Snapshots

2010-05-19T05:09:00.005+03:00

I've been somewhat envolved in discussions about leadership potential lately, and just came across of an interesting piece by Korn Ferry, 2007:

Successful leaders develop on the job (McCall, Lombardo, & Morrison, 1988). They learn managerial lessons from day-in and day-out work experiences. On the other hand, many executives derail. They depend too much on the competencies that moved them into management in the first place and tend to stop learning the skills that are needed to continue to perform effectively as a manager (McCall & Lombardo, 1983). A relatively new concept called “learning agility” is increasingly recognized as essential for long-term success. The concept derives from a variety of studies conducted at the Center for Creative Leadership. Robert Sternberg and his colleagues at Yale (Sternberg, Wagner, Williams, & Harvath, 1995) and Daniel Goleman’s (1995) work with emotional intelligence also is focused on this concept. Learning agility is the ability to learn something in situation A and apply it in situation B. It is about forming patterns collected in one context and then using those patterns in a completely new or different context to make sense out of something you’ve never seen or done before. Research indicates that learning how to deal effectively with first-time or changing situations is more predictive of long-term potential than raw intelligence.

Understanding complexity?

2010-05-01T17:41:00.002+03:00

(ufa ... it's been a while since my last post here! I'm thinking of getting back online .. let's see how that goes)

Just to share I thought that I caught myself with just a few moments ago.

One of the challenges related to sustainability has been said the lack of system thinking, lack of understanding complexity etc.
Over the years we have been drawn into predominant ways of looking at the world as linear cause and efect equations, fragmenting complex issues into smaller parts, trying to implement mechanical solutions to every complex issue etc...

So as I went online today, and suddenly caught myself in a sort of a free flow of information that lead me through one page to another, from twitter, facebook to CNN news blog etc etc. I started to wonder whether the digital era helps the new generations to develop a skill of systemic thinking and understanding complexity?

Biopsychology

2009-04-21T04:43:00.004+03:00

Just got back from the second module of the biopsychology course with Susan Andrews in her ecovila Visão Futuro. Super interesting how she brings together Eastern and Western science, not just medicine, but also many other sciences... all that mixed with music, arts, theatre ... I'm excited to learn.

Ask "What's possible?" ...

2008-10-27T04:55:00.003+02:00

Ask "What's possible?" not "What's wrong?" - Keep asking...

Notice what you care about.
Assume that many others share your dreams.

Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.
Talk to people you know.
Talk to people you don't know.
Talk to people you never talk to.

Be intrigued by the differences you hear.
Expect to be surprised!
Treasure curiosity more than certainty.

Invite in everybody who cares to work on what's possible.
Acknowledge that everyone is an expert in something.
Know that creative solutions come from new connections.

Remember, you don't fear people whose story you know.
Real listening always brings people closer together.

Trust that meaningful conversations change your world.

Rely on human goodness.

Stay together.

^^^^

Was trying to find the author for that poem (thanks Pablo for sharing it!) and a posting I had made in my blog more than two years ago came up in the search rs ...
I became curious about what happened that day. And I can't recall ...

The True Joy of Life

2008-10-27T02:44:00.003+02:00

This is the true joy of life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live.

Life is no "brief candle" to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

- George Bernard Shaw

22nd of September - World's Carfree Day

2008-09-23T02:16:00.004+03:00

Today is the World's Carfree Day. Yeap, 22nd of September. Nevertheless, the traffic in Sao Paulo is as intense as usually. For today being Monday, it actually seems even heavier than normally in the beginning of the week.
I know that because I take a bus every day for at least 45 minutes to work and depending on traffic, minimum 1 hour, maximum 2 to get home. My work is about 40 km from home.
Well ... at least it's a bus of about 50 people in it, not a car, right? and runs on biodiesel, not petroleum. So a bit better? And the company neutralizes carbon emissions. Should be alright then?

Yeah, I guess that's a pretty good option for commuting. Just that ... there's NO MORE SPACE on the streets! And even if someone wanted to choose a public transport or a bicycle, then ... the public transport is crowded, and for the second option - you'd be suicidal, if you wanted to bicycle in SP!
Quick fact: in a city of 13 million (with Grange Sao Paulo about 18 million) there's about 4,5 km bicycle roads outside of parks.

AND...here come some Sao Paulo traffic stats:
- more than 6 million cars on the streets, which, when lined up would almost reach around the world (40 000 km)
- 48 571 new cars in March alone (64% increase compared to the previous year)
- in 12 month period the number of cars increased 6,7% compared to the year before, which is 16 times more than the rate of population growth in Sao Paulo (0,41%)
- Daily, 1000 new cars are bought, in March the number grew up to 1500
- Average speed at the peak hour is 27 km per hour for cars and 12 km/h for public bus

One of the strategies the city implements is "rodizio": depending on your plate number, you are not allowed on the streets on certain days or hours (to alleviate the burden on the streets to accommodate the cars).

When I asked my friend, what would he do if the "rodizio" became tougher, he simply said, he'd get a second car.
Well, can't really blame him. Depending on a route, to cover a distance of 1 hr car ride, it could sometimes take up to 3 hours by public transport!!

They say, the metro system has been under financed for the last 28 years... as well as the bicycle roads ... and I think, there's quite a work to be done for responsible consumerism as well.
I wonder how much would the mainsteam ways of working change in the future due to traffic conditions (home office, flexible working hours etc.). It is already happening, I am just wondering about the mainstreaming effect...

I am curious about the future of our Sao Paulo.

2008-09-13T06:41:00.003+03:00

Going to the depths of things ... until loosing sight of the measure of right and wrong, truth and false
Going to the depths of things ... breaking down of what once seemed an "absolute"
Going to the depths of things ... discovering
Going to the depths of things ... understanding
Going to the depths of things ... unlearning and relearning
Going to the depths of things ... loosening the grip of what had seemed complete and clear, setting it free, setting myself free
Going to the depths of things ... being guided by intuition (I didn't know it speaks to me!!)
Going to the depths of things ... sensing the direction, consolidating

The path feels right.
There's no hurry.
But excitement.

***

Time is a partner, not an enemy.

Reflections on ethics and the process of making things happen

2008-09-09T06:01:00.004+03:00

Effective implementation of solutions for critical sustainability equations.

Insights of Oscar Motomura during Tallberg concert that followed a session of the Moral Boundaries Workshop, Summer 2008

IF ETHICS is the CHOICE for the COMMON GOOD (global reach and including all living beings): ...

deciding not to act because it is difficult and there are uncertainties involved ... is not ethical;

deciding to act small because it is more comfortable ... is not ethical;

deciding to hold back (your proposals, ideas and actions) because you don't want to go against "the group" ... is not ethical;

deciding doing the possible instead of trying to make the impossible possible ... is not ethical;

deciding to use just a part of your potential (to "save" it for self interest purposes) ... is not ethical;

deciding not to persist up to the limits of your forces ... it is not ethical;

deciding to conform to existing limitations (even the ones in the form of inadequate laws) ... is not ethical;

deciding not to act, to stay silent, letting fear stay in the way ... is not ethical;

deciding to conform to the "letter of law" instead of persisting on the path defined by the "spirit of law" ... is not ethical;

deciding to "delegate" your natural power, as a world citizen, to others ... is not ethical;

deciding not to try because nobody tried before ... is not ethical;

deciding not to act on the challenges of scale and complexity because they look overwhelming ... is not ethical;

deciding not to pursue the perfection and conform to what seems "negotiable" ... is not ethical;

deciding to postpone bold actions again and again "waiting for the right moment" ... is not ethical;

deciding not to act pressed by the conventions established by your own "professional community" ... is not ethical;

deciding to hold back because you may not be recognised as the author of the solution ... is not ethical;

deciding to "play the game" and pretend that you are not seeing the manipulations underway ... is not ethical;

deciding to live in the realm of ideas, diagnosis and theories instead of taking the risks and going for action ... is not ethical;

deciding to act only when all is scientifically proven, even when the truth is self evident ... is not ethical;

deciding to reject all radically creative ideas (yours including) when the "traditional-not-so-radical" ideas have not been working ... is not ethical;

deciding not to act because the process of reaching the perfect solution is too complex and difficult to implement ... is not ethical;

deciding to reject every proposal that looks "idealistic" and "utopic" ... is not ethical.

Running

2008-09-06T02:07:00.003+03:00

I started a running practice this week, organized by the company I work for, they hire professionals to train the ones that have interest. In contrary to my initial thought, it was not just a jogging in a park, but a real running practice!! Some people of the group run marathons!!

To my own surprise:
- After the first training, I felt like part of me had re-awakened. The part that used to be in all sports competitions in high school, brought home medals, the one that thrived on sports, the strength, speed, heights, distance... I realized how much these things have not been part of my life in the last ...um...10 years.
I think from what I am sensing now, some forward going movement might come out.

- It reminded me how much I learned by doing sports. I think at some level, the sports really bring out and shape some particular characteristics like persistence, for example.

- And then the realization of how much ones mindset determines the outcome of loosing or winning. I do remember the judo matches when I lost in 10 seconds or sprints where I was paralyzed by fear. And then some other times where I focused on strength and success and it actually did work...

- Thought after 8 km run yesterday (aihh these long distance runners!!): sometimes the big picture doesn't matter a thing. If you know you are on the right track, just keep your eyes on the heels of the guy in front of you and keep going and keep going and keep going.
And damn it's hard to keep on going when the one in front steps aside and there's no one else on sight to hold on to and the finish is still far away.

- A thought on potential: how often do we give up because we think that we have reached our limits? And how much of the undiscovered we would reveal if we didn't stop just there yet! And after that just reached out even a bit further?
I think that applies everywhere. How often does 8 km seem just way too much to run in one go? or how unachievable do certain dreams seem to be at times?
Is it really too much then?

"When was the last time you did something for the first time?"

2008-07-12T21:14:00.003+03:00

That was a sentence I picked up from an AIESEC friend in India. He used to have that on his MSN commentline for a while.

And really got me thinking ... seriously ... when was the last time I did something for the first time? Gave a new look to something that I had taken for granted so far? Or when was the last time I stopped to think about it?

Naturally, living in a new environment, traveling, starting a new job etc offers more frequent opportunities for doing something that I've never done before. Yet, I think that the other side of this (a more critical one) is the will to take the time to reflect and the ability to look at things, even if the 'old' ones, from different and new perspective, re-thinking/re-perceiving them, in a way, re-learning from what's in and around us.
Could I do something for the first time every day? Could that, and how, be an opportunity to learn more about the world around me and within me?

*** ***

Tuesday
2nd day at work, 3rd day back in Brazil.

I opened my eyes at about 5.15, to check what time it is and to make sure I'm 'on the track' with getting to work (can't really trust myself with early alarms).

Then, the alarm went off at 5.45.
That's when I am and will be getting up to go to work from now on.
Wake up, shower, get ready, leave home at 6.30, get the company's bus at 6.40, arrive at the company's facilities at 7.40, have coffee with colleagues, get settled, start work at 8.

You know, I'm excited!!!
I had never got up that early to start work (even the thought of getting up at 5 or 6 (!!!) seemed crazy enough!!), but instead, it has even happened that I have finished work at hours around 3, 4, 5 am and gone to sleep. I used to love working at night, usually with my own projects in our NGO, thus working at home until late hours. Happened quite frequently in the last 6 months that I stayed in Estonia.

But I am really excited about the change - new way of starting the day, waking up with the sun, having a gradual entrance to the working day etc. So yes, I am excited about the change of the daily routine. And will keep learning from that way of being.

Back in Sao Paulo

2008-07-08T06:24:00.005+03:00

Sunday 06/07/08
at 5.40
Day 1

After a 11 hrs flight from Paris I had a soft landing in Sao Paulo, my home for the time coming.
"Soft" was the landing as far as it goes for the plane. I myself had quite a re-integration 'awakening' :). The 6 months in Estonia had left its marks and the contrasts stroke more vividly than about 2 years ago when I first came to Brazil.

It was still dark in the morning (at 6 am), when I arrived since it's a winter time in Brazil. Though, it ain't during summer neither that the paulistanos can enjoy the 19 hrs daylight that the nordics can enjoy.
The air smells sweet of pollution (never knew that CO2 smells sweet!!!), there's a chaos in traffic (I'm still not able to block out that noise, since it's sooo vivid, it's like as if I was in the boiling pot), and from my 24th floor window I can see kilometers of stone and glass - the skyscrapers!!
It is such a contrast to my home or even to Holland where I had a 2 day stop over before changing the continents.
All in all, day one was a bit shocking - part of it because home had got deeper and stronger under my skin within these last 6 months of waiting for the visa, and secondly, for the contrasts really being huge.
Only relief was seeing some Brazilian friends at night for a beer - Marcio, Monika, Dea, Guga, and Zoe, of course - helped a lot to ease the re-integration hurdles.

Day 2

It's a night of the day 2, and I'm content. The weird sort of shivering anxiety that I had yesterday due to the initial "shock" is almost gone. Or I have found a way to handle it. It has turned into a positive movement in me...
I spent a whole day in the company I'm going to work - and got assurance regarding the decision to stay in Brazil.
Also met up with Pioneers of Change at night - many special people I had not met for a while, and good, deep conversations. Good energy that I would need more time to write about...

Now off to sleep...my new start in Brazil will require a total lifestyle makeover :) - I'm a night person, but need to somehow turn into a morning person (that's basically cos my work starts at 8 and it'll take an hour at least to get to work...so you can only imagine :).

Boa noite queridos!!

Ask a Brazilian!

2008-06-26T14:59:00.005+03:00

I realized the other day that I hadn't written much about the life in Brazil in general. So having that in mind, here's a quicky - www.gringoes.com (gringo = foreigner in Brazil) to learn more about Brazil.

There's a special section - Ask a Brazilian - which has Brazilians answering the questions foreigners have had about Brazil, Brazilians, cultural differences (dating for ex) etc.

Wordle

2008-06-25T16:46:00.004+03:00

Continuing along the lines ...

2008-06-25T00:28:00.005+03:00

... of my last posting - the midsummer's day was "mõnus" (translates something like "great", but with a special flavour to it)! A bunch of us, old friends, were road-tripping around the South of Estonia for the long weekend. Started out on Saturday afternoon at Peep's summer cottage in the middle of the forest in Valgemetsa with some BBQ and drinks, good company and talks that lasted until 4 am. (Ohh I had been waiting for years (!!!) to meet up with you, Sarah and Peep!!)
Woken up by the ring of my cell phone by Elina after a few hours sleep in the tent (or in the cottage for some), we had a quick brunch (more BBQ :)) and off we took. Our intention to (re-)discover some local events/people took us to Vastseliina for a country fair, then to Suur Munamägi (the highest point in Estonia, which indeed ain't too high afterall - mere 318 m it is).
We landed in Triin's place in Elva for the night. Wonderful!! Home cooked meal, lovely dinner in the garden catching the last rays of the setting sun, beautiful, relaxing atmosphere, and of course SAUNA! Ahh I guess no foreigner (unless Finnish or so :) can imagine the feeling of walking on the night-wet grass after a hot sauna, sipping beer and then, when a bit chilled already, head back to the sauna... mmmm...
Oh and, of course, more BBQ that night!
Then another late 'n' relaxing morning, some good moments at Triin's home and off we took for a 1 hour trip to Antsla to Uku's place to spend the actual Midsummer's Day there. The trip later ended up being a 2 hour-discover-estonia journey, but was fun, and luckily we caught all the rain while on the way. The late sun came out right when we got to Uku's.
I know I'm going to repeat myself here a bit, but :P ... the night was adorable - great people, lovely landscapes and country house atmosphere (huh I wish I had photos of the trip with me right now!!), more BBQ (Uku's parents grilled some lamb for the crowd that night!), more sauna, more fun and great memories.

ps. I think I had more meat in the last 4 days than in the last 4 months altogether!
pps. To know a bit more about Jaanipäev or the Midsummer's day, click here or search internet. For the curious, we didn't exactly follow all the Midsummer's day traditions - like jumping over the bonfire, for example.
ppps. (that's the last one) Once again I was reminded that Estonia, my home country, has got its wonders and my friends are simply 5+.

Mõnus

2008-06-17T22:54:00.005+03:00

Istun ja mõtlen siin (see on lihtsalt vahemärkus, sest tegelikult mul on üks töö pooleli, aga siiski...).
Istun ja mõtlen siin, et mõnus on ... eelmine nädalavahetus näiteks. Kõigepealt oli laupäeval Kersti sünnipäev, traditsiooniliselt kuu aega hiljem, tema suvilas Tornimäel (oli vist Tornimäe, eks?), suur hulk ülikooliaegseid sõpru-tuttavaid koos. Tore oli. Ja pühapäeval käisime Uku ja Martiniga Balletikooli galat vaatama. Minu jaoks täiesti ukulik ettevõtmine - ja selles mõttes ideaalne.
Üritus kestis 3 tundi, kusjuures teine vaatus oli väga hea. Esitus oli väga hea. Ma olin kohe täitsa põnevil, et mis saab ja nii.
Siis võtsime Harjumäel päikest, sinna on mingid uued, vingeid, lõunamaised lamamistoolid tekkinud. Ja maha pandud klaaside all mulksus vesi. Päike siras soojalt. Varsti tuli Triinikas ja läksime Kompressorisse pannikaid sööma - seda ka ei ole juba vist 2-3 aastat teinud. Mmmmaitsev ja mõnus.
Siis BocaPotis latte ja veel nata päikest ja muhedat olemist toredate sõpradega Toompea kandis murul (ma ei mäleta, kuidas seda kohta kutsuti täpselt)....Ideaalne pühapäev oli.
Esmaspäeval oli meil Elinaga ettekanne CSR teemal... ahh jälle üks sellistest mõnusatest asjadest, oma asja ajamine. Ja Elina on lihtsalt super (siia võiks kohe pika kiidulaulu panna). Siis oli kohtumine Marisega pangas - ikka CSR teemal ja jälle hulk edasiviivat energiat. Ja palju mõtlemis- ja tegutsemisainet ka.
Õhtul oli Triinika, Helkuri ja Kairiga Elevandis koosmõtlemine kooli ja hariduse teemal. Lihtsalt ükskord tuli Triinikaga Maneezi ja Narva mnt. nurgal rääkides miljon head mõtet, millest üks oli soov natuke koos mõelda hariduse ja kõige seonduva üle. Nii saimegi kokku. Ma ei tea, kuidas seda väljendada - head ideed, hea energia, head sõbrad, hea soov edasi minna. Kui ühe sõnaga ütlema peaks, siis praegu paneks selleks mõnus. Mõnusad momendid, mis kestavad rohkem kui sekundi ja milles on iva, millest mingil hetkel võib asja saada.

ahhh...kogu selle keskel on mul väga segased tunded. Viisa tuli kuidagi nii ootamatult. Viis kuud ootasin küll, aga nüüd tuli ikkagi nagu üleöö. Valmis ja nüüd ole kohal! Oeh!! Lihtsalt kuidagi ootamatult palju vastuolulisi tundeid... kodu ja ema ja isa ja Taavi ja Kadri ja head sõbrad ja siinsed tegemised ja armsad asjad on mu maailma 5 kuu jooksul jälle muutnud ... st veel paremaks teinud, uusi perspektiive andnud, aga nüüd on raskem ka.
Brasiilia töö ja elu ja sõbrad on ka väga väga väärt ja head, ma ju tean (muidu ma sinna ei lähekski...tööalaselt eriti, paremat varianti vist ei ole üldse olemas), aga nüüd tundub ikka palju vaevalisem see äraminemine, kui oleks olnud 4 kuud tagasi või kui oli 2 aastat tagasi, kui 24. juunil 2006. esimesest korda LatAm-i poole teele asusin. Siis ajendatuna soovist maailma avastada, ennast võõral maal proovile panna, tööalaselt areneda. Nüüd oli tööalane areng peamine ja väga suur põhjus, mis kaalukausi Brasiiliasse jäämise poole kallutas. Tegelikult on selle tööteemaga ka teatud isiklike oskuste ja omaduste arendamine väga tihedalt seotud, ka siin on Brasiilial selles mõttes palju potentsiaali, aga sellest ma vast kirjutan mõni teine kord ...

My life in Brazil, vol 2 - OUT SOON!

2008-06-11T01:55:00.005+03:00

Yeap, my Brazilian work visa was approved (after 5 months waiting, and, of course, enjoying Estonia, my dear home, family and friends meanwhile:).

That means my life in Brazil, vol 2. will be out soon :). More about it shortly!

BEIJOS!!!

"Why can't I pick a relationship that lasts?"

2008-06-07T12:34:00.007+03:00

Am I destined to be lonely? Do I pick the wrong men? Why am I still single?

Yesterday I read on Salon.com a story, contemporary story about relationships:

"I believe that I have lost my ability to trust my judgments on relationships. However, I still believe in love, and I have not given up all hope.
Here is the situation: I am 33 and single yet again after another failed relationship..."
And there was a whole story of a number of failed relationships, for variety of reasons.

In response to the story, advice followed:
"What is your reason for seeking a man? It may sound like a dumb question but ... Is it to have children and raise a family? To avoid loneliness? To feel relaxed and confident in your world? To enjoy sex? To demonstrate your value and attractiveness to others? To keep pace with your friends?
Perhaps with your therapist you can dwell on these questions long enough to see some specific and detailed answers emerge.
This might help you in several ways. For one thing, it can help you see exactly what you are losing when a man goes away. And so it can help you think how to replace those specific things that he was providing. If he was providing sex, for instance, and you miss the sex, then you can set about trying to find more sex. If the ache you feel is loneliness, then perhaps you need the company of others. If you feel wounded or betrayed, then perhaps you can work on that woundedness, exploring it, asking, Is it anger toward him, is it shock at how I have been treated?

So rather than suggest how you might better find and maintain another relationship, my approach is more to explore the various aspects of having a man and see how having a man is connected to your larger life aspirations."

Basically, think and see who you are first, be complete and then seek a relationship.

I loved how similar idea was put in Zoe's blog, some extracts:

***
The word to look out for this century is partnership. We are changing the love of necessity for the love of desire. I like and desire company, but I do not need it - this is very different.

***
They [people] are starting to realise that they feel a fraction, but are whole.
The other, with whom you create a link, also feels a fraction. He is not the prince or the saviour of anything. He is only a companion on a journey.

***
A new form of love, or more love, has a new features and meaning.
It aims for the coming together of two wholes, and not the union of two halves.
And this is only possible for those who manage to work on their individuality.

The more an individual is capable to live alone, the more prepared s/he will be for an affectionate relationship.

***
Everyone should spend some time alone every now and again, to establish an inner dialogue and discover your personal force.

etc...
**********

Is it so? Does that explain?
It does on a broader scale (not in all cases), I guess (or what do u think?). And gives, in a way, a new (more relaxed?) perspective/meaning to the relationship status. Especially if you are 33 and single.

hmmm....
I'm 28 and single and my parents definitely think I should be rather concerned:)

Hummers out of fashion

2008-06-07T03:03:00.004+03:00

If I look on the streets of Estonia, it seems to me that the time where a size of a car directly correlated with the owner's authority, prestige etc. have started to pass. Reasons could be many, but clearly there's no practical and real need for anyone to own a massive car like, for example, Hummer in Estonia.
I have seen fewer of these on the streets than 2 years ago. Or so it seems at least. That even though people have become wealthier. The reasons might be purely financial, its still expensive to maintain a vechicle like that.

And anyway, in the era of ours (the sustainability perspective!), can anyone really be proud of driving a powerful car that, by no means, is really justified?
I'm just curious to know, how the people that do drive these kinds of cars, think.

This thought came to me, when a shiny, majestetic (red!) Hummer passed me by in Tallinn the other day.

And then I read that General Motors itself is having some doubts about the future of the brand:
"It [GM] may also discontinue or sell off its well-known Hummer brand in a bid to develop more environmentally friendly vehicles as oil prices soar, the company said on Tuesday." by Al Jazeera News.

On 03/07/2008, a comment:
After a re-think, I don't think the mainstream has changed in Estonia. Being sustainable is not in fashion, but true, the segment of the "englightened elite", although still a niche, is still growing. I would have to explain that a bit, I'll come to that, when I come to that.

Banco Real receives 2 FT Sustainable Banking awards!

2008-06-07T02:38:00.003+03:00

This week, The Financial Times and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group announced the winners of the 2008 FT Sustainable Banking Awards, with Banco Real of Brazil named as Sustainable Bank of the Year and also taking the overall Emerging Markets prize.

Now in their third year, the awards recognise banks and other financial institutions that have shown leadership and innovation in integrating social, environmental and corporate governance considerations into their operations.The programme has grown in popularity and this year’s winners were selected from a record 182 entries from 129 institutions across 54 countries.

***

Just really proud of Banco Real and its team (congrats to all!!!), and happy for having had a chance to work there!
The experience was beyond enlightening, encouraging, inspiring!

I remember a comment from an international consultant that worked with the sustainability team of Banco Real (ABN at that time), saying that Banco Real is of its own league, thus it's hard to even benchmark it against anyone else as its being benchmark for others!
Of course its not perfect, but the scale of changes made, the challenges taken up and the extent of trying to integrate sustainability into the core business was very encouraging to witness.

Thinking about moving a city?

2008-06-04T20:55:00.005+03:00

Thinking about relocating to another city?
How about Masdar - Abu Dhabi's £12 billion city, first eco-designed city in the world (actually Dongtan in China was first, but looks like Masdar is taking a leap ahead).

The city's vision includes principles of a zero-carbon, zero-waste and car-free. Masdar has been designed to be powered by wind energy and solar power from photovoltaic farms. Now that building work is underway, and solar testing facilities have begun to feed the city’s grid, the developers hope that Masdar’s example can persuade other parts of the United Arab Emirates to follow suit.

Sustainable citizen by choice

I like the comment of Masdar's city development unit director Khaled Awad. He hopes that once the wider community has a better understanding of their own environmental footprint they will change the way they consume, making it “unnecessary for Masdar to have rules for behaviour that is not sustainable or even warranted”.

For example, there will be no limits on individual energy consumption and residents will be able to drive cars, as long as they are parked outside the city’s boundaries at all times.

Read the whole article in Ethical Corporation here.

BBC World Debate - is business accountable?

2008-06-01T22:29:00.003+03:00

How Accountable is Business?
Can openness and profitability go hand in hand?

This BBC World Debate took place at the GRI Annual Conf in the beginning of May. Take a look, it's worth it.
Check it out, featuring also my boss-to-be (if I get this looong waited visa, of course) Alessandro Carlucci from Natura.

A Man Without a Country

2008-05-19T19:35:00.004+03:00

Just finished – in one go – Vonnegut’s last book „A Man Without a Country“, and wanted to highlight it.*
It’s humorous, yet critical and concerned, full of insights and reflections about the politics, society & life in the US (and the world).
The starting lines „There’s no reason good can’t triumph over evil, if only angels will get organized along the lines of mafia“ reflect well the author's style.

The book is very enjoyable and thought provoking, one thing that surprised me was the extent of Vonnegut’s concern about the future of humankind „...It seems to me that people live like the members of AA: day by day. And a few extra days is enough. I know very few of that kind of people that dream about the world left for their grand children."
Or
„That’s the end of good news about anything. Our Planet’s immune system is trying to et rid of people. This is sure the way to do that.“

And there's a lot more...about integrity, honesty, war on Iraq, little Marsians etc

______
* especially so in the context, where I remember myself as a teenager checking out the "Breakfast of Champions" and thinking (regarding his style) "hm... that's a weird book", it went for his style of writing as well as illustrations. I guess it's all about timing. I really enjoyed it this time.

PS. it's a bit another topic, but I also loved Jaan's "Hingelõõm" particularly for how the illustrations/comics where integrated with the content/the story itself. I actually hadn't seen the illustrations given that big share in a novel before. (My ignorance might have to do with a fact that I've spent years of not reading too much other-than-for-my-work literature :).

Brazil: greenest lifestyles & GRI reporting awards

2008-05-16T12:23:00.003+03:00

Just red a few newsbits about Brazil in CorporateResponsibility.net:

First one saying that Brazil, India are having the world’s most environmentally-sustainable lifestyle, according to a study tracking global attitudes towards consumption and the environment. There were four key areas in observation: housing, transportation, food and goods.

It's good news, but I'm very sceptical - I think that the consumption would increase in accordance with the household incomes and increase in spending power.

Yet, there's something special about Brazil (maybe I've felt that because I've been more exposed to such kind of people, but still) there's a certain (higher) sensitivity and energy in Brazil/brazilians in general and also regarding social and environmental topics, new lifestyles, innovation etc, certain spirituality.
I don't think it yet affects the mainstream (consumer), but it could soon.

The second news was about GRI reporting awards, where Brazil (Petrobras) and India (ABN Amro) won a few award categories. It's a good sign to demonstrate that the global best practice in sustainability is not anymore only concentrated in Europe (UK, Gery, Fra, NL etc), or USA, but the developing countries are right there on the map.
Like I said, Brazil is a good place to keep an eye on regarding CR/sustainability innovation (let's hope the general policial-economic climate will also remain positive).

Pro-business

2008-05-13T23:03:00.002+03:00

Just thought of adding a comment here regarding my views on doing business.
While being keen on the green, sustainable, responsible business, I'm not an anti-business campaigner, I'm completely pro-business. I just think that contemporary times require us (for various reasons) & propose an opportunity to take much broader look at business, that is beyond the traditional single bottom line (turnover, profit).
We now look at business from more global perspective, along the value chain and the overall impacts along the life cycle of products/sercives, considering the social and environmental impacts of doing business. And for business, it has to do with both: risk management and business opportunities.
It's exciting time of re-thinking & re-modeling & re-inventing business/doing business. That itself does not imply a need to compromise the strive for profitability.

I'm inspired by this.

Gucci recycled?

2008-05-08T13:14:00.006+03:00

I've worked in a bank that aims at bringing economic, environmental and social aspirations together, including giving incentives for their clients and suppliers to do the same.
I soon hope to be able to start working in my new job in a cosmetics company that values sustainable production and biodiversity, cooperation with local producer communities, aims at having 0 carbon footprint, offers refills for their products etc.
These being a few examples of businesses going "green", more sustainable...

Yesterday, after passing through a KG shop (luxury shoe brand) in Gatwick airport (all the shoes made in Brazil, by the way), I casually browsed through the Kurt Geiger's web site. Beautiful beautiful shoes!!!

And then a bit awkward thought came to my mind - how do the luxury brands and the whole sustainable development movement fit together? Do they at all?
I mean, honestly, I can't imagine the expensive luxury brands like Gucci, KG, Armani, Fendi, Louis Vuitton etc being associated with greener production, sustainable value chain management, fair trade and pricing, or you name it sustainability issue.
It just does not seem to fit together!?!

heheh I mean, just try to imagine anyone being proud of a recycled Gucci bag!!!

On the same note, I noticed the year 2007 marked as the "Celebrities going Green" year. Interesting eh!
Sheryl Crow campaigning for stopping global warming, Leonardo diCaprio promoting hybrid vehicles, Alicia Silverstone renovating her home to be eco-concious etc. I think these are good signs of changing public attitudes.

And on the top of it, found a blog item from the Luxury Summit, which claims that it's now in fashion to be green and fabulous. And that not only for the talk of it, but the customers have really started to look behind the label.

Are you mad?

2008-05-05T21:37:00.004+03:00

"You are not mad at me, are you?" asked my friend apparently a bit concerned about a recent short personal argument.
"Hmm...I guess not really" was my a bit vague answer.

I guess I had a bit of reason to be upset, and I had this little stingy feeling inside as if someone had bitten a bit of my ego or something. But yet, I knew I really shouldn't be mad. I've learned that by being mad I don't really proceed anywhere, I just stay stuck in my own self destruction or in worst case burst it out and make the initial argument even worse.
It surely helps if I can get myself out of the situation by taking a look at myself through someone else's eyes. If you know what I mean, that is to leave my hurt ego aside and think what just happened. And to learn from it, and do something with these learnings, that is to channel this energy somewhere else but into the feeling of madness. And not seem totally indifferent regarding what just happened (the argument).
ehhh...I still have to reflect on that and try to make this a bit more consistent for myself...

How companies think about climate change: A McKinsey Global Survey

2008-04-17T22:05:00.002+03:00

Some interesting facts from McKinsey Global Survey:

* Fully 60 % of global executives surveyed by The McKinsey Quarterly regard climate change as strategically important, and a majority consider it important to product development, investment planning, and brand management.
* Fewer companies, however, act on these opinions. More than one-third of executives say their companies seldom or never consider climate change when developing overall strategy.
* Nonetheless, executives express optimism about the business prospects of addressing climate change. 61 % expect the issues associated with climate change to boost profits — IF managed well.
* Despite the uncertainties around regulation, a remarkable 82 % of executives expect some form of climate change regulation in their companies’ home country within five years.

I'd draw from here:
- Awareness, by itself, does not create change. There are loads of studies that demonstrate remarkable increase in the consumers, business people and other stakeholders' understanding of sustainability issues and challenges (climate change, poverty, social exclusion etc), its connection with doing business, daily consumption patterns and so on. Nevertheless, actually doing something about it, is significantly rarer. IE. one understands the issue, but doesn't actually act upon it and doesn't really get out of the "it-is-like-that, because-it-has-always-been-like-that", that for various reasons. For ex. a consumer x understands the issue of fair trade, the need for it and IS actually willing to pay more for a fair trade product. YET, the consumer patterns do not reflect that: in spite of the willingness, the consumer does not buy the product. Again, for various reasons.
How to have the ACTION reflect the AWARENESS? What are the challenges we face personally, in family life, in an organization we work, in the community we life in? How are we going to go about these challenges?
hm...it's quite a thing for the reinvention of the corporate world, the consumer society!

- Taking care of the environment, could be profitable for the company, if managed properly. What stops from doing it? Lack of the sense of urgency, knowledge and skills, consumer appreciation, too hard to let go of the 'business as usual'?

- Could acting before the state (by imposing more regulation) mean competitive advantage to the businesses taking a faster leap ahead?

Carbon neutral events

2008-04-12T16:47:00.002+03:00

Good to see the sustainability movement becoming a part of the organization of large conferences (that one is GRI conference).
Would be exciting to see the guys in Davos dressed in green :))), I guess it's not long from now.

***
The Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency will be a “carbon neutral” conference through use of carbon offsets. Environmentally friendly materials will be used where possible, for example, for the 1,100 conference bags and all printed materials. The conference catering providers will serve organic food and there will be no bottled water available in order to minimize waste. Every conference participant receives a free Amsterdam public transportation ticket for the duration of their stay, to use on all trams, buses and trains.

Plastic bags vs jobs

2008-04-10T16:25:00.004+03:00

Brazil is definitely a country of plastic bags. In supermarkets you have to rush and grab your stuff before the shop assistants manage to put each item in a separate bag, or even worse in the case of heavier things, layer it with another bag to make sure you are 'safe' to go. Saying "no, thanks!" to the eager assistants, you might save yourself from the double-layer of bags or, if lucky, have a few items fit together in one bag.
Me and my room-mate Zoe had a no-plastic-bag approach, so we'd take our backpacks when doing the weekly groceries. But yet we'd wonder, what would happen, if the plastic bag culture had to change by, for example, the use of plastic bags being banned. What would happened to the shop assistants, whose main job seemed to be helping you putting your things in the endless number of bags, or what would happen to the industry that produces these bags, or to the employees that get their jobs in this production process.

So here I red an interesting example of China, which has banned, for environmental reasons, the free hand-out of plastic bags. As a result, the country’s largest plastic bag factory has closed, throwing 20,000 workers out on the street. Some see this as posing a dilemma between environment and economy, but some argue that the good environmental policies are proven good for the economy.
What this case illustrates instead is the dilemma between doing something good for the whole people/society, but at the expense of adjustment costs borne by a small group – the 20,000 workers and the factory owner.

- On a broader scale, good environmental policies create jobs directly and indirectly. China is quickly emerging as the largest producer of photo-voltaic cells and of wind power equipment (both supported by World Bank projects).
- The clean-up of lakes and rivers and the expansion of sewerage and waste water treatment facilities create huge numbers of jobs in construction and maintenance.
- The health benefits of the clean-up reduce illness and prolong life expectancy, both of which are good for long-run economic development.

Finally, it seems to be a clear tendency for cities with better natural environment to attract more investment and create more jobs. The highest productivity in the world is in countries such as Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the United States, all of which have good natural environments.

Invest in genocide free world

2008-04-10T03:06:00.002+03:00

Would you ever think that by buying stock of foreign companies such as PetroChina on US stock market you would be supporting genocide in Sudan?

There are already a few examples of shareholder activism, where the proposals ask for procedures to screen out companies who "substantially contribute" to genocide. Organizations working on passing the proposals include the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, Physicians for Human Rights, American Jewish World Service, Genocide Intervention Network, The ENOUGH Project, The Aegis Trust and the Unitarian Universalist Association...etc.

For example, the US companies are already prohibited from doing business with the Sudan government and Sudan oil companies. HOWEVER, US investors and mutual funds can still buy shares of foreign companies that trade on US stock markets, such as PetroChina, that profit from Sudanese oil.

I red this newsbit today on SRI News, and became thinking of the INTERDEPENDENCIES again, and of the fact how many decisions are actually made uninformed.

"Why is it that only children have flying dreams?"

2008-02-11T15:23:00.000+02:00

Mr. Jones to a woman "Have you ever dreamt about flying?"
Woman thinking, "hmm...I guess when I was little..."
"EVERYBODY says so!!!!!" Mr Jones, irritated, "Why is it that only children have flying dreams??"

***

One day some years ago I, all of a sudden, realized I can't fly...weird! funny! hein!
I mean where did that come from, right? That'd be a down-to-earth question.
And I don't mean the kind of flying like "flap your wings and fly", but a bit more..hm..'abstract'...more like floating in the air.
The thing is that the sensation of flying seemed quite real, I guess I had dreamt it ... and one day I woke up with a realization that although I knew the sensation, I had actually not 'done' it, it was not real, not visible, not touchable.

I guess I could have come to that if I had actually given it a thought before. But one doesn't really wonder about it that often eh :). It was just "out-of-a-box" discovery, waking up with a realization that "I can't fly"!!!

***

On a second thought, maybe this sensation of flying was related to the fact that I did quite a lot of swimming when I was younger, and since in water the sensation of balance is different, maybe that's where the whole flying thing came from!

Not so fast!

2008-01-31T21:02:00.000+02:00

Speed is thrilling, I love adrenaline ... to an extent that I guess I would be a race car driver, if different things would have happened a certain way.

Opposites attract, they say. Taking it slow is mysterious. For me. It's a discovery. No doubts.

Follows a piece of writing that was passed through Pioneers of Change list a few days ago.

***

Not So Fast!

Those of us who think the world needs saving -- from environmental destruction, rapacious greed, decaying morals, drugs, crime, racism, whatever -- keep very busy crusading for our favorite remedies. School vouchers. Carbon taxes. Campaign reform. The Endangered Species Act. A lower capital gains tax. Strong regulation. No regulation.

You know. That long list of mutually inconsistent Holy Grails with which we like to hit each other over the head.

There's one solution to the world's problems, however, that I never hear the frenzied activists suggest.

Slowing down.

Yes, that's what I said.

Slowing down.

Slowing down could be the single most effective solution to the particular save-the-world struggle I immerse myself in -- the struggle for sustainability, for living harmoniously and well within the limits and laws of the earth.

Suppose we weren't in such a hurry. We could take time to walk instead of drive, to sail instead of fly. To clean up our messes. To discuss our plans throughout the whole community before we send in bulldozers to make irreversible changes. To figure out how many fish the ocean can produce before boats race out to beat other boats to whatever fish are left.

Suppose we went at a slow enough pace not only to smell the flowers, but to feel our bodies, play with children, look openly, without agenda or timetable into the faces of loved ones. Suppose we stopped gulping fast food and started savoring slow food, grown, cooked, served, and eaten with care. Suppose we took time each day to sit in silence.

I think, if we did those things, the world wouldn't need much saving.

We could cut our energy and material use drastically, because we would get the full good out of what we use.

We wouldn't have to buy so many things to save time. (Have you ever wondered, with all our time-saving paraphernalia, what happens to the time we save?)

We wouldn't make so many mistakes.
We could listen more and hurt each other less.
Maybe we could even take time to reason through our favorite solutions, test them, and learn what their actual effects are.

Said Thomas Merton, who spent his time in a Trappist monastery: "There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence to which the idealist most easily succumbs: activism and over-work. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many people, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence. The frenzy of the activist neutralizes his work for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of his own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful."

A friend in India tells me that the onslaught of Western advertising in his country is a cultural blow, not so much because of the messages of the ads, but because of their pace. The stun-the-senses barrage of all TV programming, especially ads, is antithetical to a thousands-year-old tradition of contemplation. I can imagine that. I have been driven crazy by the somnolent pace at which things get done in India. Don't these people know that time is money?

What they know, actually, is that time is life, and to go zooming through it is to miss living. Psychologist Arno Gruen says our busyness is addictive: "In order to be able to feel alive, we ... need more and more external excitation. The stimuli themselves force us into an addictive mode. Since we think that all we require is more of them in order to fill up the emptiness, our need will grow for what actually increases the void. There are numerous stimuli of this sort: loud music, large cars, glittering colors, gleaming machines. What we finally seek for our feeling of aliveness is simply the speed with which a change in stimuli takes place. The form or content of the stimulus will have scarcely any significance. In fact empty forms will be preferred, since those with content and meaning slow down the tempo of change. To find meaning in an experience requires, after all, an act of mental organization, and that takes time."

Slow. Down. Do that first. Then, quietly, carefully, think about what else might need to be done.

The only problem with this cure is that I can't prescribe it for others, because I have such trouble following it myself. It's so easy to get swept up in the hurtling pace of the world. Like most of the other world-savers I know, I'm way too busy to eat well, sit quietly, take a vacation, or even, some days, think.

Edward Abbey, the great curmudgeon of environmentalism, knew better: "It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it's still here. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, climb the mountains, run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for awhile and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over those desk-bound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: You will outlive the bastards."

Good advice. Too bad I don't have time to take it. I have to go save the world.

(Donella H. Meadows was an adjunct professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth College.)

"We are the system"

2007-12-17T23:15:00.000+02:00

Last weekend I participated in a 3 days Art of Hosting training lead by Toke, a guru of AoH. Was good (and needed) space for reflexion and learning, got a lot of good insights about hosting, working with people, creating change ... re-learning many things, reminding myself about others.
I´m thinking of posting a few of my notes here still, but firstly I´d like to share with you a final message by Toke.

*** *** ***

"We are the system - the system is not outside ourselves - it is our own broken relationships that need to heal - my relationship to myself, to life - to this earth - to the others - to the world - that is how systemic shifts happen.

I am the need in the world - we are the system - we are the solution. Meaningful conversations and real learning space heal our relationships.

We are invited to enter living from the heart....

From disrespect to respect - from I know better to curiousity - from judging to understanding each other- from fear to love.

This is what we need to host now between us - this is part of the Work of anyone who wants to help the world at this time."

- collective insight during Aoh in Brazil December 2007

Maintain the fish in the sea!

2007-12-09T23:51:00.001+02:00

Yesterday I gave a presentation at an AIESEC seminar about my experience in working in ABN Amro Banco Real in the area of Sustainable Development. Various presentations alike where conducted that day, wherein one a presenter brought a very simple example of what is sustainability:

- giving someone a fish, that's philantrophy
- teaching someone to fish, could be referred to as a social or community investment*
- making sure that there's always fish in the sea, that's sustainability

How simple is that :)

* the presentation was made from a corporate point of view, similar deed could be considered a social entrepreneurship, depending on the actor.

Education - Estonia ranks 5th on the OECD PISA survey!

2007-12-09T23:18:00.000+02:00

OECD’s PISA survey shows some countries making significant gains in learning outcomes.
Based on tests carried out among 400,000 students in 57 countries in 2006, the latest PISA survey focuses particularly on students’ abilities in comprehending and tackling scientific problems.
At a time when scientific and technological know-how is helping to drive growth in advanced economies, the results of PISA 2006 reveal wide variations in skills levels. Student attitudes to science will be crucial to countries’ economic potential in tomorrow’s world, and PISA 2006 gives a detailed picture of how well students around the world are prepared for the challenges of a knowledge society.
The top performer in science in PISA 2006 was Finland, followed by Hong Kong-China, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Estonia, Japan and New Zealand.

~~~~
It's was not a news to me that the level of education in Estonia is very good (heh partially a legacy of the Soviet era, I guess. It had its pluses).
Being now in Brazil, which is a country of 180 million people (large!! especially in comparision to Estonia), with much higher unemployment rate and a huge number of people competing for both blue and white collar jobs, among them the around 25 000 master students that graduate each year (if I remember correctly), I often started to wonder how competitive is one with an education from a country that hardly anyone has heard of.
I think in terms of Estonian universities, we still have a few leaps to take to get ourselves on the global scene (should that ever be possible), but according to PISA, the high school education is there already.
That`s an encouraging sign especially considering the challenges Estonia faces like a lack of teachers, not very competitive pay etc.

Doctors of Happiness - see the world anew each day!

2007-11-11T19:10:00.000+02:00

An interesting discovery lately, I hadn't heard that there exists a profession like that in Estonia: doctors of happiness!! The idea is beautiful!
Here in Brazil, you could find the doutores da alegria here.

Listen to Patch Adams (thanks, Pablo, for the reference) to know more 1, 2, there's even a movie made about him, which I'd definitely like to see!!

A small victory!

2007-09-25T01:00:00.001+03:00

Ohhhhh!! I just have to put it here!
I was chairing an AIESEC conference this weekend in Curitiba and I did it all in portuguese!!! Yeeeaaayyyy, that´s one of the really really tangible things I´ve learnt this year!

Nowadays, at meetings or listening to some presentations, I remember how a year ago being in a similar situation I barely got an idea of what was going on! And now, I actually get it and I am able to actively participate in more or less similar terms with others! You can´t (or maybe you can) imagine how good it feels right now (and how challenging it was in the beginning)!!

And about the AIESEC conference - was really really great to be there with a new generation of members. I told them there in the closing plenary that I probably will stay involved in AIESEC forever - this crowd (and people alike) just really inspire me!

The update

2007-09-17T00:23:00.001+03:00

This one will be shortly to cover what I've been up to in the last month or so! Just figured if I don't write it now, it might take a while when I get to it again!

So firstly, I'm still in Brazil, and will still stay a bit ;), which is exciting news from my personal point of view since I totally love what I'm doing!

- Therefore, one of the key things this last month, I guess, was going to Uruguay in the end of July/beginning of August to apply for a new visa. I got an offer from the company to stay until January, so just one thing missing was the visa.
Huh, crazy stuff! You might already imagine (especially if you are from any 'exotic' country like India, Ghana etc), but the visa process really is a pain! For the type of visa that I have (trainee visa) it's a bit easier, but still. In the end, persistance and a lucky star (Felipe!!! who mentioned me the Uruguay-option) proved to work out well and I returned from Uruguay with a new visa!

- And since I was already in Uruguay, I stopped in Buenos Aires for a weekend! Magnificient! You have to go there!!!

- After coming back to work, everything got kinda a new start, except for me on an whole new level. I can actually feel myself more or less equal with others and comfortable with working in Portuguese, which is a conquest, really!! And comfortable with working in an organization that has in just our building 4000 people (it took me a while...I honestly was rather lost in the beginning).
Have got a few new projects started, and it's really really exciting. Some days staying in the office 12 hrs, but mmm...it's great stuff! Check out some of our sustainability action in the latest report. And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

- Outside of work, I've got involved with the Pioneers of Change network, and should you be interested in going through a great learning experience on sustainability and visit Brazil, keep in mind the dates of 1st - 8th of December this year, when the Global Journey of PoC will take place.

- Oh and another great great experience has been building the Hub with Pablo and Henrique and many more people involved. It's pretty much the first stage of action right now and we are literally building it ourselves... or should is say de-building :))
Right now it's the destruction phase of 500 sqm space, which then will procede to a design and actual construction (by proffessionals :)) phase. We've been out there quite a few weekends alreay. The work is about clearing the space, breaking walls, tearing down ceilings and taking all the trash out - um tabalho bem pesado!! But it's really fun!! I want to write more about it!

- After Uruguay/Argentina I moved to live with Zoe! It's been great, not only as I get faster to work and have a nice view from the balcony :)), but mostly and more importantly because the similar experience we share here in Brazil and the opportunities we have to learn from each other. The discussions we have had so far, have already helped me personally a lot. So I'm really satisfied and excited! And at the same time I would like to say thanks for Pir, my previous house mate, the year together was great! I still get a few good smiles thinking back to that time :))

- Related to moving and the fact that our building has a gym (and a pool!) downstairs, I'm trying to go to the gym more regularly, at least twice a week is the goal. I was guite good on this for about 6 months, until in May my old gym pass expired, so I kinda stopped, but there I go again ;).
Actually, this week I went just once, but I think the 2 days working in the Hub will do for gym this week!

- Some travels (other than the Uruguay trip) have been exciting snapshots out of the daily things. Last weekend we went to Belo Horizonte (8 hrs by bus!) to visit some AIESEC friends there. Was really really nice...heheh especially the Zeze and Luciano show in Pará de Minas!
And next weekend I´ll be travelling to Curitiba to chair a local AIESEC conference there, thus things to look forward to!

- Oh and I went to see an astrologist. A friend recommended. And it fact it was really interesting experience, I never really ... hmm.. how to say, trusted these kind of things, but I was surprised to recognize how many things actually made a good sense to me.
I came out more secure about a few things and more clear about others, so yeah I think it was a good and interesting experience. Not sure I'd necessarily go again...One thing I realized that if I trust myself and take these necessary moments to put things in the right perspective, then I make pretty "right" decisions (if such thing as right or wrong exists at all, in this sense).

I think, that's all for now. I still have many things in mind to write about, but I hope to keep posting these as I go along.

I'm happy and content regarding the way things are going and have gone so far. Come to think about it, I meant now more of the professional things, work, also friends. On the personal level, regarding relationships and all, it's been quite "interesting", quite some things happening for me personally, just not sure how that end turns out in some time. Let's see.

Out beyond the ideas ...

2007-09-17T00:11:00.001+03:00

'Out beyond the ideas of right-doing or wrong-doing there is a field- I'll meet you there', Rumi, 13th century Sufi poet.

Amazing words, get you thinking don't they!
My room mate Zoe mentioned Rumi the other day (dont remember what we were talking about), the words struck me the moment I heard them, just didn't know he (Rumi) has been an inspiration for a quite a few ... peace builders and conflict resolvers Out Beyone Ideas for example...

PS: I know an update of the blog has been long overdue...It's on it's way :))

Can compassion and capitalism go-exist?

2007-05-27T03:16:00.000+03:00

Yes, they can, says John Sage from Pura Vida - a fair trade coffee company - in his speech for Staford Social Innovation Review.
Listen to the speech here for inspiration!!!
And do your part!

"It is like that because it has always been like that"

2007-05-25T07:07:00.001+03:00

It was freezing outside today! +5 degrees...brhhh...I know it's nothing compared to the Estonian winters that sometimes reach up to minus (actually down to!) 30, yet it's soooo cold compared to the 30ies we have had here for the last 6 month or more. Nice and warm, which I've very much got used to already.

Not to mention, it's 25th of May!
It doesn't feel like 25th of May...funny...May always has this sentiment of blossoms, spring, warmth, growth, new beginnings etc.
And I'm here, it's May and it's cold; cold like September! It's really weird to experience how the time, the date, the month of the year doesn't feel like they have pretty much always felt like! And it's not as simple as that...you only need to think a bit more to realize how many associations are connected to this small fact.

For example,
I have a Brazilian friend who has a b-day in May. Earlier, when I found out, it brought the exact May-feeling to my mind! You know, of a spring child! And now it's May and it's cold. Twisted!
Sometimes, when writing a date etc, I really need to remind myself what date or time of the year it is, because the time seems kinda..."timeless"!

The same with Christmas and New Years. The last ones went missing actually. It just didn't seem like a Christmas nor New Years with 30 degrees outside laying on the beach. Being in the middle of all the decorations and stuff just felt like being on a stage that is set up for Christmas almost in the middle of summer.

This simple stuff brought me thinking (again) today, how many things could possibly be there that I take for granted, that I am sooo used to that I don't even notice to wonder about. Yeah, with weather it's simple - it feels cold in May and thus it is immediately different from "normal".
How about the mindsets, attitudes, stereotypes created by the daily experiences and situations where I never might not take another angle to look at it from.

I am glad though, I have so far had quite a few opportunities to look at things from other angles...living here in Brazil is just another one of these opportunities.

Sifaan (my Sri Lankan teammate with whom we worked together for 1 year in AIESEC), among many others, I have to thank you as well for different angles and perspectives. The title of this posting was inspired by you! I can even hear you saying that :))), stress on the word "always" :)))

Another bit from the past: bunch of us went for our first international conference in AIESEC, to Norway in 2000, Nordic Management Seminar it was. Great experience by all means. An inspiration I brought home was a sentence from one of the sessions, which said "Nothing is normal, everything is possible". I wrote it with black marker on an A4 paper and sticked it to my dormitory wall in Uni afterwards. Kept it there for a while...hmm...I wonder if I still have it packed somewhere....

Different morning

2007-04-05T05:37:00.001+03:00

I woke up on Monday morning, and the morning was different! Like really different!! It felt like a early summer morning in Estonia, fresh, cool, exciting! But it was not about the weather, it was the feeling I had!! I still have it, and I am excited!

And I actually don't know where it came from!? Maybe cos I had been sick the whole last week (dengue like my colleagues were joking!), and now I finally got better. Or maybe cos I had supernice weekend, quiet, watching a few good movies with good people. Or maybe it was these 2 kilos that I had been trying (actually more like hoping, not trying too hard) to lose, but didn't manage otherwise than getting sick and not being able to eat much other than garlic and honey :))). Or maybe it was these bare 4 hours that I slept the night before, cos of my little movie marathon...
hmm...don't know!

On the top of this, Elina sent me a new design of our homepage (it's gonna be niiccee, great job Elina and Triini!), work is going well, and I'm looking forward to what's coming up in the next months!!

Surfed around in my mailbox and found a few good thoughts that seem to go with my mood right now:

QUOTE of the WEEK:"It seems to me that people have vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever." Philip Adams

POEM for YOUR WEEK
Believing in You
By Catherine Pulsifer, © 1997

Never stop believing in yourself.
When others doubt, don't you.
Do what you love to do,
No one knows better than you.

Life is too short to live others' dreams
Follow your own dream
Push yourself to reach your goals
And live the life you once dreamed.

Trust your instincts.
Be true to yourself.
You know what is right for you.
Never give up or give in.

Forget the words "I don't know how".
You can learn,
You can research,
You can do.

Your mind is powerful.
When you believe you can.
You will find a way
You won't waste a day.

Persist and persevere
Do not fear
Because if you believe in you
You will find dreams can come true.

May all your dreams turn into goals, (ok that one I dont quite agree with, but...)
Believe in yourself.
And remember, all of life is a choice.
The decision is up to you.

Alive and kicking :))

2007-03-23T04:16:00.001+02:00

huuuhh my last post was in December!!! A while ago! Not that I haven't had anything to write about, way toooo many things!! Just always seems there are so many better things to do than to sit in front of the laptop/PC screen (which I do anyway at least 8 hrs a day).
haah like today! I was to go out, but the plan changed so I thought I get myself together to write a little update.

Sometimes it feels I wouldn't know where to start exactly, cos it's just too many things, not all pink and cheesy, it's been quite tough every now and then. The biggest challenge (I think...well at least so far :)) that I have faced during my stay in Brazil has been: how to contribute at the workplace and the job to the extent that I am professionally used to at the same time overcoming the obstacles such as:
– working in another cultural environment (not knowing the way of working and the people, and the organization and its structures etc etc)
– working in another language (although most people speak English, the work is in Portuguese, including meetings etc. and I didn't know any Portuguese before I game)
– working in an industry – banking – and in an organization that I was not familiar with before, but which require a lot of time and energy to get to know to (it's huuugeeee, imagine an organization of 30 000 people. PS. and that's only Brazil!)

I had and still have high expectations for myself, since I have been working professionally for about 4-5 years, out of which considerable time with an area that I love – sustainable development and corporate responsibility - and I expected not to be just a trainee, but be equal to all other employees in regards of the contribution that I make.
All the obstacles in mind, it has not been an easy task for me to demonstrate the capacity, skills and knowledge I have. There has been maaaany moments that I felt down and unable to meet the expectations that I had for myself in the limited time available.
It's gone better now, mainly along the improvements with Portuguese :))) (Gee...I had forgotten what it means to learn a new language and to actually be able to use it in daily working life!! English seems soooo easy now.)

Some things I remind myself (thanks to the people who contributed to the process, the "life support" was really important :)):

- Don't give up – I remind myself of my expectations and I don't need to lower them, but just need to walk the same path: keep learning and moving onwards
- Take a loooooot of initiative and network (talk to different people, get to know them and their work, push them to involve me etc.), because for most of people I am just a trainee from a foreign country that noone really knows anything about, let alone the fact that people at workplace wouldn't also know what to expect from me.
- Actively demonstrate the added value I can bring, show my work to even more people that is the immediate necessity etc...

So it has been a journey of personal and professional learning for me, with ups and downs, but now I am happy. I've made sense of things around and inside me a bit more, and I am working on it every day. I'd say I am satisfied.

Remaking the Way We Make Things

2006-12-21T20:52:00.000+02:00

"Consider this, all the ants on the planet, taken together, have a biomass greater than that of humans. Ants have been incredibly industrious for millions of years. Yet their productiveness nourishes plants, animals and soil.

Human industry has been in full swing for little over a century, yet it has brought about a decline in almost every ecosystem on the planet.

Nature does not have a design problem. People do."

An abstract from Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart

The girls in our house

2006-11-17T14:50:00.002+02:00

During Araz´ visit!

My work: introduction

2006-11-01T01:44:00.001+02:00

A snapshot, really.

Today me and my colleague were putting together an overview of sustainability (socio-evironmental) products the bank offers to its clients: investments into environmentally friendly technology, into working capital, mobility and education related products etc.

While doing that we had a meeting with a guy from products department, he's responsible for sustainability products and here's something I wanted to share.

Earlier today, a representative of a company had come to him to know more about what the bank can offer for his business. And that company itself is whom I wanted to introduce you.

A company called GOOC, a Brazilian one, founded by a Vietnamese businessman who immigrated to Brazil about 30 years ago or so. Do check out the web site as well. What was amazing is that all he produces is made of recycled materials: sandals, clothes, bags, wallets etc etc etc.
Very very nice things.
He has 500 manual workers here in Sao Paulo, offering employment for the underprivileged and less educated groups in society.

A business like that amazes me with how they see their role in society, the way they do business, understand the life cycle of products and resources etc etc. It's seems like such a sophisticated way of doing business, especially compared to the lectures I remember from uni highlighting the "obvious" role of business - to make as much money as possible.

"The objective of business is to maximize its profits" drums in my head from uni.
Luckily I have come a long way since then, and maybe see a bit bigger picture. Longer term at least.

In this new context of doing business, the role of banks is definitely changing. "I hate banking" said another great person I encountered today "in its traditional sense, like it was 10 years ago or so". Today surely the business is changing.

What's the economic, social and environmental impact of each dollar invested, we ask today.

Guys, I am sooooo excited being part of the process of asking and trying to answer these questions.

"How are you?"

2006-10-20T05:44:00.000+03:00

asked a friend I hadn't talked to in a looooongg while. Well, I was somewhat confused when trying to define for myself how am I...I came to a concept of 'multidimensional well-being', depends on how and what to look at!

The easiest is my work - it's f***ing excellent, else it's been high on emotions. The past, the present, the future...memories and experiences all sort of crashed this week....actually really really crashed.

"I'm doing good" was the quick sum-up of the multitude of dimensions, which in the end was true. Doing good or bad is up to me, right, so I prefer to be doing good. And mostly I manage.

"You could say "hi" sometimes" said the friend. Yeah I had not done that in a while...part of it due to memories I didn't want to have awakened, a big part.

"Yeah, I will", I said, "But only if you promise that the conversation goes beyond "How are you?" - "I'm doing good? and you?"" was my condition.

He promised.

Footnote: actually there's many things that are f***ing excellent.
Trying thinking of 100 things you love in life, you'll see.

Wanna retire at the age of 37?

2006-10-20T05:27:00.000+03:00

Scanning through my mailbox, I came acrosse a book review from a motivational webstie's mailing-list, which went like this:

"The decision to review this book was my interest in the author's ability to retire at age 37. How can anyone afford to retire at the age of 37? What was he doing that I was not?

After reading the book, I could see how the author was able to achieve success. I wish that I had read this book 20 years ago; perhaps I would now be retired if I had implemented his thinking. You can be sure that now after reading the book I am applying the author's thinking to my own life.

While the author points out and gives you real life examples of how he achieved success, there is one predominant thought throughout the book that can assist you in achieving success. Read the book, you will find the secret as the author repeats and reinforces this point many times. Reflect on this point and you will see it truly is a secret of success!"

Quite amusing to read eh!
Isn't the fundamental idea of all the motivational stuffs to encourage people to find their passion in life, find passion for what they are doing. So that assumption in place, why would anyone want to retire from something that s/he loves doing :D

Hehee or is that book for the ones that have failed to channel their passion in their professional life and would thus seek to retire at the age of 37?
mmm...come to think of it, could one say that the people that long for early retirement have actually failed to find their passion in professional life and would thus try to make a quick run-through on a career that would allow to retire as soon as possible?

What's success anyway? Would you think the same 30 years from now?

Anyway, if you want to know what book it was, ask me :)

The European Union has no hope?

2006-10-16T19:26:00.000+03:00

According to the London School of Economics, the European Union has no hope of achieving its goal of becoming the most competitive economy in the world by 2010 (the goal stated in the Lisbon agenda).

In an attempt to close the productivity gap with the US, the EU, in 2000, launched its Lisbon Agenda, aimed at fostering innovation, research and entrepreneurship across Europe, but a study published by the LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) notes that the US is still much more productive than the EU mainly due to:

- Unwillingness of EU member states to implement product and labour market reforms;

- Failure to create a Community patent – which makes registering a patent in the EU five times more expensive than in the US;

- Lack of investment in research: with a ratio of R&D to GDP that “has never gone past 2% let alone got anywhere close to the 3% target”, the EU lags behind Japan and the US and is being caught up by China;

- Brain drain: the EU will soon have a shortage of highly-qualified R&D staff because the US remains “the preferred destination for migrant scientists”, and;

- A badly targeted budget: the CEP suggests that the EU could make better progress by adapting its budget “to reflect the Lisbon vision”.

The study states that without wide-ranging reforms: “The reality is that Europe will not achieve the objectives for 2010, if at all.”

Interesting ain't it?!!

In addition, the headlines like - EU innovation goals 'doomed'; Single-market policies are failing; EU falls behind on cutting red tape etc etc make you really wonder about the future of the EU eeeh! Intriguing!

Family weekends

2006-10-09T00:57:00.001+03:00

Meet my roommate Piret!! In fact there's 8 more of them: Filipe who works with Piret in the SSGN, and 7 members of the national team of AIESEC in Brazil. I shall introduce them to you later!

Wanted to share about nice weekends we are spending with Piret and the others here! The following was supposed to come out on my blog already 2 weeks ago, but never really got that far :), here it comes now!

Family weekend at home 23.-24.09.2006

Piret has now been back after almost a month in Europe, she participated in the International Congress in Poland as she’s working in AIESEC, she’s the Social Entrepreneurship Talent Development Coordinator in Spanish Speaking Growth Network (eheh sounds fancy eh!!). So now our family is complete :)

During the weekdays we don’t see that much, I leave home at around 8:30, and get back around 20.00..depending on the schedule and social program in the City :D, the work finishes officially at 18.00, but usually people stay a bit later, for example staying until 19.00 wouldn’t be unusual at all. Paulistas work hard!

Some things about our family life :) - after realizing that since the food here in Brasil is sooooo good (and thus „dangerous“ for anyone who tries to get ready for the beach season), we started our sports program :D, going running at least twice a week! We thought of taking it easy for the beginning.

There’s a park nearby our house, called Aclimacao where we go in the evenings. It’s open until 20.00, so we have to leave at least 19.15 to get there. Sometimes Gabiru from the MC joins us as well.

This weekend we had a „family weekend“ with Piret :). On Saturday we first went jogging, then did laundary and cleaned the house! We also wanted to go to churrasco at Alexandra’s, but since we got soaking wet in the rain, we turned back to the house, ordered pizza, watched TV in the upstairs TV room, and enjoyed a bottle of Argentinean wine Piret brought along from her trip....mmmm....was delicious!! (ooo I love red wine!)

Today we kept on the same spirit :D (I mean the family weekend not the wine), after jogging and swimming (Piret went swimming), we went to Ana Rosa to do shopping for our house: a frying pan, bed covers and sheets, floor cover for bathroom (a green fish...hehe you should see that one!), some tableware were some of the things we got...we came back like camels! and as we walked by a shoeshop, we both got a pair of black shoes for just 25 R each...hehe we really needed these ;))))

Family weekend in Curitiba 29.09 - 01.10.2006

That weekend we travelled to Curitiba, 6 hours away from Sao Paulo. Left on Friday nite and got back on Monday morning, went pretty much straight to work!
The afternoon with feijoada and wine, the eye museum and Japanese exhibition there, the tower (Torre do smth) for grasping a sight across the city in lights at night, bar with Brazilian music, visit to Maria's house, the fair on Sunday morning in the city center, visit to the movies... It was all soooooooooooooooo perfectly niiiccceeeee and relaxing weekend!!
Thanks Lizi for that!!!
Some pics here!

And another one, family weekend in Sao Paulo 7.-8.10.2006

On Saturday we went to Ashoka event: it was meant for young entrepreneurs, I think about 16 to 24 years old youth that want to contribute to the society. Ashoka usually works with older people, but that was the first event they had for the youth, more than 100 selected people attended. What was really really good was that there were people from different social backgrounds, even from favelas. It amazed me how socially aware the youth were!! They had all their own ideas what they wanted to do, what to change in the society, in the community around them: projects for people with special needs, educational projects on how improve the literacy rate, awareness of sustainable development in their community, how to market handicrafts made by the poorest in society, how to improve the use of recycled materials, and these are just a few examples!
Amazing, and really really inspiring!

Sunday, that is today, was a total sports day...heheh if we continue like that we can soon run a marathon :D
After getting up at 10 in the morning, me, Piret and Rod went pretty much straight to Ibirapuera, which is a huge park 45 minutes walking distance from our house. So we walked to the park, me and Piret went running and Rod played basketball. And we run for 1 hour non-stop!! whiew..I think I am beating my personal records soon. After that we were exercising and streching for another hour!! oooh it was very very relaxing and it felt amazing!

The park is packed with people running, walking, cycling, playing basketball or soccer, having picnic etc etc. It has perfect trails for running and walking - I think even the least interested person in physical excercises, would become a sports fan there (eventually at least :).

After 3 hours in the park, we headed back to our house - yeah another 45 minutes walk!! - actually it took more, since we walked "a bit" further to have dinner together.
Ohhh soooo perfect eh!!

Footnote: I look at myself from aside and it's amusing to see myself getting into the sports again. I've always loved sports, but after being one of the top atheletes in my high school I went to 1-excercise-a-month-if-I-have-time kinda person some time later, just didn't prioritize regular physical activity that much...mmm...now that I do it again, feels great!!
And doing it with Piret helps! If one feels lazy, the other kicks ass!

One month later!

2006-09-29T02:35:00.001+03:00

Actually I intended to post this piece already a few days ago, but for various reasons, it got delayed :))), in any case it's more or less update of my first month in Brazil!

Precisely, on the 13th of September 1 month passed since I arrived in Sao Paulo. Whieww time flies, really!! Hehe I already feel 1 year sill go wayyy too fast. But well, just need to take the max out of it I guess...

Just to put down, short and simple, the highlights of the first month:
- getting settled in my new home! Piret was away for almost one month (attending IC, going home), so I was on my own in our downstairs apartment of the MC house. Good that the MC gang is just a few staircases up, so whenever I’d feel toooo alone (which actually happens quite rarely, but still), I’d have the chance to go upstairs, where the TV room is the most common place for gathering in the evenings, sometimes through the whole night as well :D

- getting settled at workplace - it’s amazing! I know I am really really lucky to have been selected for the job in eduction and sustainable development department here in Banco Real. I believe it’s one of the leading companies globally in integrating CSR/SD in the daily practice. And to part of it, is amazing! Of course the company has a long way to go still compared to ideals, but it’s so inspiring to be part of the process. The first month went pretty much on meeting with all my collegues about their projects, attending some trainings and lectures, and project meetings, also getting myself assigned to one particularly intesting one on the business case of CSR. Good stuffs! Oh, and my collegues are super, I really enjoy being part of the team there!

- Learning portugese is another big task of mine. I haven’t been as tough on myself as I should be, meaning that I don’t try to speak Portugese in any possible moment (huuh I know I know, I should!!). I’m particularly lazy about that in our house, since everyone here speaks perfect English! Huh, I shall try to improve! Me and Diana from Canada started to take Portugese classes twice a week, have had it for 2 weeks now, surely helps! Gustavo – our teacher – is really cool guy as well!
But imagine that, all the meetings at work are in Portugese! After day full of meetings, my brain is really fried! Havent experienced learning a new language in a while, so I was wondering how it would feel :))), frustrating sometimes, but exciting at the same time.
I am persistant in a sense that I keep attending all possible events even if I don't understand much. I shall do that in some time for sure! Right now it goes with ups and downs, sometimes I feel I understand almost everything and the next day is as if I didn't know a word!!! huuhh!!!

- AIESEC involvement :), hehehe I still (after 7 years of being in AIESEC) feel very very motivated about number of AIESEC stuffs, discussing national and local strategies and their implementation, participating in meetings etc. Like always there’re are some issues related to exchange management, but I haven’t seen an LC that doesn’t face these challenges, and my conduct with the LC GV here has been really constructive, I like the AIESEC people here.
A week ago I was participating at TREMN (seminar for new members), where I also gave a session on CSR (no surprise eh :D), I really enjoyed. Got additional motivation to give my contribution in AIESEC in Brasil. I think it'll be more or less around CSR though.
Since I live in the MC house, I am still in the middle of it all!! Oh and one of my tasks at work is to support the delivery on ABN-AIESEC partnership :P

- Paraty. 7th of September was an independence day for Brasil, so it meant a long weekend for the working people ;). So 10 of us (mostly trainees here in Sao Paulo) went for a 4 day trip to Paraty, a wonderful small town by the beach near Rio...mmm....we went by 2 cars, rented a lovely chalet just by the beach 5 minutes from Paraty, enjoyed the beaches, the town, took a whole day long boat trip to the nearby islands, went trecking to cachoeiras (waterfalls) with Gerardo and Alexandra etc! Was really really relaxing and enjoyable weekend! I shall get some pictures up here as well!

- Social life in Sao Paulo - the city here never sleeps! One could go clubbing every day of a week here, not to mention numberous restuarants of all sorts of cuisines from all around the world, museums, shows, concerts etc. That all naturally means we cant stay in the house either – Tuesday nights in Buena Vista dancing salsa with other trainees, occassional beers in Opcao with collegues or trainees, clubbing with friends, b-day parties of friends of friends’, churrascos etc etc.

mmm...so that's shortly (but really shortly though) it, I promise to improve with updates on my blog!

oh and some great news!! Taavi and Kadri are coming to visit!!! Yehuuuu!!! on 25th of Feb they shall arrive!

"You've got to find what you love!"

2006-08-29T03:51:00.000+03:00

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

-----

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.

And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

-----

A snapshots of the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.
A good one! Found it on Filipe's blog :)

Trainees in Sao Paulo

2006-08-27T23:19:00.000+03:00

A really great bunch of people! Fun!!

One week after & intro to SP

2006-08-21T07:10:00.001+03:00

It's been a week since I arrived here in Sao Paulo, but really feels as I have been here for a while already. I feel at home in our house, the other guys that live here - the national team of AIESEC in Brazil and Filipe and Piret from the regional board - are great, I know already a little bit around the city. The basic places like my work place, local AIESEC office (AIESEC Getulio Vargas), way home, where to buy food etc.

Today I even managed to find my way to the Ibirapuera park alone; met up with other trainees and enjoyed a jazz concert there. Finding the place was fun :D...I had the directions and bus numbers and everything, but still I had to practice some Portunol (the mix of Spanish and Portugese) to find the right bus stop, to take the bus to the right direction, to get off at a right place...etc...I could make myself more or less clear to the person I was talking to, but the challenge was to understand the response...was funny :D, I enjoyed :D:D

A few words about Sao Paulo:
It's grreattt!!
It is huge cosmopolitan city, with more than 10 million (probably a way more) people from all shapes and sizes - you can see here people with roots from Europe, Africa, Asia, Americas.

While in Ecuador I stood out as blond European, here's not much of a significance - you can see many blond people here as well as people from all other places!! Mixture of nationalities!! One can never know if a random person on the street is Brazilian or not, because their looks vary greatly and even I myself could pass for a Brasileira (IF I spoke Portugese...with proper accent of course!!).

Everyone seems to love it here - the trainees, the AIESEC people, everyone else I've talked to.
They say it's the best place in terms of food: you can find better Italian food here than in Italy (no offence Italians, that's what I have heard)!

Life never stops here, one has enormous opportunities here in terms of entertainment, going out to clubs, museums, shopping etc.
It's the heart of business of Brasil, and maybe even in the whole South America. It surely is the largest city in South America.
People say that SP is not Brasil :) - it's soooo huge, diverse, cosmopolitan...like a NYC...and people here have respective life style.

Paulista Avenue is one of the main streets - they even call it the Wall Street of SP -, and that's were I am also going to work. Most other trainees also work in the neighbourhood. Imagine, how the surroundings of my work look like at day time: endless number of skyscrapers, 4 lines of cars on the streets (at least, or maybe 6, havent counted actually), businessmen and -women on their daily tasks rushing somewhere, holding a briefcase/laptop, wearing nice suits, dresses...I guess you can imagine!
Banco Real office is 17 storeyed building on Paulista, they say there's around 4-5000 people working in this building alone!!! Beats the largest companies in Estonia.
Earlier I thought I'd like to try living in a huge city like SP, and here it is - all open for me to discover. I am happy that I ended up in Latin America, so far (Ecuador, Colombia, a bit of Panama and now Brasil) I love it!!

How to change the world?

2006-08-16T19:24:00.001+03:00

How to change the world?
It´s a book that tells the stories of people around the globe who are solving many of the world's most intractable problems. Full of hope and energy, exciting solutions and compelling characters, this book shows how a growing wave of "social entrepreneurs"- individuals with initiative, creativity, savvy and determination- are reshaping the world for the better.

Amazing things related to social entrepreneurship are happening all around the world, in Brazil, Estonia etc etc.

Yesterday I had an opportunity to go to an event held by Artemisia foundation, a platform for social entrepreneurs. It was one of many activities that they run withing their young entrepreneurs program. Exciting exciting stuffs!! Hub of amazing people and mindblowing ideas and actions. Felt very much like back home where people with similar thoughts, passions and drive were around me! Pirru, Kairi, Artur, Margo and others, I need to get back to you related to that!!

PS. the book How to Change the World by David Bornstein is available in English, Spanish, Estonian (!!), Portugese and probably many other languages! Do check it out if you haven´t yet!!

Leaving home, coming home

2006-08-15T07:20:00.000+03:00

Just now finished my second day in Sao Paulo, my new home city for the next one year at least.
By the end of today I already feel settled in at home, kinda... quick adaptation :), at least to the immediate surroundings here.
I know I have loooootttsss to learn about the city, the people, the life styles and tradtions, the language (!!!!) etc etc...and I am excited!! I think I've kept telling that to all the people I have met today :))), my new collegues at work, AIESEC members in the LC office etc etc. That's cos I really feel that, I am soooooo excited!!!

I am living with Piret, another Estonian girl who is working in AIESEC here. We share an apartment in the MC house: 3 storeyed house in a neighbourhood called Vila Mariana, nice peacful place just about 30 minutes from my work (by metro of course :).

First impressions of SP, you ask - whohoooo whatta metropol!!! was what came to my mind when I first saw the area, where I am going to work: Paulista Avenue. It's one of the high avenues in SP, one skyscraper after another...read from somewhere it's called NY of Latin America. No doubt it seems to be that, but with a Latin touch ;)...compared to Guayaquil, it's like another world.

Yet, I cant continue without expressing my gratitude to the people that made my stay in Ecuador just so great!! Meeli, Tommaso, Aga, Aneta and Ina, the ATAMI family, David, Jorge, Carlos and many many others from AIESEC, Thanks!! I had super good time!
And I've got all the pics!! That was funny :D:D - burnig CDs in the airport lobby from Tommaso's laptop so that the airlines officials were already looking for me and I was the last person to run to the plane!! (But at least I got the pics :D)

Leaving Ecuador felt weird, I was emotionally confused as I was having this empty creepy feeling of leaving behind the people that I had met, lived with, and become good friends with - the people that were already part of my living abroad experience -; instead of being excited for the new start awaiting ahead in Brazil...in a sense it was different from when I left Estonia in the end of June. Then, after saying the good-byes, I pretty much focused only on what was waiting for me ahead, no looking back then.
Leaving Ecuador...had to look back :))), so again, thanks guys, we'll keep in touch! And remember, now it's your turn to visit me in SP ;)

Last days in Ecuador

2006-08-03T21:19:00.000+03:00

I still have 10 more days in Ecuador.
By the end I will have spent 1,5 months here in this unexpectedly nice country. Regarding the last notion, a comment. I've read some other people's blogs about Ecuador and their experiences here and not all of them are so pleasant.

Although I like the nature here (the mountains, the playas!), I think for me the main difference comes from actually knowing people who live here (not all locals, but who at least stay here for longer time like the AIESEC trainees), and enjoying the usual everyday moments being part of a great bunch of people. Feeling like in a family :)), that usually doesn't happen if one is a tourist in any country.

What's amazing is that AIESEC has enabled me (and shall do that in the future as well) to create such a network that I'd have an opportunity to feel quite like at home in any place I go. Amazing!! Makes the world really small, in spite of the fact that distances are sometimes wayyyy tooo long.

Just a few days ago I was e-mailing with my old friends from Rotary, other exchange students that were in USA in 1996-97 - a year that I spent in high school in Illinois. They are Brazilians living in Sao Paulo and one will be almost my neighbour there!!! How cool is that!!!!

But back to my life here...Meeli has a vacation right now, so we are both taking it rather easy: wake up at 9-10, take bakeries, yoghurt, milk from across the street, check e-mails in a nearby internet cafe, go to the city for a little while or to the AIESEC office.
Then meet the others coming from work and see what happens, usally something for sure!!
Monday night we enjoyed a nice cafe in Las Penas until past midnight, called Arthur's (or smth). Very nice place on the hill with a romanitic view to the river, especially so at night!
Yesterday had Luigi's B-day dinner (an Italian dude working for AIESEC here) at Roxanas, and today...who knows :))

We plan to see a butterfly exhibition with Meeli now :D

Here some pics of the ATAMI family:

A letter home vol 2 (in Estonian)

2006-07-28T23:26:00.001+03:00

Holaaaa!!

1 kuu Ecuadori on seljataga ja see kõlab nagu hea võimalus järjekordne kirjatükk teele saata. Tegelt võiks siin vist igast päevast raamatu kirjutada, aga selle mõtte matan maha juba eos :D.

Niisiis, lühidalt öeldes on viimase 2 nädala tippsündmusteks olnud: nädal Colombias Albertol külas (supervastuvõtt ja superriik, soovitan!!), kiirpeatus Panamal, tagasi Guayaquilis töö AIESECis ja chill siinsete sõpradega, mida kroonis viimane nädalavahetus väikelinnas Cuencas, kus muu hulgas teise Eesti tüdrukuga jõe ääres väikse õlle võtsime folgi meenutuseks :)

Lugejakirjade põhjal on tänase kirja „teemadeks“: mehed, naised,
seks ja jalgpall

Taustaks pean veel ütlema, et seltskond, kellega kõige rohkem kokku puutun, on väga rahvusvaheline, nimeks ATAMI family. ATAMI tuleb Agnieszka, Tommaso, Aneta, Meeli ja Ina nimetähtedest. Nad pärit Poolast, Itaaliast, Eestist ja Rumeeniast ja töötavad kõik Guyaquilis.
Kõik ägedad tegelased, nii et ma tunnen ennast siin täiesti koduselt.
Ja „family“ on absoluutselt õige sõna...heheh...tegelt on meil selline Simpsonite perekond :D..Homer ja Maggie ja kõiksevärk.
Pea igal õhtul toimub midagi ning lisaks meie oma „perele“ on meil siin ka kohalikke sõpru/tuttavaid, nii et igav ei hakka...st veel ei ole hakanud ja tõenäoliselt ei hakka ka :D

MEHED
Nagu öeldud, puutun lisaks praktikantide seltskonnale kokku ka muu aieseci rahvaga ja siis mõnel määral kohalikega...nii igapäevase suhtluse käigus. Et ühesõnaga, kui meestsest rääkida, siis mõned sellised huvitavad tähelepanekud:

- viisakad. üks reegel tundub olevat, et naised lastakse igal juhul enne uksest sisse, olgu neid või 20, aga mehed ikka uksest enne läbi ei lähe. Ma pole kindel, kas see päris alati kehtib, aga igaljuhul on see vahel päris naljakas. Ka buss peatub alati, kui naised peale või maha tahavad minna. Mehed peavad kohati ka liikuvast transpordivahendist maha saama (ma peaks vist natuke pikemalt sellest bussisüsteemist rääkima mingil hetkel).

- meeldib tantsida. üldiselt tundub, et neil on see tantsimise värk sisse sündinud. Eestlastega võrreldes hakkab eriti silma...heheh..tõsijutt noh... Samas on ka neid, kellele üldse ei meeldi tantsida...hm...aga kui mõtlema hakkan, siis oskavad isegi need, kellele üldse ei meeldi, ikka päris hästi seda teha...nii et järeldus: see on
neil juba veres, meeldib see neile või mitte.

- tänaval tahavad põhimõtteliselt igat sorti meestele Euroopast päris naisterahvaid kiigata bonita, linda, hi, how are you, welcome jms asju öelda, vilistada jms. Kohati päris naljakas, sest tavaliselt ei hõiguta kaugelt, vaid öeldakse midagi suht tasasel häälel täpselt sinu kõrval olles, isegi juba mööda minnes, nii et mitu korda on selline tunne, et „ehmisseenüüdoli“. Väga hull olukord siiski ei ole ja päris staari tunnet ikka ei ole :D

NAISED
Pikad lahtised mustad juuksed ja pruunid silmad, kerge ülekaal alates keskeast (või vahel ka varem), soov tingimata kanda kõrge kontsaga kingi (lühema kasvu tõttu), topid ja teksad (jah siin kantakse hoolimata 30+ kraadist teksasid väga palju), samas miniseelikud on siin ka siiski suht popid. Ise käisin eile esimest korda sellise lühemat sorti kleidiga...heheh...päris imelik oli alguses :D. Ma muidu pole soovinud nii suurt tähelepanu tõmmata tänaval, sest nii või naa on tähelepanu
ikka kogu aeg peal.
Keskmine pikkus on siin ehk mingi 155 võrreldes 164-ga Eestis. Mina olen 170, nii et ikka suht pikk - ka meestega võrreldes.

Kuna käisin nädal aega tagasi Colombias Albertol külas, põhjarannikul Cartagenas, Barranquillas ja Santa Martas, siis veel üks tähelepanek sealtkandist: reisides hakkab hästi silma, et rannapiirkondades elavad naisterahvad pööravad oma välimusele väga palju rohkem tähelepanu kui mägede (Quito, Bogota jne) elanikud. Ka Quayaquil, kus preagu elan, pole iseenesest suurem suvituspiirkond, siit lähimasse randa on nii tunni tee jagu. Samas Colombia põhjarannik Kariibi mere ääres on suvitajate paradiis ning sellest tulenevalt usun, et ka Eesti meestele pakuks sealne naispere päris suurt silmarõõmu...hehe...Siia veel täienduseks, et ka iluoperatsioonid on Colombias väga populaarsed ning ka näiteks ülikoolis õppivate tüdrukute hulgas suhteliselt tavaline nähtus. Pidi suhteliselt mõistliku hinnaga olema...nii et kel huvi, siis....
Silmaoperatsioonid laseriga, mis Eestis on 22 000 EEKu pidid Ecuadoris olema 1000 USD ja Colombias veel odavamad, nii et „väike“ hinnavahe on olemas.

SEKS
Siinmail pidavat olema arusaam, et väga mõistlik pole enne abiellumist „keelatud“ maailma avastada. Selle kõrval tundub jällegi huvitav see, et tänaval avalikult suudlemine, kallistamine, pargipingil semmimine jne tundub täiesti aktsepteeritav olevat. Ka noori emasid (kohati ka alla 20) näeb päris palju, mistõttu ma arvan, et see esimene väide siiski päriselt praktikas paika ei pea. Samas siin vist ongi vastuolu tavade/traditsioonilise maailmavaate ja muutuvate aegade vahel: üks asi
on vanema põlvkonna arvamus sellest, „kuidas asjad võiks/peaks
olema“ ja teine noorema põlvkonna poolt „kuidas nad tegelikult on“.

Kui ma nüüd õigesti aru saanud olen, siis pidavat siinmail näiteks abort keelatud olema. Religioosse ühiskonna sündroom, arvan ma. Päris paljudes Ladina-Ameerika riikides on sama seis. Teisest küljest pidi erakliinikute abil kõik võimalik olevat, mistõttu ma preaguse hetke seisuga ei saa täpselt „keelatuse“ mõistest aru (ei tea, kas see hõlmab siis vaid riigi poolt pakutavat „teenust“).

JALGPALL
On siin kuum!! Jalka MMi ajal olid tänavad täis kollastes särkides noori-vanu, tänavail lehvisid bännerid ja kui Ecuaodor mängis, seisis elu igalpool mujal! Ecuadori tiimil on viimaste aastate jooksul aina paremini läinud ning seekordne edasipääs teise ringi oli senini parim tulemus.

„Ecuador - si se puede“ (Ecuador, jah sa suudad) oli slogan, mida kasutati kõikjal. Guayaquilis on ka kaks põhilist tiimi, millest ühe nimi on Barcelona ja teise nime olen unustanud (oops :), mängude ajal ei pidavat igav hakkama, fännid teevad kõvasti möllu oma meeskonna toetuseks!

Olen ka ise mõelnud omale jalkasärki soetada, aga oma eelarvet vaadates esialgu veel kõhklen. Originaalid maksavad nii 20-30 dollarit, tänavaturult saab ka 5 usd’iga, aga see pole ju ikka see!! Üldse saab siin tänavalt osta igasugust kraami, alustades Nike’ist ja lõpetades D&G’ga, hindu nagu arvata võib ei anna originaaliga võrrelda.

Vastused lugejakirjadele:

- Kas lennujaamas ajavad eskalaatoreid ringi väiksed nukrad eeslid?
Nope :D, eesleid on, aga ainult külades olen kohanud.

- Kas kohviautomaatide asemel on külamehed priimustega vankritelt oma
laste väikeste mustade kätega korjatud värskeid kohviube keetmas:):):)?

Hehe…jällegi eitav vastus. Kusjuures nende kohviubadega on nii, et nad
joovad siin üldse lahustuvat kohvi enamasti (täiesti seletamatu!!).
Café con leche tähendab vahel koguni ainult kuuma piima lahustuva kohviga. Iseenesest pole paha, aga see pole siiski see kohvi, millega ma harjunud olen.
Külameestest (ja –naistest) rääkides, nemad on siin küll ägedad! Ehe värk! Väikest kasvu, kohe päris indiaanlased, põnevad värvilised riided seljas. Rauno blogis (www.rauno.org/latina) on ka mõned ägedad pildid üleval.

Minu plaanid edasi: veel ca 2 nädalat siin (äkki jõuan Peruusse ka, aga hetkel veel ei tea) ja siis Brasiiliasse. Loodan, et kõik sujub, mu pass on parasjagu Brasiilia saatkonnas Soomes ja sellega lähebki veel nata aega.
Pean nüüd kiirelt veel Portugali keele crash course'i võtma, et kohapeal päris häbisse ei jääks :)))

Espanolist rääkides - ega ma ausalt öeldes ikka ei jaga muffigi...hihih...iga kord küsi umbes 3 korda üle, et mis sa nüüd ütlesid! a noh nata rohkem ikka mõistan, kui tulles. Nad lihtsalt räägivad siin nii teistmoodi ja kõik "s"'id sõna lõppudes on kas
üldse kadunud või kõlavad nagu "h"d...siis ongi nii, et iga kord peab jupp aega mõtlema, mis see siis nüüd jälle oli!
Olen ikka seda learning by doing rida ajanud ja õpik seisab ikka kotis...huh...luban endale, et Portugali keele võtan tublimalt käsile!

saludos!

PANAMA - a quick one

2006-07-17T23:29:00.001+03:00

15.-16.th of July, 2006

Flying with COPA means always transiting in Panama since it’s Panaman airlines. Soooo...once that was the case I thought I definitely should see the City even for a little bit since I am anyway there in the aiport on my route Ecuador-Colombia-Ecuador.
Thus on my way back from Colombia to Ecuador, I took a 1 day stop in Panama arriving on Saturday and leaving on Sunday night.

Hehe...I must say I saw more of the night life than sightseeing around, but surely was super fun cruising the city at night (thanks Ricky :D), checking out what the place has to offer in terms of entertainment for club and pub lovers, and dancing till morning!
Some say that Ciudad de Panama is the Miami of Central America. It seemed to be true with it’s 24 hours shops, eating places etc available at any moment you crave for something.

Sleeping late on Sunday meant limited time for sightseeing (3 hours) before I already had to head to the airport. But couldn’t still resist the opportunity to look around as much as I could. Since my host was at work, I took a recommended bus to „the city center“, which eventually, when I got off the bus, did not seem much of a center, but more like some sort of ghetto....hehe...it must have been one of the few buses that did not go to the center :D:D...but no problems, the situation offered me a little adventure!

As my Spanish was, and still is, quite limited asking directions to the city center was a bit difficult, people kept poiting at one direction, but after having walked about 10 minutes, I felt myself no closer to the center as before. Hehehe...and to make the situation a bit more challenging, I didn’t have the map of the city either :D:D
What should always more or less work is taking a taxi to the destination you need, so that was my next thing to do.
Found a taxi on the street, a nice 26 year old guy who spoke only Spanish, who eventually offered me a 2 hour tour in the City to see the Isla de Flamenco and some other places for only 7 USD, and who later turned out to be a cop working on criminal investigation during weekdays and being a taxi driver on weekends...hehehe
So I got a nice sightseeing tour as well!
Time went by fast and I already started to run late for my flight, thus got home with the same taxi driver dude, packed quickly and headed to the airport...whiew..by that time I had only 2 hours left for my flight and about 40 minutes bus ride to the Airport ahead of me.
There ought to be a bus to the airport, but after 10 minutes waiting in the bus stop I decided to take a taxi (which ought to be 25 USD, and 15 if you bargin). Stopped a passing by taxi, and offered my last 8 USD that I had in cash. Worked! He took me to the airport. Got there just an hour before the flight – no problemos ;), I think that’s what one could call just-in-time-management...hehehe
Last good-byes and off I took to Guayaquil, back home to my ATAMI family (Thanks, Ricky for the message on the plane :).

Colombia - mi casa es tu casa!

2006-07-17T22:50:00.000+03:00

After 5-6 visits to the embassy of Colombia in Guayaquil, 2 weeks of waiting instead of the initally promised 4 days, changing 3 times the plane tickets as the visa was not ready (56 USD!), me and Rauno finally arrived in Barranquilla on the 8th of July.

Yet, in spite of the trouble with the visa my experience in Colombia was SUPER SUPER SUPER GREAT!! (Thank you Alberto and your family!! Muchos Gracias!!!)

When arriving in B’quilla Alberto was already awaiting for us in the airport with his dad and we took a car directly to Cartagena – one of the most touristic cities in Colombia I guess, a real jewel as they say!

And I understand why!! The most wonderful beaches I have ever seen (we took a one day cruise with Alberto’s family to the Island de Baru), super bueno ciudad de antigua (the old town), nice climate, friendly people, delicious food!!

Oh and it was good to meet up with Maris – she had already arrived a week ago from Costa Rica where she did a 6 months internship in a local NGO teaching English. Me, Maris and Alberto were in the same MC team in AIESEC in Estonia in 2003-2004, living and working together for one year. The other 3 team mates - Uku, Helena and Sifaan – couldn’t join this time, but we are planning to hold our team re-union in 2010 in Colombia as well ;). I know now I should take like 3 months for the next visit to Colombia – that's how much the country offers to discover!!

After Cartagena, we returned back to Barranquilla – Alberto’s home town. It’s another nice city on the North Coast of Colombia. And that’s where we enjoyed the true hospitality of Colombian people!! We stayed in Alberto’s house, and the saying they use „mi casa es to casa“ was soooooo much in place!! Thanks again to you, Alberto and Caro and your Mom and Dad for taking us around, feeding us with the best food ever and just being sooooo super nice!!!

Heheh staying at Alberto’s house was a nice practice for my espanol also :) as his parents’ don’s speak English...huh, I surely learned a few new words!!

On Thursday we took a little trip to Santa Marta – one more place for tourists that like la playas ;). Alberto and his family returned to B’quilla in the evening since Alberto was to leave to Estonia the next day, but me and Rauno stayed on in a little fishermen village just after Santa Marta, it’s called Taganga and it is a good place to get your scuba diving license should you want one. 3 day course was for about 400 000 pesos (2000 EEK). Additinal 2 days advanced course was also offered, and room for bargining the price is there as well. Rauno was gonna take the 3-day one, but I couldn’t since I had my flight back to Ecuador via Panama already on Saturday the 15th of July.
Friday nite party with Alberto’s friends Sergio and Carlos in the Bolivar’s house in Santa Marta – musica electronica!! – a few hours sleep, 2 hours bus strip back to Barranquilla, nice time with Alberto’s family (Alberto, when you left to Estonia, they really really missed you!!), and then off to Panama.

My experiences in Colombia were super!! I’d really like to recommend it to anyone who’s thinking of visiting Latin America, it surely is a country of the kind of „must visit“ ones!
True, there are things to watch out for, but...in contrary and one the positive note, the country as tons to offer and aren't the things more challenging just the most precious ones ;)

A letter home, VOL 1 (in Estonian)

2006-07-07T22:41:00.001+03:00

Hola a todos!!

Kohevarsti lõpeb mu teine nädal Ecuadoris, täpsemalt pühapäeval. Selle aja jooksul olen kuidagi totaalselt teise maailma sattunud ja kõik, mis Eestis, tundub praegusel hetkel suhteliselt kaugena...aga nojah...elu siin ongi kõvasti teistmoodi – elan teiste AIESECi pratkikantidega koos ühe kahekordse maja esimesel korrusel (5 tuba on meil siin, suur elutuba, köök ja siis veel üks ruum, mida eile näiteks kasutasime sissetunginud roti kinnipüüdmiseks ja ...khm...“kõrvaldamiseks“). Koos minuga siin praegu 3 eestlast, 2 poolakat, 1 itaallane ja 1 rumeenlane. Siiasamasse jäängi kuni augustini va siis need ajad, kui hea õnne korral õnnestub Kolumbias, Panamas ja Peruus ära käia...a sellest täpsemalt allpool.
Mu siinsed elukaaslased käivad tööl, aga minul on praegu pigem fiesta-season ...hehe...AIESECi töös ikka löön kaasa, aga kuna senini olid kõik eksamitega hõivatud, siis oli ka minu elu asjalik pool tagasihoidlik, chillin ühesõnaga ning kasutasin aega ka riigiga tutvumiseks – Raunoga käisime mägedes ja teiste sõpradega Montanitas, hipide ja surfarite paradiisis.

Mõned väiksed „pildikesed“ kohapealsest elust:

Ilm
Lennujaamast väljudes oli mul India-tunne. Õhk on siin selline soe, kerge kleepekas ja mulle tundub nagu nata sellise magusa lõhnaga...ma ei oskagi seda seletada, selline troopika-värk vist. Nüüd on õnneks India-tunne üle läinud, aga soe on siin sellegipoolest.

Ecuadoris võib aasta jooksul eristada kahte aastaaega, tinglikult siis „talv“ ja „suvi“. Praegu on talv, mis tähendab, et rannikul on nii 30-35 kraadi sooja ja enamasti on taevas pilvine so rannikul (costa). Sellest hoolimata on ikka väga lõunamaine ja suvine tunne. Ja päike võtab ka läbi pilvede. Guayaquil – 2-miljoniline linn, kus praegu elan – ongi rannikulinn.
Mägedes olles on nagu teine riik – öösiti on vaevalt 10 kraadi sooja, päeval läheb ikka vast 25 kraadi kanti ja kui päike lagipähe paistab, siis on ikka parajalt kuum. Eriti mägede vahel, kus on suhteliselt tuulevaikne. 40 faktoriga päevituskreemi kasutades õnnestus end ikka veidi ära põletada, õnneks siiski ei midagi katastroofilist.
Suvi on siin detsembrist maini (umbes). Mujal sajab ka vihma, aga rannikul pidi siis olema ilus ja pilvitu ning sooja siis juba 40 kanti.

Inimesed
Vastuvõtt on olnud sõbralik, tunnen end nagu täitsa kodus kohe – osa sellest on muidugi see, et AIESECi punt oli mul juba lennujaamas vastas ja mu uued elukaaslased on ka igati toredad, koos ikka veedame nii õhtuid kui nädalavahetusi.
Üldiselt tundub Ecuadoris Euroopa turiste olevat suhteliselt vähe, kuigi aeg-ajalt ikka kohtab, eriti Lonely Planeti poolt soovitatud sihtpaikades. Kindlasti on ka siinsest regioonist turiste, aga need ei paista ju tänavapildis nii silma.
Ka tänaval tunnevad autojuhid võõramaalased kohe ära, lasevad signaali; taksod üritavad pidevalt küüti pakkuda ja vastutulevad (meesterahvad) ikka tervitavad, ššš-itavad või vilistavad. Aga noh see pole häiriv, harjumise asi, mingil hetkel ei panegi enam tähele.
Valvas tasub tänaval siiski olla, sest ikka on lugusid selle kohta, kuidas väljamaalasi on rünnatud, neilt läpakad, raha ja muid väärisasju röövitud jne jne, mistõttu mina näiteks kannan (kui üldse) oma läpakat kaasas linasest riidest üleõlakotis, mitte kergesti silma hakkavas läpaka kotis. Ettavaatlik tasub olla, aga see ei ole kindlasti põhjus end nelja seina vahele lukustada.
Kusjuures tuleb tunnistada, et ka politsei on siin agar. Vähemalt olen mina kui välismaalane neile korduvalt silma hakanud: minu käest on juba 2 korda nädala jooksul politsei tänaval küsinud, kust ma pärit olen ja ega ma juhtumisi illegaal ei ole. Uhkusega pean ütlema, et viimane kord seletasin hispaania keeles, et kõik on korras ja ma pole illegaal ja et mul pole passi vaid sellepärast kaasas, et see juba varsti 2 nädalat on Kolumbia saatkonnas turistiviisa templit ootamas (õppetund: latiinode-viisi asjaajamine võib aega võtta!! Ja mitte vähe!!). Varsti ongi juba nii, et Alberto ja Maris, kellele pidime Kolumbiasse külla minema, lähevad sealt tagasi Eesti poole. Ja meie peame Barranquillas omapäi passima. Ilmselge saatuse iroonia: käisin ju Peebul ka niimoodi Ühendemiraatides külas, et Peep ise passis Indias viisavangis!

Espanol
Nagu arvasingi räägivad siin kõik espanoli. Ka aieseccarid, kes küll kõik mas o menos (enam-vähem, siin kõlab see nagu „mah o meno“) ikka inglist ka pursivad, räägivad üldiselt kogu aeg hispaania keelt. Ka mujalt tulnud praktikandid õpivad keele kiiresti ära. Nii paari kuuga, öeldakse. Kuigi olen keelt varem nata õppinud (3 aastat tagasi kaks semestrit), siis siia tulles oli ikka tunne, et muhvigi ei mõista. Esiteks on kuulamine ikka teine asi kui lugemine, pluss tegusõnade pööramine ja erinevad ajavormid ka veel lisaks. Nii et ikka päris keeruline. Nüüd on 2 nädalat möödas ja ikka nata saan juba igapäevasest vestlusest aru (võit!!), kaasa rääkida nii palju veel ei oska (grammatika vajaks „veidi lihvimist“, et mitte öelda õpikust tuupimist, aga ma praegu olen ikka rohkem seda learning-by-doing varianti püüdnud kasutada ning pole nii palju raamatuis sobranud. Kõvasti aitab see, et kõik ümberringi enamasti espanoli räägivad. Alguses oli omal muidugi päris imelik tunne, et tahaks nagu rääkida, aga ei oska :D:D (maakeeli öeldes „nagu tumm leilis“).
A noh õpin, aprendo! Praegu räägingi sellist Spanglish’i – inglise-hispaania segakeelt st kui hispaaniakeelsed sõnad otsa lõppevad (ja see juhtub suht ruttu), siis võtan inglisekeelsed appi. Minu keelealane töövõit seisnes selles, et ma hakkasin korraga aru saama, et nad siin ütlevad kõikide s-tähtede asemel sõna lõpus ’h’, näiteks las on lah jne. Jälle jupp maad rohkem saan aru, millest nad räägivad!!

Internet
On täiesti olemas, aga internetikohvikutes. WiFit on vast paaris kaubanduskeskuses, isegi pole seda jõudnud katsetada veel. Ma ise tunnen end muidugi suht ahistatuna, sest mul ikkagi nii umbes pool elu ju arvutis/internetis, kogu senine tööalane ja muu kommunikatsioon ka ikka arvuti vahendusel, andmehaldus ja kõik muu värk ka, nii et suht tüütu on kogu aeg mälupulgaga üle tee olevasse netikohvikusse joosta ja veebipõhiselt maile lugeda. Soodsamas kohas maksab tund netikasutust 1 USD, kallimas aga koguni 8 USD (viimane oli Hiltoni hotellis, kus huvi pärast hinnakirja kiikasin).

Loodus
On super!! Ma olen täiesti hämmastunud kui mitmekesine ja ilus siin on! Ja seda arvestades, et olen senini päris palju reisinud.
Mäed on vapustavad, käisime Andides kohas nimega Riobambas, mille kõrgeima tipu Chimborazo (6310 m) peaaegu alistasime – jõudsime 5000 m kõrgusele. Järgmisel päeval võtsime ette 6-tunnise rongisõidu Riobambast Alausi’sse. Eriti vahva oli see, et sõit oli rongi katusel. Alustasime kell 7 hommikul, kui väljas oli veel selline mõnus hommikune mägede jahedus. Lahkuvat rongi saatsid indiaanlastest käpiku- ja mütsikaupmehed. Paari tunni pärast rääkis aga Ecuador enda eest: praadisime 30-kraadises kuumuses ning 40 faktoriga päevituskreem õigustas enda olemasolu täielikult.
Mägede ilule ei jää alla ka siinsed vapustavad rannad Vaikse ookeani kaldal. Meie käisime Montanitas, mis on kohalik hipide ja surfarite paradiis (ja seda aastaringselt ja ka pilves ilmaga :D). Hoolimata sellest, et me kehvavõitu ilma tõttu randa peesitama ei jõudnud nautsime kohapealset elu-olu täiega. Kahest päevast ei piisanudki. Selleks, et sealsesse rütmi sisse elada oleks vist 3-4 päeva vaja. Noh eks vaatab, ehk veel jõuan sinna tagasi....see tähendaks siis Guayaquilist 4 tundi bussisõitu.
Kindlamast kindlam on see, et julgen Ecuadori kõigile reisimiseks soovitada: mäed, rannad, surfamine, päike, soojad inimesed, rafting, hiking ja mida kõike veel! Raha ja aega on vaja ainult 
Ahjaa...soovitan lugeda ka Rauno reisimuljeid rauno.org/latina, kus ka mitmeid pilte kohalikust elust-olust.

Salsa, merengue, bachata...ja reaggeton!!
Siinne muusika, mille järgi siis ka vastavad tantsud a’la nagu valss ja rumba jms. Siin kuuleb sedasorti muusikat kogu aeg: tänaval möödasõitvas autos kõmiseb kõva reaggetoni beat, bussipeatuses hängival mustanahalisel teenager’il on õlal tümpsuv makk, ühistranspordis mängib mõnus salsa või merengue-rütm jne jne. Klubides ja noorte hulgas on eriti kuum reaggeton, mille kohta on öeldud ka, et see olla justku „sex on the dance floor“...hm...noh minu arust siiski natuke ülepakutud, aga see nimi annab vist siiski mingi ettekujutuse, millega tegu.
Salsat, merenguet, bachatat tantsitakse ka päris palju – need on aga eriti kuumad just Kariibi mere saartel, Dominikaanis näiteks. Erinevalt Eestist tantsitakse ka house-party’idel („house“ nagu korter mitte nagu muusikastiil), eelmisel reedel andis sellele kinnitust mu welcome party (loe: tants ja trall hommikuni).

Sellega siin lõpetangi praegu. Praegu ootab mind ja Raunot ees umbes 5. visiit Kolumbia saatkonda, et lõpuks ometi saada kätte oma turistiviisa (millega mõnelpool läheb aega 1-2 päeva ja mida meie juba kaks nädalat ootame....grrhhh). Tõesti loodan, et seekord läheb õnneks, olen oma lennupiletit juba 3 korda muutnud!!!
Ma senini ei arvanud, et selline asi üldse võimalik on!! Kuidas võtab esialgu lubatud 4-päevane viisa väljastamise protsess aega 2 nädalat, kusjuures viimastel päevadel antud vabandused nagu koosolek, konsuli haige laps, kulleri teel olek jms on ju täiesti jaburad!!! Whieww!!

Niih aga nüüd küll lõpetan, sest asi läheb juba liigseks kurjustamiseks kätte :D:D. Kui kuidagi ei saa, siis kuidagi ikka saab – rule of life no 1, eriti vist siinkandis...hehehe

Adios ja andke ikka endist ka märku!!

Triinu

Chimborazo: 5000 meters conquered

2006-06-30T04:45:00.001+03:00

Since aiesecars are having exams this week I`m using the time to get to know the country. Me and Rauno decided to go for a 3 day trip to Riobamba, a small town with 126 000 inhabitants in the Andes.
After a 4,5 hours bus trip from Guayaquil, crossing the altitude of 3600 m on the way we made it to Riobamba. Today our conquest was the local peak of Chimborazo (6310 m) - well we made it to 5000 m only, but still :D - which is the highest peak from this point up to all across North America.
Actually I have to admit that a car - local taxi with a cool and extremely talkative driver Alfonso (or smth like that) - took us to 4800 m, and we only rose the last 200 m walking.
However it was totally new experience for me to be in this altitude, let alone make my way up there: heart beating as if I was heavily excercising and all that. And we made it! Pictures coming up soon!
Tomorrow, we`re gonna take a hell ride on the roof of the train for 6 hours, it`s called Nariz del Diablo!!! whiew...let`s see how that`s gonna be! I`m already pretty sure, I`ll freeze my arse off!!
I still refused the idea of buying additional warm clothes since I most probably won`t come to the mountains again so soon, my luggage is already overweight and my budget ought to be tigher than I`ve practiced so far :D. All that considered I think my the Air Madrid blanket will prove to be useful, as it has for a number of times already in this week :D:D.

And then, tomorrow nite - should I still be alive and kicking - is my welcome party to Guayaquil :)))...an excellent introduction to the weekend on the beach with bunch of AIESECcers and trainees here in EC!

Ecuador Ecuador!!!

2006-06-28T19:10:00.000+03:00

That’s my first post from the other side, the other side of the world! Yeah, I made it. It’s my second day in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where I’m going to stay for another 1,5 months. I haven’t actually wrote about the purpose of my visit here.
I’m going to be engaged with an AIESEC project Yo Creo En Ecuador (I Believe in Ecuador), which is a project enchancing social responsibility and responsible entrepreneurship among under- and young graduates. My exact role is still to be clarified though :). I hope to meet with my „boss“ Carlos today or the day after, he’s currently busy with his exams...

I didn’t have much time to write about my preparations for the trip...hehe...I actually didn’t have that enourmously much time to focus on preparation either.

I came up with this plan to come to Latin-America for a CEED (as we call it in AIESEC, basically it’s being involved with AIESEC and also experienceing different culture in another country) about 2 months ago since I hadn’t found any internship on CSR that I was looking for. Found out that AIESEC Guayaquil would be ready to host me for 1-2 months, and I would have an opportunity to contribute to a project on corporate responsibility.
So I bought the ticket (one way, just in case) about 2 months ago, and left the rest of the preparations for a little later. Was busy to still work on my other things here in Estonia (finish internal auditing work, graduate masters, work on CSR projects, give a few trainings with the European Youth etc).

As the date of leaving Estonia came closer:
- I got the injections done (yellow fever, the others I had from previous travels already)
- Started to work a bit on my Spanish (I actually failed my ambitious program on studying Spanish every day),
- Checked the visa conditions, appeared that Estonian don’t need visa if they come as tourists for up to 90 days, and that is possible to also extend it for another 90 days. So no worries with that.
- Did last minute shopping for some souvenirs from Estonia as well as the got the materials about Estonia from Eesti Instituut

A week – actually 5 days – before leaving Estonia, I got the hit news about being selected for the traineeship in Brazil!!! Yehuuu, great news!!! And a slight panic situation with now knowing that I’m going to stay abroad for at least 14 months (2 months Ecuador + 1 year in Brazil). Tried to get all possibly necessary papers with me to apply for the Brazilian visa in Ecuador (fingers crossed for that!! Still have to negotiate with the Embassy here in EC). In the worse case scenario I will need to apply via the Embassy in Helsinki. Let’s see how that goes...

So now I’m here – after about 48 hour trip, firstly with Czech Airlines to Barcelona, then waiting for about 24 hours for the next flight with Air Madrid from Barcelona to Guayaquil. The flight was 5-6 hours delayed, so initally set departure of 9 am from Baca took finally place at 2 pm.
Not much of a problem for me though, I used the time for napping around in various chairs in the airport, since I had been up the whole last nite in Estonia, celebrating mid-summer’s day with friends, after that finalise packing...huh still ended up with 5 kilos overweight, although took at least another 5 out in the airport and left it for my brother to pick up from there.

Not surprisingly the 13 hour flight (with a stop in Tenerife) went smoothly as I used the opportunity to sleep some more :)). At my few awaken moments I ate and took a crash course in Spanish...red the Spanish book I had brought along. When I finally arrived (5 hours later than intended) my Estonian friends Meeli and Rauno were waiting for me together with Jorge and Hector from AIESEC in Gye.

First impressions you ask!
Hehe funny enough...when I stepped out of airport the country reminded me of India :), that was for the way the air smells and feels here. It’s not too hot (about 32-35 degrees, the city is near the ocean), the air somehow has this sort of slightly sweet tropical scent to it. The houses reminded me of India again – mostly 1 or 2 storied houses with flat roofs (something that you dont see so often in Estonia), the traffic is busy but again nothing beats India I think :)). Generally the streets are quite clean I’d say, couldn’t really spot trash laying around or anything.

I’m staying in trainee house with 1 Estonian, 1 Romanian, 2 Polish and 1 Italian – mix of nations like you often meet in AIESEC!!

It’s my second day in Ecuador now, and by now I’ve managed to almost get rid of the India-like feeling. Afterall it’s Ecuador where I am!! (Si se puede!!).
Yesterday – the day no 1 – was great, I think Rauno wrote in his blog about it so I’m using the opportunity to refer to his experiences in Latin America :).

BRAZIL, here I come!!!

2006-06-20T13:33:00.000+03:00

WHOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I GOT SELECTED FOR THE ABN AMRO INTERNSHIP ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT and CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY!!!
EXACTLY MY THING!!
AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!!
I AM SOO SOOOOO LUCKYYYY!!!!

From my future colleague:
*********************************************

We have selected our trainee!
We selected Triinu from Estonia and are very excited to have her join our team beginning on August 14th.

Can you help Triinu with the process from here on - work permit, preparation, reception, etc.? Also, if a meeting with the person will be handling the process in Brazil can be set up so that we are clear about the process, that would be great.

I will be away for the next few weeks but Thais will be here and can facilitate the process from our end.

Thanks again for the support with our first trainee in the Education and Sustainable Development Department!

All the best,

******************

And here's a bit more about the organization and the field work I'm also going to be involved with: "ABN AMRO - the emerging markets bank of the year"

Yeahh we did it!

2006-06-13T23:22:00.000+03:00

Today we organized a summer seminar with our Responsible Business Forum, was good success, had about 50 people participating from various sectors including some very respected businesses in Estonia, also good presentations and discussions.

I feel tired (it's been a few months work with the seminar, additionally woke up 6 am this morning) and ...I feel a great feeling of accomplishment and kinda celebration, I'm also proud that me and Elina have managed to pull this whole thing together: now about 2 years of work with Responsible Business Forum, our CSR initative in Estonia.
Looking back it's been quite a job of developing the whole project, working with different stakeholders, making great efforts of communication & engagement, taking initative, trying to push the CSR agenda through...sleepless nights, hours of work, successes and frustrations, moments of celebration and some drawbacks as well, but most importanly our drive and passion to make it happen!! I feel sooo content for having the experience, and proud of ourselves of creating the opportunity not only for ourselves to channel our passion, but for many many other people to become engaged and thrive further regarding their interest in CR and sustainability!

Just today a friend of mine said that I should be very happy to have found the field I'm passionate about and want to contribute to....oo sooo right!! Lucky I am ha :))

*********

Brazil is playing Croatia on TV...

And Metallica is singing "Nothing else matters" on the song festival grounds, where 85 000 ppl have gathered right now for their concert...good good (have to 'mute' the TV to listen :)

*******

Another thought regarding football & taking initiative/making things happen (something like RBF has been for us)

It's like when you kick off a football, once you do so - apparently a lot of players are interested in playing along, chasing the ball, joining in for the came for fun and passion and creating a synergy of a team!!
BUT if the kick off wasn't there, if there was no-one taking the first move, you wouldn't really know who want's to play, whose passionate about football, who can contribute with their particular skills and knowledge & thus contribute to bringing the game to a whole new level...

Which city do I belong in?

2006-06-07T16:20:00.000+03:00

I couldn't resist trying that one :D...me or not me?!

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern.
A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock.
A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything.
No wonder you and London will get along so well.

What City Do You Belong In?

PS. I actually think I could try something a little less Western European :))...um...some developing country could do :)

Nothing else matters

2006-06-04T12:08:00.000+03:00

Sometimes at trainings or other group/team days, we've used an exercise in the ice breaking/warm up part, which asks people to introduce things about themselves that the others don't know or some particular habits and ways of being that are characteristic to that one person only. That could be having some imaginary characters in your life, wearing a t-shirt/underwear inside out, never stepping out of the bed with left foot first, drinking coffee with honey, singing in the shower etc etc. Some really funny things have come out :))), and it usually creates a more welcome and warmer feeling in the groups, something like "oh I know a little special thing more about you that not everyone is aware of". And it also means that people are at least to some extent comfortable with each other and ready to trust the group.

Apparently it's not so easy to come up with things that are very special to oneself only. Afterall, how often do you think about your uniqueness, weird habits or special ways of doing things, right??

Anyway, when home alone, I like to put up my own show :)), dancing and singing :D. It could be just like that, or accompanying some must-do activity like cleaning the house or doing some other household stuffs. Volume up is the way to go then!!!

PS. I don't sing in the shower, but I do think there! So, should I put on my thinking cap when in shower, it might take up to an hour to get out!!

My this morning's rock concert was dedicated to Metallica :))) (great song heeeh!!)

Nothing else matters

So close no matter how far
Couldnt be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I dont just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

So close no matter how far
Couldnt be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I dont just say
And nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
And I know

So close no matter how far
Couldnt be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No nothing else matters

"M" like in Masters!

2006-06-01T22:34:00.000+03:00

Juhhuu...DONE!!
had a final presentation of my master thesis on Wednesday! In fact it was really fun!! haha...I think I flooded the room with my passion for CSR (which of course was the topic of the paper as well). Prior to the presentation, I didn't have too much time to dwell on it, become scared or smth...took it easy and it went excellent!!
It was quite a satisfying accomplishment for the week!

I actually hadn't really thought how it would feel to have the whole thing completed (MA!!), but it does feel grreeaatt. It was a 1 year program in Estonian Business School. Although MA as such is quite an achievement overall, looking back at the year, it really was on my top priority only at the time of writing the thesis (hyper-fast and intense period of time) - other priorities like work etc often came in first. Yet as the lectures were a few days a week, additionally the assignments needed to be done, it was quite exhausting time overall and I'm happy that it's over!!
Just the question - ok, so what's next? comes to a mind...a PhD???...um..too early, maybe in 5-10 years...who knows.
Not that I dont know what I want to focus on - Sustainable Business Strategy - but still...too early! Need to work in this area before diving in the next academic endeavours :))
hehe...forgot to mention I got an A for the thesis, and might actually end up graduating MA cum laude (the honours). Well, why not ha :))

However, I need to write a bit on academic achievements.
I used to be a good student in secondary school, very good actually...didn't have all A's, but was close enough. I think it was mostly thanks to my parents guidance on teaching me the habits of getting the stuff done (school work) and being on the top of these things. I never really had an aspiration of or tried hard to be the teachers' fav..and I think I wasn't also - we had all-A students in class as well :))). But still, I was in the good lists, I know :D. Things just worked out well for me...studies, sports etc.
Finished high school with honours (silver medal as we have it) and with the thought that the grades really don't matter. I remember thinking that when I go to the Uni, I really want to get something done. I myself.
I had in mind joining AIESEC as I had heard about the organization already.

So guess what happened!!
Went to Tartu Uni to study economics, joined AIESEC and had amazing years: time for self realization and actulization, finding out who I am and what I want to do in the future, becoming way better person I believe...Met lots of inspiring people, made great friends for life, travelled the world, took responsibility and leadership roles by being the vice president of AIESEC in Estonia and also the president of AIESEC Tartu....oo so many exciting and exceptional things!!

Have to mention that in parallel to the time-of-my-life in AIESEC, the academic results were going down. In fact my grade point average was baaaaaddd, but I also didn't care toooooo much. I felt that AIESEC was waaayyyy more empowering experience for me and helped me to develop my personal and also proffessional qualities much more, whereas grades would be something of value on paper only...that's what I felt.

At some point I had this little creepy thought that maybe I am not able to get better results in all this academic stuffs, maybe I'm just not capable or smth, because Uni is still more than the high school. Yet, again I remained more or less confident that if I really wanted, I could do better.

whoahaaaa...so the honours in MA will do ;)))...great personal accomplishment for myself and a proof that my academic capacity didn't leave me in the end of the secondary school :D:D:D
hehe...I think I need to highlight though that I didn't take the MA course for the grades :D:D, but actually to provide myself a space to work on Corporate Responsibility in an academic context. And I did so, regarding the MA thesis. The other subjects were just complementary from my point of view, just good to feel that it finished successfully :)). And the people in Uni were great!! So in social sense it was also a nice experience!
Overall, I think it's worthwhile to continue academic studies in MA/PhD only, if one knows what s/he wants to get out of it, which sort of knowledge s/he wants to gain & what's the particular field of interest (passion!!) where the MA could contribute!

ok, enough of these school stuffs...there are much more important things than grades on paper ;)

oooh, and welcome to my graduation on the 16th at 12.00!

Cash value of a social network!

2006-05-26T23:37:00.000+03:00

Social capital - what's that?
To put it in a very simple terms, it means that "social networks have value". hmm...easy eh? What it refers to is a value created from the ties between people, groups, communities, societies - the value in a group and between the groups as well. And that covers all kinds of groups: social gatherings like going to a picnic with friends, business networks, proffessional organisations, etc; including both formal and informal networks. One of the visible indication of the value of the social network is that for example majority of working people - and not only in Estonia, but in other countries as well! - get their job through personal contact, friend of a friend etc, and not through an anonymous newspaper ad.

It could be even said that the cash value of the social network of an individual could be greater than the actual wealth accumulated by the person! And not only that. There are also evidences of measurable consequences of belonging to numerous groups: the latter is related to one's life expectancy, meaning that all other variables remaining the same (Pareto principle :)), one's life could be longer (happier :)), when one belongs to a variety of social and other groups, simply has ties with other people!! Can't recall right now, who was the one that called humans social animals!. Thus isolation from the society reduces possibilities of a long happy life (cheers to all friends!!). In contrary, people married or just belonging to clubs/societies are more likely to call themselves a happy people.

More to it - happyness as such as got very little to do with the financial wealth, but precisely more with the social capital. I have heard Nigeria being called the happiest nation in the world and that definitely is not linked to the purchasing power of people. Still certain level of financial security does raise the satisfation/happiness levels, but to a rather limited extent.

What's alarming is that the social capital is in decline globally. People have less ties with each other, they belong to a fewer number of groups and go less to, let's say, social gatherings, family picnics etc etc. Obviously there's a multitude of causes and effects that shape and result from these processes in societies - the globalisation including migration, transitional economies and new relationships between people created by transitions, use of telecommunication tools (the TV!!), women becoming more career oriented etc etc.

However it's obviously neither possible nor necessary to go back in time where no TV existed, instead innovation in creating solutions that help to create bonding (withing groups, with people similar to oneself) and bridging (between groups, between people that are different from oneself: religion, race, gender, nationality) social capital.

I'd be a good spot to write about social entrepreneurship, but that'll come some other time...:)

*** *** ***

Attended the Open Society Forum today, the keynote speaker being Robert Putnam - world's leading social capital guru. These above were some of the thoughts expressed mixed with mine...

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

2006-05-24T22:42:00.000+03:00

Had an European Youth trainers meeting earlier this week, and there was a story being told about a guy who had been working as an IT technician. Deep in his heart, he felt he'd really like to work on the social sphere instead, work with children and youth for example. Although he felt very much stuck with what he was doing, he was really afraid and not comfortable to change the job, the workfield, the already settled way of life...He had later said that he thought the others would think he has gone nuts if he had by any means expressed what he really wanted to do. So he took a year off and went to work on the European Voluntary Service - on the field he actually had wanted to work on. And a year later a person that had found his passion returned home.

Why is it so that young, restless, courageous are the words that seem to go together and on the other hand the characteristics like old/mature, rational, stable and other similar ones seem to have a good fit?

It seems to be generally so that the older we get, the less risks we take, the less we experiment, and we ain't that courageous any longer. Part of it has surely got to do with the fact that by getting older, we at some point become responsible for not only ourselves, but also for our partners/boyfriends/husbands/children etc. Thus one can't really risk with many things anymore. Makes sense.

On the other hand, I think people are often way too afraid "to do things for the first time", to break the routine, the settled in comfort, and stability in life.

"Sometimes, people use age as a convenient excuse.
'I'm too old to start something new', or, 'I couldn't learn that at my age.'
Other people, though, go on to achieve their greatest accomplishments in life in later years."

Catherine Pulsifer

How does it work then? Being "young and courageous" forever :))

My own pace

2006-05-23T23:57:00.000+03:00

huh...mõtlesin esialgu, et ma ei kirjuta seda mõtet siia, aga ikka pean!
See on seotud osaliselt ka selle eelmise postinguga, aga veidi positiivsemas toonis siiski.

Lisaks sellele, et eelmine nädalavahetus oli ülimalt lõbus klubitamise (brasiilia+india+eesti sõpruskohtumine väike-karjas + angel jne) ja muude toredate ürituste aeg (:P), siis sain ka omajagu shokiteraapia osaliseks. Täiesti ootamatult (absoluutselt!!) kuulsin vanalt healt klassivennalt, kellega omal ajal hästi läbi saime, et ta sai just isaks (braavo!!!!). Saaksime ilmselt ka praegu hästi läbi, a kohtume nii umbes kord aastas, nii et see tegelikkuses ikka päris-sõpruse alla kirja ei lähe, kahjuks. Viimane kord nägimegi nii umbes-täpselt 9 kuud tagasi klassi kokkutulekul - kui välja arvata 1 kord ***, kui ma tänaval kogemata ta auto ette hüppasin -, ja siis ma poleks arvanudki, et järgmine kord temalt selliseid (positiivselt!) vapustavaid uudiseid kuulen. Noh ja siis veel teinegi klassivend olevat just äsja isastaatusesse tõusnud!

Mitte, et mul oleks midagi laste vastu - vastupidi, lapsed on imelised ja ma kavatsen ühel päeval super-emaks hakata! (Ma olen isegi veendunud, et see mul õnnestub!) AGA ma ei ole eriti harjunud mõttega, et see aeg justnagu peakski juba nüüd käes olema! Sellest siis kogu see shoki-teraapia jutt.
Ilmselt see, pluss asjaolu, et mitmed mu väga lähedasest sõpruskonnast veel päris-pere loomiseni jõudnud pole ja paljud hoopiski mööda ilma laiali, polegi mind eriti tihti selle teemaga päris tõsiselt kokku toonud...
Ja siis veel mu oma praegune seis - otsade kokkutõmbamise ja lõpetamiste hetk + uued algused kohe varsti Ecuadoris ootamas.

Et asi veel värvikam oleks, siis pani kohtumine ühe teise uuema sõbraga mind päris põhjalikult mõtlema partnerluse ja sõpruse ja kooselu ja pere ja tuleviku ja muudel teemadel (siit seos eelmise postinguga)...nii et kokkuvõttes tekkis mul selline omamoodi sisemine rahutus (kui seda niimoodi võiks nimetada :)), mida kindlasti võimendas teadmatus mu enda (lähi-)tuleviku suhtes!

Ja kuhu ma siis kogu selle asjaga enda jaoks jõudsin - inglise keeles kõlab paremini: I've got my own pace.
Arvan, et teen otsuseid, mis teevad mind õnnelikumaks ja kahetseda eriti ei oska ja poleks ju mõtet ka. Kust ma seda tean? Sest ilmselt ei oleks ma endaga rahul, kui seekord jälle jätaksin tundmatus kohas vette hüppamata :), ning praegune hetk tundub selleks õigeim olevat.
Nagu mu viimati mainitud sõber ütles: tuleb teha asju, mis teevad õnnelikuks (see on küll praegu natuke kontekstist välja rebitud, aga more or less sobib siiski).

Nüüd kõrvalt vaadates: ma arvan kogu mu sisemine heitlus teemal "pere/stabiilsus/lapsed vs vettehüpe tundmatus kohas ja suur hunnik ebastabiilsust" on pisut võimendatud seoses eesootava teadmatuse ja paljude küsimustega valdkonnas "mis, millal ja kuidas täpselt edasi?".
Aga...lõppude lõpuks tuleb iga asi omal ajal (või natuke hiljem või varem :) ning kõike tuleb lihtsalt suht rahulikult võtta ja nautida ;)...Ja see mul plaanis ongi.

"welcome-to-the-real-world" sõnumeid on samas tervitatav kogeda, mistõttu pidingi selle siia kirja panema...oli minu jaoks tähtis.

___________
*** et mitte ülekohtune olla, siis vahepeal meenus, et klassivend no 1 käis ka minu sünnipäeval, mis segastel asjaoludel toimus kuu aega tavalisest hiljem st detsembris :)), see oli ka väga armas!!

Stay together

2006-05-21T09:17:00.000+03:00

Ask what's possible, not what's wrong. Keep asking.
Notice what you care about.

Assume that many others share your dreams.
Invite in everybody who cares to work on what's possible.
Acknowledge that everyone is an expert in something.
Know that creative solutions come from new connections.
Trust that meaningful conversations change your world.
Rely on human goodness. Stay together.

- Margaret Wheatley -

Posted on a day, which reminds me of the importance of staying together, the partnership between two people, loyalty and trust...
Still an idealist.

Radio Quito

2006-05-11T15:20:00.000+03:00

That's part of my learning-to-speak-Spanish-plan :D - to listen to the local radio every day. It might sound a bit too ambitious, and honestly speaking, for the start I understand pretty much nothing. Well, I do some words to get an idea of what they are talking about, but not really getting the point they are making. But I'll try to at least get used to listen to the language - and they doooo speak awfully fast!!

I also browsed through the local newspapers and added some like La Hora, El Comercial, El Universo to my favourites list. The idea is to read an article in Spanish a day...translating the words that I don't know with online translator. Started already with it and that's much easier, I actually can understand pretty much the whole thing (with the help of translator, of course). Quite a useful way to learn the language, just have to be persistent with it...well, I shall try :))

huuuh...now it's a football match or something, I think the guy on the radio is going nuts soon :D:D:D, he's screaming like hell!!! And out of that I understand not a single word!!

Re: Fwd: valimistest peruus...

2006-05-05T17:43:00.000+03:00

Väike väljavõte kirjavahetusest Peruu valimiste teemal. Peamiselt kirjutab mu sõbranna Helina, kes Peruus juba paar aastat elanud.
Tundus piisavalt hull värk, et see siia kirja panna :)
Lugemist on hea alustada altpoolt üles!!

KIRI nr 4

aaa...su kirja järgi tundub, et inflatsiooni-mees oleks ohutum, nii et ma hoian talle pöialt siis :D, a täitsa crazy värk nii või naa!!

hoiame sidet!!

TR

KIRI nr. 3
Helina wrote:

oraator-naine ei paasenud teise vooru, nii et nyyd laheb militaari ja inflatsiooni venna vahel rebimiseks, peruuukad siin viskavad sarkastilist nalja, et neil on valik 2 surma vahel, yks on aeglane ja teine kiire - vahk voi AIDS. ma siin ise olen mures ja yritan kiiremas korras midagi oma saastudega teha, noh nad molemad voivad ju pangaarved kylmutada ja siis ma jaan elu lopuni siia maale... ja siis on plaan juunist Argentiinasse sooja kohta otsima hakata.. eks nais, kuda laheb.
a sa hoia mind kursis, kuidas su tegemistega on ja kui nou ja jouga saan abiks olla, lase aga tulla- super mega, et sa lopuks siia mandrile ikka satud!!
ok. ole muska, varsti jalle
h

KIRI nr. 2
Triinu wrote:

huuh!! päris crazy!!
too militaar-tegelane on ikka hull vend!! ja kohe ecuadori ka oma haardesse võtma....läheb põnevaks!!

hoian oraator-naisele pöialt!

TR

KIRI nr. 1
Helina wrote:

et siis valimistest peruus... terve viimase aasta jooksul on inimesed pidevalt valimistest raakinud ja nyyd siis nadal aega tagasi joudis see 'pikisilmi' oodatud hetk katte. paar nadalat enne valimisi oli ohus tunda tugevat paanikat ja muret. kandidaadid seekord (nagu alati) taiesti mottetud tegelased. yldkokkuvottes oli 27 kandidaati, neist 3 vahel laks siis agedaks voitluseks katte.

kandidaat nr 1 on eks-militaar mees kommunistist natsionalist, peruu versioon hitlerist. ta plaanib valisinvesteeringud ara lopetada ja valismaalsed maalt valja ajada ning armeesse raha invetseerida. nimelt on Peruu ja Chile vahel juba pikemat aega vaike vihavaen (eks koik siin vihkavad Chilet, kuna nad peale Pinocheti radikaalset valitsemist kiiresti hea jarje peale said.) ja militaar-mehe yks visioon on akki Chilega madistama hakata. samuti on tema suured sobrad Venezuela ja Boliivia presidendid, nii et nende visioon on alates Fideliga Kuubast kuni Argentiinani valja voim haarata Ladina-Ameerika liit tekitada. jargmisel aastal plaanivad Ecuadori oma mojuvoimu alla saada. samuti mainis militaar-mees, et kui kongress ta otsuseid ei toeta, siis saab ta ka ilma selleta hakkama, nii et vaike diktaator valmis. terrorismi-ryhmitus lubas uuesti voimu haarata, kui militaar-mees presidendiks saab. ah, 20a tagasi terrorismiperioodil suutis militaar-mees suure hulga syytuid inimesi ara korvaldada. samuti lubas militaarmees homeseksuaalid korvaldada. yllataval kombel on militaar-mehe toetus provintsides ebaloogiliselt suur, samas eks ta lubab lihtrahvale kuu ja tahed taevast alla tuua... no ja kuna tava peruukas on oma nahavarvi parast natuke kompleksides, pooldavad nad militaarmehe poliitikat valismaalased valja ajada ja rikastele peruukatele 1:0 ara teha...

kandidaat nr 2 omaette 'huvitav' tegelane. ta oli peruu president 15 a tagasi ja suutis vaga kiiresti Peruus majanduskriisi tekitada. nadal peale voimule saamist natsionaliseeris ta pangad ara ja jargmisel aastal tekitas meeletu inflatsiooni (koigepealt tekitas Peruule meeletu vola ja siis otsustas niisama lihtsalt raha juurde trykkima hakata). et inflatsioonist valja tulla otsustas yhel heal paeval Peruu raha ''inti'ks'' muuta, mis tahendab, et inimeste dollarihoiused kadusid pangast ara. samuti sai tema valitsemisajal alguse terrorismi periood, mis siinset yhiskonda kovasti rasis. voimult tagasiastumast ta keeldus ja valitsusaja loppedes pogenes Prantsusmaale, kus luksuslikku elu elas. seaduse kohaselt on miinimum redutamise periood 10 a, peale seda voib sirge seljaga tagasi tulla ja vastutust oma tegude eest ei pea votma. just nii inflatsiooni-mees ka tegi - oli 10 a redus ja nyyd tuli uuesti kandideerima. ah, enne valitsusaja loppemist asutas ta ettenageliku inimesena NGO, mis tanavalastega tegelas. praeguseks on see tollane tanavalste kontingent valimiseas ja enne valimisi hakati sellele sihtgrupile poliitilisi kokkusaamisi korraldama. yllataval kombel on inflatsioonimehe toetajaskond just noorte hulgas vaga suur. eks inflatsioonimees oskab ka hasti manipuleerida - nagu heale latiinole kohane palub ta Peruu rahvalt eelnevate tegude eest vabandust ja kui vaja, siis poetab ka vaikese pisara, tunnistab oma ebakompetentsust ja ajab selle oma noore ea ja kogemuste puudumiste kaela ning lubab seekord targem olla. kasutas isegi sellist valjendit: ''no voy a estar imbecil 2 veces / ma ei ole sama imbetsill 2 korda''. rahvas juubeldas...

kandidaat nr 3 on vaga hea oraatorivoimetega naine, kes oma lubadustega niivord-kuivord reaalsuses. ta lubab toopuudesega tegeleda ja turismi arendada jne... niisiis, oleks Peruul lootust selle kandidaadiga, samas pole kindel, kas macho yhiskonna mentaliteet lubab naisel presidendiks saada...

praegune voimul olev president yritab kiiremas korras USaga vabakaubanduslepingu solmida, samuti lubas ta peale uusi valimisi koheselt Iisraeli minna, taotles juba poliitilist varjupaika. nimelt vaidab praegune president, et juhul kui militaar-mees voimule saab, plaanib too praeguse presidendi ara korvaldada (nimelt pani praegune president militaar-mehe venna aastaid tagasi vangi).

paar nadalat enne valimisi muutusid iniemsed murelikuks ja hakkasid viimase minuti ettevalmistusi tegema. nii naiteks yritasid massid endale passi saada, migratsiooniametisse mindi juba kl 6 hommikul (uksed tehakse lahti kl 8) ja jarjekord oli 3 kvartali pikkune. samuti yritasid targemad tegelased endale viimasel hetkel USa viisa valja ajada, USa saatkond pani ettenagelikuna uksed kinni ning lopetas ajutiselt viisade valjastamise, samuti mainis eelnevalt valjastatud viisade kehtetuks tunnistamise voimalikkust.

koige murelikumad olid muidugi keskklassi inimesed ja rikkurid, kuna nemad kannataksid nii militaarmehe kui inflatsioonimehe voimule saades koige rohkem. A-B kiht moodustabPeruu yhiskonnast vaid 2.8% ning haridusega kontingenti on 22% , mis tahendab seda, et tervest populatsioonist on vaid 22% -l selge arusaam kandidaatidest ja nende lubadustest. ylejaanud 78 % haaletab selle kandidaadi poolt, kes parasjagu nende kylas tasuta riisi ja piima jagab. valitsusel on muidugi vaga kasulik haridusse mitte investeerida, kuna ignorantset rahvamassi on tunduvalt lihtsam manipuleerida...

enne valimisi on loomulikult hasti tyypiline see, et kandidaadid teineteist laimavad ja igasugustes idiootsustes syydistavad... korraldatakse ajuloputus-miitinguid tanavatel ja debatte TV-s, aktiivsed inimesed marsivad mooda linna ja protestivad. 48 h enne valimisi lopetatakse alkoholi myyk... valisosalusega firmades laksid valismaalastest bossist paar paeva enen valimisi Peruust ara, et siis peale tulemuste selgumist otsustada, kas on motet tagasi tulla voi mitte...

ahh, kui militaarmees valimas kais, siis laks rahvas hulluks katte ja hakkas teda munade ja kividega loopima ning karjus 'mortsukas'. militaarmees ei saanud valimisjaoskonnast ara minna ning pidi 1h politseid ootama.. ja siis kui press kommentaari kysis, hakkas ta nutma ja ytles, et ta ei saa kohe yldse aru, kuidas tema armas Peruu teda niimoodi kohtleb.

koik olid suht kindal, et soelale jaavad militaar-mees ja oraator-naine... paraku laks teisiti ja soelale jaid militaarmees (30.9%) ja inflatsioonimees (24.4%), oraator-naine sai 23.4%. loplikud tulemused selguvad 20 paeva jooksul, sest valjaspoolt Peruud haaletajaid on 2% (suure toenaosusega haaletasid nad oraator-naise poolt). nende tulemused pole veel kohale joudnud, nii et praegu hoiavad koik hinge kinni ja ootavad imet. jargmised valimised on mai lopus ja eks siis nais, mis juhtub.

2006-05-01T12:59:00.000+03:00

And Ecuador it shall beeeeeee :))))

One way ticket to the world

2006-04-25T09:58:00.000+03:00

How about a one way ticket to the world??
Currently, Guayaquil, Ecuador, seems like a place to go, let's see how it's gonna work out...
And one way for a simple reason, it'd allow to return from some other place than Ecuador ;)

Training days

2006-04-23T22:23:00.000+03:00

3 days of trainings are behind me! 3 days of actually running trainings, not just participating.
An end of something is a beginning of another thing, and in a way it works in the current case as well...since I left my full time job as an internal auditor, I quickly found another opportunity for myself - I'm now a trainer at the European Youth programme, except that's more like a freelance trainer's job, and suits well with my other responsibilities. The trainings are about cultural preparation, team work, project management...all the soft skills that AIESEC helped me to build a good foundation for.
Friday and Saturday we run a 2-day training for about 30 young people, aged from 15 to 22 (my guess :). It was extremely motivating for me for number of reasons:

Firstly - as I hadn't run these sort of trainings lately (as I have mostly been doing only CSR kinda training activities in the recent times), I felt a bit unease with it (don't know how it goes, not sure in which shape will I be as a trainer with this particular target group etc). The feeling itself - although not comfortable in essence, was motivating. Feeling that I have to extend my comfort zone, which I had fallen into, and push myself a bit to succeed! An additional factor was to work with youth with special needs. I didn't have this sort of experience before, but now that I have, I appreciate it a lot. And moreover, I was really glad to see these young guys who are in a way underprivileged (being in a wheelchair), being so...alive!! and ready to make things happen and ready to be involved and active!

Secondly, the youth - the whole group in general! It simply gave me loooots of energy to see these smart youngsters, who have started with their project (or in some cases their youth leaders have started the projects, and they've just somehow got involved :), and now want to make a difference, want to make something happen!

and thirdly - my collegues! We were 3 of us, and I truly enjoyed the time worked together :))...ya..so I'm happy :))

I mentioned I had 3 training days behind, but the European Youth one was just 2 days. The third day was today, when me and Mari gave CSR lecture/seminar in Pärnu College for the open university students.

And now I'm almost off to bed...to get up tomorrow at 4 am to catch an early flight to Brussels for a CSR meeting by the European Commission...

Corporate responsibility - my job and my hobby

2006-04-13T21:36:00.000+03:00

I havent been really writing about my biggest passion - in professional terms that is - that is Corporate Responsibility. Or one could call it also corporate social responsibility, corporate sustainability..and maybe a few other names for a concept that is essentially all the same: businesses integrating social and enviromental concerns into their daily operations and relationships with stakeholders, and doing that voluntarily (ooh! the latter is rather controversial topic, but i won't get into that right now :))

But yeah CR is my passion really (hehe...sometimes it feels like being in love or smth :))), it's amazing how interesting the journey has been for me (now for about 3 yrs already)...to dig in and discover the role of business in society, and not just Estonian society, but it has become thousand times more interesting when looking at the whole world, the balances/imbalances in the world, the power of MNCs, and the threats and opportunities that derive from that, the role of and opportunities for small businesses...and so on and on and on...the topic has huge depth and thus room for discovery...it has been so for me.

I actually started to write about it now, cos I had a full week of CSR action: a CSR/SME project meeting in Milan and right after that an ISO (international standardization organization) meeting in Vienna on a new standard they're developing - a standard for social responsibility - ISO 26 000. That is to indicate that it's a field that is globally addressed not just by big businesses, and a few goverments and a myriad of international NGOs and network organizations, but it's a hot topic on the table of ISO as well.

read more www.iso.org/sr

Important note (for all CR fans :) - ISO has already declared that social responsibility excludes all philantropic and charitable activities, thus moving the focus even further to the core activities of the business (yeah, that's what it should be!!).
And a note to the standards's fans - the ISO 26 000 is not going to be a standard that a company can acquire a certificate for, but it's going to be a guideline...contentwise, too early to say as the content is mostly not ready yet..but ought to be so by 2008.

For a little induction for a reader that's not crazy about CSR (yet!), read Anita Roddick (either www.anitaroddick.com or her books Take It Personally, Business as Unusual), she's one of the global CSR advocates, founder of the Body Shop (now sold to L'Oreal) or see the movie The Corporation (www.thecorporation.com)

Back on track

2006-03-23T15:29:00.000+02:00

Just about 2 weeks ago I was talking to a friend that "oh what a fun it'd be to catch a little flu and be officially sick for a few days - just as a little break, have some rest, watch TV and do nothing!"
And there I went - last Monday when I was on an audit visit to a place called Vana-Vigala I did fell terribly sick, so that I was lying in bed for almost the whole week with 38-39 degrees fever. It was a bit more than I had wished for - I couldnt even get out of the bed for the first 4 days at all, later it got a bit better. During the process I figured it ain't that much fun to be sick, what I could do next time is just take a few days off (whenever I feel I'd deserve an excuse to be at home and take time off). Actually the only positive things that I could come up with are that I lost about 3 kilos while sick and that I actually did have some rest :))

Yeah well now I'm all healthy and fine again, it's my first day back in the office again. I ought to be working hard now, but instead I'm writing a posting to my blog. I have got just 1,5 weeks left here at my current job, so my thoughts are wondering off & around already, but well in 2 minutes I get myself together again!

Changing times

2006-03-11T16:25:00.000+02:00

Really!!
Besides the fact that it's my last month at the current job as internal auditor, it also appeared that I urgently need a new place to stay as well!
I have known for a while the owners want to sell the current place, and they themselves were thinking of doing that later this spring. However they thought they'd still put the sales add on web right now..just for a trial kinda thing...considering the heat on the real estate market, of course the potential buyer was there the next day (for a 3 mln EEK apartment!!!). So I have about 2 weeks to find a new place! If you happen to have a free spot for me, let me know :)

Mairi WON!!!

2006-02-28T00:49:00.000+02:00

It's such a great news I just have to share it here!
Just a little while ago our own Mairi - the current President of AIESEC in Estonia - got selected as a Director for AIESEC International!!!! Out of 18 people running only 6 were selected and she was one of them!!
And that's the position right after the first man in the organization (the President of AIESEC International) with 20 000 members across 90 countries!

Just to mention she's the second Estonian on AIESEC International overall, Minni Tint being the first (I was on her MC team in 2001-2002 :), she was there as an alumni coordinator.

CONGRADULATIONS MAIRI!!!!

[PAI!! PAI!! PAI!!!]

My friend Peep

2006-02-22T15:50:00.000+02:00

Tegelt ma pean ikka Eesti keeles kirjutama, peaasjalikult seetõttu, et inglise keeles pole sellist head sõna nagu "priima".

Ma tahtsin öelda, et mul on priima sõber Peep! Juba aastast umbes 2002 või nii...tegelikult me tundsime juba enne seda, aga alguses me ei olnud päris-sõbrad. Peep kuuldavasti olevat mõnda aega päris põhjalikult kaalunud, kas ma üldse mingi mõistlik tegelane olen. Õnneks ta sai lõpuks aru, et olen.
Vedas mul :).

Niisiis Peep on priima - seda ma juba ütlesin - aga ma ei väsi kordamast :). Ja kirjutab vahvasti, soovitan lugeda tema blogi, vot SIIT. Täna veetsin ise ka seal jupp aega - üks konkreetne tulemus oli, et lõpuks andsin oma praegusesse põhitöökohta lahkumisavalduse :D. I had it coming - so now it came :))

Peebuga saab alati vahvasti elust ja asjadest juttu puhuda. Nüüd, kus ta kaugel Emiraatide-maal, õnnestub teda vahel ikka msn-ist kinni püüda. Viimasel ajal räägin ma temaga muidugi 90% ajast CSR traineeshippidest.
Täna mitte nii palju. Sain ka noomida, et pole oma blogis midagi kirjutanud. Nüüd kirjutan.

See pilt siin on tehtud Indias, AIESEC International Congressil. Pärast seda läksin Peebule Dubaisse külla, aga Peep ise jäi Indiasse viisaasjanduse pärast kuuks ajaks "peatuma". Nii et ma käisin tal külas, aga teda ennast polnudki :). Õnneks päästsid mind igavussurmast ja üksi ringiuitamisest AIESECisõbrad Pieter, Ana ja Daan.

2 asja veel: kui kunagi Peebuga kohtute, küsige saabastega kassi lugu! Ja viimane - ärge mitte mõelgegi Peebuga abielluda, sest mul on Peep juba broneeritud. See on juba ammu kokku lepitud, et kui saame 30, siis abiellume (noh tegelt oli tingimus, et kui me mõlemad siis veel vallalised oleme, aga...noh..eks vaatab)

Hehe...vot nii siis!

Just have to show off :)

2006-01-25T02:38:00.000+02:00

This summer by brother Taavi and my course mate Kadri got married - yehooooo!!! I know it was like 5 months ago already, but as I didn't have the pics on my laptop earlier I have to share them with you right now!!

Aren't they like the most beautiful ever!! And overall my favourites :)

Farewell to Krissukas!!!

2006-01-24T21:17:00.000+02:00

8 am
Girls and Coffee and Some Scrambled Eggs :))
Last hours in Estonia in a while for one of us ;)

Our Krissukas is going back to Bangladesh!!!! For another 1,5 years!!

WE WISH U ALL THE BEST, KRISSUKAS!!!!

KALLIKALLI!!!

oh and the date on the pic is obviously wrong...must have forgotten to adjust it.

Slow Down Week

2006-01-22T18:29:00.000+02:00

It actually just finished - the Slow Down Week by Adbusters, Jan 16th-21st, 2006!

Slow Down Week is all about exploration and adventure, experimenting with new rhythms for a more enjoyable, fulfilling, interesting and meaningful life. Now, before you get too excited, take a second . . . relax. There's no need to start planning feverishly for your perfect week in the slow lane. Take it as it comes.

How many of us would feel the point Adbusters are making relevant?! I guess way toooo many :))

Wanna see more, CLICK HERE!!

Daily routine

2006-01-22T02:59:00.000+02:00

In fact I dont have this one at all right now...it's 3 am and I decided to have pizza for dinner :D!!

huh! It all started with late arrival from Brussels on Wednesday nite (at abt 1 am). I still stayed up then for some urgent e-mails and slept in the next morning until about noon (study leave this week) and continued like that until now...as a result of that I seem to have shifted to some mid-Atlantic time zone!!

Luckily I dont seem to be the only one...was indeed interesting to read Jaan's new piece of writing at abt 5 am last nite and feedback it before he'll send it for publishing...today's nite service has gone for translating some CSR materials for Vaderegio project...(yam pizza tastes good!)

This staying up late thing (other than going clubing, when I'd naturally stay up late :)) reminds me of Uni times in Tartu where sometimes day and nite got completely mixed up. That was almost 3 years ago as after starting full time work I've been on rather 'normal' schedules (well...some friends are still concerned that I dont sleep enough - but I think I'm ok :).

hehee...well I'm back to Uni now...just with an exception that I have till Monday morning to get back in shape and start work in the morning!!

I'm sure I'll manage :)

except I just got an idea of smth to still look into before heading for the Dreamland ;);)

Thoughts on blogging

2006-01-21T01:02:00.000+02:00

Today I've spent about half a day updating my blog (links to friends blogs!!), changing the template etc etc...come to think of it - is the whole blogging thing some sort of fashion, way to keep in touch, show up...or what?

It's definitely new and I'd say kinda trendy thing...yet I indeed appreciate that blogging serves as a link to many of my friends that I dont see so often these days!
What's fascinating is that I can sometimes be in conversation with my friends that I usually would not have! Like Peep's blog about his life there in Dubai etc...same about many other... in a way it's kinda like a door to (hm...dont wanna say 'a soul')..a door to the person (and personality) really!
Blogs often capture the uniquness of a thought at that moment...a thought that maybe otherwise wouldn't be said at all!

As you see from my own blog - I'm not particularly good at posting.
Yet it's been kinda magical day today - I've visited Dubai again through Peep's eyes, went to China with Triini, to Holland with Minnikas...dropped in Bangladesh and so on and on...and in the end of the day I'm happy :)

In particular about the fact that my friends are such great people!!!

New year resolutions

2006-01-20T17:40:00.000+02:00

Some people say they dont like new year resolutions. In a sense that why having them for new years only, which all in all is just a random day in a calender (but with a symbolic meaning for a fresh start and new beginnings)...in regards of the latter, why then not make a resolutions for the sake of a fresh start, I figured ;)

I only have one actually - my new year resolution is to finally go on an AIESEC internship programme :). Small progress is already made - my form is available in Insight, I've actually told my boss at work about my plans already. And I'm actively searching for available internships at this very moment!
The difficulty with me is that I only want a job role that is about CR/SD, and these ain't too many laying around in the global pool. Well I'll keep on searching! I actually applied for one already - SD executive in Alcatel, France - but didn't get it. I was the manager 2nd choice as they later told me, my weakness being not speaking French. Oh well, I guess there must be something else in store for me then!! Yet, the job description for that one was exactly something I'm looking for!!

In general I'm not too much into the resolutions thing - but just wanted to make one, the most 'critical' in a sense :).
If I think back some years, I remember making the new year resolutions with friends. I recall having mine varying around AIESEC, university, friends&family, sports... Only the priorities were different at different times. AIESEC usually still came first :))) (that also explains my grades in Uni :D).
I hope to make that up now while doing a MA in Estonian Business School, except that now CSR activities have replaced AIESEC, leaving the studies still somewhat behind....heheh...all in all I didnt want to make any resolutions about that stuff. Have to graduate the MA anyways - so why make a resolution out of it! If I won't graduate this year, I'll have to start paying for it and I think that's a better motivator than having made a new year's resolution :))

A mini ITC 2001 reunion

2006-01-19T05:10:00.000+02:00

Triinu, Pieter and me - A mini ITC 2001 reunion
Originally uploaded by rafuchoski.

Here it is!!

I was visiting Brussels for a CSR meeting in European Commission and while there had a great chance to meet up with good old friends from AIESEC!!

The 3 of us - Rafa, Pieter and me - have met up at various international events, but one that we all were attending was International Trainers Congress 2001 in Romania! heh great times!! So we called the meeting a mini ITC reunion :)))

Was great to catch up with you guys!!

Triinu and Daniela

2006-01-19T05:05:00.000+02:00

Triinu and Daniela
Originally uploaded by rafuchoski.

Met with Rafael in Brussels, after 2,5 years! And this on the pic is his little Daniela!!
Soooooooooo cute eh!!!

(I'm testing now if I can put the pic up on my blog :))

an AIESEC addict forever

2005-12-15T12:35:00.001+02:00

Addicted to AIESEC?! In my case - seems like it at least :))
It's been more than 6 years since I joined, out of that 4 yrs on MC/LC boards, since finishing my VPF term in 2004 have basically been engaged with CSR only in AIESEC.

Lately I've done some heavy browsing in @.net communitys for a crazy idea I had - to apply for LDS facilitator!! Well let's see if that plan will realize, but nevertheless - the whole thing has made a lot of great memories come back to me and as I was reading the MC blog and it felt like starting to fill in another MC application :))...Seems like the years only increase my fascination for AIESEC!
Passion, Drive and Effort for making things happen - Motivating - International - Leadership & Management experience - Friends across the World - and so much more!!
Ehh!! What a great place to be!!

I dont want to rank my friends as best and second best, but one thing for sure - these people I have worked closely together in AIESEC will be there for me forever and that's wonderful feeling!!

Grand tour de 2005: India - Bangladesh - UAE

2005-09-21T14:38:00.001+03:00

August 23rd to September 18th. I had fantastic time :))))....it'd be too long to write my memories...I planned to do that while on the way, but did not manage...thus here just come some bits of memories in chronological order :)

ON THE WAY...
Last minute panick, MA entrance exams & packing - MariLiis sending me off at Balti Jaam - chocolate candies & pictures - overnight train to Moscow - Elina joining from Jõhvi - me: sleep, Elina: work :)) - morning in Moscow - Bangladesh embassy & getting my visa done - sightseeing in Moscow: the red square - getting lost on my own - the visa & rushing to Domodetovo alone (Elina experiencing the Turkmenistan Airlines) - Fly Emirates! - welcome to sauna!! & sleepless hours in Dubai airport...

INDIA
4 am flight to Delhi - the Lebanese businessmen - huh! it's hot in here!! - Pancheel Park 118 & meeting Elina - welcome back to India: paneer, rikshaws etc etc - a day in sarees - Partners in Change & meeting with Viraf - getting our business cards done - - mmm...Indian food is delicious :)) - Bedi, his friends & the night out (hmm...what club was it?) - shopping, shopping & more shopping - Hyatt, clubs, jaguars, Rajat & friends, no time to sleep...3 hrs still!! - train to Agra - Gaurav Jain from Agra - Jaypee Palace & AIESEC International Congress 2005 - PEEP & the Estonian MC team!!! - long time, no see: reunion with many many people from AIESEC - the AIESEC spirit!! - Sustainability Drive Team meeting - Corporate Responsibility Learning Network Day - India night - Estonian "meeting" ;) - 4 days flew by and off to Jaipur the Pink City - stolen laptop & 'police station' in Jaipur - Kunal Khetan -jewellery & shoe shopping in Jaipur - Elina back to Delhi (off to Himalayas) - Jaipur LC office again, managing urgent e-mails - meeting the EB - Cooba's place & Veronica's T-shirt :)))) - gossip - emotion management... - 02. september: train to Mumbai!!

....ok that was abt half way of my trip :)...i'll try to continue until the end some day :)))

20th of January, 2006

I promised to continue the snapshots of the journey - here I'm doing that...abt 5 monts later!!

continued where I left off:
- meeting friend Ronak in Mumbai - Juhu beach & dancing monkeys - wondering around in the neighborhood - judo competition :D - nite out in Mumbai - Vikram & 37 hours travel from Mumbai to Kolkata - early arrival - oh, Kolkata ain't as crazy place as I had heard of - SRFTI - movies, movies, movies - a 8 hours bus trip to Dhaka!!!

BANGLADESH
hehe...the border control :D - wow didnt think Bangladesh would be such a green country, reminds me of Kerala, India - arrive in Dhaka & meeting Kristel!! - late dinner - staying at Kristel & Helen's place - a bit of sightseeing - to Cox's Bazaar with Kristel, Rajon and Rajon's friend - the longest beach in the World - our nice beach houses - Angel Drop restaurant on the beach - meeting Daan - making fire on the beach - next day sightseeing tour & boat to the island - rainy day - back in Dhaka - us: the Bengalese women :) - some more sightseeing & rain - at the office of Lalmai Group - Hindi streets - shopping at the market for 4 hrs!! - eating out with Kristel - next day off to UAE

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Peep still stuck in India!!! - figuring out my visa solution - 4 day transit - wow, Dubai is nice and HOT!! - + 40 degrees - London Creek Hotel - Dubai museum - some shopping - meeting Ana and Pieter - Daan also arrived for 1 day - Desert Safari with Daan: jeep safari, the camp, camel rides and belly dancing :)) - later pubing with Ana, Pieter and Daan - the DHL dancing team :D:D - FUNFUNFUN - Daan off to airport - sleep in - the SMART car and the 3 of us: me, Ana, Pieter - Lebanese restuarant, Jumeira beach, the soaks of Dubai - had a wonderful time!
Saturday the 17th of September - back home: flight to Moscow and a train to Tallinn from there!!

The whole trip was simply SUPER!!!

A week after I already thought of where to go next :)))

Let's see ;)

Ad: Bud Light & Sky Diving

2005-08-16T14:35:00.000+03:00

See how beer & sky diving are connected :D

I like U :)))))

2005-08-14T17:02:00.000+03:00

A message to all my friends!!

First time in India

2005-08-08T09:59:00.001+03:00

It was in feb-march, 2004 when we - me and 2 of my dear friends Kristel and Liis - first time toured India. 5 weeks pure discovery :))
Once having set our minds for India, we figured we can't miss Sri Lanka either. Thus we travelled a few thousand kilometers to see what's up there.

There's many many stories, great discoveries and wonderful impressions regarding our trip, but will skip them for now. Just wanted to refresh my (and yours) memory about India and share the pics here.
login: elmik[at]ut.ee
passw: india

Kristel has blogged her impressions on India here. Scroll down for a post made on Tuesday, March 30, 2004.

The rain

2005-08-05T14:07:00.000+03:00

Last night while driving in the car back home...at abt midnite...started thinking abt the rains in India. It had been and still was raining in Tallinn area for a few hours yesterday...large raindrops (thousands and thousands of them) running rapidly down the car windshields.
Tried to imagine the floods, mud and stuff...
I wonder how is it going to be...me - a backpacker in India.

They say Mumbai will be ok by then...but never know what's in the east..and in Bangladesh...hm..we shall see...I actually didnt expect such heavy floods, but well...shall see then!

I sometimes think I have a tendency of misjudging possible threats...not just regarding travel but otherwise as well. Not that I worry abt myself...but sometimes just catch myself thinking that maybe I shud at least occasionally.

oh well everything will be ok anyways so what's the worry...

There's a song abt rain on a radio right now (a love song actually)

Travel arrangements...

2005-08-04T14:13:00.000+03:00

A chat over msn with my friend in India - making travel arrangments :)

Back @ SRFTI says:
hi Triinu its vikram from kolkata
Back @ SRFTI says:
i was just replyin back to ur mail
tru classified intentions says:
Hey Vikram!
Back @ SRFTI says:
so mostly u will be in kolkata on 8/9th sept
Back @ SRFTI says:
and a short stay of 2 or 3 days
tru classified intentions says:
yes, that's most probable as for now
tru classified intentions says:
yes
Back @ SRFTI says:
ok gr8
Back @ SRFTI says:
as u have figured two days is very short to do any thin
Back @ SRFTI says:
in a big country like ours
Back @ SRFTI says:
hahahah
Back @ SRFTI says:
but still we can always have good fun
tru classified intentions says:
heheh...i know i'll be in india for abt 2 weeks
tru classified intentions says:
a bit more, but just travelling everywhere
tru classified intentions says:
thus only a few days in kolkata
Back @ SRFTI says:
there is only one problem which cannot be predicted
Back @ SRFTI says:
thats is the Rains....
Back @ SRFTI says:
they have just caused mass floodin in Mumbai...and the same is possible in Kolkata too specially in Sept....
Back @ SRFTI says:
but one never reallty can say abt the rain...some days pass as dry and hot as summer and the next day it could rain like hell
tru classified intentions says:
oh yeah, i've heard from the int news
tru classified intentions says:
abt the situation in mumbai
Back @ SRFTI says:
and if it rains heavily in ur time here...then be ready with a good back up plan
tru classified intentions says:
u mean it could happen that the trains wont travel etc
tru classified intentions says:
my plan is to go to bangladesh, that's why i'll b in kolkata
Back @ SRFTI says:
basically all train schedules and flight schedules go for a toss
Back @ SRFTI says:
ya i got that part
tru classified intentions says:
aha ok
Back @ SRFTI says:
right nw mumbai is cut of from rest of india by train
Back @ SRFTI says:
all trains to mumbai till 6 august have been cancelled
tru classified intentions says:
ooo wow
tru classified intentions says:
i was planning to go to mumbai....
Back @ SRFTI says:
this year the rains have been delayed but they are back with a bang
Back @ SRFTI says:
Riin Kranna
tru classified intentions says:
hm...so i shud just hope that it'll b better in one month time eh?
Back @ SRFTI says:
she is in mumbai right now
tru classified intentions says:
aaa...yeah i know her
Back @ SRFTI says:
my films director
tru classified intentions says:
but didnt know she was there in mumbai right now
Back @ SRFTI says:
she got stranded on frankfurt airport for 3 days and finaly reached mumbai after 5 days
Back @ SRFTI says:
i just spoke to her last night
tru classified intentions says:
ooo woww!!!!
Back @ SRFTI says:
i shud be meetin her in end August...
tru classified intentions says:
huh!! sounds like a challenge!!
Back @ SRFTI says:
in mumbai
tru classified intentions says:
but i guess i shud only hope for the best then eh
Back @ SRFTI says:
ya by sept the situation shud be completly normal
Back @ SRFTI says:
do u have any specific thin u want to see or do in Kollkata
Back @ SRFTI says:
anythin u have read abt
tru classified intentions says:
i have a plan to visit mumbai on the 2nd to 5th of sept and after that head to kolkata via kajuraho
Back @ SRFTI says:
or just a general two day visit is ok with u
tru classified intentions says:
i dont have anything that particular in mind
Back @ SRFTI says:
superb u r in mumbai durin Ganapati festival the biggest mumbai fest
Back @ SRFTI says:
thats on the 3rd or 5th sept
tru classified intentions says:
ooo sounds good, i didnt know that
tru classified intentions says:
i'll visit my indian friend there in mumbai
Back @ SRFTI says:
i hope to be in mumbai durin that time
tru classified intentions says:
oo great! so maybe we'll see there in mumbai alraedy
tru classified intentions says:
but by the 8th/9th u'll b back in kolkata?
Back @ SRFTI says:
ya hopefully
Back @ SRFTI says:
ya defintly
Back @ SRFTI says:
abt accomodation u cud have stayed with us in the SRFTI hostel...
Back @ SRFTI says:
if thats ok with u...
tru classified intentions says:
yeah sure
Back @ SRFTI says:
only prob is its slighty far from the city centre so u have to travel quite a lot evrytime u have to get to the city
tru classified intentions says:
aha...but i think that's managable eh?
Back @ SRFTI says:
ya sure
tru classified intentions says:
u mentioned the distance was like 2 hrs or smth when i talked to u in esto
Back @ SRFTI says:
its abt an hour
Back @ SRFTI says:
but if u take a cab its less
tru classified intentions says:
aa..then no prob
Back @ SRFTI says:
the traffic screw u up all the time
tru classified intentions says:
hehe
Back @ SRFTI says:
Kolkata has a mjor traffic problem...as compared to other indian cities
Back @ SRFTI says:
i remember that u have been to india before
tru classified intentions says:
i've heard it's hell crowed there
tru classified intentions says:
yeah, i have
tru classified intentions says:
so i have some idea
Back @ SRFTI says:
where did u visit last time
tru classified intentions says:
in 2004, feb/march
Back @ SRFTI says:
ya its like Chaos
tru classified intentions says:
but it's exciting, i like india
tru classified intentions says:
it's very unique
Back @ SRFTI says:
hahahah
Back @ SRFTI says:
tell me abt it
tru classified intentions says:
i'm very excited abt my next trip to india
tru classified intentions says:
cant wait really!!!
Back @ SRFTI says:
there are somethins abt my country and its people that make it livable otherwhile its the largest pile of garbage....hahaha
tru classified intentions says:
hehe...in some sense could b true...but there's a lot of beauty in india
Back @ SRFTI says:
ya for sure
Back @ SRFTI says:
i feel the beauty is more in the people than anythin else
Back @ SRFTI says:
like any other thin in life u have the full range of extremes available here in india...with people its more true....
tru classified intentions says:
for me the chaos also somehow entails beauty
Back @ SRFTI says:
hahahahh ya i kind of feel the same
tru classified intentions says:
it has its internal order...or structure....and u have to kinda put effort into getting it
tru classified intentions says:
and find yourself a place there
Back @ SRFTI says:
hahaahah
Back @ SRFTI says:
u seem to have got india all figured out....hahahahah
tru classified intentions says:
but it's attractive...the chaos
tru classified intentions says:
hehe
Back @ SRFTI says:
all prepared to be a part of our chaotic landscape
tru classified intentions says:
yeah...to dig in again
Back @ SRFTI says:
http://www.calcuttaweb.com/
Back @ SRFTI says:
just in case
tru classified intentions says:
ooo thnks!!
Back @ SRFTI says:
since ur dates have been worked out i will try and make myself free and will be in kolkata to help u durin ur trip there
Back @ SRFTI says:
but i hope i can also meet u while in mumbai
tru classified intentions says:
ooo brilliant!!
tru classified intentions says:
thanks a lot!!
Back @ SRFTI says:
http://www.kolkatabeckons.com/
Back @ SRFTI says:
this may help too
tru classified intentions says:
thnks, i'll go thru all this b4 i come!
tru classified intentions says:
yuhuuu!! cant wait!!
Back @ SRFTI says:
ok gr8
Back @ SRFTI says:
will send u more details abt what u can do while u r here
Back @ SRFTI says:
then maybe u can narrow down on some places to go to
Back @ SRFTI says:
and also a mandatory visit to some of our full masala Bollywood films
tru classified intentions says:
yes, that's a good idea
Back @ SRFTI says:
more from me soon....till then ciao
tru classified intentions says:
let's keep in touch! and c u soon
tru classified intentions says:
meanwhile i'll educate myself a bit more on kolkata
Back @ SRFTI says:
k cool
tru classified intentions says:
thnks again!

Clothing brands

2005-08-02T11:53:00.001+03:00

In the morning I took a tram to work. Like most of the other mornings, as I like to sleep until the last minute...hmm...and then a few more minutes :P.
Anyhow I was sitting in the tram and there was a girl in front of me wearing kinda dressy looking bag with a big logo (well huge actually!!...like half of the bag was covered with it). Nike or Puma or smth...

I started to wonder why would one want to wear a nice bag with such a huge robust logo on it!!! It doesn't even look nice!!
I do understand that some people need labels to be someone (I think). (I guess I don't - at least not the label)

Others consume brands for quality assuarance...that's actually a valid point, although not always true, considering the effect of globalization and the fact either brand or not could be produced in the same factory in China...

Just a thought in a tram this morning while going to work and observing people.

In the light of this would recommend you to see the movie "The Corporation".
I know I know...it's basically impossible to find in Estonia, so before you go rushing through all the video rentals & any possible store (you wouldnt find it anyways), just ask me!
I'll borrow you the movie :), had it specially delivered from the UK!

Main message - know what you wear (I know it's quite a difficult task!!), an easy one to begin with is to start questioning!

English or Estonian?!

2005-07-27T12:11:00.000+03:00

I initially thought I'd do the whole thing in English...cos there's sooo many English speaking people (mainly AIESEC friends all around the world :) that I'd really really like to keep in touch with via if not e-mailing then via blogging...
(I've learnt that I wouldnt manage with regular e-mail updates, thus blogging might actually help :)

But just now that I read some blogs in Estonian I felt that I'll probably every now and then put up some posts in Esto...just cos it feels better that way :))

It's funny but some thoughts just come into my mind either in Estonian or in English - and then these are just better the way they came.

Bachelorettes!!!

2005-07-26T10:22:00.000+03:00

One of the most exciting things is about to happen :)) - my twin brother Taavi and my course mate from uni - Kadri - are gettin married!!! whoohoo! cool heh!!

Now to celebrate the event accordingly we throw a bachelorette party for Kadri this weekend :P. Although I dont believe in planned parties too much, this one turned out excpetionally well...and yeah, we actually started getting our ideas together for that a few weeks earlier already.

Now imagine that...handsome guy dressed in a suit to pick up Kadri to take her out for a "date"...a rose and a class of champagne was there to make it look more real...and romantic ;)...then insted of a date (actually!!) he's driving Kadri to the port where 12 of us are welcoming her with...more champagne :))))

Then going yachting for a few hours to enjoy the picturesque Tallinn from a distance and to hold a bikini photo session for her - hehee..the album is soon to be published!!
After that we went to Liisa's for a chinese food and drinks, also to dress her up in a sexy fox costume, which she had to wear the rest of the nite!!
A special event for this part of the evening was a quiz about Taavi...every wrong answer by Kadri cost her a vodka shot to be drank, and every correct one...well somebody else she pointed had to drink it then :)

With no further due we headed to the old town of Tallinn, where Kadri tried out her selling and marketing skills with candies and kisses (on a cheek of course!)! Dancing in front of the Sõprus movie theatre, auction at Molly Malone's, and drinks at Stereo...some highlights of what followed!

AND..I almost forgot that one - after the City tour we headed back to Liisa's for hot'n'spicy..hehe...strip show!! That guy was actually the first real strip-dancer I ever saw and I must say he was good - thus I could recommend in case you need one for your own or anyone elses entertainment ;)

All that behind we headed to Bonnie & Clyde nightclub!!

Cheers!! to soon to be married :)))