Another new home – Madrid or may be IE

I'm in Spain, I'm in Madrid. It is weird feeling again. I go in metro with many bags to MC Spain house. People in metro talk with different accent, it is hard to understand. I arrived to home. I met MC people and Pipe (AI IGN Director) and Gustavo, another guy who was doing CEED with MC Spain. It was interesting combination – 3 spanish people, 3 mexicans, 1 brazilian and me. Till the middle of December this was becoming my home. For the next 2.5 months I was going to study in Instituto de Empresa, do CEED with MC Spain – develop CRM system and do fellowship in IE – develop relationship between IE and AIESEC.

Life during studies is quite unexpected. It was too tough time to study. A lot of reading, preparations and so little time for yourself. But you enjoy it somehow J We are having a lot of fun with classmates like going to Mexican restaurant, going to bars in the Fridays, having international dinners at someone's flat, … Our class was friendly and we really like to be together. All people with whom I'm study has something unique and when you ask their life story it is exciting to listen it. It was so tough that by the end of first trimester I did not manage to visit Madrid very well (and of course any other city).

I really enjoyed to study with my classmates and with my working group. I think working group was one of the most productive teams I have ever worked. Mostly it was because Tamer (another AIESECer) was informal leader of the team and he drove it fast forward.

Day by day and first semester finished.

Back to home, back to Latvia

My trip home was very easy. I got used to flight so much. Just in 3 months time I had taken 5 airplanes. I took my flight Mexico City – Frankfurt – Brussels. In Brussels I had to change again to Brussels – Riga. Sitting next to the gates to fly to Riga I heard something weird and later on I understood that it is Russian and Latvian languages around me. This was so weird. And then I looked on people and I recognized that this is how Latvian and Russian people look like – lack of smile, talking in aggressive manner. I remembered that day how it is, how basic attitude in Eastern Europe are (sorry for generalization).

So I took my flight and went home.

The moment I arrived to Latvia was weird. I felt like it was just 1 week trip, not almost 1.5 years. I arrived to airport and met my family, whom I did not see for long time. The feeling was that I did not see them just for a short while. They did not change, just my sister became taller. We ordered taxi by phone and when I exit on the street it was cold, welcome back to home J

It was midnight. We were going in taxi to home and I saw streets I knew. But I had strange feeling. It was empty on the street. Even the streets were big, but there were no cars, no people. So different from Mexico.

When we arrived it was nice feeling. Relax. No worries. I'm at my territory. This is what I was missing – my territory, my big room, my stereo system. Next day I made small unpacking, but kept everything together, because in just 2 weeks I had to take flight again, this time to Spain. Next day we put Hammock that I brought from Mexico in my room. From this day I started to count days till my departure again. I had to plan those days carefully to take maximum advantage from them.

So I started to meet with people. I went to one buy party of Zane, where I met some friends and they were so happy to see me. This was the first contact with my friends. Later on I was giving my days to meeting with different friends. I tried to do it as much as possible. I enjoyed that time a lot, I enjoyed each meeting with friends, to telling them stories, explaining how great and difficult the Latino America is. Then AIESEC in Latvia invited me to be facilitator on National conference. Of course I agreed and I went to their conference to deliver one session and among delegates was my sister J Next day I was to birthday of mother of my good friend.

All the time I was in Latvia I was watching on people's life, attitude like I'm outside of this life, like I'm external or tourist. And I did not like that people are so stressed, aggressive, cold. I got used to another manner. And I did not want to reintegrate, it did not make sense.

So 2 weeks passed and I had to take my next flight Riga – Helsinki – Madrid. It was fun, because having 5 hours in Helsinki I managed to get out to watch the city. It was nice, but nothing special. May be because of the weather or may be because it was too short time. By evening I was already in my new home – Madrid.

3rd Feb My learning of the day

I decide to start to write some of my learning points from every day. I will try to do it every day, but I don't promise anything.

03 Feb 2009: Always be prepared, you never know what in the next moment professor can ask you J

Marketing research is very long and expensive process. Even if it is not mentioned time and financial constraints, they should be always be taken into consideration. Also quantitative and then qualitative market research more often is preferable.

Through process you can create value.

Main objective of companies is … not profit, but to survive.

Even huge and reach companies should always care about their margins and not go for market share by decreasing its margins. Today you are reach, but after 1 year you can be gone.

There are 2 main business strategies: Cost Leadership and Differentiation

In the business there is paradox. Why on the beach bars generally are based close to each other? Or why in shopping molls similar kind of shops are located next to each other? If bars and shops would be located separately, they would have their own small monopoly for that territory (no competition) and would have fewer risks. But the reality is different because by putting bars or shops next to each other, you have CHANCE to get more customers, who is coming to this territory to get what they came for. Paradox, but reasonable.

Back to home - Mexico

My Mexican family met me in airport and brought me to their (my for next 6 days) home. When I was in the car, it was one of the rear moments when I felt that I'm at home. I never felt Mexico as my home so much. It was so easy feeling. I knew language they talk, I knew their way of acting, culture. Places looked similar and I knew how to go where and what I should be aware of.

When we arrive at home, we with my Mexican mom started to make chilaquiles for a breakfast, spicy and delicious. That day I did not do too many things except chatting with family and in the evening with my new-old friend-girlfriend Adriana by skype. Distance between us was 5 hours by bus. We decided to meet each other on 3 days – 16^th September to go to celebrate independence day together to Hidalgo Dolores. And this is what happened. It passed only 4 or 5 days when I saw her last time in Brazil, and now we meet again on another continent, another country, in Mexico. Now I presented her to my friends from AIESEC Mexico. We spent amazing 2 days. One of them was Independence day. It was awesome, I love independence days in Mexico. A lot of happiness, proud, green-white-red colors all around. We spent this day with many AIESEC people, who in the beginning were surprised to see me again in Mexico, they though I'm gone at all, without expectation that I would return. Next day in the evening we came back to Mexico city and I had to say final bye bye to Adriana, she had to go back to Veracruz.

All other days I spent very tranquilo I met some friends, I went to MC office to help them with some things, I ate there awesome food and then next day I had to flight back to my primary home – Latvia.

One of my friends Jennifer brought me to the airport and I went. Bye bye Mexico. But this time without any defined plan of return. But knowing that I definitely want to return. As many books about Mexico says – who visit Mexico, will come back. I did it already once(return to Mexico), but I feel like doing it more times.

This was the moment when I felt that my fairytale finishes, when I'm leaving the Latino America – region with amazing people, but too different culture for me able to live there. The part of the world when I spent brightest 1.5 years of my life. To leave the people whom I really liked and who was very dear for me. But new period of my life is coming and I'm too excited to go back to finally see my family.

Lima, Peru

As I mentioned my flight was going through Lima, Peru. Already in advance I asked some my friend, whom I met during IC to meet me and show me the city. I had time from 12pm till 12am – so whole day to enjoy the Lima.

My friends met me in airport and we went to get to know Lima. In the beginning it looked similar to other poor countries in Latino America, but once we crossed one bridge I saw how beautiful Lima is. Later on I found out that also it is veery cheap comparing to Brazil and even comparing to Mexico. I bought many souvenirs and we ate very good food and everything was cheap.

Lima has one of the biggest diversities of sweets sold on the streets than I see in any other place. All that sweets are very tasty.

I spent great time in Lima and I really liked the city, but in the night I had to take my flight to Mexico.

It took me another 6 hours (both flights together were around 11 hours, yes not so close as you might think). And I'm here, at my home – Mexico.

After IC – Enjoying Brazil

IC finished, but another fantastic things are to come like 12 more days in Brazil, 1 week in Mexico, 2 weeks in Latvia and then finally Spain.

Let's go step by step – 12 days in Brazil.

First 2 days we had post-stay, where we had final CC party, that was awesome and relaxed. We born the past and was looking to the future. One night we set down all of us and had 3 hours sharing session. Many people was crying-happy, others were happy, others were sad, … In that days we were preparing everything to close our work.

One night we set down to watch City of God – old movie about Rio de Janeiro, where in slam "city of god" was showed level of crime – very scared movie – too much blood, too much crime and too much of reality in the movie.

Then people one by one started to leave, others were preparing their trips. I did not join any group for my trip because I had limited budget and most of them were going to Foz de Iguacu where I already have been.

So I decided to travel alone to the north by Atlantic coast. After del verde I spayed one day at MC house where I left my things and met Dante from my Mexican MC team. We had nice evening and then next morning I left to Sao Sebastiao. After checkin in hostel I went straight away to Ilha Bella – island next to Sao Sebastiao. I discovered north part of island and was planning next day to explore south part. Next day I went to hospital just to make vaccine from Fiebre Amarilla, I made it and then I wanted go back to island, but wind was too strong, so the boat that is only way to go to the island was not going. So I had to stay on continent and to explore Sao Sebastiao. I went through the seaside and enjoyed my day.

Next step – Rio de Janeiro. Just one day before I arranged accommodation in the Rio de Janeiro, with one girl who was CC of YouCan 2008. So I had her number, her address and I had to take bus, that would arrive to Rio at 6am L Rio de Janeiro is one of the most crime cities in the world. So I was scared to arrive to bus terminal at 6am. So I arrive and it was fine – people, police and day already started for many people (kind of early). So I decided to check some opportunities to get to home of my friend (taxi was the last option). By metro was too complicated. But by bus they told me it is easy. So let's see how to get there by bus. So I had to take bus 266 (I guess it was the number) with direction to Ciudade de Dios (City of God in English). Oooops. 7am and going to directions of city of god. Not the most attractive beginning. But my stop was much earlier than the final stop. So I got to place of my friend very easy.

I went through some nice places in Rio, then met a girl in the tram. We went out in the same stop – final stop and she told me to go for a walk. We went and next to her home, she invited me inside to put her stuffs and later go for a walk. So I entered and after some little talk, she was trying to pursuit me to have intimate relations. It did not work out and I went to the university, where AIESEC Rio de Janeiro office is is based, to see their information session for potential new members. I asked to give me 5 minutes to give a speech and they gave me 10 minutes in the last part. I told them about message "as much time you will invest into AIESEC – even much return you will receive back as your experience". It seemed that they liked it.

Next day I spent all day on the beach (I love beach in Rio) and in the night I took a bus to Vitoria.

In the morning I arrived to Vitoria, contacted Pablito and he told that he with his friends are going to Guarapari (city 1 hour from Vitoria). So I took bus straight away and went to Guarapari. After some time I met Pablito and we spent great day with his friends (some of them I knew). Later on we split to 2 flats. Before having a party we stayed at home to take shower, relax and so on. We were 2 Brazilian boys, 1 brazilian girl, 1 german girl and me. We had nice talk and I got to know that in Brazil in big cities for young people to start to have sex at 15 years in normal thing. For me it was shock, but yes, differences J

In the night we did not go out. We went to our flat and were playing some games till 4 am.

Next day we went to Vitoria, where I saw amazing views and actually all the day I spent at flat of one friend and Pablito. In the night I took bus and went to Belo Horizonte.

I arrived there around 8am without knowing where I will stay. I knew there is AIESEC intern from Veracruz, Mexico – Adriana, and she told that she will organize something for me. By arriving I did not know where should I go. So I called her to home number and we agreed that I can leave my luggage at her home and in the evening we will figure out what to do. I arrived to her home and found out many interesting facts:

• she is cute
  
• it was her last day in Brazil and tomorrow she had to take flight to brazil
  
• that day she had bye bye party
  
• she did not have anything to do that day
  

So it was perfect timing for me, so we together went sightseeing. We went pretty far to watch mine with stalactites. After that we set down on the rock and was enjoying the view. On the way back we were sure that we like each other and we got a kiss. After coming back we went to eat and prices were so much cheaper than in Sao Paolo. In the evening we - me, Adriana and her flat mate went to bye bye party. Her friends was surprised that Adriana came with her "boyfriend", but it was very funny, especially answering her friends questions where did you get to know each other. By answering "I was working in AIESEC Mexico", I went around their question without lying. J Party was pretty good – nice people, my new girl, caipirinha, …

Next day we had to split, because Adriana had flight back to Mexico. So she left and I went to another city (2 hours from BH) to watch famous gold mine. It was awesome experience to be inside the real mine. Inside was one place with small "lake" with completely transparent water. Later on they showed me the process of filtering gold. Then I returned to BH, was walking to see night city and then left back to Sao Paolo.

I arrived in the early morning and by afternoon I went for sightseeing, when I met with Alexandra from my CC IT team in museum. Later I went to see Sao Paolo from the top, stock exchange, … next day in the early morning I took taxi to the airport and took my flight Brazil – Peru, Peru – Mexico. This is the moment where my Brazilian experience finishes by now.

I wish to return there. I loved that country. People are awesome – friendly, beautiful, happy, great singer, have so diverse culture, …

Definitely I will go back one day. And again, I left and I did not miss anything and anyone too much. I believe I will meet all these people and that places one day again.

IC 2008 in Brazil

Very early in the morning, around 4am, in the Day 0 of IC 2008 in Brazil we had to put all luggages of all delegates into buses. It took us couple of hour's hard work. When we finished it we finally went to Holiday Inn.

Plenary was decorated awesome, I saw that everything was ready except some technical challenges, but it is always the case. Opening ceremony … It was amazing. Then we went to Global Village. I enjoyed it for a short while and then I had to go back to hotel to see if Opening Plenary is ready.

Working during IC was one of the hardest team leading experiences, when communication inside the team was not effective, when team management and team had some mistakes and finally dissatisfaction of the experience. After that we had feedback and re-planning meeting and after that everything went a little better. This was taught 1 week with lack of sleep, with a lot of running around the hotel, with a lot of stress. You could learn perfectly the fact that "when people are stressed their communication becoming not-right and it brings conflicts and tension between people", this could be observed very easy through our experience.

But finally everything went well. In the last day me and Urus decided not to go to sleep, but stay till the end of party and then go to sauna. We stayed till the end of conference, then we were chatting with African people – they were teaching us some African games, then we took breakfast – sauna – breakfast and the last day of IC. Another interesting story came here in the last day.

Closing plenary where I was managing it. Everything was going fine until AI wanted to put closing video (9 minutes long), that was pretty static and just talking. So the video was in PAI computer, that I had to connect to projector very fast. I did it, but cable was not so good and in order to make it work, it should be hold by someone, so I was holding cable while video was playing. I was tired, video was static and long and it is natural person can get a sleep that happened with me. So I was in the front of everyone, managing video, holding the cable and when I get asleep, my hand release the cable and video stop to show, just sound were continuing to play. My luck that only <10 people could see that I got asleep J. I was just for couple of seconds. So I continued with video and similar thing happened with me again (for couple of seconds). After that no more surprises J

Then came hugs, bye-bye's, more hugs, sugarcubes, packing things to the buses and going back to del verde.

IC is finished. 5 months of work (talking about me, other people had different duration), a lot of stress, fun, new people and now its over. Should I be sad? Yes, I should. Am I? Yes, but a little bit. I feel that during 5 years of AIESEC experience you get used to such sad situations and you know that soon you will meet this people again.

So we are back to Del verde to CC post-stay.

Life in Itapacerica da Serra

After I moved to hotel del Verde I stopped to write my blog L

But I will tell very brief what happened during next 2.5 months in Brazil.

So I moved to hotel del Verde and a little later we with core team went to watch Rodeo. Interesting thing happened when in order to get inside for free, I had to go in the microbuses with crew of some singer. When I was going in that microbus, we were going with police security around us. Interesting and cool feeling.

Then I went to Foz de Iguacu with main goal to prolong my visa and with other secondary goals like visiting Foz de Iguacu waterfall. I visited museums of birds, hydro electro station, I went to Puerta de Iguazu en Argentina and visited waterfall from Argentinean side, in the last day I met with my team member Meet Shah and we went together for couple of hours to Ciudad de Este in Paraguay. Trip was really awesome even taking into consideration that most of the time I was alone.

When I came back to Sao Paolo, in the bus to hotel Del Verde I saw nice girls with Japanese appearance and I decided to sit with her and get to know her. Finally I found out that she is also from AIESEC and also from CC team. Was great accident. After arriving to Del Verde I met many new people who were Team Leaders and finally I got to know Felix, who was part of my team. In the first evening we were drinking Argentian beer.

The pre stay in del verde was unforgettable part of my life and I need a lot of time to describe all of it. In few words – CC pre stay was containing of having a lot of parties, living in very nice place, eating a lot of tasty food, chatting with cool people from around 25 different countries, waking up by wake up team with innovative approach, having trip to Rio de Janeiro and of course a looooot of work.

Then came IC 2008 pre-meeting where stress started, when we were lack of beds for delegates, when delegates were complaining to service, but we were too busy with preparation of IC, to make any improvements. In the first nice happened something really bed. Somewhere around 2am, when short time before I went to sleep, Juan Pablo from Colombia was going to one of the small houses in the territory – they place where we were making check-in and where we had computers and some private laptops. When he entered the house he heard some noise there. He started to check and then exit 2 guys and showed him the gun and run away with backpacks. Juan Pablo started to run behind them and then he heard sound of shouting gun and bullet flight not far from him. He was Ok; nothing happened with him except shock and a lot of thoughts what is value of life. From the check-in house was stolen 2 private laptops of some CC members. Next day we had extra ordinary CC meeting to discuss the situation, to discuss how we can secure ourselves and delegates and how to deliver this situation to the delegates in proper way.

This was only very bad situation all other things were great.

During the pre-stay and pre-meeting happened something great that I knew will impact my life. I got results of my application to universities. Firstly I got to know that I was selected to study in Universidad Carlos III Madrid(UC3M), later on I got result that I was accepted also to Instituto de Empresa(IE), that was priority number 1 for me to study. But to be completely happy, financial issues was stopping me. UC3M cost 10,000 EUR and IE cost 33,000 EUR. So where to get money? So I was waiting for results of my application to scholarship to IE and finally after some negotiations and agreements I got scholarship that was acceptable for me and to my family. This moment were I was very happy, when I recognized my future – next step after Brazil is 1 year doing masters in Spain. The future is decided. Let's get back to the current moment.

In some of that days I tried to drive a tractor, it was nice new experience :)

Then we moved to Holiday Inn to deliver the legacy IC 2008…

Life in Sao Paolo

My arrival: After saying bye bye to my Mexican friends and family I left another part of the world – to Brazil, to Sao Paulo. My plane went well – I flight 6 hours till Peru and then 5 hours till Sao Paulo. When I arrived to Sao Paulo, no one met me in airport. I knew that someone is going to meet, but it was frustrated to not receive hug in the same time as I exit (as it was when I arrived to Mexico). I walked a bit inside airport looking for blond girl (CCP is blond girl from Australia), but didn't find, tried to call and send message from my Latvian phone number, but it didn't work out, but after some 15-20 minutes blond girl arrived J From this moment started my 3 months in Brazil.

I exit from airport and there was a lot of trees and very nice territory (as you imagine Brazil – green). Then we took a car and went to MC home. Here I found out that Sao Paulo is not exactly Brazil as I imagining it, but it is pretty grey city. Then I got explanation that Sao Paulo is city for work, nothing about too much tourism or relax, so it's fine. Arriving to home was interesting. It is small HOUSE, with 4 floors, with 8 rooms (3 of them are MC and CC offices) where lived at that time like 20 people. When I arrived there were all the house was sleeping, because night before they had MC bye bye party, so no comments J Thanks God it was in the bar not at home, so home was not destroyed.

I left my bags and told, "OK, now I want to go sightseeing", after some negotiations I found some guys to go with sightseeing. We went by metro and … metro cost 2.40 Reais and it is like 16 pesos. So each metro/bus ride is painful for your pocket, but nothing to do. We were walking half of the day – went to Japanese town, watched center, the most important street and it didn't make for me too much expression. At that day I already started missing Mexico J

New things: In the night we went to bar next to home to watch football Brazil –Uruguay and it was boring, because Brazil didn't score, but received 2 goals. Interesting is the way they drink beer here. Bottles are 0.6 litres (not 0.325 l like in Mexico), they order 1 for all people and they share it. When it finish they order another and in the end they split the price. Another interesting thing is how they count how much people ordered. On the table waitress put one special paper, where after each beer you order they put mark and in the end they count how many marks has table and give the bill. You might ask, what if I just "lost" the paper. Then you have to pay like 200-300 Reais that is like 150-200 USD, so you don't want to lose this paper J In some bars they give individual paper and after you order something, they put their mark and in the end you go and pay it. Also in many places you can pay separately. For example, you sit with friends in the bar and when you need to pay, who has credit cards can go and pay some amount of money and then bring a cheque to common bill. So no problems if many people want to pay with cheque.

Work. Our office and house are very close, it is just another floor ;) From the next day I started my working day. I woke up, but woke up late and went almost directly to my team Monday Meeting. It was pretty organized and effective, after that I went to take my breakfast. In the beginning I even didn't have my own table, but later I got one for me to work. Work in Brazil (at least in my team) is organized. According to plans, deadlines and you don't need to remind many times to people what you need from them. I liked it a lot.

AIESEC Brazil: In the world rank AIESEC in Brazil is 5^th or 6^th with more or less 400 exchanges and more than 25 LCs (including extensions). MC every year has transition even, when they invite all partners and alumni to present very brief results of the year and new MC team. There I got to know LCP of extension PUC - Lucas, who was actually doing EB CEED in LC Veracruz 1.5 years ago, it was great to talk about Mexico, common friends, … Then he invited me to the barbeque party. It was happening on the roof of one skyscraper in the city center. Very fancy place. There I met a lot of trainees from different countries and was all the time speaking Spanish, because so many people speak Spanish J There I met also 2 trainees from Mexico from LC Veracruz and LC Culiacan. It was amazing, we had a lot of fun with them and other trainees from Latino America. In Brazil they also have a lot of trainees from Colombia. Next week Lucas invited me to LC meeting of his LC to give some motivational speech to the members of his LC. It took from me 40 minutes and everyone was listening me, laughing and got a lot of energy and motivation by the end.

Brazil: Here is winter now, so it is kind of cold now, especially in the house. I didn't know that Portuguese and Spanish languages are so similar, I don't have too many problems talking in Spanish and see that people, who speak only Portuguese, understands me.

I already did 2 trips in Brazil (outside of Sao Paulo). First one was to Serra Negra, which is nice small city and there is museum "Disneyland of robots", pretty interesting museums of robots. There I went alone and I didn't know that you have to buy tickets very in advance. So I didn't get ticket to the bus back to Sao Paulo, they finished. Because of it I had to go back through another city to get to Sao Paulo and again my Spanish knowledge helped me.

Another trip was to Campos de Jordao. I went there with Mexican trainee from Culiacan and that city is magic city. It is like Switzerland. During the day there was warm, I was going in t-shirt, but in the 6pm it became cold - 8 degrees. We rented bicycles there and enjoyed the day a lot.

In the night we went back to Sao Paulo (we arrived at 10:30 pm). We took a metro, then train and then bus to arrive to another house in another city. There we were invited by my college Laura to make rappelling from the bridge next morning. Next day we went to make rappelling from the train bridge and it was amazing.

Yesterday I moved to the hotel del Verde, where we will stay for next 1 months until IC starts and where will stay also all team leaders and teamsters, who will arrive in 1 week. Here is amazing place – nature, sun, far from everything, swimming pool, birds are singing, … I enjoy this place a lot.

This weekend I'm going to Foz de Iguacu to visit world famous waterfall and also will cross to Argentina to get new Brazilian visa, because this one will expire in 1 week.