October, a busy month

October was a very packed month where so many things happened…

The month started with a National Conference of AIESEC that took place in the north of Croatia, in Osijek. Osijek is a small city where shootings happened during the war in the 90s and for me this was an interesting fact because it’s still possible to find some buildings with small holes of bullets as you can see in the picture:

For me it was interesting because I always pictured a city after a war devastaded, buildings competely bombed… And to see these buildings with those holes was just a different perspective.

Well, besides that Osijek is very sweet city where everything is just some minutes away walking, although I didn’t have much time for seightseeing…

About the conference the first day was in the Faculty and then we moved to an elementary school where the biggest shock for Geet and me was the fact that there were no showers…Besides that, this is the MC Mozaa;)

And this is the TM 0708 Functional Team (from the left to the right): Marijana, Ana, Nina, me, Zana and Jelena.

(The pictures from the parties are censured heheh)

And during the entire month in the LCs was happening a very important moment: the recruitment of new members of the organization, so I leave you here a picture of the AIESEC Stand from LC Zagreb.

Anyway, during this month I also had the opportunity to experience more Zagreb and Croatia Culture: After Osijek, we got back to Zagreb and together with Ajdin, the OFM Chair and MCP of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we had the opportunity to do some seightseeing and went to the tower in Zagreb where it’s possible to see the whole city: Also, I went to a free rock concert of two Croatian bands. It was cool but a bit weird to go in a concert where I don’t understand what they are singing about :) Then, during the weekend we went to explore Medvednica, a natural park near Zagreb. This was the team of the expedition before we start climbing:

The climbing was great and refreshing, and the most suprising was that so many people took the day of to do the same, there was so many people in the trails and in the mountain house when we got there. This is something that I really appreciate in Croatian people, they like to walk and enjoy their time outdoor and they do so always they can.

We also went to the castle that has a great view of Zagreb:

Concerning MC life, in October we had a great night “sponsored” by Porto:

And I went to Varazdin, a city in the north of Zagreb, to celebrate my birthday. I went there together with my MC team (excluding Sanda) because the Local Training Seminar of the LC from that city was taking place during that weekend, so the idea was to celebrate my birthday in the same party. First, it was really good to reach midnight and have everyone singing “Stretan Rođendan” instead of “Parabéns a você”, second I had a great time with the new members, third I felt among friends, and fourth I wish I could remember more…

About the city, I can’t say much but this next photo is basically all I have seen in Varazdin, so I must go back and visit the city properly. Then, to finish the month, I went to Split for the MC Visit. AIESEC Split had their Local Training Seminar at the same time as AIESEC Lisboa ISCTE, my two LCs. So it was quite interesting to have the feeling that 3000km away the same sessions were happening, to know that in both countries new people were starting to feel passionate about AIESEC, and so on…

So, I just leave here some photos of the conference so you can have an idea how cool it was:

But my visit to the LC wasn’t just the conference, so I spend more days there with the EB having common and individual talks until the end of the month… I had a great time and I always feel home:

And to finish this post, also an important event that happened in October was that Teresa, my VP Finance 06/07 in AIESEC Lisboa ISCTE, left Portugal to embark in a great experience: her internship in India. During the last days of October I was very nostalgic remembering when I meet her, realizing how much she changed and developed herself, and how much this experience will add value to her… Well, it just made me feel happy and proud of you, Teresa. Beijinhos amiga :)

I’m an AIESEC’er

After returning from Portugal the best way I would describe what I was feeling would be like this: I’m an AIESEC’er, a person who has developed in the past 5 years leadership skills, competencies and self-confidence; who has developed true friendships based on intense moments, good conversations and a common passion for diversity; a person who lived the entire life in one country but is willing to leave behind its best friends and to travel to a foreign country where everything is unknown for the sake of challenge and personal development…

Because in the weeks after my visit to Portugal I realized that good friends stay no matter the distance, I realize that what is meant to be will happen no matter the months apart, I realize that this is an experience that I cannot express in words. I reflected most of all about the internationals that while in Lisboa I have received, I reflected about the things that during those years they have shared with me. I came to the conclusion that when I answered to them “I understand what you mean”, I had no fucking idea what they meant, I had no idea of what is to be living abroad.

Now I can say “I understand what you mean”…

Going home – Lisboa

My trip to Lisbon in the beginning of September had one main purpose, to do two exams for my faculty. But besides that I also wanted to meet my friends and enjoy the beauty of Lisboa, so this is how my two weeks looked like…

To be with my sister and to put it in one sentence: to be with her is like to be home. Dinner with my previous team from AIESEC Lisboa ISCTE in a cheap restaurant where we used to go many times. To experience a bit of the magic of Lisboa: the guy from the restaurant, that had already been drinking, looked at us and started singing Fado to the girls’ suddenly… To go to this night club “Why Not” and officially, I have to admit, David won Ruben and me in Boat Race 3 times (yes, I have said it..). To watch a match between Portugal and Poland with older AIESEC’ers ... The stadium, the flags, the national anthem… What a feeling. Go to Bairro Alto! That magical place full of memories… Dinner with two great friends to plan our trip to Santiago de Compostela by foot in the next year heheh. And later, we went with another friend to the one which is known as the older bar in Lisboa… Party at one of my best friend’s house, Ruben from my previous team, with friends. Who was more drunk?… Coffee in a great bar in Lisboa in a perfect afternoon with an old friend... A surprise dinner which was everything but a surprise dinner with my best friends in Marta’s house (thank you so much Marta for your effort to surprise me). Goodbye dinner for me, but at the same time welcome dinner for the new intern in AIESEC Lisboa ISCTE, Ruta from Lithuania. Then saying goodbye to Bairro Alto and to the Fruits Shots. Meeting old friends, having a beer, update each other... Then to say goodbye to the beach and to the closest one.

So, in the end, my goal was achieved, I passed my both exams :)

AIESEC International Congress 2007

So, AIESEC International Congress is one of the world biggest educational conferences, and was the reason why I went to Turkey. Through a series of discussions and seminars with global business, cultural, science, political, GO and NGO leaders, over 700 students from 100 countries have a unique opportunity to exchange opinions and discuss the most relevant issues affecting today's world.

I was one of them. This wasn’t my first IC (my first was in India in 2005), but definitely I was much more prepared to live such experience and to enjoy it to the fullest than in 2005.

The first 3 day of those two weeks were spent in Central and Eastern Europe Region Pre-meeting. As I had to represent AIESEC in Croatia because my president was unavailable to go, most of the time I was among the Presidents. Nevertheless, this was a great experience because I had the opportunity to meet better the AIESEC International Team and such.

The best part of these days was to meet again Pita, the person who chaired the conference, and who influenced and inspired me in so many moments during my path in AIESEC. Also, it was a great feeling to meet again other Portuguese people, and I even felt difficulty in speaking my own native language at the beginning. How easily can a human being adapt?

Then the first day of the conference started… It’s impossible to put in words how does it look a plenary of IC in its first day. So much energy, diversity, sounds and people. It’s empowering and intense.

We had a long opening plenary with all countries roll-calls with traditional music and dances, innovation and creativity, and for the first time I went to do a roll-call from other country other than mine :)

Afterwards, we went back to Europe (heheh) and to the famous Global Village where each country has its own stand and shares its culture traditions, foods, symbols and costumes. It’s unique.

The next days of the conference seem now to have gone so fast. On the second day I had the opportunity to participate in a gathering of ex-Yugoslavia countries. Basically I’ve watched around 15 people singing, drinking and celebrating their common language. Despite the fact that they are from countries that some years ago were just one and that went through many years fighting between each other everything was normal… I felt privileged to participate in such moment.

On the fourth day we had around 30 collaborators from 2 partners of AIESEC delivering sessions and interacting with delegates. It’s amazing to experience such occasion and IC itself because you really see how much these companies value the AIESEC Experience and it’s impossible not to feel that definitely this is one of the best experience we can have at this age (in this IC 200 externals participated from at least 30 different companies and organizations).

The fifth day was the most amazing day of the conference, the Alumni Day. Basically we had 3 panels of Alumni that shared their generation challenges when doing AIESEC. Again I felt so privileged to live that moment, to understand that AIESEC is not about doing what’s easy, but it’s about doing what’s right by defending what the organization stands for at any cost.

At night we had Middle East and North Africa party, and due to cultural differences, and above all respect, in that party there was no alcohol. So the Portuguese people gathered in some benches outside and I had a great time singing songs and having fun… in Portuguese :)

The seventh day was one of the most intensive days because I had to get prepared for Legislation where I had to represent AIESEC in Croatia among the Presidents, which means a lot of reading, talking and deciding. It was very stressful but Legislation is closed to MCP’s, so I was very happy to be able to attend this meeting. The only problem was that at the same time, other delegates were having one of the best parties, the CEE party…

The legislation lasted from 10pm until 6:30am and I don’t want to say more.

At day eight it was already possible to feel some nostalgia among the people because IC was coming to an end…

It was a very good day to finish some contacts, share some ideas, put on paper agreements. And to close this day there was the Official Dinner with Awards Ceremony. The dinner was a bit random and the place didn’t have the best conditions to receive so many people, but that dinner is always memorable. Among so many photos I had to choose these two, a photo with my successor of AIESEC Lisboa ISCTE and also great friend, Inês and all the Portuguese present at IC.

Then the last day... Saying goodbye, make sure we have transportation to train station, packing, running, last sessions, hugs, business cards... And then the closing plenary…

That is one of those moments that you don’t want go through after so much. You just don’t want to leave and go back to normal life, especially because you never know when you will meet so many amazing people in the same place and when will you meet again those particular people that already are part of your daily life.

IC is not an easy conference: it’s very long but very fast, with too many people and very easy to be carried away. It requires people to take an active role, to appreciate the beauty of each conversation and the uniqueness of that particular moment. It requires determination and energy, and with a bit of passion, it can be the best conference ever, otherwise it can be very disappointing. I can happily say that I had the time of my life.

Turkey

From Beograd to Istanbul took us only 26 hours by train. But it was an interesting experience: to sleep in a very instable bed, crossing Bulgaria, stop in Turkish border at 3am to wait for a stamp for one hour outside the train and to party with Serbians :)

We were received by the organization at the train station and we went directly to the first dorm where we would be staying.

During that trip with tram and bus, we were immediately surprised with this image:

Now, that was impressive!

After that we went to Taksim, which is consider one of the centers of Istanbul (in such a big city, there is not only one center), which is basically a huge street with restaurants and shops in every door, and all kinds of people you can imagine.

Near that street we went to the top of a building with an amazing bar where you can have Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, and off course sisha/nargila. With an amazing view, that was one of the best moments that Unur (our Turkish guide and friend) made possible to happen.

That day we also had the opportunity to visit the huge office from MC in AIESEC Turkey, to dinner Turkish food and to party in a club.

The day after the Study Tour to Istanbul, organized by the Local Chapter of AIESEC in Istanbul, started with approximately 160 people. In that day we went to Topkapi Palace and to Blue Mosquie:

And Hagia Sophia: After the dinner and party, during the last day of that visit we went near the sea to a very rich palace, a sort of museum, the Dolmabahçe Palace: After we went to Basilica Cistern and then to Gran Bazaar:

Then we crossed a bridge that took us from Europe to Asia. What a feeling (please notice the guy in the beginning of the bridge selling a typical bread):

So, to wrap up, Istanbul in an incredible city: it’s full of special places to visit, hundreds of Mosques, amazing views to the sea, always with something to discover, filled of historical symbols; on the other hand it has too many tourists, too many people and too many people that don’t speak a word of English, it can be confusing and it makes one feels very small, but it’s impossible not to feel passionate about that city with such atmosphere that it’s possible to feel in every conner…