Right now I wish deeply to be somewhere out in the nature, away from people, and take pleasure in getting physically tired with a simple goal – walk in a direction the whole day, go to sleep, and after awakening continue in the same direction.

When the body beats the brain, when sharpness of mind can not help the fact that its your feet tht have to carry you on and on, when you feel away from people and in the middle of real world, that is the kind of beauty that you will always remember.

After being to dozen countries, those 6 days when I just walked are much harder to believe than me standing at the foot of Nanga Parbat, me hopping of a train in a small town in the middle of a desert or me sitting under palm trees on a beach in Africa. 

This feeling makes me play with the decision to end this internship in June 2009 (making it only 9 months long) or maybe stay longer or go somewhere else, so that I arrive to Slovakia before summer 2009 or 2010 and than spend another at least a month just walking and walking… Maybe its time to go East to West, and maybe not stop on the border…

Its sad that I cant walk or cycle in Africa, its too hot….

I am going to Ghana soon, to work for one year in Capital Group – an HR agency in Accra, the capital, to work on this TN.

I still dont know when I am leaving, only one thing is for sure – soon. The company would like me to come in less than a month… Lets see if I can manage.

Looks like I should speed up with my “Slovakia travel” plans

What were my first impressions?

Well the first thing what I did was to loose my cell phone and bank card, but thats different
The things that surprised me were these:
– sky – its so big and blue with huge columns of white clouds, I think because of the climate I have never seen such clouds in Pakistan, the sky looks like its much bigger and higher… hard to explain, You need to see on Your own
- village – whole Slovakia looks like a big village to me now compared to my memories, most of the country is fields and small villages, it might be a developed country, but it still looks like being calm and small (which it actually also is)
- green – the amount of green is amazing… horizon is nearly always a back of a hill range covered in green, even Bratislava (capital) which before had the feeling of a grey city now feels like a park to me
- girls – this is the discovery which saddens me the most… they are not that beautiful as I remembered Some are really nice but they are often dressed so horribly that it kills it all… and that brings me to the last point…
- clothing of people – I expected myself to be stressed about the amount of skin I will see here, but looks like the latest fashion is to put girls in the most tight and short shirts and shorts available (sometimes I marvel how they get those things on!)… girls mostly look like they came back from a beach or hip-hop / emo concert. And boys? Looks like its in fashion to wear “trekking wear” – hiking sandals / trainers, durable trousers / checked shorts, thermo shirts… Its true that Slovaks are a folk of hikers (the amounts of people who do hiking is surprising also to me), but this is little bit too odd (even though I have to say that those clothes are damn comfortable)

What are my plans?

See as much from Slovakia as possible… do trekking, hitch hiking, cycling and if none of the previous is possible – use bus or train And report it all here so that You can see what is possible to experience in Slovakia in those few weeks I have before going for exchange…

Well the goals are:
- finish MC in Pakistan on 1st of July
- travel Pakistan for 2-3 weeks
- go back to Slovakia in an interesting way (I still dont know what it means)
- travel Slovakia and Czech republic for some month
- while being in Slovakia, walk/hike it from East to West (like 2 weeks?)

Again one of those articles that makes no sense to anybody who doesnt really care to know what I think

So here we go:
I was not born to lead unefficient people, people who will not follow what they promised, people who have to be micromanaged. I also cant lead people that cant be quiet and listen (when its time to listen), I loose my patience with them too fast.

I want to be an artist in my job, move and work with grace, talk about things that sound like natural to me, but are new and surprising for other. It can be even (preferably) be things that I have realized just a moment before I tell them, as I will feel the pleasure of discovering something new, that nobody thought of before. I want to to tell analysises, sum-ups, point out connections of randomly spread facts that together make a pattern. I would like to be an emotions manager – analysing what will people think/feel in a situation, be a creep who estimates reactions, a calculating “TV serial killer” like guy…

Seems like a good day to recapitulate 2007? Well, not really… Not for me. This year finished not very remarkably. True I am being stuck in Lahore due to historical events, but actually I am just stuck in a place where nothing changes and days just pass by.

In a situation like this You really find out that there is nothing remarkable about the midnight of 31st of December… Its just a symbol a nudge for us to accept that one year is gone and start planning for next. But it also shows that any day can be the “judgement“… I guess I will skip it today and make it some other day.

…whatta a dull post. Lets make it little better… my year 2007 in photos…

But still… happy new year… and not just one.. all of them.. and may all be new and exciting

And if some of You are interested what is going on on the pictures, or why are they there, just ask me by email, I will reply, If I want to… (no offence, some of them are insider only)

Today I have gotten a package. A package from a friend, Lenka… It was on its way from Czech republic for a whole month. There were only three things inside…

First one made me laugh out loud for fifteen minutes. I was guessing what it is already when it was packed, there is only few things that are squarish, moves under fingers like shampoo in a plastic bag and has fat that can get through three layers of paper… It was a chocolate A special one (insider joke for me and Lenka) and so “normal” compared to all the sweets here…

The second made me feel fine, it was a letter from Lenka where she was wishing me all the best to my birthday that was on 2nd of July. Thank You to You Lenka and all the dozens of people who remembered me… I would never guess it will be so many people.

And the third thing made me think. It was a book. Book from Viktor Dyk called “Krysar“. A czech version of the famous Pied Piper story that was documented also by by the Brothers Grimm. I have spent an hour reading the various versions of the story, downloading videos showing different picturization of it. A story surely worth studying… I will have pleasure to read that book ASAP.

Saturday 30.06., 15.30 : the new Karachi intern Seto from Indonesia has arrived. A pretty strong storm has come to give him a nice wet kiss on his forehead, but for some reason it missed him and hit only those who came to pick him up (me, Nida and Taha included). Upon meeting him at airport we have been wet like fishes… Cool guy seems like Despite the fact that due to rain it was really cold, he asked if its always so hot in here Well, a new person has come, I am no more the “new guy”…

Saturday 30.06., 23.59 : during a roof party the MC 2006/07 handed over to us, MC 2007/08. Saying that they did a great job during the year, and if it was not them our (MC 07/08) ideashow to change AIESEC Pakistan, would be useless, everybody knows that… You guys have made the ground strong enough for us to jump high BTW I found out that overdosis of Pakola has no effect on me… An MC year is over, I am officially no more member of AIESEC Slovakia and officially belong to Pakistan.

Sunday 01.07., 23.59 : I receive my birthday wishing from Nida through phone in Khurams car while holding a cup of Blueberry icecream and listening to Rod Zombie – Clubbed to death. Very nice moment. Another year is over…

Monday 02.07., 09.00 : I am woken up and going for a meeting in Ashoka, I am caughing like hell, sneezing like Niagara and feel rather shitty/sleepy the whole day.

Monday 02.07., 22.00 : I am woken up and told to go and see the others on roof, as I am the only one still in the flat… Nida says she is sorry they didnt organize anything for my birthday. I personally also think that a year from now I will make the party BIG. As I feel not too well, it takes me some 10 minutes to get up there…

Monday 02.07., 22.10 : I get on the roof, Yao (my roommate from Cote dIvore) jumps on me, people scream Happy birthday and I am given a cake with my name on top I am quiet for some minute or two and than just say.. Thank You. As I dont look too happy they think I knew about it all the time… Trust me, I had no idea, but I was just woken up!

Tuesday 03.07., 02.30 : me, Emad, Nida and Seto are sitting at the top of the water tank and watching the city and sky. Seto says: “Its not important where You go, if You meet the right people“. True…

Thank You: Nida, Marina, Taha, Emad, Kurt, Seto, Yao, Wangari, Khuram, Ahmed… And everybody who remembered and sent me an SMS or mail. As my memory sucks I often forget about Your celebrations, I am sorry for that. But maybe one day, I will just find out on time and shock You

You said that You thought that I will with tears in my eyes write on my blog how You forgot my birthday. In fact You did the oposite… I feel like at home here.