a cool guy. So I can't even imagine that, all this while you were giving me side eye, judging me. I was 100% judging you the first time I ever met you, I invited you to my house so we had like a friends giving you Iyanu but at that time I already sort of knew that, okay, this person is chilled.
Speaker 2When you talked about the leg thing, okay, yeah, we started talking after, so at that point. I was already cool okay, you were beginning to think of me as, but but it's true, though, from the cover of your.
Speaker 1We have heard, we have heard, we have heard my god.
Speaker 2And that day no wonder I was begging everybody I made jello fries. You guys and everyone that knows me knows that when I cook I love to share my food. And no, no, I don't, don't be for me, shy, here we were supposed to. Let me tell you, the fight I and Excel have had is over this jello fries, because I feel like every time he tells me oh Tola, I made food today and, by the way, we live on the same street but like 15 minutes Away from each other. I'm like Excel, how can you say that we're friends and you cook, and you know me? I couldn't understand it, you know. But hey, what's your excuse?
Speaker 1Tell them out here. I'm just going to say one thing I told you. I told you were joking and I was playing along. I'm like no, we cannot. And she's like, actually, I'm serious, we cannot be friends Because.
Speaker 2I'm like that's how I received the love, like you could come and share.
Speaker 1I mean now I know that's a good thing.
Speaker 2How can you not? In my mind? I'm like how can you say you could and you did? He tripped him. Oh, he should have brought that rice. He brought that rice. I was even forming. I said I'm not taking it, you're not putting it inside my bag. I forgot to.
Speaker 1Guys, if you see it, you form me. If you see it, you think that I said.
Speaker 2But I swear I was not going to eat it. I'm telling you, you know that you put you. Actually, you said, you'll beg me.
Speaker 1You're like okay, oh, yeah, take.
Speaker 2I squad, so me and Excel also go to the same church. He shot ah, Excel, I've tried for you this year. It's me that I've brought you to church and I made you join Connecting. Did you ever do anything in that Connecting?
Speaker 1No, I think I sneakily didn't submit to that phone.
Speaker 2Oh, Excel told me that he wanted to join the people that used to make coffee.
Speaker 1I said it just randomly. She only took it upon herself to make sure that I joined that team. You joined, Like why?
Speaker 2I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Oh God, we've come a long way in such a short time, oh my God.
Speaker 1In two years.
Speaker 2Oh my God. Anyway, no, we're never talking about we lost our work. So, anyway, what took me there? Okay, I gave everybody jello fries and it was your turn to take and you said you're not taking. In my mind, I don't understand. In my mind I'm so sure of my food, even if I'm eating. One thing I'm known for cooking is jello fries. So I said what do you mean? Now you're going back. I think you were going back to New Jersey and you said you didn't have food. I said are you on a diet? He said no. I said okay, don't worry, I use basmati. I was trying to tell you the things I did, that my food is healthy, the oil is not too much. He said no, he does not want. I can't remember what made you change your mind and eventually take.
Speaker 1I think I took the plantain. I think I took the plantain and I was like okay.
Speaker 2Common fried plantain. You insult me. No, no, you insult me.
Speaker 1Guys, let me tell you so I'm very, very, extremely cautious of eating people's food, that's probably when I know them. It's not anything personal, it's just.
Speaker 2You don't want to know that they're a bad cook.
Speaker 1Exactly.
Speaker 2But you know, I'm not going to ask you. I was not going to ask you because I'm a good cook, I think for me.
Speaker 1Oh, I see that you like the food.
Speaker 2So it's better I don't just eat it. Oh, I see, I can be like. I know what you mean, I know what you mean so like I never, but if I was a bad cook. Would that be a test of my character or something? Absolutely not.
Speaker 1It just means I'm never going to eat your food, oh my God. No, I'm being honest.
Speaker 2And I'm so like but.
Speaker 1I ate the rice now.
Speaker 2You tasted it I have rice at home.
Speaker 1That's why.
Speaker 2Okay, okay, we have rice at home. That's what you're eating for me now. We are not alone. Continue, continue.
Speaker 1But the point is, like I'm always very and then I tasted the plantain and then I'm like, hmm, and the rice was looking fine, I'm not even going to lie, it was looking very fine and all of that.
Speaker 2I was like hmm, maybe it's worth giving this shirt and I ate it. I said please pack, please for me. I didn't even know that was happening, I can't even remember. So I knocked on the table and I think I gave him plenty. Okay, not, maybe not plenty, but I sure gave him about one piece of meat. So I am planting.
Speaker 1Oh my gosh, that's the man I got to know, I said ah, that's why I know that your rice is good.
Speaker 2It's just even though that I I know I know it's okay, it's okay, but it hurt my feelings. Did not have food and they saw food and just eat for me. I mean I've already cooked plenty for everyone every other person I ate even we had a friend there from microsoft that was jamaica. That kept asking for more, so I was like what is wrong with you?
Speaker 1they're not wrong with my food I actually eat, actually can eat somebody's food just one plate like, just maybe rice, and that's the only thing I'll eat forever from that person and I don't want to taste anything because you're not sure I understand and I've given you beans before. But I don't usually like this. Okay, oh, that means you didn't like it. I didn't say that. I'm just saying time is not okay, I have some people in my life that like my dish and I'm happy with it I'm sorry.
Speaker 2I'm sorry for the bad experience for you. Okay, let's forget about it, okay, okay, so I've already told you guys we are moving to poland for me, canada for you.
Speaker 1I don't like when this podcast Is going. God.
Speaker 2He's giving voice notes. Please. We're very serious In this place.
Speaker 1I don't appreciate this, please. I said what I said, vibes.
Speaker 2No, just because I'm more hilarious. Oh my god, okay, okay.
Finding out about our H-1B (US work visa) decision
Speaker 1No, let's be serious. Let's be serious For real.
Speaker 2Okay, now let's discuss Our H1B launches.
Speaker 1Where were?
Speaker 2you when you found out that you would be leaving the US finally.
Speaker 1I think I told you immediately. I got it right. I was in the office, I believe.
Speaker 2I think so. We both were waiting for it.
Speaker 1It was March 31st it was March 31st, but you were not in the office. Where was I?
Speaker 2I was walking from home, maybe I was at home, but I was in New York and we had heard that he'd get the result Last week in March. First week in April Before my, which was First week in April, is my birthday.
Speaker 1And I continued from there. So the original plan Was to have Like record Our reaction when we see. But I don't think we had the patience for that.
Speaker 2Yes, yes, it's true. That was our plan. So you guys also have YouTube. Please, please, if you follow me on youtube, you should not make me cry. Please go and look for me on youtube, the non-immigrant student. More videos coming your way, amen, this is what they call a shameless plug. Yes, please look for us, even excel has featured on that youtube in my very first, one of my very first videos, vlog day one or whatever, so continue so that was the original plan.
Speaker 1You know we record our reaction, but we didn't have the patience for that because it was it is nerve-wr is nerve-wracking guys. Yeah, when you know that it is your last lottery.
Speaker 2Lottery yeah, and it's either zero or one. Yes, it's zero, or one Either going or staying. Yeah, that was it.
Speaker 1So I opened it and then I saw the result, what was?
Speaker 2the title of the email.
Speaker 1I even feel. I think the first place I saw it was on my phone, because it came in the morning and I was talking for work.
Speaker 2So I saw it on my phone and I said I'm not going to open this. Are you serious? You held out for it, Are you?
Speaker 1serious. I got to the office, I went into a solitude mode.
Speaker 2Oh my God, a solemn mode. A solemn mode. Let me receive my decision in peace.
Speaker 1Guys, I was very dramatic to, and then I think it was only Tuesday. No, it was only Monday, because folks were not in the office. I remember that. What day was it?
Speaker 2Yes, it was a Monday. It was a Monday.
Speaker 1And then I usually walk on the 9th floor.
Speaker 2I went to the 10th floor so that no, but you will see, nobody will see my fish chain.
Speaker 1And then I opened it, and for a split second yes your heart dropped my heart just went Pikung, my heart just went Piko.
Speaker 2Who? No, it's Igbim. Why Igbo, why Igbo, why Igbo, igbim, okay, oh my God, okay, continue, continue.
Speaker 1And then I saw it and I was like hmm, Interesting, very interesting. So it's time to move right. Did you call me? Oh, it's the first person you. I sent you the picture in the logistic case and then I don't think you had seen. No, I've not seen mine, I haven't seen mine.
Speaker 2I just sent. I just sent you the picture and I was like but the moment my text message. I wonder what I said to you.
Speaker 1I think I called you immediately. I called you. I don't think I would text. I think I called you immediately. I think I called you, but the thing is the the funny thing is, immediately after I felt that it been after like it was a complete flip into survival mode yeah like I, I just stopped and guess what?
Speaker 2this is april. You had to leave july by july.
Speaker 1I know, I didn't even know when I had to leave. I just had to leave by june 28.
Speaker 2Okay, so your EAD is expiring June 28th Exactly. So like this was April and I had June 28th to stop working and figure things, out and figure where to move to study work process at B&B Okay, okay, and figure where to go to and where I'm going to go.
Speaker 1So the first thing, like immediately, I heard the results and I reacted. I sent Tony the picture. I just started thinking survival mode. Oh no, I think I called my mom.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1I called my mom and my younger sister.
Speaker 2And I'm like yo see what's going on. Yeah, that's happened to me too. Okay, when you say yours, you say mine.
Speaker 1I'm like that's happened to me and I'm ready to go Like I just flipped and sure people don't know that you want to stay in the us.
Speaker 2Remember? Yeah, you were still hopeful, me as a last year. We won't have a video, remember?
Speaker 1yeah, we're singing this song from black panther too, that I've been a voice like um. I'm not going to give you guys my single voice.
Speaker 2We're just thinking in that video, and I was telling Nexel that we're taking this video for when I'll go to Zurich. See my mom, I wanted to go to Switzerland. So you guys me how I deal with stress and anxiety. I just accept it. I started telling myself I'm in Zurich, I'm not staying, I'm not staying.
Speaker 1So me, I've been in survival mode for a past year.
Speaker 2No matter what happens today, she, they cannot, it will not affect me at all.
Speaker 1So so I felt sad for you and continue no, no, I think I think for me it was. It was very. It was at that moment, the you know, at some point I was saying I wanted to go to Zurich in order to experience something else. But towards the end, when the H1B decision was coming, that's when it became no, I want to stay in the us.
Speaker 2I'm not ready for the change and everything. And you'll be moving around and I've moved around too much guys from michigan to chicago, to tennessee, back to chicago I don't know. You ever went to tennessee. What do you go and do, tennessee?
Speaker 1I stayed in tennessee for like a month or so. Okay, about two months, yeah, and you guys just to add it here excel has never bought furniture.
Speaker 2Have you ever bought furniture? I've offered you once but when you move to this house where both of us live, excel said that I'm doing it today. Guys, I'll be. I say I'll be bold to pick you, except he never allowed me to sit in. I never went to his house because he said that he does not I never allowed anyway, because the excuse is I don't have chair. Who wants not to buy chair? He said that he was not going to buy chair. Until until what is it?
Speaker 2until whether your h1b decision comes out, yeah, until I'm sure that I'm settling that, if not you, and I mean it was fair, but I was like okay. So, since I already know that both of us are in this, boat together.
Speaker 1I can't come to your house like my whole move is usually like two boxes because of these reasons, reasons.
Speaker 2I see, yeah, it's okay, okay. So yeah, when I had the decision I.
Speaker 1I called my family and then I was like yo Wawan, this is what's going on and I just went straight into Survivor. What next? We talked to my manager. I told him look, this is where we are.
Speaker 2Bam, bam, bam what can we do?
Speaker 1They offered me some of the most biz. I won't say biz Sao Paulo.
Speaker 2So Google is investing in lower cost economies.
Speaker 1We should say that.
Speaker 2So places like india, munich, brazil. Um, there's another place poland, singapore, right? Oh, I know, I know about taiwan, taiwan, taiwan to somewhere else. So places where labor is cheaper than the us of zurich even now, that's zurich I was mentioning you have to be l5 and above, and even at l5 it is extremely hard to get.
Speaker 2Yeah it's so. So what? How did you guys arrive at canada? Because usually at google, policy is like there has to be a business justification or reason to send you to a particular place. Yeah, so for me, why I have been selected to go to Warsaw is because the people who are building our phones I work on the device system, pixel team, fitbit and all of that A lot of them are hosted in Poland. They work out of Poland, so they think it's business wise for me to go to Poland, right Even though.
Speaker 2London could also be an option, but like there are out of poland, so they think it's business wise for me to go to poland, right, even though london could also be an option, but like there are single teams there, but anyway. So why did your team choose canada for you?
Speaker 1yeah, I think because one of the uh criteria was that you would have your team in wherever you're going to there should be team members team members there. So brazil was an expanding site, india was an expanding site.
Speaker 2They offered me brazil or india really, I thought it was munich they offered you germany munich was a gamble.
Speaker 1Munich was. We could try, but we are not sure. Sure okay right because you have some team members there so we could try to push for that same with me.
Speaker 2That was how london was.
Speaker 1Yeah, it was closed yeah, right from the onset, they already told me it was closed.
Speaker 2Taiwan was out for me because it was a 13 hour time exactly and mind you guys.
Speaker 1My whole my whole traveling was hinged on moving to zurich, like my whole, my whole piece.
Speaker 2It's true me and you talk about it that we'll be in zurich together. That was our.
Speaker 1That was our piece was that, even if I get to travel, I'll be in zurich and we're like fine, like I use that as a comfort zone. And then they just told me straight up.
Speaker 2They snatched it under our feet out.
Speaker 1I was like oh, I think at that point I was when my micro panic started started. Yeah, I was like oh my god, so brazil.
Speaker 2I remember I remember when excel taught me how to watch walking talk. So you go to youtube and you click walking the city of brazil. Then you'll not see someone with gopro. Now he's walking around the city. You'll learn how to. So I did that too for poland people that are walking around the city so we can know what the city looks like. Man, you guys it was. It was a tumultuous it was a tumultuous.
Speaker 2It has been a tumultuous two months for you, but poland is nice, right, my brother? That's not the situation. Who is in poland? If you know anybody in poland, please tell them that I'm coming. Oh, I'm coming. I've been watching youtube videos. There's some nigerians there like I'm, so one can have her braids look neat.
Speaker 2I said, okay, maybe there's a braider, because I need my bread, I need my nail artist, I need my everything thank you, you guys don't be praying for me, me, my own, I mean, I'm supposed to live by january 2025, so I still have some time, but now I have to be in like survival mode for a long time. Like my lease here is up in j, but I was able to extend it for an extra three months. I'm supposed to be moving like September, october, november around that time. So it's like, as long as I just sit and look around my house, god, what am I going to do with my bed?
Speaker 1What am I going to do with my?
Speaker 2plants. At first I even wanted to text some of my friends Just like yeah, so plus the pot. As you see, that's her name pot. That's why she has a name. I don't want my plant, so, but yeah, because it was real monster. See, it's still growing now. The soil is good, anyway. So that's the situation of what we're going through.
Speaker 1I look around $200 for a plant.
Speaker 2No plus the pot. Maybe the pot is like $80.
Speaker 1Maybe $120.
Speaker 2It's not like how people have pets. You know the way everybody wants to stress me in our team, my pet. Meet my dog Louie, my cat.
Speaker 1Me too, I should start taking my plants.
Speaker 2Even when someone was telling us how, oh my God, their dogs miss them so much Me, I not commented. I said I guess my plants miss me too, Because all of us came back from summit. I said okay, let me join these crazy people, I inanimate object, but, anyway, sorry.
Speaker 1So, um, yeah, where were we canada? Yeah, yeah. So my manager is like excel. After like like three weeks, he's like excel, you know what? There's a probability that you'll be able to make it to canada and I'm like let's, let's give it a shot, let's try, because one going to brazil, I have to learn portuguese, yeah, to survive at least for a whole year. And then there are a couple of things that you knowzil, I have to learn portuguese, yeah, to survive at least for a whole year. And then there are a couple of things that you know you would have to learn is a new site.
Speaker 2Yeah, the team is just being formed yeah, there were so many and the place was still giving third world the place was actually I mean we might be wrong. Please, in case you're brazilian.
Speaker 1We're sorry, but that will be so on youtube yeah, and I think I think what what I was trying to avoid is I wanted a place where I could bring my family to, to visit and they would feel like it was different yeah, and brazil is a lot more.
Speaker 2It's a lot like lagos yeah, you know, there's a lot of nigerian vibes.
Speaker 1Yeah nigerian vibes. So I that's. That's why I can't bring my parents in new york, to be honest because, yeah, my mom came from manhattan.
Speaker 2She spat yeah, because the smell. She said that is this, the manhattan I think she could not take this man. She just spat on the floor like this.
Speaker 1I saw the disgust on her face like this is the Manhattan you know when you're about to talk, take them to somewhere else, please.
Speaker 2So yeah, what other alternative? And for me? I think when I heard the news, I was on the phone with someone so it shocked me. I think my heart just dropped and immediately I texted my. So everybody on my team, I, I, everybody, I dragged them through the trauma with me for one year. I told them you guys, guys, guys, guys, this is last year, guys, we're waiting to march.
Speaker 2Guys, every minute, if any time, bar our immigration firm sends us an email, I forward it fyi did you forward it to your team yes, no, just my manager and I copied my skip.
Speaker 2I needed to tell them to know, because my team too you can see now it took them how many months four months before they approved my request. So I knew that these folks, this bunch, I need to be carrying them along so they will not act like. I never told them so every once in a month. They knew that tolu is waiting for her, her information, I think. So when it finally happened, I just forwarded it and said hi, the shoe has finally dropped. Full stop regards. And I went. I wanted them to know that I'm as you are as you read this, I'm thinking about my life. And then the other shoe has finally dropped. Then the responders start to hear this Okay, we'll speak to the director soon. Follow up. So immediately that process started, but it just took forever and they just approved it today.
Speaker 1Guys, I think, if nothing, this is one thing that I'm grateful for my own management chain for. I gave it very, very much on it.
Alternative pathways to explore to secure Permanent Residency in the US
Speaker 2I kept saying that I'm so happy for you, so what? So when? Before we go into what are things we're going to miss about the us, because time is of the essence what other alternative paths did you explore that? So this is for other us people who might fear that they are also losing their work, authorization like what advice can we give them?
Speaker 1so what?
Speaker 2paths can they explore?
Speaker 1if you, if you are from places like outside india or um china, asia generally, india, india and china. Basically, I would say, explore the eb to niw path what of nigeria's?
Speaker 2yeah, outside there like okay, any other country outside okay, yeah, because for them their date isn't that it is about 10 years exactly, except if you are willing to wait 10 years, but otherwise explore the national interest waiver. Which is what's that you're writing to us government that you have a proposed endeavor that can help the economy, so they should waive your your work authority yes, they should waive that that need for you to apply for work authorization and they should give you a special visa to be able to stay back in the us ahead.
Speaker 1So and then I think another option to explore is the eb1, although this one is extremely difficult it's called the ice time visa yeah, because it requires you to be of extraordinary ability. So, yeah, it's something you can explore, something you should try, but that would require you to maybe write papers yeah, and you have to have.
Speaker 2There are 10 requirements for an eb1 visa, but you need to have four out of ten yeah, so something like um what are they like?
Speaker 1an award public. It probably your different.
Speaker 2Yes several publications, like websites, have to have carried you. You have to be somebody in your field basically yes, you have to. Yes, you have to be commanding a higher salary than the rest of them. Yeah, so both of us tried different options. I'm trying for the niw, and you as well. Right so, but that takes a year and a half right a year and a half to to get approved or to get the green card to get up to get approved if you do um speedy whatever it's called premium processing.
Speaker 2You can take about two weeks, yeah, but to get the green card. It takes about a year because of the backlog backlog exactly, and right now the backlog is there in march. So so march of 2023 so they're still, and for us who are applying 2024, so you can imagine, there's a one year um backlog and these are alternative pathways to green card. So, of course, whatever we say, please don't even take it. Just whatever lawyer has assigned to you, just go and meet them I think.
Speaker 1I think another option to explore is actually leaving the country and coming back on an air visa, which is what we're doing, which is yeah, okay.
Speaker 2So we should say the green card we're exploring is Pan Am B. It's because and two of us fell into the pit of usually Google does apply for green cards from the first day we had, but we had shitty lawyers assigned to us and I do not. I said what I said. I stand on what I I do not stand to be. I had and also something else that didn't favor me. Even you. You definitely had a terrible lawyer when I came in 2022. They laid off january 2023 and in the us, if a company lays off, you're required to pause your green card applications for six months so now they're not laid off again in june.
Speaker 2So now it starts me post again to the end. It was supposed to get to the end of last year then they did some layers. So, as you can see, I have no hopes for my green card being approved. So that's why, fine, and people used to talk to me about taking this pathway, but I never really listened because I was like I was like we have our jobs.
Speaker 2You know, we're just like spoiled googlers, thinking that we always have this job and now look at us, look at us, we're there going for events. But truthfully, to even my notary layoffs, we also knew a lot of success stories. We had friends who were getting their green card at google, so we just I genuinely just felt like my time would come to be honest.
Speaker 1Yeah, honestly, I felt like I wasn't going to push it.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah and even when I would follow up with the lawyers, they would tell they would tell me the same thing it's paused, it's paused, it's paused anyway. Now we have gone to go and look for lawyers and people outside that can help us spend our money spend our money, bro bro I'm at 4k now.
Speaker 1Where are you? I'm at 4k. I didn't want to talk where I am, oh my god, you know I'm doing one or two oh my god.
Speaker 2You know I told someone that I can never give that money to this government just to stay here. Never, but it's my pride. It's probably my pride because I'm like what the hell? And I'm still going to pay premium processing I've never done that.
Speaker 1Let's, let's keep. Actually, let's not talk about it, it's very sad, you guys, so sad it's so expensive when it is, if you have, if you are, I think one of the major advice I'll give is, beyond you know, getting your professional starts up yeah save up a lot of money if you want to just have a hinge free peace of mind application exactly just save up a lot of money for that. Focus on that Moving on.
Speaker 2Oh, I wanted to increase your voice, oh sorry, sorry, so that you can be louder for people to hear you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, you can't keep talking, but yeah, it's just yeah, to immigrate is money.
Speaker 1You know, we keep with some of us. I know a lot of us. Anytime they actually they'll say it's good, it's because you cannot begin to describe. If you begin describing, you tell like, honestly, see, there are some people who had a very smooth immigration and truly, for those ones you can say it's god, yeah. But then there are some, there are some, the process in it, in of itself, like the general process. I'll be, I'll be honest.
Speaker 1Both of us are lucky I think so even, even though we are going through distress, yeah, we are still lucky that we're in a position where we can, where we can actually that's true.
Speaker 2So sometimes when I complain, you're right, god. I thank god. I'm so sorry if I've been ungrateful, because some people don't even have jobs, people that were laid off. Who's going to take them to poland and canada?
Speaker 1the option even day exactly.
Speaker 2There's no option. That's true, that's true so we, we are, we are lucky in some way, we are God, we thank you, we thank you so much. We even have somewhere that we can say we're going to and actually when we check, you're right, it's not that bad, it's actually. It's like a mini city, it's like a wannabe New York. Yeah, and it ranges are. I'll give a joint range for our salaries. Maybe are you including like the no, no, no base.
Speaker 1So let's say 120 to 160.
Speaker 2That's about right for yours, right, okay, sorry, sorry, it's a range. It's a range 120 to 180 for the base, and so how do you feel about the salary adjustment too? You want to see if they're, if they say any six figures, you can see any six figures no, no, no, no, actually no, I'll be any six figures in zloty's.
Speaker 1Yeah, but in the uk. Yes, I was to be any you see me I think. I think it even goes beyond that, because the the cost of living in canada is almost as equivalent to living in the us and I'm taking a 45 percent cut and I'm getting double tax. To me it's like like I'm getting the, like the the. What's the word? Is it the wrong end of?
Speaker 1the stick or whatever it's called like I mean it's great that this option exists. I'm actually grateful because I do need to leave to canada and I really I'm looking forward to it in a way. Yeah, but then the financial part.
Speaker 2I don't know if I'm willing to just accept it as is like I remember you used to tell me that even excel I mean, it's something I'm going to talk about later like you started doing all the, I started seeing all your financial models that you used to do to get your money up. I was like Excel, plug me in this, you know, and you used to tell me that, as a woman, I do even need to be getting my money up although I know that might sound a little patriotic out some patriotic out some people but, like both of us understand the context of what it was right.
Speaker 2Excel felt like he's gonna be a provider, he needs to be a family man, he needs to, like, get his money up and all that. So he was very he was much more frugal in his spending but, like, even for me, now where I'm going to even okay, I'm going to start, I'm waiting for that part. So excel was much more frugal in his spending and even for me now, knowing how much. I've not calculated percentage of my code, but all I need is that it's less than half of what I'm in the us for base, so I don't even know how it's going to affect my stocks or my equity or my no bonus is still 15%.
What we'll miss most about the US // other countries to consider moving to asides the US
Speaker 2How is it in Canada? I think it's 15, but then I'm paying US Canada tax together yes, it's true, they told me so they're still doing some tax reviews so how it works at Google. You don't earn the same money everywhere. They adjust it to wherever you're living. So that's which is. I think it can be a good or bad thing, but anyway. So that's the dilemma that we're currently in.
Speaker 1So, yeah, so to wrap up the episode on what will you miss the most about the us I think I think for me, the biggest, the what I'll probably miss the most to me, is the people. I think I made a lot of friends, especially like in chicago and now in new york yeah I'm going to definitely miss the people a whole lot. They they made my stay in the us worth it anyway.
Speaker 2So you didn't tell us how you moved from michigan to chicago actually that's a lot of but you were. You got your job In Google Michigan office or Chicago office.
Speaker 1No, I got my job In Google Cali In Mountain View, really yeah, but then I changed it To New York and my excuse was that there are no black people In Mountain View. I swear to God.
Speaker 2And you, what Did you talk to HR? Was he HR? No, I just told my manager.
Speaker 1That she's she's in Zurich. So I was like, never now, look I, I want to go to San Fran, but I know black people there, I know Nigerians there, and she's like, oh yeah that she, yeah.
Speaker 2So where do you want to move to? Do you want to stay in Chicago? Yeah?
Speaker 1they have to support you. They have to be inclusive she's like so do you want to? Do you want to stay in, uh, chicago? And I said, well, I think New York would be a better option for me. I was like okay, yeah sure I know doing COVID, they were allowing a lot of moves. I see, I see so Michigan they allowed me to stay in Michigan for like a year just because I work from home and then during that time I just switched.
Speaker 2Okay, so that's how you ended up in New York and we finally became friends. Okay, so you said you were saying sorry to have caught. You said you miss the people yeah, I think so.
Speaker 1For me, most importantly, like I'll miss the people I, I will miss the ease of doing things in the us. I know people complain a lot but honestly, trust me, it is. It is really easy to do a lot of things in the us I don't know if it's because of capitalism, but they make things easy. I'm not going to lie I'm going to miss my pee. Yeah, I'm going to miss my friends.
Speaker 2I'm going to miss tolu. I'm not even going to lie, it's just yeah, I'm going to miss my pee.
Speaker 1Yeah, I'm going to miss my friends. I'm going to miss tolu. I'm going to miss a lot of people. Yeah, that made the us, you know, mean something to me to me yeah and I think even you know, beyond that, I'm going to miss the um. Beyond you know, my friends, the, the ease of doing stuff and all of that I'm. What am I going to miss again in the us?
Speaker 2let me say mine. So maybe, yeah, I think for me I haven't even thought about I wrote this question so I forgot to answer them to myself, but definitely my friends and new friends of me and the new you know my story is very sad but, anyway and um, because before I think in our reveal we're going to tell people how I also never really wanted.
Speaker 2I was already getting ready for a change in my life. Low-key, very low-key. I was like, okay, I've been here for four years now I can use the change of embarrassment, I'm a spinster, nothing is holding me back, I can do whatever the hell I want. So I was already like, okay, going to europe will be a nice experience in the experience, you know to explore and all that.
Speaker 2But now that I think of it, I think I don't even know if I'm really missing anything, because I never allowed myself feel rested in the country as well, like my two feet have never been down because I knew that I was going to be in a lottery.
Speaker 1All this way, so I've never.
Speaker 2I mean, I've made good friends, don't get me wrong, like I have like people that I can call tomorrow and these people will be like oh yes, tolu is our ride or die, you know in air quotes and all that. But when I think about what have I really missed? Maybe the attractions, maybe even the places I ever traveled to. I went to go and meet people yeah, so I always feel like I can always meet people again, so I guess I don't know what do I miss.
Speaker 1Yeah, exactly, I don't know actually. But you know one thing I feel like I I miss. I have more things that I miss in Nigeria than in the US, of course, definitely.
Speaker 2I agree with that, because I also feel like I have friends everywhere, even in Europe. I'm going to nice.
Speaker 1Like I'm going to go and begin another Europe tour.
Speaker 2I have my sister in Dublin, I have friends in London, manchester, germany, so in fact To do the travel? I've been telling myself no matter what happens, it's me, I'll do it again. I'll find community again with the help of God. You know I love that. I'll find I'm even sad. I think something I'm sad about is actually leaving my church to be fair to be fair, because I felt like I was already becoming committed.
Speaker 2For one year I did not go to church in this US. I've been for even two years, so I know what back in church. I know how grateful I am to have been back in church so I to have joined like service units in church, like I'm on prayer team now and all that. So it's like, oh my god, I'm going to start again a new place, and so, of course, that's scary, but I don't think.
Speaker 2I think your work might still be the same. Working with people, meeting your friends, might still be the same. For me, hopefully, europe too is a very is a first world place, so, like I feel like he's doing things easily, might be easy too. I don't know about language barrier, though. So that's another thing, of course, the salary will hurt, but I think I'll adjust you know? No, I never knew I would end this much money in my life already in dollars.
Speaker 1I think, wherever I am, I'll be fine. I think one thing, one thing, one thing is that is also very fair to point out is, in a way again, I know we are being all grateful, I know, but we are also coming from a place of, should I say, some level of privilege. Yeah, because the truth is, being in the us is not easy. I'm not even going to lie like the emotional baggage alone, yeah, just knowing that you're in a lottery for for three years and there's like there's nothing you can do to actually change that change that.
Speaker 2You know. It's not like you can sleep money. Even if we started applying for well, even if we said, okay, we'll start applying for our own green card on this side, where we have gotten the money, it's not because we're working on how many that we could have applied. So yeah, I guess everything happens.
Speaker 1So I think, I think, I think what I'm trying to drive out is all these things that we're saying we're grateful for yes, they are nice, but you should also know that we are saying we are grateful for yes, they are nice, but you should also know that we are saying it from a place of Privilege, privilege. Because everybody can actually you know, Some people are not, you know.
Speaker 2Yeah, are stable enough. Are stable enough.
Speaker 1Even just the emotional Dude when Trump was coming in.
Speaker 2Yeah, A lot of people told me to that's when I was coming. I came here in 2020 during the elections. Yes, I came here just before. I came here in November. I arrived here November 1st. Everybody I knew was going to the US kept telling me why not Canada? But, I had to tell them you guys, the US is my promised land.
Speaker 1I don't know about this.
Speaker 2But now that promised land fooled me and it's about to spit me out. But we peed.
Speaker 1I told you about the whole depression thing. I feel like we've talked about it, but not in detail. I hardly gave you the detail.
Speaker 2I know people are voting him again this year.
Speaker 1I think, for when I got my Google job, I slipped into depression twice.
Speaker 2Is it that you couldn't believe?
Speaker 1it. No, I think I've just gone through so much. I've just gone through so much stress. Both mentally and emotionally. How?
Speaker 2long was your recruiting period? No, I think I've just gone through so much stress To get there, both mentally and emotionally.
Speaker 1How long was your recruiting period? How long did it take you? When did you start? When did you get there? I started in March. No, yes, in March, and then by April it wasn't even the recruiting period.
Speaker 2You know you'll be star boy, star boy Me. I started in January. I didn't get into me.
Speaker 1my mother, I was told I don't think it was just the google recruiting, because I feel like for google zone I was already not to brag, but I feel like I was already sure and I was going to get it even just by when the recruiter reached out to me, so I was like fine I don't even, I don't even settle that, that I'm going to get that one you know spiritually and everything yeah, but I think it was just the the buildup of emotional stress yeah, dude, I did go through a lot yeah, I came during kobe, that you have any friends, that you have any anybody here?
Speaker 2that not make bread? Ah, should we talk about that?
Speaker 1no, please your grass ah, let, yes, let's not talk about it, but your established.
Speaker 2Has established.
Speaker 1My established has established.
Speaker 2Oh, my God.
Speaker 1I mean, guys, this doesn't mean that if you send me money, I will not collect it. I will not collect it.
Speaker 2Help us please, and actually we should tell them so people are not worried. There is a plan to come back aside the green card Google. After you've stayed away from the country for at least 12 months, you're allowed to rent at the US on a different visa called the L1 visa, and there's the L1A and the L1B.
Speaker 1See with how many lawyers I've met.
Speaker 2Now I can, even I can spit, I can quote everything that they tell me.
Speaker 1But, guys, you know one of the disadvantages of l1, the reason why I'm pushing that we still do green card is because l1, you have to throw it to the company. So if anything happens, you have to do this yeah, spoken english like engaged.
Speaker 2You know you'll be threatened. Oh my god, oh so everything happens.
Speaker 1It's not even like the normal ead that you have 60 days or 90 days. I see you say I didn't even know that part, so so us immigration.
Speaker 2I didn't even know that part. So US immigration is I don't even know now. Do you see a vice to come to the US? Anybody with dreams to immigrate to the US? What would you say? I think I felt if money is the dream, pursue it, yes. But if money is not the Norway, Finland, Ireland.
Speaker 1Australia I don't know about Australia. I don't know.
Speaker 2Since I mentioned the Shanghai companies.
Speaker 1I said let me add Australia. Other places that are more. If it's peace of mind, if it's money that you want, the capitalism in the US is supreme.
Speaker 2Even the job, the experience, the expertise.
Speaker 1Even the quality of Nigerians are here too. Honestly, if you are looking for, I hear Nigerians are quite experienced.
Speaker 2I respect it.
Speaker 1Sorry, I've seen Nigerians are respected among the African community like you need to hear my Kenyan co-worker talking about Nigerians.
Speaker 2I know they think we're so cool. I'm like bro, I didn't know we're that cool yeah, they always think that's so cool and there's some people that roll their eyes. I have a friend that's always like every time I I cooked jollof fries for nigerian jollof wars competition now in nigeria, she's like your people voted they. She's always like, oh, they cheated.
Speaker 1Like, oh, you guys just I think someone said that about your, the, the, the stuff that we did in google, that that outfit thing, and they were like only Nigerians, and that were there. Someone said come and call me my peer bonus.
Speaker 2So you guys, there was a fashion competition. I mean, I submitted and I was like wait, I don't even have to go and dress up for this. When my sister did wedding.
Speaker 1I was sister of the bride. I said I submitted my picture, but there were only two non-Nigerians. What?
Speaker 2was the concern. What was there not to submit? True, true Do you remember when I was Africa committee lead, I even came back and begged we were asking for suggestions of food for. African people. So, you guys, we had Africa week and I was on the volunteering committee, and then we begged them. Only Nigerians were submitting food. Moi, moi, jello fries meat pie. I had to come back and beg. I yes, people are submitting.
Speaker 2I was like hi guys, we've only received a submission from West Africa, in particular Nigeria and Ghana. Please like, if you're from South, west, north, please submit. That's how people from Morocco, cameroon, côte, d'ivoire, all those are sending out their submitting for that food.
Speaker 1So I feel like other Africans don't participate as much as Nigerians, because that one does not concern me. I just want to also point out that Tolu bullied me to vote for her.
Speaker 2Eh, I never did. I said okay, actually I bully this one, I actually bully this one. But let me tell you, I said that yeah, because I know you did not know that it was even happening.
Speaker 1Yeah, so I said to the link that I said see, I'm going for this.
Speaker 2Vote me, of course. Who else will you vote? Are you funny? I?
Speaker 1mean, if I knew it was happening, I would have voted for you, and actually no.
Speaker 2If you saw someone else that you liked, maybe you could have voted I don't think I saw anybody.
Speaker 1I know you just.
Speaker 2You just went there and voted me and I had a friend the same friend who called me to let me know I've never talked about where I was when I had my h1b. I was on a call and someone called me. I said tolu, I heard that people h1b's are have you seen yours? And I'd logged out, for the day was around 7 pm, march 31st, I'll be april 1st and so I said, oh no, I haven't get to know. Anyway, that was how I found out about my, and then, of course, I sent the screenshots to you I sent to my mom.
Speaker 1I mean, like I told you, I was already expecting so I was like okay, now my mind can calm down, it don't happen exactly it has casted it don't cast everything.
Speaker 2So so me too, I immediately went into sharp mood, like texting my people and whatever. So she's the same person called me. I said tolu, I saw that you put in, you went in for this fashion competition. I've already voted you. So that's when I knew that. And let me tell you, apparently I found out that I eventually got access to the phone because so I saw the people that voted for me and I saw the. I even saw one friend. They said you did not vote for me in this thing, and it was clear, let me tell you, except forget was.
Speaker 1But my was my picture not the finest okay, maybe the other south african girl came close. Like I said, I didn't look at any other.
Speaker 2There was another person that her own looked fun like startup. It looked different like her own. The other people there that had actually mom was the best you know, you know, you know.
Speaker 1The thing is. I say I, you asked me to send the picture to your work profile yeah, so like I already knew what you knew, I didn't even look at anybody. I just saw the pink outfit and you saw it exactly.
Speaker 2I saw. I remember seeing some whose responses, some other. I didn't know their name, but there was a girl's elder. I saw I was like Jesus. This girl didn't actually vote for me. She was always pinging me. I'm not joking. She used to ping me for help. Sometimes I even used to ignore her messaging. I said this life, this life even if, even if no, you're supposed to help your helper.
Speaker 1Wow, yes, this is why Tinubu is where he is now.
Speaker 2Please don't call my name in the same name. Thank, you.
Speaker 1Maybe she's drinking white tea now it's in the presidential seat. It's a lie. Maybe she's a liar.
What we'll miss most about New York City & each other
Speaker 2Except why I'm even angry is because I know my picture with the finest. That's my point, but we can talk about that another day, Anyway. So what do you miss most about New York? We're running out of time.
Speaker 1What do you miss?
Speaker 2most about New York.
Speaker 1So I think the New York office, to me personally, is the best in the US and you know I've been to 11 offices means let me do smoke.
Speaker 2Let me come close to the mic, like this nigga has been doing.
Speaker 1Please, though, no offense to a killer head so African American friends, please though guys, tolo and I have this running competition. Yes, whoever this is, whoever visits the most google. What's the gift set. Is that right so?
Speaker 2I've been. I've been to 11 offices and every time you can see how many offices you're being to so let me count it for you guys. I've been to sunnyvale mountain view boston wait, now I've been to boston, don't get me distracted. Atlanta, new York, virginia DC, austin, texas, lagos, toronto, 10, 10, no, there's one more. I'm missing one. I swear I'm missing one. Continue, count it.
Speaker 1I'm not going to embarrass myself. I've been to just New York, chicago, michigan, colorado and I think one more I can't remember One Lagos. I've been to Lagos, colorado, and I think we won one. I can't remember we won Lagos. I haven't been to Lagos, except we said we'll go to Lagos office in Lagos office. They pick them from their house inside car hey, we said we'll go to Lagos, but we're not coming in December now, even if one day we shall jam in Lagos and we'll do that, we'll order.
Speaker 2Pick up, go to the office guys I'm doing in my Excel no grief for anybody.
Speaker 1They don't burn anybody, papa me.
Speaker 2Excel said that now that they don't give me visa, we travel the world because he was stuck in, you were stuck in the US, right, I haven't.
Speaker 1I haven't left the US since, and the US. They don't joke with that if you leave, you can't come back.
Speaker 2It's not a joke if you leave anything you leave in this country, say bye, bye, forget about, which is kind of like a dicey thing. Maybe like B1, B2, yeah.
Speaker 1But this year you see this competition that we are doing. I'll come back for the next podcast Okay, no. Allah, you see, my guy Let it be Matt.
Speaker 2No, I'm at the level of this. Let me never make Matt. You see what I will make, matt, I'll be. I'm going to Europe, all the Europe offices, anyone I go, that I've entered, don't worry, he's on, he's on, he's on the bet. We bet pinky swear. Okay, what else? What? I'm new york. Anybody that knows me I think everybody has the wrong impression that I love new york because of all my instagram.
Speaker 1I absolutely, I told you, nobody believes me when I say that I don't.
Speaker 2You know. I told you when I got my offer. I told them I want to go to either california or austin. They said no, that these were the head counties, and I accepted it in grudgingness, you know. So I, I just made up my mind. I was going to make the best of it. So for new york, I think the only thing I'll miss is having everything somewhere. I used to enjoy going shopping. I used to enjoy like I liked. I don't like the transit system, but I like the ease of transportation. I don't like the subway, but I like that. I can get to wherever I need to get to. Right, I can be in another city today.
Speaker 1So sorry for interrupting, but I have something to brag about oh my god the train. The reason why tuli doesn't like the transit is because she goes through the the ghetto on the ghetto train guys, my train is the post train and it is literally just like a 30 second walk from the house get out of there.
Speaker 2Who are?
Speaker 1you bragging for now in this one.
Speaker 2Who are you bragging for? Get the, get the. Who are you bragging for?
Speaker 1get the hell out of my podcast actually, I'm actually going to really miss the comments and I'm going to miss the food.
Speaker 2I think food in New York is good.
Speaker 1I haven't really explored the food in New York, funny enough really.
Speaker 2You sure you don't like it.
Speaker 1You're picking it up too yeah, and also the fact that I mostly like make what I eat. So I haven't really.
Speaker 2And you're weird. You like Mexican. What's your favorite cuisine outside of Nigerian cuisine?
Speaker 1It's Jamaican or Mexican right, jamaican or Mexican, yeah, my favorite is Asian Thai food, chinese food, yeah.
Speaker 2I feel like I started liking Asian recently. Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, yeah, actually I did. I used to Quesadilla tacos. Yeah, it's only tacos, I know right.
Speaker 2It's only tacos. I know I was like which Mexican food even exists?
Speaker 1Rice and beans no no, no, they are very close Really. It's like when you get the ingredient right, huh, when you tell them to spice it up.
Speaker 2Oh, I see, give us spicy. I see they're not a spice. Anyway. So that's, I don't know what else I missed about New York.
Speaker 1And another thing I missed, by the way, is the stores yeah. I'm someone who, like one of the issues that I had with Michigan was the stores were like very far away from me so I'll have to like take an Uber or whatever, but I like the fact that I can just come down my house and there's a store downstairs.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, it's true, even me, even the, I like that. I liked going to Sephora. I mean, I'm sure in other places I can go to them too, right, but I just like the fact that in New York I could walk to any of these places. There are parts of New York that are really cute, like I love seeing, and I started people watching a lot, like on the train. That's why all the sneakers I have today I lent it, I saw it on people on the train, so I'm going to miss like that, maybe like that people watching, but I don't think that I really I can say I love you there's some people that say I love new york.
Speaker 1I don't know, yeah, yeah. I have a friend who says that she can never leave, like she actually wants to buy a house in new york, in the city itself, and I'm like what does she?
Speaker 2do for you. Who's her daddy? What does she do?
Speaker 1you know, you know, you know the person. I know the person that go and do job. Yeah, oh, I see Interesting, go with you for her, actually you know anything you put your mind to do.
Speaker 2No, I'm beginning to understand. I'm beginning to see time and time again.
Speaker 1Your goals can be achieved. I mean mom, I want to buy a penthouse.
Speaker 2I know it's always penthouse.
Speaker 1Go watch her, do it.
Speaker 2It's possible in the US, right, yeah, true, but I think for me it's the. I don't think New York is that kind of place where I would want to. That's what people say, but I don't agree. People say, oh, how can you raise a child in New York? No, that is the mindset. It's because you hear everybody say in the city you can't raise a child? Yes, I mean, if your money can pay for it, why not us that we grew up in richer?
Speaker 1places in our house had to be survived. But it's not just money, right?
Speaker 2it's not just money issue right like the cultural issues so will you take your kids to Nigeria?
Speaker 1not necessarily Nigeria, but like more prestigious, even if it's in Texas, they will go there and face gun violence, so which one is better?
Speaker 2yeah, but I mean, I don't think about it like that because people that I have a friend that was shot, that text that I don't, I don't mess with that people, I like it but I am like People will be carrying gone. Yeah, I don't think anyway is better than anyone comes to raising kids. You think so?
Speaker 1This podcast is coming to you next.
Speaker 2What I favorite memories from our friendship. I have a list here memories from our friendship. I have a list here so, oh yeah, wow guys, she's prepared and I'm not. What are your favorite memories from our friendship and your worst memories? You said it to start with favorites okay, I can start with what.
Speaker 1Let me start with what you, you just like stress yeah, start from, because there's only one worst I have, okay, tell me I think my worst memory was when we quarreled about the the jello fries thing really okay.
Speaker 2Yeah, I think you were pissed I wasn't pissed.
Speaker 1I wasn't pissed, I was just like I was shocked.
Speaker 2Like I was very surprised.
Speaker 1I think I was surprised Because of the extent that I got to.
Speaker 2Got to. Yeah, but you know I also don't like jokes. I don't know if you know. Yeah, I know you say that.
Speaker 1But then it's like You're kind of a funny person, kind of Emphasis on kind You're funny.
Speaker 2You're. I'm already sad. You cannot take it back. I'm falling out. You can't take it back. You can't take it back. I guess maybe I was just on the wrong side of my emotions that day and I don't even mean to. Sometimes After I was like wait, why are you so angry at me? Why are you so angry? I think I just Because I actually told you, except you, bring for me. I think you pranked me. Either you said that, no, you didn't. Cool, I don't know why I was offended.
Speaker 1I remember why too, but it was like it was serious to the point of we cannot be friends. And I'm like whoa.
Speaker 2Okay, yes, that escalated, but I think did I apologize you did.
Speaker 1No, it's not. I'm just saying, like the, you did like that was.
Speaker 2It was last year, was it?
Speaker 1last year, or was it this year?
Speaker 2it was this year. It was this year. You definitely wanted to be strong before.
Speaker 1There are a lot of memories. I think there's one where we went for Toussaint's thing, where we all went to the Chinese house and the Korean barbecue. There's one where we went with. What's her name? Iyanu, Iyanu love, no, not love.
Speaker 2What's her name Ivy. Anyways, a friend.
Speaker 1Sarah oh yes, yes yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Sarah came in time, went for dinner. That was Val's day dinner this year, that was this year. And then you know your birthday. Really you had fun, really I had so much fun. I really liked your birthday.
Speaker 2I'm happy you came, I'm happy, thank you, thank you for inviting me. Duh, duh exactly you that you were for me. I told you. When you told me, oh, I have piano class, I said, except, so you're going to come late for my birthday.
Speaker 1But I did. You came late. I came late, but I dressed up for the piano class and I'm sure everybody looked at me weird because we were just dressed randomly and I, you know, looked up proper and all.
Speaker 2You sure we didn't talk about our piano class and my acting class.
Speaker 1It's true. Yes, we did that. I still have a. You must never see the light of day. You see the way I'm looking at you. You shall see no body. No, I'll be in Canada. Wait till you're in Canada, so what?
Speaker 2does that mean? Are you threatening me?
Speaker 1Is it threats?
Speaker 2Is it threats? Is it?
Speaker 1threats.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, now you still have your own piano videos. God even said that you're good in those. What's the name of the video?
Speaker 1Money must something I will never, I will never. So I think. So that was one. And then also when I came to New York, you know, the first time we came to your house with Sori Channel, I that was like to me, that was like, okay, I already knew that this person is she.
Speaker 2she make like, like you know as you wanted to be friends with me. Yeah, this is.
Speaker 1I just knew that this was someone that I have a good friendship with.
Speaker 2Oh, thank you for giving me a second chance after insulting me from LinkedIn. But it's okay, I didn't insult you.
Speaker 1I just judged you Heavy judgment.
Speaker 2Actually do you know? Is that all? Are you done? I mean there are more, but let me pause for now. I'll giving me food when you cook, isn't?
Speaker 1it crazy that we have this.
Speaker 2Because I was actually so pissed, and then you refusing to let me pay your visit. I think that but that one is not so serious, but like these are the only two things I feel like I can find fault with in our two years of we've been friends for almost it's like one and a half, almost two years now and then, but my best memories, best memories I remember the first.
Speaker 1Do you remember the day?
Speaker 2you booked an uber for me. Oh yeah, and it was last year. All my memory from, yeah, my favorite memories actually, from last year, it was at that day I closed late from work I think it was past nine that day. I just stayed at work and I kept doing what I was doing and you just texted me half and I said I'm about to go home or something. I can't remember what happened. And you know, I said should I book an uber? I think you said that and that day I feel like nobody in us can really be broke, right, because we have credit cards. But for some reason I remember being broke. I remember counting. You know, I did not want to overspend because I knew how much I wanted to pay back my credit card. I should just remember being broke and I could not take that.
Speaker 2But normally when I can't, I don't like, and today, if I can't enter the train, I take a phobia for train, I book an uber instantly, and it's always a shared Uber anyway because it becomes cheaper Instead of paying $40 home, I can take a shared Uber for like $29, $30. And then Excel booked me and he just said it and I was like at first I was asking my hard guy okay, are we saying yes or not? Are we saying yes or not to this offer? And I said yes, please. And you actually booked an Uber for me and without. So he really touched me and it was not even a shared world, it wasn't shared. And you know, it was the things that I felt like I had to be in a relationship to experience. So I just felt like I might not even be in a relationship. That was so kind of him to offer that. You know to do that. So that would be my favorite memory Guys, that's very touching.
Speaker 2I remember after, after didn't know yes, so you asked at the right time. Yes, yes, so it was. It really touched us. I can't forget that. Did you remember when I was sick, too, in september, that I left my laptop in the office? So sometimes, guys, because of how much I hate going, I leave my laptop in the office, so that the next day.
Speaker 2So motivation that when I wake up I will go into the office. I have no choice because my laptop is on my desk. But that day I really motivation. No, it did not work. So I had to stay at home, I had to work from my phone and I told excel, the excel, please, that you're coming back. Since we live like not so far from each other, please can you help me bring my laptop? And you know, because of the way I am, I don't, I don't like to expect too much from if you have told me no, it doesn't change our french, because it's a big ask, right so, but you still brought it and you brought it for me. So, um, I, I won't forget that, the this thing that if we go out, if you're not initiated, you're out in two days, whether I think You'll be the one To follow me to my side or something like that.
Speaker 2So there was, I can't remember which one of the days, but you followed me home A couple of times, you know, just to like Be sure I get home safe. And unfortunately, but actually no, I say it because it's me that used to initiate the house. So I'm like okay, I promise we'll take the train that's closer to your house.
Speaker 1So that's what we used to do. Tony is the most random person. He's just like in the middle of the day. She had already planned her whole day to go to Whole Foods. Excel, let's go to Whole Foods and I'm like from where? Like?
Speaker 2this is just from the blues. You laughed at him. So I'm like okay, if I'm the one that makes you go out with me, I'll follow you. We will take the train closer to your house and me I'll walk. So that's how we coped in our friendship Then another day that, and then we'll yap on the train.
Speaker 2Yes, and we will now be just not doing that. Another favorite memory is when you indulge me in my hobbies. You'll follow me painting. You'll follow me to the cinema before we watch Anyone to the cinema before we watch anyone but you in the cinema. You're following me to comedy club before. And those are the three things I always do in New York City, and I realized that Excel has gone on everyone about these things with me. Yes, oh, why did you put your hand on your?
Speaker 1Excel, they're rubbing me. I just remember, because I was living in New Jersey and I was like you know, we have to like was it like x versus y?
Speaker 2yes, yes you made me choose yeah, yeah, we've had good times. We go way back, we go away yes, you've indulged me in all of my hobbies. So that means all those memories favorite. And then buying you, buying all the drinks for my 28th birthday. I remember that I you had asked me how can you help?
Speaker 2and I told you that the only thing that is not my budget in this list is drinks. I had budgeted cake, drink, hair makeup shoe I won't buy new shoe, buy dress, everything and then I could not still decide and I forgot that drinks too is part of it. And Excel bought like he paid, yeah.
Speaker 1I'm painting me in a good light.
Speaker 2I feel like people listening are you having low self esteem issue? Are you insecure? I'm like calm.
Speaker 2I think this guy is a good guy, he's a great guy and he's single, he's single he's single, he single, Let me shout All the single ladies just hit me up, you guys by the way, I should plug this you can now leave me fan mails on my podcast, you guys. I enabled it, so please click on that. Leave me a fan mail, ask me for his number. I'm going to hook you up Only if you're interested in long-distance relationships.
Speaker 1Because I'm going to be in Canada.
Speaker 2He going to be in canada exactly, and you have to be, you have to send me resume. I'm going to be like my sister now.
Speaker 1My sister used to ask me to send resume when they used to tell her that they were interested in me I'm not joking.
Speaker 2Shout out to you, temi, we love you, I love you, yes. Now. Yeah, it's just like we want to know who are you, what, what?
Speaker 1did the show, so ask for cover letter no, I'm not.
Speaker 2I have plenty memories. Yo, I don't have another memory of my first 40 minute walk, so me, I normally don't like taking walks. Excel made me walk from Chelsea to World Trade Center and if you're a New Yorker you know that that's from downtown Manhattan to almost Brooklyn, the start of Brooklyn, Williamsburg. So, this guy made me walk and we walked, we stopped, we stopped to gist on the road.
Speaker 1That day was a good day, I remember, actually, although we took our video of memory yeah, that's the day we said that we're going to zurich together.
Speaker 2We're taking this video for zurich, so that was hindsight is 2020.
Speaker 1you only could see the future so that was.
Speaker 2That was a oh, this is our love, how people can hear us. But that was a good day. And then, um, another thing I put here is um you getting promoted to L4. Like when you got your promotion.
Speaker 1Do you remember? Tulu got me an amazing gift for my promotion. I still have the card that she got me, which?
Speaker 2card, the card I got me, I got you, I got you a card.
Speaker 1The promotion of the newest L4 in town.
Speaker 2Oh, is that not my role? That's my role. I'm so cute. Yes, I was so happy for you. Both of us were expecting it together, Like I mean, you had told me that we were waiting and I was like, hey, I want to see it work for you so I can believe my work for me. My insha came this year. I did not get promoted, sadly. I know this year has been a lot. It has been so much. I went through manager issues.
Speaker 1You guys. That's why I've not been.
Speaker 2It's been a lot. It's been a lot. You guys, when God told me last year that this year is going to be for embracing change, I should have asked how much. I did not understand, because I didn't know how much change I would be going through this year.
Speaker 1You are new, if I had known.
Speaker 2So, yes, that was a good memory, and that day I bought you a cupcake. I did a cupcake.
Speaker 1Yes, it was red velvet.
Speaker 2I love it. So I had a bad cupcake and I gave him a card and in a kiss you, I mean I kiss you to say congratulations and then two more and nothing memories. Your money talks. Like I liked the fact that you encouraged me. I mean I always also wanted to know about, like, how to Financial prudence, to be prudent with my money. I'm that other dollar that people are talking about this. How can I multiply my number? I mean you know, like make it, what can I do? People are talking about how can I multiply my number? I mean you know, like make it, what can I do? Um, when it comes to tax, what's the call? What's 401k? How much should I put? You know. So you always indulge all my questions. You help me to see the loopholes in my finances, how I can take down my spending a month from a thousand to less than a thousand. You know, and all of that.
Speaker 2So you always tell me how can I consider reducing my spending? So you added me on your excel sheet and that that sheet is a very private, special, special day when it's going to the other one, because I'm like I don't know how I love you.
Speaker 1I was like. I was like I think you're the only one that has access to it.
Speaker 2Now, you know, you just told you what I'm your bestie. I better go on. He has his own best bestie that cannot come and visit him Anyway, anyways, okay. So, shahi, I think I don't know why you gave me access to that finance, but thank you because it really helped me stand up my finances Like before. When it's time to pay rent, I mean, you know you have the money right, the money is always coming, but like I finances, so it's one of my all our money talks one of my favorite memories and lastly, you stocking up my office jar.
Speaker 2It's for me. So excel used to come to the second. Excel works on the ninth floor. I'm on the second floor, so when he would come and also allowed to take snacks from you know the company, if we want to, whatever, so he'll come take stuff or fruit and then he'll always remember to put well, he has done it twice, let me say always, but he's touching, yeah, he's done only just twice. But he replenished my snacks. He replenished Because he knows that me, I used to Me, you know, like it's not every time I used to bring home Because I can't be. I'm about to expose myself.
Speaker 2But I used to, I'm about to cast myself, but because I love shortbread and that shortbread Used to finish, it used to disappear. And of us, you know, before you think that there's only certain people that take snacks, it's a lie. All of us is to pack home.
Speaker 1I see my people like 20 home.
Speaker 2Okay, sorry, sorry, scratch that, scratch it scratch so me, I just used to take from the kitchen what do we call micro kitchen? And put in my locker like oh, so that whenever I'm in the office and I want snacks I have things in my locker. So excel recently yesterday I went to the office on monday and I saw that you had put popcorn, plenty popcorn like six or something for me in my locker. So that's also very nice of you. Thank you for always thinking I'm gonna come to the floor.
Speaker 2So, guys, you can tell that this is going to be so sad. This is going to be so sad.
Speaker 1Please don't forget when you go to canada anyway I was gonna tell you that like it's, it's like this is, these are, these are like super well thought out yeah, things and I I am, we're getting mushy guys yeah, it's getting mushy, it's getting mushy I am so grateful to have you as a friend and I know for the most part that's been difficult for me to like express emotions and it's something I'm still trying to get used to and to learn and all of that.
Speaker 1But I cannot express how much gratitude I have meeting you just like you know being able to like someone to take you out, someone to like force you to do certain things that you know it is important for you to do them, but you're just reluctant, just lazy.
Speaker 1And you have someone who you can see that, okay, he's trying and doing all that, and then tolu is almost a perfectionist when it comes to work and I think for me I'm very, very everybody be all right kind of person when it comes to work, and I think for me I'm very, very everybody be kind of person when it comes to work, but I I learned how to be more. There's this uh report that you send out the um the newsletter that you send out. The first time I saw that newsletter I realized I'm doing rubbish.
Speaker 2I'm doing rubbish.
Speaker 1It passed like three years in Google.
Speaker 2Oh excellent.
Speaker 1I didn't know I saved it. I had it booked to my laptop because anytime I want to move a pushy newsletter, I want it to look like that, like.
Speaker 2I want it to be, oh my God, excellent, I'm blushing how did you even find it, you?
Speaker 1sent it to me now, showed me we're in the same office. You were trying to show me pictures that you okay. Yes, yes, my team. I used to add pictures to the newsletter guys. It is extremely professional, like the linking I was like.
Speaker 1Thank you oh sorry, guys, phone call sorry, thank you oh, no, no, no that's so nice, oh my god thank you for saying that and honestly, there are so many things, there are so many smaller things Like I obviously haven't really thought it out, but like these little things, these are the things that really matter to me. I have a question to ask, though. To me we are kind of like going into a short therapy session, but a beautiful therapy session.
Speaker 2Guys, this time is good. This time is good.
Speaker 1Your love language is out of service.
Speaker 2Hey, sorry guys, sorry guys. Service. Hey, sorry guys, sorry guys. Let me quickly this one professional. Oh my god, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, my love language is act of service is it?
Speaker 1I can see why because a lot of the things you mentioned were very, very active.
Speaker 2Yes, oh my god, I hate you, you nice.
Speaker 1I hate you. You like the form, dr Phil.
Speaker 2You like the form. I can see, I know you, chips.
Speaker 1No, but it is so nice to know that.
Speaker 2Yeah, that's my primary love language. That's so serious. Yeah, it is so nice to know. Yeah, that's how I receive love.
Speaker 1It is so nice to know that.
Speaker 2Oh, that's true.
Speaker 1Following me home following my yes yes that's what's happening.
Speaker 2I love that for you. You're hilarious. What's your primary love language?
Speaker 1that's interesting. I, I think it's. I think it's word of affirmation. I just found that out, like last two weeks, you guys?
Speaker 2why any dilemma? This person does not understand.
Speaker 1I'm busy, oh my god, okay, sorry, what you said is words of affirmation I just found that out, like two weeks ago, that it is word of affirmation. Um, I wasn't so sure.
Speaker 2I is word of affirmation and physical touch oh, I see I think mine has changed now, you know, with new things I've, I'm going to see that I I'm receiving and giving love in other ways.
Speaker 1But we can't go to people for growth. I think for me, giving is an act of service.
Speaker 2Oh, I see receiving is also a foundation. You're not telling me now that would be. I would tell you when your outfits are nice.
Speaker 1That's the thing I never knew, because I used to cringe at it. But you also used to hear nice it's true, I even forgot to say even you, you bought me a cup too for my birthday, I told you that I wanted one of the cups you always buy.
Speaker 2Yeah, we've had good memories, oh excellent but I have a lot of pictures and I used to force Excel to take pictures. I always take his pictures and take my let's take a selfie.
Speaker 1Let's take a selfie, okay. So I'm about to say something. Every time I show somebody a picture of me smiling, it's that picture we took in church where I had the blue sweater. Yeah, and I I've not seen anybody as photogenic as Tolu Like it's crazy, you can just wake up and just.
Speaker 2Yeah, I don't know, I don't think so Sha.
Speaker 1No, no, no, people tell me, I look better in person Than in pictures. Maybe, but the picture, sha, that I see.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Like you, can be in any form and you just switch.
Speaker 2And want to take a picture.
Speaker 1And the picture Because in my mind I'm like this is a memory, remember, and I just captured it. No, but the pictures always come out good, like me okay okay, you're, you're hailing my photography skills okay, okay, okay.
Speaker 2I know you, I know you, I know you seriously I have to like do some permutation.
Speaker 1Is my smile okay, he's my friend, he's just coming around.
Speaker 2I'm like ah I know we've been, you guys our walk is our walk. We have been content creators. Nice, our walk. That's funny. Yes, we also took a lot of pictures while we were here, so I I can remember that, guys memories, memories memories. Oh god, it's so sad. Okay, what are we talking? Too much this is actually one-hearted. Yes, yeah, yeah yeah so, but anyways. So yeah, those are our best and maybe worst memories, if we can call it that.
Speaker 1Oh my god, it's good that we have worst memories.
Speaker 2Yes, um, did we ever have lunch together and work? And, yes, anytime I had friends over, I'll be like excel. I have friends, even because of you remember I made you meet him, yeah I made you meet a bunch of people. I'm like excel because I have these friends coming in today. Do you want to have lunch with?
Speaker 1us actually. You know, having lunch in the office also was it was one of my best times because yeah, it was just, we would never talk about work like we would talk about work, but it was like you know, we just well thank you for saying that.
Speaker 2That thing makes me so happy. You know, I finally got the spot bonus for it. Yeah, my skip manager recognized me and that's why I felt sad, because I felt like this thing nobody had ever done it before, this something they always wanted and I did it and and so they now wrote today. This has been a thankless job. We just want to say thank you. Let me tell you, one month I went at a restaurant somebody did that newsletter typo excel typo error.
Speaker 1You got a spot bonus. Yes, you know, you can put it as your part of your eb2. Yeah, spot bonus for the organization for my work.
Speaker 2These are the things they don't tell us. Yeah, okay, I will remember that.
Speaker 1Thank you, yeah, yeah do the plug for the podcast you get. You get like a bonus from work or from your friends. You can add it to your Green card application.
Speaker 2For the EB2 process. Yeah, thanks for saying that. That makes me feel so validated. I don't even need their promotion anymore, thanks, I bet we need it.
Speaker 1I bet we need it, we need it. Do you need it?
Speaker 2Okay, so this is the last round right right, right right so we're going to do this or that new york or new jersey first question don't think new york. Okay, chicago, new york chicago straight up train or bus train green line or blue line, so the get the blue line or the punchline. We talked about that manhattan or brooklyn manhattan. Yeah, manhattan, for me too, actually, I should answer this question. Submit on living new york or new jersey, actually Actually New.
Speaker 1Jersey, really yeah, not Newark, not Newark yeah.
Speaker 2Jersey City, please be certified.
Speaker 1My New Jersey was Newark I was going to Because that's where I stayed.
Speaker 2And that's where most Nigerians stay, chicago or NYC I've never been to Chicago. So, I'll stay to the NYC.
Speaker 1Train or bus. It does, but if it's a, that's why you leave early, so that you can get there At the time, but I like the bus Because of the internet though. Yes, me too, and I like that.
Speaker 2I can charge my phone.
Speaker 1I can read a book.
Speaker 2I can respond to my messages, so Subway is where I know it.
Speaker 1Still train, still train.
Speaker 2No bus for me, green line or blue line, blue line, manhattan or Brooklyn, manhattan, but sometimes Brooklyn, he doesn't have the hair ready he doesn't have it as we're Manhattan folks even though we're living at the end of Manhattan.
Speaker 1At the end of Manhattan, the start of Bronx.
Speaker 2Actually no, we're at the start of Harlem.
Speaker 1Okay, at the start of Bronx.
Speaker 2Before we reveal our address pizza or bagel.
Speaker 1I think I'm leaning towards pizza.
Speaker 2Bagel for me? American church or Nigerian church? American think I'm leaning towards pizza. Bagel for me, american church or Nigerian church? American church, american church yeah. Coffee or tea, tea, coffee for me Amazon Prime or Netflix Amazon Prime.
Speaker 1Really, yeah, netflix, really Amazon Prime, they're the first guests. Wait, I said for movies, or like Audrey, no for movies. Oh sorry. Amazon Prime Video or Netflix, no, no, what's Amazon Prime Video, yeah.
Speaker 2Netflix. They have things, though they have things. I haven't heard that from Lionel or some good movies out on Prime Wait to watch it Netflix. Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, it has to be Starbucks. Star starbucks stocks starbucks for the coffee and matcha, but dunkin for the doughnuts I don't like. I'm a fan of dunkin donalds. Yeah, I know, actually it's rich people that look down on dunkin. Yeah, but anyway, target or marshalls, ah, it's tough. It's tough, I know it's tough, it's tough, I'll say target for me, I think I say Marshalls.
Speaker 2Target is cute, but Marshalls has more options, but target is just cute.
Speaker 1Target is cute, but Marshalls is cheap.
Speaker 2Okay, fair, we'll give them that. Marshalls or Burlington Marshalls now, what is Burlington?
Speaker 1Burlington is cheaper, but I mean come on, give me my cheapness on class.
Speaker 2Okay, marshalls, or Old Navy, Old Navy, old Navy, it's. Where is that? Chipotle or chick-fil-a?
Speaker 1ha I know it's a tough one is it tough for you to answer it's chick-fil-a. Yeah, I feel like it's chick-fil-a, yeah I have a chick-fil-a person I feel like it's chick-fil-a. I'm I. If I have to lean towards junk food, I'll go there like what but chipotle for when you need food, when I'm trying to be like healthy, I'm leaning towards asian.
Speaker 2Okay, yeah, I can see. Is it me that influenced?
Speaker 1no, no, no, no. I've always liked um. Is he um? What is it? There's, chinese there's, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 2This podcast is running out and by the way we have a is it bedded, belated bedded dinner for you tomorrow at an asian restaurant. So I guess that's why you chose the asian restaurant anyway. So when are you leaving again?
Speaker 1july 1st, like on paper to canada, july 7th right july 7th, finally, oh my god.
Speaker 2Anyway, now this question. Think carefully before you say your words. I don't want to. Yeah, wrong answer, only that's a tough one wrong. Actually right answers only actually you know I've set trap for you, but it's my podcast, so say my name, tulo Eyanu.
Speaker 1Oh, because it's a podcast, I'm going to say Eyanu, you guys sorry.
Speaker 2I'm making him choose between me and his actual bestie. One of his actual besties. One of his actual besties.
Speaker 1Anyway, one of my close friends.
Final words to the US government, our fellow non-immigrants and to each other :(
Speaker 2Okay, okay, yes, sir, anyway, so, but the answer is you guys shine, and it's too loud. I forced him, I bullied him to say anything. Any last words to the us government guys screw.
Speaker 1Okay, we don't use that. We're not cutting this part of it. Please, I take your baby, give me a green card, honestly.
Speaker 2We take our baby please please hear our plea. That's our last word, please, and please don't make it hard for us. What did we? Do we are valuable to your economy, if not for us.
Speaker 1This country is built on the backbone of immigrants it's okay okay, yes, I'm getting it because without us, we would be there safe and and last.
Speaker 2Okay, I'll be saying lastly, for the past last week any last words to someone who is about to lose their work authorization, someone who might not even have options, like us I mean honestly explore marriage I swear, I've lost my energy.
Speaker 2Next time we don't do like this, I'll do podcast. Let's go. Oh my god, my chest, my chest, my chest, my chest, my chest. Do you have lawyers? Always, if you don't do like this At this podcast, let's not. Oh my god, my chest, my chest, my chest, my chest, my chest, do you have lawyers? If you don't have lawyers, you better take back what you said.
Speaker 1It's not unlawful. I hope you know Like it's actually recommended. Explore marriage or military. If you don't have the opportunity, the funds and all that, explore it. It's recommended. I'm serious.
Speaker 2Because the US won't let citizens move love into who cares about love.
Speaker 1Well, I mean in the context of Except love and money, no love. Now. Wait love and money.
Speaker 2No love and money. It's good to have one.
Speaker 1It's good to have one and the other.
Speaker 2Actually, I'm telling you you need to have one and the other. Okay, so explore marriage.
Speaker 1Explore marriage? Yeah, Honestly.
Speaker 2Actually I don for you. If you're a christian, just hold god no, but it's not.
Speaker 1It's not godly now.
Speaker 2It's not ungodly to explore, it is not, I know, but you know, you know the context of why it was funny, because people do exploit for wrong reasons what's the wrong reason for green card?
Speaker 1yes it's not wrong, it's legal. I'm telling you even if you don't love them.
Speaker 2It is absolutely legal so the love will grow no, you will end it okay. Well, divorce is not. It's not not god. No, I don't think it's legal itself. It is. We'll check it. We'll check it up guys.
Speaker 1It is, check it. It stands by his explanation. I stand on business absolutely, we didn't tell them.
Speaker 2Another path is to explore school. But me, I don't stand on that. Yeah, school is expensive it's really stressful.
Speaker 1Like you have a lot, it was an option for us to go back to school. But me, I say I know, yeah, I'm true, we didn.
Speaker 2If you have a, it was an option for us to go back to school but me I say I know, yeah, I'm true, we didn't even mention that. So you can do the one cpt.
Speaker 1It's a gray line, it's a great, you know, gray area it's not illegal, it's not legal.
Speaker 2So yeah, anyway okay, we need to wrap up this wrap it up, you guys, please. I apologize if, if this is your first time here, please go and listen to other ones Also. Actually, no, just take us as we are.
Speaker 1Take us as we are. This is who we are. This is our band, exactly our band. It's actually worse than this. This is much. This is much better. This is much civilized. This is much civilized.
Speaker 2Well, I hope, I hope you enjoyed listening. Oh, my god excel. So I wrote down some last words To say to you. I'll always remember you dearly. I know that they say friends are for a season, but I hope, eh, eh, is that your welcome?
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, I said hope.
Speaker 2I'll start again. I said I'll always remember you, dearly Excel. Stop this, stop this.
Speaker 1I'm going to give you this tissue. Let me cry on this.
Speaker 2Can we even be serious in this relationship? All right, all so my last words to you I'll always remember you dearly and I know that they say friends are for a season, but I hope ours doesn't end here. I hope it's not the end of a season, and I can't believe I'm losing one of my better friendships, one of my best friendships, in New York In the walls of the US immigration system. I'll miss you, excel. Stay warm in Canada. I can't, I can't. I need you to keep me warm. Please don't be sad. It's like Excel. What Excel may be thwarted?
Speaker 1Please, no, no, no Like. Okay okay, yes, yes, our friendship makes us warm.
Speaker 2I agree, it's true, we spent Christmas. Did we spend the last Christmas together? No, no, but both of us were not at we. But both of us were not at. We were both in new york. We should have spent our christmas not with our families last year. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So I remember and we said, we remember. I have a good memory. I said we're going to go and do broadway, but I remember two of us were strong.
Speaker 2We're like we want to go, but I went right no, you know, I told you that it'd be like, say, I actually don't have money remember you did you now say it's true, it's true, I don't have money.
Speaker 1So I was like if I did not open, up, but when I was too sad that, yeah, you went for another type that was something that's not real broadway that was good though you should, you should exploit it okay, maybe in your minimum size.
Speaker 2The only the last exploration I have now is to go and see all my friends one last ride, one last visit guys for the past three weeks.
Speaker 1That's what I've been doing.
Speaker 2Yeah, I have been going back to back to yes and I feel like I knew and I think because, and I think because of this, even last year 2023, I traveled a lot. I feel like I saw every one of my friends, even Pearl, I think I saw her like two or three times last year. I know Every one of my friends. Shout out to Pearl. Yeah, shout out to you. P, dr, p.
Speaker 1Shout out to you, Dr.
Speaker 2P she was. I've established good relationships with them. So even if I have to fly out of this country tomorrow, I'm not scared, because I feel like all the people that I'm supposed to be talking to and all the people that know should know. So I'm looking forward to it. I feel like my announcement is a little premature. I'm not leaving yet, but anyway, you guys, I don't think, I don't think no more than a hundred people will be listening like that. So I have like nine active listeners by about 100 or something, downloads all the time. But anyway, for the 100 of you that might be listening, please don't go. Let's keep the secrets in the family until you hear that I've gone to Warsaw, but anyway. So, yeah, we are both living in this country and yes, excel, I'll miss you, don't forget. Well, I mean, I'll still tell you tomorrow and before you leave. I don't know why you excel, we're going to be in different time zones. How? What's the plan for this friendship we're?
Speaker 1going to be intimidating what's?
Speaker 2the plan to keep this friendship going we'll talk about it, we'll talk about it. Okay, we need to. We need to shout out our cci siblings all over the world, you know, but like yeah, we need to have some things and also we need to like plan.
Speaker 2Like, if I remember I cannot, that's our carola, you know, and I also want to be able to still complain to you at work and actually you helped me fix a lot of things. I remember to that x and that microsoft, that google form, that I needed to put the rejects RegEx.
Speaker 2Sorry RegEx. Sorry Segbro TextX, I cannot scream RegEx. Excel helped me write that code. We queried bad everything and Gemini. But yes, you have also helped me at work, even outside, and we don't even work on the same team, so we have a lot of memories.
Speaker 1Too many kind words. My heart is beating fast, migbim, migbim, migbim migbim. Why? Let me teach you guys something before I go. It's called if you don't see the chieftains of the house, you will hear his money coming. It's called if Rodinpa, he knew he see you go.
Speaker 2Say that again If Rodinpa, if Rodinpa, if Rodinpa. He knew he see you go. He knew he see you go. Yeah, yeah, he's okay, he's okay. I rubbed him back, he would see ego no, that's not typical, don't worry, I like the. Shall I let one ego?
Speaker 1that one is nice, that one is nice you just say if you don't see the owner of your house, you hear the smell of his money, money.
Speaker 2I love it. So now, where's the money that we're smelling? Can you smell his money on the podcast? Tell them, please, don't kill me, anyway. So where can they find you if they're looking for you?
Speaker 1So, honestly, you can reach me through Tolu. Yeah, right.
Speaker 2You don't want to give out your Instagram have you.
Speaker 1I don't know the name of it.
Speaker 2I know it, it's E Chukura no it's not E Chukura. No, it's Excel. Ask, no, it's Excel. Is it A or S? That's what I don't know it's S, it's Excel. Oh, so then?
Speaker 1it's ITS underscore E-X-C-A-L. Yeah, then I think there's an underscore. I'm not sure.
Speaker 2Yes, okay, and just ask Misha.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Or DM me, we'll plug you. I remember girls. He's single, hey. So you guys Please tell them to rate the podcast Please. Guys, I've been begging, since Please help me to rate it.
Speaker 1Guys, the goal is to make this podcast Bigger than I said. What I said.
Speaker 2Oh, okay, thank you.
Speaker 1Thank you, we're not playing around here, we will come for you.
Speaker 2No.
Speaker 1Jola FKR are my faves, please I cannot come for my masters. Okay, true, true, true. I like Jola. Yes so yes, um, so I take that back guys, but the goal is to be bigger than I said. What I said, yeah the. I could take that part of the future roadmap for this podcast is to go video roadmap.
Speaker 2Yes, go to pm now you've gone all technical program manager.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, roadmap, roadmap part of it is to go all video. Yes, to have two mics.
Speaker 2Now both of us are sharing one mic yeah, and then.
Speaker 1That's why we need your donations by, by the way.
Speaker 2No, please, I don't need to ask for donations. Thank you, bye-bye. I said you should turn on the radio.
Speaker 1We're going video podcast. And then from video podcast. We're going to invite celebrities, we're going to bring in people on the podcast and we'll bring all of you back. Don't worry, you'll be a celebrity someday.
Speaker 2I believe in your future. I believe in you If you keep except when I don't want to be signing for when it's time to see.
Speaker 1You.
Speaker 2Just tell them, is that no, no, no, we are getting there we are getting there, oh my god, so I wish I want to smell your money. Basically, okay, you guys, please, oh please. My apple podcast Analytics tells me that I have 219 listeners, so please, if I can get 219 reviews. Five points, only Five stars. Five stars, that's what we ask for, I mean, even for this episode, that's five stars. Just if you listen to this one, just give me five stars.
Speaker 1Thank you.
Speaker 2I want to raise my right now my ratings are 4.6, which is not so bad, but that family. Tell me what I can do better too. I mean, of course, I'm sure I can do better with the audio and the production and everything, but I'm not big enough yet to to, to produce, but I get in there. We're getting there.
Speaker 1It's not consistent enough yet, but we'll get and thank you, the roadmap is to get there yeah, there is a goal and if you have um, if you have a specific topic in mind, yeah, you can reach out on the non-immigrant.
Speaker 2yes, student at gmailcom yes, this is Naba and Bracing Chain. Tell us, share your stories, tell us who you like to see, who you like me to invite. You know, and I'll try to accommodate it in my busy schedule with the way my life is now. You know, you guys are moving to Warsaw.
Speaker 1I think one final thing is being an immigrant in the US is very, very dicey. It can be tough and it's very fun. So totally is happy to to answer whatever sort of questions you have regarding the tough part, as well as the, as well as the most interesting people I know.
Speaker 2So when it comes to having fun totally is your plug oh, thanks for saying that, because we always think that by having fun that are going to clubs like that, you know we take it for dinner on the mountains but yes, I'm a fun person, you know, and if I don't look at her, uh, her linkedin don't look at my, but now I've updated it. Now my linkedin picture is nice with the red hair. You changed it from the one that we took in.
Speaker 1My own tattoo has bleached by the way, the day that she took the picture, we took our picture the same day and I told Excel, I'm the one that I thought you were the one that told me about it.
Speaker 2It's not for me. So they had told us that they were going. I'm subscribed to all the emails with all the benefits, and I say excel, ah see, oh, let's go and take picture. Yeah, it's because of me. Now, you two, you have, you have established ID picture. Please don't go to Canada and be a hermit oh okay, better don't cast yourself away. You better go to the office. Okay, we need to say bye now. Oh, my god, this was a lovely episode I loved so much, oh.
Speaker 1I'm going to miss you. Oh my god before this started, I told you that I feel like I would enjoy this a lot and I wish we had done this more often, and that's the truth, and I now wish I had done. It's true excellent this.
Speaker 2So if you know how many times I used to just remind you, remind, I will just be eating. I'll remember. Except we have, because I know if I don't tell him 100 times he will, he will chicken out of this thing. But thank you for coming here to share your story. You guys, this was a fun one, I'm so I'm always. Thank you to all my friends who always indulge me honestly, every most of my most enjoyable episodes, all my friends that came. So thank you so much for being here. I'll miss you. We're hugging, you guys. This is why we need video podcast so they can see us hugging.
Speaker 2But anyway, okay, and um, I always say this on the podcast if we can do it, you can do it. I mean our what was it called? The american dream might not be a straight path, right, might not be the path to the green card, might not be the straightest path, but, um, it's okay to take a little detour now and then. You know, I mean from a lot of stress. Of course, let me tell you every day, or not. I'm suffering from the breakdown, you guys, anxiety breakdown this minute, and of course it's even affecting some of my best relationships, you know. So course there are other things aside this partner that is really fun. When we go out, when we leave this podcast, we're going to go and continue facing our lives, continue facing, like all the things we have to do, you know. But for me, we trust God. For that, we thank God that we have someone that you know we can do it. You can do it too. Signing out.
Speaker 1Do I have any last ones? Oh yeah, check out, check up on your friends that are abroad. Yeah, check up on us Check up on them, not just in the US.
Speaker 2Forget, forget our Instagram picture. Forget, forget it, Forget about that. I mean I can't say it's fake life. I mean I can't say it's fake life. I mean we are kind of having fun but like check up on us. That's what we can say. That's what we can say See you guys Take care.
Speaker 1See you I don't go Canada, no Canada.
Speaker 2Okay, bye, guys.
Speaker 1Oh my god, this was fun. This was actually fun.
Speaker 2Oh, thank you.
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