As I stand impatiently in line at the Malaysian embassy, in Washington DC, I am becoming more and more excited and anxious about my impending journey. I suppose this can be recorded as my first experience with anything Malaysian, excluding my incessant googling of Malaysian current events and history. Although I would consider myself worldly at heart, sadly, Southeast Asia has not been a part of the world I can claim to know. I am hoping my time in Malaysia during the next three months will bring about a greater understanding of the world outside myself, the world outside the United States.
As a Nigerian woman raised in the US most of my life, I hope my experiences allow me to relate with the women I will encounter.
There is so much I would like to do both professionally and personally. In working with the women of eHomemakers and Salaam Wanita, I am very much looking forward to sharing any knowledge that might improve the state of their businesses. I hope we are able to gain some strong outreach contacts that allow the business to expand globally. I am also looking forward to revamping the e-market and e-retail outfits of the business to attract greater publicity. Additionally, I would like to understand the business plan of Salaam Wanita and work towards generating more profit to make it sustainable. However, I am most interested and anxiously looking forward to the impact their lives and experiences will have on my life and the lives of others I will share the experience with. As a minority woman in the United States, I know our experiences will draw similarities, but I am eager to learn how we differ. I am eager to learn how Malaysian culture ultimately shapes the opportunities they have been provided with.
