Our Pocket Recruitment focused on administration students that wanted to go to Brazil during the summer months of December to February. Using our program Activating Leadership Brazil (link), we were able to get 52 applicants for the program with a final number selected of 23. At this rate, it will most likely end in December with 14 matches and 11 realizations with the rest realizing in quarter 1. Dealing with 17 EPs has been quite the challenge, but with the strong OGX team that we have, there is no doubt of success. We already have matches with LCs in Florianópolis, Santa Maria, and Uberlandia. Segmentation of programs is the key to success.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Spring Time in Chile
PHOTO ALBUM 1: Camilo's Birthday Party (link)
PHOTO ALBUM 2: Experimenta AIESEC Viña (link)
I returned to Chile to start classes back up and to meet our second trainee that arrived to Viña from Brazil. He was doing a DT in a local NGO working on the professionalization of the NGO, Cotra (link). I ended up taking the classes of Development Psychology, Political and Social Themes of Contemporary Chile, Cultural Anthropology, Latin American Short Stories, and Mountain Sports at the Pontificie Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (link). They worked out pretty well. This was also a time of many strikes from elementary and middle school teachers who were not happy with the salary that they were receiving. This is really bad for the children because they cannot go to school because there are no teachers. Elections of the student federation for 2010 were being held around this time where there were all out campaigns to be elected. They would go into each and every class and do a presentation to the class about why they should be the leaders of the federation. The culture of the classroom is very different than what I am accustomed to in the United States. There is much more of a relaxed atmosphere, the classes are canceled much more often without notice, the classes are more democratic about when we are going to take the tests, and every time someone enters the class late, the whole class erupts in an Ooooooooo starting at a low tone and going up. My Development Psychology professor uses anecdotal stories for each and everything that he teaches. The girl in my class gave that birth in September serves as the reference for things we are learning in class about the behavior of newborns. Sex education hardly does not exist in a country that is guided by the Catholic ideology. If you want to avoid STDs or pregnancy, abstinence is the only way to go. As seen in the United States as well as Chile, this teaching ideology serves not to reduce pregnancy rates but rather only to increase them it seems. The cafeterias within the university are run by contracted external business but do not have a brand name at all. Real coffee does not exist. Everything is powdered coffee with hot water added. Lunch foods at the university are mainly hotdogs.
I ride a Mercedes Benz to school everyday. Not what you normally think of but it's a Mercedes Benz nonetheless (link). It’s the type of buses that are used by the city’s public transportation. The public transportation is privatized to companies that have the best bid for the government. My host dad works for a company that bids to run the parking meters of the city each year. They are always coming up with bids to take on the running of different government operations. Privatization: Crazy.
PHOTO ALBUM 2: Experimenta AIESEC Viña (link)
I returned to Chile to start classes back up and to meet our second trainee that arrived to Viña from Brazil. He was doing a DT in a local NGO working on the professionalization of the NGO, Cotra (link). I ended up taking the classes of Development Psychology, Political and Social Themes of Contemporary Chile, Cultural Anthropology, Latin American Short Stories, and Mountain Sports at the Pontificie Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (link). They worked out pretty well. This was also a time of many strikes from elementary and middle school teachers who were not happy with the salary that they were receiving. This is really bad for the children because they cannot go to school because there are no teachers. Elections of the student federation for 2010 were being held around this time where there were all out campaigns to be elected. They would go into each and every class and do a presentation to the class about why they should be the leaders of the federation. The culture of the classroom is very different than what I am accustomed to in the United States. There is much more of a relaxed atmosphere, the classes are canceled much more often without notice, the classes are more democratic about when we are going to take the tests, and every time someone enters the class late, the whole class erupts in an Ooooooooo starting at a low tone and going up. My Development Psychology professor uses anecdotal stories for each and everything that he teaches. The girl in my class gave that birth in September serves as the reference for things we are learning in class about the behavior of newborns. Sex education hardly does not exist in a country that is guided by the Catholic ideology. If you want to avoid STDs or pregnancy, abstinence is the only way to go. As seen in the United States as well as Chile, this teaching ideology serves not to reduce pregnancy rates but rather only to increase them it seems. The cafeterias within the university are run by contracted external business but do not have a brand name at all. Real coffee does not exist. Everything is powdered coffee with hot water added. Lunch foods at the university are mainly hotdogs.
I ride a Mercedes Benz to school everyday. Not what you normally think of but it's a Mercedes Benz nonetheless (link). It’s the type of buses that are used by the city’s public transportation. The public transportation is privatized to companies that have the best bid for the government. My host dad works for a company that bids to run the parking meters of the city each year. They are always coming up with bids to take on the running of different government operations. Privatization: Crazy.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Fiestas Patrias- Independence Day
PHOTO ALBUM 1: Chilean Independence Day (link)
PHOTO ALBUM 2: Pichilemu Festivities (link)
The time of September 18th is the biggest holiday of the year for Chile. It’s the Chilean independence holidays. Beginning about two weeks before, the whole country is absolutely covered in flags. I was told that it’s the law to put up a flag on top of every building and house. The activities for the 18th are empanadas and chicha (really young wine) (link). September 18th is the day of the year where absolutely all of Chile is tipsy from young to old and from rich to poor. There are places called “fondas” throughout the whole country which are places with tents to go and get food and dance the “cueca” (link). I spent the Fiestas Patrias of Chile in Pichilemu, Chile where tons of people go for the 18th to rent houses and spend the weekend with family/friends (link). I went with about 15 people from AIESEC Santiago as well as trainees from Brasil, Slovakia, United States, and Argentina. It was a fun weekend of the beach, dancing in the fonda, enjoying a little chicha. Pichilemu is known for being a city of surfing and vacationing.
PHOTO ALBUM 2: Pichilemu Festivities (link)
The time of September 18th is the biggest holiday of the year for Chile. It’s the Chilean independence holidays. Beginning about two weeks before, the whole country is absolutely covered in flags. I was told that it’s the law to put up a flag on top of every building and house. The activities for the 18th are empanadas and chicha (really young wine) (link). September 18th is the day of the year where absolutely all of Chile is tipsy from young to old and from rich to poor. There are places called “fondas” throughout the whole country which are places with tents to go and get food and dance the “cueca” (link). I spent the Fiestas Patrias of Chile in Pichilemu, Chile where tons of people go for the 18th to rent houses and spend the weekend with family/friends (link). I went with about 15 people from AIESEC Santiago as well as trainees from Brasil, Slovakia, United States, and Argentina. It was a fun weekend of the beach, dancing in the fonda, enjoying a little chicha. Pichilemu is known for being a city of surfing and vacationing.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
The Porteño Lifestyle
PHOTO ALBUM 1: The Secret World of Mate (link)
I stayed in Buenos Aires with an AIESECer friend and got to see the “porteño” way of life. It’s a very bustling city that is very sprawled out. In Santiago, at least I feel like I can get around, but in Buenos Aires, the city is so spread out that your travel times are very high. It was a good couple days in Buenos Aires. One of the nights there was an @ TM meeting which I went to. Interesting to see how TM is run in many different countries. One day, I was walking around a part of the city, and out of the blue appears some @ers from Concepción, Chile that were in Buenos Aires waiting for the conference. This was quite the surprise to run into people I knew randomly and a huge city like Buenos Aires. We met up with the MC in Buenos Aires and went together down to Tandil, Argentina where the conference was to be held. It was a 6 hour drive and we were greeted at our arrival by the @ers there. They gave us places to stay and everything which was really nice. Tandil is a quaint town that is centered around the university. The next couple days were planning and getting ready for the conference of 3 days with a conference team of people from Argentina, Colombia, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, and United States.
The conference was the first time that I had taken on the role of facilitating which meant leading the sessions, and passing on message for the personal and professional development for the delegates. Met lots of people from 10 different countries that are in and out of Latin America and enjoyed it thoroughly. It made the Argentinean news which you can googletranslate if Spanish is in issue for you (link).
After the conference, we headed back to Buenos Aires where I bought my bus ticket to go back to Chile and head back to world of school. I travelled with my friends from Concepción, Chile who were also in the conference. A 24 hour ride across Argentina from seeing the Atlantic to the Pacific, through the Andes, and back into Viña del Mar, Chile.
I stayed in Buenos Aires with an AIESECer friend and got to see the “porteño” way of life. It’s a very bustling city that is very sprawled out. In Santiago, at least I feel like I can get around, but in Buenos Aires, the city is so spread out that your travel times are very high. It was a good couple days in Buenos Aires. One of the nights there was an @ TM meeting which I went to. Interesting to see how TM is run in many different countries. One day, I was walking around a part of the city, and out of the blue appears some @ers from Concepción, Chile that were in Buenos Aires waiting for the conference. This was quite the surprise to run into people I knew randomly and a huge city like Buenos Aires. We met up with the MC in Buenos Aires and went together down to Tandil, Argentina where the conference was to be held. It was a 6 hour drive and we were greeted at our arrival by the @ers there. They gave us places to stay and everything which was really nice. Tandil is a quaint town that is centered around the university. The next couple days were planning and getting ready for the conference of 3 days with a conference team of people from Argentina, Colombia, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, and United States.
The conference was the first time that I had taken on the role of facilitating which meant leading the sessions, and passing on message for the personal and professional development for the delegates. Met lots of people from 10 different countries that are in and out of Latin America and enjoyed it thoroughly. It made the Argentinean news which you can googletranslate if Spanish is in issue for you (link).
After the conference, we headed back to Buenos Aires where I bought my bus ticket to go back to Chile and head back to world of school. I travelled with my friends from Concepción, Chile who were also in the conference. A 24 hour ride across Argentina from seeing the Atlantic to the Pacific, through the Andes, and back into Viña del Mar, Chile.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Secret World of Mate
PHOTO ALBUM 1: AIESEC Southern Cone Tour (link)
PHOTO ALBUM 2: The Secret World of Mate (link)
I went to see the sights in Uruguay with the AIESEC interns that were doing internships in Montevideo. This included two Americans from Yale, one Puerto Rican girl, one French girl, 4 Brazilians, and one girl from Spain all about 22 years old. All of them spoke Spanish very well. Just walking through the streets, you see tons and tons of people carrying their mate and their hot water thermos which is very cultural thing of Uruguay and Argentina (WIKIPEDIA MATE). It was quite frigid during those days considering it was in the middle of winter. We went to the sights of the grand palace where the legislative chambers and congress chambers can be found. Montevideo is on the ocean so it has some great views. One of the nights, the two Yale guys organized an English lesson in their apartment for all the AIESECers of Montevideo so that was interesting. These two guys were working for Non-Governmental Organizations in Montevideo doing planning and organizational development for their AIESEC internship. I spent a lot of time with the girl from Spain and the Brazilian girl during my 7 days in Montevideo.
For the weekend, we made a trip to Punta del Este which is kind of like Viña del Mar in the sense that it’s on the Ocean and it’s very very popular in the summer. I went with 2 of my Uruguayan friends, 2 Brazilians, and the Puerto Rican for the weekend. We stayed in a hotel for $15 for the night and went to the sights such as a hand monument sticking out of the sand, the casino, and a creepy park with tons of statues of random characters. It was quite the international crew.
As I was leaving the country, I was going on a ferry from Uruguay to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I went through the immigration at the port in Uruguay and the Uruguayan immigration officer demanded the slip that everyone receives when they enter the country. Considering that I never talked to an immigration officer when I was entering, of course I didn’t have the slip of paper that said I entered the country. I told her that it was the immigration officers at the border’s fault for not demanding to check documents or anything, but the immigration lady didn’t want to listen to my frivolous lies. She said that would be a $30 fine for having lost the paper which did not please me very much. Not only that, I didn’t even have $30 because I had done everything to avoid leaving Uruguay without Uruguayan currency so I didn’t have to change it in Buenos Aires which would mean that I would lose money. So I was leaving Uruguay with $7 USD cash. I also did not have a credit card because I lost that in January in Chile, so I had been using traveler’s checks for 6 months and I was still using traveler’s checks up until that time. It was about 12:00 in the afternoon, I was at the port with very little cash with the not so cheap ferry leaving in 40 minutes, and the nearest city to possibly change a traveler’s check was a 1.5 hour bus ride away. No good. I spent about 10 minutes arguing with the immigration lady trying to convince her that it’s the government’s fault that I do not have that sheet of paper with no avail. I could not miss that boat because that would mean I would have lost $100 (the cost of the ferry ticket). I had to go from person to person begging to collect the $30 sum to be able to leave the country. I had great luck with that (I have no idea how) and was able to collect the money fairly quickly because people were very kind. Finally, I could pay the sum to the woman and pass through, but that was only half of the problem. The Argentinean immigration man who decides who can enter Argentina and who will be denied was watching this whole event. So when I got to him, he asked to see my bus ticket to leave Argentina. I told him that I would buy it in Buenos Aires. He didn’t like that. He told me that he would not let me enter Argentina for not having an income source that would be sufficient to leave Argentina after being a tourist (which is a government regulation to avoid people entering Argentina and never leaving). I showed my traveller’s checks and my 1 year student visa for Chile which showed my source of money as well as a reason to leave Argentina which was finish my studies in Chile. He didn’t buy it at all with the reasoning that traveller’s checks were not a valid source of money and that if I couldn’t pay a $30 fee to leave the country, how was I going to buy a bus ticket to leave Argentina? He said that he would let me into Argentina with a transit visa which would mean I could enter only to get directly on a bus and return to Chile. This would have meant ruining my trip as well as causing great problems for the AIESEC conference in Tandil, Argentina that I was facilitating. I thought fast and decided to lie to the immigration officer saying that I had left my credit card at a friend’s house in Córdoba, Argentina and that she was meeting me in Buenos Aires with my credit card. So once I got to Buenos Aires, I would have a credit card and a source of money and all would be great. I was arguing with this guy for 10 minutes before he said “Get out of here” by stamping my passport and letting me pass. Through this event, I’ve come across a great way for a government to take money from visitors under the guise of a legitimate reason. When I am president of a country, I’ll get tons of tourists to come to my country, not give them documentation that they entered the country, demand it when they leave the country, and then fine them $30 due to the fact that they “lost” it. It’s brilliant!
PHOTO ALBUM 2: The Secret World of Mate (link)
I went to see the sights in Uruguay with the AIESEC interns that were doing internships in Montevideo. This included two Americans from Yale, one Puerto Rican girl, one French girl, 4 Brazilians, and one girl from Spain all about 22 years old. All of them spoke Spanish very well. Just walking through the streets, you see tons and tons of people carrying their mate and their hot water thermos which is very cultural thing of Uruguay and Argentina (WIKIPEDIA MATE). It was quite frigid during those days considering it was in the middle of winter. We went to the sights of the grand palace where the legislative chambers and congress chambers can be found. Montevideo is on the ocean so it has some great views. One of the nights, the two Yale guys organized an English lesson in their apartment for all the AIESECers of Montevideo so that was interesting. These two guys were working for Non-Governmental Organizations in Montevideo doing planning and organizational development for their AIESEC internship. I spent a lot of time with the girl from Spain and the Brazilian girl during my 7 days in Montevideo.
For the weekend, we made a trip to Punta del Este which is kind of like Viña del Mar in the sense that it’s on the Ocean and it’s very very popular in the summer. I went with 2 of my Uruguayan friends, 2 Brazilians, and the Puerto Rican for the weekend. We stayed in a hotel for $15 for the night and went to the sights such as a hand monument sticking out of the sand, the casino, and a creepy park with tons of statues of random characters. It was quite the international crew.
As I was leaving the country, I was going on a ferry from Uruguay to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I went through the immigration at the port in Uruguay and the Uruguayan immigration officer demanded the slip that everyone receives when they enter the country. Considering that I never talked to an immigration officer when I was entering, of course I didn’t have the slip of paper that said I entered the country. I told her that it was the immigration officers at the border’s fault for not demanding to check documents or anything, but the immigration lady didn’t want to listen to my frivolous lies. She said that would be a $30 fine for having lost the paper which did not please me very much. Not only that, I didn’t even have $30 because I had done everything to avoid leaving Uruguay without Uruguayan currency so I didn’t have to change it in Buenos Aires which would mean that I would lose money. So I was leaving Uruguay with $7 USD cash. I also did not have a credit card because I lost that in January in Chile, so I had been using traveler’s checks for 6 months and I was still using traveler’s checks up until that time. It was about 12:00 in the afternoon, I was at the port with very little cash with the not so cheap ferry leaving in 40 minutes, and the nearest city to possibly change a traveler’s check was a 1.5 hour bus ride away. No good. I spent about 10 minutes arguing with the immigration lady trying to convince her that it’s the government’s fault that I do not have that sheet of paper with no avail. I could not miss that boat because that would mean I would have lost $100 (the cost of the ferry ticket). I had to go from person to person begging to collect the $30 sum to be able to leave the country. I had great luck with that (I have no idea how) and was able to collect the money fairly quickly because people were very kind. Finally, I could pay the sum to the woman and pass through, but that was only half of the problem. The Argentinean immigration man who decides who can enter Argentina and who will be denied was watching this whole event. So when I got to him, he asked to see my bus ticket to leave Argentina. I told him that I would buy it in Buenos Aires. He didn’t like that. He told me that he would not let me enter Argentina for not having an income source that would be sufficient to leave Argentina after being a tourist (which is a government regulation to avoid people entering Argentina and never leaving). I showed my traveller’s checks and my 1 year student visa for Chile which showed my source of money as well as a reason to leave Argentina which was finish my studies in Chile. He didn’t buy it at all with the reasoning that traveller’s checks were not a valid source of money and that if I couldn’t pay a $30 fee to leave the country, how was I going to buy a bus ticket to leave Argentina? He said that he would let me into Argentina with a transit visa which would mean I could enter only to get directly on a bus and return to Chile. This would have meant ruining my trip as well as causing great problems for the AIESEC conference in Tandil, Argentina that I was facilitating. I thought fast and decided to lie to the immigration officer saying that I had left my credit card at a friend’s house in Córdoba, Argentina and that she was meeting me in Buenos Aires with my credit card. So once I got to Buenos Aires, I would have a credit card and a source of money and all would be great. I was arguing with this guy for 10 minutes before he said “Get out of here” by stamping my passport and letting me pass. Through this event, I’ve come across a great way for a government to take money from visitors under the guise of a legitimate reason. When I am president of a country, I’ll get tons of tourists to come to my country, not give them documentation that they entered the country, demand it when they leave the country, and then fine them $30 due to the fact that they “lost” it. It’s brilliant!
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