Busy March

After returning from IPM the most difficult was to get back to real life since it was a quite busy period.

First I was invited by LC Split to be part of the LCP Election Board in which Nina (currently in my Functional Team) was the only applicant. So I went by bus and during my trip started to snow, check how it looked like:

Then I participated in the whole election process which is a bit different from I am used to. First there is an interview with an Election Board that has the responsibility to give a recommendation for the General Assembly. Then there is the normal Q&A and then votes.

It was a very short visit but I can say that I have learned something and Nina was elected :)

...

Then, I came back to Zagreb (again) and I went to receive a great friend of mine from Italy, Federico which came to visit Zagreb for the weekend. I have meet Federico in IC 2005 in India, then in EuroXPRO 2006 in Czech Republic, later in 2007 in Lisboa and now in Croatia :)

Also, he and Geet meet in IC 2006 in Poland, so basically we spend the weekend the three of us.

...

We made sightseeing in the city center (I know how to show much better Zagreb than Lisboa or Funchal already).

We went to the cemetery but it’s always weird to do this kind of sightseeing.

It is very common for people to buy candles and light them in the cemetery. And for this purpose they have these interesting candles that come with a plastic coverage so they are protected from rain and from wind because of the weather conditions. Isn’t it interesting how people adapt small objects depending on the conditions and surroundings?

Even though we were very tired (some more than others)…

We went to meet some friends in their student dorm and went clubbing. It was a soft but very nice going out.

In the day after, I went with Federico to the other side of the city to Lake Jarun and then we meet Geet in Maksimir Garden where we enjoined the last minutes of daylight.

Thanks for visiting us Federico, it was great and refreshing. You are always welcome.

Besides that during the week LC Zagreb organized the Career Day which for me was also something new because in Portugal we don’t organize such event. In the last day of Career Day they also organized a party heheh.

Then another surprising event happened during the weekend, the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day which is an Irish celebration. I still didn’t understand exactly why they celebrate it in Croatia but it seems there is some kind of Irish community so me and Sinisa we went to join the outdoor party in the city center.

Also that week it seemed the spring was here to come with the sun shining and then the snow came again. I have to admit I am still not used to wake up and have such view:

And to finish this month was the deadline for applications for my MC team but I did not had any applicants which was a bit difficult to deal with. I tried to see the other side of this situation, it was a good moment to challenge my capacity to think positively and I want to thank to all the people that gave me support and remind me WHY.

...

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end”.

Ohrid and Skopje in Republic of Macedonia

I have to say that the idea to go to Macedonia is not so exciting at the first sight. But I must say that it was in this country that I found the most magical place I have ever been in, the Ohrid Lake. This lake was in 1980 proclaimed a place of world cultural and natural inheritance by UNESCO, Macedonia's only World Heritage Site.

. ..............................................................................................

The conference started in Skopje but the venue of the conference where we spend 9 days was Ohrid. So, just check the view from my window room.

Then, during the fourth day the organization arranged a boat trip in the lake. It was amazing! I could have spent the whole day on that boat despite the cold… I felt I was in the most magical and extraordinary place on earth and since then this is my desktop photo.

And during those days everyone became a great photographer because it didn’t matter how bad your camera was or your skills, the nature would do the job. I saw amazing sunsets and it was just breathtaking every time I would open the curtains in my room… You may not believe but those are real pictures taken by delegates in the conference.

. ..............................................................................................

I definitely have to return to Ohrid somehow at some point of time. Maybe when I decide to write a book heheh.

. ..............................................................................................

Then, after the conference I had the opportunity to visit Skopje for one day with a much diversified group with representatives from India, El Salvador, Peru, Puerto Rico, UK, Malta, Brazil, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina…

. ..............................................................................................

We started by going to the MC Office in Skopje which has great computers and a lot of space. Then we went to the Fort of the city after crossing the river Vardar. From this Fort it was possible to have a good overview of the city but besides this there isn’t so much to visit.

Afterwards we decided to do a religious study tour so we end up going to a Orthodox church, then to a Mosque and then to a Catholic church. It was quite interesting because we had people in the group from the 3 religions who could explain the rituals and customs, and also by doing this we walked around the city and got to know it better.

After, we went with some friends from Macedonia to have some drinks in the forest, which is also normal in Croatia and then we catch the bus to Belgrade.

. ..............................................................................................

I end up spending 2 days in Belgrade with my friend Mia who received me like a queen and toke me with her everywhere around (Hvala puno Mia!) and then I returned to Zagreb, back to real life…

International Presidents Meeting 2008

To say that IPM 08 was the best conference I have ever attended won’t be enough to transmit you how the conference was to me, but is the first thing that crosses my mind.

. ..............................................................................................

First this is a unique conference where the current presidents (MCPc) and the elect presidents (MCPe) from all AIESEC entities gather for two weeks to discuss about the organization, where the current team of AIESEC International (AI) is present but also where partially the next AI team is selected and it’s the most diverse conference in AIESEC having in consideration that the number of delegates is around 200 with around 100 countries and territories represented! How crazy is that?

. ................................................................................

So, basically I was very excited to attend this conference as you can imagine. So in the middle of February me and Alchy (the MCPc) went by train until Belgrade and then we went by bus until Macedonia more concretely Skopje. In both these countries they write in Cyrillic which is always interesting to see :)

. ................................................................................

As soon as we got there we went to a Kavana, a typical bar in Balkans with traditional music and a lot of drinks. There I could immediately find great friends and get into the mood of the conference.

. ................................................................................

The next two days we had Pre-meeting with the Central and East Europe (CEE) Growth Network (GN). We focused a lot on external analysis and my focus was to get to know as many as MCPe as possible and start to bond. These two days were soft and calm but the excitement of the conference was noticeable.

. ..............................................................................................

Then, the big day came and started with the Global Village in the city center. Everything was organized and prepared, but the temperature didn’t helped (0ºC) so at some point people just went somewhere to have coffee because it wasn’t possible to be outside for so many hours like that.

But it was incredible the number of Macedonians that showed up to see and participate in the GV… So many people that didn’t seem to mind with the cold!

Then we had the official opening with traditional dances and songs but everyone was too tired to enjoy it properly, so most of people appreciated the 3 hours bus ride until the venue of the conference, Ohrid.

. ................................................................................

Then the real conference started with the usual Roll Calls, the speeches for President of AIESEC International (PAI) and for Director of the GNs, as well as, the Q&A.

The Q&A in the GNs can be very different, especially between West Europe and North America (WENA) and CEE. So, as I am originally from WENA for me it was quite interesting because in CEE first people share the questions they have, then they point out what are the most relevant for the GN, then a order is made and if after those questions there is still additional time anyone can make questions. And all of this happens in a matter of minutes. Then, all questions start by “Give 3 concrete…”, “State 3 specific…” or “Tell us 3 tangible goals…” and of course, in the end there is the sarcastic sense of Humor of CEE with some crazy and weird question which I cannot mention because I guess it will be used next year again :)

. .............................................................................................. Then Juan Cajio, the current Director for Iberoamerica GN, was elected PAI and during the conference the Directors and VPs of AI were also selected.

. ................................................................................

Besides that we had the Global Planning, the Global Focus Areas selection, sessions about specific topics, we had a whole day deliver by David J. Pollay with strengths assessment, then skills blocks, Macedonian night with traditional dances, the SG Dialogue, GN time, Official Dinner, the UBS Awards and of course the Legislation (You can see photos from all of this in the slideshow).

I also spend those 10 days talking with people, asking them advices, opinions, catching up with friends and making new ones, and in the end I ask myself how come there are so many amazing people out there?

. ................................................................................

. ................................................................................

Some flashpoints:

- AI organized an amazing game which was just pure fun, no debriefing, no sharing, just fun. They were actors that would perform some sketches from which we had to find out who was the murderer. It was perfect;

- Portuguese speaking people are taking over the AIESEC network, I say this because besides the obvious Portugal, Brasil and me in Croatia, the MCPe from France and from Germany are Portuguese, and now Angola joined the Network. PSGN, GN, GN, Eu Gosto, Ahh ahh.

- The parties were amazing. Can you imagine we had party in the Global Legislation day? Boat Race!

. ................................................................................

So, just to finish, the organization was amazing, the sessions were useful, there were real parties and the people were just perfect.

. ..............................................................................................

Thank you all for making IPM such an amazing and unforgettable conference for me :)

Experiencing Zagreb

In the end of January I got to know more the cultural side of Zagreb because of the Free Museum night. I had already heard about his initiative in others countries and gladly I had the chance to experience it in Zagreb.

. ................................................................................

So, basically I went to the Archeological Museum, to Mimara Museum, to the Museum of Arts and Crafts and finally to the Ethnographic Museum all for free. My favorite was Mimara Museum because of the Photography Exposition from Stanka Abadžića with black and white photos from different cities.

This initiative grew in me the desire to get to know better the cultural side of the city so hopefully I will find a way to attend some events and expositions :)

. ................................................................................

Then in the beginning of February was a great period to explore a little bit more Zagreb and its nature.

We had a birthday in the team, Geet’s birthday, so we decided to go to Sljeme, the mountain near Zagreb to have lunch and connect with the nature. So we went up by bus and we came down walking.

In Sljeme it is possible to find a few cottages with delicious traditional food and for me is always incredible to see so many people in these places walking in the mountain and enjoying the fresh air:

To get in contact with such places is always refreshing and I hope we manage to do this more times, it wasn’t even exhausting :)

Afterwards we came home and we surprised Geet with a cake, it was a simple but very nice birthday.

In the day after I decided to continue enjoying outdoors so I went to walk near the river. The river that crosses Zagreb in Sava, which starts in Slovenia, goes through Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and ends in Serbia where it converges with Danube in Belgrade.

For me it’s a real pity that they don’t take so much advantage of the river. Basically there aren’t any bars or facilities near the river. Even though, it is possible to find a lot of people walking their pets, riding a bike or simply walking with friends or family despite the cold heheh.

But it's a pretty sight for anyone that can appreciate beauty and I am so grateful that finally I have my camera working again (miraculously) because soon I will need for my trip to Macedonia ;)