My first Month in Macedonia :) (2nd part)

Lets talk about the AIESEC life now… so far I had the chance to be involved in different teams during my aiesec career, but only once I joined to a team when the team was already consolidated as a team, long time ago, but at that moment the situation was different and I was sharing with friends I knew even before to became aiesecer, so there were no challenge at that point of time… what I mean is that now I’m part of this MC Team, but I’m not part of the Team itself, I don’t know very well my team mates, they don’t know me too, so I can say this is the most difficult part of start as MC member after the team was already formed; I know my team mates are trying hard to take me as their MC family, and I know that I’m also trying hard to became part of the family, but for sure this will take more time, is just like this and we need to do it step by step. I’ll admit this, I miss my lovely Super MC and I want to feel the same with my new team.

The MC life is awesome, I remember that the nicest moments in the MC team where in the National Conferences, because we used to spend days before the conference living together and working together, and those where the moments when I felt we were working as one and working in the most effective way. Now I’m having the chance to do that all days, I live with one of my team mates, the MC office is close to the MC flat, and we work in the office for all day, working together and having fun together all the week; this is a experience I missed since I was LCP, and now I’m living it again. Now, as one my dear ex team mates used to say, what is the learning point of this? well, when I worked in mc peru the reality was different, we couldn’t work together in a physical office so we starting to work in the virtual office, which focus us in the communication channels (email, phone calls) and we learned to being effective in that; now we don’t have that need, but even so, I see that those kind of communication skills are so important even when you have you team mate working a couple o meters from you.

The first impression from my teammates to me, well I guess is… this guy need to raise a lot of money for the MC, is completely important and also mainly urgent… and also he has to raise more money for IPM which is also completely important and mainly urgent… so, why he took the challenge? Is he aware of that? Is he crazy? ...... Hahahaha, well is true! I’m a little bit crazy, but I also like challenges, but even more to achieve those challenges :)

My MCP (is still weird to said My MCP for me, hahaha), he started to call me the workaholic Peruvian guy, because he noticed I was working almost 12 hours per day in the office during this past two weeks, also my team mates started to send my mails and msn messages like… why are you still in the office???... Go to home! ... Go to rest! ... Go to watch TV! ... Stop working!!! Its 8pm!!!! … And perhaps you are the only guy who is in the office, right??? … Hahahaha, well those are the message I got during this last days, hahaha, my new team are really cool!

I just want to finish this part with a personal reflection, no matter from where you come from or in what part of the world you are, with AIESECers you will always feel like a family. :)

My first Month in Macedonia :) (1st part)

My first perspective…

Almost two months ago I made an important decision… I decide to apply for an international leadership position after my term as MCP, the country where I applied was The Republic of Macedonia.

Currently, on my first month living in Skopje, I want to share my first impression of the country, the MC, and me itself as AIESECer working as MC abroad.
Lest start with the cultural shock… is one the things I’m dealing all the time, ok, let’s see behind… I’m coming from a Latin culture, Spanish speaking; a guy who loves salsa, merengue, cumbia, and almost all rhythms in South and Central America, and now in Central Europe with people who loves electronic music… is funny! I fact last weekend I went a to open public concert of drums and bass… once I heard something about that, but now I experienced… hahaha, I really wanted to have my camera and capture everything I saw and send it to my friend in Peru, hehe, they surely would enjoy that.



The other thing is the Language, hehehe, Spanish Speaking guy, who also speaks a little bit of English, trying to communicate in a country where most people just speaks Macedonian and other little bit of English as well, hahhaha, the first week was nice, curious and sometimes poetic, hehehe, both cultures trying to communicate with words, physical expressions and draws…

The food… well, I have no complaints related to this very important and sometimes crucial point in my life, hehe, as any trainee, ceeder, or visitor in other country, the aiesecer wants to share the best restaurants, bars, fast foods and other food stores and corners around the city, which is just perfect, in matters of this point, I’m starting to love Macedonia… the food is similar than the Latin food in several aspects.

The night life, also, I had the chance to been in different welcome, goodbye and birthday parties and also concerts; meanwhile I used to go parties, drink with friends and dance almost all the time, the difference is the music, electronic instead of salsa, vodka instead of pisco, … but now, this is what I really love the most… the girls, :):):):):):) sometimes I thing I’m in the paradise, hahahaha, they are just beautiful… I’m in love again, but ok, I have to admit, the latin girls have something special that I really miss, but I’ll spend one year here, so I need to use to my new way of life :)

... to be continued...