Nomad JuanCa's Report
Friday, March 31, 2006
The effects of the exchange...
Well i arrived from Moscow by April 2003. Many things are not the same for me right now, i noticed some changes in my way of being while being there.. but when arriving.. i just found myself quite different, and sometimes behaving in an offensive way for some latins. So i thank Russia to take off from me part of the oversensibility we as latin use to have and to give me the strenght of going forward without thinking or paying attention to the pain... rumours... troubles one find in the way. I learnt it while walking from supermarket to home everyday carrying the food without gloves and feeling my hands in such a big pain due to the coldness... and seeing then getting purple, at the beginning i had to stop and put them in the coat cause i though they would fall !!!! but then i understood that if you stop walking in the middle of the way... you just make pain last more, so while it paints... keep on walking, if possible faster.. until you get out of it.
Here are some other things i noticed while being there....
Another nice day in the beautiful Moscow :))))
I was thinking yesterday, in which are some of the effects of the exchange in my life, not only in my way of thinking and beliefs, but also in practical things, like my costumes.... I think that these are some of the evidence of the change that happens to a human being while being involved in an exchange.
The first thing i realized some time ago is that i cannot stand cold water anymore. It might sound silly but i am being serious, the temperture in my home city is around 30degrees so we usually never warm water, but after living in 2 cities with temperture of 15 degrees or less (i just realised i have been going in the wrong direction of the thermometer!!) i just cannot stand cold water...wherever i am i need warm water specially for shower... even in my home town my family had to put this heating system for the shower because of me. (all my friends consider it strange).
Another thing is that before leaving my house 2 years ago i was kind of picky with my meals... you know.. whem mom served i always said.. "i do not like this, this, this, this." Now, i am able to eat whatever, or at least try almost everything that appear on one table :)) I am also more aware in terms of vitamins and quantity of meat, rice, carrots, potatoes and so on i need to eat per week/month to keep my chemical level alright. And something funny... here there is this food called Salo, originally from Ukrain, the food itself is just a raw pork's fat salted. I must admit when i tried for first time i thought it was not raw.. but cooked... but well... when i realised it was not.. it was too late, i just got to love it. and the funny thing is that during winter it is suppoused to be a typical food in Russia.. and at MC Flat, i am the only one eating Salo :)))
Something i am not used yet is to use lot of coats, here in Russia people use about 3 coats and 2 t-shirts .... well. ... i am always going out with one t-shirt and one coat... why?? i just cannot stand more clothe...too heavy for me.... i do not feel confortable... ahhh and when i am in the metro i start streeping myself!!!! it is too hot there. The other day after a policeman stopped me for the usual check in Olya told me...
" you sould not take off your coat... if you do it you look strange, thats why they stop you"
....i looked around and found out that i was the only one not wearing his coat... and the only one with t-shirt.
She also told me..
"please stop singing in the metro, thats also strange"
:))) latins, music is in our vains :)))
It is cool to realise how many changes have happened in your life after 1.5 years far from home... and passing trhough a total 5 different countries.
:))) what else will change??? only time will say so!!! I am really curious about it :))))
Posted by Juan Carlos Calderon on 11/26/02; 10:45:39 AM from the Moscow Headquarters in Former Soviet Union dept.
Here are some other things i noticed while being there....
The effect of the exchange 26-11-02
Another nice day in the beautiful Moscow :))))
I was thinking yesterday, in which are some of the effects of the exchange in my life, not only in my way of thinking and beliefs, but also in practical things, like my costumes.... I think that these are some of the evidence of the change that happens to a human being while being involved in an exchange.
The first thing i realized some time ago is that i cannot stand cold water anymore. It might sound silly but i am being serious, the temperture in my home city is around 30degrees so we usually never warm water, but after living in 2 cities with temperture of 15 degrees or less (i just realised i have been going in the wrong direction of the thermometer!!) i just cannot stand cold water...wherever i am i need warm water specially for shower... even in my home town my family had to put this heating system for the shower because of me. (all my friends consider it strange).
Another thing is that before leaving my house 2 years ago i was kind of picky with my meals... you know.. whem mom served i always said.. "i do not like this, this, this, this." Now, i am able to eat whatever, or at least try almost everything that appear on one table :)) I am also more aware in terms of vitamins and quantity of meat, rice, carrots, potatoes and so on i need to eat per week/month to keep my chemical level alright. And something funny... here there is this food called Salo, originally from Ukrain, the food itself is just a raw pork's fat salted. I must admit when i tried for first time i thought it was not raw.. but cooked... but well... when i realised it was not.. it was too late, i just got to love it. and the funny thing is that during winter it is suppoused to be a typical food in Russia.. and at MC Flat, i am the only one eating Salo :)))
Something i am not used yet is to use lot of coats, here in Russia people use about 3 coats and 2 t-shirts .... well. ... i am always going out with one t-shirt and one coat... why?? i just cannot stand more clothe...too heavy for me.... i do not feel confortable... ahhh and when i am in the metro i start streeping myself!!!! it is too hot there. The other day after a policeman stopped me for the usual check in Olya told me...
" you sould not take off your coat... if you do it you look strange, thats why they stop you"
....i looked around and found out that i was the only one not wearing his coat... and the only one with t-shirt.
She also told me..
"please stop singing in the metro, thats also strange"
:))) latins, music is in our vains :)))
It is cool to realise how many changes have happened in your life after 1.5 years far from home... and passing trhough a total 5 different countries.
:))) what else will change??? only time will say so!!! I am really curious about it :))))
Posted by Juan Carlos Calderon on 11/26/02; 10:45:39 AM from the Moscow Headquarters in Former Soviet Union dept.
When the unexpected comes...
Once you are abroad in a different environment you are actually exposed to many different things and circunstances that generates reactions on you, sometimes you are not aware of them.
That was the case with the Russian winter, being Ecuadorian my concept of winter was... lot of sun, humid and rainy. I though the only variation is that in Moscow should be just cold.... none ever spoke about being TOO COLD (- 35) and believe me when you are latin... you dont know the meaning of - 35 until you are under - 35 with your hands, feet, and ears in such a fucking big pain. That was my case the day Monica and me were left homeless... hahahaha what a night!! But i will talk about it later, the thing is none mentioned me that winter in Russia also means less sunlight hours. That was quite new for me. Sun rises around 10 am and it sets around 4pm. That was strange and maverlous, i mean... here in the middle of the world, summer and winter is always the same, in terms of sun light hours, also... here we dont have autumn nor spring. Wow it was amasing... without mentioning i had never ever seen snow in my life... and when i saw it for first time... oh my God... that was a lovely afternoon... i remember when i saw it for first time i though "it looks like detergent being thrown from the sky" :).
That day when we went out of office with Mitya, Stella, Olya and Monica we made a small war of snow balls, wowww just like in the movies!!!!!! i loved it.
Going back to the effects of sun light, or the missing of it. I wasn't aware it could influence on the mood, and Monica was not aware too... it took us for surprise, suddenly as soon as winter started... we started to feel down.... and more and more and more down... Monica ended up in bed for 3 days, no sick.. just she felt without any strenght to stand up... and i found myself crying silently in from of my pc... all from sudden.. without any reason... i just felt deeply sad and i could not stop crying.... i asked for help to Olena Onyshchenko (Ukrain) and Kaire Ilus (Estonia) two alumni who were working in AIESEC in Ecuador at that time, and i wrote this...
hi, i was just chatting with one friend from Estonia who is a trainee right now in Ecuador and i was telling her that i am feeling down these days... tired... slow.... like an old fat guy who cannot even move..
She told me that it is because of the winter.. that is a kind of normal reaction... i did not know that. So she adviced me to go out walking for 30mins everyday, specially when there is sun, and also to eat onions.... (the idea is not so pleasant) but i will try to do at least the thing of the walking.
So tomorrow walking day at lunch time in Moscow (in -5 degrees) wanna join me???
Posted by Juan Carlos Calderon on 11/25/02; 10:29:16 PM from the An unknown place in this big but small world dept.
That was the case with the Russian winter, being Ecuadorian my concept of winter was... lot of sun, humid and rainy. I though the only variation is that in Moscow should be just cold.... none ever spoke about being TOO COLD (- 35) and believe me when you are latin... you dont know the meaning of - 35 until you are under - 35 with your hands, feet, and ears in such a fucking big pain. That was my case the day Monica and me were left homeless... hahahaha what a night!! But i will talk about it later, the thing is none mentioned me that winter in Russia also means less sunlight hours. That was quite new for me. Sun rises around 10 am and it sets around 4pm. That was strange and maverlous, i mean... here in the middle of the world, summer and winter is always the same, in terms of sun light hours, also... here we dont have autumn nor spring. Wow it was amasing... without mentioning i had never ever seen snow in my life... and when i saw it for first time... oh my God... that was a lovely afternoon... i remember when i saw it for first time i though "it looks like detergent being thrown from the sky" :).
That day when we went out of office with Mitya, Stella, Olya and Monica we made a small war of snow balls, wowww just like in the movies!!!!!! i loved it.
Going back to the effects of sun light, or the missing of it. I wasn't aware it could influence on the mood, and Monica was not aware too... it took us for surprise, suddenly as soon as winter started... we started to feel down.... and more and more and more down... Monica ended up in bed for 3 days, no sick.. just she felt without any strenght to stand up... and i found myself crying silently in from of my pc... all from sudden.. without any reason... i just felt deeply sad and i could not stop crying.... i asked for help to Olena Onyshchenko (Ukrain) and Kaire Ilus (Estonia) two alumni who were working in AIESEC in Ecuador at that time, and i wrote this...
Cold and Down... 25-11-02
hi, i was just chatting with one friend from Estonia who is a trainee right now in Ecuador and i was telling her that i am feeling down these days... tired... slow.... like an old fat guy who cannot even move..
She told me that it is because of the winter.. that is a kind of normal reaction... i did not know that. So she adviced me to go out walking for 30mins everyday, specially when there is sun, and also to eat onions.... (the idea is not so pleasant) but i will try to do at least the thing of the walking.
So tomorrow walking day at lunch time in Moscow (in -5 degrees) wanna join me???
Posted by Juan Carlos Calderon on 11/25/02; 10:29:16 PM from the An unknown place in this big but small world dept.
After JCI Event and haircut crisis...
Back online!! :)) 25-11-02
Well, here i am back online after a nice weekend,.. many things to say..
About the haircut.. it was ok, now i am having a typical european skinhead look :))) but it is fine for me, I wanted my hair short, not as short as i have it now....but it is still fine. (although Mitya got shocked with my new look).
As for the party with the JC, it was fine, nice people, off course all in russian, but i found some english speakers overthere, I learnt this mafia game that seemed to be quite cool :))) i wanted to play it but i could not. next time.. who knows probably before leaving russia when i speak the language. Something funny... I had been emailing with Oleg the President of the JC, and all his emails are in perfect english, so i though... "wow.. this is a english speaker guy!! thats cool!!" so when i met him i was talking to him about the nice party and the nice music and all the nice opportunities between Aiesec and Junior Chamber.... but i saw something strange in his face....... He does not speak english at all!!!! (zas!! cultural shock!!) ...ok, probably a C level of English.
I mean, after two moths here i am kind of used to find non english speaker people, it is just that i was not expecting this when i met him, but with the help of another guy we could keep talking :)
Saturday, the training... i could not find the other 2 speakers, so we made it shorter, but it was cool we had alumni as speakers (God Bless past Aiesecers!!) people from Tetrapak, MTV (what i cool job this guy has!!) and so on. Nice thing :)
On sunday we went with some of the trainees to the Tretyakov Gallery, one of biggest of Moscow, really cool, lot of things to see, extremely beautiful. Nice weekend i would say :)))
Temperture is going down again in Moscow... -5 today.. freeeeezzinng!!!!
Posted by Juan Carlos Calderon on 11/25/02; 11:39:59 AM from the Moscow Headquarters in Former Soviet Union dept.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
The first big fear....
When one is not abroad SAFETY is not an issue we usually care about, we are AIESECers and nothing can stop us!!!.
Things change a big when you are abroad, alone.. in an unknown place, where you cant read anything... not even the featues of windows 2000 in your pc.
While being in Moscow... lot of things happened, a bomb in Mc Donnalds, lot ot police check ups on the streets due to the internal war with Chechenians.
The kidnapping of several people inside a Theater that ended up with a bad planned rescue plan that ended up killing several of the innocents inside. I remember my mother wrote to me when that news went around the world, she wrote to me saying "i know you are ok, cause i know you dont have money enough to go to the theater over there" :))) She was so right!!
Ufff in that part of Europe there is always something going on :). Once Masha our MCP said "did you know last night there was someone killed i think in this street or nearby?". We didn't know cause Monica (India) and Me (Ecuador) don't speak Russian so we were walking around absolutely lost.. without knowing anything that was happening around us.
Somehow that way was that i was caught and put into prison the first weekend i arrived in Moscow, simply... in Ecuador you dont take your passport with you cause if it is stolen you will be in troubles and i though it would be the same in Moscow. That was quite stupid from my side!. I got arrested 2 blocks before arriving to the office and was taken in a patrol with no English speaking policemen somewhere i didn' know. I though they were just trying to scared me... they kept on asking me for money, money, money and i was not going to pay anything.
When i arrived to the police station i was affraid and though... "Oh Holy Shit!!!". Once i went in, there was this officer who said something in French, something like "ohh i had lost my passport" refering to me.. and as he said it in French i though, thats my chance... cause i speak French very well... i tried to make my point clear... but.. it was useless... he didnt know any french more than that phrase... nothing else. He was yelling at me, screaming, making faces... and i could not understand a shit... all the things i said was.. "English please??". No English for about 2 hours, later on someone who spoke english and was caught like me helped me to ask for a phone call ( i wasn't sure i had even right to make a phone call there... it sounds stupid but i was affraid). I called AIESECers and they came to pick me up, but they could not take me... they had to pick up my papers first.. meanwhile... i had to wait... IN A JAIL. Then i wondered.... WHAT THE HELL DO I DO IN A JAIL FOR FIRST TIME IN A COUNTRY WHERE I JUST ARRIVED, DONT KNOW MY RIGHTS, HAVENT CALLED MY EMBASSY YET, CANT SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE, CANT READ THEIR LANGUAGE, CANT GUIDE MYSELF THROUGH THE CITY???... It seemed like a bad joke, i didn't know if to cry or to laugh, but i took it as a challenge and an adventure, you know.. something nomads have to face all the time ;). After 4 hours.. i was released. I was lucky cause i was not placed with the skin heads at the other jail!!.
Safety, it is all about it.... But there were many more things happening in Moscow..
Once i was talking to a friend from Perou about something that happened in moscow.. and i wrote this...
should i write this??? 22/11/02
Hi, i am chatting with a peruvian friend right now... i met him on ALDS99 in Perou, long time ago... we are still close friends, he is like my brother.
We are talking about something that i am not sure if i should post here, but it is something that has affected my mood.. and i think i need to say it to somebody.. probably to you. When i started this weblog i committed myself to be as transparent as possible.... and i really need to say this to somebody.
His friend, she was killed in Moscow... her body was found last week.. 10 days after she was killed in a horrible way. I did not know about this.. i have no radio or tv here.... so i am not updated about the news.
While talking about this many things came to my mind, the problem in the Moscow theater... how a big man was kicking another's face 3 meters far from me 2 weeks ago... shit, i feel so bad now. Esther a canadian friend wrote to me the other day.."take care, it seems Moscow is not an easy place to live"...and it is not.
We were also talking about how Russian Police has not done a thing about the case of this perouvian woman killed, no arrest, no anything.. only the Consul of the country has been trying to do something.. and it is because this girl came from a rich family related with the Government in Perou.. otherwise like my friend told me "she would have been only one number more in the statistics". It is true, it happened with the hostages in the theater... it might happen to anybody... it might happen to me as well.
The city itself is quite agressive, how people run and push you away to take your seat in the metro... how some people approach you with an angry face (sometimes they are not.. but as they never smile and they speak something you do not understand.. you never know what to expect)..I am working in this office until very late almost everyday.. yesterday i left at 11pm and went alone to buy some food.. and i was just thinking how lucky i am for not being stolen or hit so far. If it would happen to me... the police would not be able to help me... they would not even understand when i speak.... the same with the thieves...that could increase the danger.
ok, stop with this. I am getting too nervous now and i think it does not really help me. Personally i come from one city that is considered to be the most dangerous city in my country and if there is something i think is that "there is no safe place in this world". Probably i am wrong, but i think no city can say "this is the safest place". So, somehow we all need to learn to deal with the fear inside us, and try to keep going or die affraid of something that might happen.
I choose the first option some time ago, it is just that being alone here sometimes makes me feel weak and totally unsecure. The same with Monica, when she is alone at home she locks the whole house. It is amazing how foreignes become affraid in a different city.... now i understand them.
i need to work and stop thinking about this. bye.
Posted by Juan Carlos Calderon on 11/22/02; 11:29:34 AM from the deep in my heart dept.
Things change a big when you are abroad, alone.. in an unknown place, where you cant read anything... not even the featues of windows 2000 in your pc.
While being in Moscow... lot of things happened, a bomb in Mc Donnalds, lot ot police check ups on the streets due to the internal war with Chechenians.
The kidnapping of several people inside a Theater that ended up with a bad planned rescue plan that ended up killing several of the innocents inside. I remember my mother wrote to me when that news went around the world, she wrote to me saying "i know you are ok, cause i know you dont have money enough to go to the theater over there" :))) She was so right!!
Ufff in that part of Europe there is always something going on :). Once Masha our MCP said "did you know last night there was someone killed i think in this street or nearby?". We didn't know cause Monica (India) and Me (Ecuador) don't speak Russian so we were walking around absolutely lost.. without knowing anything that was happening around us.
Somehow that way was that i was caught and put into prison the first weekend i arrived in Moscow, simply... in Ecuador you dont take your passport with you cause if it is stolen you will be in troubles and i though it would be the same in Moscow. That was quite stupid from my side!. I got arrested 2 blocks before arriving to the office and was taken in a patrol with no English speaking policemen somewhere i didn' know. I though they were just trying to scared me... they kept on asking me for money, money, money and i was not going to pay anything.
When i arrived to the police station i was affraid and though... "Oh Holy Shit!!!". Once i went in, there was this officer who said something in French, something like "ohh i had lost my passport" refering to me.. and as he said it in French i though, thats my chance... cause i speak French very well... i tried to make my point clear... but.. it was useless... he didnt know any french more than that phrase... nothing else. He was yelling at me, screaming, making faces... and i could not understand a shit... all the things i said was.. "English please??". No English for about 2 hours, later on someone who spoke english and was caught like me helped me to ask for a phone call ( i wasn't sure i had even right to make a phone call there... it sounds stupid but i was affraid). I called AIESECers and they came to pick me up, but they could not take me... they had to pick up my papers first.. meanwhile... i had to wait... IN A JAIL. Then i wondered.... WHAT THE HELL DO I DO IN A JAIL FOR FIRST TIME IN A COUNTRY WHERE I JUST ARRIVED, DONT KNOW MY RIGHTS, HAVENT CALLED MY EMBASSY YET, CANT SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE, CANT READ THEIR LANGUAGE, CANT GUIDE MYSELF THROUGH THE CITY???... It seemed like a bad joke, i didn't know if to cry or to laugh, but i took it as a challenge and an adventure, you know.. something nomads have to face all the time ;). After 4 hours.. i was released. I was lucky cause i was not placed with the skin heads at the other jail!!.
Safety, it is all about it.... But there were many more things happening in Moscow..
Once i was talking to a friend from Perou about something that happened in moscow.. and i wrote this...
should i write this??? 22/11/02
Hi, i am chatting with a peruvian friend right now... i met him on ALDS99 in Perou, long time ago... we are still close friends, he is like my brother.
We are talking about something that i am not sure if i should post here, but it is something that has affected my mood.. and i think i need to say it to somebody.. probably to you. When i started this weblog i committed myself to be as transparent as possible.... and i really need to say this to somebody.
His friend, she was killed in Moscow... her body was found last week.. 10 days after she was killed in a horrible way. I did not know about this.. i have no radio or tv here.... so i am not updated about the news.
While talking about this many things came to my mind, the problem in the Moscow theater... how a big man was kicking another's face 3 meters far from me 2 weeks ago... shit, i feel so bad now. Esther a canadian friend wrote to me the other day.."take care, it seems Moscow is not an easy place to live"...and it is not.
We were also talking about how Russian Police has not done a thing about the case of this perouvian woman killed, no arrest, no anything.. only the Consul of the country has been trying to do something.. and it is because this girl came from a rich family related with the Government in Perou.. otherwise like my friend told me "she would have been only one number more in the statistics". It is true, it happened with the hostages in the theater... it might happen to anybody... it might happen to me as well.
The city itself is quite agressive, how people run and push you away to take your seat in the metro... how some people approach you with an angry face (sometimes they are not.. but as they never smile and they speak something you do not understand.. you never know what to expect)..I am working in this office until very late almost everyday.. yesterday i left at 11pm and went alone to buy some food.. and i was just thinking how lucky i am for not being stolen or hit so far. If it would happen to me... the police would not be able to help me... they would not even understand when i speak.... the same with the thieves...that could increase the danger.
ok, stop with this. I am getting too nervous now and i think it does not really help me. Personally i come from one city that is considered to be the most dangerous city in my country and if there is something i think is that "there is no safe place in this world". Probably i am wrong, but i think no city can say "this is the safest place". So, somehow we all need to learn to deal with the fear inside us, and try to keep going or die affraid of something that might happen.
I choose the first option some time ago, it is just that being alone here sometimes makes me feel weak and totally unsecure. The same with Monica, when she is alone at home she locks the whole house. It is amazing how foreignes become affraid in a different city.... now i understand them.
i need to work and stop thinking about this. bye.
Posted by Juan Carlos Calderon on 11/22/02; 11:29:34 AM from the deep in my heart dept.
More about the haircut crisis...
Next day the haircut crisis was not over, i remember when i went to Russia i was a bit worried cause there was about 5 years since last time they had had foreigners at MC Level and i knew by the experience in Ecuador that it would be hard. It was also tiring and frustrating... but funny :-) now i can smile while i read the following post, in that moment i was very frustrated...
the haircut crisis... 22/11/02
Did you ever though that having a haircut would be so difficult??? I DID NOT.
While i write this, i have a mixure of feelings... 1. i feel quite stupid 2. i am starting to lose my patience and tolerance towards some russian aiesecers.
1. Feeling quite stupid...
Well, the place for the haircut Mitya knows is overbooked. and nobody knows any other place.. COME ON.. if russians do not know.. who will??
Also..even if i find the place i need to go alone.. because there is nobody with time to go with me. how am i going to tell about what i want??
2. Starting to lose my patience with russian aiesecers...
While writing this everybody is in their computers... and somebody said
"hahaha imagine JuanCa trying to explain what he wants to the hairdresser.. hahaha... he will go with green hair to the event!!!"
The joke is ok, but it would be better if somebody would at least try to help me to look for another place. I asked Mitya to find another place in the yellow pages... and he cannot even open the directory!! ... so tired?
So Stella told me.. go to this webpage and there is an english version so you can find it by yourself. (i guess it is more effective).
well, i found another place, ELVI, i asked Olya to call, it is more expensive but whatever... i just need a haircut. it is 5.30pm here. few time to make it and prepare for the meeting.
I still do not know how i will explain it to the hairdresser (not even how to get there... i will print the map).. they do not speak english.
i am about to leave now... ohh, Mitya will go with me!! Thanks God!!.
PD:God... let me tell you something.. feeling useless is not a nice feeling!!! :((
Posted by Juan Carlos Calderon on 11/22/02; 5:39:41 PM from the An unknown place in this big but small world dept.
the haircut crisis... 22/11/02
Did you ever though that having a haircut would be so difficult??? I DID NOT.
While i write this, i have a mixure of feelings... 1. i feel quite stupid 2. i am starting to lose my patience and tolerance towards some russian aiesecers.
1. Feeling quite stupid...
Well, the place for the haircut Mitya knows is overbooked. and nobody knows any other place.. COME ON.. if russians do not know.. who will??
Also..even if i find the place i need to go alone.. because there is nobody with time to go with me. how am i going to tell about what i want??
2. Starting to lose my patience with russian aiesecers...
While writing this everybody is in their computers... and somebody said
"hahaha imagine JuanCa trying to explain what he wants to the hairdresser.. hahaha... he will go with green hair to the event!!!"
The joke is ok, but it would be better if somebody would at least try to help me to look for another place. I asked Mitya to find another place in the yellow pages... and he cannot even open the directory!! ... so tired?
So Stella told me.. go to this webpage and there is an english version so you can find it by yourself. (i guess it is more effective).
well, i found another place, ELVI, i asked Olya to call, it is more expensive but whatever... i just need a haircut. it is 5.30pm here. few time to make it and prepare for the meeting.
I still do not know how i will explain it to the hairdresser (not even how to get there... i will print the map).. they do not speak english.
i am about to leave now... ohh, Mitya will go with me!! Thanks God!!.
PD:God... let me tell you something.. feeling useless is not a nice feeling!!! :((
Posted by Juan Carlos Calderon on 11/22/02; 5:39:41 PM from the An unknown place in this big but small world dept.
How does an Ecuadorian in the world cup (Japan) looks like
Same day i did last posting i got this pics from one of our trainees who was in japan at that time where Ecuador's national soccer team was playing :)
check him out
check him out
The way it all started...
Well... it all started with a webpage, long long long time ago, i was not into sharing thoughts but i wanted a webpage to share pictures and my poems, and my friends poems.. i even though in building a gallery online with the pics of the paintures i liked the most, before the assh*oles of talkcity.com deleted all away.
So stopped for some time, then by September 9, 2002 i did my first blog ever at aiesec.ws
I was so excited about having this year in moscow, if i am not wrong i was just going to IC 2002 in Calgary - Canada and though.. heeeey!! why not record all this, probably after some years i will read it and i will find it funny, how can someone realize how much you change if you dont have a track of the changing process itself? so that was the beginning of all. Welcome to my puzzle.
Few days after my arrival to Moscow i started to contact organisations to get things moving, and i contacted the Junior Chamber in Moscow, so i got invited to an event where Moscow's Major would be present, that's one of those WOW events one can't miss. There was a problem.... i needed a haircut... and i didnt know how hard was to get one in Europe... specially when you dont know where... nor how to find a place, and are not able to communicate.. so i posted this.
21 - Nov - 2002 Good and Bad!
well to finish the day....
Bad... Damn!! I could not have my haircut :((((
Good... I was invited to the Russian Junior Chamber Club Day tomorrow, :)))
check this out...
---------------------
22/11/2002
The Agenda of Russian JC Club Day
19:30 Guests' arriving
20:15 Greetings from the mayor of Moscow
20:20 Reading of the credo. Opening of Club Day
Introducing of the new club members.
Certificates presenting
20:45 Introducing of the delegation, leaving to Las Vegas.
Our wishes
21:00 Greetings from the delegates of the regions
21:15 Presentation of the 1st Convention of Russian JC
21:30 Lottery
22:00 Playing MAFIA game
22:30 Coming to the results with the lottery
22:45 Continuation of playing MAFIA
Oleg Ivanov
President Junior Chamber in Russia
Moscow
-------------------------------
Hey I really like the JCI :)))) and this guy Oleg, is a nice guy :))) ahhh but the thing i like the most is..
At this event you don't have to pay any fee, cause you are the guest,
invited by the President of Russian JC. It means that your name is put
to the list of the invitees.Oleg Ivanov
Isn't it cool??? so tomorrow i will have this haircut and an interesting nigth :))) Not so bad for a nice foreigner :)))
PD: I wonder what do they mean with this MAFIA Game??
PD2: I think i wont understand a shit... mostly will be in Russian...but who cares!!!
21 - Nov - 2002 This is cultural understanding !!!!!
I felt very happy when i read this in the morning...
---------------------
From: Marek Warejko
To: Juan Calderon
Subject: Re: the most stupid question i have had in my life
Hi,
that is not stupid question. We are foreigners here so that happens that we are not awear of many 'obvius' things.
Unfortuantelly I do not know any cheaper place. I was in hairdresser here twice and it was the same place. Sorry I can't help you.
Have a nice day!Marek
>Juan Calderon calderon@ru.aiesec.org
>Privet guys, i have the most stupid question you have ever heard...
>the thing is.. do you know where can i get a haircut (good and>cheap!!)
>I have asked here and they only know one place that is already overbooked... so if you know any other place, could you send me the
>info??? also the price, if it is cheaper than 150rubbles would be just>perfect!! :)
>
>thanks and sorry for bothering you
>
>Sincerely yours,
>
>Juan Calderon
>Vice-President, Exchanges & Corporate Development
------------------------------------------
I want to finish saying that aiesecers are suppoused to know all this small things. I mean that's our work about, not only the dicos and museum,
but also the whole practical survival stuff. I think sometimes we just forget these small but important things, life is made of details (and success as well), don't you think?
Posted by Juan Carlos Calderon on 11/21/02; 10:37:39 AM from the Moscow Headquarters in Former Soviet Union dept.
So stopped for some time, then by September 9, 2002 i did my first blog ever at aiesec.ws
I was so excited about having this year in moscow, if i am not wrong i was just going to IC 2002 in Calgary - Canada and though.. heeeey!! why not record all this, probably after some years i will read it and i will find it funny, how can someone realize how much you change if you dont have a track of the changing process itself? so that was the beginning of all. Welcome to my puzzle.
Few days after my arrival to Moscow i started to contact organisations to get things moving, and i contacted the Junior Chamber in Moscow, so i got invited to an event where Moscow's Major would be present, that's one of those WOW events one can't miss. There was a problem.... i needed a haircut... and i didnt know how hard was to get one in Europe... specially when you dont know where... nor how to find a place, and are not able to communicate.. so i posted this.
21 - Nov - 2002 Good and Bad!
well to finish the day....
Bad... Damn!! I could not have my haircut :((((
Good... I was invited to the Russian Junior Chamber Club Day tomorrow, :)))
check this out...
---------------------
22/11/2002
The Agenda of Russian JC Club Day
19:30 Guests' arriving
20:15 Greetings from the mayor of Moscow
20:20 Reading of the credo. Opening of Club Day
Introducing of the new club members.
Certificates presenting
20:45 Introducing of the delegation, leaving to Las Vegas.
Our wishes
21:00 Greetings from the delegates of the regions
21:15 Presentation of the 1st Convention of Russian JC
21:30 Lottery
22:00 Playing MAFIA game
22:30 Coming to the results with the lottery
22:45 Continuation of playing MAFIA
Oleg Ivanov
President Junior Chamber in Russia
Moscow
-------------------------------
Hey I really like the JCI :)))) and this guy Oleg, is a nice guy :))) ahhh but the thing i like the most is..
At this event you don't have to pay any fee, cause you are the guest,
invited by the President of Russian JC. It means that your name is put
to the list of the invitees.Oleg Ivanov
Isn't it cool??? so tomorrow i will have this haircut and an interesting nigth :))) Not so bad for a nice foreigner :)))
PD: I wonder what do they mean with this MAFIA Game??
PD2: I think i wont understand a shit... mostly will be in Russian...but who cares!!!
21 - Nov - 2002 This is cultural understanding !!!!!
I felt very happy when i read this in the morning...
---------------------
From: Marek Warejko
To: Juan Calderon
Subject: Re: the most stupid question i have had in my life
Hi,
that is not stupid question. We are foreigners here so that happens that we are not awear of many 'obvius' things.
Unfortuantelly I do not know any cheaper place. I was in hairdresser here twice and it was the same place. Sorry I can't help you.
Have a nice day!Marek
>Juan Calderon calderon@ru.aiesec.org
>Privet guys, i have the most stupid question you have ever heard...
>the thing is.. do you know where can i get a haircut (good and>cheap!!)
>I have asked here and they only know one place that is already overbooked... so if you know any other place, could you send me the
>info??? also the price, if it is cheaper than 150rubbles would be just>perfect!! :)
>
>thanks and sorry for bothering you
>
>Sincerely yours,
>
>Juan Calderon
>Vice-President, Exchanges & Corporate Development
------------------------------------------
I want to finish saying that aiesecers are suppoused to know all this small things. I mean that's our work about, not only the dicos and museum,
but also the whole practical survival stuff. I think sometimes we just forget these small but important things, life is made of details (and success as well), don't you think?
Posted by Juan Carlos Calderon on 11/21/02; 10:37:39 AM from the Moscow Headquarters in Former Soviet Union dept.
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Well, it is already over 2 years since last time i posted a blog, those old times of aiesec.ws. I must confess i dont appreciate the way the system was switched off... i didnt knew.. i lost lot of information that was valuable to me and there is no way to recover it, i have done a research in the website, in the cache pages of google and nothing... lot of important things i had posted in that weblog were lost.... buuuuuu to all of you who didnt warn us :(.
Probably that disappointed me to bloggin.. why to blog and share things if they will disappear by someone else's decision?? it is actually second time it happens to me, first time was with my first website at www.talkcity.com and they just deleted all. M*ther F*ckers!.
Why am i here again? Simply i found FEW of my blogs at web archive.org, not the most importants.. but at least some so i am trying to rebuilt it all. from the beginning, by the way i am getting so stucked with this posting thing... i prefered aiesec.ws it was easier... this shit is so complex for me rignt now i cant understand it, gotta work a lot on it. Keep on checking in following days and i will try to tell you a story... the story of a latin guy who once dreamt on being such organisation like AIESEC when he was in... he dreamt to be in MC of his country and made a small country a successful one ... after accomplishing that... he wanted to be MC abroad and see what is Aiesec all about... after that lived in Moscow for almost a year.
During his MC time, he was MCVP Finances and TN and SN (all at the same time) in Ecuador, then he became MCVPTNs and ER in Russian Federation. He was in jail, homeless, starving, on missery, lost, frozen, at hospital, depressed, and more... it was a high price for a dream that he payed during almost 3 years... but DREAMS... those that have real value... are NEVER CHEAP. The best part of all is that also during his MC time he found REAL friends, found strenght, faith, real cultural understanding, got to be a latin russian (the first ever!!), also a latin indian russian (none knew that could exist huh?), learnt to read russian with few help, learnt to speak few russian with few help, went sight seeing in 5 different countries, crossed the world from one side to other... from the hot and sunny Ecuador to the cold, beautiful and old Moscow, then came back to Ecuador really tired and poorer than before, with poverty hurting in his stomage, family complainning for all the "waste of time" of being in Aiesec, friends complaining of why he has changed so much, people around saying he is too colder than before...
Eventhough there was something else i brought from all those precious 5 years in Aiesec, something that was borned the first day i joined this great organisation and something that grew up with every single day i worked here... something that is still with me and keeps me alive and kicking every single day after i left. Something that makes me smile and cry everytime i think of you all working for the good of the people. Something that keep us together. Well that guy is here again tell you a part of this story, hopefully made of the puzzle i will try to recover from my past blog... and i will try to tell you how his real life is right now 3 years after coming back from Moscow.
Have some few time to read? stay tuned!!
Probably that disappointed me to bloggin.. why to blog and share things if they will disappear by someone else's decision?? it is actually second time it happens to me, first time was with my first website at www.talkcity.com and they just deleted all. M*ther F*ckers!.
Why am i here again? Simply i found FEW of my blogs at web archive.org, not the most importants.. but at least some so i am trying to rebuilt it all. from the beginning, by the way i am getting so stucked with this posting thing... i prefered aiesec.ws it was easier... this shit is so complex for me rignt now i cant understand it, gotta work a lot on it. Keep on checking in following days and i will try to tell you a story... the story of a latin guy who once dreamt on being such organisation like AIESEC when he was in... he dreamt to be in MC of his country and made a small country a successful one ... after accomplishing that... he wanted to be MC abroad and see what is Aiesec all about... after that lived in Moscow for almost a year.
During his MC time, he was MCVP Finances and TN and SN (all at the same time) in Ecuador, then he became MCVPTNs and ER in Russian Federation. He was in jail, homeless, starving, on missery, lost, frozen, at hospital, depressed, and more... it was a high price for a dream that he payed during almost 3 years... but DREAMS... those that have real value... are NEVER CHEAP. The best part of all is that also during his MC time he found REAL friends, found strenght, faith, real cultural understanding, got to be a latin russian (the first ever!!), also a latin indian russian (none knew that could exist huh?), learnt to read russian with few help, learnt to speak few russian with few help, went sight seeing in 5 different countries, crossed the world from one side to other... from the hot and sunny Ecuador to the cold, beautiful and old Moscow, then came back to Ecuador really tired and poorer than before, with poverty hurting in his stomage, family complainning for all the "waste of time" of being in Aiesec, friends complaining of why he has changed so much, people around saying he is too colder than before...
Eventhough there was something else i brought from all those precious 5 years in Aiesec, something that was borned the first day i joined this great organisation and something that grew up with every single day i worked here... something that is still with me and keeps me alive and kicking every single day after i left. Something that makes me smile and cry everytime i think of you all working for the good of the people. Something that keep us together. Well that guy is here again tell you a part of this story, hopefully made of the puzzle i will try to recover from my past blog... and i will try to tell you how his real life is right now 3 years after coming back from Moscow.
Have some few time to read? stay tuned!!
