JNC
**From June 24 to June 30th, I was at conference and did not blog on my computer but in my journal that conference had given us. This is what I was feeling during conference. Some things I say are very blunt but I felt the need to express myself and I am sharing those feelings now. **
24 June 2011
So today we went on a train and had slept for a couple of hours. We boarded at 5:30 and the train left at 5:45. It was a bit awkward because we only knew a couple of people. Thankfully, they spoke to us and vice versa. Something that Suzana said to me which I find interesting is that I appear to be confident and its not the first time I heard it in India. It brings me to the point about the difference between confidence and being obnoxious. I met some people that are obnoxious and honestly it’s giving me a bad taste of India. One thing I have noticed is shoving or not saying excuse me. I am used to it not being said in NYC but if I’m a foreigner then why do it if I’m a part of your organization, wouldn’t you want to get to know me and talk and be nice instead of being obnoxious and not talk to me or my friends and treat us like we are trash. We are students just like you and two of the interns are in AIESEC. Talk to them! I spoke to Suzana and it might be good for them to see what could be better.
On the 23rd we left around 3pm at the school. We miss the girls already and can’t wait to see them again. The train ride was a good one (kind of). The inside of the train reminded me of Eurotrip/Harry Potter. The LC (local committee) bought 15 while we are 21(-1) since one was coming on Day 2. We played charades and the guys that we were sitting with, strangers wanted to sleep. So how it works is supposedly 3 people are one “couch” and the person closest to the window sleeps on the bottom. The person in the middle pulls the back of the cushion and sleeps in the middle. The person nearest to the aisle sleeps on top. Thing is we were over so Suzana and I slept in one bed. Tehehe we almost cuddled. It’s a joke. I couldn’t sleep so she slept for a half hour and allowed me to sleep until we got to the station. We then waited maybe for a half hour for the bus. AIESEC Kolkatta joined us. We got to the “resort” and went to straight to do stuff. The day was long and fun.
25 June 2011
Yesterday, yes I’m writing during one of the sessions at conference, SONAR happened. It was interesting. It seems like a numbers game in all honesty. I wonder how many exchange participants are fully happy with the experience. I spoke with an intern from Baroda, just two to three hours away from Ahmedabad. She said that she didn’t get picked up from the airport from about two hours and the airport closed and she was by herself. The she quickly realized that the place that she was supposed to go for her internship is two hours away from her free accommodation. They also claimed to provide internet but she says at her job and not at her home.
This is one experience but they should be aware and not claim that this does not happen. Awareness is key.
26 June 2011
Yesterday was a pure AIESEC day. I think personally a lot of LCs are here to party. That’s fine but when there are people requiring your attention, it’s just rude to not pay attention. Think about it- paying for a conference to party at night and then not learning/realizing that you did not learn anything about your LC or expanding your leadership skills or the new ideas (forecasting) in your organization then PAY ATTENTION and suck it up. The MC’s are treating them like teenagers because they are acting like that.
AIESEC India was explaining new goals and it seems like they set up goals every couple of years and the LCs need to adjust to change which is great! Then we learned more about the MC’s and they had fun. The LC likes us and are starting to talk to us a bit more. I finally danced and went to the MC party that we had to have dates for. The night was fun and interesting. There was a lot of dancing and I’m friendly with the CHAIR! The chair is someone who is in charge of the conference who is a foreigner. She’s so chill and its funny to see how to locals treat her. We only slept three hours. And we can’t wait to go to the school and have a curfew (sleep at 10). Dana, US intern, informed me of an intern conference but we might go to Agra so we’ll see.
27 June 2011
I was at my breaking point today. The shoving of people as well as the talking over the chair are the reason why I might have had my breaking point. It seems that people don’t give each other respect. The lack of being green with regards to water bottles is irresponsible. Save your water bottles and use them. Stop asking me for water from my water bottle. Yesterday, I totally did not feel well. I had a headache and felt lightheaded. I’m guessing I was hungry, frustrated and a bit dehydrated. After dinner and a nap, I felt a bit better. We had evening plenary and had a bit of conversation. It was frustrating because an LCP did not understand where I was from. He seemed overly confident that every intern was happy from ICX (incoming exchange). When I went into a bigger group, they explained that it was a culture thing. They have stereotypes of foreigners and it was explained that we need to approach them and they think that we are constantly bombarded with questions.
I spoke to an EB member and everything that I noticed about the LC has been clarifies by him. He believes that it is true as well of some things that I didn’t put on the blog because it would seems bit weird to write down bad things about the LC when they have accepted me into the internship.
28 June 2011
I didn’t journal on this day but wrote down notes like the fact that one of the MC’s spoke to us and later on we spent a couple of hours just talking to the chair.
29 June 2011
I didn’t journal on this day either but had to do any exercise that I need to write a letter to myself. I learned that I need to find my passion. I need to be patient and remember to breathe and just let it go. Here’s the letter to myself:
Dear 24/25 year old Analucia,
HA! Graduated college huh? Is it a great feeling? Do you have a job that you like? Are you happy? Is there someone special besides *blank* in your life. Have you honestly enjoyed the last couple of years of your life?? Are you at the weight that we have always wanted to be at? Are you still friends with Ashley, Ana, Robert and Junior and Liz? Do you remember having food time with them? Are you applying for grad school? Have you taken the GRE? Have you lived with some choices with no regret? Are you living your life or are you just idly living? Are you working to live or living to work? Do you have a better relationship with Mom and Dad? Are you happy? Are you more positive?
30 June 2011
Notes from conference:
Don’t act like someone you should, act like someone you are.
Remember the coin punishment.
The future belongs to those who see all possibilities before they become obvious.
Random: You must give Brian access to GK Calendar.
Remember how the rain effected the fans and made them turn faster as well as the sound.
Motivation is something that I look back on and reminds me of the first half of GK last year. We need to improve ourselves and we did. I am so glad that I was a part of that team<3.
Remember to translate talent.
Remember the videos from Bene Brown and Caroline Casey from TED co.
They used the 212 degree saying like Carl did at Leadership weekend.
Watch the Goods.
1 July 2011
I didn’t blog yesterday because I did not sleep. My day started the night before and I had taken a nap at 9:30 to go the train. We took the bus around 11:30 to get to Jaipur at 1:30. Our train was at 2:30 and we had arrived around 1:45. Thankfully, it was an AC Sleeper and I had my own sleeper!! I fell asleep around 3:30 and woke up maybe around 9:30 but woke up an hour in between for a couple of minutes just to switch positions. I slept again around 10:30 to be woken up at 1:00 since we had arrived. We had nowhere to go so we went to Namita’s place and crashed there for the night. We woke 8:00 and then we left to go to the hostel. We missed this place so much and went right into work. I miss my parents and my friends. It was a typical day today and we have to organize several competitions for the kids on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Tomorrow there will be minor competitions that we have to think of yet. I should work on my Peace Corps essays but I don’t feel any impact yet. I’m unsure what to do because my recommendations have already been written and I need to take control of myself and do my part. I just need to think and fix on myself before I write these essays. Until tomorrow world!