It was an amazing day! The IC officially started at 21st of August called Day 0.
Have a look at the pics from:
The Opening Plenary!
The Global Village!
The Opening Ceremony!
4 new albums with more than 200 pics are uploaded!
Enjoy it!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
enjoying International Congress!
It's really great to be here! I don't know how to express that!
Meeting old friends from Poland - speaking Polish with them and having all these funny conversations that even most Polish people wouldn't understand at all. Not only fun but also talking about what happens in our lives currently or what are our plans for the future. Challenging dialogues! Sharing experiences of being a member of another AIESEC country!
Meeting good friends from other countries - talking to them and feeling happy to see them again.
Meeting new people and establishing new relations! Having interesting discussions and again talking about presence and future! Sharing ideas and getting new ones from those who have different perspective.
Interacting with companies, AIESEC partners and sponsors - looking for those who can supply you with your professional future. Hearing from them that AIESEC is such an amazing organization and they envy us our AIESEC Experiences!
Exploring and discovering new cultures - more than 100 of them here at the same place at the same time!
And last but not the least - learning new things, getting ideas how you want to use certain things in terms of your professional role. Challenging yourself and learning from others as much as possible!
Although there are things that really piss me off, God bless the day when I joined this Organization and any other day that has made me be where I'm currently! And still there is a lot to be discovered and achieved! And I do hope it will be achieved!
May these networks last forever!
Meeting old friends from Poland - speaking Polish with them and having all these funny conversations that even most Polish people wouldn't understand at all. Not only fun but also talking about what happens in our lives currently or what are our plans for the future. Challenging dialogues! Sharing experiences of being a member of another AIESEC country!
Meeting good friends from other countries - talking to them and feeling happy to see them again.
Meeting new people and establishing new relations! Having interesting discussions and again talking about presence and future! Sharing ideas and getting new ones from those who have different perspective.
Interacting with companies, AIESEC partners and sponsors - looking for those who can supply you with your professional future. Hearing from them that AIESEC is such an amazing organization and they envy us our AIESEC Experiences!
Exploring and discovering new cultures - more than 100 of them here at the same place at the same time!
And last but not the least - learning new things, getting ideas how you want to use certain things in terms of your professional role. Challenging yourself and learning from others as much as possible!
Although there are things that really piss me off, God bless the day when I joined this Organization and any other day that has made me be where I'm currently! And still there is a lot to be discovered and achieved! And I do hope it will be achieved!
May these networks last forever!
Friday, August 17, 2007
first impressions of Turkey
Of course, first impressions are nice but to be honest I still like Morocco more than Turkey. My Morocco is more beautiful ;)
Today, we finished the second day of Study Tour (sightseeing Istanbul) and obviously I made a lot of pictures. See 12 new albums in picasa. Istanbul is amazing.
And tommorow, we (me and 600 other AIESEC people from more than 100 countries) are starting International Congress. I'm so excited! More than I was before coming here. Excitment is growing!
I'll write more soon!
Today, we finished the second day of Study Tour (sightseeing Istanbul) and obviously I made a lot of pictures. See 12 new albums in picasa. Istanbul is amazing.
And tommorow, we (me and 600 other AIESEC people from more than 100 countries) are starting International Congress. I'm so excited! More than I was before coming here. Excitment is growing!
I'll write more soon!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Kamil in Turkey
Dear and faithful readers,
Probably most of you know (I mentioned it a few times in previous posts) that soon I'm going to Turkey for AIESEC International Congress. Soon actually means tommorow morning :) I'll be there for almost 3 weeks (back in Morocco on September, 2nd).
I will have limited access to Internet so don't expect too many posts (probably no posts at all). I'll try to upload pictures on a regular basis though so feel free to visit my picasa web page.
See you !! :)
Probably most of you know (I mentioned it a few times in previous posts) that soon I'm going to Turkey for AIESEC International Congress. Soon actually means tommorow morning :) I'll be there for almost 3 weeks (back in Morocco on September, 2nd).
I will have limited access to Internet so don't expect too many posts (probably no posts at all). I'll try to upload pictures on a regular basis though so feel free to visit my picasa web page.
See you !! :)
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Some people want to travel, others HAVE TO
Because of immigration policies, I need to leave Morocco every 90 days (I can apply for visa as well but it is not easy and not cheap). My "first 90 days" are in the end of August - great because at this time I will be in Turkey. But recently I've started to think about my second time when I need to leave Morocco (end of November). And I've found my destination!
15-20 Nov in Marseille, France! For only... 25 euro (including return ticket!)
Now, I just need to make some friends there but I think it won't be difficult!
God Bless Moroccan imigration policies and Ryan Air!
15-20 Nov in Marseille, France! For only... 25 euro (including return ticket!)
Now, I just need to make some friends there but I think it won't be difficult!
God Bless Moroccan imigration policies and Ryan Air!
Friday, August 10, 2007
I'm not going to Turkey?
Yesterday, we (my MC team = my work mates) received a horibble email. Our MCP (=boss) wrote us that we don't have enough flight tickets to go to Turkey. Instead of 10 we have only 5. He asked us to look for them somewhere else immediately. You can't imagine how pissed off I was.
But today, in the morning he told us that... he was joking! Nice joke, isn't it? So my going to Istanbul, Turkey for International Congress 2007 is safe. I will take part in the biggest annual AIESEC event gathering around 800 people (members, alumnis, AIESEC partners, guests etc) from more than 100 countries. IC will be a chance to explore AIESEC more, get to know about the lastest trends and direction, gain personal skills, strengthen your network of contacts, discover antoher cultures and of course meet your friends from different countries and have fun. If you want to know more about this event go to its webpage.
Departing from Casablanca, Morocco, Mohammed V Airport on Wednesday, August 15th!
But today, in the morning he told us that... he was joking! Nice joke, isn't it? So my going to Istanbul, Turkey for International Congress 2007 is safe. I will take part in the biggest annual AIESEC event gathering around 800 people (members, alumnis, AIESEC partners, guests etc) from more than 100 countries. IC will be a chance to explore AIESEC more, get to know about the lastest trends and direction, gain personal skills, strengthen your network of contacts, discover antoher cultures and of course meet your friends from different countries and have fun. If you want to know more about this event go to its webpage.
Departing from Casablanca, Morocco, Mohammed V Airport on Wednesday, August 15th!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
people - part two
Maybe it’s time for me to write you a bit about people in Morocco. What to start with?
Hmmm… ok – I have a thought. Why do I feel so great here? Is it because my life seems more interesting and less boring than in Poland? Maybe because, I spend less time working and more time having entertainment? (have I finally managed to posses this mythical, unable-to-have work-life balance??) Or due to my travels, sightseeing, exploring new places? Maybe because, I’ve always wanted to try to live abroad and it’s just happening right now (and I’ve learnt how to be happy from present instead of being always nostalgic about the past). Finally, the reason may be having more interactions with people, spending more time talking, listening, sharing etc. I wonder if I were born in Morocco, would I feel the same right now? Or it’s just the fact that I come from other country and culture and that’s why I feel the difference? I think that every reason above have its contribution to the way I see things here. I wrote you a lot about travelling, partying, sightseeing etc. Now, it’s time for people.
Let’s start from the most visual and basic things. Although, Morocco is in Africa, Moroccans don’t like to be called Africans. They say they are part of Maghreb – a region which also includes Algeria and Tunisia. (There is also Arab Maghreb Union – an agreement between Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Mauritania). People here say that Africans life more in south (starting from Sub-Saharan Africa) and they call themselves Arabs. Another important issue is that huge majority of people here is white (in Poland there is a stereotype that everyone in Africa must be black). Some of them have darker skin than e.g. Polish but some of them after being put in any country in Europe would never be recognized as people from North Africa. Dressing and clothes are very diversified. Generally, we can say that there are two groups. People who wear western clothes and those who wear traditional clothes. Women often wear veils (PL – woalka) that only sometimes cover whole face. Generally in bigger cities, it’s not a problem for people to wear t-shirts or shorts (or other clothes that don’t cover whole body). You should be more careful in the countryside where lifestyle is less influenced by Western World.
What is really great is the fact that people seem to care more about relations. They go out more often. They spend time in cafes, parks, squares and gardens. It’s easier to get to know people. I already have some “friends” in supermarket or bakery. When walking on the street, if you manage to establish eye-contact (which is not difficult at all) people will usually smile and say “bon jour” (good morning/good evening) or “ca va?” (how are you?). It’s easier to talk to people when travelling by car, bus and it’s almost a must to talk to the taxi driver when being in a cab.
For many people, it’s a big shock when they enter medina (the oldest part of the city) and they feel being harassed by all the shop-keepers who sometimes grab tourists’ hands and take them to their shops. There is nothing bad in such behavior. They usually don’t intend to cheat you or hurt you. If you’re not interested just say politely “no, thank you”. But it’s really sad when foreigners are so afraid of Moroccans that they don’t want to interact with them at all. People are the most valuable aspect of every country and getting to know them is a must – especially in Morocco because they are really nice here ;)
Lately, I have started wondering if I could and would want to live in this country for good, permanently. I am more and more convinced that it would be possible. I still have a lot of doubts but it the fact the I started to think about it means something. Luckily, I don’t have to take the decision now.
Hmmm… ok – I have a thought. Why do I feel so great here? Is it because my life seems more interesting and less boring than in Poland? Maybe because, I spend less time working and more time having entertainment? (have I finally managed to posses this mythical, unable-to-have work-life balance??) Or due to my travels, sightseeing, exploring new places? Maybe because, I’ve always wanted to try to live abroad and it’s just happening right now (and I’ve learnt how to be happy from present instead of being always nostalgic about the past). Finally, the reason may be having more interactions with people, spending more time talking, listening, sharing etc. I wonder if I were born in Morocco, would I feel the same right now? Or it’s just the fact that I come from other country and culture and that’s why I feel the difference? I think that every reason above have its contribution to the way I see things here. I wrote you a lot about travelling, partying, sightseeing etc. Now, it’s time for people.
Let’s start from the most visual and basic things. Although, Morocco is in Africa, Moroccans don’t like to be called Africans. They say they are part of Maghreb – a region which also includes Algeria and Tunisia. (There is also Arab Maghreb Union – an agreement between Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Mauritania). People here say that Africans life more in south (starting from Sub-Saharan Africa) and they call themselves Arabs. Another important issue is that huge majority of people here is white (in Poland there is a stereotype that everyone in Africa must be black). Some of them have darker skin than e.g. Polish but some of them after being put in any country in Europe would never be recognized as people from North Africa. Dressing and clothes are very diversified. Generally, we can say that there are two groups. People who wear western clothes and those who wear traditional clothes. Women often wear veils (PL – woalka) that only sometimes cover whole face. Generally in bigger cities, it’s not a problem for people to wear t-shirts or shorts (or other clothes that don’t cover whole body). You should be more careful in the countryside where lifestyle is less influenced by Western World.
What is really great is the fact that people seem to care more about relations. They go out more often. They spend time in cafes, parks, squares and gardens. It’s easier to get to know people. I already have some “friends” in supermarket or bakery. When walking on the street, if you manage to establish eye-contact (which is not difficult at all) people will usually smile and say “bon jour” (good morning/good evening) or “ca va?” (how are you?). It’s easier to talk to people when travelling by car, bus and it’s almost a must to talk to the taxi driver when being in a cab.
For many people, it’s a big shock when they enter medina (the oldest part of the city) and they feel being harassed by all the shop-keepers who sometimes grab tourists’ hands and take them to their shops. There is nothing bad in such behavior. They usually don’t intend to cheat you or hurt you. If you’re not interested just say politely “no, thank you”. But it’s really sad when foreigners are so afraid of Moroccans that they don’t want to interact with them at all. People are the most valuable aspect of every country and getting to know them is a must – especially in Morocco because they are really nice here ;)
Lately, I have started wondering if I could and would want to live in this country for good, permanently. I am more and more convinced that it would be possible. I still have a lot of doubts but it the fact the I started to think about it means something. Luckily, I don’t have to take the decision now.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
may these networks last forever!
Last week (almost until its end) was supposed to be boring. But “almost” makes a big difference. Before, when I was thinking what to blog about the only thing coming to my mind was transportation system in Morocco ;) - I promise I'll do that but not now. After, events of last weekend I decided to blog about something else – networking.
But first, just a short summary of that weekend (sorry for lack of details but again they are “not to publish” here:). Saturday's morning was the most boring morning I'd ever had at that time. But... don't judge the day basing on how it was but how it finished. I received a call from my friend who had just been invited for a party to Casablanca. He asked me if I wanted to come. I don’t have to tell you what my answer was. Casa is only 32 dirhams (3 euro), 90 km and 1 hour from Rabat so I had no doubts. So we went there and had a fabulous party (actually organized by Polish guy living in Casa). Firstly, nice chats, music and some alcohol at home and then wild dancing in a club near the beach. My English is not good enough to describe how great it was. French either although it’s constantly developing and I can already have some conversations in this beautiful language.
That day (and night) and many many previous ones made me think about one issue – networking. What is networking? A few short explanations:
(1) Connecting with people of like interests for the purpose of uncovering opportunities, identifying landmines and learning of best practices (original source)
(2) meeting people who can be of help to you and being a help to them (original source)
(3) Using contacts made in business for purposes beyond the reason for the initial contact (original source)
You can pay a lot of many for participating in trainings about networking. When it comes to me I’ve never found myself good in networking. Here in Morocco, I don’t do anything special to enhance my networks. But these networks just come to me and take me everywhere. I don’t have to do much. I just have to follow them. It seems that applying for MC here, getting the position and then coming here was enough to become part of all these networks. All the parties, trips, sightseeing, meetings – I did not do much to have it. I guess I am in right place, right time with right people. I don’t only mean entertainment. Being here gives me opportunities of professional networking (like cocktail in Hilton 3 weeks ago). Even my one-year stay in Morocco or going to Turkey (inchallah – if God wants/allows) next Wednesday for almost 3-week conference means that I’m part of a really powerful network. In general, being in AIESEC itself makes you take a lot of advantages from all its networks. I guess it’s peak time for me to be part of them. Hamdullah (thanks God), I joined AIESEC. May these networks and peaks last forever! ;)
But first, just a short summary of that weekend (sorry for lack of details but again they are “not to publish” here:). Saturday's morning was the most boring morning I'd ever had at that time. But... don't judge the day basing on how it was but how it finished. I received a call from my friend who had just been invited for a party to Casablanca. He asked me if I wanted to come. I don’t have to tell you what my answer was. Casa is only 32 dirhams (3 euro), 90 km and 1 hour from Rabat so I had no doubts. So we went there and had a fabulous party (actually organized by Polish guy living in Casa). Firstly, nice chats, music and some alcohol at home and then wild dancing in a club near the beach. My English is not good enough to describe how great it was. French either although it’s constantly developing and I can already have some conversations in this beautiful language.
That day (and night) and many many previous ones made me think about one issue – networking. What is networking? A few short explanations:
(1) Connecting with people of like interests for the purpose of uncovering opportunities, identifying landmines and learning of best practices (original source)
(2) meeting people who can be of help to you and being a help to them (original source)
(3) Using contacts made in business for purposes beyond the reason for the initial contact (original source)
You can pay a lot of many for participating in trainings about networking. When it comes to me I’ve never found myself good in networking. Here in Morocco, I don’t do anything special to enhance my networks. But these networks just come to me and take me everywhere. I don’t have to do much. I just have to follow them. It seems that applying for MC here, getting the position and then coming here was enough to become part of all these networks. All the parties, trips, sightseeing, meetings – I did not do much to have it. I guess I am in right place, right time with right people. I don’t only mean entertainment. Being here gives me opportunities of professional networking (like cocktail in Hilton 3 weeks ago). Even my one-year stay in Morocco or going to Turkey (inchallah – if God wants/allows) next Wednesday for almost 3-week conference means that I’m part of a really powerful network. In general, being in AIESEC itself makes you take a lot of advantages from all its networks. I guess it’s peak time for me to be part of them. Hamdullah (thanks God), I joined AIESEC. May these networks and peaks last forever! ;)
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