On the LH flight from Brussels to Munich:
OP-ED from yesterday's Int Herald Tribune
Gandhi Wuz Robbed
By MAUREEN DOWD
When he heard the Nobel Peace Prize shocker on Friday, Bill Clinton went into one of his purple rages. He picked up the phone and dialed the one person on earth who would be as steamed as he was.
CLINTON: Hey, man, it’s me. This thing is plumb crazy. Can you believe it?
W: No way, Jose!
CLINTON: First that prig Carter. Then that prig Gore. And now President Paris Hilton. The guy’s in office three days and he gets the peace prize? He should have gotten the Nobel in chemistry, because chemistry’s all he’s got. Talk about a fairy tale. This ... is ... just ... wrong! It’s killing me, man. I feel like my head’s explodin’. First I had the vast right-wing conspiracy, and now I have the vast left-wing conspiracy.
W.: I hear ya, 42. As if his head wasn’t big enough. This cat is all cage, no bird. He doesn’t have a clue.
CLINTON: Heck no.
W.: See, I’m the one who should be mad. Let me tell you, this Norwegia thing has nothing to do with him. It’s just another way for the pinkos of the world to drop a cow patty on my legacy. All that garbage in the prize statement about how special La Bamba is for bringing back wimpy multilateral diplomacy, dialogue and negotiations, the kind my dad and Scowcroft loved. Those Nobel ninnies are so lulu left they make the U.N. look like a Fox jamboree. The rookie already got rewarded once for not being me when he got elected. Gosh, what would he do without me?
CLINTON: Fine, but you never expected to win this prize. You were the quote-unquote war president and proud of it. I had to put up with a gazillion hours of Arafat’s insanity, but I guess that still wasn’t enough for those Oslo ice queens. I guess ending ethnic cleansing in Bosnia wasn’t enough, or bringing peace to Northern Ireland. And I guess my work with the Clinton Global Initiative saving lives in Africa and hanging with Bono and Barbra wasn’t enough.
W.: Calm down, bro. You gotta take care of that ticker.
CLINTON: It was a case of premature adulation.
W.: Heh-heh-heh. Yeah, very pre-emptive, sort of like Cheney’s pre-emptive war policy.
CLINTON: If they weren’t going to give it to me, they should at least have given it to the Chinese human rights movement or the Iranian protesters or AIDS workers in the Congo. Or even Bono.
W.: Yeah, man. Bono.
CLINTON: That would have helped make life better for the good guys and harder for the bad guys. Once again, action loses out to talk, just like with Hillary and Obama in the campaign. Nobel Prize for blah-blah-blah. Heck, I used to be considered a pretty good talker myself.
W.: It’s aggravating, I agree. But look at it this way, 42. Everybody’s laughing at La Bamba. He gets a Nobel for nada. Being loved by Europeans isn’t gonna do him any good here in the U.S. of A. I whupped that Frenchy Kerry, didn’t I?
CLINTON: The only peace Obama has made is bringing together the Taliban, Rush Limbaugh, the Palestinians and the Israelis to agree the guy is undeserving. It just confirms everyone’s suspicion that all this dude knows how to do is dazzle.
W.: He doesn’t want to be a Decider. He wants to be a Transformer. He transformed, all right — from Miss America to Miss Universe. He’s a five-spiral crash, and getting the gold is just a reminder of all he hasn’t done. He’s going to have to look over and see that big medallion hanging up there in the Oval, mocking him as an empty suit, a pretty boy beloved by the Blame-America-First crowd, whenever he has to send more troops to Afghanistan, or the Taliban act up, or Iran fires up for nukes.
CLINTON: Maybe you’re right, George. Some winners think the Nobel’s the kiss of death. Any peace prize that goes to Henry Kissinger but not Gandhi ain’t worth a can of Alpo. Heck, if Gandhi had known he was going to lose out to Henry the K, he could have had more time to eat french fries and chase girls.
W.: And finish getting dressed. Heh-heh-heh.
CLINTON: Barack’s going to give that $1.4 million away to charity. I got a charity. How ’bout he just signs it over to me? Speaking of money, we need to do another of those joint lecture things.
W.: I’m fairly footloose. This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Go choke on a herring, Norwegia!
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Dear Percin
Thanks for your letter. It is always a pleasure to read. Leuven indeed has traffic jams, many too. Especially the Bondgenotenlaan is always jammed during rush hour. Somehow truckdrivers find this the right moment to unload their goods for the shops.
My day was quite interesting as well. It all started yesterday. After talking to you, I talked to Dragan a bit, then called Ivonne, sent Tena an sms, after which she called me. And the circle was round again. Today at work was as usual, with the difference that a colleague more or less got fired which of course caused the necessary gossip and excitement. We now are only women in the office, except for the boss. Great success. One colleague probably has Swine Flu so we're all washing hands 10 times per day and super cautious on vitamins and sleep.
Did my part of bureaucracy battling as well. Brussels-centre won't register me until I cancel the registration process in Schaarbeek. Schaarbeek of course doesn't really understand how does this thing work, e-mail? I don't quite understand yet how working people manage to take care of their municipality papers, bankaccounts, insurances, ... I'd need a whole week off to arrange it all!
So yeah. Watched the new Woody Allen this evening. Very nice.
See you tomorrow in Leuven?
Love,
Robin
My day was quite interesting as well. It all started yesterday. After talking to you, I talked to Dragan a bit, then called Ivonne, sent Tena an sms, after which she called me. And the circle was round again. Today at work was as usual, with the difference that a colleague more or less got fired which of course caused the necessary gossip and excitement. We now are only women in the office, except for the boss. Great success. One colleague probably has Swine Flu so we're all washing hands 10 times per day and super cautious on vitamins and sleep.
Did my part of bureaucracy battling as well. Brussels-centre won't register me until I cancel the registration process in Schaarbeek. Schaarbeek of course doesn't really understand how does this thing work, e-mail? I don't quite understand yet how working people manage to take care of their municipality papers, bankaccounts, insurances, ... I'd need a whole week off to arrange it all!
So yeah. Watched the new Woody Allen this evening. Very nice.
See you tomorrow in Leuven?
Love,
Robin
Monday, 12 October 2009
What did i do today?
I know that there are many people in this world that spend every day like the day before. I know i m not one of them...
My schedule today
Woke up at 07.00, got ready and got in the bus to Leuven central station to go to Brussels, on the way, there is a traffic jam, is there traffic jam in Leuven too???? My god.
Anyway, made it to the station, a bit late, but better than never, missed the train by 1 second, waited for 20 minutes for the other in the cold morning. Hopped in the train, was planning to study, but fell a sleep. Woke up by the announcement ' We are at Gare Du Midi '.
Got off and headed to the Ukraninan Embassy where i was already rejected on Friday because i had scanned documents. I m bringing scanned documents again, i know, i never learn. But this time AGORA Kyiv organizers called them and asked them to agree those papers till the originals arrive.
Entered the embassy after changing two trains, the embassy is in the middle of nowhere. Got in, no one in the queue, sweet. The woman asked me what i want, i said i need to apply to visa. She told me i have to wait for the council, i told that i have a lesson in 1 hour, and i know already that i ll be late for it. She called another lady which is her superior, i remembered her from friday. Tried to explain her that i brought scanned invitation again, but at first she told me she cant accept it. Then she remembered the phone conversation and took the documents. Normally for me Ukranian visa process takes 9 days, and i had only 7 days left. She told me to pay the double fee for fast visa ( 3 days ), and i start begging, telling that i m a poor student, and if i pay double, i cant eat anything this month. Almost about to cry. She says ok, pay the normal fee. Nice:)
Got out of the embassy and started running, 20 minutes till the lesson in Leuven. Ran to the station, already 11.00 am. Took the train, and it made an announcement ' The driver isnt here yet '. My god! I m in Leuven around 12.00 pm, started running as fast as i can to the class, got there at 12.10 pm. Listened to the remaning %25 of the lesson. Tried to be involved in the class from what i have studied. At the end, went to the teacher and sucked up, saying i m sorry.
Another 4 hours of class, lots of listening, writing and participating. I m an excellent student:) Meanwhile informing my g/f that i m hopefully getting the visa.
Lessons finished, i m dead. Its around 18.00. Went to my dormitory, eat soup. Did the day finish for me? Of course not. Left for the gym around 19.00, met me dorm responsibles on the way. They thanked me a lot for the activities i held for students integration on the first day, and told that the students thought they planned it, even though it was my plan. Again, some one takes the credit for something i did. I m used to it already:)
After 1 hour of sport, went back to my dorm, took a shower, and now i m here. Need to do some work for ' Where Does Europe End? ' but before i ll get something to eat.
Busy day, but me like:)
My schedule today
Woke up at 07.00, got ready and got in the bus to Leuven central station to go to Brussels, on the way, there is a traffic jam, is there traffic jam in Leuven too???? My god.
Anyway, made it to the station, a bit late, but better than never, missed the train by 1 second, waited for 20 minutes for the other in the cold morning. Hopped in the train, was planning to study, but fell a sleep. Woke up by the announcement ' We are at Gare Du Midi '.
Got off and headed to the Ukraninan Embassy where i was already rejected on Friday because i had scanned documents. I m bringing scanned documents again, i know, i never learn. But this time AGORA Kyiv organizers called them and asked them to agree those papers till the originals arrive.
Entered the embassy after changing two trains, the embassy is in the middle of nowhere. Got in, no one in the queue, sweet. The woman asked me what i want, i said i need to apply to visa. She told me i have to wait for the council, i told that i have a lesson in 1 hour, and i know already that i ll be late for it. She called another lady which is her superior, i remembered her from friday. Tried to explain her that i brought scanned invitation again, but at first she told me she cant accept it. Then she remembered the phone conversation and took the documents. Normally for me Ukranian visa process takes 9 days, and i had only 7 days left. She told me to pay the double fee for fast visa ( 3 days ), and i start begging, telling that i m a poor student, and if i pay double, i cant eat anything this month. Almost about to cry. She says ok, pay the normal fee. Nice:)
Got out of the embassy and started running, 20 minutes till the lesson in Leuven. Ran to the station, already 11.00 am. Took the train, and it made an announcement ' The driver isnt here yet '. My god! I m in Leuven around 12.00 pm, started running as fast as i can to the class, got there at 12.10 pm. Listened to the remaning %25 of the lesson. Tried to be involved in the class from what i have studied. At the end, went to the teacher and sucked up, saying i m sorry.
Another 4 hours of class, lots of listening, writing and participating. I m an excellent student:) Meanwhile informing my g/f that i m hopefully getting the visa.
Lessons finished, i m dead. Its around 18.00. Went to my dormitory, eat soup. Did the day finish for me? Of course not. Left for the gym around 19.00, met me dorm responsibles on the way. They thanked me a lot for the activities i held for students integration on the first day, and told that the students thought they planned it, even though it was my plan. Again, some one takes the credit for something i did. I m used to it already:)
After 1 hour of sport, went back to my dorm, took a shower, and now i m here. Need to do some work for ' Where Does Europe End? ' but before i ll get something to eat.
Busy day, but me like:)
Saturday, 10 October 2009
Back 2 Brussels
What am I missing this weekend:
- Raindance cinema festival, 3 free tickets
- huge free tennis event
- tennis table coaching
- disco ice skating
- a Birthday BASH with my cousin's crew
- lodo Alfano abolition pub crawl with Italian mates
- cultural anthropology field work
- meeting up with salsa guy
- seeing someone I didn't see for quite some time and whom I do miss
- preparing my Politics, History and Society presentation for monday morning
- ...
Buy hey, what am I gaining:
The FAMILY is in BRUSSELS!
Yeah, that's a proper B2B ;-)
- Raindance cinema festival, 3 free tickets
- huge free tennis event
- tennis table coaching
- disco ice skating
- a Birthday BASH with my cousin's crew
- lodo Alfano abolition pub crawl with Italian mates
- cultural anthropology field work
- meeting up with salsa guy
- seeing someone I didn't see for quite some time and whom I do miss
- preparing my Politics, History and Society presentation for monday morning
- ...
Buy hey, what am I gaining:
The FAMILY is in BRUSSELS!
Yeah, that's a proper B2B ;-)
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Bold risk takers
I stumbled upon an interesting quote on TV.
"That's what [...] wants: people who seem bold risk takers but never actually do anything. Actually doing things gets you fired. In fact I'm writing a book on this very phenomenon.
- Really, you're writing a book?
No, that would be doing someth... Are you even listening?"
Hehe.
"That's what [...] wants: people who seem bold risk takers but never actually do anything. Actually doing things gets you fired. In fact I'm writing a book on this very phenomenon.
- Really, you're writing a book?
No, that would be doing someth... Are you even listening?"
Hehe.
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
To anybody complaining about the AEGEE intranet I say...
...have a ride on new UCL IT services!
In the super-organised University College London, out of the people I know, not more than 10% managed to submit autonomously their course choices online, whereas not less than 100% had problems with them.
The reply to my inquiry was:
Dear Tena,
I've tried replicating your problem and the problem I have is even worse than yours.
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
But at least privacy in the UK is for sure taken seriously?
Ehm... the amount of compulsory information asked to submit left myself puzzled.
But certainly everybody is going crazy and shouting out loud, as the deadline for submission of the courses already passed?
Well, no.
New systems require some patience.
Teachers are annoyed, but - If there was no Portico, one should invent it. - they say.
If there was no intranet, one should invent it.
In the super-organised University College London, out of the people I know, not more than 10% managed to submit autonomously their course choices online, whereas not less than 100% had problems with them.
The reply to my inquiry was:
Dear Tena,
I've tried replicating your problem and the problem I have is even worse than yours.
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
But at least privacy in the UK is for sure taken seriously?
Ehm... the amount of compulsory information asked to submit left myself puzzled.
But certainly everybody is going crazy and shouting out loud, as the deadline for submission of the courses already passed?
Well, no.
New systems require some patience.
Teachers are annoyed, but - If there was no Portico, one should invent it. - they say.
If there was no intranet, one should invent it.
Sunday, 4 October 2009
Get a life on the island
September was brilliant.
Things I was missing from home(and am gonna miss now):
- the colours
- the sea
- running along Barcola Beach (new entry)
- my dog barking a blues along with the harmonica
- driving my car
- the Eagles, Balasevic, De André in my car, me singing along
- OSMIZE
- playing guitar at Baciuchi's
- cooking all together at home
- eating delicious food
- laughing out loud in a restaurant with my family, shocking all the waiters
- doing things with my friends, doing things for my friends.
That much I cannot complain about the place I ended up in:
- a wonderful university
- my department, with the biggest specialized library in the world
- the cutest room in the cutest flat in the best area ("East is dodgy, South is for losers, West is posh, North London is just cool!")
- tennis, concerts, theatre
- fantastic new people...
...who do amazing stuff like this (activate subtitles on right bottom corner):
Things I was missing from home(and am gonna miss now):
- the colours
- the sea
- running along Barcola Beach (new entry)
- my dog barking a blues along with the harmonica
- driving my car
- the Eagles, Balasevic, De André in my car, me singing along
- OSMIZE
- playing guitar at Baciuchi's
- cooking all together at home
- eating delicious food
- laughing out loud in a restaurant with my family, shocking all the waiters
- doing things with my friends, doing things for my friends.
That much I cannot complain about the place I ended up in:
- a wonderful university
- my department, with the biggest specialized library in the world
- the cutest room in the cutest flat in the best area ("East is dodgy, South is for losers, West is posh, North London is just cool!")
- tennis, concerts, theatre
- fantastic new people...
...who do amazing stuff like this (activate subtitles on right bottom corner):
Friday, 2 October 2009
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Percin in Hungary
Picture 1- Percin arriving to Koszeg, to the hotel in the city centre, being proud of the location
Picture 2- Percin having the opening speech in front of 50 people, including the mayor and the rector.
Picture 3- Percin showing off with Jerzy Buzek's patronage on WDEE project
Picture 4- Percin moderating a panel discussion of Dushana Zdravkova
Picture 5- Dushana Zdravkova falling in love with Percin
Picture 6- WDEE team, AEGEE-Pecs, Dushana and Rina Tsubaki taking a group photo for the Hungarian media
Picture 7- Percin and his new girlfriend showing their tongues:)
Picture 8- Percin telling the rulezzz of the event:P
Picture 9- Percin and his bitches ( same place, different story )
Picture 2- Percin having the opening speech in front of 50 people, including the mayor and the rector.
Picture 3- Percin showing off with Jerzy Buzek's patronage on WDEE project
Picture 4- Percin moderating a panel discussion of Dushana Zdravkova
Picture 5- Dushana Zdravkova falling in love with Percin
Picture 6- WDEE team, AEGEE-Pecs, Dushana and Rina Tsubaki taking a group photo for the Hungarian media
Picture 7- Percin and his new girlfriend showing their tongues:)
Picture 8- Percin telling the rulezzz of the event:P
Picture 9- Percin and his bitches ( same place, different story )
Friday, 25 September 2009
Weekend Apprecation Project
I really can't complain. The job is nice, colleagues fun and friendly. The weather beautiful. I go for nice lunches and after work drinks. But still: thank god it's weekend! Ivonne is in town and after taking care of some final business in the big crazy house in Schaarbeek that we really would rather avoid now but ok this final time we go, it will really be weekend.
And what am I going to do this weekend? After a year of relative neglicence, I am going to spend some time with la famille on my grandmother's 79th birthday. The theme is Spanish. My contribution:
Yes, a bit mediocre, I know you were all expecting splendid impressive extravagant cooking. I'm still waiting for that first paycheck ;-)
Have a nice weekend!
And what am I going to do this weekend? After a year of relative neglicence, I am going to spend some time with la famille on my grandmother's 79th birthday. The theme is Spanish. My contribution:
Yes, a bit mediocre, I know you were all expecting splendid impressive extravagant cooking. I'm still waiting for that first paycheck ;-)
Have a nice weekend!
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Police convict
Among the 1000 things I did today, I just came back from the police station.
What for? I brought them a whole huge pack of documents about the A-Bologna case! Yes, still A-Bologna… You know, the notorious punctuality of the of Italian bureaucracy. I hope we can finally put a full stop on it soon.
And, cool! Asking myself why didn’t I follow the path of family business after all. Advocacy. Not that bad at it. No no.
Came back home driving crazily as usual my crazy purple car (called Violina after its colour) and shouting out loud one of my favourite Italian chansonniers, Francesco Guccini…
Now time for goodbye PARTY, arrivederci Italia, it’s so hard to leave you so sunny and smiling.
"Sancho ascoltami, ti prego, sono stato anch'io un realista,
ma ormai oggi me ne frego e, anche se ho una buona vista,
l'apparenza delle cose come vedi non m'inganna,
preferisco le sorprese di quest'anima tiranna
che trasforma coi suoi trucchi la realtà che hai lì davanti,
ma ti apre nuovi occhi e ti accende i sentimenti.
Prima d'oggi mi annoiavo e volevo anche morire,
ma ora sono un uomo nuovo che non teme di soffrire..."
"Sancho, listen to me please, I used to be a realist too,
But today I just don’t care, and even though my sight is good,
The appearance of the things, as you can see, does not mislead me,
Instead I let the surprises of this tyrant soul to lead me
The soul that changes with its tricks the reality around us
But it opens brand new eyes and turns on the emotions
Earlier on I was bored and even wished I would die
But today I’m a new man whom the sufferance does not fright…"
tr. dott. TPR
What for? I brought them a whole huge pack of documents about the A-Bologna case! Yes, still A-Bologna… You know, the notorious punctuality of the of Italian bureaucracy. I hope we can finally put a full stop on it soon.
And, cool! Asking myself why didn’t I follow the path of family business after all. Advocacy. Not that bad at it. No no.
Came back home driving crazily as usual my crazy purple car (called Violina after its colour) and shouting out loud one of my favourite Italian chansonniers, Francesco Guccini…
Now time for goodbye PARTY, arrivederci Italia, it’s so hard to leave you so sunny and smiling.
"Sancho ascoltami, ti prego, sono stato anch'io un realista,
ma ormai oggi me ne frego e, anche se ho una buona vista,
l'apparenza delle cose come vedi non m'inganna,
preferisco le sorprese di quest'anima tiranna
che trasforma coi suoi trucchi la realtà che hai lì davanti,
ma ti apre nuovi occhi e ti accende i sentimenti.
Prima d'oggi mi annoiavo e volevo anche morire,
ma ora sono un uomo nuovo che non teme di soffrire..."
"Sancho, listen to me please, I used to be a realist too,
But today I just don’t care, and even though my sight is good,
The appearance of the things, as you can see, does not mislead me,
Instead I let the surprises of this tyrant soul to lead me
The soul that changes with its tricks the reality around us
But it opens brand new eyes and turns on the emotions
Earlier on I was bored and even wished I would die
But today I’m a new man whom the sufferance does not fright…"
tr. dott. TPR
Monday, 21 September 2009
A brand new career as a model!
Some people have it, some people don't!
I'm just going to the crazy Show Your Colour party (Every local - Dutch, Belgium and close-by German - has a different colour). Guess which colour AEGEE-Leiden has?
Friday, 18 September 2009
London, baby!
Finally before Robin chops my head off virtually, here goes my first post on our new life blog.
Is there a life beyond CD? - people keep asking
There is! And for me it's called London.
After this incredible one-year experience in Brussels, still dizzy and overwhelmed with the striking emotions of the last days, I did not make my life easy in returning home, in spite of the nice Brussels-Trieste flight connection.
Instead, the journey turned out to be a tiny bit more articulated. That's how it looked like: Charleroi-Manchester-London-Bristol-Trieste. Total cost: 2 euro + 10 pounds. If you want to make out of travelscanning a profession there's no better internship than a year in the CD, believe me!
Still. Why so much trouble, involving more sleepless nights, Manchester rain, stinky coaches, oh-so-crazy-and-tiring reunions with old pals - which then of course, once in Trieste, contributed to lead to overexhaustion, sickness and sleeping out in one week all the unslept hours of the year?
Because I had to stop by in England and figure out my London life. And I did!
University: got accepted to both masters studies of my fancy. Which one to choose? A good talk with an old friend of mine swept all my doubts away and I gladly went for the more theoretical, more prestigious, just-what-I-want-to-do course. It's not the moment to be scared out by youth unemployment. Or it is. But the CD thaught me I'm unbreakable, almost no emotional pain reaches my heart no longer. Practicalities will be sorted out.
Accomodation: after 2+2 full days of quest and a dozen or two of visited accomodations in any part of the city, I was beginning to think I never find 'The' place in that jungle, and about to pay for the deposit of a bedsit whose room, lodger, location, price, was fairly convinced about.
But - naaah. Not exactly something that spoke to my heart in the right way (nor it did to my wallet).
But the best, as usual, comes unexpected, and my cousin arranged me a meeting two hours before my departure. A friend's aunt, retired film director, is looking for a lodger. Let's have a look. Location, reaaally nice. Residential area in the green, but well connected. I ring the bell, and a small black dog greets me barking her voice out, me melting (my dog is what I miss the most abroad). Then here she comes, Sue. Her friend John is there, not a posh appearance but definitely a gentle soul inside there ("everbody tells me 'Sue be careful' when they see him, but hey, I pick my friends on my own!"). We get along immediately, drink coffee and speak about movies, peoples in the Balkans, Catholicism in Ireland.
It is not her in the need of a lodger, but her really nice daughter, door next to hers. Oh, the room is lovely, just as big as needed, the kitchen adorable, there is even a living room (ultimate luxury!). Did I mention that the price is the lowest?
In the meantime, I keep finding out that so many nice people I know are coming to live in my colourful, fashionable, free, inspiring, elected city this year.
That's how I left England... with the feeling to be going towards exactly what I wanted to do. And with a great desire to live my life.
Is there a life beyond CD? - people keep asking
There is! And for me it's called London.
After this incredible one-year experience in Brussels, still dizzy and overwhelmed with the striking emotions of the last days, I did not make my life easy in returning home, in spite of the nice Brussels-Trieste flight connection.
Instead, the journey turned out to be a tiny bit more articulated. That's how it looked like: Charleroi-Manchester-London-Bristol-Trieste. Total cost: 2 euro + 10 pounds. If you want to make out of travelscanning a profession there's no better internship than a year in the CD, believe me!
Still. Why so much trouble, involving more sleepless nights, Manchester rain, stinky coaches, oh-so-crazy-and-tiring reunions with old pals - which then of course, once in Trieste, contributed to lead to overexhaustion, sickness and sleeping out in one week all the unslept hours of the year?
Because I had to stop by in England and figure out my London life. And I did!
University: got accepted to both masters studies of my fancy. Which one to choose? A good talk with an old friend of mine swept all my doubts away and I gladly went for the more theoretical, more prestigious, just-what-I-want-to-do course. It's not the moment to be scared out by youth unemployment. Or it is. But the CD thaught me I'm unbreakable, almost no emotional pain reaches my heart no longer. Practicalities will be sorted out.
Accomodation: after 2+2 full days of quest and a dozen or two of visited accomodations in any part of the city, I was beginning to think I never find 'The' place in that jungle, and about to pay for the deposit of a bedsit whose room, lodger, location, price, was fairly convinced about.
But - naaah. Not exactly something that spoke to my heart in the right way (nor it did to my wallet). But the best, as usual, comes unexpected, and my cousin arranged me a meeting two hours before my departure. A friend's aunt, retired film director, is looking for a lodger. Let's have a look. Location, reaaally nice. Residential area in the green, but well connected. I ring the bell, and a small black dog greets me barking her voice out, me melting (my dog is what I miss the most abroad). Then here she comes, Sue. Her friend John is there, not a posh appearance but definitely a gentle soul inside there ("everbody tells me 'Sue be careful' when they see him, but hey, I pick my friends on my own!"). We get along immediately, drink coffee and speak about movies, peoples in the Balkans, Catholicism in Ireland.
It is not her in the need of a lodger, but her really nice daughter, door next to hers. Oh, the room is lovely, just as big as needed, the kitchen adorable, there is even a living room (ultimate luxury!). Did I mention that the price is the lowest?In the meantime, I keep finding out that so many nice people I know are coming to live in my colourful, fashionable, free, inspiring, elected city this year.
That's how I left England... with the feeling to be going towards exactly what I wanted to do. And with a great desire to live my life.
New job, new friends?
I'm becoming quite painfully aware of the fact that my dear ex-colleagues are all still enjoying freedom and summer. While I am stuck behind this computer all day. Unfair.
Just about an hour ago it came to my mind that maybe when getting a new job and trying to have a structured, responsible and serious lifestyle - one should also get new friends.
Last night around midnight, when I was sleeping:
- Ivonne calls to update me on love
- Percin calls because Manos and him are lost somewhere in the outskirts of Leuven
This morning my super cool successor in AEGEE writes me:
"Write your name on your bell! - so that if your friends want to drop by you at 1 in the morning, because they were at the bar next to your place, and have no money on their mobile phone, can still do so! Because your friends do know you like spontaneaus visitors! :) :)"
And while at work:
- Ivonne calls me several times to update me again on love
People, really, seriously, how am I supposed to become a boring career woman like this?
Just about an hour ago it came to my mind that maybe when getting a new job and trying to have a structured, responsible and serious lifestyle - one should also get new friends.
Last night around midnight, when I was sleeping:
- Ivonne calls to update me on love
- Percin calls because Manos and him are lost somewhere in the outskirts of Leuven
This morning my super cool successor in AEGEE writes me:
"Write your name on your bell! - so that if your friends want to drop by you at 1 in the morning, because they were at the bar next to your place, and have no money on their mobile phone, can still do so! Because your friends do know you like spontaneaus visitors! :) :)"
And while at work:
- Ivonne calls me several times to update me again on love
People, really, seriously, how am I supposed to become a boring career woman like this?
Thursday, 17 September 2009
What I've learned: a memo
Words from a European leader: an interpretation
Reflections
TEN years ago, if you had told me I would spend a significant part of my premiership on IT, I would have been surprised, a little shocked and probably, politically, somewhat alarmed. Even today, we all run for office concentrating on communication issues. “IT” policy rarely wins votes, and can easily lose them. Yet nowadays the reality is increasingly that we are obliged as leaders to think, work and act in intformation technology.
Over ten years I have watched this grow. (If you had told me a decade ago that I would be tackling terrorism, I would have readily understood, but thought you meant Irish Republican terrorism.) The line between “IT” and “communication” policy is being blurred. [...]
Be a player not a spectator
But politics is subject to the same forces of change as everything else. It is less tribal; people will be interested in issues, not necessarily ideologies; political organisation if it is rigid is off-putting; and there are myriad new ways of communicating information. Above all, organisations need to go out and seek public participation, not wait for the public to be permitted the privilege of becoming part of the sect.
So, membership should be looser, policymaking broader and more representative, the internet and interactive communication the norm. Open it all up.
Over to you
That is a very short synopsis of what I have learned. I don't presume to call it advice to my successor. I have been reasonably fortunate rarely to receive public "advice" from my predecessors.
The job is difficult enough as it is, and, knowing that, I have nothing but support to offer my successor.
(read actual article)
Reflections
TEN years ago, if you had told me I would spend a significant part of my premiership on IT, I would have been surprised, a little shocked and probably, politically, somewhat alarmed. Even today, we all run for office concentrating on communication issues. “IT” policy rarely wins votes, and can easily lose them. Yet nowadays the reality is increasingly that we are obliged as leaders to think, work and act in intformation technology.
Over ten years I have watched this grow. (If you had told me a decade ago that I would be tackling terrorism, I would have readily understood, but thought you meant Irish Republican terrorism.) The line between “IT” and “communication” policy is being blurred. [...]
Be a player not a spectator
But politics is subject to the same forces of change as everything else. It is less tribal; people will be interested in issues, not necessarily ideologies; political organisation if it is rigid is off-putting; and there are myriad new ways of communicating information. Above all, organisations need to go out and seek public participation, not wait for the public to be permitted the privilege of becoming part of the sect.
So, membership should be looser, policymaking broader and more representative, the internet and interactive communication the norm. Open it all up.
Over to you
That is a very short synopsis of what I have learned. I don't presume to call it advice to my successor. I have been reasonably fortunate rarely to receive public "advice" from my predecessors.
The job is difficult enough as it is, and, knowing that, I have nothing but support to offer my successor.
(read actual article)
Friday, 11 September 2009
Moving on
How bizar that in the past 10 days, life turned around 180°. I moved to a new studio in central Brussels, started a new job, said goodbye to the people that I spent nearly every single minute with in the last 13 months, and suddenly have time again to watch a movie, meet up with people, or walk around undiscovered neighbourhoods in Brussels. And strangest of all, slowly but steadily, all the stress flew out of my body. When I leave work at 6PM, I stop thinking about it. Fantastic.
It didn't all start smoothly. The first few days were genuinely bizarre. On the 1st of September we decided all to go for dinner at the Thai underneath my flat. And afterwards for coffee. Percin had to go to catch his flight. The rest still didn't want to say goodbye, and after a few more hours of dancing and cocktails in empty O'Reilleys we all sqeezed into my mini appartment. It felt strange that it was over, that we had to say goodbye, we were happy, sad, melancholic, proud, victorious, excited and also a bit scared to start new lives on our own.
Next day went to Rotterdam with Ivonne. Nice day, but again a bit weird. That night I got acquaintanced with my new neighbours. A woman screamed and cried like she was being murdered, and I could hear the beating and sounds of furniture flying around. After 30 minutes, at 1.30 am, I decided to call the police. Didn't have a phone so went to the nightshop. With a knife, in case I'd meet the murderer. Police came, stayed for 15 minutes, and left with the message: "We think there's no serious danger but if it keeps going please call again". Great.
Then the toilet broke down and miraculously started working again after 2 days. Crashed the Youth Forum reception with Ana, where we met the hots and not so hots of Brussels youth work. Wrote my activity report. And spent way too much time online talking to my beautiful ex-colleagues.
Bisou from Brussels :-)
It didn't all start smoothly. The first few days were genuinely bizarre. On the 1st of September we decided all to go for dinner at the Thai underneath my flat. And afterwards for coffee. Percin had to go to catch his flight. The rest still didn't want to say goodbye, and after a few more hours of dancing and cocktails in empty O'Reilleys we all sqeezed into my mini appartment. It felt strange that it was over, that we had to say goodbye, we were happy, sad, melancholic, proud, victorious, excited and also a bit scared to start new lives on our own.
Next day went to Rotterdam with Ivonne. Nice day, but again a bit weird. That night I got acquaintanced with my new neighbours. A woman screamed and cried like she was being murdered, and I could hear the beating and sounds of furniture flying around. After 30 minutes, at 1.30 am, I decided to call the police. Didn't have a phone so went to the nightshop. With a knife, in case I'd meet the murderer. Police came, stayed for 15 minutes, and left with the message: "We think there's no serious danger but if it keeps going please call again". Great.
Then the toilet broke down and miraculously started working again after 2 days. Crashed the Youth Forum reception with Ana, where we met the hots and not so hots of Brussels youth work. Wrote my activity report. And spent way too much time online talking to my beautiful ex-colleagues.
Bisou from Brussels :-)
Monday, 7 September 2009
My first steps back into a real life
What a beautiful day it is in Leiden! In my big room which I don't have to share with Robin or her huge bed for that matter.
I somehow managed to subscribe to colleges and am playing a tennis tournament at my association Qravel. Even though I didn't play all year, apart from 4 times with Tena, some people at the Royal Tennis Association thought it was a good idea to make me even a level higher than I was before.
But still there was victory! Kicking ass at the tennis court is so much more fulfilling than within AEGEE-Europe. At least at the end of a match you thank your opponent for playing, you get your well deserved congratulations and afterwards you have a nice cold drink together.
Ain't life grand!!
ps I forgot how student life was! No breakfast, fastfood for lunch and dinner you get at the local chinese restaurant.
I somehow managed to subscribe to colleges and am playing a tennis tournament at my association Qravel. Even though I didn't play all year, apart from 4 times with Tena, some people at the Royal Tennis Association thought it was a good idea to make me even a level higher than I was before.
But still there was victory! Kicking ass at the tennis court is so much more fulfilling than within AEGEE-Europe. At least at the end of a match you thank your opponent for playing, you get your well deserved congratulations and afterwards you have a nice cold drink together.
Ain't life grand!!
ps I forgot how student life was! No breakfast, fastfood for lunch and dinner you get at the local chinese restaurant.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Ice Breaking Games
ICE BREAKING GAMES
Very popular in AEGEE (www.aegee.org) to “break the ice” at events and particularly during the Summer University programmes (www.aegee.org/su).
More cool games: www.group-games.com, www.icebreakers.ws
Artifact Game
Each person is told ahead of time to bring ten papers with words on it with some meaning to them to whatever event you are doing this at. When they arrive, give them a bag with a number on it and get them to carefully place their papers into it. Then make sure each person gets someone else's bag. They have ten minutes to write down ideas about what the person who owns the expressions is like, and to try to guess who they are. It is best if you don't do the guessing until after everyone has had their say. This would also work as an end of camp game, to see what people have learned about each other.
Chairs
Everyone gets a chair and sits in a circle. The leader has a list of items he reads out. If any of them apply to you, you move the appropriate number of seats clockwise.
Examples: 1. Anyone with one brother, move one seat clockwise. If you have two brothers, move two seats. 2. Anyone with black hair, move one seat clockwise. 3. Anyone over the age of 21, move one seat counter clockwise. 4. Everyone wearing brown shoes, move one seat, etc.
The idea is to move all around the circle, and end up back where you started. It becomes fun because if you move, but your neighbour doesn't, you sit on his lap! Sometimes, you can have three people occupying the same chair!! Make sure you have lots of categories so that everyone gets lots of chances to move, e.g. all hair colours (at different times, of course), and so on.
Cosmic Catch
Form a circle. Have 2-4 (or more if you're brave) items to throw (e.g. Koosh ball, stuffed animal, knotted bandana, etc). Before you throw to someone you have to say their name. Each person can only be the catcher 1 time. The last person would throw it back to the starter. Once you have gone trough the circle once, the trick is to repeat the sequence and *add* more items so there are several items being thrown at once! Each person has to remember who to throw to and who threw to them. To make it really interesting, *reverse* the direction of throwing, so each person would be throwing to the person who had thrown to them in the previous round. (Be nice - let people know *before* you start the reverse round!)
Dr. Mix-Up
All the girls stand in a circle, holding hands. Select one or two girls to be "Dr. Mix-Up"... they leave the room for a moment. When they're gone, everyone else does their best to get tangled up, by climbing over arms, under legs etc., without letting go of their neighbours' hands. When the circle is suitably tangled, everyone yells "Dr. Mix-Up! Come and fix us!". The Dr. Mix-Ups then come in and try to untangle the circle by directing individuals to go under arms, around bodies, etc. This game is also an excellent 30-second game or Co-operative game.
I Like People Who...
Everyone needs a place marker to stand on - tape, rubber spot or even a chalk mark.
Everyone forms a circle and stands on their spot. One girl is in the middle, her spot is removed. She calls out "I like people who . . ." Suggestions: like camping, eat cereal for breakfast, love Brownies. Anyone who falls into that category must change places with another person in the circle to whom the statement applies. "It" tries to get a spot also and the person who is left in the middle makes the next statement. You may not take a space next to you!
Quirks
Everyone is asked to tell the group three of their personal quirks, either past or present. Two must be true and one is false. The rest of the group must decide which quirk is false. This was a hoot! We played three rounds: personal quirks and idiosyncrasies, pet peeves and dislikes, and the most bizarre situations you've ever been in.
For example:
I once pulled all the muscles in my knee because I was running around in swimming flippers.
I once knitted a scarf on a pair of "legs" from a flamingo lawn ornament.
I once was really late for school because I locked myself in a garage.
Which of these do you think is false? :-) (by the way, if you CAN guess this correctly, there may be a prize in it for you! For example a kiss, a glass of beer…)
The Great Shoe Dive
This game works best with lots and lots of players, at least 30-40. Get everyone to take off their left shoe. Put all the shoes in a pile. At "Go!", everyone dives for the pile and grabs a shoe, any shoe. The object of the game is then for each player to find the person who has their shoe and reclaim it!
The Name Game
Sit all the people in a circle. One of the persons (or a leader) starts off the game by saying "Hi! My name is...". Then the person next to the beginner continues by saying "Hi! My name is... and sitting next to me is...". This continues on around the circle, until the last person to introduce himrself also has to introduce the entire circle! This is a great way to learn names.
The Name Jive
Sit everyone in a circle. Leaders have a special role to play in this game, so make sure they participate too! The goal of this game is to learn everyone's name by making up a silly rhyme. Following around the circle, each person has a chance to make up a silly rhyme about himself. Once he's said his rhyme, everyone repeats it. Meanwhile the leaders must quickly think up a second line to their verse. Here is an example: Person 1: "Bouncy Becky plays ball." Everyone: "Bouncy Becky plays ball." Leader: (totally spontaneously) "She plays it in the spring and fall!" Everyone: "She plays it in the spring and fall!" Person 2: "Kooky Carrie kicks the couch." Everyone: "Kooky Carrie kicks the couch." Leader: "She holds her toe and then says OUCH!" Everyone: "She holds her toe and then says OUCH!"
Proceed around the circle in this fashion. Once everyone has had a chance to make up a rhyme for themselves, go around the circle again as fast as possible, trying to remember both parts of everyone's rhyme along the way.
Who Am I?
You will need paper, markers, and safety pins. This is another game that works best with a theme. Again I will describe this using the "cartoon" theme. For each player, write down the name of a cartoon character on a piece of paper and pin it to the player's back. The goal of the game is for the people to figure out what cartoon character they are by asking other persons questions. They can only ask each person one question!
CONFUSION: Great high energy game to help participants begin to feel more comfortable in new group. Give each participant a sheet with various tasks and ask them to complete it when you say, “GO!” Here is a sample:
Get a male to do five push-ups and sign here
Stand on one foot with your arms outstreched for 20 seconds.
Have someone time you and sign here
Leap frog over someone 5 times
Get someone to whisper the pledge of allegiance and sign here
Get a female to recite a nursery rhyme
Have someone teach you a dance step (even if they make it up)
First person to complete the entire sheet, wins.
HOG CALL: Break the group into pairs. Each pair must choose two things; a machine and an animal. They then have to decide who is which. The pairs then divide up on opposite sides of the room. Everyone must close their eyes (if they feel comfortable), and by making only the noise that their character would make, they must find their partner. When they find their partner, they can open their eyes and wait until everyone else is done. Note: When conducting an activity with eyes closed, have the group raise their hands in front of their chests as “bumpers,” and have at least one person (facilitator) acting as a spotter.
HUM THAT TUNE: Each person in the group is given a small piece of paper with the name of a nursery rhyme or other song written on the paper. (i.e. a famous song from your country) All of the people who are given the song must hum that tune and fine everyone else singing the song. They then form a group.
MUMBLE JUMBLE: Before the activity begins, the leader will cut up a few pictures into puzzle pieces. Each group member will grab a piece of a puzzle from a bag. The group members will keep their puzzle piece to themselves until the leader says, “GO!” At this point, the group members will try to locate the other members of the group with the pieces to form the appropriate pictures. Whichever group does it first, wins. Good activity for breaking into retreat/activity groups.
SHOE FACTORY: Have the group stand in a large circle shoulder to shoulder. Then have everyone remove their shoes and put them in the center. After the group has formed a pile with their shoes, the leader has everyone choose two different shoes other than their own. They should put them on their feet (halfway if they are too small). The group then needs to successfully match the shoes and put them in proper pairs by standing next to the individual wearing the other shoe. This will probably result in a tangled mess - and lots of giggles!
TOILET PAPER GAME: Get a roll of toilet paper and explain to your group that they are going camping and need to take as much toilet paper as they think they may need for a three day trip. Once everyone has an ample supply, explain to the group that for every square in their possession, they must share something about themselves. NOTE: If anyone knows the activity, ask them not to give away the secret under any circumstances.
ARCH BALL: Players (10-30) are divided into two equal teams. Each team forms a line, one in front of the other, about arms distance apart. The ball starts in the front and must be passed over the head to the back of the line. When the last person receives the ball, he/she must run with it to the front of the line and continue passing the ball. The first team to return the ball to the original lineup wins.
BALLOON TAG: Tie strings to balloons and then tie one balloon to each person’s ankle. It is every man/woman for him/herself in this one! The object of the game is to pop everyone else’s balloons while making sure that your’s does not get popped. Once your balloon is popped, you are out of the game.
BANANA RELAY: This activity is very similar to the “Neck Race.” However, in this game, a banana is placed between the knees of the first person, and it must be placed between the next person’s knees - without using any hands. If the banana drops, it starts with the first person in line. First team to finish successfully, wins.
CAPTURE THE FLAG: The playing area is divided in half; at each right-hand rear corner is a rectangle that is known as the jail or prison (you could also use a goal if on a soccer field). The group is divided into two teams. Each team should decide where to place their flag (a towel, shirt, or whatever) on their side of the field. The object of the game is to get the other team’s flag. Once the game is started, anyone who steps over the center line into the opponent’s half is eligible to be caught and taken to prison. A player must get through the enemy’s lines without getting tagged. Prisoners may be rescued by teammates who get through enemy lines without being tagged and can touch the prisoner’s hand. (The prisoners can line themselves up by holding hands and stretching toward the center line as long as one person is still holding the goal or in the jail area.) If rescued, both the prisoner(s) and the rescuer must walk back to their own side with their arms up. To win the game, a player must get the flag back across the mid-line of the playing area. If a player has the flag and gets tagged, the flag can either go back to where it was, or be dropped where the person got tagged. That player goes to jail. Teams may have only have one person protecting the flag.
FREEZE TAG: This is played just like tag except that once you have been tagged, you are frozen. The only way to get unfrozen is to have someone go under your legs. To make the game harder, have more than one person be “it.”
ICE CUBES: Divide the players into two equal teams. At a starting signal, each team picks up an ice cube and tries to melt it as quickly as possible. Players can rub it between their hands or against their clothes, but they may NOT put it in their mouths. While they are trying to melt the ice cube, it should be passed around the team frequently - no player should keep it for more than a few seconds at a time. Players should keep it off the ground too. The first team to melt its ice cube, wins. On a really hot day, you may want to play more than one round of this one!
Very popular in AEGEE (www.aegee.org) to “break the ice” at events and particularly during the Summer University programmes (www.aegee.org/su).
More cool games: www.group-games.com, www.icebreakers.ws
Artifact Game
Each person is told ahead of time to bring ten papers with words on it with some meaning to them to whatever event you are doing this at. When they arrive, give them a bag with a number on it and get them to carefully place their papers into it. Then make sure each person gets someone else's bag. They have ten minutes to write down ideas about what the person who owns the expressions is like, and to try to guess who they are. It is best if you don't do the guessing until after everyone has had their say. This would also work as an end of camp game, to see what people have learned about each other.
Chairs
Everyone gets a chair and sits in a circle. The leader has a list of items he reads out. If any of them apply to you, you move the appropriate number of seats clockwise.
Examples: 1. Anyone with one brother, move one seat clockwise. If you have two brothers, move two seats. 2. Anyone with black hair, move one seat clockwise. 3. Anyone over the age of 21, move one seat counter clockwise. 4. Everyone wearing brown shoes, move one seat, etc.
The idea is to move all around the circle, and end up back where you started. It becomes fun because if you move, but your neighbour doesn't, you sit on his lap! Sometimes, you can have three people occupying the same chair!! Make sure you have lots of categories so that everyone gets lots of chances to move, e.g. all hair colours (at different times, of course), and so on.
Cosmic Catch
Form a circle. Have 2-4 (or more if you're brave) items to throw (e.g. Koosh ball, stuffed animal, knotted bandana, etc). Before you throw to someone you have to say their name. Each person can only be the catcher 1 time. The last person would throw it back to the starter. Once you have gone trough the circle once, the trick is to repeat the sequence and *add* more items so there are several items being thrown at once! Each person has to remember who to throw to and who threw to them. To make it really interesting, *reverse* the direction of throwing, so each person would be throwing to the person who had thrown to them in the previous round. (Be nice - let people know *before* you start the reverse round!)
Dr. Mix-Up
All the girls stand in a circle, holding hands. Select one or two girls to be "Dr. Mix-Up"... they leave the room for a moment. When they're gone, everyone else does their best to get tangled up, by climbing over arms, under legs etc., without letting go of their neighbours' hands. When the circle is suitably tangled, everyone yells "Dr. Mix-Up! Come and fix us!". The Dr. Mix-Ups then come in and try to untangle the circle by directing individuals to go under arms, around bodies, etc. This game is also an excellent 30-second game or Co-operative game.
I Like People Who...
Everyone needs a place marker to stand on - tape, rubber spot or even a chalk mark.
Everyone forms a circle and stands on their spot. One girl is in the middle, her spot is removed. She calls out "I like people who . . ." Suggestions: like camping, eat cereal for breakfast, love Brownies. Anyone who falls into that category must change places with another person in the circle to whom the statement applies. "It" tries to get a spot also and the person who is left in the middle makes the next statement. You may not take a space next to you!
Quirks
Everyone is asked to tell the group three of their personal quirks, either past or present. Two must be true and one is false. The rest of the group must decide which quirk is false. This was a hoot! We played three rounds: personal quirks and idiosyncrasies, pet peeves and dislikes, and the most bizarre situations you've ever been in.
For example:
I once pulled all the muscles in my knee because I was running around in swimming flippers.
I once knitted a scarf on a pair of "legs" from a flamingo lawn ornament.
I once was really late for school because I locked myself in a garage.
Which of these do you think is false? :-) (by the way, if you CAN guess this correctly, there may be a prize in it for you! For example a kiss, a glass of beer…)
The Great Shoe Dive
This game works best with lots and lots of players, at least 30-40. Get everyone to take off their left shoe. Put all the shoes in a pile. At "Go!", everyone dives for the pile and grabs a shoe, any shoe. The object of the game is then for each player to find the person who has their shoe and reclaim it!
The Name Game
Sit all the people in a circle. One of the persons (or a leader) starts off the game by saying "Hi! My name is...". Then the person next to the beginner continues by saying "Hi! My name is... and sitting next to me is...". This continues on around the circle, until the last person to introduce himrself also has to introduce the entire circle! This is a great way to learn names.
The Name Jive
Sit everyone in a circle. Leaders have a special role to play in this game, so make sure they participate too! The goal of this game is to learn everyone's name by making up a silly rhyme. Following around the circle, each person has a chance to make up a silly rhyme about himself. Once he's said his rhyme, everyone repeats it. Meanwhile the leaders must quickly think up a second line to their verse. Here is an example: Person 1: "Bouncy Becky plays ball." Everyone: "Bouncy Becky plays ball." Leader: (totally spontaneously) "She plays it in the spring and fall!" Everyone: "She plays it in the spring and fall!" Person 2: "Kooky Carrie kicks the couch." Everyone: "Kooky Carrie kicks the couch." Leader: "She holds her toe and then says OUCH!" Everyone: "She holds her toe and then says OUCH!"
Proceed around the circle in this fashion. Once everyone has had a chance to make up a rhyme for themselves, go around the circle again as fast as possible, trying to remember both parts of everyone's rhyme along the way.
Who Am I?
You will need paper, markers, and safety pins. This is another game that works best with a theme. Again I will describe this using the "cartoon" theme. For each player, write down the name of a cartoon character on a piece of paper and pin it to the player's back. The goal of the game is for the people to figure out what cartoon character they are by asking other persons questions. They can only ask each person one question!
CONFUSION: Great high energy game to help participants begin to feel more comfortable in new group. Give each participant a sheet with various tasks and ask them to complete it when you say, “GO!” Here is a sample:
Get a male to do five push-ups and sign here
Stand on one foot with your arms outstreched for 20 seconds.
Have someone time you and sign here
Leap frog over someone 5 times
Get someone to whisper the pledge of allegiance and sign here
Get a female to recite a nursery rhyme
Have someone teach you a dance step (even if they make it up)
First person to complete the entire sheet, wins.
HOG CALL: Break the group into pairs. Each pair must choose two things; a machine and an animal. They then have to decide who is which. The pairs then divide up on opposite sides of the room. Everyone must close their eyes (if they feel comfortable), and by making only the noise that their character would make, they must find their partner. When they find their partner, they can open their eyes and wait until everyone else is done. Note: When conducting an activity with eyes closed, have the group raise their hands in front of their chests as “bumpers,” and have at least one person (facilitator) acting as a spotter.
HUM THAT TUNE: Each person in the group is given a small piece of paper with the name of a nursery rhyme or other song written on the paper. (i.e. a famous song from your country) All of the people who are given the song must hum that tune and fine everyone else singing the song. They then form a group.
MUMBLE JUMBLE: Before the activity begins, the leader will cut up a few pictures into puzzle pieces. Each group member will grab a piece of a puzzle from a bag. The group members will keep their puzzle piece to themselves until the leader says, “GO!” At this point, the group members will try to locate the other members of the group with the pieces to form the appropriate pictures. Whichever group does it first, wins. Good activity for breaking into retreat/activity groups.
SHOE FACTORY: Have the group stand in a large circle shoulder to shoulder. Then have everyone remove their shoes and put them in the center. After the group has formed a pile with their shoes, the leader has everyone choose two different shoes other than their own. They should put them on their feet (halfway if they are too small). The group then needs to successfully match the shoes and put them in proper pairs by standing next to the individual wearing the other shoe. This will probably result in a tangled mess - and lots of giggles!
TOILET PAPER GAME: Get a roll of toilet paper and explain to your group that they are going camping and need to take as much toilet paper as they think they may need for a three day trip. Once everyone has an ample supply, explain to the group that for every square in their possession, they must share something about themselves. NOTE: If anyone knows the activity, ask them not to give away the secret under any circumstances.
ARCH BALL: Players (10-30) are divided into two equal teams. Each team forms a line, one in front of the other, about arms distance apart. The ball starts in the front and must be passed over the head to the back of the line. When the last person receives the ball, he/she must run with it to the front of the line and continue passing the ball. The first team to return the ball to the original lineup wins.
BALLOON TAG: Tie strings to balloons and then tie one balloon to each person’s ankle. It is every man/woman for him/herself in this one! The object of the game is to pop everyone else’s balloons while making sure that your’s does not get popped. Once your balloon is popped, you are out of the game.
BANANA RELAY: This activity is very similar to the “Neck Race.” However, in this game, a banana is placed between the knees of the first person, and it must be placed between the next person’s knees - without using any hands. If the banana drops, it starts with the first person in line. First team to finish successfully, wins.
CAPTURE THE FLAG: The playing area is divided in half; at each right-hand rear corner is a rectangle that is known as the jail or prison (you could also use a goal if on a soccer field). The group is divided into two teams. Each team should decide where to place their flag (a towel, shirt, or whatever) on their side of the field. The object of the game is to get the other team’s flag. Once the game is started, anyone who steps over the center line into the opponent’s half is eligible to be caught and taken to prison. A player must get through the enemy’s lines without getting tagged. Prisoners may be rescued by teammates who get through enemy lines without being tagged and can touch the prisoner’s hand. (The prisoners can line themselves up by holding hands and stretching toward the center line as long as one person is still holding the goal or in the jail area.) If rescued, both the prisoner(s) and the rescuer must walk back to their own side with their arms up. To win the game, a player must get the flag back across the mid-line of the playing area. If a player has the flag and gets tagged, the flag can either go back to where it was, or be dropped where the person got tagged. That player goes to jail. Teams may have only have one person protecting the flag.
FREEZE TAG: This is played just like tag except that once you have been tagged, you are frozen. The only way to get unfrozen is to have someone go under your legs. To make the game harder, have more than one person be “it.”
ICE CUBES: Divide the players into two equal teams. At a starting signal, each team picks up an ice cube and tries to melt it as quickly as possible. Players can rub it between their hands or against their clothes, but they may NOT put it in their mouths. While they are trying to melt the ice cube, it should be passed around the team frequently - no player should keep it for more than a few seconds at a time. Players should keep it off the ground too. The first team to melt its ice cube, wins. On a really hot day, you may want to play more than one round of this one!
Thursday, 27 August 2009
How It All Started
Yes it is sentimental melodrama time - and here is my candidature speech from Agora Eskisehir on November 2, 2007. If you find anything stupid, blame it on my youth :-)
Dear Agora,
It is an utmost privilege to stand in front of you today, an honor and experience I will never forget whatever the outcomes will be.
It is an honor rather forgotten, to vote and stand to be elected, to overcome the boundaries, to reach other places and people and let others reach to and within you. To learn and to teach, to ask and to answer. To be informed and curious, critical and constructive, to be young and full of courage yet wise, both patient and persistent. To be competent, competitive yet humble and open-minded, to debate, discuss, tackle the issues but with respect and empathy, to take an action, make a change, however small and hard it may seem and never lose the belief that everything is possible and you are making an impact. To be inspired yet realistic, able to stand high and to stand corrected, self objective and constantly improving. Yes, it is an honor to be a true European citizen, member of AEGEE. And it is an honor as well for Europe to have AEGEE working so hard and so much for its present and its future.
It is a new Europe that we live in today, an ever-changing, open and dynamic. When most of us here were born democracy was just a dream for half of Europe, academic mobility was still a concept waiting for Erasmus to happen, frequent flying was just for businesspeople and mobile phones and internet were still waiting to come about. Peace and stability, based on respect for human rights and rule of law, trade and industry growth through open market economy and social progress based on respect for diversity - all these things that AEGEE has been working for, for more than twenty years, are getting momentum in modern Europe.
It is a challenging time as well, with battle against global terrorism, religious and political extremism, unsustainable European social model, natural resources endanger and immigration.
For AEGEE this is a time of opportunity. Opportunity to redefine ourselves – what we stand for, what we do about it and how we do it. To be better in what we do well, to learn lessons and improve where we are lacking behind. To be new and brave, to lead and push for things that are important and relevant tomorrow rather than today. We should put new efforts to increase quality and attractiveness, widen scope and audience and enhance impact of AEGEE activities and find new ways to promote and support understanding and cooperation among students in Europe and the values of the European unity.
I am standing in front of you today willing to help that change to happen now. Am I the right person to do it is for you to decide. Credentials that I think might help you make that decision are listed in my candidature and I hope you will read them, as I won’t mention any of them here. Instead I will tell you what I plan to do.
1. I want AEGEE to organize a wide scale campaign for young people’s participation at next European Parliament elections with extensive use of online services. It will be a fresh platform aiming to defeat EU democratic deficit by encouraging youngest European democrats to take a stand on issues that concern them the most and bringing their democratic representatives to listen and deliver.
2. I want to promote and support AEGEE true practice of European Citizenship, which is for majority of people still a distant concept rather than set of real policies. Everything that we do to point out the problems and make even smallest contribution for their solutions, from grassroots to European level is important as this is the issue where we can lead the way and advocate for European citizenship to become a political, legal, social and cultural framework for European civil society.
3. I want to support and encourage new and existing AEGEE non-formal learning activities and internal education formats and their constant development to become the brightest examples of educational experience in non-formal settings and our trademark towards both institutions and students, when it comes to generic skills acquirement.
4. I want AEGEE to become a champion caller for recognition of non-formal and informal learning by developing high standards and innovative instruments for quality assessment and quality assurance of all our activities. It is an only way to move things forward to complementary role of formal and non-formal education.
5. I want AEGEE to become vibrant place for exchange of opinions and development of policies. I want to encourage our members to think, discuss and take a stand. I want our working groups to become real and relevant think-tanks on major developments in Europe today.
6. I want AEGEE to influence European policy makers and action takers by delivering results oriented and solutions driven projects and making sure that their outcomes are promoted, understood and recognized.
7. Finally I want our network to regain its thematic focus in whatever we do. In my opinion there are no serious or fun events in AEGEE. Everything that we do is contributing to the big picture. And all our events, especially statutory and summer universities, should have more thematic input.
Dear Agora, I strongly believe that AEGEE is a unique collection of remarkable young people that is doing so much and can do more, just with a little change in practices and attitudes. I hope that we can make this change together. And I hope that we can make it now.
Thank you for this opportunity and your patience.
Are you cat, coffee or wine?
Ivonne, Robin and Tena concluded that there are:
- CAT persons and DOG persons
- COFFEE persons and TEA persons
- BEER persons and WINE persons
When, one year ago, Tena explained her theory about the DOG and CAT people, she was laughed at.
But after one year time, her team mates finally started to understand. Not only they caught the intimate truth of the theory, but they developed two more.
Robin found out that the basic principles of the Cat/Dog theory can be directly applied also to Coffee/Tea.
Ivonne suggested that Wine/Beer might work in the same way. We did not agree totally.
How do you assess if somebody is Dog or Cat, Coffee or Tea or, to a smaller extent, Beer or Wine?
Simple enough. You need not to think. Not more than a second or two in any case - and you'll have the answer. If you are acquainted with the person under exam you should not have any doubts, in the most of the cases.
N.B.: It does not have anything to do with good or bad, funny or boring, cool or uncool! It is just cat or dog, coffee or tea, beer or wine.
Profiles can also match with each other indipendently (even though a Dog-Tea will most probably have a hard time with a Cat-Coffee).
To facilitate your own C/D (Cat/Dog) assessment, we prepared the headoffice overview for you.
CD C/D assessment:
Tena - dog, coffee, wine
Ivonne - cat, coffee, beer
Robin - dog, coffee, wine (although we say BEER, but she's allergic to it)
Dragan - cat, coffee, wine
Percin - dog, tea, beer
Evren - dog, coffee, beer
Anita B. - cat, coffee, beer
Agata - cat, tea, wine
Anita K. - dog, tea, wine
Nico - dog, tea, beer
Agnes - cat, coffee, wine
Denis - dog, tea, wine
Olga - cat, tea, wine
- CAT persons and DOG persons
- COFFEE persons and TEA persons
- BEER persons and WINE persons
When, one year ago, Tena explained her theory about the DOG and CAT people, she was laughed at.
But after one year time, her team mates finally started to understand. Not only they caught the intimate truth of the theory, but they developed two more.
Robin found out that the basic principles of the Cat/Dog theory can be directly applied also to Coffee/Tea.
Ivonne suggested that Wine/Beer might work in the same way. We did not agree totally.
How do you assess if somebody is Dog or Cat, Coffee or Tea or, to a smaller extent, Beer or Wine?
Simple enough. You need not to think. Not more than a second or two in any case - and you'll have the answer. If you are acquainted with the person under exam you should not have any doubts, in the most of the cases.
N.B.: It does not have anything to do with good or bad, funny or boring, cool or uncool! It is just cat or dog, coffee or tea, beer or wine.
Profiles can also match with each other indipendently (even though a Dog-Tea will most probably have a hard time with a Cat-Coffee).
To facilitate your own C/D (Cat/Dog) assessment, we prepared the headoffice overview for you.
CD C/D assessment:
Tena - dog, coffee, wine
Ivonne - cat, coffee, beer
Robin - dog, coffee, wine (although we say BEER, but she's allergic to it)
Dragan - cat, coffee, wine
Percin - dog, tea, beer
Evren - dog, coffee, beer
Anita B. - cat, coffee, beer
Agata - cat, tea, wine
Anita K. - dog, tea, wine
Nico - dog, tea, beer
Agnes - cat, coffee, wine
Denis - dog, tea, wine
Olga - cat, tea, wine
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Saturday, 22 August 2009
WG speakers meeting in Brussels
WG speakers meeting aims to build a co operation between WG’s of AEGEE, to build common activities, to introduce the WG’s to the new CD and to work on the WG structure.
Finally the WG representatives started arriving to the house, first Verena from HRWG on Thursday, following Panos from IPWG, Simin from ENWG and others.
The present WG’s in this meeting are: EWG, IPWG, EnWG, Academy, HRWG, CWG, DWG and even Bobigosa. Unfortunately ITWG and VFF couldn’t send any delegates. Nadine, the former speaker of PRWG was with us for a while, because she was in Brussels for her holidays.
We have started with expectations of WG’s from this meeting, then every WG introduced itself and its activities to other WG’s and to the incoming CD. Afterwards we continued with analyzing the needs of WG’s in general by me facilitating, where every WG told what can be developed better and gave their solutions to those problems. Then we have discussed how the cooperation shall be during this year between WG’s, by the facilitation of Agata. Then PR girls Agnes & Anita gave their PR plan workshop asking how WG’s can contribute to locals organizing an event and told about their formula on how the PR in AEGEE can be developed.
Today our dear WG delegates, who have woken up by me at 08.00 and worked till 19.00 deserved a nice European ‘ Cultural ‘ Night.
Tomorrow will be a long day again. So let us take some rest now.
P.S. Thanks to Anita for her nice pictures during the day.
And some quotes of today
- What do you fake on a vacation? ( Nadine answering a question of Percin if she is faking to be a PRWG representative )
- I expect to fix the CD house ( Thijs, telling about his expectations from the meeting )
- Publication on Linguistic publications, chief editor Agnija Kapusza ( Verena )
- How can i get to know more about the lesbian film you are making ( Thijs asking to Agnes after she defends lesbian rights )
- When i say ' green 'you dont always perceive it the same as i do ( Nadine giving example of misunderstandings on texts )
Thijs answer to Nadine
- Green is not green?
- Thijs, stop touching and taping girls ( Percin reprimanding Thijs when he catches him taping Irynas arm )
- If no one, its Vedran( Agata's democratic appointment of Vedran )
Vedran's answer
- ' What ?!?! '
- I m afraid that the results of the quiz will lead to ' join DWG ' ( Thijs commenting on Percin's idea for a ' Which WG suits you best ? ' quiz )
-Life after local level ' LALL ' ( Thijs )
- Pop ups in intranet, i m getting hot ( Thijs getting impressed by the new intranets functions )
- What is wrong with you? Why are you so obsessed with lesbians ? ( Percin asking Agnes why is she so stuck with lesbians )
- Come on Vedran, you are an important person. At least we pretend you are so ( Agnes )
- Of course you can ( Agnes )
How ? ( Vedran )
I dont know! ( Agnes )
- OMG Vedran, you are serious! I m going to cry ( Percin )
- Ink and water doesnt match ( Thijs )
- Where Does Marker End? ( Agata referring to Percin's project )
- Percin didnt let me play with the map of EU ( Agnes )
Thats because Turkey is not there ( Percin )
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
When I took the Academy to a squat
What a week(end)!
NetAca meeting Brussels
Who would have thought that, when I proposed this meeting a couple of months ago, not only it would have encountered big enthusiasm, but it would have actually taken place, in such a short time?
13-14 August 2009, the first 'real' NetCom + Academy meeting outside Agorae I have notice of. We discussed the outcomes of the NetCom meeting related to training needs, coming up with a number of new projects.
The main ones: new concept for ES1, crowdsourcing database, regional trainings, renewing the pool of trainers, furthening the already established LTC coordination.
Academy Board Meeting Paris
Unexpectadly, last minute problems with lodging came up, so we all had to search for a plan B. My friends in Paris were all out of town, no clue who could host us. "The only thing that comes to my mind" - said my friend Giovanni - is an artists squat, but I don't know, the level of cleanness was not properly fabulous, as far as I remember...". No precarious hygenic conditions whatsoever can scare out a CD house habitue', I thought, and got in touch with 'the artists'. Not only they accepted to host me, but extended the invitation to all of us. What a surprise, when we had a room dedicated to us (with AEGEE on the door!), when the last floor had a huge (former) conference room which we used for the meeting, when the terrace on the roof opened itself to Paris and the stars.
And yes, we did also work, a lot.
It's incredible to witness this whole new stream of openness and cooperation built throughout the year, but most of all in the last months. It feels like finally we are all on the same line - assessing what our members need and how are we going to provide the knowledge to them comes so natural and easy.
the Squat
But let me spend a couple of words on our lovely lodging place and the people who hosted us.
Since, if I am inspired as I am now, I owe it to them as well.
Kinda - the violinist, singing along with her on the bridges of the Seine remains my most liberating experience of the weekend
Tom - the IT artist, who built the infrastracture and connected to squat to the outer world (and thus with us as well)
Nathan - who walks on the wire (not that high - he says - only 10 meters from the ground)
the White Bearded Man - who "was born 82 years ago in Brooklyn, and from then it's a long story..."
And Soraya, and Merat, and the Lady Writer... - to you all guys, an enormous thank you!
Monday, 17 August 2009
No Cows Allowed and a Travel through Time
Last Saturday Dragan, Ivonne, Roger (Ivonne's cousin) Robin and I went to Antwerp. It was a beautiful sunny day, which means that the city was packed with people from all over Belgium and Netherlands, and an average age of 99. I really felt the AEGEE spirit, 24 (in my case) and getting younger!!! Really young in comparative terms!
Other than walking through and underwater tunnel and visiting an open air festival where cows were not allowed to enter, we had an amazing time-travel experience!!! We went 50 years in the future and met 2 very well known financial directors of AEGEE-Europe!! It seemed incredible, but we immediately recognized them and tried to ask about the future of our beautiful association, but they spoke a very strange and difficult language... It also sounded like they had a cold and they were trying to get something out of their throat... it must have been Dutch ;)
So, here you have the proof of this amazing time-travel experience!
Best regards,Vedran, the guest blogger.
PS Visit to Antwerp was of course the chance for the Fashion Police (the latest project of THE Agency, AEGEE Human Relationships Working Group) to capture some must-haves and no-dos for the summer festivals season.
Fashion Police Approves:
All yellow is the outfit of the season, THE Agency is very much into everything Scottish and the skater hat is the ultimate 'getting younger' accessory.
Fashion Police Disapproves:
Piercing overdose, guys with (oversized) jewelry and Dutch guys in kilts passing by while you are having dinner.
THE Agency and the Fashion Police will be monitoring Agora Kiev as well so if you have a sense of style or are in a desperate need to get some - hurry up and apply NOW for the Agora!
Thursday, 13 August 2009
Beautiful hero!
Dear ...,
You receive this mail because you are account holder for a website hosted on Zeus.
In a try to get full control of everything, and at the same time trying to get rid of their 'enemies', CD (Robin, Ivonne & Tena) is at the moment on the way to Enschede. I've been informed by people that this is to take down Zeus, and remove the hardware. This will result in your website being unavailable. Obviously CD has no clue what is being hosted on Zeus, or they simply don't care about your websites.
I'll do my best to defend the server, and prevent any hostile actions against the aims of AEGEE, but I cannot guarantee I'll be successful, as these people were elected by Agora, and till now Agora has not taken any step to remove their powers.
To keep your websites, I ask you for your support. Please contact asap the CD to tell them you need your websites. As they are on the way right now, please call/sms them right away:
Ivonne: +31-6-497 471 68 / +32-2-215 47 35
Robin: +32-2-215 40 68
Tena: +32-2-215 47 35
You are responsible for the following websites according to our system:
- ... (alone)
- ... (alone)
Thanks a lot for your support. For questions, feel free to mail me on ...@aegee.org, or call me on +... (I cannot promise though that I can answer all your calls during the day as I'll be at work, but feel free to leave me a message, or call me after 19h00 CEST).
Kind regards,
...
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
Everybody has their own Knowledge Transfer...
Network/Human Resources
Anita and Tena opened the Knowledge Transfer month on the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August. Setting: garden table, dominating our beloved & huge map of Europe, re-analysing the needs of the network, while preparing ourselves for the NetAca meeting, coordinating the LTCs, Network-Updating, dealing with new locals and small crises, improving the AEGEE members manual...
President
Agata, poor thing, could not get presidential KT before getting some - equally useful - Brussels-crazy-lifestyle KT. That's how, still half puzzled for the night spent travelling, Ivonne dragged her to an insane Brussels bike trip, returning back home with a very loud laughter at 7 pm. What happened remains a mystery.
But it's not finished here! The night after (one of the most extreme I can recall in the whole year) was spent in Bulex, a great place opening only once a month.
Presidential KT came later... with budgetary, networking, photo-shopping, and - most importantly - starving lessons.
External Relations
The most professional? Usage of PR programs, website developing, fund raising methods, contacts with companies... everything mapped in a calendar for next year. Apart from that, Robin was overwhelmed with finishing the Key to Europe, which took all our efforts and that we can announce now... OFFICIALLY DONE! And breathtakingly beautiful.
Financial Director
Ivonne planned carefully her KT with her successor Nico. Formal education methods are not enough, definitely not. To show real leadership you need to suffer until you make it until the end. That's why Ivonne was training for a month, going jogging every day, and now Nico needs to complete The Big Lap of the park all in one take. Did he manage? Yes sir, from the very first time. The kid is on the right way.
Projects/SecGen
Unfortunately, Denis and Olga still could not join us due to visa problems - Robin is still calling the ministry every day. Too bad! Denis is therefore forced to do e-KT with Percin, likewise Olga is communicating with Evren and Tena.
Other highlights:
- Robin, Ivonne and Tena went hitch-hiking to Enschede and back in 24 hours. The reason was love, but it was misinterpreted as an act of theft. (look up!)
- Paulus from Enschede and two lovely girls from Mannheim paid us a visit on one of the craziest weekends of the month. Enough to mention that it finished with our neighbour appearing on the door in his underwear, and that it involved dancing on the kitchen table with motorbike helmets (among the rest).
- Agnes birthday was celebrated several times, including hangoverish family lunch reunion in the garden, while a fantastic friend of hers came to surprise her from Germany.
- Everybody seems cooking-inspired, except for Dragan. Tomorrow it's him in cooking schedule: "Good luck with that!" - his own comment
On a general line, the CD would hereby like to apologize to the CD-elect if their shameless behaviour caused deep shock in their young minds. However, it is a necessary KT measure: not only it represents a warning how crazy can you become being in the CD, but also stands as a reminder that without a healthy dose of craziness you cannot overcome it.
Not with a HUGE amount of fun, at least!
Which, ladies and gentlemen - believe it or not - is exactly what happens in Rue Nestor de Tiere 15.
Elbasan: new AEGEE Contact
The Comite Directeur approved a new Contact in Albania.
Elton, after having joined AEGEE-Tirana and participated in NWM Thessaloniki, decided that his city also needs an AEGEE antenna. He hopes now to sign the Convension d'Adhesion already at Agora Kiev (October) and make AEGEE-Elbasan come true.
He sends us some pictures to get an idea:
In the meanwhile, AEGEE-Tirane is getting everything ready for an European event maybe already at the end of September... so if you are intrigued by Albania, AEGEE will be once again your Key to Europe :)
Elton, after having joined AEGEE-Tirana and participated in NWM Thessaloniki, decided that his city also needs an AEGEE antenna. He hopes now to sign the Convension d'Adhesion already at Agora Kiev (October) and make AEGEE-Elbasan come true.
He sends us some pictures to get an idea:
In the meanwhile, AEGEE-Tirane is getting everything ready for an European event maybe already at the end of September... so if you are intrigued by Albania, AEGEE will be once again your Key to Europe :)
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
AEGEE Headoffice Getting Younger as Well
The Headoffice is getting crowded as the CD elect is arriving to the house for the month of knowledge transfer. The first one to arrive - of course Agata, the President gonnabe, followed by Agnes and Nico, future External Relations and Financial directors.
The first week of knowledge transfer has begun in style as we opened some champagne to celebrate the successful launching of the new aegee.org and myAEGEE. AEGEE is truly getting younger every day :-)
The King is fat - long live the Queen! :-)
Is this SuFu Panda? No, it is our new financial director :-)
Is Ivonne drunk? No, of course not :-)
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Sunday morning in the house...
A certain person: "I kissed a Mexican guy last night"
A certain other person: "But what about the Mexican flu?"
A certain person: "D'OH!"
Friday, 31 July 2009
Tour de Brabant
My cure for being too stressed: a bike ride!
140 long kilometres! Leaving at 10 AM the ride took me through forests, cute towns, fields and eventually into Brussels.
Powersong of the day, pushing me forward when legs, ass, arms, shoulders and even feet were hurting too much to stand:
And this of course wasn't it. The sequal will follow on the 1st of September, and this time towards Italy! About 900 km, with as highlight the crossing of the Alps. I hereby issue an open call for a travel companion, must be in posession of proper bicycle. Applications (m/f) can be sent to robin.verschuren@aegee.org or posted as comments to this blogpost.
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Almost 25 and Getting Younger!
Dear all,
We are happy to inform you that in a matter of days you will be able to browse our brand new webpage at aegee.org and fully experience all features in myAEGEE, our brand new Intranet.
This end of the months of hard work to bring innovation to AEGEE online services is a great new beginning for our organization – as we are sure that our smart and cool image on the web will attract many smart and cool young people to AEGEE :-)
The strength and beauty of AEGEE is not measured only by its impressive history, but by the greatness of its current generation. The best proof for our maturity is our ability to answer to the tastes and interests of the young ones of today. We are sure that our new websites will do exactly that. Twenty-five years old and getting younger every day – the Benjamin Button of the world of youth activism – that is what AEGEE should always be :-)
myAEGEE is a full new world to discover. With individual user’s profile equipped with a message wall, wikipages, documents storage space, events agenda and many more. Locals, working groups and project teams will easily manage and stay in touch with their members and each other, manage events and their participants, upload documents, present their work and keep an overview of their status within the Network. Plus there are Agora and EBM and Summer Universities and so much more.
All users that were present in the existing Address Book have been transferred to myAEGEE automatically and should have received an email with their new user name and password on July 22. Everybody else can already register at http://intranet.myaegee.net/. You can look for instructions at http://intranet.myaegee.net/app/webroot/vids/signup/
If you need any help with myAEGEE please write to us at myaegee@gmail.com.
Please keep in mind that during the changes some services might be temporary unavailable for up to 48 hours. The transfer did not start yet and any current problem you might be experiencing is not connected to this change. We will let you know once the change has started and will do our best to inform you about everything in advance. We are hoping for your understanding as after this – things will only get better.
Your Comité Directeur – AEGEE Europe Board of Directors
www.myaegee.net/gettingyounger
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
A change is coming
Yes yes, we're back in Brussels. Already for a week or two. Dragan and Tena also got here last week. Ivonne even never really left, poor thing. We made failed attempts at having vacations, as most of us simply were not able to take a proper one. From our homes we were still glued to our computers . Heartwarming to see that the network can't miss us :-)
In a few days we're starting the knowledge transfer period, and the end is approaching for this team. Strange thought.
But no time to think about it, as there is much to do still. Projects to be reported, publications to be finished, but mostly, the new intranet and website are keeping us very busy!
Those of you on the beach, next to a campfire, bungee jumping, on Summer University or hiking mountains - enjoy your summer and please send some summer vibes towards Brussels!
Monday, 6 July 2009
Head Office moved to Serbia
Due to summer circumstances, the Comite Directeur decided to open a new office in Nis, Serbia for the first weeks of July. The Brussels' office is now closed until next week when the Financial Director will return from Armenia. The President, Network/Human Resources Director and VP/External Relations have settled in a Nis sky skraper with laptops, AEGEE-stamp and IT support staff.
With an intense programme of family visits, kavana with AEGEE-Beograd and of course the intranet training this week we are unfortunately currently not available for daily business, but for urgent matters you can always contact us by mobile.
Saturday, 20 June 2009
Beyond Europe Concept Development Meeting
Finally it was Friday, me and Mario started to wait for the CDM participants, who were going to spend 2 intensive days in Brussels this weekend. We hoped they knew what was expecting them. Robin and Ivonne, other CD members who are one of the few people with me who is left in ‘ the Big Brothers house ‘ , used their experiences from the previous visitors visit, and started printing out information for the visitors about using the sink, the fridge and the general rules in the house, most importantly about our 4th character in the house, the mice:)
The participants started arriving. Having free time till the evening, most of them already left for Brussels to see the city, using their few leisure time to see Brussels. At 5 pm all of them were back, ready for the introduction round and the games. They all introduced themselves, and got a small introduction from the idea holders, and the facilitators, meanwhile getting to know each other better. After some games, Prisca delegated tasks for cooking schedules and sent the first group to shopping already for groceries for food. After cooking, everyone enjoyed a nice dinner with pasta, having an Italian in the house:)
After some more drinking and chatting, people started falling asleep.
The next day, we were all waken up by Julia and Iyad at 07.00. The first thing I remember was Fotis telling me ‘ I m in the line for bathroom ‘ while he was still sleeping. After a 4 star hotel quality breakfast, we left the house for our conference, a 2 minutes walking distance, used as a classroom regularly. We started the sessions, creating, brainstorming and presenting new ideas, sometimes with very hot discussions, which was cooled down by nice energizers. At the end of the day, all the room was full of papers with ideas, which we managed to summarize at the end of the day. After 7 hours of brainstorming and different methods, we have made a collage of the idea ‘ Beyond Europe ‘ with pictures. After the evaluation round, now everybody is at home, tired and waiting for dinner….
To be continued...
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