Monthly Archives: October 2010

Raise your hand if

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Last Evening I went to an AIESEC Bonn Event. They were presenting AIESEC to students. We call this Big Picture, they call this Informational Evening. I believe that more than 70 guests were in the room.

So… after the LC presentation a trainee pop out in front of the audience and stated to taked about his exchange experience. To get to know his audience better he asked some questions:

Raise your hand if you have left Germany!
All hands were in the air.

Raise your hand if you have left Germany for more than two months!
Almost all hands were in the air

Raise your hand if you have left Germany for more than one year!
Kindav 90% of people had their hands in the air

Raise your hand if you been to US for more than six months!
Lots of hands in the air

Raise your hand if you been to Asia for more than six months!
Other lots of hands in the air

Raise your hand if you been to Latin America for more than six months!
Many hands in the air

What? What? What? Damn…
I am really intrested how the situation looks like in a presentation in Timisoara or in any other Romanian LC.

Miniskirts have a totally new meaning to me

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I was expecting this from France. We all have prejudices. In my mind I was expecting to see a lot of women in miniskirts in France.
Nehh…

Bonn, Germany
Never before have I seen skirts that are this short. Some are just like a longer blouse. Some are just hard to track.
When? All day long. No matter if it’s weekend or not, evening or day, girls wear their cute, almost non-existing miniskirts.

Some other rules are broken here: never have a miniskirt and a blouse with a large décolletage.

I couldn’t find any representative pictures for how short are the skirts here, without being vulgar.

Oh, you are Romanian

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In the train with a German ticket collector:
Oh, you cannot speak German? Shame on you! (still he had a friendly smile on his face)

At home. The first flatmate that I met (he is Polish):
Oh, you are a girl. Damn… another one. What? You are Romanian? Oh, man! No, no, don’t take me wrong but I wanted a guy in this flat … and not a Romanian, because we already have a Romanian. You know… It helps for diversity: 2 guys, 2 girls… from different countries. But yes, no, no. Don’t take me wrong I think you are amazing.

In the canteen with some German guys:
Oh, another Romanian. You know we have a lot of Romanians in DHL? In Germany in fact :( Then the silence stroke.

In the canteen with a British man:
Oh, the only thing I know about Romanians is that I should hide my wallet. Ahahaha (friendly). So, what do you think about gypsies?

Some party with Polish/Bulgarian/Hungarian people:
Oh, you are Romanian. Well, I am from Poland/Bulgaria/Hungary. Nice meeting you.

In a train to Belgium with and old Belgian lady:
Oh, You are Romanian. Do you speak French. Un peu? Let’s try to learn more. Ok, kisses, have a nice time in Belgium and take care.

Columbian people:
Romanian? Como estas? All Romanian women learned Spanish from la novelas. Have you?

My Chinese colleague:
Oh, You are Romanian! :) Please, tell me more about the European customs.

Maybe I have received too many: Oh, you are Romanian. And that made me a bit sad.
Still I could not notice that all the people (no matter the nationality) that had a normal, friendly, adult reaction were more than 30 years old or AIESEC. Continue reading →

Weekend in Brussels

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Last weekend I have visited Bruxelles (Brussels) and I had the surprise to discover a lot of things that I like.

First of all, on Friday, I have met AIESEC’s interns and had some drinks with them.

Saturday I went shopping and discovered some really nice shops near City2 (a shopping mall in the city center). I was glad to see that, even though things cost more than in Romania, the difference is not that big. I didn’t want to jump the horse so I didn’t buy a lot of things. The evening was all about Delirium. A huge pub in the city center where the only alcoholic drink that is served is beer. Of course, they have more than 300 sortiments of beer.

But Sunday, Sunday was the best day of this weekend. Why? Because, tougher with Anca’s friends I went to Walibi, an amusement parc close to Brussels. The train was really cheap because during the weekend all people that plan to have an one day trip get a discount and they pay only half of the ticket price.

The main attraction in Walibi were (are) the carousels. They have like 4 or 5 big carousels and some other things that in my opinions work as carousels on your body. I have tried some, but at the ones that looked really scary I just preferred to take pictures of the brave people that had a ride in them :)

I will returned in Brussels tomorrow. This time is for work because DHL has an important office there. I can barely wait.

Continue reading →

What do you know, Germans are thoughtfull

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My experience in Bonn is way more better than I hoped for. First of all, I’ve got the best AIESEC Buddy I could imagine, she really took care that I have everything I need.

So, now, I officially live in Bonn because I registered at the City Hall. They gave me some tickets that I can use to visit the museums and other things in Bonn for free. I also got a bank account for free and starting with next month DHL will reimburse my bus and train tickets … which is great.

Today it was my first day at DHL. Huuuuge buildings with a lot a people working there. It’s complicated but welcoming.

Since it was my first day I went to have lunch (lots of food) with other AIESEC interns here in Bonn and I took a ride with the elevator. Just went up and down 33 floors. I know it might not be interesting, but it made my day. Great tingle in the stomach. There are a lot of interns here and many of them are Romanians … which I think makes me less interesting since I have a lot of predecessors.

Yesterday I have met more than 30 people. Today more than 40. There will be a time when I will know all their names. Meanwhile … meanwhile I have no idea with what to start.

Quick visit to Koblenz, Germany

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Koblenz is a city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck (German Corner) and its monument (Emperor William I on horseback) are situated.

Yesturday I have been there. The city has a great history that I have find out about during and after my short visit in Koblenz.

Around 1000 BC, early fortifications were erected on the Festung Ehrenbreitstein hill on the opposite side of the Moselle. In 55 BC Roman troops commanded by Julius Caesar reached the Rhine and built a bridge between Koblenz and Andernach. About 9 BC, the “Castellum apud Confluentes”, was one of the military posts established by Drusus.

Remains of a large bridge built in 49 AD by the Romans are still visible. The Romans built two castles as protection for the bridge, one in 9 AD and another in the 2nd century, the latter being destroyed by the Franks in 259.

Nice, small, German city.

I have also seen Basilica St. Kastor, a huuuge statue at the Deutsches Eck and an old (huuuge again) bridge.

The French and the Germans shared this city over the centuries. Now is, for sure, part of Germany.

I have uploaded some pictures in an album here.

More on lovely Wikipedia.

Day 1 in Bonn

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This day started in Timisoara in fact. It was really difficult to wake up and finish packing because one night erlier I went to a club and did stuff that you do in a club.

12.45 pm
Timisoara Airport – Security room(my skirt was too tight) – Plane – Dortmund Airport- Bus station (missed the right bus by 2 minutes) – Small train station (missed the right train by less than 2 minutes) – Big Station – Train Koln – Koln (train cancelled) – New train to Bonn – Small delay of 20 minutes – Bonn. Iei!

So, I have arrived in Bonn at 7 in the afternoon and the first thing I have tried was … Mc Donalds because I was tired of carrying my heavy luggages. They have the best fries I have ever tried before: American Fries (a mixture between French and Romanian fries).

In  the train station, Lara, my AIESEC buddy was waiting for me. She was really nice and took me to my new apartment which looks wonderful. I have also met a Polish guy that lives in the same flat and help me with some shopping. I have a good feeling about them :)

Now I am looking at the map. Bonn is situated in the best area possible. Next weekend I plan to go to Brussels.

I have to idea what to do today. All the shop in Germany are closed on Sunday and I have no friends to make plans with …yet.

I shall see. The day is shiny and the possibilities are bright!

AIESEC Timişoara Recrutează. Sign up!

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AIESEC Timişoara cea mai bună experienţă de voluntariat pe care o poţi avea când eşti student.

De ce sunt aşa sigură? Pentru că am fost membru AIESEC Timişoara aproape trei ani şi acum m-am întors în organizaţie pentru cea mai tare experienţă pe care am avut-o până acum.

E o chestie pentru părinţi … o chestie pe care nu o înţeleg întru totul. E o sectă pentru cei care nu au mers la o facultate prea bună şi sunt bine prinşi în cutia lor, e o organizaţie concurentă foarte puternică pentru cei care fac parte din celălalte organizaţii. Dar e normal ca părinţii să nu înţeleagă chiar tot ce faci, să fie hateri pe lume şi să găseşti concurenţă unde ai cu cine.

În tot timpul ăsta am aflat câte ceva. Ar trebui să aplici pentru AIESEC dacă:

Vrei un job?
Deşi nu asta am ţinţit un job, asta am primit după ce am fost coordonatorul unui proiect AIESEC Timişoara. Nu ştiam ce fac în clipa în care m-am decis să mă implic, însă am avut lângă mine oamenii potriviţi care m-au ajutat să îmi dau seama care e drumul potrivit. 8-9 luni mai târziu, când proiectul s-a încheiat, am primit şi cea mai tare ofertă de job.

Vrei un internship în străinătate?
În trei zile plec în Gemania.  Săptămâna viitoare încep un super internship la DHL. O firmă cu branch-uri în 220 de ţări şi teritorii. Eu merg la sediul central. How cool is that?

Vrei la party-uri?
Uhu, eu da! Dacă intri în AIESEC Timişoara poţi merge la party-uri cu 10 sau cu 600 de oameni. Toţi deştepţi şi rezistenţi la orice. Nu vei vedea niciodată violenţă. Unii dansează, alţii se joacă, uni ceva sticla in mana, alţii dorm în camerele lor, unii stau în colţuri şi vorbesc, iar majoritatea încearcă să agaţe ceva. Continue reading →