tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6726369444160537142024-03-05T08:26:23.203+01:00Experiencing the World, by CatarinaMainly to keep track of my experiences abroad...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-90376255419445619702010-03-21T10:25:00.011+01:002010-03-21T16:24:04.621+01:00Kuala Lumpur, a different perspective<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yidgDl7U6k-zYhoZNtIJFUqshhgOM6Yfcc8YiiGaANmi_Xirx7Q_1pfsTikOYVMmGLdDfxAwQCQOOIRdFnDLw5L0YOurzGHDz2kuJtajHvK2uZJXWx_hw4qOVi508iCkV8hvJP-PRBEB/s1600-h/DSC07599.JPG"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Since my last post about my hosting city I got to know a few other places and a different perspective of the city life which I think is important to add.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Besides the big Chinese community there is also an Indian community which is concentrated in a place called “Little India”. So there I went to discover this other part of the city and I must say that I was really surprised to find so many Indian shops and restaurants as if I was back in India (maybe a bit more organized here, but just a bit more heheh).<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwJn6B_WFADEws-p58UXcnGo7bWGZUiFhwYs1bR31cUi6ajAtZa46-Dwb995uZXHoF7KlrbH1t4X_PFyjB96qWWKWLXbXrEtcyfu4JptA-oiSbF53r8ISpW1xKJORAQ4BOZX7BRidedy9/s320/SDC10985.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451094906552667474" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
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</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwJn6B_WFADEws-p58UXcnGo7bWGZUiFhwYs1bR31cUi6ajAtZa46-Dwb995uZXHoF7KlrbH1t4X_PFyjB96qWWKWLXbXrEtcyfu4JptA-oiSbF53r8ISpW1xKJORAQ4BOZX7BRidedy9/s1600-h/SDC10985.JPG"></a></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOeA9c9MZEJXENLpfoelvxzPAKhRXitdS9UgAAjN3KIYMBaBhoq1mzr_LETKwQ3SLY66OzkfMsxy7UF4V56U0yFfPAyUYh8IYivJp70yh716r0B3HupqSZMjds16YT0wD0YgV4knNzmJk/s1600-h/DSC07692.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkOeA9c9MZEJXENLpfoelvxzPAKhRXitdS9UgAAjN3KIYMBaBhoq1mzr_LETKwQ3SLY66OzkfMsxy7UF4V56U0yFfPAyUYh8IYivJp70yh716r0B3HupqSZMjds16YT0wD0YgV4knNzmJk/s320/DSC07692.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451094896966479074" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">After a few weeks here it’s noticeable that besides the huge amount of trees and grass in the roads sides, there are not so many parks and nature related infrastructures in KL. So Iga (Polish) and I the other day went walking in the hope to find the Lake Gardens of KL mentioned in touristic guides. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaOFYecTgYg5A6FnYdePBtozASswA9jv3N8NCUMBAQzsbXfUWtGG_ZGtmmu0ADjNMCNGl3AK0j60iSgzEfxVcrGo8DM5WVd5sYeFMDuHlXJV7F8wqGt919FH6Ed8nKRZ10btpcdujGg4n/s320/DSC07660.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451094913761230562" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Once we got to the nearest location was very hard to discover how to get there as all locals would inform us that “It’s very very far” and that “You need to take a bus or a cab”. Not satisfied we went look for it on our own. And guess what? It was very near and there were even signs indicating the way :)</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewcsMgVZHzq3D4M_ViRNoLAn_bPVtiAClFptla-wHSLegSPp0kxNSsuuDHEMRqMijFnhAus-h8PBk0YrHVwmQfSiGOn4EjxqlRhUVfF2dHrovzuUym1PMGxrqYOHzdvA0z9gvHFqZGEJ-/s320/DSC07654.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451094911156415714" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></div><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">In the way we stopped to visit the National Museum and even with the heat, we manage to walk around the beautiful and delightful park (which was empty). </span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrf6lRuJPlcrEsiqTyrG9iVNReA0IM61g8ct27GOpQdG1yvi5KmicuXcwQGVmr0BthsTooj8xwIDbYS-4PNWSy1-Zr67Fw74Rpis_f23clCCoIcB01oupzG16KZvgPBdFNztTr2uUanO7t/s1600-h/DSC07685.JPG"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
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</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Back into the "normal" city we found the Independence square, Merdeka Square (for all Portuguese, please read it out loud ahahah) with Moorish architecture influence.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
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</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaOFYecTgYg5A6FnYdePBtozASswA9jv3N8NCUMBAQzsbXfUWtGG_ZGtmmu0ADjNMCNGl3AK0j60iSgzEfxVcrGo8DM5WVd5sYeFMDuHlXJV7F8wqGt919FH6Ed8nKRZ10btpcdujGg4n/s1600-h/DSC07660.JPG"></a></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrf6lRuJPlcrEsiqTyrG9iVNReA0IM61g8ct27GOpQdG1yvi5KmicuXcwQGVmr0BthsTooj8xwIDbYS-4PNWSy1-Zr67Fw74Rpis_f23clCCoIcB01oupzG16KZvgPBdFNztTr2uUanO7t/s320/DSC07685.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451095543849715698" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewcsMgVZHzq3D4M_ViRNoLAn_bPVtiAClFptla-wHSLegSPp0kxNSsuuDHEMRqMijFnhAus-h8PBk0YrHVwmQfSiGOn4EjxqlRhUVfF2dHrovzuUym1PMGxrqYOHzdvA0z9gvHFqZGEJ-/s1600-h/DSC07654.JPG"></a></span><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Then concerning nightlife, another important component of any city! Being Malaysia a Muslim country it doesn’t mean that there is no night life and parties. So, few weeks ago I went to a fancy and nice club for a birthday party. Of course the drinks here very expensive but the place was very nice, very opened and I had fun with my friends.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yidgDl7U6k-zYhoZNtIJFUqshhgOM6Yfcc8YiiGaANmi_Xirx7Q_1pfsTikOYVMmGLdDfxAwQCQOOIRdFnDLw5L0YOurzGHDz2kuJtajHvK2uZJXWx_hw4qOVi508iCkV8hvJP-PRBEB/s1600-h/DSC07599.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yidgDl7U6k-zYhoZNtIJFUqshhgOM6Yfcc8YiiGaANmi_Xirx7Q_1pfsTikOYVMmGLdDfxAwQCQOOIRdFnDLw5L0YOurzGHDz2kuJtajHvK2uZJXWx_hw4qOVi508iCkV8hvJP-PRBEB/s320/DSC07599.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451104768521822978" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></p><div style="text-align: center; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">Also, I went with some other interns to a Brazilian party (and I’ve spend the entire night speaking in Portuguese) in a club, which was great! To hear such familiar music is really a comforting feeling when being so far from home.</span></p></div><p></p></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T4kBSWmpnMFx1hUp3qBxOpvkUm4P7PFWYC2GQv0OCjsDnRQNpnnYgv2yru7ac4rlC36WbduZ0-AP1jDNMLAAettwyoxs8dXZWZ34Wtu5Ewg3VHn-8I-xE0jiQLKm_I6DXdHMSwpBNHD8/s1600-h/24957_10150168503765593_511565592_11550191_7363871_n.jpg"></a></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqs_-bWAAYVIDWHRnmYRo-St8kgjlqMN342Q68k3cSu_S4KHX4dhiEU_Q6qC5f5kgvyv38MNgoDoUDUy96nd2yYI-q9jADz3FtdelWm420RKgINSeVo4Uh9eBM2q3rYSMn4Wac-1khRrn/s1600-h/Brazilian+Night+(2).jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqs_-bWAAYVIDWHRnmYRo-St8kgjlqMN342Q68k3cSu_S4KHX4dhiEU_Q6qC5f5kgvyv38MNgoDoUDUy96nd2yYI-q9jADz3FtdelWm420RKgINSeVo4Uh9eBM2q3rYSMn4Wac-1khRrn/s320/Brazilian+Night+(2).jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451095564100947794" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
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</span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Last, but not least, I also had the chance to attend a pool party! In KL condominiums are very common and basically all of them have pools. So a pool party I guess is also part of KL lifestyle. And with this heat, even at night, having a swim is perfectly normal!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p></div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sxLk64qgL-B7BYEj3aT07H1o8vnQdcoTqi6s8fKMZqpHB2CpjajcUG1YsxBbG7mAWOk3vQQqe0VxhBNhWTpqe65to6wnh7-1CYuxKtHXA9d4mVlNZ10DTGPGHIclIIubJpu4hT_HJR-q/s1600-h/24957_10150168503685593_511565592_11550186_3191825_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sxLk64qgL-B7BYEj3aT07H1o8vnQdcoTqi6s8fKMZqpHB2CpjajcUG1YsxBbG7mAWOk3vQQqe0VxhBNhWTpqe65to6wnh7-1CYuxKtHXA9d4mVlNZ10DTGPGHIclIIubJpu4hT_HJR-q/s320/24957_10150168503685593_511565592_11550186_3191825_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451095892613015010" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
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</span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T4kBSWmpnMFx1hUp3qBxOpvkUm4P7PFWYC2GQv0OCjsDnRQNpnnYgv2yru7ac4rlC36WbduZ0-AP1jDNMLAAettwyoxs8dXZWZ34Wtu5Ewg3VHn-8I-xE0jiQLKm_I6DXdHMSwpBNHD8/s1600-h/24957_10150168503765593_511565592_11550191_7363871_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T4kBSWmpnMFx1hUp3qBxOpvkUm4P7PFWYC2GQv0OCjsDnRQNpnnYgv2yru7ac4rlC36WbduZ0-AP1jDNMLAAettwyoxs8dXZWZ34Wtu5Ewg3VHn-8I-xE0jiQLKm_I6DXdHMSwpBNHD8/s320/24957_10150168503765593_511565592_11550191_7363871_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451095899259446322" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sxLk64qgL-B7BYEj3aT07H1o8vnQdcoTqi6s8fKMZqpHB2CpjajcUG1YsxBbG7mAWOk3vQQqe0VxhBNhWTpqe65to6wnh7-1CYuxKtHXA9d4mVlNZ10DTGPGHIclIIubJpu4hT_HJR-q/s1600-h/24957_10150168503685593_511565592_11550186_3191825_n.jpg"></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">All in all, I guess KL has a lot to discover and a lot to offer. But of course, it's crucial to be open-minded in any case :)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
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</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">As for me, there is only one more month left to continue discovering it! But I'm sure I will make the best use of it ;)</span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-45323198060064478862010-03-12T09:04:00.003+01:002010-03-12T09:17:52.455+01:00Canopy Walkway :P<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">I would say I am quite lucky to have escaped the city life last weekend and went for hiking with 2 Malaysian friends.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">They took me to the Forest Research Institute Malaysia where there is a walkway in the middle of the forest. I didn’t know exactly what to expect but I was missing walking and to be in the nature so it sounded great! <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GqhN1DK5TYFsAEC0Y7sND1Pfujn3RgHV-0d4hnwodYtqzcnw2l_iNHBq-Owkx8-5VenURZMKRNi8DeikhyDz20POGRlXfoff9izmo_Mg9okioxytTxbP6fzh7D2PqW7LX2S4TYrh6HsT/s320/SDC10824.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447656311078487634" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">
</span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">So I can say that my expectations were not even close to what Canopy walkway has to offer.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US">We started going up, and although it wasn’t long, we were all sweaty because of the heat!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVy8wRUWnVQlCDUvYhaTdeWiNj-gQvyL7Zj16OxuP8Uk39tzQ2l_c5Kvoq9gJWz2NaadM90qy0gH77uoDdaEfP2gQsAG_Q4nbHB-03REiE4i5xzzSmTEp3INkeUrgyNiwrnd-7tBTuptbk/s320/SDC10831.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447656326041476210" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Once we get up then I realized that the highlight of this walking was a few suspended bridges in the trees! The Canopy Walkway is </span><span class="apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">200m long and was constructed in 1992 for scientific studies of above ground flora and fauna. It was built 30m above ground level!</span></span></span></p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">
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</div></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US">So to be clearer here it goes some pictures of my adventure </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Wingdings;mso-ascii-font-family:Arial;mso-hansi-font-family: Arial;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-char-type:symbol; mso-symbol-font-family:Wingdings"><span style="mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings">J</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US"> </span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
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</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGWeh9HTrgIsBLAhXGr2982KfWYLp-_L9KsgSUebZz80Iz9E9wpw7WLxngodgsc-q8c4qOxGHvp3AL64x0lgizkbCFbhwTzsiW0e1PjZDKlMDDLTItEL8j9fWZmlUxLBwQzy3r5nZTdtS/s1600-h/SDC10840.JPG"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf-t5nSiybotOnMXtQ-4fbn1q9BfcaXNBYbUCwMDcF3RELEz3J57ij-3iQlx_7jFWiil_oU8B4Z2WlhyphenhyphengR7FO7BXzsVPHLI14SS7bh4OkaRacHgAQUyw8gA4V7vSgjSCMGr932rzAoM4o/s1600-h/SDC10834.JPG"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-kWnJcFIEBwYijArC_vkVE1tw1dM-r0QjPzXSxH95pZh7Z7lHjzv4WD8XVbNwaUQPQ42Zq3LailpLTPVgnomemHbBukSGMRx2GxUvSewL8vJm9YbFHU1Pej2-zb8CgxKuG3LX697I9zg/s320/SDC10855.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447656966305681362" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">
</span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVy8wRUWnVQlCDUvYhaTdeWiNj-gQvyL7Zj16OxuP8Uk39tzQ2l_c5Kvoq9gJWz2NaadM90qy0gH77uoDdaEfP2gQsAG_Q4nbHB-03REiE4i5xzzSmTEp3INkeUrgyNiwrnd-7tBTuptbk/s1600-h/SDC10831.JPG"></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Just like in the movies ;)</span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GqhN1DK5TYFsAEC0Y7sND1Pfujn3RgHV-0d4hnwodYtqzcnw2l_iNHBq-Owkx8-5VenURZMKRNi8DeikhyDz20POGRlXfoff9izmo_Mg9okioxytTxbP6fzh7D2PqW7LX2S4TYrh6HsT/s1600-h/SDC10824.JPG"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-61376628772817335442010-03-02T16:15:00.006+01:002010-03-02T17:10:36.053+01:00First month, first reflections<div style="text-align: center;">
</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjH8nyWwt0SGpTs6e4Gw0OP0bIzrRQvAxOSGGaKh9FF3QidGKTpLnj2CD9jdHnQgoQNE2eyYgul3p1ISZNxY3xXX8iyV4sRj3Guiv616RwPQbrWgokbAGafSPFAdRUZWbyJX1o1SrPtEBe/s1600-h/19861_318556516230_537431230_4172575_772304_n.jpg"></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">After a month living in Malaysia I believe I already have an "ok" understanding of the country and culture and I think I’m having a pretty intense experience trying to get as much as I can.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;">
</span></div><div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Bottom line I think KL is a very easy place to live in, where a foreigner can easily adapt due to the English which is widely spoken, the development and access to information and goods. People are very nice and helpful, and after I month I know my way around, how to handle with taxi drivers, and so on. I feel pretty much independent.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjH8nyWwt0SGpTs6e4Gw0OP0bIzrRQvAxOSGGaKh9FF3QidGKTpLnj2CD9jdHnQgoQNE2eyYgul3p1ISZNxY3xXX8iyV4sRj3Guiv616RwPQbrWgokbAGafSPFAdRUZWbyJX1o1SrPtEBe/s320/19861_318556516230_537431230_4172575_772304_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444068254610562914" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></span></p><div><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">
</span></span></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I like living here, everything is new and quite exotic, but at the same time many things are just like at my home country. There is a mixture of adventure and comfort zone. I would still like to live more near the city center, but the conditions I have are also very above the average and more than I could expect.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0E6z0XzR-hLkiFxxvn2W4isRLCdmN3dcdJDvJ6wFqy1fFlfOSIVnjm0T1T0LSMUfJOakH-7TzAsqv2RumklN9ZWgh1QuzQs4N5-MMFvaSHRD-K7IBx_H5kzKmM5yzzOtAkwr3vxMFZFi/s1600-h/17077_1260838493967_1619820096_606168_3852621_n.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0E6z0XzR-hLkiFxxvn2W4isRLCdmN3dcdJDvJ6wFqy1fFlfOSIVnjm0T1T0LSMUfJOakH-7TzAsqv2RumklN9ZWgh1QuzQs4N5-MMFvaSHRD-K7IBx_H5kzKmM5yzzOtAkwr3vxMFZFi/s320/17077_1260838493967_1619820096_606168_3852621_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444057553471861714" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 241px; " /></a><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I like my work a lot, the environment is very easy-going and people believe in what they do. That is for me the most important. I'm learning a lot about animal welfare and getting more and more interested in Non-corporate Sector. And aside that, I know now that I missed living with animals and I find a lot of comfort and companionship among them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11Btdw-FaQr3V6muv69gGwHmeDi-fEUX5rPWPZRAxgH9yRR0It_l5H7Y7570MH_1DbIwT6F-8iEJrP3YtsyOqLGHKjf0g9_l4BOOAI0G_PAJ3Xz3BYxergdO2_cA5bigJn68APhgftZcH/s320/P1050027.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444057546707409442" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I’m becoming more adventurous with the food, but I don’t think I will ever “love” spicy/chili food. Also the meat always tastes differently from what I am used to. I imagine myself getting back and go straight to a restaurant where I can have a normal grilled beef. Nevertheless, there are some things which I like a lot! Their fried potatoes, the different noodles, the everyday different cuisine possibilities, some fruits and the price!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYd9wk_hmFnYNKytcmLAjC6mrvCJ8syA1xrUXni6F595hY2kHRwffTmqZZ02uAHfDlQvX6N00Cl871Rf9YpSqEqt2iEVQJCjx-Cw1ed95UdE7Ov5bw91OE9BtnZMe9_BCw2Qu6YymNMlK/s320/19861_319510446230_537431230_4175424_4408664_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444066819031328626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></span></p><div><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;">
</span></span></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Almost everything is cheaper (impressively not the electronic stuff!) so I feel an urge to buy a lot of things. Specially shoes (which are stupidly cheap here), watches, bags and random stuff. Clothes are basically the same as in Portugal so not planning to get many heheh.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Then I believe I started to find some friends, some at my work and others that are interns here is KL like me. And I love the fact that I deal daily with Malaysian people because otherwise I wouldn’t get to know the culture, and on the other hand I have international friends with whom I can share freely my perceptions and experiences because they are going through the same.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilalwLK8U8zPtoboL0psfN7mVO9-tdARX6LM-TqiXemJUO8YpBIy5MuXWy8pOfRxhc4ZzmjhZvc433sNDGldQwXvKCseV1PHsl2S-N52MZ1SgWghvfR-08pK0yPY56bLh3pqBkxQsI00KI/s1600-h/P1050083.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilalwLK8U8zPtoboL0psfN7mVO9-tdARX6LM-TqiXemJUO8YpBIy5MuXWy8pOfRxhc4ZzmjhZvc433sNDGldQwXvKCseV1PHsl2S-N52MZ1SgWghvfR-08pK0yPY56bLh3pqBkxQsI00KI/s320/P1050083.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444057538517385586" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The most difficult thing to get used to is definitely the weather :S I love nature and to walk but with this heat is so hard to find motivation for it. To imagine that it’s like this 365 days a year it’s too much for me! I would have to visit Genting more often. The rain I got used to pretty easily, always carrying an umbrella with me :)</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Nevertheless, for me it’s still a bit confusing how some things work around here. Government and religion are still pretty attached to each other, and being a Muslim country by the constitution, there are some differences and rights between the population despite the fact that they were all born in Malaysia and based only in their religion. For me as a foreigner I am not affected, but it’s complicated to understand how it works and to cope with it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2FyKsohWuX9esjNmKxdCOiY_5_a3eG9dZnhUWwy5A6tT8kp-MZ53F8kNAbN9_8TDgSEwewfuu6MLbSIVV0Vh_nZtF5AVbSDp2iR8h9_uzfEQLaiR8BuJHP0ZjwAMmwxdk_Pvnz7dUPJAl/s320/SDC10701.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444057518138692690" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">At the end of the day I’m very glad to have this opportunity to get to know a Malaysian Culture and at the same time being exposed to many other cultures, languages, religions and traditions. At the same time I cannot stop thinking that there are so many things we take as granted and it’s something that over and over impresses me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">This is why these kinds of experiences are so important, and I wished more people would come to the same conclusion: we should appreciate more those small things we take for granted!<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-10376251301458132292010-03-02T14:35:00.005+01:002010-03-02T15:07:53.376+01:00Genting Highlands, the city of entertainment<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; text-align:justify;line-height:12.5pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:PTfont-family:";color:white;">I have been a bit lazy (but also because I was busy - which I think it’s great!) to update my blog, so let’s see if I manage all this week :D</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:PTfont-family:";color:white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; text-align:justify;line-height:12.5pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:PTfont-family:";color:white;">Some 2 weeks ago a college invited me to go to “Genting” which I had no idea about but of course I accepted.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:PTfont-family:";color:white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; text-align:justify;line-height:12.5pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:PTfont-family:";color:white;">Well, to explain it very simply, a Chinese guy decided to build a Hotel and Casino in the top of one mountain. Some people call him crazy, and guess what? Today is a huge success, more Hotels were built, there are many attractions, a theme park and I guess it is a small size Las Vegas.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:PTfont-family:";color:white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; text-align:justify;line-height:12.5pt"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:PTfont-family:";color:white;">So after going up the hill (which reminded me Madeira so much, it looks pretty much the same right?!)</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: PTfont-family:";color:white;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></span><p></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcP2IwlcqwJzAkSnp2ADNwL5OcKHZm7xcWB769YbmsCrnOqD1g4mNuzVtnebvqGmmXFR-QhpTP-e0K9gIZvUoZSLO39WfSrwNcDkYW_2ZQvqB8SW9LMrQRigrnildBTjrBopwk-bUP9IAf/s320/P1050131.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444031574152582370" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">we entered (which I believe it is) the oldest Hotel built there which had a huge casino but most impressively a huge space with so many random things that the eye cannot caught everything at once. It was a “world” which included a small Big Ben, a Eiffel Tower, a Petronas Towers, a Liberty Status, a roll coaster, electric gondolas and a bunch of restaurants, shops and so on! I was impressed and could not stop thinking to myself that I would never imagined there was such a place like this in KL and that it was too much for Europeans heheh.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div style="text-align: center; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGFlGKwQIPEFsgGvFw56homnFI6EGylbmAQf3P3L-kddi-6L4xYG9Jog_cCt0ONF8ri-_qx1IJVM7AeJWSeWkz9v9_afMdCmYdxC65EOEve-tkaSMgfPC3pWDiksj4GAiPEL_oTDwhpEq/s1600-h/P1050180.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGFlGKwQIPEFsgGvFw56homnFI6EGylbmAQf3P3L-kddi-6L4xYG9Jog_cCt0ONF8ri-_qx1IJVM7AeJWSeWkz9v9_afMdCmYdxC65EOEve-tkaSMgfPC3pWDiksj4GAiPEL_oTDwhpEq/s320/P1050180.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444033104647009570" style="text-align: justify; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">A beautiful dragon at the entrance.</span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></span><p></p></span><p></p></div><div>
</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpM74dPhIfB2j1JVKKWD7wXQPLvxMKta9nKgMXcE0G6NVQXDCXmo5fafbvhSsGtO10PwRLuiiH9pkwmfpdLRgQ47g-X137pErl5GXR-q5Ay-Ibm1SWFVA8AkTJ45vQYHtB4W8iEdiRy97/s1600-h/P1050149.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpM74dPhIfB2j1JVKKWD7wXQPLvxMKta9nKgMXcE0G6NVQXDCXmo5fafbvhSsGtO10PwRLuiiH9pkwmfpdLRgQ47g-X137pErl5GXR-q5Ay-Ibm1SWFVA8AkTJ45vQYHtB4W8iEdiRy97/s320/P1050149.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444031605662279154" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;">The electric gondolas conducted by a mannequin. </div><div style="text-align: center;">
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</div></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-r0DLx853Lz1iMdOy-jk5VrOoANVGQS1ogAZ2phyphenhyphenIXJagh6mab-CDmQ8IfbTlubgHVQRKkiZMxg2SEQeKixTDoRVvedePMzqn42dfAeWMSHI3lbLx0XsKhyMMzVMFdgxqn2CMhx2iQNfP/s1600-h/P1050141.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-r0DLx853Lz1iMdOy-jk5VrOoANVGQS1ogAZ2phyphenhyphenIXJagh6mab-CDmQ8IfbTlubgHVQRKkiZMxg2SEQeKixTDoRVvedePMzqn42dfAeWMSHI3lbLx0XsKhyMMzVMFdgxqn2CMhx2iQNfP/s320/P1050141.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444031591847549922" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCDKngbUS-Wym21y_ipxGPb5pWYeIms6o2xykRdGxgA4l0TGUyK4e-zGmo2rsvmZ82OL_nUiL-fJC0Xd5ogK52C47arh06Kh6X1kL4ooePvcgY9QSFFLrW8kznVD6soLbnLzzYAlhhAEo/s1600-h/P1050168.JPG"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCDKngbUS-Wym21y_ipxGPb5pWYeIms6o2xykRdGxgA4l0TGUyK4e-zGmo2rsvmZ82OL_nUiL-fJC0Xd5ogK52C47arh06Kh6X1kL4ooePvcgY9QSFFLrW8kznVD6soLbnLzzYAlhhAEo/s320/P1050168.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444033094989054210" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YVtIEapbc3Db0hJpe1vCIA5KpjJeLzEYDAz7vkuFbpBvnFR1AoTavjbILMeAIeMZQ14Y8AsaCyWqeBwuqgcvws1vbp2pzLEKT5BRjS0_0IliauTOTxA1F1Nty01CXZFvaP5LmceksM1V/s1600-h/P1050159.JPG"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YVtIEapbc3Db0hJpe1vCIA5KpjJeLzEYDAz7vkuFbpBvnFR1AoTavjbILMeAIeMZQ14Y8AsaCyWqeBwuqgcvws1vbp2pzLEKT5BRjS0_0IliauTOTxA1F1Nty01CXZFvaP5LmceksM1V/s320/P1050159.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444033087436671986" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Some of the many random/impressive things they had inside that place.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I was also surprised with the amount of people, but as it was Chinese New Year so there were also more people than usual gambling.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Then we went to an amazing Vietnamese restaurant which I loved (despite the fact that the roll coaster was just behind us and every 2 minutes it would make a huge noise although I did saw it as a unique experience never to be happened in Portugal heheh).</span></span></span></p></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSXhEhp-CxJJ4JBYpQ4QYbRwv8v7knkNYMlIIaDjhyphenhyphenuxCDn0M-jozMWpSmg-1PQKsCnmnhWmGy6IGmrdEYpVcfxtlmi4BaR1PKLsNV84nG6rrLVTzuJaz2Up5VM0GHDt7OZMVKzJm2friV/s1600-h/P1050153.JPG"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSXhEhp-CxJJ4JBYpQ4QYbRwv8v7knkNYMlIIaDjhyphenhyphenuxCDn0M-jozMWpSmg-1PQKsCnmnhWmGy6IGmrdEYpVcfxtlmi4BaR1PKLsNV84nG6rrLVTzuJaz2Up5VM0GHDt7OZMVKzJm2friV/s320/P1050153.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444031618650251426" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;">This was a 4 meat course dish that included doing our own spring rolls in rise paper :)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-USfont-family:";">But I have to say that what I enjoyed the most was ... the air of the mountain! Air-con is simply not the same, besides in KL the wind seems never to blow. It was a fresh, a bit cold breeze which I hadn’t felt since I arrived to Malaysia and that I had no idea I loved so much :)</span></span></p></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGFlGKwQIPEFsgGvFw56homnFI6EGylbmAQf3P3L-kddi-6L4xYG9Jog_cCt0ONF8ri-_qx1IJVM7AeJWSeWkz9v9_afMdCmYdxC65EOEve-tkaSMgfPC3pWDiksj4GAiPEL_oTDwhpEq/s1600-h/P1050180.JPG"></a></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></p></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcP2IwlcqwJzAkSnp2ADNwL5OcKHZm7xcWB769YbmsCrnOqD1g4mNuzVtnebvqGmmXFR-QhpTP-e0K9gIZvUoZSLO39WfSrwNcDkYW_2ZQvqB8SW9LMrQRigrnildBTjrBopwk-bUP9IAf/s1600-h/P1050131.JPG"></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-8422504028588162892010-03-01T08:02:00.019+01:002010-03-01T09:55:58.507+01:00Gong Xi Fa Cai*<div style="text-align: center;">
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Having in consideration the huge number of Chinese living in KL, of course that the Chinese New Year is given a lot of attention. Many malls are decorated, as well as, streets, restaurants, houses which make you feel a bit of the taste of being in China. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-USfont-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PFzbeRCMJzSXn3j6HB6sCZdq74pkfXYkUM-8GI8AxhF5cZ0sBWtgKK9vmRu4WQKn-YgPe3rPM40NKpTtCe2rxxvr_pj3cjo-x3R75cad_xbAtkggHShiDCiXBAhZUJUTRf6osfzhm5Mj/s1600-h/SDC10757.JPG"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LrCAXuwtAQM_6EwDswCp25IWO8pm8klEcwCutplVCOq05XNwt0WwAxqXTL5AgvQaJD3pf1jeu4Fh9awqSwsbeWO6BfeHFYPvLHdcpoPvPs7JCQunbDSpJzm58kKbF0gfmiayu6Tu1_Rh/s1600-h/DSC07531.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LrCAXuwtAQM_6EwDswCp25IWO8pm8klEcwCutplVCOq05XNwt0WwAxqXTL5AgvQaJD3pf1jeu4Fh9awqSwsbeWO6BfeHFYPvLHdcpoPvPs7JCQunbDSpJzm58kKbF0gfmiayu6Tu1_Rh/s320/DSC07531.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443558374850370434" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6zy-uzg23SaA8GpId3uZWPlVFmMtqI7Af4_ZGE_wR3XGTVdMYx9RN6xLi4OvspaTx-S8O0yi17NtNiTZUg-Z6pvigmCkDoPs5SX0vDztHLuj0k4UHCAbsBNAERinio7jcYUe3ZyvNkcm/s1600-h/DSC07515.JPG"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6zy-uzg23SaA8GpId3uZWPlVFmMtqI7Af4_ZGE_wR3XGTVdMYx9RN6xLi4OvspaTx-S8O0yi17NtNiTZUg-Z6pvigmCkDoPs5SX0vDztHLuj0k4UHCAbsBNAERinio7jcYUe3ZyvNkcm/s320/DSC07515.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443558371869008290" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">Probably you are wondering (as I was) what happens in the Chinese New Year. Well, as far as I understood, Chinese New Year is for Chinese more of less the same as Christmas for Catholics. Before Chinese New Year families buy new clothes, items for the house, arrange it, prepare a lot of food and the in New Year’s Eve they have a family dinner. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">Normally family members, especially older family members give to younger’s, an envelope containing money which is called “Ang pow”. Also, in companies which have a Chinese background, the boss will give this envelope to employees which is a very expected moments both in companies and families.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAlbyWLrBO66OujL-hG2IHi4UU3i5SdGPiVP_3GaMiyvCPR0Da8efnMnwLokH-WCyxTCRE0NO_ZmMZlRrGLTqjSWfJRapvcxTwjEnLBtEjkwNsPuwFaVY6O-lyN3iU9QMbruXX8qVtbxn/s320/DSC07596.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443572116434546514" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">My one and only Ang pow :)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">It is also the tradition that every family thoroughly cleans the house to sweep away any ill-fortune in hopes to make way for good incoming luck. Windows and doors will be decorated with red color</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">paper-cuts</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">and</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">couplets</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">with popular themes of “happiness”, “wealth”, and “longevity”.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdMn7XDm55LIHEyXfgCwql4ZcX89XQyA0KaPTOwCSnyei0N-J-UJ2xTmIV02Iyfmbi8kCinEYt0V6-e4sED7RupkE4kaveeFiWI8TxzLjPW1yNPNDfJJibOomO6mkExVqod_mo8EIegMc/s1600-h/DSC07507.JPG"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQdMn7XDm55LIHEyXfgCwql4ZcX89XQyA0KaPTOwCSnyei0N-J-UJ2xTmIV02Iyfmbi8kCinEYt0V6-e4sED7RupkE4kaveeFiWI8TxzLjPW1yNPNDfJJibOomO6mkExVqod_mo8EIegMc/s320/DSC07507.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443558361220994610" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">During the festivities is it very common to give and receive Oranges or Tangerines. The reason behind is related with the name of Orange in Chinese which is the same as for Gold, so offering Oranges and Tangerines is a way to wish a prosperous year.</span></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeOf-vQzWXmwkCwhbtVnwFadXyqsmjqz652g9ka36QpcxhjiPPpU03YVEL5-R_avYXJz6okR3nYchEdZRF1kWYmMp7d1xLFkLLBX7kUsh3ZasG6o4_DTfSSzBosI7MfDd4b6UzXZTICpI/s1600-h/DSC07503.JPG"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeOf-vQzWXmwkCwhbtVnwFadXyqsmjqz652g9ka36QpcxhjiPPpU03YVEL5-R_avYXJz6okR3nYchEdZRF1kWYmMp7d1xLFkLLBX7kUsh3ZasG6o4_DTfSSzBosI7MfDd4b6UzXZTICpI/s320/DSC07503.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443558361103213810" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Some families and companies invite a</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">dragon/lion dance</span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">troupe a<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">s a symbolic ritual to usher in the Lunar New Year as well as to evict bad spirits from the premises.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">
</span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4PFzbeRCMJzSXn3j6HB6sCZdq74pkfXYkUM-8GI8AxhF5cZ0sBWtgKK9vmRu4WQKn-YgPe3rPM40NKpTtCe2rxxvr_pj3cjo-x3R75cad_xbAtkggHShiDCiXBAhZUJUTRf6osfzhm5Mj/s320/SDC10757.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443561783062579522" style="text-align: justify; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span><div></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">A small example video of these dances:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">
</span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxKmY5NcpnHaJ6DuILR0C_7eLbql0b-4hcA5lYnhiLzlQbADuBahi_xi4mTy8Ef7PWRHP5dDKllASYYnUu9' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">These rituals, the fire-works, decorations and so, last for the first 14 days of the Chinese New Year in which each day as a particular tradition/ritual. Also gambling is a very common activity for Chinese during this period, both in Casinos and within the family.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFay34Z2mTCn1wrewLmdDF5FnPZSTsKzJgIFnChrIrxIoMsj900NVo9kEU4qjd05hHX2wBFpfenoxC7ITEmuWzoJ_duMh6SAxSgJ6oIJwcsybtplx-GE1jysLdn1l8IJSUmKQ5pDodSGx/s1600-h/DSC07469.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFay34Z2mTCn1wrewLmdDF5FnPZSTsKzJgIFnChrIrxIoMsj900NVo9kEU4qjd05hHX2wBFpfenoxC7ITEmuWzoJ_duMh6SAxSgJ6oIJwcsybtplx-GE1jysLdn1l8IJSUmKQ5pDodSGx/s320/DSC07469.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443558352143268754" style="text-align: justify; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">My Chinese New Year Eve was very interesting, I was invited by a college to attend a dinner in a farm which has a lot of animals, as well as, children and teenagers who have a difficult family situation. I was very well received and joined them at the big table outside. There was rice, vegetables, chicken and pork, accompanied by cold Chinese tea.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Qr6UZ3WfT2KIupF-HWvKGY8UvtTWoYfirYnS9NEoRQH2Jy7yb-DnO_50UqnEillgDwbfU0S6aSXsam6DgjasfZgN2klchhOMORL1NfpEYarLpwyOuPoJhNrPErITCnswZEpuSX2WC0MJ/s320/P1050001.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443561775323808418" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">After those 2 weeks of beautiful decorations and lion dances everywhere, I only wonder how it must be Chinese New Year in China itself, if here is already such a big event and occasion?!</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;">
</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; "><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2WojwsTlXrq0zU4LxEaZm-zQ79nbxnwR7XJrt1GNsv2CPVeKiut7PmdI4U9WxsEYwo8csqbBT3Rbo_9ZECse0KpHHLtHdc83g3Cx8zn_ATvEQHFzaSUJJd_48J7L-IopGJP0YAf3g-1_/s320/DSC07562.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443571536095211970" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></p><div><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style=" ;font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;">
</span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">*Happy Chinese New Year</span></span></span></span></p></span></span></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-44033057117052407572010-03-01T05:36:00.009+01:002010-03-01T07:28:19.194+01:00Kuala Lumpur, a city of contrasts<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">By now it is more than fair to write about Kuala Lumpur (KL) as I have been living here for a month already. Nevertheless, I think much will be left unsaid for future posts :)</span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Kuala Lumpur</span></span></span></b></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">(translate as "muddy confluence”) has an estimated population of 1.6 and the greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million. Quite bigger than any city I have lived until now heheh.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">KL is a very busy city, there is a lot of traffic and even during the night there are many cars on the roads. Also, there are many places opened 24h a day, including street restaurants so you can eat any time you wish to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmliPu7iPBUXvK7BLb2sW-eULehPQeweGVYGmWrrrm7J4tFfSSOeQEg9jM2NBGQJKPS5ccg_tk39fl3PHszVf6A46miWt_1zLbpvXN1BQe2l1i3bSyId10Vq1WTGhyeJTDpLu6Aqcx4Tt/s1600-h/DSC07499.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmliPu7iPBUXvK7BLb2sW-eULehPQeweGVYGmWrrrm7J4tFfSSOeQEg9jM2NBGQJKPS5ccg_tk39fl3PHszVf6A46miWt_1zLbpvXN1BQe2l1i3bSyId10Vq1WTGhyeJTDpLu6Aqcx4Tt/s320/DSC07499.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443540386086956450" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">It is a very tall city compared to the European cities I have visited and full of contrasts and disparity: in one hand it can be very new and modern and on the other hand, there are many traditional neighborhoods a bit old and dirty. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6wAQWwaZ1XceRZ3wgxWUZmoD623x7XEkWTr6maKdArgXM-BRfOgspgJb9xLS4eFv7WkssmF96IylA8Dog9z9EPueYs94J_Nmg4lmAmmQbNVeEyPjY8kOxvWufuBlagxin5z14E2C8xkK/s320/P1050129.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443529807419943922" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">
</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">I’ve seen some nice parks and streets to have some walks but with this heat its hard to find motivation. Therefore, one of the most common things I find here is shopping malls, I mean with this weather, who doesn’t wants to go on a shopping mall once in a while with air-con?</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgm15kGP9z-jgAaFB5DDlQ6OmKjaW1MArP8tC1tO6euGB94U7rww4Gj0po95weSnCoSq-7y5F5Y_0YIu97QgBtkPXyYSHxyfmNdwJoSbUL1XeRy-Y3fst5jNaeAmVCG7LlnhTrFTKaqidM/s1600-h/DSC07470.JPG"></a></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yPyDRjb0ey-tgLC8-EJTQ1vydDGCMj8E5jV2Sp2v7mpEfDyDdjJswQ24OxrFnCP4RnD0b1e-d2u2cMS2_85sSqz4P1llxB5n4g319woVJuZlykyFTvvNENdqwdgP7rpQ1pzLq8pTYzcF/s1600-h/P1050066.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5yPyDRjb0ey-tgLC8-EJTQ1vydDGCMj8E5jV2Sp2v7mpEfDyDdjJswQ24OxrFnCP4RnD0b1e-d2u2cMS2_85sSqz4P1llxB5n4g319woVJuZlykyFTvvNENdqwdgP7rpQ1pzLq8pTYzcF/s320/P1050066.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443523802276387042" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 181px; " /></a></span><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">
</span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Aside shopping, I found out something t</span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">hat Malay families also do: launch kites :)</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> How nice is that? </span></span></span></span></p></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialbmnc7h2Vkpabh0P0S846KH3UsF7VN_dIZEjxVnqDkYMrnBQzoDr-GFJRtS3L_EAHiHcoxL7BhwT9ns_QYR_ybdPlU29LJE61E_hPFTX_BLKGmGXQAg8mxV9pCDPTF_krQ7Fua32X9hu/s320/P1040993.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443529792833637618" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Also, it is possible to find a lot of Muslim influence in some buildings, as well as, worship places for Indians and Chinese. Here are some which I have visited:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></span></span><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, serif; "><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJRcYXR-6pZr5Q-czJDobkXSBQ5_aUV_DJC2G57U6UxO5Dl7B-Z5VIgJ8Hw27qhJyEGncnknpnuEYKZMXMsS8WspWowkbaINxpnRXIJecTO1BX9NqtVde_kqF4DN_-WVF2ZelsKrD6bme/s1600-h/DSC07431.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJRcYXR-6pZr5Q-czJDobkXSBQ5_aUV_DJC2G57U6UxO5Dl7B-Z5VIgJ8Hw27qhJyEGncnknpnuEYKZMXMsS8WspWowkbaINxpnRXIJecTO1BX9NqtVde_kqF4DN_-WVF2ZelsKrD6bme/s320/DSC07431.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443539402432433938" style="text-align: justify; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: justify; "><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></div></span></span></u></div></div></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">Batu caves, where there is a Indian Temple inside. At the entrance you can see a statue 43m tall of the God of War.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">
</span></o:p></span></p></span></span></div></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJRcYXR-6pZr5Q-czJDobkXSBQ5_aUV_DJC2G57U6UxO5Dl7B-Z5VIgJ8Hw27qhJyEGncnknpnuEYKZMXMsS8WspWowkbaINxpnRXIJecTO1BX9NqtVde_kqF4DN_-WVF2ZelsKrD6bme/s1600-h/DSC07431.JPG"></a></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsDKfrCzclZod_6ORiosTij4ajt52NOh48Q1yySEhAf2YeN9n1j2Y5Dyl65awrVDzo940c_3_e7bk4HCn6TeaDEaexd-mMo8VHc2SVe8hFNYmOrJC901X_j8frtnfOAZaBT7tw4PFlvrX/s320/SDC10661.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443523798064270706" style="text-align: justify; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></span></div><div></div></span></span></u></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Inside the caves where a lot of monkeys live, as well as, some other animals...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_LafyozaA4k3vit9aXEy91pddnHSY_68LHAgSFf-njzumen1k8MgmCyk-V-sLZQijrTaNhuHyJYxbWWaQr8vH7gPsaBMQWME86huzDDoNeCJrPV5m-sYlgEoc4J306bSXXAMjZqNIIBO/s320/SDC10686.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443546306364681794" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">With my friend and college Nicole with whom I went to visit Batu Caves.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; "><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRi-B1fv4V2H1H8xQQvBruCuGg9nrN436IwIQI3UpH8cMcinlevpJcZFJxQtc3bLQ5ATmXRO-wFsIsSVc8Z8rugBlg80Dq5TMkP46uqgUPkWu7Pg3-T_ZMh8DyKe4Gkfd6KUuJaJKrPdWv/s320/SDC10705.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443546314692666050" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia, serif;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">The inside of a Chinese Temple in Chinatown where a worker places incense in the ceiling which gives it a great atmosphere.</span></o:p></span></p></span></span></div></span></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92S952MO_HqSBxftnjRajriZgeRjrNJlvgxPx8P3sZ_GOn4ND2aVCVoY1vpb6X9LuWnANDv517BGIZ4WVoUZh0BZ5jYN8xwfH7OP-JokLCxltYSyzEpMyZyhadGa5J-BNpXxNPzwDXxlH/s320/19861_318546381230_537431230_4172567_7105835_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443529808417912050" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Thean Hou Temple, the biggest Chinese Temple in Malaysia with my friend Inês, who is living nearby in Singapore.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"></span></span></span></span></p><div><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">
</span></span></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Finally, the most important building of KL are the Petronas Towers,</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> these were the world's tallest buildings before being surpassed by</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Taipei 101. However, the towers are still the</span></span></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"> </span></span></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">tallest twin buildings in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></p></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgm15kGP9z-jgAaFB5DDlQ6OmKjaW1MArP8tC1tO6euGB94U7rww4Gj0po95weSnCoSq-7y5F5Y_0YIu97QgBtkPXyYSHxyfmNdwJoSbUL1XeRy-Y3fst5jNaeAmVCG7LlnhTrFTKaqidM/s320/DSC07470.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443523827107515362" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">And of course, as any tourist in KL, here you go my picture with the famous towers :)</span></span></span></span></p></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3Y4ql8gydTdCTujg7sOOyMrCkd-fiy0rfTedUBF8hJStSuVpC7NK_wadHkJI0cFTroIPXTrqIkD9zA4QfMxai5C1_hoANOly_LukIPmkvzpvtr8rXPDe30A5YzQJHqH0N9at0a3jY2PQ/s320/P1050086.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443523811766692418" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">
</span></div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-86232045128722022532010-02-08T10:39:00.004+01:002010-02-09T03:40:59.998+01:00Life in Malaysia<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">So I'm gonna try to explain a bit better how my life is now in Malaysia because people keep asking me that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I live in a house around 6km from the city (with traffic jam is a bit hard to predict how long it takes). There is a bus that goes to city center BUT buses in Malaysia don’t have a schedule due to unpredictable traffic so is very uncertain :S<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMlXh5AALePz5uLQpd5mOuAAhbz3F1h5GPMH-uV-KgxNmQDhXzq2rRnokjzrhkbfOSG5Js5Jl7Pcgk_3QLHPyVsUvnMq1ztzQ8XX6Eeha5eB5Z9aZrRLnHVixEAh318cIWQYAbpLh7ENM7/s320/DSC07463.JPG" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The office of the NGO I am working in (</span></span><a href="http://www.spca.org.my/"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">http://www.spca.org.my/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">) is in the ground floor of the house I live in :)</span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> So I am one floor away from work. My room is fully equipped with everything needed (furniture, toilet, wireless and air-conditioned!!!). In the house there are some dogs and cats with which I became acquaintance of already.</span></span></p></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZq6uVuLUZx8huVoCHcfUlDmGZYVCP1NhJ0rSljuD7wWo_l5OrqYcy6vYfwzBEPDZ_t49ORikEnbgQjN7ZgJgOe2uGUrKFMXhf3vCexaz_im-iU-pojWzDe99zLQVgzxvh9EADEN6QnQ8J/s1600-h/DSC07404.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZq6uVuLUZx8huVoCHcfUlDmGZYVCP1NhJ0rSljuD7wWo_l5OrqYcy6vYfwzBEPDZ_t49ORikEnbgQjN7ZgJgOe2uGUrKFMXhf3vCexaz_im-iU-pojWzDe99zLQVgzxvh9EADEN6QnQ8J/s320/DSC07404.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435805845149812242" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The locals speak Malay but almost all the people I’ve meet speaks English so communication is going quite well despite the different accents which confuses me a lot!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The food is very diverse, there is Malay food, Indian and Chinese the most. It’s also possible to find western food (mostly fast food) and from Thailand, Vietnam and so. Of course the food is mostly spicy or sweet (I ate sweet noodles recently heheh) so if you are too picky this is not a good option for you :)</span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPf2CNqEfx0rDub3E5fhy-mXh907f1kS30WZcU2qRP6UUZLIiFLErhEQo84s0F_bkH2aRvpW5y_d_GoAmnZ3ZQPRFr9XD75w7qNEh33gicUtx0sb0rlddaFtp8t22vSqoogmaqk5t5bxbf/s1600-h/DSC07454.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPf2CNqEfx0rDub3E5fhy-mXh907f1kS30WZcU2qRP6UUZLIiFLErhEQo84s0F_bkH2aRvpW5y_d_GoAmnZ3ZQPRFr9XD75w7qNEh33gicUtx0sb0rlddaFtp8t22vSqoogmaqk5t5bxbf/s320/DSC07454.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435805540806722690" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Indian Stand</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></u></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLyVFk6oTuy6HfGuNZj8sVlQfSs9-QFCZHqNNCbqN7R1Xd9Yn-Xbwb4Vqtl3ARC5CLZjBylCyd_ADWImvCIkQj_O475XNpK8M5751BoIPyBOOZZlpy5ojCG_RXId_23FcMBbsN7DO45Ur/s1600-h/DSC07471.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLyVFk6oTuy6HfGuNZj8sVlQfSs9-QFCZHqNNCbqN7R1Xd9Yn-Xbwb4Vqtl3ARC5CLZjBylCyd_ADWImvCIkQj_O475XNpK8M5751BoIPyBOOZZlpy5ojCG_RXId_23FcMBbsN7DO45Ur/s320/DSC07471.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435805526534219778" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Malay dish (they eat a lot of rise)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></u></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nE5EwH15X7ktSvIGi4wqjC8a3rGCBiKIVH57wJJ3kMxTAJVvRsFDfWv7XLCjdcsy6hFX7_Dh9fQKbSRlkzFyjkdOyvfy8t34f1xIjcLnXK3p3Ep22WDtrd9meCoWXZyNJstQ5KihQqLh/s1600-h/DSC07392.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nE5EwH15X7ktSvIGi4wqjC8a3rGCBiKIVH57wJJ3kMxTAJVvRsFDfWv7XLCjdcsy6hFX7_Dh9fQKbSRlkzFyjkdOyvfy8t34f1xIjcLnXK3p3Ep22WDtrd9meCoWXZyNJstQ5KihQqLh/s320/DSC07392.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435805512897552466" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The place where we normally have lunch in.</span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">A very curious thing for me is the time difference which is 8 hours ahead GMT. So, when I wake up at 9am, everyone in Portugal is sleeping or going to bed because it’s 1am there. When I finish my work at 6pm, people are only working for one hour in Portugal because it’s 10am there. Finally, when I go to sleep at 1am, in Portugal is only 5pm. So if you want to chat with me online and you haven’t found out why I’m not online at late afternoon and night, now you know!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Last, but not least, the people. As I said the diversity is quite huge physically but also religiously. Until now I found people very nice and helpful, in my work, in supermarket, in any shop. It’s very hard to guess from where they are because Malaysia had many colonizers, firstly the Portuguese, the British and also the Japanese. Aside that they have a lot of Indians and Chinese people living here, and probably from nearby countries as well. Despite the fact that most population is Muslim, I would say Malaysia is a very open-minded country and people are very opened to foreigners and quite used to it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">So life in Malaysia, despite the differences, is quite good! It’s different from anything I had experienced until now and much more is still to come</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-USfont-family:";">!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-56206969641407640672010-02-08T09:15:00.005+01:002010-02-08T09:41:58.677+01:00Trip and first impressions<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">My first stop before arriving to Kuala Lumpur was London in which I’ve spend one night. I met 2 good friends, went for a dinner, and before my flight I ate an English Breakfast in a Spanish bar listening to Fado, Tribalistas and Buraca. That was very odd!</span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">A short stop in Egypt, and then in Malaysia the first impact: the heat! I had been told that it was very hot and so on, but only experiencing it! I haven’t worn a jacket since I’m here basically and I sleep without any sheet on me. During the day is around 33º/34ºC, during the night around 25º/27ºC. Sometimes during the afternoon rains heavily so everywhere I go I need to carry an umbrella. Me and everyone heheh.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Secondly, I was impressed with the abundant nature everywhere! The airport is well designed so there are some interior gardens and all the way to the city there were fields and fields full of palm trees! Most of the roads have trees aside of many tropical kinds. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40UfXRaYVIJi-2HPPCDYH39rCRRgv_OLIyYaDEHsDKm-I0khMj8F2MMIOuUl9Q112p_C8tFKEVpZ2TDpcUqoxzdPG6hbS4rgCgBcQ_c2LIVsC9JCxcHPav8h55-Mw22llSMpLlsJ7jYvI/s320/DSC07386.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435784159331017922" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></p><div><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">This is a photo of the airport interior. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I stayed for 2 nights in a student residence where I could hear a lot of animals outside (which seemed like a jungle), the praises from a near Mosque (more than half of Malaysia population is Muslim) and where I could experience 2 nights of sleep with that heat!</span></span></span></p></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6a1Acvo08kkN2SAW_AJFZEo7LZdfAfmyZ0vBaiGlA0xhHYHLGv5_MDKoxrnJgQRzeEUDXYCpR2C3AJ5wAbI3INuJ1l96GKrK0oXn1ekVhST-dyZrQwZmTWQg3gAUTA0vnJFrQbZXmaKAZ/s1600-h/DSC07387.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6a1Acvo08kkN2SAW_AJFZEo7LZdfAfmyZ0vBaiGlA0xhHYHLGv5_MDKoxrnJgQRzeEUDXYCpR2C3AJ5wAbI3INuJ1l96GKrK0oXn1ekVhST-dyZrQwZmTWQg3gAUTA0vnJFrQbZXmaKAZ/s320/DSC07387.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435784166601744210" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;">View from the residence window.</div></span><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The second day after an interesting omelet with rise inside, I went for a near Shopping Mall and I have to say it was a cultural experience! There were so many people, lights, and noise, and impressively there was an artificial river in the middle of the shopping mall. I guess the photo speaks for itself!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQwi8l7x7rCNQYd2BWTlLnjbcwOmWvMgjrNNsvnX3dntL6zXO-n-M5jY-cUcOTDNdCVZXsoLw61Yn7KRehF90JVpjX7q9Y4DTLAe7-FKlzcYe3eLiA8jemcZEf9R29P3qNSsYstNWj6Iv/s320/DSC07389.JPG" /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Immediately I also noticed that the life standard is much lower than Portugal or Croatia, for example MacDonalds menu is around 2, maybe 2,5 Euros (I think this is the best worldwide example to compare prices heheh).<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">To finish, the amount of cultural diversity is overwhelming. Skin colors, language, clothes. It is a true cultural melting-pot country which I am very glad to get to know.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">
</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN-USfont-family:";">
</span></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-53234302621706220632010-01-25T00:22:00.006+01:002010-01-25T00:32:39.630+01:00Next stop: Malaysia<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">It’s confirmed, I’m going Malaysia for two months in an internship through AIESEC.
</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">.</span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify">
To resume firstly Malaysia is a former colony of UK with tropical weather which I am very curious to experience with 8 hours ahead of GMT. Aside this is a multi-racial country consisting of 61 percent Malays, 30 percent Chinese, 8 percent Indians and 1 percent of other ethnic groups. </div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify">
My internship will be in Kuala Lumpur which is the capital, but in the recent years, the administrative capital has been moved to the Federal Territory of Putrajaya. </div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify">
During the late 20th century, Malaysia experienced an economic boom and underwent rapid development. It borders the Strait of Malacca, an important international shipping crossroad, and international trade is integral to its economy. Manufacturing makes up a major sector of the country's economy. Malaysia has a biodiverse range of flora and fauna, and is also considered one of the 17 megadiverse countries.</span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></div><div align="justify">
</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430451201524966194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4PEq-e_qnqlK-L5J2SI3y0wZVWbNQvXfiAXUR1zs1KZgJA-HVwY3onUWgBB0amueteV_Js6RaZH06BSQQgTftDM7FjDiof8e6ZDHSQhu_DPLbX6_T5nFocGyDW9z2fuZybjx5T7qBq_R9/s320/Flag+Malaysia.png" />
<p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">I will be working on a NGO, SPCA Selangor which is is an animal welfare organisation based in Ampang Jaya, Selangor. The aim of the SPCA is to protect defenseless animals and to alleviate their suffering. I will be working in Marketing, Education, events and doing any other administrative work needed. My internship will last for 2 months (February and March) and afterwards I plan to travel a bit around. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">
Can’t wait for it!</span> </p><p align="justify"></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-55698175910909374752009-09-17T17:28:00.015+02:002010-02-24T17:29:05.755+01:00“It is harder to come back then to go somewhere in the first place”<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify" style="font-family:arial;">My mom recently told me that since I returned from Croatia I am more anxious and impatient. I have to agree with this, not having an idea of what to do next and how to assure another peak in life brings frustration.
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></span>
</div><div align="justify" style="font-family:arial;">But <strong>I have changed</strong> much more than this… Many things which I am not sure if I can put in words but I have been reflecting on this for a while so I think it’s great way to close this chapter in my blog by sharing a bit.</div><div align="justify" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. </span></div><div align="justify" style="font-family:arial;">
My first year in Croatia was one of hardest I had in my entire life. I realized that until then I had been lucky with the people I worked with, I realized that I let myself be influenced by negativity and laziness and so many other things. In my first year I found out the worst side of me, I had many downs and at some point I wanted to leave.</div><div align="justify" face="arial"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></div><div align="justify" face="arial">
Looking back, I’m so glad I didn’t, I’m so glad I did exactly the opposite and pushed myself to stay a year longer despite my lack of motivation, confidence, trust… All of that based on hope and believe that AIESEC in Croatia should and could be better.</div><div align="justify" face="arial"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. </span></div><div align="justify" face="arial">
So initially I became a worst person, no energy, no willingness, no strength, too flexible, lazy and I couldn’t recognize myself.</div><div align="justify" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. </span></div><div align="justify" style="font-family:arial;">
Later on I picked up the pieces, I grabbed an idea, I stayed because I wanted better memories from Croatia and from my last year in AIESEC than the ones I had until then. So in the second year I again changed and I started recognizing myself again.</div><div align="justify" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></div><div align="justify" style="font-family:arial;">
So, comparing with the Catarina who left I am now more flexible (but just enough), direct, I accept jokes easier and I say them more often, I’m more confident with higher self-esteem, more extroverted, stronger, I feel more safe, I care less about what others think of me, I am more bitchy (in Croatia it is a trait), more tolerant and a bit more lazy, I use irony all the time, I am more independent, I am less harsh with myself and I am also more girlish heheh. I also started believing in relationships, I am less rational in it and I am so much more easy-going generally.</div><div align="justify" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></div><div align="justify" style="font-family:arial;">
My values became more solid, as well as, my personality. I think I will always be a bit Croat from now on, and I like it :)</div><div align="justify" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></div><div face="arial" align="justify">
All of this came from the experiences I had and the <strong>learning’s</strong> I got out of those experiences. Maybe other people would have learned different things in the same situation, but these are lessons I took that will stay forever. So I <strong>learned</strong>:</div><div face="arial" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></div><div face="arial" align="justify">
- What is like to work with people that bring the worst in me; </div><div face="arial" align="justify">
- To appreciate my country, to admire some of Portuguese values and history; </div><div face="arial" align="justify">
- To represent an entire country which is not mine based on trust; </div><div face="arial" align="justify">
- The difficulty to define “home”; </div><div face="arial" align="justify">
- Consequences of bad and lack of leadership; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- What is to be a Croat, to think as a Croat and what is the meaning of the Croatian flag ;) </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- To be a tourist guide in Zagreb and Split; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- To realize that visas are a major issues outside EU; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- To be even less materialistic; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- To smile differently to take pictures; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- What is to work and live in the same house with the same people; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- Travel by train more than 24hours in a row; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- How war affects a culture and a country; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- What is to be rational, direct, concrete, honest in CEE style :)</div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- Balkan humor; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- The true meaning of “Saudade”; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- That I am a real AIESECer; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- What is Carnival without Brazilian music; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- Share the room with a crazy Serbian girl together with a Indian in the same house, and share a dorm experience with a Ukrainian; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- Dorm life;</div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- Push back the very barriers of my own personality;</div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- How hard it to use English to express feelings; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- I learned how the worst “me” is like; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- That sometimes my values fluctuate; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- To ask myself everyday “What the hell am I doing here?”; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- True friendship; </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- Varazdin effect ;) </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- How to drink Rakija without making a face;</div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- To be everyday out of my comfort zone;</div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- To gain perspective;</div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- Being able to read body language much better;</div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
- All teams are different no matter how much we try;</div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify"> </div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">- And a bit of Croatian language heheh.</div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
And to finish, do I miss Croatia? <strong>HELL YES!</strong> I miss people, much more than I would imagine when I first left Portugal. And I miss small things, like people calling me Cata, travelling by tram, the sound of Croatian language, people speaking loud in the public transportation, speaking in English, feeling unique because I was a Portuguese (here is not unique at all), the coffee bars, hearing “dobertek” before any meal, the nationalism, the hospitality, the bakeries and even the music!</div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
In the end, it was really <strong>worth</strong>, all the good and even the bad. Now I’m sure I did change but for better.</div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial;" align="justify">
<strong>Hvala puno</strong> to all who have contributed for this experience to be really life-changing.
</div><p style="font-family: arial;">
</p><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px; display: block; height: 309px; font-family: arial;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382459079921371186" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5c4loTMCNPyeOblh_5f1tTfWZAyILNRKijn5mQ4sentxEg4cfxtawGwToeZLp3j98xm-kkJZooF1O4fMn9X1RugtZB9MePkD8Lx8G-8WL98hta_WeVgF1wSM-NrnX1YJfcgv76sseR68m/s320/For+blog.jpg" border="0" /> <p style="font-family: arial;" align="right">“A man must travel. By his own, not through stories, pictures, books or TV. He’s got to travel by himself, with his eyes and feet, to understand what is his. To one day plant his own trees and value them. Knowing the cold to enjoy the heat. And the opposite. Feel the distance and absence of shelter to be well under his own roof. A man must travel to places that he does not know to break this arrogance that makes us see the world as we imagine it, and not simply as it is or can be. That makes us teachers and doctors of what we have not seen, when we should be students, and simply go see.” Amyr Klink</p><p align="right"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-family:arial;">P.S: Sorry for the long post but then again, it’s the final one about Croatia so it’s special :)</span>
</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-29961629056742863952009-08-30T16:28:00.012+02:002009-09-14T16:29:29.763+02:00Nomad Life<div align="justify">
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">My last month in Croatia after the conference was one of the best gifts I could offer to myself. It was just what I needed to adjust to the fact that I was returning for good to Portugal, to say goodbye and see you soon to my good friends, reflect and finish all transition with the new team.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify">
<span style="color:#000000;">.</span>
</div><div align="justify">
I started the month by coloring my hair (actually, my successor did it) and by participating in another drinking marathon in Zagreb which was amazing and crazy :)</div><p></p><p></p><p></p><div align="justify">
</div><div align="justify">
Then my friend Teresa came to visit me, we went to Slavonia (the north part of Croatia) to Slavonski Brod where my good friend Ana hosted us, then we travelled to Osijek to a party which was also by goodbye from this amazing city and people which always made me feel like home.</div><div align="justify">
</div><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375789287413006786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtr8DFxJnudgSHeoGj9-565Ua2PyaM_pkcYHsnDbvwl3J1I7rM1qUCa6_os98gegF5fC2Rri0dwvfVP93H7UvDwhe22aakYD6b9RPEJ8wiDLbk03aAyEr2PAbFh0wGqfBQbTuol9mABjgY/s320/6454_102051786854_665066854_1984386_8197591_n.jpg" />Then we went to Budapest where we meet Barbara and Marijana. I had time to get to know the city better and then we went for a day to Bratislava. We took a bus which cost 5€ and we paid 2€ for the return ticket from Bratislava to Budapest – only in Central Europe! I really liked Bratislava, it's small but sweet city. </p><p>
</p><div align="justify">
Then we returned to Zagreb for a night, had a great breakfast prepared by Miran who hosted us, went to the coast, to Rijeka, then finally I visited Istria by going to Labin and Rabac where Alen and Irma received us :)</div><p></p><p>
</p><p></p>
<p align="justify">It was the perfect ending for the crazy trip with Teresa where we could rest and go to the beach.
</p>
<p align="justify">Afterwards we got back to Rijeka for a very cool goodbye party that the Local Committee prepared, and Teresa left and I stayed in Zagreb.</p>
<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375790603968275698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-ewyNsLm9F4fxaxTHa5-_DOhYW-trVGXBxd_FlG_5-x8c1MDdmI54o6uGs5WaXY5frwbkeeNeF-TPqJfcVIs6rwk5AyeCHqxis5ieAVu-gT01u4tw76BzjU4BxoKnx1p6_SEaUewwI8M/s320/6454_102068911854_665066854_1984955_7021251_n.jpg" />
<div align="justify">
Had good fun for a week, drinking Porto Wine by the river with good friends, went to birthday parties and visited Varazdin for a night. It was really worth going there to meet such people which I will miss a lot.</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375790610792178258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_-nvYgkwqX3XTfQ1cwuc8TdAyPBUHyjGlhwEziITvBCY_ULqSlN3bzmJrukOt8_DeeP64fCwIELQyBSESnxX5KhK01dgH1-2LS5JSTBPPXSR8MZzBvt7-NA-aA5MciYWePJZR8dXh596/s320/DSC01030.JPG" />
<div align="justify">
Then AIESEC in Croatia hosted the European Presidents Meeting in Zagreb where I meet some good friends and then some of us went to Split. It was rainy but for me what mattered were the people with whom I had great experiences, nights, morning and laughs during those days.</div>
<div align="justify"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375792509192460594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzo2StfLtsxAv-2WjBgPR7A7imG-tpVZQjT9g44gL-N_KAmXDMMH1KEosLKx3ayYQ3FlNWcoxpctxSUFXYBZBWKKnMaZMBWZhK2HjqjNnLyGuzIQSZ0WqcExQE1KIaHmc2oA-rr_MFnYqi/s320/DSC06652.JPG" />
Back to Zagreb, Marta arrived, I had some goodbye party with Zagreb people and not only, including my non-AIESEC friends and the day after I finally visited Bosnia & Herzegovina. We went to Sarajevo where we were so well received by Dan and Zlatko, then travelled to beautiful Mostar where Reno hosted us. It was a very nice experience to visit this country, it's visible the huge effort being made to put the country in place after the war and the people are as nice and welcoming as I have been told several times.</div><p>
</p><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
Finally, back to Split for some resting because I got sick. But even so I went night swimming and had opportunity to visit Brac and have some crazy nights as usual.</div><p>
</p><div align="justify">
Marta left to Zagreb and I went to visit Marijana at Kukljica where I finally had time to rest, relax and reflect. I also visited Zadar and then I left to Zagreb to catch my flight…</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></span></div>
<div align="center"></div><p>
</p><p align="justify"><embed height="267" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="400" src="http://picasaweb.google.pt/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.pt&captions=1&hl=en_US&feat=flashalbum&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.pt%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcatarina.aiesec%2Falbumid%2F5375766640890144849%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCLGakNbio5GCUw%26hl%3Den_US"></embed></p><p></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">It was a crazy and hard month. I was sick and tired of packing, travelling, sleeping here and there, I was sick of that nomad life but it has good things… The best was the possibility that I had to see all those people again, to realize that I made great friendships during my period in Croatia and that no matter what, I will return because these people are now part of me.</span> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-16814875141236514972009-06-20T22:16:00.006+02:002009-06-20T22:45:32.367+02:00Mezanima me :)<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">And with the end of the month and of the term, came also my last National Conference in AIESEC in Croatia as President.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">
It is hard to condensate everything I felt in words but the best word to define it is <strong>fulfilled</strong>. After 2 years in Croatia I truly feel that the organization evolved, there was positivism in the atmosphere, there were achievements to celebrate, there was a legacy that we passed on and amazing people that will lead the organization.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify">
On the personal level, there was such a mixture of feelings. I was happy but also a bit sad and emotional. The probabilities that such moments will ever repeat are minimum. Some of the most important people that influenced my experience in this country were there, most of my best Croatian friends were there and some of my best moments in AIESEC in Croatia including parties in the hallway, bush diving, sunrises, conversations, faci meetings, MC roll call, succession of AIESEC in Croatia and a lot of randomness happened in this conference… So much to remember…</span> </div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div>
<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349512038207052866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxrVMx5osL6QpGT6j8q0jSxztpLXmads3IK0jjaesE5YweY6GS4f-lVDr77l7f5GEpB3EnwH_uFqyaAN5WxYzhiymuRDS39BbCEnnfKYK-q_9gwwIYYfMeAYV8hN57SfYCp_eFgy9i0So/s320/P5270952.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349512192991405890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUuVUbBpBrcH4kuxDKMncIpbbSWuNPsExHpoyDtPeG3ahYcIAK4dSM_jeq5cEJMJuSbGQlakogAl4eDndSx7T0MTqBTWG71RhsKc5Tikz3ZaqCztKCxN0G93z3kI8Vh3hxEZE6hltCaLc/s320/4576_88339838874_675828874_1782061_7517911_n.jpg" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349512042912389074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguuivjretuV-o2bvP2CX_EIL3IXcoXR3FhBMfp4v653sVRzDif9g0kEwmJpy94GK7T-EPE5wngOBQGiOLOf52zNZCAYsskuVvpA057bmYpwHMvWoXFpE0Crgef7gDmXnozlIIS_DCw-D1s/s320/IMG_6613.JPG" /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349512037732477330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_Nd6TOLM-PnMhh7ttpiYt_O3g6DkUJTZgDKfuhppXdz81t0fWDHPIiG0YtP9cFpI5Jna5opsrhPs64wE9XzN5K6rgm_PLuWPW6ikXFOSIXgK5p_F-A8Yx0YxlaoVElYAh3tRlQeWlub_/s320/P5270975.JPG" />
<div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349512032148046082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22c78uN_EhLtoiIxaaq8dZ-fSYAqRRrAxNCsGqFVVBW7qp7QlLFq-16W42TAtJJMhzKZmOUWpnzaAr3bbzzfV7j-3aNx8u8QPfsDDXjooMtmZ1gSlbwkjyIs4MD4nFB9fZNHZOfgU0CZ3/s320/P5290944.JPG" /> <div align="justify"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349512189064202002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbWkFx7sLv2Fja-u4XdtnWx9UEGV1YimpjWj5DSAjPpXgrCSJP0iqt2nwj0O4ZoLsVRWkyQA1xCJbfzSChgFrhOFvLdEqLAyaUCpdDOIoq6BttWxEITQ0ja2sOqpwN5fxInr7IHzGfRGG/s320/4327_89675107146_715822146_1855850_4668119_n.jpg" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349512023036212370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4iAaiFMPxvA_zfcdVi4fcUtQ6enKeBaawxQ4bXhYyw0TKFZb4jLh75KxULSIcUeRe64eFnlgF9lGeUQ7cM8wko3lu0mHtN0JFe2JjmVA4CcdQgHlgo-5zKMWiJRgtMBGjLyLidIpNPMd6/s320/P5310954.JPG" />
<span style="font-family:arial;">In the end, Hvala Puno AIESEC Hrvatska! Make me proud :)</span></div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div>
<p align="center"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fGjQ5QqrfH8&hl=pt-br&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fGjQ5QqrfH8&hl=pt-br&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p><p align="center"></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-24965738907106732832009-06-20T19:52:00.010+02:002009-06-20T20:40:40.465+02:00Last month of my AIESEC active Career<div align="justify">
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">My last month as an active AIESECer just began by going back to the roots. I went to Portugal for a weekend because of the wedding of a very good friend of mine who was also the President of AIESEC in Portugal when I was working on that team that year.</span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span> </div><div align="justify">
</div><div align="justify">
</div><div align="justify">The whole experience to meet team again, to remember all experiences we went through made me feel very nostalgic but also satisfied by realizing how we all evolved since then and the amazing experiences we are all gathering from all around the world literally!</div><div align="justify"></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349473015714755970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFEOmHOUemH4WolIV0VFEmbmRYZpLhq0LanVGh6b7rDJrEn1teKhQkfDUbOCFJzrV90KCu3Q1vYcGnQnPOXFJxpGiBMBiCA-U5jMyy17FGHBw-3rs9MCnILR2E1M8ciO71bF-bmXsCB_o/s320/n724800111_6841994_333907.jpg" /></span> <div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Then I managed also to be present in the moment where many people that influenced my career became Alumnus and to participate in my good friend Hugo farewell dinner before he leaves to his new challenge, Netherland and the AIESEC International.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 191px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349473020629254082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Eouf4z1IbznjL7VrOvMMDfigl75TiOcaFfvrral9Ek2qmMsqGnCu-6n_fMOBonADYMSETTFSI2aMihofyn4UyNi6sKm3j_VepnAlIOg8stfwrc-2iXW0FdCCIGCMZt3kpQos3o43wIZu/s320/n754269475_1622467_2459437.jpg" />
<div align="justify">Finally, I became Alumnus of my home LC, AIESEC Lisboa ISCTE. It was a natural step to take and it felt good to have there “present” the people who contributed so much for my experience to be what it was. It was like to look at my life through others people eyes and it also made me realize how lucky I was to have such extraordinary people in my AIESEC career but moreover as my friends! Everything was special and memorable as I always wanted it to be, including the end. Even when some things do not turn out the way we would like to, it just adds value to the entire experience.</div><div align="justify"></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349474053229359714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnNx9EK53FZH0AkPOnN_xml3yaH-Wf_IFAeT9FOnzqaZt8T1O6y9DmeELi8yAim8dXm42oVL0IsV4I5Y8EfFOW-XRwfpyxbCeY8A4sArc7BvmE2LaB28HeR9qDqDOIcyClKuoKyZFnuqt/s320/A+AIESEC+foi+a+melhor+escola+%5BCompatibility+Mode%5D.jpg" />
<div align="justify">And when I returned to Croatia, WILL found OPPORTUNITY so I did a lot of things that I always wanted to during May:</div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Have a chilled lunch with my team;</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349473028842460738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifApvsFGWmecw7EQ_p-cdE2E0STlJmh9HeHJtKpJvNnURJplvI7-tNRY1_Bj0eqPs9BNuCHC8sV-QONmDQULGwQvYR-3G_WAcAxquoO99n_pOQi2cj4Svj7qVA88ahkpYt8I0QJogesIy/s320/DSC00728.JPG" />
Visit one of the most beautiful places I’ve been into, the Plitvice Lakes, a natural park of Croatia;</div>
</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 80px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349475047436388706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisoDI_TqpZLbjFZ0VArmWOepG2Mz1q_ex8bA7dwBJYz6lV6YT76MECGuoaBO4xNeNb4qd-L-gvuq9mAD8dZE0AJzpP9AUPqeFhEYqkxFM8O-qi9udsHKx7ILUJkSPpogOcj2XU__mqjWjR/s320/DSC00735.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349475067800540882" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQZz5w_xZK85BPmW8bw30t7HRilJ8KcxqXzi_eaHGqSyfEw_HngJPy5fIPYELczPGCPeIG-gaYfbHF9XDu05cqNMgKhY0bhDnDllcDtD4cZeDuJIm41Pwu4fhkmC4xY6qlcHizRrhKkF0/s320/DSC00754.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349475075065881474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XlvXQs_7bogIg4wtgqU47AgzZG3SyTOhT_a2EHQjmgOAqxgl9CDpq_6BRm3aGBTyQSaat4OK0_X0bVt-KAjgIcW6mjqcS4guYjOy16nGVF74hlC8hkdDLHpskuIH-uf0ihINaifI6PNC/s320/DSC00766.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349475069148233922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqqV6uSRcqOaqgaJrE7MCLuUFqrvYJ1_SfwJtAmrGw5qPLQQP_RJh5_zgHKMVvoWnULdgHNMkZx7QVl0bCR7VuMZr_NfkypmoL_HJyzUCvytdHKTdM4ZrKEFwevweSCYRhbKgaW3DTUdKC/s320/DSC00760.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349475674508642610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiixTMWcLuG_Ghhd4GM7F9LzUQRrbz3YQCvIG3-F4BqSJbD5oKO3VNhRZynhVYcGxCtuEZ_yAI6qg0K5AOG9tBu8sZBVVmukSGl5YcAo6PQuF0B8OHRcetwMvitp1XXzvuSduZNuU_R4BTT/s320/DSC00798.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 80px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349475671293820594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEO7DlJk2vVaZy3O0LlN9dgmoD0DG8xraL_hVpwDEfu14np4406kkrO8qeP6AsAnTbQ-fWxbchWB68h8ZUIlbpxL8NGAWntmcavhJ2Fp45DVnB1xOq_U_FJJi0Ji8mUOEihA3XGU6jrfOk/s320/DSC00785.JPG" /></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify">To see finally how the St.Mark church in Zagreb looks like after the recovery works done;</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349473032291497938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNE_ds1EJtQ_r6f67QZyj7VPZkKRsDQkLWhLjMaMhRP0_bMlfrl50B-7jf1Vc7LPhO1v5zfilYBhgh3CBLLIepXJSvAWaGHNHRA-qbLK4IP2DdJPuucVHb_IPjApIBOSuzq0S5UDfa3YON/s320/DSC00700.JPG" />
And to enjoy the fact that Zagreb had a record number of interns with whom I had many quality moments :)</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349474044669768546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoKU6yLz65cay7qCC5tTjmf_M4Pqx-OcjKecabIfS4iPeafllAIq4ukFGL92qNepGWPirRIjruCH78350iFi0dF5IdmRb1fxYyuVIOQiYEu09395ZmUYt7neJ7-5Bc1G06Y4jlb8-hXFYI/s320/3220_91754306078_526406078_2373230_597905_n.jpg" />
</p><p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-55557456671078581702009-04-30T13:47:00.013+02:002009-06-15T00:04:38.393+02:00"At the end you remember the beginning"<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;"></span>
</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">In one month I will finish my responsibilities as President of AIESEC in Croatia, I won’t have any more title below my name, I won’t be actively working in AIESEC anymore, I won’t have an address, I will have no work or job to do. I will be just an unemployed recent graduate in Psychology with 24 years old. I will have to rebuild my life from scratch, find a new place to live, a new job, a new passion, a new flag.</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Arial;">. </span>
</span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">How does it make me feel?
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.
</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">I believe AIESEC is just a bus stop, it is never ever a destination. We meet some cool people on the same stop as we, some other less cool people, some of them we are sure we will meet somewhere someday, we go through sunny days but also through a lot of rainy days, some days we are tired to wait, other days we feel like never leaving that place.
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span>
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">And once it gets comfortable it means that it’s time to catch the bus. And I feel that this is the right moment to catch my bus, I am sure it will be the right one and I am sure that will lead me exactly where I should be.
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span>
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">And how does that make me feel?</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span>
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Tired but at the same time I know that the next 30 days are the last days I have to do anything meaningful in this organization, are the only days left to make a change, to leave a legacy, to do something that will make my last years all worth.
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span>
</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">I’m also tired of jumping around and I miss having a place called home. But for now that is something I can live with as long as I have friends that make me feel home in many places in the world.
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span>
</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">How does it make me feel?
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Nostalgic and it makes me think about the person I was when I joined AIESEC, it makes me feel a bit old and it makes me feel I went through an amazing changing process. When I look at the pictures I see that apparently I haven’t change that much but I know the truth, I’m not the same scared, low-confident, impulsive, with bad English, with fear to speak in public girl I was when I joined…
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">So what´s the feeling?</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Happiness because I had an amazing experience. I will leave Croatia with the feeling I have done the right choice by staying one more year, I will be sure that all doubts, fears and even tears were worth. I will leave my active life in AIESEC with absolutely sure I made the best out of it, I kept the right people around me, I learned what I needed for my personality and character to become stronger, I took challenges and I grew beyond what I ever expected.
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span>
</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">How does it make me feel?
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span>
</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">A bit scared about the future, anxious. AIESEC is a peak in my life. I mean, how many times in my life will I have the opportunity to lead ambitious, young and exciting people? How many times will I be managing an organization with more than 300 people? How many times will I be in my life the main representative of an organization present in a country for over 55 years in front of more than 100 countries? How many times will I be the main representative of a country which is not my own? I think the chances are pretty small.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span> </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">I think things will get harder, it will require more passion and willingness, but I am determined not to make AIESEC the peak of my life. I just need to find something I believe in and dedicate my life to it.
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">And how does makes me feel?
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">
</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">In the end it makes me feel good with myself.
</div></span>
<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330450100356063586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjF8jvWJ3ToL3GyE4aXJUqEz5MCFefLVAREtETUmPAA13pPTbn47nbAbNU3TmxA-MhxBfJBmEEzfch6Ad0I9QmwfGs-Vg-RUW25_joKmG7GGPDfS5HvsYgf3Vrf-rQWWI1mwVzT6QO6uwe/s320/IMG_0151.JPG" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-57076260144071796592009-04-27T23:20:00.004+02:002009-04-27T23:56:46.889+02:00The real difference between Portuguese and Croats<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">During Easter I went to Split where I had a lot of time for myself and normally in these occasions I also come up with rather interesting theories (at least for me). So while in Split I dedicated a bit of time reflecting about the differences I have been noticing between the people from my own country and the people from the country I have been living in the last 2 years and this is the result:</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;">. </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify">
<strong>Croats are “black or while” and Portuguese are “grey”.</strong></div><div align="justify"><strong><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></strong></div><div align="justify">
Croats (and I would like to emphasize that I am generalizing) are <strong>extremists</strong>: a guy is either cool or not, either they are dating or they are not, either they are friends or they are not. Generally they are very direct and straight forward people. They are a very <strong>nationalistic</strong> nation and although they seem into travelling, several Croats told me that they have here everything they need so they would never live abroad for choice. I know a lot of religious people, and I mean young people. Also I’ve heard from many people that they aim to get married, have a good house, raise kids, enjoy life. I have met so many happy people and families, happy with what they have, with who they are, with what they do. Normally they are not satisfied with the Government but I guess that is a global feeling. I think Croatian music is generally <strong>happier</strong>, they drink more and they work to party afterwards. That’s why I say that they point of view is much more extreme like “black or white”.</div><div align="justify"></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329485101629663890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPP9Z5GuVWkJTDD0y5vC37bNQq7quGo52pSjXXNH_-TnZko29k3Kf0Athzj8_YD7gPvjpwMZotHgARO7cyjMXtcjie35HBJf-7vKb2O5mWGQ5R-87vb2PebsYvKMAlM9ZhT5CJtQ-NwKei/s320/Croatia.jpg" border="0" /></span> <p align="justify">
<span style="font-family:arial;">Portuguese (and I am again generalizing) are by nature <strong>frustrated</strong> with everything, with the country, with their lifes, with their job, with the weather, with the traffic, with the prices, with their emotional lifes… Normally Portuguese people always give the benefit of doubt “He seems an asshole but maybe this is not his day, I will give him some more opportunities”. Generally they are not proud of their country and they live convinced that all other countries are better. According to statistics majority of Population is Catholic but actually most of my friends are agnostic. I would say that Portuguese have difficulty to believe in happy endings, most of the musics are about <strong>sad love stories</strong> and my friends and even I tend to dream about impossible relationships. Sometimes the longest period of emotional relationships is the flirting, kissing and what we call “to have fun” part, to date is a very advanced stage and normally takes quite a while to begin. For all of this I would say Portuguese are more in between, more “grey”.</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329485106590197746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDawri2ltyoBM5tZhuW7irfizSYyMdhGk92NIqujJEC3dKnytNEQ1aNECfkA-viPHYIfQvJzNTpuD0WUigXZyF60RVtjZIdKus_Riigb1Xa_V4kR_9T-29IAfCD4geSW-13kC6h3i14czY/s320/Portugal.jpg" border="0" />
I would say the good thing about Croats it’s their capacity to be happy and to find happiness in small, beautiful things. They are more <strong>confident and proud</strong> of whom they are and of what they have. This is from my point of view highly influenced by the fact that a bit more than a decade ago they had to fight for their country and for their own freedom.</span></p><p align="justify">
<span style="font-family:arial;">The good thing about Portuguese is that they live in this continuous frustration which also makes them always to look for alternatives and to change if necessary in <strong>pursuit for that happiness</strong> or perfection that they actually don’t believe exists. I also think this is present in Portuguese way of being for centuries and it explains a bit the discoveries period and why people who are blessed with a beautiful ocean, great fields and warm weather decide to engage in adventures and endless boat trips to find new worlds. But then again, maybe this is not the majority I am talking about…</span></p><span style="font-family:arial;"><p align="justify">
The bad thing about Croats is that sometimes they just don’t care because they are happy. They are not concerned so much in details and perfection, and sometimes they don’t seem interested to find out other ways of doing things which could even be useful for their country or for their lifes. They are satisfied with what they have and I also believe this is visible in AIESECers in Croatia but the question is what else could they have or be? What about <strong>excellence</strong>?</p><p align="justify">
The bad thing about Portuguese is that they seem never to be happy or satisfied, they complain so much about everything and they <strong>lack positivism</strong>. This would be good if people would fight and do something to change their lifes, but the truth is that many people don’t do so, and they complain their entire life. And AIESEC was a reflection of this bad side until a while ago, I think now things are changing…</p><p align="justify">
Bottom line, both cultures seems similar on the first sight, and they are but some <strong>key values in the basic structure of these cultures are not shared</strong>. </p><p align="justify">
<em>Which one is better?</em> I think that the best is to find a <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">balance</span></strong> between being able to enjoy what you have and at the same time risk and challenge the boundaries that we impose to ourselves.</p><p align="justify">
I think I manage to find a good balance between this 2 point of views after 2 years in Croatia and that is maybe one of the biggest learnings I will take with me… I’m actually starting to believe in happy endings… </p><p align="justify">
<span style="color:#000000;">.</span></p><p align="justify"> </p><p align="justify">
</p><p align="right">
P.S: of course these are statements based on my assumptions and perception therefore it is only an assessment, it may even be a bit grounded but it is not necessarily right and I hope it doesn’t offends anyone :)</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-14588721372600040162009-04-23T23:39:00.009+02:002009-04-24T00:09:50.698+02:00Budapest, EuroXPRO 2009 and Bucharest<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify">
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">In March I was going to realize one of my dreams since 2004: to facilitate an international AIESEC conference, a big one!</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;">. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify">
It was a conference for the future leaders of AIESEC in European and North American countries bringing together 200 people from a bit less than 40 countries.</div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
Of course I had to take the opportunity to travel by train and as it was safer, I took the option to pass by Budapest in Hungary because I was travelling alone. So I had the chance to visit a bit of the city, the CEE GN hosted me and I had a got time there.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328007065600685890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsI47qUVY0T8pj-Vf9UChPJrWB9c1I89qXVCgjPVP3EL8Rla7PdX-_gDyZ5WUs2d0utZyy04UD9VRadEFjiZQyR9sMqOm1OxfZy25gzSq4GiShosrJLHfpY1z1RWIlFznxr50dElosH3k4/s320/DSC00400.JPG" border="0" />
Me and Barbara who lives in Budapest and who showed me the city :)</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> <div align="justify">
</div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328007066337502738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 85px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXX9CLgXN2ZBVArZefiOnx1pTfNqVOHi-DLpzUaGdXB4EPd6hWRiVfnuf6hlTfTLGzPtRKdhIgO32n8eRCPzz2W6T0w_KmtizVyAoYlVG6cL65XA0BzidBuCJbqVXcp5jX7aJF76Iua4ye/s320/DSC00463.JPG" border="0" />
And this is just a bit of the city (I’ve broken my camera in Rome so now I only have mobile pictures but it's not that bad hein?).</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></p><div align="justify">
Then I got to Bucharest in Romania to meet the team I was going to work with. Just to highlight that in this team was included David who was part of my Executive Board in Lisboa when I was President in AIESEC Lisboa ISCTE which was a great feeling! </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>
<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328007608900085378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPW3SeC3wAnGzXxv-lP6T5YxbOQEPSNM8b_OKW_40QP895MDu_dDcMmktUoPsiPDYDBgyitB6dUDzsOaNzpAfE9lRy_0rHCngc0QfuPkJ1hmqp3QBkSIfKCHdJ2d8c4obsbM475Aot5h1R/s320/DSC00611.JPG" border="0" />
So, having in consideration that this would be <strong>my last international conference</strong> my expectations were very high, I wanted to feel the AIESEC spirit, give quality sessions, bond with my delegation but also to get to know the Portuguese, spend time with some old friends, basically to enjoy it to the maximum!!
</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328007060374424482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 174px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIj7OigVj0sKScW6wzQm9654-qpuE9v-q6lAnuydbd580qf42sAjqwOOgL95o9zs5mXj9QZNPriTqTl4wRjliuKwaCgXcg9benzgBiIi-GkWUaAPF9siuEY67yxqhf6snNQEGbqWmb0Kq6/s320/n671596578_2321633_2415787.jpg" border="0" />
And I did, EuroXPRO was the best last international conference I could have, it was very relaxing as facilitator! Maybe because the entire team was so high profiled that the level of trust was above anything I have experienced, so I was not stressed out, I didn’t have to do late work or anything, I was relaxed even during pre-meeting. Besides that I loved the closing plenary, it was perfect...
</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328007061308467250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAL9FqFH8DkQZyWZj1INGi0cwlw2lJeJobB-M_mX3nN7QPcsWxn9jcYyy2TtG1Hz3b0lgR4GkYB853E0CUARodc6OXU2SlvU34L30F6Qcu8Th2cvOPbAie0KXpuG5mr-DKmo4gPgZZ3dxJ/s320/2665_144646240220_724055220_6272864_7054797_n.jpg" border="0" />
And it was amazing to see Croatians there, to see them taking over and to see that Croatia will stay in good hands next year. Also it was great to see them bonding with Portugal and listen to them sharing their points of view about both countries. </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>
<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328007066734453842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 298px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPOxgr8VUC5KTrlllw0T1NLTC1caD3HSp6-rf9dTqLudloZxq_MHoF-EQ_6jxbL8tGo-7mxn1QjxjgVYTYUXlJmiYgGVnOiUzo2GWUNq6plCqjduQFzHromqGdmbYXeDlzzeYnO-G8bApf/s320/dlega%C3%A7%C3%A3o.jpg" border="0" />And I got to meet the Portuguese which was also great because sometimes I feel so distant from AIESEC in Portugal.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">
<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328006445624164402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46dtKwd9CvHVVm7rk7nLPnedufrXhyphenhyphenSDIayBsTUi2Az4lpLmrFdgrOvV_ZDOJBr8KtTOCAardGWSGjsy4HX56HY1IQcyBf2p2gdFpW0DdlrDFcZMeGrWVhGYLUhB1cDzE3eBkxL9Ok0vM/s320/2665_144645715220_724055220_6272774_3556220_n.jpg" border="0" />
And last but not least the conference was amazing for me because… I felt myself again (maybe some people won’t understand but…). I recognized myself, the best part of me, I was again the person and AIESECer I was before Croatia and it was an amazing feeling, I felt big and strong, and it felt good to realize that I am here, I’m still here! I got so much positive feedback from delegates concerning my sessions and it was very rewarding. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">On the other side I also felt that most of the time my full potential, capacity and knowledge is not used in AIESEC in Croatia... but how to change it?</span></div><span style="font-family:arial;">
<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328006447671030530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3Jej9-o9HTQSaJqgt48eDm8Gr4OkimO6bqcC9WTyJL22-f6zqn3jdJiZLz_COHtc0wWr1Re3iCPMpEQ7g6NE-N-75XkmXvSNu5vBzNamlgwRty-N-jUwGczrIxmw0YY0tvDEafVPADRZ/s320/n725400769_2128220_6716365.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="justify">
Afterwards I had opportunity to see Bucharest. It’s not an amazing and gorgeous city but it has its magic, it’s definitely Balkan and it has so much influence from different countries and cultures.</span></p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>
<span style="font-family:arial;">
<p align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328006447125751490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5HTw7d0hqilV8IZI4bQr9TBGQjkUid8L5wjE5kPzP2qC7mTV0rAVzx-c1IygDG2WvENTCl1RBOpG0soGxMVibBLG8WJIas4EWJ4ZtGEkfB0AKvUBgOFA5I59HvCujD_Lw_-3-5ODONZc/s320/DSC00506.JPG" border="0" />
So this is the Romanian Athenaeum which is a concert hall in the center of Bucharest.
</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328006444151940082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 83px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVRvZSAP-QvSgV-_RXd0WK8kYK4Z-0lTxf-e0xN_hCsOLx_krlZN9gyYcArcVgZoqg48q94x3MiKQPqUHB2G9lzXM9kSKsEAMyMpwJwQkJMgpLUxanfxJh-uuh8FmafKqvZ-zexXRL1Wk/s320/DSC00539.JPG" border="0" />
This is a photo of a small garden belonging to an Orthodox Church. </p><p>
</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328006442522551298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_PNhG-okCR15Wrq9gYOTRsuYwmyfNrOB_mh25_vkjJgVUNBK5mvWeoAeBe1FngjvFA1NS8DUgP96wmGyfp0Hgym1GtPBIxmE8M9vTXlC-7fiLCSf3tqTSSS2nSYxvTPbVGvaH7xDEorHQ/s320/DSC00561.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="justify">
And this is the Palace of the Parliament, which is the world’s second largest building after Pentagon. </p><p align="justify">
And to finish my experience I leave a video that the Faci Team has created about the Faci roll call. If you were not in the conference it won’t be so funny but… I like it. </p>
<p align="center"><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/70VCc35Dz0g&hl=pt-br&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/70VCc35Dz0g&hl=pt-br&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object></p>
<p align="justify"></p><p align="justify">
Obrigado, Hvala, Mulţumesc and Thanks to all who made my last international conference so special and perfect :)</p><p align="justify"></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-43731178733870137722009-04-21T22:50:00.011+02:002009-04-21T23:52:16.330+02:00IPM 2009 and Rome<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">So in mid February was going to take place </span><a href="http://experiencingtheworldbycatarina.blogspot.com/2008/03/international-presidents-meeting-2008.html"><span style="font-family:arial;">IPM</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> in Rome so Slovenians AIESEC Presidents (the current and elect) and I decided to take advance of living in Central Europe and managed a way to go by car. How great is that? I will miss this mobility once I get back to Portugal… </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;">. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;">
<div align="justify">They managed to convince one guy to drive us there so we went by car, we stopped in Bologna to visit the city, we slept in the car and we got to Rome in a sunny and nice morning ready for the conference.
</div><p align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327250579254173874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTdflchZ5RepMnzkQVoDzMFdGBX35CjSWQ48YWKcJ2OY5LxLT6wD8JE1LsZ7cTb_fpQLaWGCtjDT423sad3ONoH8uc5moZs1h1MiT-zxqb2sbe5KhQqS7PyoKBuYlVCk5WPUKr9g5CCduV/s320/n651591800_1505828_619.jpg" border="0" />
IPM like I had mentioned before is without a doubt the best AIESEC conference in the network but the second IPM is a bit different. Just to recall: this is the most diverse AIESEC conference with only 2 delegates per country in a total of 107 countries represented that lasts for 12 days.</p><p></span></p><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify">
For me it was a very nostalgic conference that made me reflect a lot about the beginning, about all the dreams and hopes I had one year ago. The elections for the international team took place once again and this year was very intense, I participated in the longest legislation ever in my life, I had some of the most hilarious moments of my AIESEC career and I had a lot of thinking… For me this conference was mostly:</div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></div><div align="justify"></div>
<div align="justify">- Get to know and give transition to my successor, <strong>Jelena</strong>. We had great time together and I am very confident about the future of AIESEC in Croatia:
</div><p align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327250586605186098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBo-Dvu-9gly8dRiv1UQ3tODzCdCMjLKL7ZsZ8SKHO1oo0-K6IUrlvZAeNRNCo64fBlm6lDPm1PPwIrsnW-eFE7AxcJ9GAwRIQIrUMd18C2ClQmW3Y3Tord46O95XF5HjvwZ6D9nQBOCd1/s320/n773999083_1358413_553913.jpg" border="0" />
- About meeting old <strong>friends</strong>, having good conversations and sharing crazy ideas: </p><p align="justify"> </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327253063226573346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 210px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPnJEC5yAbT6B2RerZAb_0e-4YaltFUgldTM2bNh3s5kPE3lnCRNmXBxpqTNHx0WipGmT7Ciwmuw6kjzZQ3wdyrduKdbT9wm2rUFUWJU6B0M_HJrgGjANfh8w06cKcDQjPpAKcciFmCGRk/s320/MCPs.jpg" border="0" />
- To think about the failures but also the successes and achievements of <strong>my term</strong>:</p><p>
</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327250592103831698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcfhY1bzjRUSqJI7YVIYzgxORyZRJrELqt0O-84CMXD8ZGHw4JtRzd3QA8BmCjF9vBkTU6xTva-a4veLL5Tp6oluZqpQKAx5nwIZCEjlJ7LPXlHt7RmxXXsw-dRPhR7np_xoXkkrQiOOI/s320/DSC00072.JPG" border="0" />
- To think about my <strong>future</strong> and my next steps:
</span></p>
<span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327250594494475106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4UaolYJfZBKpTeYIewv13UQSgUh8jKPR_4sijdV2kyAQwO2jzAvybFH05e9vlnMabH9Nrt01m-tDGPP6bKmQfE-DS0x8FmwKWhQ5AHW7Pe51UgIeyGR3pJeGCqRcMd-d4iNxNurekcBmG/s320/DSC00048.JPG" border="0" />
- To speak a lot of Portuguese with the people from <strong>PSGN</strong> ;)</span>
<span style="font-family:arial;">
</span>
<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327251325150266834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGzTvpHUUm-RKhaUdd8Q12zastz1zdmo3oVmf7MbjPnHFQ_LjMXtbKPZtS2-0slZu1lLR0aOnaOvQCO3LVXoauSJmO7EK1-gETF7a4Dr9i8HLYWpNdhqXIlO0kEYfPRIYChw1hH6ylD7m/s320/DSC01347.jpg" border="0" />
- Being <strong>proud</strong> of my friends and of the people I saw growing and taking new challenges during the conference:</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">
</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327251323125261954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoDiGl99qCXUYUbekj6b0ueDe_clgfiFHjJuYdw1HumWyiL0lV2b56emgf-Z7bL3aGgq91Oo9Fb-MblFAjoJdhBDmfxrraWxN-lFQoZEGdUBY7dfh-A7CLbEwE3tXKl73-c2GUxgfH7Cq/s320/n753520475_2646545_869708.jpg" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327253064723065970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Uza1eo1UV6jfICIBYFK2WdGhahUybD2h1FaMd1GAhHkdxOpA2ZlljIm5ZoJtkLvyZ8za8-90w3ThwOOFg0PhjWz7WuMF8QlvyoWsYgWWBlr0FjIgNOHHUpRSTXPHVFOOKA8Bbs8Wx9cs/s320/Hugo+e+eva.jpg" border="0" />
- And to say <strong>“See you soon”</strong> to long lasting friends whom I’m sure I will meet someday, somewhere, somehow…:)</span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify">
</div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327251326485070114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtOwEI_bj6JNdpjDUySpLAaJeHOS2J3v-rr_C8pgujPZi1d9frPPHvyGZLJtrGpLOeA8B5RYBodTQYbVwgyaWfGsKO5jq0CKiWSMNTT-H6Iolq7esCS2CM_4qwnaqa4FLz7Fs9iNmGghZK/s320/n753520475_2646556_4319318.jpg" border="0" />
Some flashpoints: </span><span style="font-family:arial;"></p><div align="justify">
- Some cultural mindsets are true... it is true that Italians eat a lot of <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Pasta</span></strong> and basically they eat it in every meal; </div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
- To be in a conference with something like 230 people from 107 countries where more than 20 are Native Portuguese Speakers is a very weird feeling. I spoke more <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Portuguese</span></strong> in this conference than any other international conference for sure; </div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
- Representing Croatia just became a part of me and it is how people recognize me. I felt a bit that I branded Croatia during the last year in the AIESEC network and I felt proud of <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">“being from Croatia”</span></strong>; </div><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify">
- After one year sharing my hopes, frustrations and even days with some of those people I am afraid I will never have the same opportunity to meet them all again and for sure not in the same place, but I am <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">grateful</span> </strong>I even had such experience and opportunity; </p><p>
</p><div align="justify">
- Even in a period of time where we find intelligent life in other planets, AIESEC will still be <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>relevant</strong> </span>and instead of Country members we will have Planet members, Growth Networks will be Planetary systems and Solar system roll call will be something like “We got sun, yeah yeah, we got sun, yeah yeah. We got what? What? What? What? What?” heheheh;</div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
- <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Rome</span></strong> was definitely an amazing surprise. A beautiful city that combines old and new in every street and corner, history in every place and also a touch of Mediterranean culture at least in the night life. A city I could for sure life for a long period of time:</div>
</span>
</span>
<div align="center"><embed pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcatarina.aiesec%2Falbumid%2F5327255463735913393%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCPyJiZipzI-e5QE"></embed></div><div align="center"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-3950929202416924442009-04-05T22:24:00.010+02:002009-04-05T23:04:44.876+02:00January and February in review<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Going back to Zagreb wasn’t easy but much easier than last year. Snow was all around and I did enjoy my winter. </span>
<span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>
<span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>
<span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">
I firstly went to Slovenia to chair the election of the President of AIESEC in Slovenia for the upcoming term and I had the chance to meet friends and visit Ljubljana with snow.
</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321307157107583362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF23i-cymo23kBqNbVO_tc1_LBaRwtr8P6ZVj1afOMpCANOsYYsydrCd5mJTtFP4hdGdopGsGt1yVNJKV0URa1Wbq3kKTgGBYpaSj9sKv5hOs4glOw-5Ag_A5hsHvLSr_oB-5wdn7-XTo-/s320/IMG_9752.JPG" border="0" />
Then in Zagreb I did enjoyed snow the best I could heheh. </span><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><div align="justify">
</div><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321307155689086082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvSVXJKYCN6GhsnHIiFtcdSe4tlRtZnwYNCSMYvpaETk6XzdtBiV0oV5QfZ2prS4WR12QByKdxunPu4g7cs6VDEROsBCFODIl-M22o8Y8RkxAI4xpKff4w1Hd2BnECRzlHXbsA2Cau_t3/s320/IMG_9676.JPG" border="0" />This was the view from my window in the dorm and it's a great feeling to wake up warm and look outside to such a picture... I will miss it.
<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321307148309718098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjDO7MU9EEgghvEClq5pHszW9TWTwv4OMj0Ehyomblptegzti4km2LdTvQMq6ERK5-3SJTGeFjp9l2aDnkX7xlATYu2YalonVF2wfwBJwdSepLiX8xIUzns9j5e4eAayXRV21zAH_TyXJ/s320/IMG_9682.JPG" border="0" />Then Nastya and I had a blast going around the city and to parks when there was snow. It's so peaceful and beautiful...
<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321307146678886002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX_yzLJQwqNDHJKEf5IAkV3V1-DMWvEA8fPAJ57_uQnoy44K736uQAwGxctNFqM0Oel1gLhjmhtCJ-1-C1qJ1_FCqcklOfEpYikfVEPWoMz5OPNP94qOihLywh99bmQN6zWnWsXIuaa-a2/s320/IMG_9709.JPG" border="0" />
And for the first time ever I've seen a frozen lake :) Not a big lake but it was frozen.</span> </p><p align="justify">
<span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321307145282301714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKNk1nV-Mu4G2OsfGPEldvslVJzTIQOMD68twGmpw6Ik3-QpenWMkYtL5Yk0NbiAT33caxAtSEBNoagQ4GxBkeG1gj8wLZOFzJveiZI71pQ5HbD56HpSaN282mUdGu1OEYwgq1nq_BzHU/s320/IMG_9792.JPG" border="0" />
And January was also a cultural month with so many visits to Museums:
<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321306478632927506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4C6it_Qzq3MpAS_VIc7yQ7_R5-QXm7mhqVJo32V7xpErxIboOkViWp0KTWnC0c2OLTbUP5Ttp5vcjQYDAZvaDP08qaOvQ5SEeCF_KRbHFgN3hCvPoUAt1QS8Y_S3G6rtPdmxWFi4oTyvA/s320/IMG_9800.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321306475433960146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQRqsqemEzhIL79p5Ve_0E2Xs_2UXbt1yFhN-PdoXNdMkrEDv3BMDwClhkIxwMAg9BrlqaAWSKl6CnOxspuFM7-BmRjjo5XmuBGoBzpUjUcOJVlNc5Aj_vZB266EVRq9RAk4Mi9o-DmLb/s320/IMG_9880.JPG" border="0" />
Also in January amazingly I managed to spill yogurt in my laptop keyboard which is also one of the reasons why didn’t updated my blog before… Always something happens to my laptops in January… </span>
<span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>
<span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></p><p align="justify">
<span style="font-family:arial;">
Then in the beginning of February Croatia hosted the Man World’s Handball Championship. I was never a big fan of Handball but in Croatia they are fans and good at it, so I went to watch the final in a bar Croatia Vs France and France won… But still we went to the main square to join the crowd who was there to recognize and receive the Croatian athletes.
</p></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><p align="justify">
All that nationalism did have an effect in me and I also wanted to scream and cheer for Croatia. Interesting...
</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321306475392519602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MjVSjWHMOvBycf6o48Q0OuOFDHY64lrQJAsltDSpyn39cAFIHJYe9ICkuhHW0dWa19LVs5Gtw5sdoAROdN2zBc4Z0QD4EhsElLFvK3Gk_itI_sALG8MItMj9bG5VYGb6VOpi3TnR6GBu/s320/IMG_9899.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="justify">
And after the first round of national team applications for the next term I was leaving to Rome for another International Conference.</span> </p><div align="justify"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-30806481477722275262009-04-05T20:43:00.006+02:002009-04-05T20:52:40.024+02:00Re-integration?<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">In AIESEC when people would say that we need to find strategies to re-integrate people who went for internships I never understood very well what that is. But the last time I went back to Portugal I did feel a bit of what that “re-integration” period is… </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>
<p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></p><div align="justify">
This whole experience did change me as a person especially from July to December in many ways like my jokes, my interpersonal skills, my values and the way I do AIESEC. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">So when I got to Lisbon I went straight to a dinner with my EB and I was terrified, I was scared of how would they perceive me, if they would notice that I changed, I was afraid that they would also have changed and we wouldn’t feel good together. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">It wasn’t like that (some things did change because we tried new picture concepts) but for one week I felt weird, out of my comfort zone and I noticed things in Portuguese culture and in my friends which I have never noticed before. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></div><p align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321280667319517954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05y7JySctBGsN5jWAkMRKkA0_YudGBcCG3mXtFM5MhGe6U7i5SwduaesMrXrpF4_PRfgjhhT_3awGOCyuPwkyjcU0aj7zPLj4KTXk_AE7U0sWBVczzM1TI5aoS8q5GwhlXyWb22uVmcyc/s320/IMG_9590.JPG" border="0" />
Bottom line I don’t think I will ever be the same person I was when I went to Croatia and I don’t think I want to be that person anymore. I just need to find a way to cope with this fact when I go back home. </p><p align="justify">
Besides that to be home was relaxing and chilled out. I had enough fun, rest, I watched TV and movies, I read and I partied until the morning like Portuguese style. </p><p align="right">
So this is how my Vacations in Madeira looked like:</p><p></span></p>
<embed pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcatarina.aiesec%2Falbumid%2F5321276739283652049%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DGv1sRgCNOR_Yi05_3MkwE"></embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-60795908180362013452009-04-05T18:33:00.009+02:002009-04-05T19:15:03.768+02:00November & December in review<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Did you ever run a Marathon? From now on I can say: Yes, I did in the end of November… but a drinking Marathon :)</span></div><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></p><p>
</p><div align="justify">I didn’t start from beginning but still, me and Nastya started on the 5th stop at 11am near the dorm which means that we had 13 stops and maybe some more heheh.</div><div align="justify"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321252184948297202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinlWY83G-AYyBO8_AMPayRD_pVT6XgMo0SyLwzdhRpkLhAC7jmLpzgPMGYBbkhX4gFsoTF9XUuPc5R2wpuLSzRuAC_QRlECtLBZk5IYKoY2rJXpP7ItzMLMLnqElXQKGnPwa3z-mVSluqS/s320/n840599717_986364_9028.jpg" border="0" />
<div align="justify">The concept is very simple: there are 18 stops and in each stop it’s mandatory to drink, and there is only one stop for food.
<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321250115919323202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlQVyWm6QYNVkQ5wGtTiAyY1uvcJ2DmDUOGuTK6DVEGAOS43ZOmjoWrp8hVfVfRZ632ZvtIsR8lkA1OvglB2UaRW4PR7ixQsk2BGQFuPBCoG_JbLGV5UGkNXp0xVKV_X88tkl3J8FjxkY/s320/n840599717_986400_8939.jpg" border="0" />
I can say that in the end I was proud of myself, I can remember everything, I didn’t make a fool of myself and I still went to the party afterwards.</div>
<div align="justify">It was pure fun and now I’m waiting for the Summer Edition Marathon in which I intend to go from the beginning heheh. Yeah, living Croatian spirit ;)</div><p align="justify">
Then in the beginning of December there was the biggest National Conference of AIESEC in Croatia, the Winter Leadership Development Congress which was held in Split.</p><div align="justify"></div></span>
<span style="font-family:arial;"></span>
<span style="font-family:arial;">
<div align="justify">This was a special and very important conference for several reasons: we had an amazing number of 150 delegates, we had finally companies participating in the conference, we had 16 facilitators, my successor would be elected in this conference so my expectations were very high!</div>
<span style="color:#000000;">.</span>
<div align="justify">
Was it as amazing as I wanted it to be? Yes and no. I felt good as MCP, I felt that generally people were satisfied, I felt an amazing atmosphere from the delegates and I truly believe that AIESEC in Croatia is different. But (and there is always a but) I felt frustrated, there we had all leaders of our organization and I didn’t know what to tell them, what to say that would make a difference. I have tried different approaches, strategies, I have talked with people and still, things happen so slowly, people seem not to change and I couldn’t find something that would make the difference…</div>
<div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
I guess that also means that I’m not satisfied, it means I’m not going to quit or stop, that means I’m gonna do something and continue challenging my perception of things. </div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Anyway, here are some snapshots of the conference:</div></span>
<span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321248489448585474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOFWbeZsyzBeyv7E8z1HtuRiVfJFvt73t7CGwA6QQi1fYKJDvPX2JDWaW5hmX5tZ3p3Dd5wkLGJ2tQLSWfKYhpa3np5ZVzcDrvKd5q1Q61BLdlv-etbYu0ikoUP-TQxl6bk45KTTN-U6t/s320/n1057519652_30243418_7592.jpg" border="0" /></span>
<span style="font-family:arial;">Opening Ceremony</span>
<span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321248460191370722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkBDO4zPaZYBCw7EM-FjhjZnn6LvsDFbIV4jM5PxahZZGD_vx3Z4eX2OfvqzHzSW65KyYkTKqoFqF3hkJ8rIkZwOlonxWi31Rb7YBdhSXQ-XfgjZxMsEYs9X-aEh8dpLAEE8TVwMjyij5/s320/IMG_9161.JPG" border="0" /></span>
<span style="font-family:arial;">The facilitators' team</span>
<span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321248487600565138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKHSZapEcC95ew8jaGK4ut8lBEN3RVU7Wany2plQaLS-9M0MVkibhPfsUUeVw82aEovWpDkTjrRqGjIykMmM2Fz3MqqkWPvYrfZBLGfZ9_9KcGgsE29uRKUvVbsqN0lup54ieh3UVd4SR/s320/n734651557_2228198_308.jpg" border="0" /></span>
<span style="font-family:arial;">Party</span>
<span style="font-family:arial;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>
<span style="font-family:arial;"></span>
<span style="font-family:arial;">
<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321248481596455634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlOpg0rrvO4Ix1_IUXMlK5M32ZDKMl8dztW42QRSE9D-eODjWFeA5HFsJj5DsRV62rJNKU3-3Q8DmBAkHHlXTMWkOtdik_0xt5KPwcnpE-7X58xnleR38RUDT4NdQafPOhiYRSFGvWxIa/s320/IMG_9231.JPG" border="0" />
The National Team 0809
<p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321248473426564610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBZkyaQqD0zHyzvNlBNhJyNYZZsTQeLGL27lAkU1TgwGGaXduiASFzdnuVHSumUEdZZX3Vksr4FylkId2P9fvNukvWqHgjYU81IDDHmAYrWi1GHxX6Nz55yPremAelKst-ndGIJFeFE2s/s320/IMG_9213.JPG" border="0" /> </p><p>
The Hotel View :)
</p><div align="justify">Then after the conference I had opportunity to chill a bit in Zagreb and feel Christmas when I went to the city center, drink hot wine (in Croatia and other Eastern Europe countries to warm up wine with herbs during winter is traditional and is really good!) and feel the freezing weather.</div>
<div align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321247350658400850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bRcr3Qkp6uR0TEyihmp2nSDn33Ni7ZIOXOE_2IrxXORXSq-MsCTt2li_WiDFZoZauh1rNwRJafWcmimZc0X0rWVdoeKJbVA3Ta0V1gTocGrT1vihzSCK-mkH0gbScpqG3met3v4_KVr0/s320/Christmas+in+Zagreb+08+(3).JPG" border="0" />
</div><div align="justify">And still, before going to Portugal I had a crazy adventure to go to Istanbul for 4 days for a CEE Presidents Meeting.</div><p></p><p>
</p><div align="justify">
I only managed my flight 2 days before the conference so I was already in the airport entering the airplane when I realized that I haven’t told my Mom I was going to Turkey… I called her and I tried to explain her very fast, then during the beautiful sunset over the clouds I realize how AIESEC made travelling or being with foreign people such a normal thing.</div>
<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321247351801665074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIwP3JlNOwq55iySCDqp-v2cOER69UiTaJbO7mjHHux7edfX7yxwLRVlyxc97dP0OJ9ksZqsGNBWJDc9h3IcpkLqh05FOj4KiL1gylR3aQc9r9XEag99MgLugg6bphdFXby89VKDgOIW4/s320/IMG_9290.JPG" border="0" />
<div align="justify">While I was flying I realized how lucky I was to have such possibilities and to have met so many amazing people during the last 5 years of my life… </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.
</span></div><div align="justify">
Then I have to say that I enjoyed Istanbul much more this time than one year and half ago because the weather was nice (not horrible hot), majority of people were locals in the streets (not tourists) and I had the opportunity to walk around without rush (while in the first time I was going around with the study tour people).</div>
<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321247348874221170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOknHK2NwlYrSeEUrF1NWIvV8v1zI82iDY65jKbTpFgRY-2m7krki-g8s6BeXZeI56AnSwfvgjvHQlqVsHLSLm6Etn2dZGNmpv0TPL-S9AHHeiU11aw0cxecw39EWaAE5rZf9pZAGZLQp2/s320/IMG_9301.JPG" border="0" />
<div align="justify">
Another funny thing which amazed me was that I meet randomly this guy from Egypt who was going to facilitate an AIESEC Turkey National Conference that would start immediately after our conference. The interesting about him is that he had a keychain that one and half year ago a CEEDers in Croatia originally from USA got from this MC member for an experiment. The experiment was to see how long it would take using AIESEC network to get back to Croatia. When he told me this I was shocked because I was the owner of that keychain which I completely forgot that I had gave to Drew. So, after one year and half it got back to me in Istanbul given by an Egyptian guy which I had never met before. Crazy right?
</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321247344457289330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrIccT-JFYK8hI6znF3jWk0ugUJFG0Al2rLV7hOAqO4G-Gv_WdixiklPgzMMqNOex7L0xaVSZOKaguA5Vu1u13CH9yWFPMIFs9tH3YJ7aZqRkExOcl0u1Sj84BTnwg0tkskyhmwU3tBDHj/s320/n590740522_5223575_5086.jpg" border="0" /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-70506453729263674062008-12-20T21:16:00.009+01:002008-12-21T01:25:12.867+01:00Countdown to go home :)<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">I am in countdown to go home for four weeks already :) I always liked going to Madeira but I never felt like this before… the anticipation that I will go there tomorrow, that I will open the window of my room and see the ocean is killing me!</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></div><div align="justify">But let me tell you a bit more about Madeira Island.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div>
<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282028182454896194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 244px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMn1nGa3reQyQxbHthqT2dMRR2uxGsTvrJm9mzdeWAZ9oBIXEy31iNb1EJ7RdT_bTBbnvpKe0myRv_BRt6-ANMfYh-99yQLph0D84MpWyehDSfMZlIYu6x9NHUmGWPhejRs_O_H9rR30_N/s320/Madeira+in+Google+Earth.png" border="0" />
<div align="justify">In this picture you can see its localization in the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the Autonomous regions of Portugal, with Madeira Island and Porto Santo Island being the only inhabited islands and two groups of unpopulated islands called the Desertas and Selvagens Islands. Although located in the African Plate, some 650 km off the North African coast, Madeira belongs and has always belonged ethnically, culturally, economically and politically to Europe, some 955 km from the European mainland. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify">
The total area is 828km2, the total population is 260.000, has a coastline of 80 to 90 miles. Its most famous sea cliff, the Cabo Girão, is the world's second highest. The highest point on the island is Pico Ruivo, at 1,862 meters.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">. </span></div><div align="justify"></div>
<div align="justify">In the south, there is very little left of the indigenous laurisilva subtropical rainforest which once covered the whole island (the original settlers set fire to the island to clear the land for farming) and gave it the name it now bears (Madeira means "wood" in Portuguese). However, in the north, the valleys contain native trees of fine growth. These laurisilva forests, notably the forests on the northern slopes of Madeira Island, are designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. </div><div align="justify">
</div><p align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282028167880009042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNosWv3DqW2LRqfi9QtxB51zm1IqzD_VlIifRXykr2rpV8H06LX2RSum88wmSRB3eWugaNAfGOPD8FE73AQRiGrpKMOqJicCWMywgYJIaDVrgCFPFkCCjHlq1tLGTrsjXlxTAGfHau85Hg/s320/IMG_2400.JPG" border="0" />
Madeira Island's geographical position and mountainous landscape result in a very pleasant climate which varies between the north side, south side, and smaller islands groups like Porto Santo and Savages. The mean annual temperature on the coastline can reach more than 20°C in the south. With its mild humidity, the weather of the island is classified as oceanic subtropical and with its low rain level, desertic on the Savages. Influenced by the Gulf Stream, sea water temperature varies between 26°C during the summer and 17°C in the winter.</p><p align="justify"> </p><div align="justify">The capital city (my home, photo below) is called Funchal with about 120,000 inhabitants. Funchal is located in a unique area; the natural geological features form an "amphitheatre" surrounding the city, which begins at the harbour (Porto de Funchal) and rises almost 1200 meters high on gentle slopes.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div>
<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282028169641082130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN-kfKitJTUwyhxV6xp5KrccyVglW3K9wbtHOUXyIDsTQyXk9GzZhHkYH6qiYYkBn2UyNO1xKoPptwUYNw_g9nuAnFIe-Sa51LUkjrZLmcuE2ZYTEU_BfghdVdex3bIawwvAAJQV2Hcyqh/s320/IMG_2263.JPG" border="0" /> <div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
More curiosities: Tourism contributes 20% to the region's GDP; Cristiano Ronaldo is originally from Madeira; Madeira is a popular year-round resort, noted for its Madeira wine, flowers, and embroidery artisans, as well as its New Year's Eve celebrations that feature a spectacular fireworks show, which is the largest in the world according to the Guinness World Records; the island now produces banana, mangoes, papayas, guavas, pineapple, sugar cane, passion fruit, coffee and many other fruits and specialty crops. There are also coconut palms, rubber trees and other "exotic" semi-tropical plants.</div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
So for all of this, I guess you understand why I cannot wait to go home :)</div>
<div align="right"><span style="font-size:85%;">Main source of information: Wikipedia</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-92072497719753594512008-11-19T00:40:00.010+01:002008-11-19T00:59:26.113+01:00Estou alegre... Porque estás alegre?<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Last week there was one event which made me feel hope and another one that made me feel proud and I would like to share them with you… </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><p align="justify">
I went for the weekend to Osijek to participate in their Local Training Seminar. For different reasons my motivation to go was really low and I didn’t feel like travelling and going there, but I went and I returned which a huge sense of hope. Hope that things will get better, that people will challenge themselves, hope that they will grow, learn and surprise me, hope that AIESEC in Osijek will succeed and start doing AIESEC: </p>
<div align="justify"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270147871922747746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpshT6mmmXuuIrK3UtWT4559HARSDxZuV5ecI0ldrDD9wfsOMpRyFIZ-zmIUf1NvsauZ9vS9aKglBV5X2rQw7o74NxKjYB_NuRqhyphenhyphenSzcsCSg0irNzvz4k0Dk0Q0wbPDk3jh8hz1iYOmPU/s320/IMG_8948.JPG" border="0" />
<p align="justify">
Then during the week I received the news that one of my best friends who was also part of my Executive Board in Lisboa during my term as President of AIESEC in ISCTE was selected to be Organizing President of a big international conference AIESEC in Portugal will organize next year, EuroCo.</p>
<p align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270146864154263410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRAd2gnCRamcgGcTlecpdLuUEVhYJK75Yh9cbHjCnKwpDC0qf1qtA75wTqYtBzVdRQcSyWjNXJ2nVw-UTAy3bnoZ0TZEjFyc5hJ4NaznhisX2hWKI17uLBMtgan_ZGuHkp-vEO0mznn4x/s320/IMG_1270.JPG" border="0" />
When you are leading people or a team much comes down to this: feeling of hope and pride... Hope that your influence will somehow have a positive impact in those people, hope you are doing something right, hope that they will surprise you, hope that you are managing to take everyone towards the right direction, hope that the next ones after you won't screw your work, hope that those people will become better than you are. </p>
<p align="justify">
And after that, all that hope becomes happiness if they actually become better than you, if they manage to survive without your guidance and help, if they manage to surprise you, if they manage to be successful. And then you know that something you must have done well and you feel proud because those people are growing. </p>
<p align="justify">
If there is something I feel after being President in AIESEC Lisboa ISCTE is proud of the individuals I have worked with because they make me smile every day, because they don’t quit, they are making the best out of their AIESEC Experience and because they became literally people I admire. I feel proud not because of me, all that they have achieved was due to their growth and effort, I feel proud because they are live examples of AIESEC’ers, each one of them! </p>
<p align="justify">
If you are reading this and if you are a team leader I wish you a lot of hope during your term because that will help you to go through it and I wish you to feel proud once you finish, I wish you to see that the people you lead became better than you.</p><p align="justify"></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-3129477693362779612008-11-15T14:43:00.009+01:002008-11-16T21:26:55.160+01:00Do It 2008 and Switzerland<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>
</div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Some years ago there was a guy that told me that I should apply for facilitator at Do It conference. I said he was crazy because I had no facilitating experience but he convinced me to apply and of course I wasn’t selected. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify">
Today that is one of the most important lessons I hold about what is to support people to do things they don’t believe they would ever do and to take them out of their comfort zone by challenging them. In another situation I asked him what was to be a mentor, and among other things he told me that a mentor convinces his mentees to apply for faci at Do It. The day after I invited him to be my mentor which he is until today. That was one of the wisest decisions I have ever made. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
<span style="color:#000000;">.</span>
</div><div align="justify">All of this to say that this conference always had a special meaning for me, and I always knew that one day I had to be facilitator in this conference. So I applied again this year and now I was selected!</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
<span style="color:#000000;">.</span>
</div><div align="justify">So in the last week of October I caught a train and found myself in Bern, in Switzerland together with other 23 people (Facilitators + Chair) to deliver one of my dreams.
<span style="color:#000000;">.</span> </div><div align="justify">
</div><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268883404703463042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLTAObuuPkYRv32VfVIzs8L0FXVZQ-ChwOyc_M7mtSaLgSnc6HPehNQr6JmyK7KNmVozzXlCRq2LgXeH_FDswJuf8bxJoaRLsGKS8eD9xS8NYp6D8JG3TZ7pV6V_VrfMeACWIcfTcmQpb/s320/IMG_8647.JPG" border="0" /></p><p></p><div align="justify">The conference had over 200 delegates with something like 31 countries represented, it took place in Fiesh, in the Alps and it was exactly what I needed. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">
<span style="color:#000000;">.</span>
</div><div align="justify">
To go to a national conference in another country challenges your idea about how a conference is runned, it challenges how an agenda is built, it makes one reflect on its own reality which is taken for granted, it helps you to questioned which AIESEC do you believe in and it made me question myself, my skills and what I want. </div><div align="justify">
<span style="color:#000000;">.</span> </div><div align="justify">
There are few words to describe the experience but I would definitely focus on one thing. I’ve meet people from all around the world that got together randomly in a small room with one goal: to make that a unique experience for the conference delegates. I meet the facilitators team which was inspiring, funny, random comprised by a bunch of amazing people. </div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268883411641620466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 199px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-IsRIda6yv_Fsy-wZhdOsmtM8skwUwoP4PJ7NX6DjMsHqJamli1cySOrB3mzqe9tgWBh5fOGUVXiVL0hzn8UMkw38nIxyHqw52LsHernSOpcMQZpUnNsp_IpFgrnHQnjqDWNcX4zKrRo/s320/n630766611_1383259_4969.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="justify">
Thank you for reminding me why I am in this organization and why I am doing this. </div><div align="justify">
<span style="color:#000000;">. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">
</span>
And besides that I had the pleasure to get to know Zurich. Switzerland was always a bit of a mystery for me because I always knew a lot of Portuguese immigrated there but I never knew exactly why. Know I think it is because Switzerland offers a life quality which is unquestionable even for a one day visitor. I recommend. </div><p align="justify">
</p><p align="justify">
<embed pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fcatarina.aiesec%2Falbumid%2F5268287931633258913%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DBi2BDVe6PBo"></embed>
</p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify">
So in the end, thanks for the challenge Pita and Jih-Ming, I owe you both.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-41183671577436147442008-11-13T23:45:00.010+01:002008-11-15T14:42:30.278+01:00Small things...<span style="font-family:arial;"></span>
<span style="font-family:arial;">...can make life so much happier, simpler and relaxed. Let me introduce you, the one and only, my first full salary this term:</span>
<p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5268278664376457986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5oVakO9mE5lGX0XdXNwXWUQDM2NBactjKIhhXUp_mqwPJNfAat5U6V_9rJK_y-_CfdQm5_tHrtOInBs1JmDxUNrd3n_6qhZCp2k8-QaDaO7AI4waVhGoOTftA7fAnbb6rodOSmhYjv_o/s320/IMG_8953.JPG" border="0" />
<span style="font-family:Arial;">Beautiful right? I also think so. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></p>
<span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>
<div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;">It's not much, but I have learned how to appreciate it. That is one thing I've learned: to appreciate small stuff. </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="right"><span style="font-family:Arial;">It's not about money, it's about independence, it's about not worrying, it's about stability, it's about making things work :)</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;">P.S: And it won't be the last one! But I just wanted to record the moment</span> ;)</div><div align="justify"> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-672636944416053714.post-30887689435431114822008-10-26T23:41:00.009+01:002009-04-23T22:55:54.072+02:00"Custom leads to adaptation and loss of consciousness" Bernard Baars<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Ok! I admit it, I am living in Croatia for 1 year and 4 months and half. It’s kind of hard to admit because it seems too much time. Then I read that quote which is in the title and it made me think... </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">And yes, I agree, there are now many things which I don’t even realize anymore that I wouldn’t do, say, accept, understand or like if I was in Portugal. Yes, I am losing conscious of the cultural differences and I take many things already has granted in my life in Croatia. So I decided to make a list of things I got used to and other things which I still haven’t got used to it. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span> </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify">
Sorry if it’s too long but I didn’t have much time ;) </div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify">
<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Things I got used to:</span></strong> </div><div align="justify">
- To travel daily by tram without ticket </div><div align="justify">
- To live in a city with no hills, which is opposite to any place I have ever lived </div><div align="justify">
- Think in Kunas (Croatian currency)</div><div align="justify">
- Travel by train anywhere including many other countries, basically to live in central Europe! </div><div align="justify">
- Ask for a beer and expect a half a litter beer at least </div><div align="justify">
- Drink coffee with milk and not expresso </div><div align="justify">
- To say “Bok” and “Dobartek” instead of “Oi” and “Bom apetite” </div><div align="justify">
- Cabbage salad (couve!crua!) </div><div align="justify">
- Enter the bus in any door, including the back door </div><div align="justify">
- To live in a very green city </div><div align="justify">
- Comfortable seats in all coffee shops </div><div align="justify">
- To read “ž” like “j”, and “j” like “ie”, “nj” like “nh”, “lj” like “lh”… </div><div align="justify">
- Being random </div><div align="justify">
- People singing anywhere anytime </div><div align="justify">
- People speaking loud </div><div align="justify">
- Being open-minded about sexuality (mine and others) and sexual jokes </div><div align="justify">
- Accept sexual jokes of people I have meet 30 minutes ago</div><div align="justify"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">- Tell sexual jokes everyday </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify">
- Guys opening the door for me </div><div align="justify">
- Lack of political games in AIESEC </div><div align="justify">
- To have an MC office with window heheh </div><div align="justify">
- Make fun of Slovenia size </div><div align="justify">
- To wear a Croatian t-shirt </div><div align="justify">
- That people think I am Croat and that people speak in Croatian with me </div><div align="justify">
- X-cards and going to cantines </div><div align="justify">
- Dorm life </div><div align="justify">
- Balkans humor </div><div align="justify">
- Croatian hospitality and nationalism </div><div align="justify">
- Take the shoes off when I enter a house </div><div align="justify">
- To “sing” Croatian music and enjoy it </div><div align="justify">
- To be everyday out of my comfort zone </div><div align="justify">
- To refer to Croatia as “my country” when referring to AIESEC </div><div align="justify">
- Not to understand what people talk in the tram or in the streets and not care about it </div><div align="justify">
- Bakeries with a lot of salty stuff and pizza slices </div><div align="justify">
- Not to read subtitles </div><div align="justify">
- To think (and dream) in English </div><div align="justify">
- The security level even at night, even in parks! </div><div align="justify">
- To buy something in a bakery and then eat it in a bar (basically a different place from the one which I bought it) </div><div align="justify">
- Not to be polite </div><div align="justify">
- People calling me “bitch” </div><div align="justify">
- To have internet at home </div><div align="justify">
- Go to supermarkets and not understanding the name tags</div><div align="justify"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">- Being called Cata and even introduce myself as such </span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><div align="justify">
- Too many things which I can’t recognize anymore… </div><div align="justify">
<span style="color:#000000;">.</span></div><div align="justify">
<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Things I still didn’t get used to:</span></strong> </div><div align="justify">
- To have my best friends "living" in my PC </div><div align="justify">
- The weather </div><div align="justify">
- The lack of cultural diversity </div><div align="justify">
- Not having sea near Zagreb </div><div align="justify">
- To be with AIESEC’ers and to do AIESEC 24 hours per day </div><div align="justify">
- People judging others based on first impression </div><div align="justify">
- “Bitch is good, polite is not” mindset </div><div align="justify">
- To be the only girl without makeup in faculty or in a party most of the time </div><div align="justify">
- The fact that people don’t wait for me to answer their questions and continuously interrupt me </div><div align="justify">
- To have friends here that I know that in one year from now won’t be part of my day to day life anymore </div><div align="justify">
- Their wine (shitty) and wine with Coca-cola </div><div align="justify">
- Lack of waves in the sea </div><div align="justify">
- The fact that all the people with whom I work with were born in a country which does not exists anymore</div><div align="justify">
- The kids speaking in Croatian so easily and I can't! </div><div align="justify">
- Their “Turkish” coffee </div><div align="justify">
- To use Croatian keyboard (Z and Y are opposite) </div><div align="justify">
- Not to do other stuff besides AIESEC, not to attend concerts, not to go to non-aiesecers parties...</div><div align="justify">
- To update my blog :p </div><div align="justify">
- Not playing Boat Race every week </div><div align="justify">
- Not having Bairro Alto once per week </div><div align="justify">
- To drink Rakija </div><div align="justify">
- Borrow money instead of lending money </div><div align="justify">
- Snow :) </div><div align="justify">
- To have posters with my picture </div><div align="justify">
- That some people “pity” me because of my choice </div><div align="justify">
- That I can’t read newspapers</div><div align="justify"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;">- Expressing myself in English...</span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3