Sowa Imoisilli discussed cultural differences in Plzeň and...
What can I say? Wow. Just wow.
It's truly been an amazing summer. A few months ago, I never could have imagined that I would have an experience like this. Thanks to AIESEC, I was able to find an internship in a country that I knew nothing about, doing something that I had never done before, and surprise myself in ways I never thought possible. In addition, along with my fellow EPs, I was able to visit 5 additional countries during my time in Europe.
This summer, I've met people from every part of the world including Australia, Peru, Egypt, China, Tunisia, Mexico, Canada, and many more. My students have taught me how to lead, how to adjust to unexpected situations, and a different perspective on the world. How many rising college sophomores can say that over the summer they taught an English course in a foreign place while country-hopping on the weekends?
I am so grateful to AIESEC for giving me the chance to grow like I have during this exchange. I would definitely recommend an AIESEc exchange to anyone who is looking for a life-changing experience.
What can I say? Wow. Just wow.
It's truly been an amazing summer. A few months ago, I never could have imagined that I would have an experience like this. Thanks to AIESEC, I was able to find an internship in a country that I knew nothing about, doing something that I had never done before, and surprise myself in ways I never thought possible. In addition, along with my fellow EPs, I was able to visit 5 additional countries during my time in Europe.
This summer, I've met people from every part of the world including Australia, Peru, Egypt, China, Tunisia, Mexico, Canada, and many more. My students have taught me how to lead, how to adjust to unexpected situations, and a different perspective on the world. How many rising college sophomores can say that over the summer they taught an English course in a foreign place while country-hopping on the weekends?
I am so grateful to AIESEC for giving me the chance to grow like I have during this exchange. I would definitely recommend an AIESEc exchange to anyone who is looking for a life-changing experience.
Melody Song taught English to students of all ages and...
A group of exchanges and I (Marta from Italy, Clemens from Germany, and Ramsses from Venezuela) went to the city San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina for a weekend. We took a cable car to a viewpoint and were able to see the peaks of the mountains, as well as Lake Nahuel Huapi.
A group of exchanges and I (Marta from Italy, Clemens from Germany, and Ramsses from Venezuela) went to the city San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina for a weekend. We took a cable car to a viewpoint and were able to see the peaks of the mountains, as well as Lake Nahuel Huapi.
Zoddy Immoisli helped young African to build their own business and...
Taking my first, real, giant leap of faith an traveling to an African country where I knew no one, was the best decision of my life. My AIESEC experience in Dakar, Senegal has impacted me for my life. I saw, experienced, ate, danced, presented and loved many things. Even with the language barrier, the friends I made during my 6 weeks there were so genuine and sincere. Some of the interactions that I had have changed my outlook on life and really taken a toll on my thought process. Not only will I cherish the moment that I had while I was there, I want to visit again as soon as I can and I hope that more people gain the courage to go! For more of my experience visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7iis_qtwTY :)
Taking my first, real, giant leap of faith an traveling to an African country where I knew no one, was the best decision of my life. My AIESEC experience in Dakar, Senegal has impacted me for my life. I saw, experienced, ate, danced, presented and loved many things. Even with the language barrier, the friends I made during my 6 weeks there were so genuine and sincere. Some of the interactions that I had have changed my outlook on life and really taken a toll on my thought process. Not only will I cherish the moment that I had while I was there, I want to visit again as soon as I can and I hope that more people gain the courage to go! For more of my experience visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7iis_qtwTY :)
Amaar Nanabhai taught English, computers and general knowledge in Philippines and...
The trip was really good. I had an awesome time, the LC was very organized, volunteering was fantastic and I made some really close friends. All in all, the Philippines is an amazing country to visit.
The trip was really good. I had an awesome time, the LC was very organized, volunteering was fantastic and I made some really close friends. All in all, the Philippines is an amazing country to visit.
Marina Vermovsky worked at marketing in Budapest and...
It’s going to be difficult to write this without getting too sentimental. I’ve lived in Bakelit, ate in Bakelit, made lifelong friends in Bakelit, and partied in Bakelit for six weeks. Without fail, each experience has been something that brought immense, inexplicable joy to my core. As ridiculously cliché as that is to admit, I write it with complete honesty. You know that feeling when something is just so wonderful – almost too wonderful – that you feel this growing surge of something powerful in your chest? Like you’re ready to burst, and no smile is big enough to communicate how much joy is building up inside of you? It’s that.
Bakelit has been the perfect supplement to my stay in Budapest. My life at this multi-art center balances out my life in the heart of the city. I am lucky to be able to travel from the busiest streets in the city center all the way to this post-industrial area further south. One of my favorite parts of each night is coming back from the crowded, buzzing bars and winding down on the 15-minute long bus ride to the hostel. I walk through the alley in the peaceful darkness, thinking about all the people I’d met that evening, musing over all the conversations I had. More often than not it would be two or more of us heading back to Bakelit. We would debrief our night, sharing stories and laughing over all the interesting characters we encountered.
The interns here have it good. We have an amazing set up, and I’ve really come to appreciate that. Even though we don’t get paid, we get accommodation, food, monthly transportation passes, and some awesome company. Work is from 9:00 AM until 5:30 PM (17:30), but our commute consists of a 30-second stroll from the hostel, through the studio, past the bar, and into the office. We’re in close proximity to the city and to a large supermarket. And what shocked me the most was how safe I began to feel here. At home, we’re instructed from an early to age to be cautious – of everything and everyone. With that in mind, paranoia creeps up on many occasions.
My first time walking back to Bakelit alone, I was heading down the cobble wood path. I suddenly saw a man out of the corner of my eye, walking a few yards behind me. It was like he appeared out of nowhere. I picked up my pace and grabbed the keys out of my bag, spreading them in my hand and clenching my knuckles, preparing for the worst possible situation. I reached the door and began fumbling with the lock in the darkness. The man was approaching closer and closer and my heart was beating louder than a bass drum. I thought that was going to be it; the moment I had learned to fear but assumed I’d never actually encounter. I turn around, not knowing what to expect…and the man just keeps walking. Not a single glance in my direction. I turn back to the door, shove the key in the lock and fly up the stairs into the hostel.
I later realized it was the security guard doing his regular check throughout the area. Something else I learned: I’m not alone. There is a substantial number of people who live here, as a matter of fact. I didn’t think to consider what all the cars in the parking lot meant, but it soon dawned on me that even if I can’t see them, people are here. Business owners, other workers, etc., all reside in the same area that we do.
Bakelit itself is a really cool place. It’s the true hipster world that hipsters back home think they’re a part of. Moreover, what has been created from an old factory is astounding. A building in an apparently run-down, abandoned area is transformed into a fortress full of spunk and life. Everything is convertible and malleable, and the openness that results from this flexibility welcomes artists and visitors alike, with arms wide open.
It’s going to be difficult to write this without getting too sentimental. I’ve lived in Bakelit, ate in Bakelit, made lifelong friends in Bakelit, and partied in Bakelit for six weeks. Without fail, each experience has been something that brought immense, inexplicable joy to my core. As ridiculously cliché as that is to admit, I write it with complete honesty. You know that feeling when something is just so wonderful – almost too wonderful – that you feel this growing surge of something powerful in your chest? Like you’re ready to burst, and no smile is big enough to communicate how much joy is building up inside of you? It’s that.
Bakelit has been the perfect supplement to my stay in Budapest. My life at this multi-art center balances out my life in the heart of the city. I am lucky to be able to travel from the busiest streets in the city center all the way to this post-industrial area further south. One of my favorite parts of each night is coming back from the crowded, buzzing bars and winding down on the 15-minute long bus ride to the hostel. I walk through the alley in the peaceful darkness, thinking about all the people I’d met that evening, musing over all the conversations I had. More often than not it would be two or more of us heading back to Bakelit. We would debrief our night, sharing stories and laughing over all the interesting characters we encountered.
The interns here have it good. We have an amazing set up, and I’ve really come to appreciate that. Even though we don’t get paid, we get accommodation, food, monthly transportation passes, and some awesome company. Work is from 9:00 AM until 5:30 PM (17:30), but our commute consists of a 30-second stroll from the hostel, through the studio, past the bar, and into the office. We’re in close proximity to the city and to a large supermarket. And what shocked me the most was how safe I began to feel here. At home, we’re instructed from an early to age to be cautious – of everything and everyone. With that in mind, paranoia creeps up on many occasions.
My first time walking back to Bakelit alone, I was heading down the cobble wood path. I suddenly saw a man out of the corner of my eye, walking a few yards behind me. It was like he appeared out of nowhere. I picked up my pace and grabbed the keys out of my bag, spreading them in my hand and clenching my knuckles, preparing for the worst possible situation. I reached the door and began fumbling with the lock in the darkness. The man was approaching closer and closer and my heart was beating louder than a bass drum. I thought that was going to be it; the moment I had learned to fear but assumed I’d never actually encounter. I turn around, not knowing what to expect…and the man just keeps walking. Not a single glance in my direction. I turn back to the door, shove the key in the lock and fly up the stairs into the hostel.
I later realized it was the security guard doing his regular check throughout the area. Something else I learned: I’m not alone. There is a substantial number of people who live here, as a matter of fact. I didn’t think to consider what all the cars in the parking lot meant, but it soon dawned on me that even if I can’t see them, people are here. Business owners, other workers, etc., all reside in the same area that we do.
Bakelit itself is a really cool place. It’s the true hipster world that hipsters back home think they’re a part of. Moreover, what has been created from an old factory is astounding. A building in an apparently run-down, abandoned area is transformed into a fortress full of spunk and life. Everything is convertible and malleable, and the openness that results from this flexibility welcomes artists and visitors alike, with arms wide open.
