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Days 082-091 – International Congress 2007 in Turkey

Published on August 30, 2007 in AIESEC time. 0 Comments

This was an event that is hard to describe. How do You describe a conference? A day by day, night by night, session by session…each different, with different thoughts in head and statutes of mind. As I didnt find time to write it ongoingly I am not much able to put it together now…

There is one thing very specific about IC, whatever You expect You get something different :)

I have met so many friends and familiar faces that I have not expected there, that feeling of “WTF are You doing here?!” was really fun :)

IC also gave me a lot of ideas and a more clear image on which way is AIESEC going… some of the things I am not sure about how they will work out, but it is one of the atributes of AIESEC that we try new things and are not (too) afraid to fail. I will do my part in reaching those goals…

I have been able to get there thanks to a few people: Nida, Taha and Sohaib and You, members of AIESEC Pakistan… Thank You.

If You ever have chance to go for an international conference, exchange, CEED or just trip DO WHATEVER IT TAKES and count on my support and help !!!

And to wrap up, these four things are the most important for me:
1. if You are committed to the organisation, You should be committed also to the goals of the orgasation, do Your part the best way possible
2. You try and might fail, but if You have not even tried… You have failed twice
3. the strongest learning is mostly not in the amazingly delivered”sessions”, but in those averagely or even badly delivered ones, its Your “taking-home” that makes them excellent
4. the four rules of our lifes should be:
a) PLAY – what is no fun, is not all You can get
b) MAKE THEIR DAY – making others feel fine/excellent is the best way for You to feel good
c) BE THERE – whatever You do, be there, by body, soul and mind
d) CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE – if You feel frustrated/happy/sad/demotivated/angry, its not the place or situation, its You who accepted (=chose) that feeling or attitude

Days 076-082 – Istanbul is most beautiful, these holidays were amazing!!

Published on August 21, 2007 in AIESEC time. 0 Comments

I got visas at the last moment and flown for 6 hours to meet a beautiful city and beautiful friend:

How to start… maybe by timeline…

__Day ONE
I and Emad (exMCP Pakistan, faci IC) go by same plane Karachi-Istanbul, its 1 hour late by arrival. When I get out a promised pick up is not available so I put in my old Slovak SIM (that has roaming) to find out whatzup. I reach Lenka and she tells me that the CC of IC will pick me up…

Waiting, finding CC, CC has no idea:) Taking a bus to agreed meeting point. First impressions:
1. minarets and skyscrapers – they are like dandelions popping out of grass, everywhere, very few in Karachi
2. sky – it so blue, so bright and so BIG, maybe because of smog but Karachi sky looks to be much “lower”
3. sea – crystal clear and calm, unlike the dark restless Arabic sea in Karachi, open wide…

We visit the LC Istanbul office… That office wins the award for most beautiful view… You see the little houses, behind them the port and blue sea, and out of the sea rising up the peninsula of the oldest part of town with Hagia Sofia on top. Whole wall is a window, not at all surprising…

Meeting Akin, the best host EVER. He didnt just offer a helping hand, but also his flat, kitchen, money, time, computer, phone… I have a big dept to pay to You man!

We found out that Istanbul IS a HUGE city, not as big as Karachi, but close. It took us nearly two hours to get to Akins place… and than we fell asleep, literary fell.

__DAY TWO

Since morning we go and explore the old city of Istanbul. First coming to the office and checking routs, deciding not to join the official study-tour and walking out for the bus stop from where to take bus to Old city… We somehow miss the stop and finish walking to the Old city :)

Pure 6 hours of walking and enjoying… Hagia Sofia, blue mosque, grand bazaar, donner, turkish tea, parks, tiny streets and grant bulvaars. We came back to Akins place tired like dogs but with huge eyes…

__DAY THREE

We ask Akin about some special place, something that is not that often seen, as we have been sightseeing too much to be even MORE impressed and amazed… and he suggested Princes`s Islands, a chain of beautiful islands between Europe and Asia.

Me, Lenka and Akin took the boat (part of public transport like buses and minibuses) and went there. The islands look like out of time… The first impression I had was that this is how houses at the river Mississippi looked like, white, wooden, beautifuly decorated, only horses and bikes allowed (only police and ambulance has cars)… What a place…

We climbed a hill in the middle of the biggest island Büyükada with a church on the top… I can tell You, going up in the heat was a real deal. But the sight and bottle of beer on top was worth that.. The way back, nearly night was also worth a couple of pics :D

Only thing that was sad was that it was not possible to get to the sea and swim without paying terrible money (10 USD and more)…

__DAY FOUR

We woke up really late and missed all the botes :) But we had a great lunch with Akin and his friends (e.g. Bilgin)… Thats why we went for a walk around the port, waiting for the boat and after that we went again to Princess Islands. This time an another island (Heybeliada) and without Akin, but we didnt get lost and after a looooooooong walk found a place where I could go for a swim at the sunset.

….and than…

Lenka went to be a faci at YouCan and I joined the delegates group of IC….. but I can tell You, beautiful, amazing, relaxing time :)

Day 064 – after my first Pakistan AIESEC conference

Published on August 1, 2007 in AIESEC time and Thinking mood. 0 Comments

I should be writing about how was it in Islamabad, the city You have seen in the news to be the centre of all the violence of Pakistan, the country to be told be the breedingplace of all the terorist. But You know what? There is not that much to talk about about Islamabad. You are looking for something interesting. And telling You that Islamabad was green as a park, calm as a a City of peace can only be would be kind of out of place. Still, somebody killed himself there while I was there, taking some dozen human beings to heaven, and himself to hell… For a person like that, who kills innocent to get to heaven, there has to be a hell…

But that is not the topic of todays post.

I want to tell You, all who care, that I am a little drunk, on my own (and not sad at all about that), as all others went to sleep, smoking shisha and listening to Massive attack on the roof of my flat, from where I can see the lights of a city of milions of people, Karachi, and feeling SO alive.

I love every second of my time right now, I love You for reading this, its not about the alcohol or shisha, but its just that I feel happy.

Day 063 – July National Conference in Islamabad

Published on July 29, 2007 in AIESEC time and Islamabad. 0 Comments

So how was it?

Well, there were more chapters of this story…

1. The way there took whole day, 18 hours to Lahore and from there another 4 hours to Islamabad. A trip that might have been boring if there would not be my MC members, Cluedo, Hundred years of solitude and a great sight of the window with me. Click on the pics to see all of them…

2. The conference was great. I have expected more people based on the original materials but the simple math I could have done also for myself :) It was cca 40 people out of the 100 of members of Pakistan, when taking holidays and internships in concern, it is still a good number.
The atmosphere was good, eventhough only at the end we (faci team and chairs) have found out what was missing – noise (if we dont count the waterfight at 5 am on Sunday, but even that was rather calm.. next time a lil more planning and NOBODY is going to stay dry!!!)!

But dont You worry… next conference will rock the house !

The most amazing part was that the official dinner took place in a restaurant right above Islamabad. Actually there was a long talk if to go or not as there were security concerns but at the end not a single thing was risky, except of the risk of falling in love with that place :)

And for AIESEC in Pakistan the most important thing was that Islamabad was finally accepted as Official extension… These guys are really great to work with (they made a dance that we, MC, tried to use at IC but failed terribly due to technical problems :P ) and I am sure they will catch up to the others very soon!

3. The stay in Islamabad before and after the conference. A very quiet time in Nidas house. Great food, nice place and lovely people…

4. Way back home through Faisalabad, taking another 18 hours home :) Again very enjoyable for me and offering lots of interesting sights…

Day 023 – AIESEC update

Published on June 23, 2007 in AIESEC time. 0 Comments

Oh, yes… I forgot to give updates how is my job at AIESEC doing :)

If there is somebody who gets to read also this post, than You shall know that we have already had our first LC visit – in LC Karachi, that we are, slowly but still, doing MC transition, analyzed the Pakistan 2010 vision (or is it Envision?), am in charge of a national conference in a month and YES I DO LIKE IT HERE AND THE PEOPLE AND MY TEAM.

From right to left (just like Arabic or Urdu): Sohaib (MC X and Fin), Taha (MC ER), Marina (MC CEEDer from Canada), Emad (MCP 06/07), me (MC TM and LCD) and Nida (MCP)…