Dear Women! Congratulations on 8th of March!

The woman is a secret!
Do not believe any man who asserts not interesting in women! :)

I do interest in the best half of the Mankind!

Did you know that women on average spend 400 hours a years doing shopping! I think some of my friends spend more! :) In terms of whole life it amounts to 8 years!

Want a bit more shopping statistics? – click my blog http://romad.nomadlife.org/

Roma

Great mistakes

I've just received a letter from one very educated English prince from the Great and well-known megapolis - Southampton.

-----Original Message-----
From: "jan bartscht"
To: "Roman Didych"
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 15:55:39 +0000
Subject: Re: Several questions about Motorola Basingstoke's TN form

Hi, Thank you for your application.
Sorry for the delay but Motorola are lookingfor candidates from Europe so unfortunately i will have to decline yourapplication.
I wish you the best of luck in continuing your search.
Best regards, Jan BartschtAIESEC Southampton

On 13/02/07, Roman Didych wrote:>>>>
Hi,
>> My name is Roman and I'm currently looking for an internship in Finance to
> complete my AIESEC experience in that area.
>> It seems that I ....


Here is my reply to this beautiful prince from Southampton ...

ok, thanks but Russia is exactly Europe!
I'm sorry if you or Motorola Basingstoke didn't know that! Check this http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/europe.html
I'm sending you map in case (Russia is a very small country in the North-East of Europe).

Roman from Eastern Asian Russia - somewhere over China and Japan


I think his majesty Sir Jan Bartscht would better take part in Education Pbox befor matching TNs. :)
Of course I got his idea about Europe but such "well-educated Sirs" can say it in such a stupid way!!!

Roman :) (from Eastern Asian Russia - somewhere over China and Japan)

Make Roma happy!

Day by day it's getting colder in MC-flat..

Poor Roma, seems that he got cold.

Lets make him a bit happy: call him, write an email, or simply think about how bright he is and wish good luck in searching for internship!

Roma, we love you! :)

Monday meeting

Every week we have Monday meetings in MC-flat.

Usually they are very similar to each other:

* firstly we do "a social update" sharing what we did during weekends (work is not considered at this point! :)

* secondly, each of us tells about his/her results for a last week and goals for a next week

* finally, we discuss common questions & priorities

However, yesterday's monday meeting was so special!!

Katya showed us the ppt with greetings from Jarda, JC and Dey. And with us, our ambitions for the MC year - from our applications to MC.. Why we came here and what we work for..

In the end Katya told us really right words for upcoming week: lets help each other and be concentrated, because these days there is a lot of work to do, some of us still shall define their future plans as well. So, please, stay focused and if you need, take half of the day from your working time, make a CV for your TN-form OR submit an application, OR simply think about what you are going to do next, what would be really for you.

Our Katya is so warm :)

http://webfile.ru/uploaded/229799

* Katerina, still inspired:)

The last exam!

Finally!!! I passed this crazy Metodology of Economics. I hate the professor and all his "new" thoughts!

Ask me if I love my University. I'd rather say "Yes" but... there a lot of thing I hate about!!!

Wish all of students nice session, clever professors and passed exams: and be carefull of this guy - and his ''methodology" - he's a very tricky and troublesome person :)

Roma

P.s. During my preparation for this exams I knew that Milton Fridman - the great economist of 20th century - died in the autumn of 2006 at the age of 94 and with Noble Prize on his account. If I wanted to become an economist (or any other scientist) I would prefer to have his destiny :)

Meeting with AEGEE

Recently I was invited to the meeting of Aegee, European student organization.
I didn't know much about Aegee and their activites before, just some basic things.

I had a chance to get-to-know about 20 people from different countries where Aegee operates and was impressed by the similarities they have with AIESEC!

Aimed at breaking stereotypes and developing culture-sensitive mindset among young people, Aegee runs study tours, conferences & seminars on different topics (such as education, human rights, etc.)

Of course, for me, coming from AIESEC, it was very interesting to find out how they function as organization: who manages it, what levels (national, intl) they have and WHY people join Aegee - what they find in this organization.

Many answers seemed very familiar ;) especially when the President of Aegee Moscow, a girl of 3rd course in HSE, told: "You know, Katya, it's the question I ask myself every day: why on earth am I doing all these???" :)

By the way. It's very easy to become a member of Aegee, you just need to fill in the application and pay the annual fee! After that you can travel to almost every event that they organize!

And, to make you smile:) they also have something like a Global Village, goals are the same, but the name is different:)

Nice opportunity to put in your calendar!

Aegee in www:

www.aegee.org
www.aegee-moskva.ru/


AEGEE is one of the biggest interdisciplinary student associations in Europe; it is represented by 15.000 students, active in 241 academic cities, in 40 countries all around Europe, which presents amazing culture variety. AEGEE is a secular, non-profit organization, not linked to any political party. All projects and activities are based on voluntarily work of its members.

Aims:
to promote a unified Europe without prejudices
to strive for creating an open and tolerant society of today and tomorrow
to foster democracy, human rights, tolerance, cross-boarder co-operation, mobility and European dimension in education

Fields of action:
Cultural Exchange
Active Citizenship
Higher Education
Peace & Stability

Katya, enjoying non-AIESEC-opportunities:)

Paper work

Every finance guy experienced one strange feeling: the old financial year has just been finished and now you need to close it. During that year you probably had hundreds, thousands or hundreds of thousands transactions, hundreds and hundreds documents, names, claims, accounting sheets, numbers, checks, bills, invoices etc. and now you need to get it arranged, printed, sealed, punched, stapled, put in one folder and found a place in the bookkeeping case, wardrobe or whatever.

Today I had those very thoughts when I was preparing R&K accounting. But also I tried to imagine all those millions of people in the whole world who do that job in their day-to-day work.


Who are they? I imagined Russian accountants. Most probably they look like these:


Most of them are women. I met a lot of them in my work up to now (about one third wears eye-glasses and old-fashioned but very comfortable clothes):


I saw big Accounting Departments with hundreds accountants and their young assistants and small counting-houses of two or even one part-time workers:


Starting from the fifteenth century these people, accountants, use double-entry bookkeeping which was invented by Luka Pachelli. Many people consider double-entry bookkeeping as something strange, cheating or even faking. That's so funny! :)
And of course the most famous and powerful accountants were Jewish (as in Schindler's list). Even now we sometimes regard them as sly and treacherous - such a prejudice! Isn't it funny! :))

These thoughts made me laugh and I went on my endless and maybe needless work bending over bookkeeping stuff:



Roma

Literature evening follow up

During our literature evenings I played Dr. Zhivago. He seemed to me a very sensitive and friendly man though (shame on me) I haven't read that book before!



Together with Katya we tried to express feelings and thoughts of these two bright individuals. Sometimes it was really natural even though my black coat and Katya's oll-fashioned clothes couldn't hide our extreme exitement and nervousness!

In the end of the evening. I've got a kind of feedback on our performans. Peolple are likely to love it. And this is so cool! :)



We need to play more! :)

Roma

Rest & fun

I slept for 11 hours today! And it's still not enough (or, may be, too much?) - I feel sleepy and lazy. I have holidays, don't I? The first REAL holidays since...
When I was in my homecity, I tried to have a kind of rest, but had tough scedule because of my mom's work and all these stuff you always have to do at home coming back for a week from another city.

The problem is that I don't know what is rest for me.
Ok - sleep at least 9 hours per day (during the year 6 hours usually), don't use laptop more that 2 hours per day (eyes are still red, have no fucking idea why), walk at least 1 hour per day (I seem to people mad girl, I think, as I walk at the top of the hills and talk to myself).
They say "meet friends, go to the cinema, dance in the nightclub" - ok, to clarify: I can do and I do all these things during working year. And it's not "rest" any more. Just the part of the life. I can find time for pleasures anytime. There is no time for doing nothing without feeling guilty for it. I still feel a little bit, when see Roma & Katya working.

Shit! It's there choice but deep in my mind I probably have this "stakhanovetz" role-model which push me to work more & more & more. So the best choice would be to go somewhere whithout laptop, without people I have ANY touchpoints in my work, without AIESEC. But this beautiful moment will happen in months...
***

Ok, let's stop this speach of worcaholic;)
Few lines about rest & the party "dark-blue sofa" that we had in MC-flat day before yesterday.

Katya Kh. & me just decided to have some fun & meet people without going out (plus there was great learning experience in organizing parties & performances:))))

32 sms were sent. Most of the people were out of the city or had something to do with families.

Finally we had 12 participants, including mc-aborigens (Katya, me & Roma).

LC Moscow was not late, surprisingly , so Lesha & Alisa made sandwiches, Sasha & Sveta was inventing some stuff with chocolate creme (very tasty!), I was preparing hot wine (it becomes usual thing...)

Katya printed photos of all the participants & put in the corridor (like in russian theatres).

We decorated the room with candles, lights, put "the sofa" in the middle, had the first cup of hot wine & performance started...

The concept was the following: each person had a card with name, pairs found each other and got the text. 20 minutes for preparation & they should perform the dialogue they just got.

As literature fans, Katya & me chose cool but not easy books:)
For example: Boris Pasternak (Doctor Zhivago), Tennesy Williams, Aristofan, Daniil Harms, Tarantino (it was my idea to have scenario for Kill Bill:)

But you can't imagine how great were performances! Random pairs (some people didn't meet before) looked like students of some actor's university.

One of the comments we've got was "we are so cool in performing, why are we wasting our time studying economics & management?:)"

I was impressed by Katya & Roma dialogue from "Doctor Zhivago" (Lara & Yuri) - deep, serious, sincere. I really look forward for haveing such kind of evening with all MC-team.

And...yes, I was really surprised by myself. I didn't EVER think that can be any kind of actor. At school, in our "theatre" I made decorations, I wrote scenario, I even helped few groups to make a performance - kind of director. But I always thought I have absolutely Zero talent in "playing". But I do:)

It's one of the greatest things that I discovered about myself during AIESEC career:)

~Gu~

Our guests. Pierre :)

Pierre was an intern of AIESEC in Omsk this autumn and the Chair of EAST REC in Novosibirsk.

Yesterday Pierre arrived in Moscow after visiting St. Petersburg.

Amazing day! Walking all day long around the city, freezing near Kremlin waiting to get inside, having lunch in warm Mu-Mu - I don't remember when I did it last time!

Pierre, thank you for having been with us these 3 months!!!





We love our guests, in Mitino :)

Katya,
wishing happy 2007 for everyone!

MC New Year greetings!

MC is making New Year greetings for LCs :)

NSTU was the most proactive one! Enjoy watching!

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=FD2D97557F26AC26

* Katya,
in love with Siberia and Kazakhstan.

Three in the kitchen apart from the cherry pie

Hi there!

It's late evening, MC flat is almost empty.
Only Roma, Nastya and me are enjoying last days of the year 2006..

2 months ago Roma and me got a "present" from Nastya - dinner - whatever we like:)

Why not to make it tonight? Ohhh, tonight! So beautiful and wild... (just our favorite song, nothing else ;)

Chicken with carrot was very delicious. Greek salad even more. Cherry pie.. mmmm!!
However food is support - for nice 'dream talks' which you have while eating:)

Living on the other side of the world next year - why not?
Changing people's lives - what can be more rewarding?
Being a CEO of a company of your dream in 5 years - what is more ambitious?
Working in international team - challenging enough?



Maybe we are what we dream about..

Nastya, what did you put in the food?! :)



*Katerina

Our guests. Olya :)

Olya Obrazcova is MC VP Exchange of AIESEC in Croatia.
Originally Olya is from Chelyabinsk, she worked in EB for 2 years there.

Some days ago Olya was travelling back home from Croatia (for the holidays) and managed to visit us in between of her flights.

Olya always was very cheerful and optimistic, however now it is seen how she changed even in the better way! She was telling us about experience of working in international MC, all the challenges she had, all the learnings she got there!

She talked about the beauty of this country, cultural differences of people, national congress of AIESEC in Croatia which is totally different from our National Congress, and Jarda's visit (Jarda came exactly to this conference)!

* Croatian red wine and the tastiest chocolate with dry rice made this evening even more sweet :)))

We love our guests, in Mitino:)

To be continued...

*Happy Katya - winter has come!*

Unique experience

Just want to share with your some thoughts before going to bed..

A week ago someone asked me: "Katya, what is unique in MC experience?"
Of course, I started to reflect - my favorite:))

And you know, I came up with the simple idea.

You get what you expect.
And.. this is YOU who make your experience.

You know, if MC experience will fit to your life-goal the best, not comparable to any other experiences you can get, it's worth working here.

However, if any other experiences suit better for your life-goal (AIESEC or non-AIESEC - doen't really matter!), look for the one that will give it to you.. and will be really unique for YOU, not for anyone else.

When I was applying for MC, my biggest passion was regional development (it is still my biggest passion:)) and also, I wanted to work in the role-model team. I clearly saw that this experience would contribute to my goal in life.. I could not imagine any other experience that would give me the same opportunities.

And.. my expectations have been met:)

I wish you to find YOUR own unique experience.. :)

Take care and good night!

*Katya - missing those who are not in MC-flat right now*

Moscow time

It's afternoon and I am talking to Masha, a member of AIESEC in Moscow.
Masha is telling me that the LC Moscow meeting will happen at 19.00 at MSU.
'would be nice to go' - my first thought.

...

Last year I was an LCP of this LC, however some weeks ago I have realized that I don't know the new generation of AIESEC in Moscow. I know every new member in Siberian LCs, I have had exciting discussions with half of them, I know the interests and passions of more then one third..

Yet I don't know any single person of those who are now working in teams of bright individuals who we recruited last year for LC Moscow.

...

19.30. I am in the office, still working.
It takes 1h 20 min to get to MSU where Moscow members are meeting tonight.
Most of them haven't seen me before. I have some work to finish in MC-flat. It's too late to go.

...

19.40. Come on, I was so eager to meet these people!
To talk to them, to find out who they are, how EB and teamleaders are doing, what is happening in the LC!!! To bring a bit of inspiration from caring MC!

- Guys, bye-bye, I am leaving for a meeting with Moscow! Take care!

'I have to run' :)

...

20.30, metro station University (15 minutes to the MSU).
Masha is calling. Meeting is almost finished, 'where are you?'

People are waiting for me.

...

In 15 minutes I open the door and see LC members.
Smiling and excited - perhaps the meeting went well!

I brought some presents - 3 Annual Reports.
And my notebook (in the last second when leaving my house I realized that I want to show the LC something from MC life :)

We watched our MC video (oo, I have watched it so many times, but I laugh every time :) and then made a "LOVE HUG" and then went together to the metro station. During this walk I had a chance to get to know the members, what they do and what like in this LC.

I even didn't notice how I came home - time passed so fast!




...

One thing that characterises LC Moscow the best is diversity.
People are so diverse, coming from different cities and even countries, having different views and opinions, everyone having unique personality.

...

So funny... Last year I led around 15 LC meetings - it was usual work.
But this small story made me totally happy:)

Thank you, for this, Moscow:)
I hope you are reading this post now:)



*Katya*

Cooperation within the region

When I had just started my term I had cooperation in the region as a goal for this year. But from the very beginning this initiative failed: people wanted to work together, but nobody knew how to organize it and why it's important. But the time flew and for now we have got several good case practice about LC cooperation: AIESEC in Chelny had 2 chairs from Ufa (for @IS) and from Izhevsk (for RTS) and one faci (for RTS) invited. Here I proudly represent their stories:

"AIESEC. An international platform for young people to discover and develop their potential. More than 800 universities, more than 90 countries, more
than 350 conferences every year…
Everyone has been a delegate, a lot of people have worked as OCs, some of them – as faci and only 350 people out of 20 000 have been chairing one of these conferences…

Forget about your studies and plans for the weekends, pack your bags for half an hour and leave for another city. A city where you have never been and do not know almost anybody, where somebody is waiting for you – 35 people with the hope that you are the one who blows up THEIR conference,who will inspire them to work half a year more, will make their eyes shine…

They say it takes one minute to choose a person from the crowd, one hour to create an impression about him, one day to fall in love with him and one life to forget him.
“I am very glad that I met you here!”
“I am happy you accepted our invitation to be a chair!”
“I understood that the world is big, kind and beautiful!”
“Every day I understand more and more that doesn’t matter where you live,what you do, what is important is to strive for better, strive for peace in the world.”
“I will never forget you.”

Do you want to discover your potential? Do you want to be that outstanding individual in the crowd? Do you want to receive sugar cubes like those? It’s up to you!!!"

Guzel Sabitova
VP F 2006/07
AIESEC Ufa

"Hi, everyone! I want to share a nice experience we had this year in our LC. During the process of induction we had 2 big events - AIESEC Identity
Seminar and Regional Training Seminar. First one was held on the basis of one of our universities according to national plan of recruitment. RTS was conducted on the base outside of the town for delegates who couldn't come to REC. This year both of seminars became regional, thanks to delegates from Kazan and Izhevsk and chair for IS with Faci for RTS from Ufa, and chair for RTS from AIESEC Izhevsk. It was really great to see people from another LC chairing the seminar or giving a session for our new members. by the way, again thank you Guzel', thank you Rinat, thank you Gulya! From the very beginning freshmen see the network of AIESEC, people from another
cities. They start communicating with each other before regional or national
conferences and have friends from another cities from their earliest steps in AIESEC. As i could make sure every one liked it and we'll continue such practice for our other seminars, conferences etc. And surely I recommend this to everyone else."

Mikhail Kruchinin
VP PD 2006/07
AIESEC in Naberezhnye Chelny

"«Rinat, can you go on the weekends to Naberezhnye Chelny and make there
training?». I have been very excited by this Nastia’s offer to go to Сhelny, on Regional Training Seminar as a trainer. Unfamiliar city… Strangers… New atmosphere… Experience as a trainer at a regional seminar… All this was just given to me :) Come on! And I have decided to go. It was really cool to lead training and to meet more closer aiesecers from Chelny and Izhevsk. It was real challenge and great experience for me. For sure it was very very useful for my future career in AIESEC. Thanks to Nastia for this great oppotrunity, and to Naberezhnye Chelny for hospitality. Do you enjoy your local @IS or rock at the conference somewhere in Chelny? It's up to you! :)

Rinat Dinislamov
ER coordinator
AIESEC in Ufa

So i want to ask you, do you develop your LC or contribute to the whole country development? Do you prepare good trainers for your local seminars or fully use human capital of other LCs? It's up to you!


Anastasia Safronova
MCD 2006/07 for Central Region

Photoalbum

3 weeks and we will become 1 year older.

Last 2 weeks of MC R&K were really crazy:
- teamdays, when we all finally got together for talks, plans, bowling, susi, funny stories...
- Jarda's visit, when we had almost the same stuff plus global trends & one more member in our team (I wonder, who will be the next person asking me "what does it mean: beer with fish?")
- National Congress - is a loooong story...
Started from good news that Dey got visa, then I was picking him up in Sheremetjevo & we were tarvelling to Mitino-city about 2 hours...Continued with fast sightseeing in St.Petersburg with TWO AI members (one of the best & unbelievable moments was their meeting at the train station)...Finished with the musical postcard we created for Dey yesterday...
***

What else I'll remember from NatCo?
- extremely smart Anya&Anya, communication managers
- interview with Aigul and how I was explaining her why I think she is the best person for RD
- question to Victor about happiest moments and his comment "cool question", and his reaction when I called him to say that he was elected
- conversation with Albert at the window about R&K destiny or smth like this:)
- VAnya & her fairness & support
- EB of Moscow and the Decision they made. It's not about What was the decision, but about ability to express the opinion
- lot of hugs & cold water at my head after MCP announcement
- thousands of jokes from Dey. "You know, the policemen stopped me & I had to give him all my money...:)"
- sugarcube from Evsukov's family and me crying while Dey was reading it
- lake near the hostel, which I was looking at and dreaming about my future school...

Everything in one week? Amazing!

~Gu~

Our LCs.Omsk

Last autumn Omsk didn't have any interns.
Right now there are 3 of them and they are soo lovely :)

Thank you for changing people's lives..

Unusual weekend

During latest weekend..

some people did shopping and bought new clothes..
some people went to the country side to prepare their garden for winter coming..
some people decided to stay at home and enjoyed watching TV..

During latest weekend two smartest persons from our MC team were standing for President of AIESEC in Russia & Kazakhstan.

Both strongly passionate about development of Russia & Kazakhstan, both happy, smiling and kind, but brave inside..

Marina and Nastya, simply the best!


*Katya, waiting for my MC team at Mitino*

Under standing

Beautiful day!

It started, by the way, yesterday, when I took smth nice from my mother, met my old friends (I was talking, asking, shouting - it's amazing to meet non-aiesec friends at the time of making tough choice. It helps to look at yourself from another perspective), had challenging discussion with the editor from Novosibirsk on the way to the airport (about taking risks, opportunities in Russia, entrepreneurship, high education in Russia & what is ideal teacher like...), met Jarda (we were talking for 2 hours on the way from Domodedovo to Mitino).

Why today is beautiful?

Yesterday I was challenged a lot by different people from absolutely different cities, countries, of different age, dreams, perspectives...

And today we were talking in our team about AIESEC identity, about R&K, about trends...

So I can see now how all the idea of AIESEC applies to my own life. Of course, I saw it before, but it's always very inspirig to make a step to the higher level of understanding.

The level when you've got an idea how I as individual will contribute to society & what do I need to do now.

And what is even more important - calm down, look inside yourself, smile. Nothing really matters - you just need to be happy. Don't be afraid of making wrong choice. You is you.

MC experience - my feelings

When I was finishing my term as LCP, I couldn't imagine myself not applying for MC.
I was filling an application for almost 10 days thinking on different questions.

My biggest dream was to work in a team with the smartest people and to contribute to the development of our LCs helping them to grow.

Yes, I found it here :)
However these are small things that usually make our experiences special.

I learnt to make jokes :) I couldn't before, really :)
I learnt to cook
I learnt to share (yes, you have to learn it, when you live with 11 people:)

If speaking seriously, I learnt from 11 different personalities.
I learnt a lot about myself.
I learnt to manage my time.

More learnings are coming :)
I can now see that MC experience can give a person a lot more if you strive to gain it..

Katya

R&K MC for an international

My year in Russian MC was an amazing journey for me to explore my potential. I was surprised, fascinated and above alI challenged in my approach towards my way of working, thinking and understanding. Today, i am more straight forward and ofcourse, my CV has become more attractive as my Russia experience is valued by all companies i write to ; )

Read more here

Shashaank Bawari, India
MC VPX 05/06, AIESEC Russia and Kazakhstan

R&K MC for an international

This is almost two year, when I finished my term as a VP Recruitment in the MC in Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. But for me time has stoped since that time and still I think that it finished only yesterday, maybe because I am doing my intership in Chelyabinsk (Russian) – my LC, which I was responsible for.

I remember the time, when I saw (for the first time) an e-mail: “MC RuBeK 2004/2005 applications are open”. Always I wanted to be the member of MC RuBeK team, alwasy I knew that I want to work in Russia, but that time I had a lot of emotions - fear, but also a will to check myself and of course a lot of different questions: Am I good? Do I have enought knowledge? Do I have enough experience? Am I ready for it? If I am “right” person for this position? Maybe I shouldn’t apply, because I know that there are better people than I am? Of course answer was: NO.

I was lucky. I had a coach – person who said me: “Try, you have nothing to lose”. I tried and I don’t regret this decision and this choice, because it was one of the best year in my life. I discovered myself anew. I have learnt a lot of new things (how to organize my work, how to manage team, how to build strategy, how to prepare national conference and more more other things). But what is the most important thing – I met new people, new friends, wha have the same aim, which I have. People who go in the same direction, which I go in – they want to see our world a better place to live, without wars and global problems. I met people, who really want to change their lifes and place where they live.

I know that you have the same questions, which I had and I hope that somewhere, close to you is a person, who can say you the same what my coach told me: “DON’T HESITATE AND TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR AIESEC LIFE. YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE”.

Kasia
VP Recruitment 2004/2005, MC RuBeK
CEE CEED Coordinator 2005/2006

People around you

People around you influence your life.
They create an environment. They accompany you to go shopping. They teach you consciously and unconsciously. They edit your plans. They sing with you and listen to your singing even if it is not good. They laugh at your jokes. They make jokes on you. Some of them don’t like when you bite them. Some of them like. They work hard. They evaluate their experience. They think about their future. They join you to drink when you are in the mood. Some of them sleep with you.
They live their lives. Even when they don’t feel it, even if they don’t want – people around me influence me. And I thank you for it, guys.

safronova

The brightest MC imressions

What is MC work for me?
Work in MC has given me really much. It is not just an exciting work but dealing with amazing people who are passionate of what they do and feel commitment to the whole team results.
I’m sure that the first thing that I’ll remember for really long time is people in my team. Those people work with you, they are ready to support you despite lots of work and tiredness. They motivate your development. I’ll always remember learning circles in the kitchen and rush hours before the conferences. MC team became the second family for me.
The brightest event during my work was the International Conference. Our whole numerous team participated in it. During 2 weeks we were proud for ourselves and for our country. We felt that we possess to the distinguished group of the whole planet.
The global level of that event just took my breath away.
AIESEC has always attracted me as it is a really active life from all perspectives. It’s an active work, participation in important projects and all of that kind. I believe that a person who desires to continue his\her development could get as much as possible from work in AIESEC.
I’m convinced that the more a person gives the organization the more he gets back.
Lena Lobacheva

MC Experience

Just before elections for the next MC many people ask me about how it looked like – my MC experience, what I learnt from it and if I enjoyed it or not.

Honestly speaking I didn’t expect this experience to bring me sooooo much. During elections I was prepared more or less to contribute to AIESEC development, rather then to develop myself, but it happened both :-) For many things I just thought that I knew how to do them, but working in MC understood that I was still unconscious about many things. The top 3 things I managed to develop were:

• working/communicating/networking with people
• planning, self-management and organizing work
• adaptability both in work and in relations with other people (try to live 12 people in one flat :-))

Still need to reflect on it and will definitely discover more :-)

Ira

In Siberia

MC-team is moving from one place on the Russian map to another.
Now, Katya Kh., Ira & me are sitting in Novosibirsk, in NSTU office.
6- hours by train - can you imagine? - and I'm here.
Also in the office there are Olga, LCP of Omsk, Pierre - ex-VPPD China and REC Chair.
***

One of the things that I've learnt in MC is that we are doing a lot of unusual things. If you just sit and make a list of what you experienced during the year any person of your age will say "WOW" and become envious.
- run training on branding for 2 hours for 100 ppl in English
- travel for biggest part of the year
- create 1001 methods of delivery information
- organize press-conferences & round tables
- have msn chat with ppl from the all continents
- be res-pon-sib-le for realizing your ideas
- feel free to do what you think is important...

There are different things - some practical & some about understanding things.


I feel a little bit lost now. But I'll never regret, I know.

~Gu~

Be proud

I'm sitting in the internat-cafe at the train station, Spb.
Few hours ago left West REC, but it seems to me that it was centuries ago. Or it was only a dream. I was nerly crying while getting to the bus.

First: amazing faci-team! As I told htem, I've never worked in such a professional faci TEAM. The word "team' is important. Yesterday we had really hard day: phone calls, selling - practice & theory. So at the faci-meeting which was on the stage in plenary we became really random: were apeaking in the switched off microphone, immitating the tv-show or interview. Andries, the chair, had important announcements but looked sooo funny with the microphone! Like Pozner or other russian tv-star:)

Second: don't tell anybody but we created a concept of issue day (education topic) yesterday. 2 a.m Katya P., Katya blond, Anna "Google" & me were sitting on the stage (again) & trying to create a structure. Then we knew that there will be some challenges with projector and speakers... But we managed - having 5 or 6 laptops and clicking ppts on all of them at the same time:)
I was really proud today of what we did. It was very intensive learning for the delegates, I think.
About work: nobody was angry or showed the tiredness - workshops were really high level, we really supported each other. It's such an amazing feeling when you feel that all the people who are working together really care and want to make the whole project as good as possible. Miss it.

I'm like a lemon - just want to sleep.
***

Hope, everything will be ok with novosibirsk and in 2 days I'll be there at one more amazing conference!

Idea - Spartanian work

Thinking of the reasons of success in my life I found this:

Please write me 25th if you know!!! :)

Roma

Playcasts

It started with one little card received by Ira!

I liked the music they used (all stuff is in Russian - so if you can't speak - it's a pity :) ) I spent half of an hour looking for the way people can create such a nice card! And I found! :)

After It I made and sent to my friends some genius cards!

Enjoy some of them!!!

Koresha 1

Koresha 2

Sluchainye svyazi

Roma

Moscow-Kaliningrad-Vilnius-Siauliai-Vilnius-Moscow

Today I came back from Energy conference in Lithuania! At last! It was quite a long way to Lithuania (through Kalinigrad) and quite a difficult from it.

Chairing AIESEC IS in Kaliningrad was a personal challenge. Quite few people know and saw me expressing my emotions, being active and energetic – and it’s is true that I usually do not behave like this, but here I had to behave like this, I had to get out of my comfort zone and to jump and shout all around, approach people and start conversations…. After the conference I felt exhausted, but the most pleasant thing was that I enjoyed most of this kind of behavior, especially communication with every delegate, coz every one of them was a great personality!

After the conference and post-meeting, walk around Kilinigrad, watching “Mechenosets” and eating sushi with Kalinigrad EBs, I was in a bus heading for Vilnius.

Vilnius was amazing – quite and calm – just what I needed for recover after AIESEC IS. I managed to visit almost all the sightseeing place in the Old Town and then got to the bus to Siauliai, the town where we had the conference.


At the bus station I was met by two handsome guys – OCP and OCVP Logistics, who brought me to the hostel where we had pre-meeting.

In faci team we had ppl from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, Ukraine, Turkey, Czech Rep., Hong Kong, Slovenia and R&K of course :-). Our conference manager was so much caring and the chair so much energetic and they were the people who ensure our learning process. That was a great team, a team that shared one vision, a team where everyone was highly committed to what we did and incredibly responsible for what we did.



The conference itself was a success – I have NEVER seen so much energy and passion in the plenary, I have NEVER seen delegates who party till 5 a.m. and then are on time for morning plenary that starts at 8:45. I have NEVER seen so many people dressing up for the parties and I have NEVER seen so many people hugging each other.

And people were enjoying so much in almost terrible conditions: instead of the venue there was a school, just a simple school. We slept in sleeping bags in class rooms, tried not to go to showers and toilets quite often, coz they were quite unpleasant. So my understanding of proper conditions was challenges. As well as my understanding about approach to work was also challenged. Here in R&K (especially in MC) we try to spend as less time as possible for different discussions and meetings, but there sometime I got mad because of half an hour wasted on sharing opinions about some tiny details. But that was good, that was actually what I was looking for – to experience another approach and another perspective.

At this conference I also experienced what it means to be an international faci, and this is the knowledge I will use while organizing out next LDS to let our international facis feel as much comfortable as it’s possible and to feel like at home here in R&K.

After the conference was over we (faci team) went to a bar where we had some traditional meal. And here where some sad story starts – most of us got sick after we ate this food, one girl even was taken to the hospital. As for me I felt not well only in the morning and the same day I had to go back to Vilnius and then to Moscow – that quite difficult, but I survived :-) So definitely I will keep only good memories from this conference.

Ira

Halloweem in MC R&K

Toooooonight!!!! Halooooooooooweeeeeeeeeeeen! And MC R&K takes part!

Ira: UUUUUUUUUUU-UUUUUUUUUUUUUU-uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-UUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! Can you hear those voices! They are coming! They frighten you!! U-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaa!!!!! (quietly) Only MC R&K isn't afraid of them! Why???? (louder) Because tonight we are that very evil spirits! We'll tear and burn you out! (laughing and crying) U-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaa!!!!!

Roma: Hey, Ira, stop make a noise in the office! And take off that ugly attire! I'm not afraid of you! Almost! he-he! Scare Lena! It will be funny...

Lena: (screaming) Aiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaa-aaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!! You're carzy!!!!!!! Get o00000000-00000000fffffffffffffff!!!

Roma: Sorry boss!! It's evening already - stop typing - come on to drink! Ira, bring vodka! Let's call to AI and make them scared...

Ira: Yehhh, and in Polish MC and in ...

Lena: I'll call to LCs and directly to members... he-he ... Here is Katya's note book with phones!

And all the night they called to all AIESEC network (from Katya's note book) and scream, wail and whisper evil sounds in the telephone receiver... until Katia Porotnikova called from Piter and bawl them out to stop terrifing her acquaintances!
But it was so coooooooooooooooooool!

Roma

First experience in poetry!

All the last week I read poems and other different poetry including Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet), Goethe (Mephistophelean or Faust), Mr. Pushkin etc.
On Sunday I decided to sort some of my photos from my trip to St. Segii monastery or lavra and describe it. But suddenly I created 12-page poem!
It was like a burst: rhymes came from my soul and I couldn't help writing line by line until got completely tired!

Of course, That poem wasn't perfect but It was fresh and It was first (for me). Now I can say: I can write poems! :) And of course It was so funny!

Thanks Nastyas and Vanya for comments!

I believe all MC enjoyed reading it!

Discover your talent in MC R&K! :) living diversity! :)

Roma

The first snow in Moscow

Hi, everybody!

Today I woke up and saw the white street, white trees, white cars etc. It was amazing!!! First snow came unexpectedly :)

Thousands of people washed their cars!
And I understood! It started! Winter's come!

Hey, all AIESEC people! Congratulations! :)

Roma

Simple thoughts

What does this silence mean?
- Ira is in Lithuania
- Katya in Macedonia
- Ira, Ivanna & Safronova in Ufa
- Katya Kh in Novosibirsk
- Lena in Saratov
- Markelova in St.Petersburg
- Vanya & Zhenya have meetings with companies every day

And I had a birthday yeasterday and hope to go to St.Pete today, so don't have time to write a line.
***

About my "22" party in MC flat: my aiesec/non aiesec/brother came and I was a bit afraid to have all these different people together. Cause when aiesecers meet they always have some common topics. The same usually: what are you doing, what are your plans, where have you been...
I think. I'm again about "we need to know each other better".

Steps I made for it:
- step by step teach Zhenya to cook a cake (yeasterday he managed with mixing sugar, butter, eggs & even asked me about soda&lemon)
- my friend & my brother (both musicians) got to know

Amazing things:
- Zhenya & Vanya made veeeeery coooool present for me. It's a plant. I was thinking about it since my first month in this flat. But didn't bought & didn't ask my granny for one. It was always "not so important".
They told that now I'll have something to take care of. It's nice, but defenitely it's true.
- Marina & Nastya called from Ufa - they told me a lot of warm words. I realized how much I miss all my team. As shared with Anya (LCP SPUEF) work in MC would worth it even if you feel the only thing: how much you can miss people.

~Gu~

A story of teamwork or Visiting the Temple of Science

The whole story started when Katya P. got an invitation to a conference about legal issues while hiring foreigners.

For sure it was a must for us to attend this conference…. If only not the fee for this conference, which was quite high. So Katya P. started negations about getting in there for free and in the end the agreement was ½ of the fee + help during registration. ½ of the fee was also quite high and since we do not have cash (coz LCs do not pay their LC fees on time and partners do not transmit the money against the contract), Zhenya raised the money from one of our BoA members, and then it was my and Nastya Gu’s turn to contribute!

- Hello, could you introduce yourself please?
- Here is your delegate pack
- Please go straight and them to the right

Roma said we looked really good as receptionists :) As for Roma, he managed to talk with the most important speaker at this conference, get some contacts and hopefully some useful knowledge :)

The conference took place in the Temple of Russian Science – in the Academy of Science! It’s a token! Before SumMeet we planned to visit a theater, coz the theme of the conference was theatre, and now the theme of NatCo is science and we are in the Academy of Science!!! We saw real academicians – a bit crazy and sooo funny :)

The organization of the conference was quite strange – I would say there were very many things that were not though out thoroughly. Sometimes Nastya and me looked at each other, thinking ‘Looks like they need feedback to improve things…’ That was so strange to see that in some aspect this company that specializes in MICE (meetings – incentive – conferences - events) segment is less professional than we are when we organize conferences and events.

So, definitely that was not the best day in terms of applying our talents, but we’ve learnt how things are done in non-AIESEC way, read some newspapers, walked around the ‘temple’, which is as fundamental as our science is (you can see it below), and enjoyed the amazing view of Moscow form the 22d floor.

Ira

next MC applications

Today I’ve been creating applications for the next MC team and the thing that impressed me most was about competencies development.

I was trying to understand which opportunity in AIESEC XP (which stage) will ensure competency development from one level to the next one. It turned out that work in MC is the only opportunity which helps you develop the competencies to the highest (4th) level. That was something really impressing for me!

One more thing I found out is that work in EB is also very valuable in terms of competency development. By working in EB, people have a chance to develop almost half of the competencies they can develop through work in MC. The only thing which made me sad is the fact that EB members usually do not understand how much they can learn from this experience (at least this is what happened with me and this is what I saw in most of cases).

Luckily 06-07 term is not over yet and there is still time to change things and to bring positive results :-)

Ira

after-Board thoughts

Finally, I'm writing smth serious.

Today I woke up with one thought: What a mess I have in my head!

Yesterday we had a meeting with Board of Advisers. It shouldn't be mess after the meeting with such a clever guys who, you suppose, give you right answer to all the questions?
I do. Cause the meeting gave me much more ideas, thoughts, new level of understanding, than just answers.

I found what motivates me the most. It's not sitting in the office every day, it's not even local conferences when you see all the people who really make AIESEC alive every day.
It's when I see the place of AIESEC in the world. I mean physically:)
When I see our logo at the poster as a partner.
When I come to the 12 floor to the Baker&McKenzie office to have meeting with the smart & successful people & I know that we have smth common.
When I see an article about AIESEC in the national newspaper...

All these things prove that we really exist. That we are here. Look at us!

More about the meeting:
Nikolay Tsehomsky was talking about brand of AIESEC, about positioning which is not very good (can you imagine how I felt as Communications manager) and so on...
I tried to find the reason why did I feel at the one hand - guilty, but at the other - I disagreed with this "we should promote AIESEC as hard as possible, especially among companies"

In few minutes of inner battle for the truth I got it!

I can organize some PR-activities, we can make really cool promo...but!
What should we promote?
Our WORK.
And it, unfortunately, sometimes has very low quality.
We don't keep our promises. We don't care about our trainees. We let our SNs to loose 1000 euro just because we forgot to know the rules of getting the columbian visa...

How I can say, that we are the best or at least we do our best if I can't rely on every single member?
***

May be you wait from me only excitement about being in MC, about having susi-evenings and riding a bicycle in the park.

But I really think that AIESEC starts from this "every single", not with the cool MC or smth.

AIESEC for me starts when you are NOT indifferent. When you ask, when you share, when you give an advice.
When you live your values & follow your principles.


Now I'm thinking am I myself this kind of "every single member" that I want to see
***

About Board again. They are just Great. Amazing!

Passion :)

I was having dinner when Kostya came to canteen and said that it’s better not to go to office, because new members are writing tests there and we will disturb them.

So, we went to the corridor to wait there.
Kostya asked me if I like studying in my university. I answered the question and he asked one more – if I like the quality of education.

… We talked around 30 minutes about education in Russia, education in the region and Omsk particularly, and what we would change if we had a chance, and which professors we would like to have, and who is a true professor, and what true professors OmGu has, and if we want to teach students in the future…

I forgot about the work that I had to do (something usual with my emails…). Because that moment reminded me why I am here and what is truly important.

*Katerina*

Photoshop mania

It has started with Roma.
He took a book about photoshop & spent the weekend reading, trying & sometimes saying:
"It's sooooooo cool! And you can do even this way! And you can chose the color of Petrula's t-shirt!" (He used FTSE photo for the experiments;)
***
I was just lazy to go and take my coloure pencils, so started to change photos in this absolutely inlnown program just to relax.
Here is the first:)

Katya, Nastya & Anya (LCP SPUEF) at IC












~Gu~

Experiencing English

Two days ago the New British Film Festival has started in Moscow. Guys, you must be there! (it'll be in Samara, Novosibirsk, Omsk as well).
Today I watched the movie "Festival" and it's really really good.
If you like this sort of american movies in which everything is clear in the end, happy end & which are funny in a way "that-is-a-joke-about-sex" you can be bored, of course.
(I tried to write smth about the movie here but failed - I need more time to understand what it was for me. But overwise, it's a good recomendation, cause there are not so many movies that make me thinking)
***

I'm hesitating now - what to do in the beginning of November...Go to the West REC? Apply for international conference? Spend time in Moscow working & preparing for the East REC?
To be sincere, I want to stay at home, to read a lot, to relax, to attend some master-classes in the university...
High speed of AIESEC life is still interesting, still importnat for me, but one day you start to think about what do you really want. I mean that really. What is really important and what is less important. Or, i'd better say Valuable. I feel, that need to learn & experience more to share it.
But the other side is that I'm afraid of making my life slower. People who know me even a little bit are nodding here, dont' you?:) I was always like a racer in Formula 1 - few seconds at pit-stop, few weeks in hospital & moving, moving, moving. A bottle of shampaign in case of the victory and again...
Using the metaphora of the races - now I'm thinking: if I really want to drive? Or it's time to become a coach? A manager of the team? A constructor of the cars?
And this moment of making decision: you are still in the sport with your actions, but you are at the same time somwhere else with your mind.
***

It's too long & boring, I think.
What else I'd like to share?
Yeasterday I've passed my exam in history of foreign cinematography - it's a kind of things that everyone thinks he knows. Fellini, Vittorio de Sica, fon Trier, Rosselini, Godar (I'm not sure if I write the surnames in English correctly) - of course I'll bla-bla-bla smth!
But I was reading the book for the whole day and a half and finished only french impressionism! Can you imagine?
And the most interesting thing is the connection of the film's history with the history, with the society, with economics, politics etc.
I was always wondering - why don't we learn everything in complex - in school, university?
You can learn financial analysis oh whatever which is not so close to real life (sorry, guys) separatly, but such things as history, literature, geography...never!
~Gu~

Winter is here

A day before yesterday there was origin "golden autumn" here in Akademgorodok.

When Lena and me went to NSU office, it started raining. Lena told that it's gonna be snow very soon, but I lauthed and didn't believe: "Snow?? Impossible! It's just autumn :)".

Yet in the afternoon the rain became snow and very soon all the trees were covered with white flakes that are still there! In half a day, we passed autumn and met winter in Novosibirsk :)

I love this place so much!!!

Katya

Our LCs. Ufa

This photo is from the last National Congress in Novosibirsk - our chair, Alex Tichy, and EB of Ufa.
Last year Ufa was initiative group, now they are voting LC. Great job!
What else special about Ufa...guess? Girl power!















~Gu~

Puzzle

Moscow-ILDS-Izhevsk-Moscow-IC-Moscow-Samara-Kazan-Ekaterinburg-Ufa!!!!!!!!:)-last two months of my life.

And… Weekends – wedding of my cousin. His wife is from the village, small village high in the Ural mountains. Wedding was there:) and after all events, different people, different big cities – the smallest village in the world:) Russian traditional wedding… Strong, funny, with different people… And the most beautiful huge mountains were around. Orange and red and green leafs, black trunks… And the deepest gorges and serpentine road between them and the fastest mountain river!!!!!

it is a small piece of huge puzzle of my life the same with Saint-Petersburg the Kazan cathedral - Krakow toy houses - Ekaterinburg night streets - the most beautiful sunsets above the Volga-river -different faces of lovely people - huge falls and huge victories. And the more pieces are opening the more huge, colorful, understandable and objective my life becomes. More connection between pieces of puzzle appears and picture drowns on it become clear.

After all what happened I can say that AIESEC helps me to feel differences, to make differences and to see differences in small things and value each small thing and love it like a small different piece of the most beautiful life!!!!!

Marina

Friday evening

Ira, Katya P. & me has a great evening together.
Two bottles of wine that Ira brought from Ukraine (she was faci at the national conference in Simferopol, so she was the last person from MC who experienced sea this year).
Two hours of discussions about AIESEC & other organizations. Don't think that we are so boring that talking abt AIESEC even drinking wine - it was another prospective, more emotional, I would say. It's funny, but I really found a lot as a communications manager. Where to find enough courage to act?
Nice & crazy idea I've got is to organize a meeting for MC with one person from "Nashi" - russian youth organization which is actually pro-Putin organization. It'd be a great learning as almost nobody in AIESEC shows that level of confidence in organization that he does...
***

Markelova called. Moscow teambuilding issue. But I really worry about her health as she works a lot and doesn't think at all about herself.
***

Probably, we've got new national partnership! Crossing my fingers and waiting for Zhenya - I' d cook smth Big&Tasty for everybody to celebrate it! Photos will be uploaded!
***

Safronova is alive - I'd talk to her i msn. Fine:) & missing you, dear!
***

Almaty has brought new funny&sad story. The biggest presentation of AIESEC in Almaty was spoilt because of the hollywood actor Steven Sigal! There was a casting or smth made by him at the same university and the same time the presentation took place.

~Gu~

With me

When you are traveling, it’s important to keep something in your heart: your family, your best friends, people who you care about, things that you love.

If you don’t, it’s gonna be confusion times, full of worries.

Yet if you do, you will overcome any difficulty you face and stay with your own identity and beliefs.

Of course, my MC team have a big piece in my heart :)

What I have with me today traveling across EAST:

- Roma’s bag (thanks to Roma, I can take my winter clothes and books for studies with me :)

- Ivanna’s nose spray (I got cold before leaving home, Ivanna’s spray and shiny Almaty made me recover :)

- Katya’s student ticket for a bus (I can not use it here, yet every time opening my bag, I see this ticket that reminds me Katya’s jokes :)))

- Nastya’s colored socks (Perhaps, Nastya doesn’t remember I still have her socks with me, I took them for … Plan-it maybe and didn’t give them back. Right, I am a bad girl, but these socks make me smile and hope they will make smile AIESEC IS and REC delegates :)

- Vanya’s presents (what I really want to learn from Vanya is ability to value friendships and keep them; I have some presents for EAST people and this makes my RD’s mission really meaningful :)

- Ira’s hairbrush (we have similar ones and forgot to exchange them; every time I use Ira’s one here during my trips, I feel the need of “being perfect” :)

- Zhenya’s pen (Zhenya doesn’t know I have this; I use it for meetings with VP ER’s – it helps me be professional in assisting LCs in creation of raising plans :)))

With all these things in my bag I feel safe and confident. Because I am working in the best team ever.

PS I wish I had something from double Nastya’s and Marina. But, actually, I do!!! The spirit of traveling across 1/6 part of the world…

See you… not that soon! :) Cheers from Novosibirsk ;)

Development in NGO sector - is this possible?

Hello to everyone, my first post here=)

I am attending courses for leaders of youth organizations (frankly speaking there are mostly representatives from university student organization and state comittees of youth and sport, I am there kind of out, but still important contacts and information is there).

Yesterday we had a guy talking about the career of person from an NGO. Where is the end of his career? Ok, you start with your own projects inside any other org-n, then... you start your own organization, then you open branches of your NGO, then you becomes a trainer, what's next (very usual career in NGO sector)?

This guy found the idea of creating social technologies (as we do not have them mostly in the cys) for problems that exsist in the country (for example, how to save the small nations in the cy - we do not have such a technology) - he is doing everything starting from creation till full implementation and tracking.

You can earn money (this works like a normal business) but you are creating certain things for your society.

I am not going to work in the company throughout my whole life for sure. I think this can be a good idea. I think I will work for him for some time to see how these things are working;)

By the way, I have already met him during the Potanin stipendium competition in Ekaterinburg. Life is small not only in AIESEC=)

Greetings!
KP

Innovations

I was riding a bicycle for one hour in the park near our house. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
Now I feel like a professional biker...eh,bicyclist?
***

I was looking at this starnge machine for 2 months. Today I turn it on and put a cucumber in there. It is - JUICER!
Now I can buy some cheap fruits in Kopeika and try to make fresh:)
(Hm, I think it's very good idea! I already drink Actimel every morning, ride a bicycle, and take vitamines. + Sosnovskaya promoted meditation:)
***

Windows of our office are on the North side, so there is not so much light, especially in the morning. I moved to the kitchen, which is in the south:)
***

And...yes, everybody should know. I think, I'm genius in cooking!:)










~Gu~

Our LCs. Moscow

Just few years ago there were 7 LCs in Moscow. Now - the only. By hte way, most of the LC members are originally not from Moscow:)














~Gu~

Our LCs. Eburg

The coolest girls, who rock!
Dina & Olya (left and in the center) bring to our national meetings new style of roll-calls, most of you know, what I mean:) One of the teams, which are starting LCs almost from zero (Ekaterinburg was strong several years ago, then was closed and this year they again are doing recruitment. Good luck!)














~Gu~

Our LCs. E&G

I have an idea to upload here photos of LCs.
Starting from Engec-Guap: Ksusha, Albert & Tanya at the Local Development Seminar in July, somewhere in Leningradskaya obl.:) This photo is so warm - I even put it at my desktop for a week (I was a chair at that LDS).














~Gu~

Back home. Again? Deja vu...

ghjThree feelings for now:

1. Disappointment.
I can't understand WHY LCs are still so isolated from each other. Why don't they communicate and share? Some of them do, of course. But only few. Thanks Izhevsk (they have very nice corporate e-mail: ai@bla-bla... AI - means AIESEC Izhevsk:) and Chelyabinsk. And why does NSTU hang the posters in the NSU? NO-fucking-idea.

2. Loneliness.
Only 4 teammates are in the flat. Katya bought melones in Kazakhstan and now is moving to Omsk. Letter from Markelova, that she is missing - but I'll see her in Moscow or in St.Peter soon, I hope. No news from Safronova... Marina is fighting for LC in Kazan absolutely alone (I had an idea to come back from Krasnodar through Rostov - to look at the city. May be, the first southern AIESEC-city...)

3. Important small things
Design-as-a-hobby concept: if we have no money to buy new bed, I can re-design kitchen chairs. Or print A1 photos of the team. Or put world map on the wall (smb already did it).
English-excellent concept: today I was passing a very nice test from bbc.uk - i'd perform better if understand at least 10% more words.
Rumikub in the evenings. Today with Katya.

P.S. I was looking for the wallpapers and now have this (the key wor for the search was "harmony")














~Gu~

Leaving for long...

15 minutes till leaving for a plane to Almaty..

Hurrraaa!!! I am going to LC visits!!! ;)
Happy crazy time back again!

So excited to meet you all, my lovely Siberia and Kazakhstan:)

*K*

Coming back

Me & Roma in Poland (on of the endless train stations).
We have a lot of nice photos from IC, i'll try to upload them in few days
***

Today I've heard our traditional "knock-knock" to the window (we have less number of keys than number of MC-members) and...Roma & Zhenya finally came back home!
They were in Koenig and couldn't buy the tickets, so had an amazing trip through Smolensk:)
At the same time Marina left to Samara.
Safronova told in icq about her exams from Chelyabinsk.
Markelova asked about Moscow from St.Pete.
Katya H. leaving in 4 days.

I just realized, that next time all our team will be together at Jarda's visit in november.
I'm alreday missing everybody.
***

The "soap opera" with promo-materials is going on:) It makes me stronger - it makes me stronger (my "mantra" for the last 3 weeks)
***

Tomorrow i'll try to learn Dreamweaver (nice, 3 months in MC and 3 new programs - at the end I'll be IT specialist). Ah! I can repair the telephone, by the way (every day somebody break it), so don't be surprised, if MC-office is not available - it's only for few minutes and we are working on jumping over the cabel:)

~Gu~

Our year

When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.

George Washington Carver

This is what comes to my mind when I am thinking about year 06-07.

Everything is created: powerful vision 2010 - AIESEC dream, the strategy how to reach it and country plans of execution.

You ask: "Where is innovation here?"
I would answer: "In implementation". In doing common things in uncommon way! In exciting activities that are making dream happen. Every day:)

*Katerina*

Team XP :)

How the most powerful element of our beautiful learning environment looks like in MC office:)

Yesterday there was a meeting of education task force - Gu, Ira, Marina and me.

Tea with strawberry jam from my grandma, Katya's biscuits "Maria", Nastya's yellow DHL-notebook from IC - everything seemed to make this meeting special.

And they did:)

When you have the same passion and such diverse opinions, nothing is impossible.

*Katerina*

Every day starts today

On my way back home I was thinking about special moments I remember from IC..

.. intro speech of David - our chair. He showed us the picture of his daughters and said wonderful thing: "Why did I come to IC? I want my daughters to live in the better world. That's why I am spending my time here, with the best leaders of the future.."

..morning plenary on day 2. [The weather wasn't good, it was raining almost all day long]. We were supposed to discuss positive moments from the previous day and a girl from Qatar (origionally Brazil) shared that her best moment of the day was when she saw the rain.. When I asked her "WHY?", she answered: "I still didn't get used to the fact that in Qatar it's not raining.." I was thinking: "How often we undervalue simple things"

..official dinner. CC invited Polish pianist to play. I bet that in the beginning everyone felt it's gonna be boring show. You can't imagine how he made the concert! I have never laughed so much at piano concert! It was amazing and fun:) How much you must LOVE what you do - I thought at that moment

..speech of Brodi in the end of AI 05-06 report session. He said: "My biggest dream.. I want AIESECers to be the people who understand the meaning of life"

..talk with LCP from Brazil during break. We were talking for half a hour and he was sharing that his biggest passion is energy, but so far he couldn't find anybody interested in this issue in his LC, however he is so much determined to recruit people who are passionate about energy like him. It's amazing to have true passions in life - I felt.

.."DON'T CHANGE" - a poster on the wall in the dormitory. It was a poster of ABN-AMRO bank asking young talents to be yourselves and not change and fight for what you stand for.

These are small things that make a conference so special..

*Katerina*

At Home!

Amazing trip from Krakov finally came to the end.

I feel like a "trains-catcher":

1. Trip from Krakov was awful, cause we tried to sleep at one seat with Marina.
Profile of Marina & Nastya - russian extremly tired girls higher than 175 santimeters each.
At ONE seat - shit!
2. As all my luggage was at Warsaw centralna, I got off the train, bought a ticket to Terespol and...when I was upstairs it was 6.27, train passed at 6.28...running downstairs, crying "pshe prosheeeem"(or how is it "sorry" in polish?) to the slow passengers, I jumped to the train.
3. At Warsaw smth (Zahodnia?) I took girls, who were running as well
4. In Terespol we almost missed the train, because Marina tried to buy some food (by the way, nectarines are very cheap there)
5. In Brest we ate "blinchiki", bought tickets to Moscow (train Prague-Moscow, 109.000 of belarus rubles - what for we made all that hard way if finally bought tickets of the price Warsaw-Moscow?)
***

I didn't want to come back at all.
Now I'm happy. HOME means a lot. Hostel in the centre of beautiful Krakow may seem to you the best place to live but Home is much more than apartements somewhere in Moscow.
But it's another story - what is our MC-Home.


~Gu~

Simply sentimental

Zhenya, Katya, Ira, Markelova, Marina, Roma and me are lazy and sleepy after a long day in Lodz. We are staying at Anula’s place (she was faci at LDS in Moscow three weeks ago). It was supposed, that only 2 ppl will come, but now the biggest part of our team is in Poland.
***

I've spent all the morning, trying to finish everything with promo materials (if smth will be wrong AGAIN…I don’t believe that finish it one day) But the good thing from this situation is that I was walking alone in Lodz for several hours, thinking about my future. It didn’t make me nervous, as usual. The positive influence of IC? Of certain ppl, I would say.
***

You know, most of all I like small moments which create a mood and stay in your memory forever. Today, when we were in bus, young family with a baby entered. As the baby was in pink, I suppose it was a girl. Sweet, blonde girl with blue eyes. Markelova smiled to the baby and girl started smile and laugh. It was so nice – two blue-eyed girls big and small, smiling to each other.

One more moment – there is a big trade centre in Lodz called Manufaktura (as I know, it was a factory, but now rebuilt as entertainment centre). It’s really nice – a lot of buildings from red brick, concert on the open air, fontains…And big yellow letters “manufaktura” where we made several photos. Climbing on this letters, freezing a little bit. Having fun – when we did it last time? Centures passed!

I really love such moments when you enjoy being with your team, with the PEOPLE, not VP PD, MCP etc. It’s amazing feeling – suddenly find the things that you always loved, enjoyed, that made you happy but one day you forgot them…
***

Life is simple, I think. Complex, but not complecated, as somebody told about AIESEC. It’s all about being as you are, being sincere, all about love.
I’m to sentimental today, am I not?

~Gu~

Thinking things

That's the end of the Learning Networks day.
The best thing at IC for now.
Let me count...there were 15 amazing companies and organizations speaking on the most actual topics.
I'm extremely tired, but feel like I spent a day in the best university ever, studying the things I really care about in a most effective & innovative way.
***

I'm sitting at the HP cafe and around me there are faces of different colours from all over the world. You can see the blond guy with blue eyes - he is from Kenya (originally dutch:) But MC VP PD Kenya this year. Just imagine - dutch guy somewhere in the centre of Africa, developing members of AIESEC), you can see another guy from Kenya - very active, black and...person whom you would admire, for sure - we had a conversation about education in Rwanda and Kenya, I have a lot to think about (I hate this phrase! I always say like this, but NEVER just think - I ask, searcing for info...The process of thinking goes paralelly)

HP cafe will be closed in 5 minutes, the day will end in few hours...

~Gu~

Escaping from the plenary

I'm sitting in HP cafe now - dozens of laptops & internet for free - yeah! (And you needn't go for 15 minutes to the dorm:)
***

Today is the LN day and it just has strated with the speeches of former president of Poland and a guy from PwC. To be sincere - I was nearly sleeping, cause the sound sometimes is really awfull and you could hardly hear anything. At the same time, I talked to the VP Communications from Bangladesh - about future, work, perception of AIESEC... I thought that such conversation can give me nothing - I was thought a lot about my own way and not so interested in other's . But.... It was stupid to think like this. Talking to people you add to the picture of your future small elenments which make it more colorful and it really shape you more:)


~Gu~

1 step to IC

The second day of CEE pre-meeting is almost finished. It seems to me, that the work at our national conferences is much more intensive...what is the reason?
Is it not so easy to get to know a hundred ppl from 25 countries?
Does it take time to get used to the atmosphere of the IC and start thinking globally?
The main reason, I think, is Life In Balance.
***

Here, at IC, at the main AIESEC's meeting in the year, soooo much attention is paid to the reflection, to the personal development, to your own perspective of the things...
And, you know, it is right. I don't feel tired, but I'm full of emotions and thoughts, smth new comes to my mind every hour. You think, that "every hour" is not so often? It is, cause if you don't have time to "think" you thought, it's absolutely useless.
Just say to yourself, when you are "running" somewhere in you every day life, taking one idea, then another one, then one more - "useless".
For me it works better than "Nastya, focus on something".
It helps you to feel, that the idea is lost for a long time.
***

The most exciting moment of the day: I've met a guy, who took me to the airport last year, when I came back from my CEED in Austria. A year ago he seemed to me a kind of AIESEC-friend: positive, smiling, but doing nothing i LC. Now he is the LCP of Vienna.
***

I really love my team. It's so natural to come to smb & just hug him or her, it's such a pleasure to sit with MCP on the grass and discuss the Choice, it's so funny to show AI the papers with numbers, like in figure skating (Roma's idea) and make them laughing, it's so exciting to sing "расцветали яблони и груши" with all the MC team in front of CEE ppl - to get back Ivanna's badge...


~Gu~