Leadership! Growth! Exchange!

This was the theme of the three days I have passed in Aldeia, at the Leadership Development Seminar, Northeastern Empire, in Aldeia.

It was and AIESEC conference...a very good one, with good learning, nice people, awsome fun! It was a conference like the ones that i´d fist known at the beginning at my @ XP. What is so great about and AIESEC Conference? Well, a conference is like a bubble of soap. You get in it and you start flying...you are safe, there, inside, far away from the world, in a colorful environment (as the bubble gets more colorful), in which you focus only on what is inside. While you are free from worries, you get time to question things; while you talk more to people, you learn to understand youself better. A conferenc is a safe environment where you grow...

And the parties, and the plennaries and the jokes and the people..It´s all there for you and for everybody who has the heart open and sometimes the eyes closed to dream, but open to look for answers.

I realised that this conference, as well as all the other I have been to, has found me with questions, looking for answers, in the need of finsing my way, always looking for a sign. I haven´t found what i need yet, the conference itself hasn´t helpd find my way, but i got a feeling...that though my time here is limited, I´ll be back very soon...

Ce ti-e si cu frica asta care se transmite si se cuibareste acolo in suflet si isi face de cap! De cum am ajuns aici mi s-a zis ca e periculos sa mergi prin anumite locuri, ca Boa Viagem, desi e un cartier de oameni instariti, este unul foarte renumit pentru talhariile care au loc acolo, ca plaja este, de departe un loc foarte nesigur.

Si iata-ma, intamplator pe plaja, sambata dimineata pe la 6, dupa o petrecere de „Ramas Bun” pentru 3 membri AIESEC care urmeaza sa plece in Exchange. Pai aici as putea sa incep lunga discutie despre felul in care noi, oamenii, ne facem asteptari, fie pe baza experientelor traite, fie pentru ca ne sunt induse de catre ceilalti. Cum am asteptam eu sa fie plaja la ora aia? Rece, pustie, cu indivizi dubiosi ascunzandu-se pe dupa chioscurile in care ziua de vinde apa de nuca de cocos. Ce am gasit?
Intai, ca sa daram mitul „Plaja din Boa Viagem e periculoasa”, am sa spun ca am vazut oameni multi, linistiti, bucurandu-se de soare, de mare,de nisip: batranei mergand pe nisip, sau alergand pe trotuar, tineri cu bratele larg deschise catre soare, incarcandu-se cu energie, copii sarind in valuri.

Nu am vazut niciodata ceva mai frumos... Probabil ca imaginea asta ma va bantui toata viata si, cum amintirile devin din ce in ce mai frumoase cu trecerea timpului, va atinge sublimul si nimic nu o va mai egala vreodata.

Soarele era partial acoperit de nori pufosi si colorati in nuantele de roz, portocaliu, galbui pe care le da rasaritul. Oceanul, cald si stralucitor in lumina soarelui de dimineata, se spagea in valuri spumoase. O spuma densa, pe care vantul o lua si o ducea mai departe, in rotocoale pe plaja. Nu am crezut ca spuma marii poate fi asa. Nisipul portocaliu, care e mult mai fin decat pe plajele din Romania, in lumina soarelui capata o culoare si mai intensa. Cocotieri si palmieri pe marginea plajei. Si desigur, zgaraie norii din zona rezidentiala, sclipitori si ei in lumina rasaritului. Plaja, o imbinare perfecta de senzatii: zgomotul valurilor, culorile cerului, palmierilor, oceanului, nisipului, spumei, senzatia data atingerea nisipului, gustul sarat de pe buze, mirosul oceanului. Nu am mai trait asa ceva.....si nu stiu daca voi mai trai...a fost unul din momentele alea cand totul e PERFECT...cand e prea frumos sa fie adevarat..si totusi e....

E bine stiut faptul ca in Brazilia exista saracie cat incape. Si violenta,
ca un efect direct al saraciei. Dar Brazilia nu e o tara saraca, ba
dimpotriva. Si-atunci de ce unii oameni traiesc in mizerie? Pentru ca
venitul este distribuit inegal; atat de inegal, incat langa un mall luxos,
cum e cel din Recife (al doilea ca marime din Brazilia), gasesti
cocioabele darapanate ale unei asa numite "favela". De o parte a
paravanului care desparte parcarea Shopping Recife de favela, vezi
stralucire, masini bune si cumparatori incarcati de plase, iar de cealalta
parte (nu exagerez, intre ele exista doar un paravan)vezi baraci,
daramaturi, gunoaie.

Rasfoind brambura paginile de net, am dat peste niste desene similare celui atasat acesti pagini, infatisand viata dintr-o astfel de favela si, privindu-le, stateam si ma intrebam
daca sa rad sau sa plang.

Pentru o imagine mai cuprinzatoare asupra a ceea ce "favela" sau "shanty
town" inseamna, viziteaza link-ul http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanty_town

Just a screen between two worlds
Translated into English by: Rral
It is well known that poverty is at big scale in Brazil. And that there is also violence, as a direct effect of the poverty. But Brazil isn´t a poor country. On the contrary...So, why are there people who leave in misery? Because the income is unequally distributed. That unequally, that next to a fancy mall, as the one in Recife is (the second largest in Brazil), you will find the dirty shanties of a so called “favela”. On one side of the screen which sets apart the parking lot of Sopping Recife from the shanty town, you can see brightness, fancy cars and happy people who have done their shopping, while on the other side, you will find shanties, waste and dirt.

Randomly surfing the net, I found some comics as the one attached to this page, about the life in a “favela” and, whatching them I was wondering whether to laugh or to cry.

For a deeper understanding of what a shanty town meens, please visit the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanty_town

De ce-si fac oamenii blog? Pe cine intereseaza toate lucrurile pe care ei le-au facut, le-au vazut, locurile prin care au umblat, ce au simtit, ce au invatat? Nu stiu exact, dar pentru ca cred ca nescriind nimic despre experienta mea in Brazilia as uita foarte multe lucruri si ar fi foarte pacat, m-am hotarat sa ma alatur si eu celor care isi impartasesc viata cu cei care din intamplare sau nu, ajung sa le citeasca blogul.

Indiferent de motivele care te mana pe tine sa-ti arunci privirile prin ce am scris eu aici, bine ai venit! Sper sa gasesti ceea ce cauti si daca vrei sa imi lasi si cateva randuri, atunci cu atat mai bine.

Cum am ajuns eu aici?

Unde isi are inceputul povestea asta? Sa fie oare luna aprilie 2007, cand mi-am dat seama ca urmatorul pas pe care vreau sa il fac in AIESEC este o experienta de board in strainatate? Sau poate ceva mai devreme, in decembrie 2006, cand am considerat ca a sosit momentul potrivit pentru o experienta de board in AIESEC Bucuresti? Desi o luna mai tarziu apa a cazut pe cel de langa mine, am sa consider mereu ca aceea a fost cea mai inteleapta decizie pe care o putem lua in acel moment. Sau poate ca inceputul se gaseste in BPM 2006, cand am ales sa iau de coarne un proiect inexistent si sa ma lupt cu el, in loc sa ma alatur cu norma intreaga ariei de resurse umane din organizatie?

Indraznesc totusi sa cred ca nimic din ce e acum nu ar fi fost posibil daca undeva in octombrie 2005 nu ar fi existat un formular, trei interviuri si o minunata perioada de proba, porti deschise catre lume prin a ceea ce este platforma internationala pentru studenti in care acestia sa-si descopere si sa-si dezvolte potentialul. AIESEC. Simplu: efectul fluturelui- bataile aripilor unui fluture intr-un capat al lumii, pot starni un taifun in capatul celalalt. Tu ce crezi?

Mai mult decat atat, nimic nu ar fi existat daca nu as fi fost inconjurata de oameni calzi care au avut nebunia sa visese alaturi de mine, care mi-au oferit increderea lor, sprijinul lor si carora, pentru toate astea, le multumec din suflet.

Where is the beginning?
Translated into English by: Rral
Why do people make a blog? Who gives a damn about all the things that they had made, had seen, about the places in which they had been, about what they had felt, about what they had learned? I don’t really know, but because I strongly believe that not writing anything about my experience in Brazil I would forget many things and it would be a pity, I decided to join the group of the ones who share their life with whomever mistakenly or not gets to read their blog.

No matter what your reasons for reading this might be, welcome. I hope you will find what you are looking for and if you find suitable writing few words as an answer, then it is so much better.

How did I get here?

Where does this story start from? Could it be in April 2007, when I realized that the next step I would like to do in AIESEC would be an executive board abroad experience? Or maybe earlier, December 2006, when I said to myself that the right time had come for me to have an executive board experience in AIESEC Bucharest. Though a month later, the water had been poured on the head of the one standing next to me, I would always think of that as being the best decision ever. Or maybe the beginning stands in BPM 2006, when I decided to enter the fight with a non-existent project, instead of joining the people development area in the organization.

Nevertheless, I dare thinking that none of these would have been possible if somewhere in 2005 hadn’t existed a recruitment form, three interviews and a wonderful trial period open gates to the world, through it is known as the international platform for young people to discover and develop their potential. AIESEC. It’s easy: the butterfly effect- the beating of the wings of a butterfly in one side of the world can cause a tsunami in the other side. What do you think?

Moreover, nothing would have happened if it weren’t for the warm people around me who had the madness of dreaming together with me, who gave me their trust and offered me their support and to whom I owe so much! Thank you!