My 50 dreams (updated august 2015)

My 50 dreams

1. Jump from an airplane ( skydiving) DONE
2. Learn trapeze in a circus
3. Ride an elephant
4. Play with an elephant DONE 
5. Go to cape Town DONE
6. Be a part of a dance group and perform a choreography DONE
7. Take a hot balloon air ride
8. Visit paris
9. Visit Havana
10. Drive a vintage car
11. Buy an automatic gear car DONE
12. Get married with my soul mate Working on IT
13. Learn to dance kizomba DONE 
14. Learn 6 languages at least
15. Read a book/night for a month
16. Have twins
17. Learn scuba diving
18. Dance one time/week DONE 
19. Be a consultant
20. Meet Pitbull
21. Learn photography
22. Go back to Ethiopia
23. Work with children
24. Make audiobooks
25. Learn quran
26. Master cookies/cakes recipes
27. Lose weight DONE
28. Try zumba
29. Go to newyork DONE
30. Try jet skiing
31. Swim with a dolphin
32. Fly in a helicopter (done) 
33. Learn to ride a bicycle
34. Build a snowman
35. Play piano with a professional
36. Keep calm 6 days /week DONE
37. Try a picnic with friends DONE
38. Buy a house
39. Go for a manicure DONE
40. Write a novel
41. Make somebody happy DONE
42. Take care of relative DONE
43. Kiss a stranger (done) 
44. Sing on stage DONE
45. Make Ethiopian hair style DONE
46. Drink more water DONE
47. Go to the beach
48. Smile once/day DONE
49. Surprise someone
50. Be happy

Colorful NewYork

On the boat going to Liberty Island, i faced the amazing view of NewYork Bay, these 3 pictures have been taken on the same day.

under different point of view, the building colors have changed.

i loved this place!!

What i know about Rwanda!!

I've been to Rwanda twice in my life, and each time it was a great experience.
Rwanda is named the thousand hills and million smile country , and it's a perfect definition.

1. Kigali is the cleanest city in Africa (Plastic bags are illegal)

Rwanda has banned plastic bags (they will cut up your bags at the airport), and as a result, there’s barely any litter on the streets. There’s also compulsory community service once a month for all Rwandans, where people clean up their communities. 

2. There are more than a thousand hills in Rwanda: driving in Kigali means going up and down continuously, with that green streets

3. How horrific the 1994 genocide was (and how the country has recovered) 
1994 genocide – 1 million people killed in a 100 days. When bad things happen in countries very far away from you, and the only way you find out about these things is through TV and newspapers, then there’s a tendency to be disengaged from the reality of it. 
Rwandans haven’t forgotten the genocide but they’ve somehow found a way to move on from it and not let it hold them back. The country is one of Africa’s best economic and political success stories, with a well-respected president, and a zero-tolerance approach to corruption. The country is now peaceful, stable and there seems to be no more tension. 

4. Rwanda is the tiny heart of Africa
Situated 1270 km west of the Indian Ocean and 2000 km east of the Atlantic Ocean, and around 160 km from the equator, Rwanda is pretty much in the middle of Africa. Rwanda’s neighbour, the DRC, is known as the ‘Dark Heart of Africa’. If the DRC is a super-sized muffin, then Rwanda is half a raisin. This tiny country is therefore Africa’s tiny (but warm) heart 

5. Passion fruit juice: Malocuja juice, this was the discovery of the passion fruit texture, and taste for sure the best feeling i had.

I did not have the chance to go for Gorilla tracking or swim in Lac Kivu, but i've met people, with whom i had meals, i talked, we shared laughters and emotional moments, people that i can call friends, Rwandan big heart is the best asset of this country.

What did i learn during my mentorship!!

Listed are some suggestions on how mentees can best take advantage of the mentoring opportunities:

• Make time to meet regularly with your mentor(s). Being mentored is an important long-term investment. Be prepared for your meetings and have specific goals and tasks in mind.
  
• Learn to ask for help or feedback. Clear communication is the cornerstone on which all other factors sit. It is through constructive and empathetic dialogues that relationships can develop, allowing both parties to bring forward their ideas, enter discussions, and maintain professional development.
  
• Be willing to listen and learn. Mutual trust is dependent upon maintaining confidences. Although difficult, the mentee has to be willing to openly accept criticism and feedback, demonstrating strength and the willingness to grow.
  
• Take advantage of opportunities presented. Part of your professional development should include seminars, speakers, classroom observations, etc. Your mentor may provide guidance on which activities would be most beneficial.
  
• Be open and honest. This is vital in getting the guidance and assistance you may need and will offer your mentor the assurance that they also can rely on you.
  
• Be proactive about your needs. Being proactive is much more than just taking the initiative - it's about accepting responsibility for your own behaviors (past, present and future). It is about building partnerships based on principles.
  
• Be a problem solver. When bringing problems to your mentor, you should have possible solutions in mind to foster the development of your own problem-solving skills. While the mentor can provide ideas and feedback, sometimes no one knows your situation better than you.
  

Being a mentee in the Silicon Valley

For the last 10 years, I did not have a real mentor, some people shared some essential advises with me but did not stay around that long to follow up. So I found myself trying to learn and evaluate my improvement by myself, which was not that bad.

Once I joined the techwomen program, I started thinking about being a mentee, what would it be in daily bases? What can I bring new to this person that is taking time to be my mentor? What if the relationship mentor mentee doesn't work?

I went from curious to nervous in a very short time, Even stressed.

When I received the email from the techwomen team defining my host company and the name of my mentor, I felt scared and not confident at all, I had to join the number one cloud computing company in the world and I will be matched with one of the director in the company, with a very long CV. I started putting pressure on me, this lady has a very big experience, she is working in the Bay Area, what can I bring in this situation, what can we do together, cloud computing is very far from my professional experience.

We agreed to have a Skype call one day after I reached home, and discuss the different subject proposed and see what can we do, honestly I did not know what can be my outcome from this experience, I joined techwomen to see how people work in the Silicon Valley , to understand the success methodology ( if there is one ) of these companies. So in a matter of project I did not have any idea what can be done or not I was ready to discuss any possible idea.

The brainstorming session had started, my mentor gave me different options, I had to see the positive and negative side of each idea, and we found our self combining different ideas in one project.

The first discussion was so natural, I could not believe it, after the first minutes, I felt comfortable and happy to meet this person even if it was virtual only.

We had around 3 or 4 Skype conversation before to meet in SF, we were able to define our project, try few things, and then I realized I need to start coding. I don't have the background but I always coded during my summer vacation in college, I took the chance to learn different languages and create some small software, but I did not have the mobile app experience, and I felt happy to go out of my comfort zone, to take risks, and try something new and different, I felt ready to trust my mentor with her advises and ideas, because I was able to give my own opinion, and she will listen to me.

When we met in SF, it was like friends meeting again, we were able to talk so naturally about our interests , jobs, and this amazing opportunity to work together.

My first day at office was inspiring, I was surprise how IT department can get everything settle down very quickly, then it was my turn to get into work , into my project, I had ideas to try, and I was all excited.

On the first week I had daily bases meeting with my mentor to discuss the projects and the steps to considere, but when Friday arrived I was freaking out, I felt little lost and not being able to do what I was asked to.

I realized that I can ask questions, I can share my ideas, I write it down, or make some spreadsheet, the most important is to get it out of my head and organize it, at that moment I understood what I had to do, I have got some insights from an amazing and professional lady, Jenny, she took one hour of her time to discuss the project with me, and from that moment everything became clear, my learning path ( the name of the project) is getting clearer for me.

After 3 other weeks of hard work, follow up with my mentor, meetings with people for suggestions, advises, and help I was able to finish that application and learning path. It was hard to convince people to trust me with the content, or with the way I want to code my application, I learned that you can be stubborn but prove that you were right.

It was great to have Jeanette around, it did make me feel safe to know that she is supervising the situation, that I can turn to her if anything is not okay. I enjoyed taking the opportunity to take my own decision, and have the chance to pitch it or argue it.

One month later, I realized that I can do a lot, if I'm in the right environment, but being in an hostile one can only make it much more appreciated challenge.

Looking for the chance to be a mentor, and I think the best way is to create this opportunity and chance.

It was légen.....wait for it......dary

Here I am on the plane from Frankfurt to Algiers.

Going back home, that great adventure is just over, time to get back to the daily life, even if nothing can be as before.

I've been thinking about this trip, about meeting 77 ladies from 16 different countries, it was just an amazing experience.

In the same time, I had the opportunity to meet my friends, people that know me pretty well for a long time, people that I've travelled with, and shared hours of my life.

Being in the techwomen environment, can be overwehlming sometimes, and I found the best way to disconnect for few minutes, or hours to enjoy it.

I felt very happy to meet Allaoua in San Francisco, it was a big surprise but in the same time,a great moment, it was the beginning of the adventure and still I had the chance to discuss it with him and in a certain way modify few things of my way of thinking on the days after his visit

In Washington, I've met Michael, for a lunch moment, we discussed the American culture and society, I felt better when I found that we share the same point of view.

It was also a moment to summarize our working experience with ZTE.

I would have loved to meet someone in Los Angeles or New York , let say it will be for another time

The last but not the least meeting was in Frankfurt airport I met my best buddy, Hakim how crazy is our life, I left New York he left Caracas and just met in the transit area, it was just legendary, he had to run over the airport but totally worth it. In some way I felt relaxed and ready for next trip.

There are friends that you will not meet everyday, you will always have different time zone but an hour with them is all what you need to get back your feeling good moment.

Thanks guys for being my friends, and giving me th opportunity to relay on you.

Cheers

New York New York

The city as Carrie Bradshaw was calling it, New York the city that never sleep, the big apple or Manhattan.

This was the best experience in the trip, I've been to shenzhen or hongkong, so I will not be surprised buy high buildings or light everywhere.

But when I arrived to New York I felt in a series, I was between how I met your mother, sex and the city or gossip girl, arriving at places like upper east side, Harlem, Brooklyn or Central Park was a happiness feeling.

For 3 days I was the star of the city in my mind, I was the one who needs to spot places that some series have been showing.

The first night I enter for a broadway show, I was very tired, nothing sleeping well since Washington, and we had a long trip to reach NYC, but I did not want to miss that opportunity, I went for the phantom of the opera, without any expectation, I had to get a ticket on the rear mezanine, it s almost if you are seating on the roof, but it was worth it.

The show started slowly, and after few minutes I asked my self what am I doing here, then the music started, the light, fire, effects as well, and I've got just captivated, I just loved it.

I've seen Figaro twice in Algeria, but the decor, the speed was not this quality. I was impressed and felt happy.

Next big experience, the Empire State Building , the view from there on the evening was really beautiful, all the buildings around with different colors, impressive.

My favorite was the Statue of Liberty, am a big fan of the series Fringe, every fan knows that under this liberty island, we can move from one world to another, from the material of the statue we can know on which world are we, when I arrived there, I felt as Olivia Dunham, and I stated checking is there is a way to go under hihih.

Unfortunately we could not getto the crowne, it needed tickets to be booked many months in advance. Let's say it's a good reason to come back.

I love New York , yeah Alicia keys was totally right, I love this city .

Pitch or not to pitch that's the question

Before to come to San Francisco I did not hear the word pitch and did not have any idea about it.

I attended one pitch session at Oakland hub, where some EL and professional came talking about their  projects, presenting the business plan and looking for the best way to convince investor to put money on their projects.

Brian, the trainer was quite young but impressive in his way of giving feedback. He was able to mention the missing points and provide the accurate advice for the different pitcher, all this has been done after a first session of theory learning abt pitching.

The day after we went to the pitch mixer, oh God, how to describe this, if the previous one was more cozy and friendly, that one we could feel it more professional, people came to share their pitching experience, and VCs were there to give advices for free, to every beginner. How can you describe your dream project in 10 min. Talking abt business plan, what have been done by others, and how long you need to finish it.

One lady from our team was just amazing, it might have been her first pitch but she did it like so naturally, and am sure gutsy will have a great future in SA even over the world. I was feeling inspired by her courage to just go for it, and proud of her.

This was one of those event you want to re-live many time, I had fun, I've been at the entrance welcoming people, letting them put heir name and contact, I've been taking pictures around and trying to be as helpful as possible.

At the end when the VCs went for decision time, everybody was introducing them self,I was waiting for my turn, then they just skipped me , I don't know how, I still don't realize, but I stood up and asked Kalima the host of the event, what about me?, everybody laughed but I had the chance to saymy name , introduce my self and say that my passions are technology, languages, life and ETHIOPIA. It did surprised everyone, but what the hell, this is who I am.

Djamila Selamawit Umutoni

So now am considering going for my pitch, it might be my project or any other action, I for sure need to prepare for it

Yes I Can.

Now I understand the meaning of being an emerging leader

Is it possible to grow in a such short time?

Here is the question I ask my self everyday since I came to SF.

This Techwomen experience has been an amazing trip so far, I've spent 20 days only, but I feel changed, I feel ready to face any issue, challenge or adventure.

After the first week for the orientation and so on, the work started.

Going to a company like salesforce.com, is a huge change in my life, I was impressed by the whole organization, and great teams working very hard around.

I took a big risk wanting to do a learning path and build a mobile application. I totally jumped out of my knowledge area, I've been feeling going for a free fall ride when I started on the first day, everything went fast, and I feslt nervous every time I had to talk about my project, but actually I started seeing the real possibilities to finish it.

The moment I understood, that I have the right to ask question and request some help, my life got way easier.

People were coming around, taking from their time to listen to me and try to find there best option to help me, in the same time I felt the responsibility to show my best, to work hard may be harder to be committed to this learning opportunity.

It is always rewarding to see the value of your work, with somebody else words, I am really thankful for this.

Let's work for future commitment, and adventure in this techy world.

San Francisco first professional experience

Thursday morning, everyone was very excited, to visit a great company as Oracle.

I tried to be as formal as possible, and got in the bus , the great adventure was going to start.

On the way I've seen the salesforce.com big buildings on San Mateo, and I felt impressed, I knew it was a big company but did not realized this big.

Anyway, we arrived to Oracle it was a shiny day, we found programs and breakfast ready for everyone, the meeting room was just amazing.

Heather Ramsey, gave the welcome speech, and officially welcomed us into the TechWomen program, explained how 78 ladies has been chosen over 1800 applicants. And in a minute everyone felt proud to be here.

Then we had an exercise and this was the most amazing moment. It was the icebreaker, everyone of us had to get a partner , ask them some personal question to learn about their life and experience.

I heard stories, I heard feelings, and I just loved it, in every techwomen around my table I felt inspired, I felt passion and a great confidence.

We continued with the logistics overview, we understood that on Monday, Algeria is going to be the first country to be presented, I felt like I was going to the Olympic Games and I will represent my country, it s an amazing feeling, yaaaaaaay

Then there was a man in the room, Eric is a safety specialist, he explained to us that some places are less safe then others, that the way we behave in the street is just te way people can see us so be confident and avoid eye contact with people you don't know.

Then, Barbara Williams came, she was full of confidence, her voice was loud , clear, and persuasive, she introduced the barb list, my favorite one was life begins outside of your comfort zone, am in SF because I wanted to take the challenge to try something new.

Next speaker, was Lynn witham, she introduced the cultural insights , she gave us some information about USA and life there, being a trainer, and looking for some opportunities to go for soft skills training, I enjoyed the way she presented, she was very calm and quiet but clear.

I for you're want to give a try for cross cultural training experience.

Then we had the world cafe facilitated, different groups going through different tables to share and discuss differents topics.

Discuss the country situation and its impact on you, discuss what do you want to bring in your country, and how do you feel in USA?, it was the perfect moment to share experiences with the ladies, to realize that we are all going through same situations, same feelings.

Finally, she arrived, Nandini ramani, a beautiful lady, with a great presence on stage, she told us about her life and how's he arrived at Oracle, how her grandmother, her role model influenced her and helped her to be who she is now.

I loved when she said, someone told me, you must speak up, since then I've never shut up. She used easy words, and made us believe that anyone of us can be in her shoes.

It was a great day, it was overwhelming feelings, it was an AWESOME experience.

I gained confidence, I gained new friends , and for sure a lof of memories.

Thanks TW2013

San Francisco Day 1

7am...the night did not leave totally and the sun is getting up very slowly, San Francisco is getting ready for a new day, and I'm getting ready for a morning walk.

Surprisingly, San Francisco is not a city with skyscrapers or fancy buildings, so when you roam around the city, you might feel disappointed a little.

We officially started our Techwomen experience this morning, with the hosting meeting, finally we got a phone number, we could activate our cards, and get an idea about the transportation system, it was cozy, and friendly discussion.

We've been devided to several groups, so we could run some errands and visit the city.

We've met an amazing lady from Iran, who took us to Union Square, and showed us the main places and streets where we might do some shoppings.

In San Francisco you can hear many languages, you can find people singing, or even sharing their music with an external speaker.

You will find long queues to get in the cable car, and people running to catch a bus or a tram.

San Francisco is also about happiness, tonight there was a live band in union square, singing mainly Spanish songs, giving the opportunity for a salsa dance, it was little cold around, the rhythm was sweet and soft, and the people were giving a great energy.

So even if you don't know how to dance, you will start moving, you will start to show some steps, and if you are lucky enough, somebody from Cuba May ask you for a dance, at that moment get ready to swing.

After a long day of meeting people, and walking around , I came back a 10pm, with the mind full of pictures, and heart full of emotions.

It was just day 1, expecting more for the coming days.