Invisible Paths
29 July 2006
and...
I miss London. Like I am always missing it, but more. And of course this hangs together with my Albe. (16 days and counting down)
And I miss my parents. Spoke to my mom today, they were just on their way to Holland - sailing.
Only natural that in these adrenaline filled days I long for warm stability glowing from afar.
And I miss my parents. Spoke to my mom today, they were just on their way to Holland - sailing.
Only natural that in these adrenaline filled days I long for warm stability glowing from afar.
impressions
Another Friday, how did I get here?
The ups and downs of this week are impressive. It all began on Monday night, when, leaving my Yoga class I discovered three missed calls on my mobile from Iván. Finally home I received the news: our project Alcance Social was approved the way we proposed it. 40 interns (20 international and 20 Colombian AIESEC members), 2 national conferences, 3 regional conferences, and the interns spread across 10 Colombian cities rotating on projects of Acción Social, the part of the Colombian government that manages national and international resources reserved for social projects. The interns will all focus on socio-economic stabilization of the vulnerable communities of displaced people - more than 2 million people in Colombia have lost their homes due to the internal war. A sad record in the region.
I was flabbergasted. Utterly. They approved all the travel allowances for the interns, the TN fees, the monthly payments to interns and LCs... in short: un éxito!
Then of course followed the crazy hours of tough decisions, putting together the Organising Committee... a group of AIESEC members from across Bogotá. Responsible for this project of some € 68500, risks are considerable, and of course more partners need to be won to round up the learning experience.
Honestly, I just want to be an intern participating in this project. The topic includes my interests of sustainable livelihoods and conflict resolution, the project allows interns to share their experiences with each other and various communities in Colombia...
The days since then seem like months in retrospect because of the amounts of communication, the coordination from my desk and through meetings has been fascinating. Resisting the temptation to get into operational tasks of the project (!) I am staying focused on my planned priorities (which of course did not take into account an explosion of the project), and support Leandro, the project manager, to take decisions, build the organising committee... I have a few more rather conceptual support tasks directly for the project, and will spend many more hours in meetings structuring events, learning activities, and others, but the project will not need me. This is my pride. I want to see Leandro leading an empowered organising committee, I want to see our LCs innovating around the elements of the Learning Environment, taking advantage of the endless opportunities, and individuals enjoying the eye-opening learning experiences that they will have. Yes, this is my vision for this project, and the others up my sleeve.
Oh, and I want to learn about forced migration.
The downs have been similarly complex. One issue is the International Congress. Coming from an AIESEC world in which the MC's participation in IC is budgeted and then financed, I have troubles understanding a different system in which funds have to be raised apart from everything else. It does not look good for us. Without a year of lean living and saving in Switzerland I would not come to IC in Poland. It hurts me to see the disappointment of the Dream Team when another proposal for funds is rejected, when another meeting does not bear fruits. When airlines are difficult. I want my Dream Team in Poland.
And then finally, today, we received notice that we will have to leave our appartment by Sunday because the owner wants to sell it. So basically we are homeless, just on the weekend when Jenn is moving out and I would finally have my own room.
Let me just call it ironic.
We did have an appointment with a landlady of a cheap flat just up the road (up the beautiful mountains) but about one hour ago received a call that someone just rented the place.
Tips for finding cheap flats in Chapinero (perferably Chapinero Alto) in Bogotá to move in on Sunday are appreciated.
The ups and downs of this week are impressive. It all began on Monday night, when, leaving my Yoga class I discovered three missed calls on my mobile from Iván. Finally home I received the news: our project Alcance Social was approved the way we proposed it. 40 interns (20 international and 20 Colombian AIESEC members), 2 national conferences, 3 regional conferences, and the interns spread across 10 Colombian cities rotating on projects of Acción Social, the part of the Colombian government that manages national and international resources reserved for social projects. The interns will all focus on socio-economic stabilization of the vulnerable communities of displaced people - more than 2 million people in Colombia have lost their homes due to the internal war. A sad record in the region.
I was flabbergasted. Utterly. They approved all the travel allowances for the interns, the TN fees, the monthly payments to interns and LCs... in short: un éxito!
Then of course followed the crazy hours of tough decisions, putting together the Organising Committee... a group of AIESEC members from across Bogotá. Responsible for this project of some € 68500, risks are considerable, and of course more partners need to be won to round up the learning experience.
Honestly, I just want to be an intern participating in this project. The topic includes my interests of sustainable livelihoods and conflict resolution, the project allows interns to share their experiences with each other and various communities in Colombia...
The days since then seem like months in retrospect because of the amounts of communication, the coordination from my desk and through meetings has been fascinating. Resisting the temptation to get into operational tasks of the project (!) I am staying focused on my planned priorities (which of course did not take into account an explosion of the project), and support Leandro, the project manager, to take decisions, build the organising committee... I have a few more rather conceptual support tasks directly for the project, and will spend many more hours in meetings structuring events, learning activities, and others, but the project will not need me. This is my pride. I want to see Leandro leading an empowered organising committee, I want to see our LCs innovating around the elements of the Learning Environment, taking advantage of the endless opportunities, and individuals enjoying the eye-opening learning experiences that they will have. Yes, this is my vision for this project, and the others up my sleeve.
Oh, and I want to learn about forced migration.
The downs have been similarly complex. One issue is the International Congress. Coming from an AIESEC world in which the MC's participation in IC is budgeted and then financed, I have troubles understanding a different system in which funds have to be raised apart from everything else. It does not look good for us. Without a year of lean living and saving in Switzerland I would not come to IC in Poland. It hurts me to see the disappointment of the Dream Team when another proposal for funds is rejected, when another meeting does not bear fruits. When airlines are difficult. I want my Dream Team in Poland.
And then finally, today, we received notice that we will have to leave our appartment by Sunday because the owner wants to sell it. So basically we are homeless, just on the weekend when Jenn is moving out and I would finally have my own room.
Let me just call it ironic.
We did have an appointment with a landlady of a cheap flat just up the road (up the beautiful mountains) but about one hour ago received a call that someone just rented the place.
Tips for finding cheap flats in Chapinero (perferably Chapinero Alto) in Bogotá to move in on Sunday are appreciated.
24 July 2006
check
The breathing city at night, from the window of our living room. I am sitting in a corner on a blanket in the bare room. Bogotá is cold, there were few clouds during sunset.
A new week is waiting, days that need to be turned into useful minutes, producing dreams and making them real. The past week was almost too much of it all:
Interesting follow-up meeting with Acción Social. Let's just say that we will follow-up much more from here...
Lunch: "Bandeja light" at Azahar is officially the best deal around. Entices devout carnivores to go veggie once a week. The price does drive things... my economics professors did have a point there.
Chats with my VPs from Manizales, Bucaramanga, Barranquilla, and Pereira. These guys rock Colombia.
Itinerary for IC confirmed: check. Bogotá - Atlanta - Gatwick - Luton - Warsaw - Dortmund - Madrid - Bogotá. ¡Qué emoción!
"Italian" monopoly. While I once won against a bunch of Italians in a fateful night in London about four-and-a-half years ago, I somehow was robbed, cheated and taken over by my Colombian team mates this week. Kind of makes me wonder...
Killepitsch. Introduced the DreamTeam to this sweet dizzy sirup proudly from beloved Düsseldorf.
Emails exchanged. Re-discovered the power of personal messages. Also my mobile here receives and sends SMS from and to Europe.
Indian food at Dhanur's. He cooks well, but gives really bad directions...
And mornings in the gym.
Jenn is hunting for a room or flat, soon I will have my own space, can make it my own.
Fourty minute skyping with Albe. Counting down the days, soon it will be hours, minutes, seconds.
As usual my mind is living all over the place.
A new week is waiting, days that need to be turned into useful minutes, producing dreams and making them real. The past week was almost too much of it all:
As usual my mind is living all over the place.
17 July 2006
so much so much
living through an intense time of thinking, traveling, facilitating, discussing, seeing, feeling, laughing, wondering, dreaming, crying, reading, talking, running and creating has left me speechless. But here I am, trying to make some sense of the past three weeks.
Conferences
Dynamite. Put close to 200 Colombian AIESECos into one plenary, open at two sides, facing lush green vegetation nurtured by sun and rain every day, and end up with nothing less. Reactions in sessions are instantaneous, contributions abundant, proactivity thriving. The question is more about how to contain it all, and make the points clear... forget careful planning of how and when to warm up plenary...
Take over ceremony
Magic. Thank you LCPs, you created the emotional night I needed, the final seal of aproval. The warmth of the candles, flickering light across faces and glittering tears, flowing diamonds.
Football
I am looking forward to being half Italian one day...
Travels
Frío. The eternal question is why a bus that is crossing mountain ranges at 3000m above the sea level at night needs airconditioning. To add another factor to making the quest for sleep more difficult? To chill people so that they become stiff and do not move? Maybe it is a way to increase the sale of lemsip and cough sirups. I am a great customer for the latter right now.
Changing the world
Oh yes, we will indeed, Dhanur and I, that is. Talking over a couple of pitchers of beer allows for creative engagement and brings forth ideas. We know it is needed, just read the news.
Health
Tomorrow will see my first physical evaluation in the gym opposite the road, and the establishment of a training plan. I need it. Even a simple hour of randomising in the gym this weekend produced euphoria and an energic smile.
Communicate
The coming week will see physical meetings, virtual meetings, phone calls, emails. Across Colombia, across the world. So we can tie this together, and create our dreams. And a blog is a fine thing!
This morning Jenn (my room mate) reported my talking and laughing while fast asleep. Days are just not enough.
Conferences
Dynamite. Put close to 200 Colombian AIESECos into one plenary, open at two sides, facing lush green vegetation nurtured by sun and rain every day, and end up with nothing less. Reactions in sessions are instantaneous, contributions abundant, proactivity thriving. The question is more about how to contain it all, and make the points clear... forget careful planning of how and when to warm up plenary...
Take over ceremony
Magic. Thank you LCPs, you created the emotional night I needed, the final seal of aproval. The warmth of the candles, flickering light across faces and glittering tears, flowing diamonds.
Football
I am looking forward to being half Italian one day...
Travels
Frío. The eternal question is why a bus that is crossing mountain ranges at 3000m above the sea level at night needs airconditioning. To add another factor to making the quest for sleep more difficult? To chill people so that they become stiff and do not move? Maybe it is a way to increase the sale of lemsip and cough sirups. I am a great customer for the latter right now.
Changing the world
Oh yes, we will indeed, Dhanur and I, that is. Talking over a couple of pitchers of beer allows for creative engagement and brings forth ideas. We know it is needed, just read the news.
Health
Tomorrow will see my first physical evaluation in the gym opposite the road, and the establishment of a training plan. I need it. Even a simple hour of randomising in the gym this weekend produced euphoria and an energic smile.
Communicate
The coming week will see physical meetings, virtual meetings, phone calls, emails. Across Colombia, across the world. So we can tie this together, and create our dreams. And a blog is a fine thing!
This morning Jenn (my room mate) reported my talking and laughing while fast asleep. Days are just not enough.
