Brazil and International Congress 2008

Like I mention before, I wasn’t that excited to travel to Brazil, partially because of the huge amount of expenses I had to cover and because Brazil is one of those countries which I always knew I would visit (I believe most Portuguese people have this feeling). It’s a country which is very culturally connected to Portugal and I always had the feeling that is much closer (even geographically ;) ) to Portugal than Spain heheh.

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Anyway, as MCP I had no option so I went with Jelena and Ana (Croats, MC Coor Comm and NST TM) and we agreed that if we were going then we would have to seize it by experiencing everything.

So, as soon as we got in Brazil we travelled together with more 80 people to Rio de Janeiro to attend the study tour. So, there we were after 2 days travelling by train, plane and bus.

In Rio we visited Copacabana beach, Maracanã, Pão de Açucar (Sugar Loaf), Ipanema beach and Corcovado. We swimed in the Ocean (for them it was the first time in their life hehe), we tasted coconut water, we eated the typical rice with beans, we drinked Caipirinha, we spend money buying havaianas and other stuff and we spread the Croatian “culture” (soccer supportive songs, siroće, mic mic and other things).

We meet amazing people and we became fans of Ribeirão Preto, LC who organized the Rio study tour (which is an LC 800km from Rio!).

Than we travelled back to São Paulo and the CEE Pre-meeting started. For me it was stressful because (as always) there were issues with payments but it was great to see so many familiar faces and feel the internationalism of AIESEC.

Then the big day game and IC started! 600 delegates, more than 100 countries, 200 partners, 200 Alumni and the 60th Anniversary of AIESEC… Yes, it was huge, it was intense but… I couldn’t find the right attitude, mood, motivation or whatever to seize completely the conference. My mind and heart were in Croatia where I can make things happen.

During IC I felt disapointed, demotivated and anxious. I know AIESEC in Croatia is not contributing for AIESEC impact, I know we don’t have any Good Cases Practices, I know all of that and I don’t need IC to acknowledge that. What I need is to be in Croatia and make things happen. So, in the end, IC was not all excitement and happiness for me, but it motivated me a lot to work and to change things so… it was great and it was exactly what I needed!

After the conference finished, we visited São Paulo. We went to Avenida Paulista (3km) which is the business center of the city, we went to the highest building to see the view, we visited Ibirapuera Park, the city center, the Cathedral and some other cool places.

On the way back (São Paulo – Zurich – Llubljana – Zagreb) we had a couple of hours in Llubljana so we went a bit around in the city and then finally, we got back from our trip after 20 days.

Some interesting stuff about the trip:

- From Zurich to São Paulo at 2am the airplane passed so near Madeira that I could even see it :) All people were sleeping and there I was, so happy to be near home. Yes, my home is there, an island in Atlantic Ocean 800km from Casablanca and 1000km from Lisboa heheh.

- While visiting Rio de Janeiro I always felt that I was in a soap opera. I think that is a common feeling of Portuguese people when visiting Brazil. No?

- I felt like home because I swimed in the ocean, I could speak with the hotel staff, there was black and white stone pathways, I could read the newspapers, I could read all the signs in the street, I knew the lyrics of the musics and it was a great feeling!

- I felt proud of AIESEC Portugal and I felt proud to be Portuguese. When I was MC in Portugal I remember all the plans and visions we had for AIESEC Portugal and the positioning we wanted our country to have in the network. In IC I saw those visions becoming reality so it is possible.

- At the same time, I felt very Croat. I wear with proud the Croatian jersey, I would swear in Croatian, I was perceived by everyone as being Croat, I spoke on behalf of Croatia, I represented Croatia as President, I would say “In my country…” when referring to Croatia. It’s weird but interesting to reach this state: I have two countries in my heart.

Non-stop travelling

During July and August, after returning from Portugal, I’ve spend a lot of time travelling and moving my things around…

First I went to Czech Republic to attend a meeting of AIESEC Presidents (MCPs) from Europe and North America.

It was interesting to return to Prague, visit the city, listening to the language and imagine that actually I could have lived there last year instead of Zagreb because I have applied for Czech Republic before Croatia heheh. I was never sad that I didn’t got elected specially because I believe that everything happens for a reason but it is interesting just to think about the possibility, look around and see which people would I have spent my year with and … it is weird right?

One of the best things (besides meeting MCPs) about my trip to Prague was to experience a party tram! Yes, you pay the entrance, you get a beer and there you are, going around the city during the sunset with a tram full of AIESECers, it's unbelievable! The only problem is that when you want to go to the toilet, well, there is no toilet, it’s a tram! So it can not be a long party I have to say…

Then I returned to Zagreb, we had MC planning and then my second trip was to Slovenia border. I had to go to Slovenia, more concretely to post office, to pay mine’s and Ana’s airplane ticket to Brazil. I know, it sounds crazy but it is quite near, approximately 40 minutes by car from Zagreb. Cool, ah?

Afterwards, a couple of days later I went to Split (which was basically my vacations this summer) for ISP conference. I had a great time with amazing people from all around the world which were delegates in ISP:

I had the opportunity to visit beautiful places in Dalmatia:

Roman ruins of Salona ancient city

Trogir Island which is UNESCO World Heritage.

Then I also visited Brač, a beautiful island situated in front of Split and I loved the boat trip (I didn't get seasick, there are no waves, its the sea not the ocean ;).

Besides that, Nastya, my MC VP TM from Ukraine came to Croatia and I almost managed to gather my team heheh (but there is a space for Bonny):

And although I’ve spend more time there than planned, I had to return to Zagreb but not for long because then I had to travel again to Požega for a 5 days meeting with LCPs which exceeded all expectations ;)

Then, I went from Požega to Osijek which is 90km distance but this time in a motorcycle… Those who know me know that this was a challenge for me but I actually enjoyed it. It was great to reflect and chill...

And then during my stay in Osijek I experienced a completely new thing for me: to swim in a river :) First, we enter the water in one place, we go with the flow and we go out in other place because of the water stream. How fun is that?

Then I got back to Zagreb and to be honest my wish was to stay there for more than 2 weeks, relax, rest, not to travel more. But Brazil was waiting for me so not even a week later I had to leave for IC in Brazil.

Another reason that made this harder was the fact that since the beginning of July Celine, MC CEEDer from AIESEC UK, was in Zagreb but only until the end of August (which means that when I would return, she would have left already).

AIESEC is a great experience but it has these things: I meet amazing people with interesting personalities, fascinating life stories, full of life, people that bring the best out of me but then, they don’t live in the same country as I do! Who knows when I will meet them again, have a coffee or beer, have a walk in the city, have a nice chat… It is hard and to say goodbye to Celine was hard because she became one of those special people in my life eventhough we only shared a couple of weeks together.

But also AIESEC has another interesting thing: it makes the world seem much smaller so eventought it may seem I won’t ever meet the same person twice, experience has proved me that that is wrong, and there are ways...

Soooo, sooner or later, I know my path will cross again with my friend Celine. And thank god there is internet nowadays!

Jesen dolazi...*

Since last week that Zagreb has temperatures between 10ºC and 13ºC...

I know that this is normal for Zagreb but honestly, I'm still not used to it!

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I come from a subtropical island (last weekend my mom called me when she was returning from the beach that she will be going at least until the end of October), I lived 5 years in Lisboa and now... how is it expected for me to adapt?!

We are in the middle of September! I want warm sunny afternoons, I want outdoors concerts, I want to chill in coffee bars outside with a small jacket, I want to have a cold beer outside...

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They say Autumn is arriving but for me this is like winter. I don't want 4 seasons, I want only 2 like in Portugal :)

*Autumn is arriving

Je ne sais quoi...

In June I had my last exam to finally graduate so I had to travel to Lisboa and then I had to stay there longer because I didn’t pass the first time…

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I would say that Lisboa has a certain “Je ne sais quoi”… It’s something I can’t explain but that fascinates me and that makes me fall in love for that city every time I return there.

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Is it the river? The hills? Its nature and beauty? The architecture? The cultural events? The history? The social life? Maybe but I would say it’s also related with my friends… So, Lisboa for me is:

In the end, I managed to pass my last exam so I’m not a student anymore… It doesn’t feel that way and I didn’t feel that excitement about finishing my major of psychology. I just felt relief.

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But, although I love Lisboa, I did feel excited about returning to Croatia this time and it was great to feel that :)

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And thanks everyone for making me feel home*. You are always with me, all of you…

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*Some definitions of home:

An environment offering security and happiness.

The native habitat.

The place where something is discovered, founded, developed, or promoted.

Boring life?

I don’t update my blog for way too looooonnnnnngggggg… I’m a bit sad about it because most of the things I’ve experienced are not fresh anymore in my mind so I started making a list of all the things I’ve done since my last update and you know what? I’ve done a lot of stuff, I’ve been in a lot of places and I’ve meet many people. So, in the end it’s a good feeling and it will take me a while to do this update… But I’ll try to be efficient ;)

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Well, just a random night in Varaždin, definitely a crazy city, I love it.

A visit to Jarun Lake during the weekend. Who said there are no beautiful and nice places in Zagreb?

Then, the unexpected actually happened and I have elected a full MC team: Nastya from Ukraine, Josip from AIESEC Split, Jelena from AIESEC Varaždin and Bonny and Fico from AIESEC Zagreb.

In Lider Magazine, yes, I’m a celebrity… Not!

During April AIESEC in Zagreb received a CEEDer, Mona from Germany, with whom I had some cool moments like Croatian beers night (we bought all Croatian brands in the supermarket and drink them all to see which would be our favorite... It's not the one in the picture).

I was invited by Varaždin to give a session about international experience and did I mention already that I am a celebrity?

We had a gathering with MC alumni and we also realized a CSR Forum in ZSEM Faculty.

I had great visits from Michal, from Poland, who I have meet in Portugal when he was doing an Erasmus, later when he was doing an internship through my LC also in Lisboa and then when he was doing a project in Croatia through the company he works in. The world is small.

Then came Livadijada, an event organized by LC Zagreb in Jarun Lake. Basically doing nothing during an entire day besides drinking, eating, chatting and singing: Croatia way ;)

Požega, a small but sweet city in Slavonia (North of Croatia). Danijela’s home who took me to a party in the middle of the forest and where I’ve spend the 1st of May. Hvala ;)

Then MC transition started, as well as, the National Conference in which I’ve worked a lot because I was conference manager, anyway, details! My TM functional team plus our successors. Only girls again…

My MC team without Nastya who was far to come to Croatia…

The SPAH team (one day I can explain you what that is and how to pronounce it but basically these are the LCPs).

And I think the most important was to remember why and to meet Geoffrey, a friend for life. Thanks for the patience and support… You are one of those special persons :)

P.S: muitas saudades

And then goodbye to one of my favorite bars in Zagreb (after a while I was informed it closed), also goodbye to my term as MC VP TM in Croatia and a big “Bok” to June and to a new beginning…