AIESEC & the centre of Gravity

The AIESEC Experience. That's what I've been living for the past week.
The experience of attending Indian June National Conference 2008: being among indians from 14 cities, plus dozens of trainees having dozens of nationalities, of sharing beliefs, entrepreneur feelings, leadership vibes, jives and roll-calls!!
As I wrote already, AIESEC is the association, the international platform for young leaders that I belong to, which intermediated this experience I'm having.
Its goal it to develop young people's potencial enabling them to have a positive IMPACT in society.
It's good being an AIESEC'er. Check it out in www.aiesec.org

Pondicherry, a tax-free east-coast city around the State of Tamil Nadu, is a warm fishy smelling 'beachy' looking city, nice for tourism, nice for night walks, nice for beach and tan as long as you cover to your neck ;P - but still you'll have 30 indians trying to take your picture just because you're different. Well, result: got a huge awful sun mark in my shoulders as I was wearing a t-shirt in an apparently non-burning atmosphere - Uhuh! Gotta recover now. :)
Auroville, most specially MATRIMANDIR, is a site to be visited. It helds an imense tree that supposedly marks the centre of Earth's gravity, and bears a phantastic golden big ball-structure inside which people medidate around a cristal in a dark atmosphere. Inspiring - to say the least! Didn't go in as you have to schedule 2 days prior to arrival, but would like to one day. Many people from all over the world live around AUROVILLE nowadays: it is designed independently from any religion and welcomes anyone who wants to live a well-being spiritual peaceful life. Great environment! Truly recommend. http://www.auroville.org/

Well, have many international friends and acquaintances already. Won't be alone, don't you worry!
Lots and lots of love, feeling good, starting work tomorrow.

TIME is a blessing

Again I have to start by stressing what's been best in this since I got here: having TIME!!! Those who know me know what I mean. Really, time can really be a blessing. :)

Only after can our journey continue. 4th day here, so I'm in the situation of doing some some-ups already.

Still a stop to report you to the chosen image - not that personalized, is it? It's just that, to be here with you, I still have to walk for 1,5km (few, I know - lucky me!) and be in a tiny cabine full of heat (good enough that there seem to be no bugs! :P). Meaning: still couldn't dowload and upload the real pics you've been craving for! I choose to situate me in the map: BANGALORE, South of India, State of Karnataka, 6 million inhabitants, Indian 'Sillicon Valley', spoken languages: kannada, hindi and english.

Back to the 'having time' issue, some of you may be wondering: but didn't she come out of Portugal in a rush as she was starting to WORK the next day in the other side of the planet? Yeah right!, Indians have their own ways, and I discovered even this (that I'm starting only the 1st of July) almost by chance and not before insisting some! So this is one indian feature I could disguise already: in general they won't do it unless you insist, give reminders, get around the issue and pressure in some manner.

Getting to the point: Bangalore is full of challenges for me! Some hard facts:

• Some call it 'organized chaos' (which I'm starting to consider a good metaphor for Bangalore/ India), but I must refer to a specific characteristic again: the TRAFFIC is crazy! Even me :), I wouldn't dare to drive here. There are no rules, no lines, no one-ways, no directions, no lights, no zebra-crosses, no person on foot, no car or truck coming against you, no cow or queue or whatever... that will make them break. They just honk, stop just in time and one millimeter too close :), speed, squeeze each other and find their way whatever out-of-rule the path may be. And all this added to driving on the left hand-side of the road, with the wheel on the right side of the car. And oh my God the honking! - you get used to it, it's the city's own characteristic soundtrack! :)


• Well the BUGS and some Indian's sense of HIGENE has been turning out to be my biggest challenge so far. Just to sum up a never ending series of scares, being half awake all night, not taking one step in the house without taking a carefull screaning-type look at the floor area you're about to step in... My house is full of cochroaches, lizzards, ants, spiders and many flying mosquitos. They mostly hide during the day, but at night the horror movie starts... Not to disgust you with the details, I'll resume it to: the lady has been cleaning the house with water only; yesterday woke up with both eyes swallen (hardly opening as I had been beaten on both - looked SCARING!) - creamed and iced them for 6 hours, and then they were ok; last night, brushed my teeth in a non-lighted service zone of the house, as always, looking 'in the eyes' of a huge cochroach and rushing as much as posible; but it was ok until they got in - today woke up with one of them in my room, by the door. Enough to say that now I have a blanket covering the door step, and pillows covering every window. And an air mosquito repellent which worked for mosquito bites tonight! UFF!! GOOD NEWS: am checking another house (brand new actually) today.


• Am sleeping almost in the street as it comes to NOISE: wear ear tampons (and have the fan on all night, just for the record). From 6.30/ 7 am on, can't sleep anymore, as sellers come out on their bikes with portable tables full of fruits and vegetables (which I promise I'll never buy to eat :D ), screaming the name of their produce in kannada. And then there's the inevitable light: light courtains and no 'estores' (?) on the widows make it imposible to keep sleeping. REMINDER: buy eye mask (forgot the free one at the deluxe airplane ;) ). Summary: have been sleeping few.


• TEMPERATURE: It's not that hot. Bangalore is quite a temperate city as it's mostly cloudy all the time: but today I felt the sun for the first time and, yes!, it will burn if it fights the clouds! We'll see the tan in some weeks :).


• Bangalore is as COLOURFUL as I imagined India, or even more, and much more fashionable then I could think. No woman, whatever age or social condition, brings their hair uncombed or their sari badly placed. It's shining reds and pinks and blues and all sorts of beautiful fabrics in every corner!!


• It's plus 4.30 hours here than in Lisbon and Greenwhich meridian.

Some nice facts:

• ALREADY TRAVELLING: Will be in Pondicherry (french ex-colony, said to seem like we're out of India), east-coast beach city for whole next week!! Already starting good - travelling before work starts!! :))) Will be starting off in the weekend with an 8 hour bus trip with house-mates followed by beach and sea-water baths wearing shorts and t-shirt! :)... and prolongue the stay until following sunday with an AIESEC South India Conference I'm lucky to be part-taking (by the way, AIESEC is the student international platform/ association through which I ended up here :) ).

Will meet you again here shall all the experiencing and travelling allow me in the next week.

LOVE, Ra

Bangalore, here I am

So here I am. :)
And I think you deserve a detailed report! So many things to tell though!
Status: CALM. Finally I have TIME. Don't remember the last time, and it feels great.
So, step by step:
1 - DEPARTURE FROM LISBON
Departure was a difficult beginning. First, as I had been packing during dawn, didn't exactly get there early. Early enough, though, had the things gonne smoothly as usually.
They didn't. First, I couldn't even pay for the 3,5 extra kg I had carried in my big bag - had to take coats and books out of it and carry them with me, mostly stuck to my backpack, as an authentic traveller - but that was obviously ok! But then the code locker in my brand new cabine roller bag didn't open, and they almost made me stay at x-ray control, as they wanted me to open it! But then they let me pass. Summary: caught the flight in the last minute! :) But did.
2 - LONDON
All fine. Tried numbers 0 to 200 (included the code I know I had chosen for the bag) and none worked :P.
3 - FLIGHT TO BANGALORE
The 9 hour flight to London went by fast, and started with a one hour delay in London as President Bush had just landed. But then it almost seemed like a 5 star hotel. From the imense choice of channels, movies, contents, music, in the individual touch-screen to the gourmet meal and the nice comfort for sleeping... Nevertheless, I slept few as I met a nice Lady from Bangalore with whom I spoke for many hours. Meanwhile, I watched a movie that I totally recommend and which decribes fine my mood and spirit at the moment: seize the day! take your opportunities! Find it, it's called: *The Bucket List*, it was recently at the movie theatres.
4 - BANGALORE, HERE I AM
Arriving at Bangalore 1 day after, all ok too. Took a bus to city centre that took an hour. Seemed no time as I was amazed at everything around me, turning my head to one side and the other though as if it was a tenis game! I wanted to absorve it all. Have pics! Will upload them ASAP. And the driving! Oh my God! Dangerous! The bus honked and went in S's, and literally pressed other vehicles apart.
Yash went to pick me up at Leela Palace, a luxurious hotel where I waited, packed and tired of not sleeping for 2 nights, but comfortable in my chair with a view.
Then the indian experience started...
But about all the challenges that I lived in the next 35 hours... I'll have to tell you later as duty calls. I'm planning a trip to Pondicherry with my house-mates! :)
Kisses and saudades of You all!
***************************

Packing

6 hours before, I'm packing all your love in my beating bag - the so called heart.
I bring you all, hiden in that special corner of the soul. :)
Thank You for You.

Feeling Alive

It's great to feel like you've done the right choice, specially when it hits you even before you actually head for it. 2 & a half days left!

I feel blessed, for all that comes will add value to my feeling of the World. It's lucky enough to have had the chance to choose! And still, such great challenge is ahead of me!

To that fortune I add everyone's support, everyone's bet on my success, everyone's energizing words, all of your encouraging hugs!!

I am undescribably grateful! It reinforces my strength and my belief.
THANK YOU.

Never ending Music

Today: Preparation takes control, in the midst of the never ending studies.

Music time! - had to update my lap top.
Music [being, together with Dance, a tremendous part of my life] will, as always, keep me the best company in the few moments alone. Wouldn't feel whole without it.
And today, with the excuse of making Pedro the so promised selection, I made my own.
Thank you dear for that. :)

Hei hei hei hou hou ;) , kisses & hugs

Going for other "dances"

Children's day went by, and already Portugal's day came. Thus the days are passing by.

But still... I'm in peace. And I control that crolling. I feel like I'm leaving my self sorted out in here, with all the possible calmness and certainty. I'm good.

Yesterday, I had my official dancing goodbye day.

I don't stop that often, but yesterday coming and going allowed me a 10 minute pause for observing: nostalgy found me.

Already a nostalgy of dancing with You, of holding You all in my arms. But, as always, You were there. Thank you.

Still that hug.

Greatfulness? Eternal: to my parents!

Where I've been - where I'll be

The journey of the heart starts today.
The body departs the 16th.
Meanwhile it went around, got prepared in other corners of the world.
I'll be telling you about all this. I'll be showing.
The experience takes place in here too.
For all of those who want to keep me company: closer or in distance.

India, here I go.
Catch you soon.