Oli's Life

Strategic Change

2008-09-01T06:18:00.002+02:00

Those people who have checked my blog recently have probably realized that I haven't been updating it regularly. Sorry for that! There's actually a lot I would like to share - my discoveries in Beijing, my travels and the good time I'm experiencing in China. But somehow time doesn't allow to write long posts, upload pictures and have an updated blog. Moreover I'm not sure how many people actually know about my blog and check it...

Because of all these reasons I've decided to change my strategy. From now on please refer to my facebook profile for status updates, pictures and notes. This is not only more convenient for you guys as you have only to log on to one page and are checking facebook anyway, but that way I can also reach more people that might be interested in what I'm doing here in China...

So see you on facebook! :-)

It has been a while...

2008-07-10T06:28:00.002+02:00

Sorry guys for not updating my blog for so long. Actually I wrote some more posts, but somehow they were not published...strange! Oh well, over here everything has been going fine...I went to class for three months, went travelling (Zhengzhou, Inner-Mongolia and Xi'an) and also explored Beijing by day and night. It's an awesome place to be right now, everything is changing so fast, but still it's an exciting blend of traditions and the modern world. I enjoy my stay to the fullest and it's great to live here - uni is very interesting, my teachers are great and I also made some good friends. And also the future looks very promising. My summer course starts soon and after that I might travel to Seoul (South Korea) to visit some friends and then already my fall semester begins. And of course the Olympic Games take place soon. Good stuff coming up!

In case you want to see how my life currently looks like, please check facebook for pictures. And I will try to update my blog regularly in the future.

I'm in Beijing!

2008-03-23T08:27:00.002+01:00

A couple of hours ago I arrived in Beijing! The last couple of days were very tough - lots to prepare for my adventure and many emotional goodbyes. I'm glad that I'm finally here, although I still have mixed feelings. On one side I'm looking forward to go to uni, to move in my apartment, to go to the city centre and so on, but on the other side I miss my family and friends, I'm worried about the pollution and the quality of the air, and if I get along at all. But I hope these doubts are gone within the next couple of days. I'll keep you updated about how my "get-used-to-Beijing-transformation" proceeds!

Change

2008-03-03T22:57:00.002+01:00

Not only in the presidential nomination campaign in the US "change" is the dominating word, it's also the word that describes best the situation I'm in. A lot is changing these days. Some days ago my term as local committee president of AIESEC in Bern finished, some weeks ago I received my final university results and now have the Bachlor degree in Law, and very soon (on March 22nd) I'm leaving to Beijing where I will study Chinese at BLCU.

On one hand change is a good thing, it gives you the opportunity to start something new, to grow both personally and professionally, to discover a new culture for instance, but on the other hand it also means to leave your past behind, to say goodbye to your friends and family and to leave the cosiness and security of your daily life.
I'm very much looking forward to improve my Chinese, to dig deeper into a different culture, to be surprised and challenged every day and to simply have the time of my life. But I'm also worried that I have wrong expectations and that things don't turn out as I want. That's always the risk when you're going abroad for a longer time. That's difficult especially for me - a person who likes to plan and therefore to minimize risks.

But I believe you can only grow if you're challenged, if you leave your comfort zone and try out new things. And that's exactly what I will be doing in the coming months. And I know that once I'm there I will love it and forget all the worries I have now. So far that has always been the case...we'll see how it turns out this time. The level of excitement is rising...

Good times in Gstaad

2008-02-24T21:52:00.004+01:00

Last weekend my EB and I went to Gstaad to celebrate our term, to look back, to have fun and to be together a last time before our term ends. It was HILARIOUS! We went snowboarding, ate delicious food, drank good wine and spend hours with talking, being random, laughing...here some impressions...

Good times in Japan

2008-02-24T21:25:00.008+01:00

Here are four pictures that stand for the good times I had in Japan...Being funny before going to the Onsen (japanese hot spring) in Hakone

Warming up with a cup of hot sake between visiting temples in Kamakura
Lunch at Hitotsubashi University...good food, sunny weather, great laughs...

Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo: Sushi breakfast at 7 am...yet everyone is smiling!

Sugoi

2008-02-20T21:05:00.006+01:00

Sugoi - great in Japanese - is the right word to describe the time I spent in Japan. Every day I visited interesting places and also learned a lot about the country. Here are some surprising, interesting and funny things I noticed during my stay in Japan:

- Japanese love coffee and sweets, so on every block you find at least one café or sweets shop...or maybe it's only because of the long working hours (for some jobs 16h)
- Taking the shinkansen train is a true experience. Not only it's very fast (300 km/h), but you can also watch the train crew bow towards the passengers when they are leaving the car after checking the tickets
- Valentine's Day is BIG in Japan, but unlike over here, there only women give chocolates to men (including their collegueas at work). But don't worry, men also have to be generous and give something back. This day is called White Day (14th March - one month later) where men have to give a gift to the women who gave them some chocolate. The mean thing is that the present is supposed to be more valuable than the chocolate ;-(
- Japanese sanitary installations are amazing: Not only they have the most advanced toilets I've ever seen (the seats are heated and the toilet is equipped with different water sprays), but the showers are even better (you can adjust the exact water temperature, switch on a heater fan (respectively a cooler fan) and after you're done you can let everything dry in the "dry mode"). And then they have the best hand dryer in public toilets ever - for once your hands actually get dry!
- Literally every 10 meters you find a vending machine with relatively cheap hot and cold drinks on offer, so you're never thirsty

Tokyo

2008-02-19T23:31:00.013+01:00

Tokyo is an incredible city - it offers everything you could ever ask for, it's extremely safe and clean, has the best public transport system I've ever seen and is full of surprises. You find skyscrapers, but also village-like areas like Daikanyama, you find entertainment districts like Shinjuku with its neon-lit streets, but also numerous shrines and temples, you can explore the world's biggest fish and vegetable market, but also shop till you drop in one of the huge department stores or shopping streets.

Back home

2008-02-18T22:58:00.003+01:00

Yesterday evening I came back from the land of the rising sun, from Japan. I spent two awesome weeks with visiting buddhistic temples, shinto shrines, beautiful gardens, exciting urban areas, eating delicious japanese food, learning more about japanese society and customs, being impressed of the japanese efficiency, service level and lifestyle and most importantly meeting my friends. In the next couple of posts I will write more about my trip, the experiences I made and of course also share some pictures!

Japan I'm coming

2008-01-25T23:23:00.000+01:00

Maybe you're wondering what this title means as I've been telling everyone that I would go to China in spring...don't worry, this's still the case, but before that I'm travelling to Japan. This has been a plan for a while now, but it never worked out. Until now. Besides doing sightseeing in Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara for a couple of days I will be visiting two friends of mine in Tokyo. Mayo who I got to know in Shanghai one and a half years ago where she was an AIESEC-intern and Maija who I got to know two and a half years back at a seminar for expatriate finnish students (students with partly finnish background). I'm very much looking forward to seeing my friends again and also to experiencing a culture that is fascinating me. The mixture of modernity and tradition, the rich cultural heritage, the customs and of course also the food (I'm just lovin' it, can't wait to taste the real stuff!). I'm very lucky that I'm going now to Japan as the ticket fares are relatively low, there are only few tourists and I can stay at my friend's house. Japan, adventure part I, I'm coming!!!

Highlights of the week

2008-01-25T23:18:00.000+01:00

These are the hightlights of this week:
- Snowboarding and enjoying the sun on the Wasserngrat-terrace on Monday
- Transition with the EB elect on Thursday and Friday
- Concert of the japanese pianist Hiromi (contemporary jazz) at Marian's Jazz Room in Bern
I hope next week is getting even better...;-)

One week of true relaxation

2008-01-23T14:14:00.001+01:00

Just yesterday I came back from an amazing week in the mountains. It was the best thing that could happen to me as I just have finished my two last Bachelor exams and was in need of a break. So I spent one week in the beautiful village of Gstaad in the Bernese Oberland with my parents. I was sleeping in, reading books, snowboarding, relaxing and of course enjoying the beautiful weather and the snow. It was just wonderful!

Now I'm back in Bern, organizing the coming months and of course doing transition for the new LC Bern EB. Everything is going so fast, can't believe that my term will be over in only a couple of weeks...but there will be new adventures waiting for me!

Tired, but happy

2008-01-12T22:28:00.000+01:00

The moment I've been waiting for so long has finally come, my two last Bachlor exams are written!!! After two five hour-exams and about two weeks of very serious preparation it was achieved. Maybe "achieved" is a bit exaggerated as I have no clue how the exams turned out and I will only know the results in six weeks. But until then I can enjoy the regained freedom, relax, sleep in, read the books that are waiting for me on my shelf, go snowboarding, prepare transition and finally organize the coming months.

After finishing my last exam on Friday at 13h I headed straight to the Lake of Constance where the member committee president of AIESEC in Switzerland for the term 08/09 was elected. It was very interesting to listen to the candidates, to see their passion and their motivation to make a change and to bring AiS further. But what I will remember this conference for is randomness that accompanied it. Starting on the train ride, continuing in the hallway of the house ("delaaaay!") and during the meals...it was just hilarious and I enjoyed it a lot. It was great to be together with a bunch of such cool people from all over Switzerland and once more live the spirit of the EBs of the term 07/08. I will definitely miss that as this was one of the last opportunities to come together before many of us, including me, start all kinds of new activities and adventures. This makes me feel sad, but at the same time I'm also grateful that I had the chance to experience such an intensive EB term and had the opporunity to not only develop both personally and professionally, but also met many great people that I otherwise would never had met! Thanks for that and let us continue the randomness!!! :-)

Today's pick

2007-12-12T19:32:00.000+01:00

Here's today's top 4 of my playlist:

- Alicia Keys "Tell You Something"
- Kanye West "Champion"
- Mary J. Blige "Work That"
- Musiq Soulchild "Buddy"

Most recent development

2007-12-12T18:47:00.000+01:00

The last couple of weeks have been very busy. Not only have I handed in an important paper for university, but I also attended a TtT in Belgium and of course took my duties as LCP very seriousely (highlight was of course the EB 08/09 elections last Monday). And so it happened that it's already mid-December! It's not that I don't like the holiday spirit - I actually love it, it's my favorite time of the year - but it's rather disturbing that I haven't come much further in my decision making process.

The latest scenario would be the following: Do an MC CEED in Asia from March/April until August 2008, study Chinese in Beijing from September until December and after some travelling come back for an internship at a renowned company in Switzerland. And in September 2009 I would start with my Master's degree. Sounds cool, doesn't it?

As mentioned above it's just a scenario, so there's a chance that I will change my mind and make a totally different decision. And probably the most difficult part will be to get the MC CEED in the field I want and at the time I planned. So stay tuned if you want to read what I will be doing in 2008....

Always those decisions...

2007-11-14T18:43:00.000+01:00

Now it's mid-November, the first snow is falling in Bern, and I only have concrete plans until the end of February, but no clue what comes aftwards. That's crazy! Usually I'm someone who plans everything to the last detail, someone who knows his next steps very well - but not this time. It's a strange feeling, but also exciting, as my life will definitely change and something new will start. But what?

There are many options to choose from. I could start with my Master studies in Bern (with a focus on international law), change to Geneva and try to join the Graduate Insitute (and preferably do a Master in international studies with focus on international law), go for a Master program abroad, study Chinese at a fine university in Beijing, do an AIESEC internship or CEED in Asia or join an (international) MC. All the options look very attractive...

I've to come up with a decision very soon as there are application deadlines to be met and I'm kind of tired to think about my future over and over again. Anyways, the chances that my "misery" comes to an end aren't very good as most of the options hold the risk that you need to be selected - times of uncertainty reloaded.

Back in Bern, back in reality

2007-10-13T21:28:00.001+02:00

Yesterday evening I came home after having spent nine incredible days in Lithuania. Together with Caro (LCP Lugano), Sara (LCP Geneva), Marcel (LCP Zurich) and Rene (LCP Fribourg) I went on a two day-study tour and afterwards attendend the conference EuroCo '07 for LCPs from the WENA (Western Europe and North America) and CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) growth networks. Together with 157 LCPs from about 30 countries I learned a lot about myself, shared my experience and knowledge as LCP, got various trainings and learned more about the strategies in other countries. All the sessions were facilitaed by AI (AIESEC international) representatives, members of the WENA and CEE GN boards and MCPs from all over Europe.

On the study tour we had loads of fun, great laughs and many moments of true randomness. Although it was raining a lot, we still enjoyed it and got to see the castle of Trakai, the UNESCO cultural heritage site of Kernave and the beautiful Nida coastline (peninsula which is on the UNESCO natural heritage list). The latter was the highlight and one of the rare occasions we actually could enjoy sunshine. :-)

The conference EuroCo '07 started in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. There we had a public global village in a shopping mall and the opening ceremony at the university of Vilnius. Afterwards we drove to the conference hotel in Dubinggai an hour away. There we stayed at a beautiful site in the midst of a forest on the shore of a picturesque lake. Since my room mate from Poland didn't make it to the conference I stayed alone in a nice double room with TV, refridgerator, bathroom and hairdryer. It made my stay very comfortable and I enjoyed the minutes of extra sleep because I didn't have to fight for the shower. :-)

Conent-wise I profited a lot, I especially learned more about PBoX management, the Horizon GN project, alumni relations, the establishment of a board of advisors and the new IS platform. But probably the best thing of the conference was the international, open-minded, proactive atmosphere and the chance to network with people from all over Europe and beyond (e.g. Kazakstan and Australia).

To sum up: It was my best conference I've attended so far. I got valuable inputs for the work in my LC, got to know many cool people and simply had a great time! Now I'm very motivated to put my ideas into action and drive results in the second half of my term. Still it's strange to be back, to be back in reality. I miss the dynamic and fun environment and the people a lot, but the next chance for a great conference experience comes soon again. I can't wait for DO-IT '07 to start!!!

P.S. Since my camera was stolen I can only post pictures from facebook.
The Swiss delegation at the opening ceremony at the university of Vilnius
The fabulous study tour group on the top of a dune near Nida (Curonian Spit peninsula)

Cool exhibition in Bern

2007-09-21T20:02:00.000+02:00

There's an interesting exhibition with the title "100 Years of Tokyo" taking place at the Japan Information and Cultural Center next to the Embassy of Japan in Bern. On three floors you find photos that tell the history of the city of Tokyo and its people, of a city that was destroyed and rebuilt twice and of city with a rich culture. Check it out it's definitely worth it, it's on until October 26th!

Summer wrap-up

2007-09-21T19:52:00.000+02:00

This year's summer break is over and I'm asking myself if was a good one or not. On the plus side there are my trips to Berlin and Finland, the AIESEC conference ACT in Schwarzsee, my paper I finished succesfully in August. On the negative side there isn't really anything too obvious. Well, there were times I was just at home and not too active. Maybe I could have just enjoyed the few summer days a bit more, gone out more. But hey, after the busy spring I just needed a break to come down a bit, to reflect. So after all the summer was okay, not more and not less. I'm still thinking about the planned but not-put-into-action trip to Japan. I really wanted to visit the country and see my Japanese friend in Tokyo. But it was not meant to happen, because I put uni and AIESEC first and didn't want to take a risk. Should I have taken it, I will never know. Anyways, at least I have a new plan for next spring, to see the famous cherry blossoms (or sakura in Japanese) in the lands of the rising sun!!!

In the zone

2007-08-29T18:36:00.000+02:00

There are days you get up and know that you've started a run. With the first e-mail or phone call you get into a condition of hyperactivity and just work down your to do list, point by point. And always with an inner smile and with every hour that passes by you're more relieved that things you carried around for a while are now none of your business anymore. And until the evening your to do-list looks actually like a list and not like a folder of post its and random notes. Today was exactly such a day. After weeks of being in the university library and digging deeper into the myths of swiss private law, my to do folder almost bursted (okay maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but still...;-)). Now I'm more than happy that I took a huge step on my way to reduce those things I "so urgently" need to do. I'm looking forward to tomorrow and some more hours "in the zone"!

Regained freedom

2007-08-29T10:02:00.000+02:00

I'm free again, free to do whatever I like, to spend more time on AIESEC, on my Chinese studies and simply enjoy every day that comes. Well, it wasn't too bad either during the last three weeks, but since I had to write a paper for uni I couldn't think of anything else and didn't allow myself to be disturbed. So, yesterday was the day I handed it in, finally! After all it's good that I focused on my studies since I didn't do so during the last couple of months...it's a new feeling to me, but somehow I like it. The bad conscience is gone...yay! But the questions it for how long...;-)

Back from Suomi

2007-08-07T18:37:00.001+02:00

After a couple of very busy weeks I was happy to escape to Finland towards the end of July. First I travelled to Turku were I visited my aunt and cousin and could finally rest - sleep in, eat delicious food, stroll around in town, have nice converstions and practise my Finnish. After three wonderful days with my relatives I went to Helsinki to meet my EB and start team days. The first day we spent with catching up, doing some sightseeing and simply having loads of fun. But on the second and third day we were more serious and spent many hours on planning the new semester, revising the compendium, discussing the upcoming recruitment and induction of new members and all the other things we didn't have time for during the semester. The meetings were productive and I now feel very motivated to get things done and have an awesome second half of the term as LCP. After spending time together with my team I feel that we got stronger and also got to know each other better. I'm very much looking forward to working with them in the upcoming months.

While in Helsinki I also met some friends I got to know at a seminar for university students with Finnish descent two years ago. It was loads of fun to spend time with Liisa (American-Finnish), Amina (Egyptian-Finnish) and to hear what they have been doing. I also met Jarno who I got to know during an AIESEC exchange project. Together with my team and the before mentioned friends I also explored the bars and clubs of Helsinki, with the result that I was rather tired after four days in the capital. ;-)

After these exciting days ScaLDS 2007 started at the School of Economics with the opening plenary. The following five days consisted of intensive discussions, sessions on (personal) leadership, team exercises, workshops held by externals on current issues such as emerging markets or sustainability, but also of too little sleep due to funny parties, great laughs with the Swiss delegation and many unique moments of randomness. I enjoyed the conference a lot, although I was very tired and towards the end also caught a cold. Once more I realized how cool it is to be part of the vast network of AIESEC.

Yesterday afternoon I got back to Switzerland and also after sleeping in today I feel tired, but nevertheless motivated to put all the ideas of the last days into action. Unfortunately I got an assignment for an university paper which is due in three weeks today. Oh well, it shouldn't be too difficult to work for my studies and at the same time for AIESEC, or should it? ;-)

It's good, it's good, it's good to be...

2007-07-22T21:15:00.000+02:00

...an LCP, it's good, it's good, it's good to be an LCP! This shout is still true, also after having been in this position for already four months now. I was occupied with many other things besides AIESEC during the last couple of weeks (such as learning for an exam and travelling to Berlin) so I kind of lost my "AIESEC-hyperactivism" of the first months of my term. But fortunately this is definitely over now!!! :-)

Last weekend the LCP/MC weekend took place in Delémont which was simply fantastic! It was loads of fun to be together with the other LCPs and the MC - we laughed a lot, danced, sang and played ping pong. Besides socializing we also discussed current issues in AiS and learned about the new MC's year plan. The last three days were very motivating and I feel that the leadership team of AiS got closer and a great spirit arose! I'm very glad to have the opportunity to work with these cool people. Now it's time to move on and get things done from the LC's year plan, I can't wait to start working again after my trip to Finland and ScaLDS.

Post-exam excitement

2007-07-08T14:54:00.001+02:00

It's great to have summer break and time for all the important and not so important things that I was neglecting during the last couple of weeks. And of course I'm not locked in my room studying anymore, but can enjoy the beauty of Bern and have some fun. Although my regained freedom is only two days old I would like to share two "experiences" with you. On Friday evening I went to the movies, although the weather was unusually nice. My friend and I decided to see "Shrek the third" and we were looking forward to another entertaining episode in the life of the green oger. Unfortunately the critics were right, the movie was okay, but not more. It could not live up to my expectations and to the previous editions. There are some fun scenes, such as when Pinocchio desperately tries to avoid lying, but also pretty lame scenes. But if you liked Shrek 1 and 2, you should definitely see the third episode as well. It's still an entertaining movie and guarantees a fun evening! My favourite character this time is the cookie, the scene where his life is passing by is just hilarious and veeery cute!
Yesterday evening my parents and I went to eat out. We wanted to pre-celebrate my birthday as they're leaving for two weeks of holidays today. Since I'm totally into Asia we went to "Yu" which is a "modern chinese restaurant" as they advertise it. It's located in the Kursaal complex and has a beautiful terrace with stunning views over Bern's old town to the Alps. It's probably the nicest view you get in Bern, so it's the perfect place to bring tourists. The food is a rather modern interpretation of Chinese food (although there isn't actually such a thing as Chinese food, cause every province has its own cuisine), but very delicious. Unfortunately the stylish place is a "gourmet"-restaurant, so it's nothing for regular visits, especially as a student. It's something for special occasions or just if you feel like escaping daily life and spending some hours enjoying good food! :-)

Finally done!!!

2007-07-06T18:25:00.000+02:00

During the last ten days I was almost only studying for my exam in criminal law. Okay, that's a bit exaggerated, cause of course I was spending a lot of time on the net and every now and then I had to watch how Alinghi was doing in their America's Cup races and then there was also Wimbledon going on. Anyway, for my standards I was studying a lot and today it all had an end. Finally! From 8 until 13h I was writing the exam and to my surprise the time went by very fast. Usually I have mixed or bad feelings after exams (even though the outcome does not justify such feelings), but this time it's different, so I don't know if I should trust this new situation. Well, until I receive the result there's no use in thinking about the outcome, so the only thing I can and will do is to enjoy the regained (psychological) freedom to the fullest! A first step to accomplish this is my trip to Berlin next week. Talking about travelling, yesterday evening my attendance to ScaLDS (Scandinavian Leadership Development Seminar) in Finland was confirmed, so I will be flying to my beloved second home country towards the end of July! Yay!

Being at home...time for some updates

2007-06-27T13:42:00.000+02:00

These days I'm mostly at home, studying for my exam in criminal law. Well, that's at least what I keep telling myself to do since last weekend and what I'm planning to do until next week. But there's a huge gap between my plans and what I'm actually doing. Of course I'm learning for the exam, but at the same time I feel that I could be more focused, more concentrated. Somehow this exam is not too important for me, I don't really care what the result will be. Bad attitude, right? :-)

At least when it comes to my travel plans I'm slightly more successful, at least I know now what I will be doing in July. Besides all kinds of AIESEC events I will visit some friends in Berlin from July 12th to 16th. Should be cool, cause I've heard that Berlin is a fun city in summer!

My sister moved to Zurich last weekend, so from now on I have a place to stay in downtown Switzerland! Visiting my sis' regularly will give me the opportunity to discover the city even more. Next time I go to Zurich I will definitely visit the Museum Rietberg, where they have an internationally renowned collection of art from non-European cultures including great exhibitions of Chinese and Japanese art. Why the heck haven't I been there? :-)

Meeting marathon

2007-06-08T23:53:00.001+02:00

Thursday was indeed a strange day. It was all my fault, cause I didn't know any better than to schedule three meetings on that very day. But nevertheless I made it and I'm very proud that I survived 7.5h of discussing about important stuff, listening to new delevopments, giving my inputs, telling others about my work and current strategies and so on. To my own surprise I wasn't exceptionally exhausted after having attended the LCPM, the LC leadership meeting and the EBM and was still able to think clearly and not to act too randomly (at least as far as I can judge). The icing on the cake for this day was the 2h-Chinese exam right before the first meeting. But it was cool though, I spent last Thursday with the two things I currently like doing most: Studying Chinese and AIESEC. Probably I should focus more on my law studies...but hey, exams are only in early July. :-)

Planning needed...

2007-05-27T14:39:00.000+02:00

These days I'm thinking a lot about summer break and how I can use best the weeks between July 7th and September 23th. There are some set AIESEC events, such as the LCP weekend and ACT, but still, I have many options for the rest of the break.

During the last two semesters I've been neglecting my studies quite a bit, therefore I really need to spend some time on studying and on writing at least one paper which takes three weeks. Apart from that I'm pretty free. Friends from Berlin have invited me to visit them. It would be cool as well to travel to Finland (and attend SCALDS with my EB) or visit my Japanese friend I got to know in Shanghai in Tokyo and explore Japan a bit. Then there's still the slight chance to attend IC '07 in Turkey (depending on the MC's decision which LCPs can join them). Hmm, nevertheless I've soon to decide what my summer will look like...

Some weeks back I actually thought I would spend about 6 weeks in Beijing with studying Putonghua (Mandarin), but then I realized that due to my studies and AIESEC I cannot just leave everything behind for so long. Last summer I spent one month in Shanghai and it was absolutely amazing, the best time ever, so it's even more a pity that I cannot revive these times. But hey, you cannot have everything. I really want to take some time for AIESEC and reflect on the first half of the term and do things I didn't have time for during the semester. My summer won't be bad though, there are many exciting opportunities waiting for me, I just need to make up my mind and pick some of them!!!

Reflective times...

2007-05-15T21:07:00.000+02:00

Once more I came back from a great AIESEC conference, once more I'm going through a process of intensive reflection, once more I question many things around me. Where will the path I chose lead me? What do I want to change in the upcoming weeks and months? How do I get closer to my goals and dreams?

KICK-OFF 07 was an awesome experience for me, my first conference as a leader of LC Bern. Besides connecting with other LCPs and VPs, learning about strategies and functional knowledge, attending workshops delivered by externals, designing the LCP-jacket :-) and loads of randomness, I realized how much I value the experience I'm having right now.

It was great to see how the Newies got familiar with AIESEC and its culture, to see how they enjoyed the conference more and more every day. This was very rewarding after weeks of hard work during recruitment and induction.

One of the best and most emotional moments of the conference was Awards Night. I'm so glad for those who won the awards, they really deserved it. During the ceremony I realized how much of team the EB has become over the last couple of weeks and how much I like and appreciate working with them. The moment when LC Bern won the "LC Development Award" was just over the top, I felt so happy and was overwhelmed when I looked in the other's faces and felt the energy in the LC.

Now I'm very much looking forward to the next months and to everything that may come. I'm positive that the EB can keep up the good work. I can't wait to start new projects, to implement innovative practices and to see the Newies (or now Teamees) taking on responsibility and starting their AIESEC experience.
After this reflection process it's now time to get things done again, to bring ideas to life...tomorrow's EBM will definitely be a start!

Asian Music Part 4

2007-04-29T17:17:00.001+02:00

The last mv for today: Jamosa feat. Dabo (both are from Japan). Enjoy! :-)

Asian Music Part 3

2007-04-29T17:16:00.001+02:00

Here's some japanese Hip-Hop: Sphere of Influence feat. AI. Gangstas are everywhere, even in Japan! ;-)

Asian Music Part 2

2007-04-29T17:15:00.001+02:00

This is again Wang Leehom, but this time with a less "flashy" music video. You can even see some Chinese culture!

Asian Music Part 1

2007-04-29T17:14:00.001+02:00

Today it's time for some Asian music. This is Wang Leehom from Taiwan.

aiesecishly busy

2007-04-25T22:28:00.000+02:00

AIESEC - that's what keeps me running these days, that's what I predominantly think about, that's what I'm spending most of my time with. This highly intensive AIESEC-phase started on Saturday morning with the planning weekend in Zurich, continued in Bern with preparing and running the first induction LCM on Monday, followed by setting the dates for entry talks and informing the applicants about it plus an EBM on Tuesday and then, last but not least, today's compendium task force in the MC office. It's a lot of fun, but slowly I'm getting worried, cause actually I would be studying law and Chinese, should hand in an important paper....and during the next two days I'm completely engaged with entry talks. I like what I'm doing very much, it's great to see the success of recruitment (over 30 applications!!!) and it's awesome to work with my EB-team, so don't get me wrong. But still, working full-time isn't an option, I'm not in the MC. So, there need to be some changes, better time-management or maybe I should simply delegate more. Could be difficult right now if you consider the small number of active members in the LC. The situation should improve after KICK-OFF though, when there are many active newies. Well, that's at least what I'm hoping for. And AIESEC would be boring if there weren't any challenges, right?

Harvard World Model United Nations 2007

2007-04-05T17:04:00.000+02:00

As I mentioned before in my posts I attended the 2007 edition of the Harvard World Model United Nations conference (simulation of the UN). This year it was held in the CICG (convention center in the UN-quarter) in Geneva from March 26th to 30th and was attended by about 1700 students from all five continents and from about 40 countries!

During the week every delegation represented a country (in my case Thailand) in different UN-councils and bodies. Before the conference every delegate had to submit a position paper on two given topics that should reflect the actual political views of the country. I was in the World Health Organization and had to prepare two topics: "Children and HIV/AIDS" and "Afghanistan: Commbating communicable diseases in a post-conflict country".
On the first day we decided to open debate on the topic "Children and HIV/AIDS" which we then discussed during the whole week according to strict rules of procedure. We ended the week with passing a 6-page resolution on the topic.
It was interesting to discuss the topic in a formal atmosphere (formal dress code, rules of procedure, great venue) and to see the dynamics in a committee, how coalitions are made and finally the resolution is worked out. The conference gave me an insight in the diplomatic world, even though it was only a simulation which after all only tries to be as realistic as possible.

In the evenings the hosts from EPFL put together a diverse social program with events such as a global village (every AIESECer would have loved it, it was awesome!), a pub crawl or a cabaret night in a big top. It was cool to meet the people you were discussing with during the day in a more casual environment and to simply have a good time.

Unfortunately I missed the closing ceremony in the Palais des Nations and also the farewell party. Damn! The reason: AIESEC. Well, as an LCP I have my duties and one was to attend INPUT in Lugano. Actually it was a good decision, cause otherwise I would not have got to know the other LCPs and worked on the year plan. Well, you cannot have the 5 cent coin and the bread roll (Swiss saying)! ;-)

My friends in the WHO, Timor Leste (Diane from Australia), Guyana (Aashree from India/CH, studying at EPFL), Samoa (Lara from the US) and Zambia (Emmanuel from Mexico, studying in the US).

The committee room at the CICG, everything in a nice red!

Me in front of the CICG, notice the formal look! :-)

Cabaret night at EPFL with nice performances of the delegations from Taiwan, Mexico, Oxford, Harvard and others.

Tired & happy

2007-04-01T20:33:00.000+02:00

The last seven days were very intense, I experienced a lot, met many interesting people and was always doing something or going somewhere. No wonder that I'm now very tired and cannot think properly, I'm a bit confused and there are always random thoughts popping up in my head. :-) Nevertheless I would like to share a bit what I've been doing lately. From last Sunday until Friday I was in Geneva attending the Harvard World Model United Nations conference (simulation of the UN with about 1700 delegates from five continents) and the weekend I spent at the LCP conference INPUT in Lugano. These two conferences were both very nice and I enjoyed them a lot, especially INPUT since it was the starting point of my LCP-term . I got to know the other LCPs, we formed the Swiss Leadership Team and could actively contribute to the year plan. I'm very much looking forward to the coming months and very positive that there will be a lot of cooperation happening in order to drive results and lift AiS to an even higher level! About two hours ago I came home and the first thing I did was to open a letter from university - the letter with the exam results. And to my surprise I passed the exam in business law!!! :-) I can't believe it. I was absolutely sure that I wouldn't pass it, since my preparation was almost inexistent and due to time pressure I "answered" less than two thirds of the questions. Now I'm very happy with the outcome, but at the same time I know that I need to change a few things in this semester, including taking my studies more seriousely! Well, unfortunately I won't start with that tomorrow, because I will skip a class....

On track...

2007-03-11T21:52:00.000+01:00

I will officially be the LCP of AIESEC Bern from April 1st on . I already had a part of transition with Marie (thanks for all your valuable tips, tricks and hints!), the new EB is planning recruitment and the first weeks of the summer semester and next Wednesday we're all travelling to WENA LDS in South Wales. Exciting times coming up! :-)

Since the elections I'm very motivated and ready to start working. I feel that the long awaited moment is coming nearer, soon I'll be responsible for the LC together with the EB. I'm looking forward to my term, to working with my team consisting of four great individuals (well, at least so far...;-)) and with the cool members we have, to bringing the LC further, to cooperating and contributing on a national level, to working with the MC - there are so many ideas crossing my mind right now, so many things I would like to accomplish, so many goals I would like to reach...and now is the moment where everything begins and we, the EB, have the chance to do something great, to bring our LC to a new level, to have an awesome year.
I'm reflecting a lot on the coming months, on my role in the LC and simply on AIESEC these days. I'm trying to acquire knowledge in all the departments in order to be prepared for my term. My goal is to do everything I can, to give more than 100%, to try out new concepts, strategies - simply to have the best experience possible.
It's up to me what I do with the chance that was given to me when I was elected as LCP. And I'm sooo ready - even to the extend that I'm neglecting my studies. As long as I like what I'm doing I don't care...for too long I've been the serious role model student.
It's very motivating to be with people who are as passionate as I am, my EB VPs, but also yesterday evening at the MCP election. It was cool to meet some of the newly elected EB VPs and LCPs, the people I will be working on a national level, people I will see at conferences, people who are in the same situation as I am, who have the same goal. Is there anything cooler than that? I don't think so. Somehow I'm almost scared of the energy I'm feeling right now, where will it lead me? Will there be people who share my ideas, give support and will I be able to live up to my own expections? I'm curious about finding the answers in the coming months...

Awesome time

2007-02-27T15:56:00.000+01:00

Last Wednesday two friends I got to know in Shanghai came to Switzerland. We spent the first two days in Zurich with exploring the old town, strolling along Bahnhofstrasse, having fun in the zoo, enjoying the great weather on the lakeside promenade and much more.
Then we went to Bern and I proudly showed them my home town and again, the weather was very nice. There's nothing better than to sit on a bench in the "Rosengarten"-park and look down on the old town. Of course we also "enjoyed" a bit the carnival, but to be honest it's not really my cup of tea. Well, at least my guests could enjoy some Swiss folklore!
After a couple of nice days in the capital we headed for two days to my parent's apartment in Gstaad which is in the beautiful Bernese Alps. There we went sledging, had fun in the snow (was great to revive good old childhood times, it's amazing how entertaining snow can be!), ate delicious cheese Fondue, strolled through the nice village, conquered the peak of a mountain (with the chairlift) and observed amused the behaviour of a rich drama-queen (living cliché). She played with about thirty one hundred swiss frank-bills, showed off with her new diamond-watch (and told her daugther: "Look what mummy got today from daddy") and shouted through a café "I can't believe it, this is such a nightmare place" (because the poor lady had to get her chocolate cake from the counter like everyone else). This was just one of many funny moments, to sum up it was an awesome week I spent with my friends! Thanks for that, Suse and Alejandro!!! Two tips to finish this post: One of the best cafés in Switzerland is "Charly's" in Gstaad (sweets to die for!) and a delicious (but rather expensive) lunch place in Bern is "Tibits by Hiltl" (the salad-buffet is like "whoa").

Promenade in Gstaad with the Palace Hotel

Ji Dachun and Liu Ye at the Museum of Fine Arts Bern

2007-02-09T17:41:00.000+01:00

After some intensive studying during the last couple of days I needed a break and decided to visit the Museum of Fine Arts in Bern. I read in the newspaper that there's an interesting exhibition with two Chinese artists. Some time ago the museum showcased a famous exhibition called "Mahjong - Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg Collection" and since then they have regularly a "Chinese Window" with art from China. The current exhibition features two artists, Ji Dachun and Liu Ye. The painting on the left and the one below are both from Liu Ye. All his pieces have "manga"-stlye figures combined with strong colors (especially red in contrast with green, blue...) and sometimes critical messages, whereas Ji Dachun's paintings are relatively plain and show bizarre images and some strange combinations of body fragments, objects and figures. The exhibition is definitely worth visiting and with the entrance fee you also have access to the permanent collection with paintings from famous artists like van Gogh, Manet or Cézanne.

Babel

2007-02-03T15:01:00.000+01:00

"Several interwoven storylines unfold across four countries as difficulties in communication and understanding complicate life in the shrinking global village. A Moroccan shepherd, a pair of American tourists, a deaf Japanese teenager, and a Mexican nanny and her two young American charges are among the characters whose lives connect in unexpected ways." (www.oscar.com)

This quote outlines in a few sentences what the movie "Babel" is about. I saw it yesterday evening and since it is nominated for the Oscar as the best picture of the year (7 nominations in total) I expected a good movie - and was not disappointed. The movie plays in three different cultures, is full of contrasts (example: glitterling and futuristic Tokyo vs. bare and inhospitable Moroccan stone desert), has a great soundtrack, comes up with an unique camerawork (one of my favourites: Chieko in a club in Tokyo) and some great acting performances.

I don't want to reveal too much, so just go and check it out. I can definitely recommend this movie to everyone out there!

Hiromi

2007-01-26T11:54:00.000+01:00

Nope, this post is not about Japan or any other Asian country. By now I've realized that not everyone is into Asia as I am, so I keep that in mind when writing posts. :-) Well, this post is about a very talented Japanese pianist who plays a modern type of Jazz together with her band (drums, bass) and shows an unbelievable virtuosity and passion. Hiromi, who's only in her mid-twenties includes some electronic tunes in her play, which creates a great sound-frame.
And where did I hear from her? Well, I do have my connections (or guanxi in Chinese ;-)). By the way, did you know that there's a world-famous Jazz club called Marian's Jazz Room in Bern? Yesterday evening I went there to see the concert of Hiromi. I have to say, it was great! At least for the younger people in the audience, cause during the show some older "connaisseurs" left. Oh well, at least many others and I liked it and I can only recommend you to check the programme of Marian's Jazz Room, cause every now and then there are really cool artists coming to Bern.

WorldMUN - what's that?

2007-01-24T22:39:00.000+01:00

Some semesters back I used to be a diligent student. In some ways I still am, at least when it comes to attending the lectures and pretending to be a "good" student. ;-)
Actually I think it's not bad to be interested in other things besides your studies, well, as long as you pass all the exams. To be honest, being a law student is not the most exciting thing, at least when you're doing your Bachelor's degree. So I'm trying to balance the lack of excitement in my studies with AIESEC (LC Bern rocks!), studying Chinese (the coolest language ever!) at uni and other projects such as attending Harvard WorldMUN 2007 (veeery cool!). But, what the heck is that? Never heard of it?

Well, Harvard WorldMUN (World Model United Nations) is a week-long conference comprised of 1500 university students from over 35 countries. It's a simulation of United Nations committees as well as other international organizations. Assigned to a specific country, in my case Thailand, the delegates debate topics in the committee from their country’s perspective. The goal at the end of the week is to produce a UN-style resolution that addresses the issues discussed over the week. Before the conference starts every delegate has to prepare two set topics for his committee (in my case the WHO) and hand in position papers. Doing so you need to put yourself in the position of the country you're representing and try to play your "role" as truthfully as possible.
The 16th edition of this interesting conference is taking place in Geneva (organized by EPFL) towards the end of March. I'm going there together with a delegation from the University of Bern. For more info you can check the WorldMUN-website (link on the right side) or my blog after the conference.

Not that you're getting a bad impression of studying law. In your Master's you can for example specialize on international and european law which in my opinion is much more interesting than for example Swiss criminal law (it sounds more thrilling than it actually is). So I'm very much looking forward to the new era after my Bachelor's degree! Yay! :-)

Exciting times

2007-01-16T16:07:00.000+01:00

Yesterday evening the long awaited EB-elections took place. During the last weeks I was reflecting a lot about my future in AIESEC, about my visions and ideas for the LC, about my goals for a possible term and what really matters to me. No wonder that I was nervous before I had to go on "stage", deliver my speech and go through the Q & A. It was very important for me to convince the members, the EB and the MC VPs present. I wanted to show them why I made the decision to run for the LCP-position, what my goals are and why I'm the right person for this job. I'm so happy that eveything went well and according to the feedback I got people liked my speech and my answers in the Q & A. It was simply great to be elected as LCP! Still now I'm excited, thrilled...

Now I'm very motivated to start working. I would like to share my ideas with the great EB elect, have discussions about the future of the LC and develop strategies. I'm looking forward to the transition, to working with the MC and to simply everything that may come. There will be challenges, conflicts, difficult times - that's for sure. But that's part of the whole EB-experience and the intensive learning that's waiting for me. I really hope I can keep up the enthusiasm I'm having for the job right now!

Being that enthusiastic also has its bad sides, I'm totally neglecting my studies, even though I have exams in less than five weeks and should be studying. It's just hard not to be thinking about AIESEC, about the EB, about the future...

Elections coming up!

2007-01-14T14:47:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow evening the EB-elections of LC Bern will take place. As I announced in my previous post, I'm applying for a position. I will run for the position of the LCP. I don't want to elaborate here on why I feel that I'm the suitable person for this job or do any kind of election campaign. Right now I'm just very excited and I hope that I can convince the people attending the LCM. I wish that after my speech and the Q & A the members will have confidence in me and elect me as their LCP!

I will apply for the EB!

2007-01-07T14:39:00.000+01:00

Some of you know it already, others don't: I'm running for an EB-position! Already last year I thought about applying for the EB, but after some reflection I came to the conclusion that I was not ready for it. Now the situation is different, I gained experience in many fields thanks to the work in the TWIN OC, the ER team and the DO-IT OC. I think that I'm ready to take on responsibility and continue my AIESEC experience on the leader stage. I hope I will be elected and then have the chance to influence the future of LC Bern!

Happy Holidays!!!

2006-12-23T15:30:00.000+01:00

This post is very short and simple: I wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2007! Enjoy the upcoming days together with your family and loved ones, relax, take time to reflect on the past year and hatch plans for the new year, savour the Christmas delicacies and for those who are into winter sports: Have fun in the mountains!

Yes, I'm still here...

2006-12-22T21:36:00.000+01:00

It has been a while since my last post, sorry for that! The last couple of weeks were very busy. On the following lines I would like to share two highlights with you: The John Legend Concert and my weekend-trip to Berlin. Yay!!!

John Legend is one of my favourite artists, ever since I went to his concert in Zurich about one and a half years ago. He's a true musician and songwriter with an amazing voice and great songs. His debut "Get Lifted" is really a masterpiece full of timeless songs and catchy melodies. No wonder that it won three (!) Grammy Awards. Even though I'm not really into his latest album, I was looking forward to the show in Zurich. And I was not disappointed, the show was great! Two hours of both "old" and new songs, an energetic yet thoughtful atmosphere and a crowd and singer who enjoyed spending the evening together...the concert was worth every single cent!

Only two days later I got on the plane to Berlin. I was visiting a good friend (Susanne) I got to know in Shanghai. When I exited the baggage claim area a surprise waited for me: My roommate from Shanghai, Alejandro, picked me up from the Airport! I was really surprised to see him in Berlin, cause I had no idea that he was in town. After this positive shock I spent 3.5 days with sightseeing (the city is full of contrasts - western and eastern parts, new and old, rich and poor areas, you simply find everything), shopping for Christmas presents (unfortunately withouth the slightest success) , dancing (yes, Oli is moving from time to time), eating great food (I had no idea how diverse German Christmas specalities are) and of course spending a very nice time with my friends from Shanghai. It was awesome to revive those good old Shanghai-times! And then I also met Jouni, who some of you might know from this year's TWIN project. By the way, he's coming to Switzerland in early January. So, check my blog for updates.

Due to a December filled with many exciting events, I wasn't that serious when it came to preparing my upcoming exams, which means there's a lot of work waiting for me. How was the German saying again, "Zuerst das Vergnügen, dann die Arbeit" (freely translated: "First have fun, then do the work")? ;-)

Some thoughts on DO-IT 2006...

2006-12-06T19:01:00.000+01:00

A few days have gone by since the end of an exciting project called DO-IT 2006. It wasn't always easy, there were moments I doubted the decision I made after KICK-OFF 2006, the decision to join the OC. But these difficult moments made the whole project special, if everything had gone smoothly I would have taken the success for granted. But now I'm glad that everything went pretty well. I remember me saying in a discussion with Majken on Wednesday evening that my goal for the conference is to simply survive. I obviousely reached this goal. :-) With every day of the conference I grew with the task, wanted to deliver the best work possible. To be honest our team wasn't a real team until the conference started, we never had a real teambuilding, meetings with all OC members present were rare (except some on msn). It wasn't like we didn't want to be a team, just the circumstances made it very difficult. During summer break the OC was spread all over Switzerland, had summer jobs, went travelling. It was quite a challenge to coordinate everything and keep the project going.
So it was stunning to see how the team grew during the week of the conference. I can say that in the end we were a real team, supported each other and had a great time together. It was also very nice to work with the extended OC that contributed a lot to the success of DO-IT 2006. Big thank you for your amazing job! All in all DO-IT 2006 was a unique experience that allowed me to learn more about myself and what I'm actually capable of.

The OC-picture was taken in a restaurant in Fiesch on Sunday evening. Unfortunately there's no picture with all members of the OC and the extended OC. Too bad...

During the last couple of days I was thinking a lot about my next steps in AIESEC. I was generally asking myself what is important to me, what went wrong during the last couple of months, what could be improved and which topics really interest me. I don't know yet which opportunity I will grasp, how my life AIESEC-wise will continue. Fact is that I enjoy being part of the network and having the chance to discover and develop my potential, to simply feel the AIESEC-vibe and to meet so many great individuals. Where will the AIESEC-path lead me? Hopefully I will know the answer soon...

Wo zhaodao le...

2006-11-24T19:34:00.000+01:00

After a long search I finally found a partner for practising Chinese. Yupee! :-) Today I met the Chinese exchange student for the first time and after two hours of practising Chinese, English and German I have the feeling that both of us will profit. I really missed speaking Chinese since I came back from Shanghai, so now I'm very happy to have the possibility again...

Wo zhao...

2006-11-15T16:35:00.000+01:00

Wo xuexi Hanyu suoyi wo zhao Zhongguo ren gen ta yiqi wo keyi lianxi. Zai Bern Daxue mei you tai duo Zhongguo liuxuesheng, zhe jiu shi wo zhao zheli. Qing gaosu wo ruguo ni yao lianxi gen wo yiqi huo ni renshi yi ge ren ta yao. Wo neng jiao ni Deyu haishi Yingyu.

For those who didn't understand the sentences above: I'm looking for a native Chinese speaker with whom I could practice Chinese. If you know someone who is fluent in Chinese and would like to practise German or English (so that it makes sense for both of us), please let me know...xiexie!!!

"Laoshi hao!"

2006-11-05T18:50:00.000+01:00

"Laoshi hao!", that was the first thing the random group of people had to learn. Fortunately I understood the words, cause they were in Chinese. This scene was the beginning of my first T'ai Chi lesson. Why did I go there? I was just curious to see what the sport is like and if it could be something for me, and hey, I'm still living the "sino-lifestyle" :-) and I thougt, why not extending it to sports. After the explanation of the proper greeting, the laoshi (teacher) immediately started with the first couple of figures. He just counted "yi, er, san, si..." and the students tried to follow his moves. Sometimes it was pretty tough, cause some of the moves were difficult for someone who has never tried T'ai Chi before! But as the time went on, it was getting easier to follow. Then suddenly the teacher interrupted the exercise and started to show some "massages" and "stand still as long as you can"-type of exercises. The massages aren't massages in a western sense, actually everyone just massages his back, face, ears, even the eyes etc. in order to stimulate the flow of energy. Sounds weird? Indeed, at first it is! But in T'ai Chi everythings has its reason, it's very important to be in harmony, balanced and in order to reach this goal there are also massages. After this phase of "relaxation" the moves continued for a while and after about two hours the course was over. I have to admit, I felt tired (okay, the last time I did sports was very long ago), but very well. The laoshi then showed us the "Beijing figure", which we're going to learn, in its whole length. The way he did was very nice, he's moves radiated total control and calm. I doubt if I'm ever capable of doing it like he did! With a friendly "Zaijian" the class was over.

That was two weeks ago. I went to T'ai Chi class again last week and I'm also planning to do so this week. Okay, to all critics: I agree, it's not a high performance sport, but still, you shouldn't underrate it. It's very good for your balance, flexibility, coordinative abilities, body control and you train muscles you didn't know you have. The more bended your knees are, the more exhausting the figures are. And actually T'ai Chi is "defensive martial arts", which our teacher loves to show us with a poor student as his "victim". :-) With the right moves you can control your opponents attacks and make use of his power. All in all, it's a very healty sport for body and soul!

"Sino-Lifestyle"

2006-10-21T18:19:00.000+02:00

I've been back in Switzerland for a while, but I guess everyone who has met me recently does not agree on that. Not only am I constantly telling about China and the experiences I made, but I'm also living a "sino-lifestyle". You need some examples? Here you go: This week I attended an intensive Chinese course at my university (4h of classes every day, continues next term with 4h weekly), I'm drinking at least one pot of tea daily, eating a lot of Asian food, listening to Chinese music, reading a lot about Northeast Asia, doing some more hours of Chinese language studies at home, watching movies from China, Japan and South Korea...Am I crazy? Hmm, good question! :-) Is there any mentor around? ;-)

2006-10-07T19:02:00.000+02:00

Chinese Music Part III

2006-10-07T19:01:00.000+02:00

Chinese Music Part II

2006-10-07T18:59:00.000+02:00

Chinese Music Part I

Today it's all about music - Chinese music. I will introduce you the three biggest stars in China, Jolin Tsai, Jay Chou and Wang Leehom...Enjoy! :-)

More photos from China...

2006-10-05T12:57:00.000+02:00

Some impressions from Shanghai...

2006-10-03T13:34:00.000+02:00

Back in Ruishi

2006-09-26T20:18:00.000+02:00

It has been a while since my last post, sorry for that! Now I'm back in Switzerland and trying to adjust again - but this is easier said than done! Especially after four amazing weeks in Shanghai, in China. This whole time was just awesome, it exceeded my expectations by far! I'm already missing the people I got to know, the delicious food, the atmosphere in the most exciting city I've ever been to, the cheap taxi rides, the new things I learned every day - I could continue like this for ages. I will go back to China, to Shanghai, that's for sure. I could even see myself living in SH, the city just offers everything, the best of two worlds!

More on SH will follow, this is just a short update. In the next post you'll also find some pics...

Xia ge zhoumo

2006-09-08T06:03:00.000+02:00

This weekend I'm going to Nanjing, a former a capital of China. It takes us 3h to get there by train, but I think it's worth the trip. I'm going with three AIESECers, a German, a Japanese and a Chinese! Should be a lot of fun. The AIESECers here in Shanghai (LC Fudan and LC SJTU) are very active and organize a lot of activities. Last Wednesday we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant and tonight we all go to KTV (Karaoke). The Chinese and Japanese are experts in that field, so I'm already looking forward to experiencing them in action. Next week a cultural night and other events will follow.

More about my "adventures" will be posted soon...

Wo feichang xihuan Shanghai!

2006-09-06T09:26:00.000+02:00

These days I'm very busy attending the language school and exploring the city with my friends during the afternoons and nights. Here's so much to do and see, awesome shopping districts, so many great and cheap restaurants, cozy bars and exciting clubs (the design is just like whoa!). I'm busy all day long, heading from one place to another and always meeting new people. Of course I practise Putonghua every day and I really feel that improved a lot since I arrived. The people here are very friendly and helpful. I experienced that some days ago: I live in a small compound in a shared apartment. Last Monday night, after spending a funny evening at KTV (Karaoke, but much better than in Switzerland, cause you have your own luxury room!), I couldn't open the door to my bedroom. I tried everything, woke up my room mate (a guy from Venezuela), went down the the "guards" at the gate and talked to them, one came upstairs and tried to open the door - but without any success. So I asked him to call some specialist, which he did. The guy who came broke up the lock and changed it. All this happened in the middle of the night and I was really surprised that my Putonghua was good enough to explain them everything!

During my first week it was very hot and humid in SH, like 30 degrees in the morning and 36 in the afternoon. So it wasn't that comfortable to do sightseeing and walk around. But this week the weather changed, now it's more like european summer. Chilly nights and warm days.

Last weekend I went to Zhujiajiao, which is a so called "water village" half an hour drive away from SH. Of course the place was very touristic, but still I experienced a more traditional China, a China that you don't necessarily encounter here in SH. SH is very modern, but still there are areas like the old town, that have stayed pretty chinese. But hey, also SH is real China, it's just not like many foreigners expect China to be like. It's very impressive to see how the city is developing. Everything is happening so fast, I just wonder how long it continues like this. Hopefully for very long, since this is a great place to be!

Food plays a very important role in China. Traditionally people don't go out to bars (except the rich, hip or young people in the big cities), but rather gather for dinner. Chinese eat earlier than the Swiss, usually in the late afternoon, around 5-6pm and order many dishes for the whole table. This is very nice, cause you get to taste different dishes and experience the rich chinese cuisine.

Wo feichang xihuan Shanghai - I like Shanghai very much!

Arrived well in SH

2006-08-28T13:43:00.000+02:00

After a long flight and some troubles with the pick up from the airport (the school driver came one and half hour late, cause they had a wrong flight number!) I arrived well in Shanghai. The city is just very impressive, it's huge, full of people and also very loud. You find very rich, western areas next to traditional Chinese quarters, you see many wealthy people with their luxury cars but at the same time also poor people begging for money, there are nice tropical parks but also a lot of traffic and air pollution. It's a city full of contrasts...

The first days I spent with AIESECers, a german girl who is on a traineeship (not with @), three @ trainees from Japan and a VP from LC FDU. It was fun to explore the city with some that are already longer here, so I learned a lot. I'm also invited the upcoming AIESEC events, so I will definitely get an insight into how AIESEC works in China. I'm already looking forward to that...

Today was my first day in school, the course is interesting and I got a good impression of the staff and the teachers. The best thing is, that my shared apartment is only a 10min walk away. My roommate is Alex, a guy from Venezuela. The bedroom is nice, but the rest is rather plain and has no A/C. But all in all it's okay and I have everything I need.

More will follow soon...

Ready for the adventure?

2006-08-23T21:39:00.000+02:00

At the moment I'm very excited and also a bit nervous. No wonder, I'm leaving to Shanghai on Friday! That's crazy. A few weeks ago everything seemed so far away, but now it's becoming reality. Am I ready for this? I hope so! I mean I know when my plane is leaving, there will someone be waiting for me at Pudong Airport and I've a place to stay. So I shouldn't be worried. But still I'm a bit scared of the things that lie ahead of me. I've been to Asia before, but in my opinion China will be different to everything I've experienced. I've travelled alone, but I was always pretty sure that I could talk to people on the streets in case I needed to ask for directions or help. But this time it will be more complicated, cause English isn't as widely spoken in China as in other countries. I've studied Putonghua at uni for one year, but still I only know the basics. And I'm not so sure if I will remember the tones right when I'm for example trying to buy a phonecard - if not, the people won't understand me. But hey, I'm there to improve my language skills! Even tough there will be a language barrier I'm very much looking forward to the all the special moments I'm going to experience. :-)

By the way, I heard that sometimes the access to blogspot.com is denied in China. There's a trick to nevertheless write posts, but I don't know if it works. I'll give it a try. So don't be worried in case I don't post anything...

Guess where I'm going...

2006-08-20T20:52:00.000+02:00

Imagine a city with a population of 14 Million people, a city that has developed tremendously in recent years, a city full of energy and live…You’ve no clue which place I’m talking about? So, maybe some pictures will help…

Yes, you’re right, it’s Shanghai! Perhaps you’re wondering why the heck I’m going there. The answer is simple, I’m going to attend a language school! I’ve been studying Putonghua (or Mandarin) for one year now and in order to improve my skills I’ve decided to go to China. I'm leaving next Friday and staying in Shanghai for one month.

I'm very much looking forward to experiencing the modern face of China but at the same time also to getting a deeper insight into the country's rich culture and eventful past. I've heard so many stories about Shanghai and China in general, now it's time for me to see if they're true...

What a happy day!

2006-08-19T21:44:00.000+02:00

It took some time, but finally the growing blogger community has a new member. What a happy day! :-) From now on you will get a deeper insight into my daily life (how exciting you might think), the topics that are important to me (who cares) and last but not least some experiences I want to share with you (so what). I will try to keep this page updated, so try to check it every now and then. Stay tuned for more!