It was a trip i never dreamt about going. Even when I was dreaming of joining nike, i never thought that 2 days after i REALLY join nike..i would be sent to the World HQ(also known as the campus to the nike staff) in Oregon to attend a meeting! It was like a dream come true...or 2 dreams coming true at the same time..haha.
First, I was surprised to know that they wanted to hire me back in the FW team. They msg me when i was in Europe to get back to them. And then after i was already over the moon that they are gonna hire me, they added that i will go to the campus. it was really like WTH(in a pleasant way type)!! I was just soo sosoo happy and delighted that i just agreed without even asking how much they are going to pay me.hahaha..
Anyway..to cut the story short...i went to US the week after i came back from my europe grad trip(shoik rite?i know it is..ahhaha). And then when i saw the campus, i was just blown over. Part of me wanted to take out the camera and go picture crazy but another part of me stopped me from doing it cos the rest of the employees who are all there for the meeting i was attending will think i am crazy..ahaha..so i must maintain my image.ahhaa..act cool and stuff..thats what being in nike is all about rite...acting cool.
I'm not joking..we must ‘act cool’...i can state a VERY good example. its a rule that in campus, when we see a superstar athlete come by, we are supposed to..yes u guessed it..act cool. We are not allowed to rush up to them and ask for autograph or pictures like some mad and die hard fans do. And we were given a lesson to practice the art of ‘acting cool’ when MICHAEL JORDAN decides to drop by the campus and walk through the building we were in! Some of us saw him but we all knew we were not allowed to rush to him and get pictures and autographs. So we have to control ourselves, admire him, try to walk the same direction as him so we can see him for longer and yet..cannot go too close or have too dramatic an action in case they have some snipers ard(joking).
Its funny when you see how everyone (executives, managers and even DIRECTORS!) is so in awe by Jordan and yet we have to maintain our coolness and ‘act cool’. But to see him up close in real life is really something worth remembering!
There are also some other very cool things in the campus such as the names of the buildings. They are all named after very famous athletes who are nike-sponsored. Our meeting was held at the Tiger Woods Center
and theres also of cos the Michael Jordan Building (without him I think nike wun be where it is today. If you are interested, read more abt Nike’s history).
In front of Tiger Woods, theres also a very big soccer field named Ronaldo. Theres also a statue of the athlete at the building or place that’s named after them.
In the campus, there is also a 400m track and if you are smart enough, you will know who it is named after. (hint: he famously wore a pair of gold spikes in the Olympic and won his track event. His record was held all the way till this year when a certain Usain Bolt smashes it).
I din managed to get a official tour ard the campus but my colleagues were nice enough to walk me through it and also we took a jog ard the campus and they brought me ard too. After all the exercise, we went to the Lance Armstrong building which was essentially their gym and changing room. The changing room was soooo cool and well equipped. Its like a professional athlete’s changing room with towel, jacuzzi, lockers provided, etc.
Seriously, the campus dun look like a 'working office' at all! It look more like a place of interest where pple can go to visit and relax with the nice scenery. I could go on and on about how nice the campus is but I think honestly, I haven been to more than 50% of it. I would really like and hope to go back again someday and get a better tour of it. Hopefully in future, I will be able to be posted there to work. That’s really like a dream and goal I will work for! WISH ME LUCK!
(Entrance of the Campus)
