WHAT IS MVV DOING IN BRAZIL?

Great ...
Even if I have an austrian Visa till October 05 (temporary residence permit actually, thanks MC Austria for the letter!) I asked for it just as a "PLAN B" to be able to enter Holland and manage to be on time for the start of my AI term, the 1st of June of 2005. Even if the Plan B is done, PLAN A was (and is!) more than feasible, since also last week (almost paralel to the issue of the AUstrian visa) I was informed from AI that my MVV (dutch residence permit) also was approved and ready to pick up. BTW, Cliff has done an amazing job dealing with all new AI members visa issues :)

And guess what ... after a good numbers of call to the embassy, they OF COURSE found me on the system, and my MVV OF COURSE is ready since couple of days ... BUT IN BRAZIL! Nice, very useful! It happened so since before I was living in Brazil, so in my info sheet I registered my Sao Paulo address and even if the COLOMBIAN EMBASSY (as I also requested!) was the one getting the authorization from the Ministry in Holland to issue my MVV, they just redirected it to Brazil, since they assumed I was still living there ...

CLIFF!!! HELP!!! answer my mail!!! only getting again the order from Holland they can issue it to me here again!!! Even if I have the austrian PLAN B, I want my MVV!!!

UPDATE COLOMBIA

As you saw in the past post in left Sao Paulo almost two weeks ago!
Since 14.05 I have been in my lovely, wonderful, unique COLOMBIA.
For one week and till last sunday 22.05.05 I have been in Bogota (the capital of Colombia) where practically my top achievements have been:

1. Enjoying feeling in love
2. Get an Austrian visa that will allow me to enter EU territory (meaning this be able to enter Holland till my official temporary residence is 100 % ready)
3. Celebrate the XXth birthday of my boyfriend
4. Eat jummy and healthy food
5. See key Alumni of my generation as Santi, Valentina and Alvaro
6. Go to the AIESEC in Colombia Alumni official night and BBQ (see posts of others)
7. Disconnect from rutine and thinking in "the journey about to start"

Now I am in Barranquilla, my lovely city! Even if it is a rainy season all over the country and Barranquilla is not the exception, the SUN never goes away! and even if it rains ... it is never cold. The plan here: enjoy my family. Will do my best to get cool pictures from them, specially today that I WILL COOK FOR THEM after stealing a fancy but relatively easy dish (creps) from my boyfriend!

I will be back to Bogota on sunday and then head to Rotterdam on tuesday 31. 05 being there on the 01 of June, unfortunately at 4 p.m. more and less, and I say unfortunately since our first AI 05 06 team meeting is this same day at 9.00 a.m., but I could not manage earlier!

LAST VIEWS OF SAO PAULO

As some of you might know, I closed another chapter last week. I left Sao Paulo, Brazil the 14th of May. The last 2 weeks in sao Paulo (a very crazy ones, no more comments about that) I took Gaudhy´s camera and went to take some snaps in my district, VILA MADALENA and of couse, in my home. BTW, if you like the apartment, my former flat mate is always willing to rent it!

HOME


MY BUILDING: Rua Joao Migule Jarra 75, Sao Paulo


The door to my building


NUMBER 11, my apartment


Please keep closed! The entrance door...

MY ROOM


THE BEST BED EVER: all the flats I have lived in in the past few years, none of them had such a great bed ... a double size bed! white and soft blankets, I really ejoyed sleeping there ....


View out of my room window: fresh air, green trees


Just a corner ...


The entrance to my room: the big COLOMBIA POSTER made everybody aware that this was a colombian territory!


The pictures corner ... family, boyfriend, the book ...

GENERAL HOUSE SPACES


THE KITCHEN: nothing cooler than a white kitchen, seems very elegant to me


LIVING ROOM: always inviting to just lie on the coach and search for a good option on the TV


COMPUTER CORNER: as you see, my crappy lap top was hardly used, thanks to Mariana, my flat mate, that always allowed me to use her PC


Dining area


BATH ROOM!!!

THE PERFECT FLAT MATE


Oriana, a good girl believe it or not, always committed to cleaning the house deeply!


With love and good attitude, all ends very well! For house mate references you can mail my brazlian flat mate Mariana!


PUBLIC MARKET AND FOOD


On the way to the public market, Vila Madalena


FEIJOADA: the mos famous brazilian plate, food, done with black bones and pork. Very strong buy absolutely tasty. This is the annoucement that every tuesday and saturday you saw on the door of the restaurant PALADAR DA VILA; near my house, where I used to buy FEIJOADA A COUPLE OF TIMES


Street selling of juice: it never stoped amazing me!


YOU COULD ALSO FIND BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS


MANDIOCA (yuca), cooked and raw in the public market


PASTELES! All types, all sorts, the most jummy thing ever


COXINHA: TASTE THIS AND YOU WILL FEEL IN HEAVEN



I even forgto the name of this fruit, but it is sort of similar to GUANABANA


TAPIOCA: traditional desert with cocont and mandioca (yuca)


The cheapest bananas ever


VILA MADALENA: corner of indian restaurants and shops

VILA MADALENA METRO STATION



VILA MADALENA: This is the nearest Metro Station to my home in Sao Paulo.


VILA MADALENA: Bus station. WIll never forget the PQE EDU CHAVEZ bus that for 2 reales brought me in less than 5 minutes to my home


VILA MADALENA: Telephone zone

CLOSER TO A DIRECTOR LIFE

LADIES AND GENTEMEN, THIS IS THE BEST AIESEC REGION EVER, andyou know what? 2005 - 2006 IS THE TERM WHEN THEY ARE GOING TO SHINE (even more) !


Spanish Speaking Growth Network IC 2004 in Germany

When this picture was taken in August 2004 (actually was so nice to find it in the lap top of Vero yesteday!) I never imagined (or did I?) being in less than one year after responsible for this worndeful growth network. I just can say, I was so happy of being there (look at my face, I am the 2nd from left to right in the 1st row, in black) after one year that I was MC in Austria, I still can remember that at this IC I had the feeling "god, I am finally home". And I am happy to see that I am and will be still home.

Today, May 1oth ... 2 weeks to go to "start becoming a director". Last saturday night Vero and me spent the night with Lele (my predecesor, but still AI Director for 04 05) in the Sao Paulo Airport. She came from Santiago de Chile, her last country visit and was on the way to New York, for a United Nations Meeting (and she will be back on wednesday in Sao Paulo again tomeet us and SSGN Board 05 06). We enjoyed a cup of good chilenean wine, eat pizza, commented about her visits ... about Vero and me in AI next term, about life, about love ... and then I suddenly thought: will I be in the same situation next year, in the middle of an airport in the middle of country visits on a saturday night, probably alone if I have not the luck to have friends near by? But then I also thought: well, if the reward is all the joy and learning and specially contribution that at the same time Lele does not stop to talk about coming from and to countries, I am definitively on! And I am! Are you SSGN?

GUYS, I am 100 % accountable to you! Let´s make it happen!

TRANSITION TIME

Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. Michael Jordan

This will be my Growth Network Team for the next year, Rita and Johanna.
It has been fun, challeging, complex but at the same time easy-going to try to build a team with you! But I am on! so ... vamos la! Since a couple of weeks but specially this weekend and ending next thrursday (hopefully) we´ll be on transition ... after this girls, the SSGN Board is yours. Now Vero and meare waiting for them in my apartment, for another hard day of work!


SSGN BOARD 05 06. Johanna, Oriana, Rita - 9.05.05

Story ended

If you read the last posting about LarryMiller, this is how the story ended, at least for now :)
I am wondering if he anyways finished his consulting to AIESEC before or just right after this. Find out all strategy details in transition, looking fwd!

WHO IS A COMMON COLOMBIAN?

Again ELTIEMPO opened another of these provocative questions: "How is life for -common colombians- abroad?"

223 answers of crazy colombians abroad so far (in spanish)

One of the most particular answers was:

"Varios hemos preguntado quienes son "los colombianos del comun". Me aventuro a dar algunas hipotesis. No somos ni Julio Sanchez Cristo ni Lina Botero ni otros "juniors". No aparecemos en revistas del jet set ni conducimos autos ultimo modelo en Miami. Trabajamos, estudiamos, sobrevivimos, añoramos, nos reimos, nos insertamos en otras culturas, simplemente eso. La pregunta deberia ser otra. Analicen el fenomeno de la migracion masiva de colombianos con seriedad, no con preguntas vacias y clasistas. "

- that translates more and less ...

"Some of us have asked what means/who are "the common colombians"? I dare to give a hipothesis. We are not Julio Sanchez Cristo or Lina Botero orother "juniors". We do not appear in the jet set magazines and also we do not drive top cars in Miami. We work, we study, we survive, we miss/dream, we laugh, we insert ourselves in other cultures, just that. The question ( "How is life for -common colombians- abroad?" ) should be another one/should be formulated different. Analize seriously the issue of massive migration of colombians, and not with empty and clasist questions"

IN THE MEANWHILE

Well, while some people are very engaged debating about Larry Miller and his influence to AIESEC ( I do not know if it is one ofthe worst or one of the best debates I have observed, for the simple reason that so few people are involved and so many prejudices as well, specially towards religion), I ask myself how much HAVE WE, HAVE YOU influenced AIESEC strategy in a counciuos way with clear results and arguments from the TOP DOWN? Is it actually posible? Are we over or underestimating the capacity of AIESEC international to do so?

Unfortunatley I do not feel like sharing much. I also have seen Larry around since IC 2001 when I was a random LCP and said hi to him (if I am not wrong at IC 2003 in Serbia), but that does not give us the right to seem to be experts in people and in topics that we do not simply know. So my respects to those who expressed their opinion based on real knowledge.

CONGRATS SIS!

Many people do not like to be even named in others weblogs, but this girl is seriously the opposite. She told me recently: "Hey, you owe me a post!" and according to my request, she sent me the pictures that she wanted to be showed! That´s the attitude!

This post is therefore to VERO.


Guys, she is single! but as a tip, she prefers DUTCH men.

Vero is my team mate in the Spanish Speaking Growth Network Board, and the WONDERFUL NEWS (although they are quite old by now) is that she will also be part of AIESEC INTERNATIONAL 05 06 as Global Partnership Manager! One more year working together, I am sure next term we will not take so much time as this year to realize how much fun (and how much sense!) it makes working together. Well, as a matter of clarification, Vero and me never worked phisically in the same place ... although we had cool common spaces as transition in Brazil (July 2004), IC 2004 (August 2004) - so when we came together at Expros again, with hands full of results (specially her), in the end what we were full of, was of certain frustations?... let me say hopes and fears on how we could have been more close, work more close and specially ... realizing that VIRTUAL COMMUNICATION SUCKS. I will never forget that all this "teambuilding conversations" started when I told her "You are a bitch answering emails, can you show some feelings?"

Vero, in the end we are very similar (excepting that I am not single and I am not obsesed with dutch guys and I CAN COOK)! Petr, Frances, Sveta and Tom ... have fun with this girl in the AI ER Team, she will make many of your days!

MASP - MUSEO DE ARTE DE SAO PAULO

Last Sunday, 01.05. I went with Gaudhyta to MASP (MUSEO DE ARTE DE SAO PAULO), that is placed on the wonderful Paulista Avenue, in the same city. ..

Even if I like art a lot, I must admit that Gaudhy not only likes, but KNOWS about art! (Sabe la gordiiitaaaa!!!) She ended being a very good guide, you know what I mean, making this kind of comments that only "knowers" can do and that make you really enjoy a museum. Although Gaudyta, remember: IT IS NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE PAINTINGS, even if it is an orginal Rafael or Renoir... Relax ...!

OF COURSE, we could not take pictures, but nevertheless, I just can endorse you to go. For 5 reais (less than 2 Euro) with student card (that is good new, I do not have an international student card, cause I am graduated, but I simply showed my old University ID and they let me in! well, not that it has been long time ago since I graduated!)


These famous artists besides making history, spent their lifes portraiting prominent people. It is amazing when you try to imagine what was the world behind each of these people in each portrait ...


Top things I liked:

1. See original paints from Renoir, Goya, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Rafaell, Rivera (the man of Frida Kahlo) and Monet.

2. They have 3 big rooms, one of them, is the permanent collection (where you find the painters I named before and many, many more), the other two are constantly changing receiving international and also national expositions. We were lucky to catch "As 100 Maravilhas" (100 Wonders) that is a collection that travels around the world with top 100 pieces of art. Cool Picassos were there. Ilumination and in general management of lights and spaces was also great.

Sometimes people underestimate these great museums and expositions you can find in Latin America, it is not Louvre in Paris, or Galerie Belvedere in Vienna (what a museum city, btw KLIMT is STILL my favourite, no doubt) ... but it is MASP!

La hormiga y la cigarra - otro punto de vista

Habia una vez una Hormiguita y una Cigarra que eran muy amigas.

Durante todo el otono la Hormiguita trabajo sin parar, almacenando comida para el invierno. No aprovecho el sol, la brisa suave del fin de tarde, ni de la charla con amigos tomando una cervecita despues de un dia de labor. Mientras, la Cigarra solo andaba cantando con los amigos en los
bares de la ciudad, no desperdicio ni un minuto siquiera: canto durante todo el otono, bailo, aprovecho el sol, disfruto muchisimo sin preocuparse con el mal tiempo que estaba por venir.

Pasados unos dias empezo el frio, la Hormiguita, exhausta de tanto trabajar se metio en su pobre guarida repleta hasta el techo de comida. Pero, alguien la llamo por su nombre desde afuera y cuando abrio la puerta tuvo una sorpresa cuando vio a su amiga Cigarra dentro de una Ferrari y con un valioso abrigo de pieles. La Cigarra le dice: Hola amiga! Voy a pasar el invierno en Paris. Podrias cuidar de mi casita? . La Hormiguita respondio: pero claro! Sin problemas. Pero que ocurrio? Donde conseguiste el dinero para ir a Paris, comprar esta Ferrari, Y ese abrigo tan bonito y caro? . Y la Cigarra respondio: imaginate que yo estaba cantando en un bar la semana pasada y a un productor le gusto mi voz.. Firme un contrato para hacer shows en Paris. A proposito, necesitas algo de alla?

Si, dijo la Hormiguita. Si te encuentras a "La Fontaine" (autor de la fabula original), mandalo de mi parte a la puta mierda!

Moraleja:

Aproveche la vida, sepa equilibrar trabajo y diversion, pues trabajar demasiado solo trae beneficios en las fabulas de La Fontaine. Trabaje, pero disfrute de la vida, ella es unica.
Si no encuentra su media naranja, no se desanime, busque un medio limon, pongale ron y hielo y sea feliz! . Y recuerde, vivir solo para trabajar hace muy bien...al patrimonio del JEFE!!