people

Relationships with others take such a huge part of our lives, we spent so much energy, thoughts and attention on that, but if you think there is no place to learn how to do it properly...Even the best Universities don't offer programs in "building sustainable friendships", "being a good father" or "maintaining good family atmosphere"...Isnt that a paradox, such an important thing, and nobody actually knows how to do it right :) I guess that's the point - on the way we learn something from here and there, have fun and try to be better.
Now, I have much more free time and it gave me chance to observe a lot - my friends, people on the streets, colleagues in office. Especially when you dont understand everything of the language sometimes the only thing left is to observe - body language, reactions, intonation, etc - it's just precious. But I have the feeling people are kind of lost in so many situations, if they could go back they could've said/done something different...
Colombia is for sure the country of strong relationships, family and friends. People here value this the most, they prefer to do things together, their love is strong, as well as suffering...Not much in the middle...that amazed me a lot, and I really liked it. I understand much more this beautiful culture! Maybe that would be the place to learn about people, real people who dont always hurry, but just live their lives...

back to blogging

back again, long breaks from blogging give me some inspiration to write :)
now I am having amazingly interesting moment in my life - I left the active and dynamic life of President of AIESEC Bulgaria and went to one amazing country on the other side of the Atlantic ocean - Colombia! Another exchange plus leadership, some kind of duty, crazy step, dream, needed break - it is some of all these...
Now i have a lot of free time, to think, reflect and think again, and again about life, experiences I had, and the things I want to achieve - sometimes I feel living more in the future (or in the past) than in the present. I;ve always perceived the present as some step, something that needs to pass, to be overcome, to go to the next stage, and then all over again...have you ever felt in that way? (that btw is so much contradictory to the culture here that brings me some of the biggest cultural shocks:)

I really enjoy my internship, but the greatest part of my mind is taken by that question - WHAT'S NEXT? Should I decide now (i have already several options) or just let it go and see what life will bring, am I already too old for adventures and ready for planned life or still in those years that you can try unrelated /not career experiences???...I dont know:)

My Russia

My Russia - yes it is my second home country! Maybe it's late to realize some things in the age of 23 - but now I had this strong feeling that this country is so important for me - the people, culture,language, food, weather...

I was invited to chair a conference in Ufa - a city that I didn't know almost anything except the name :) Russia is so big and diverse - i didnt realize that - you can travel for 30 hours with train to get in the nearest big city, there are different republics with their religion, culture, language :)

Well, now I can say Ufa is an amazing place - mainly cause of the people living here, you can feel great warmth, hospitality and honesty in them...I always believed all people are generally good - in Ufa I could feel it really all the time... living in big city and working for MC makes you sometimes too hard, too demanding and little bit impersonal - hm, maybe it's normal but why we don't just live nice, why surroundings change people...i don't want to live like that my whole life...:) Whatever...
The interesting point was that while being so nice, friendly and somehow naive AIESECers here work very hard, make things happen and don't complain...it was so motivating for me! Chairing was very inspiring experience - being just me and people liked it - they don't criticize or judge, just enjoy and have fun :) Working with faci team - one of the best teams I worked with - simple, powerful, warm, professional, deep, funny and emotional people...thank you Diana, Alfiya, Gulnara, Petya, Delya, Pasha, Lena, Ira, Victor, Manana, Regina, Yulia, Liza and Masha! Thanks also to Danil - the OCP of the conference - one guy that impressed me with his inner strength and potential!

Speaking Russian - another challenge for me - in the end even i facilitated sessions in Russian with my bulgarian accent, I so much want to stay here more and speak fluently...have you ever had the feeling that speaking another language makes you stronger and smarter? :)

the FOOD - without any doubt I can say for me this is the country with the best food in the world! I got used to drink tea every 2 hours and didnt have coffee for almost 5 days:)

I also visited my lovely aunt in Moscow - a crazy and not-normal place to live according to me:) so many people, lost identity, modern and old in the same time, traditional and extreme, rich and poor - so many contrasts - as whole Russia btw:) Standing on the Red Square and walking in Kremlin is an experience you should try - there you feel how great and powerful is this country with all its contradictions!

This trip was more personal than professional - made me think a lot about my life, future plans, what I like, etc. One is for sure - I want to come back and live here for 1-2 years - i want to explore more and more Russia...it's much more deep than you think...

here is a song that i use for self-reflection:

good things

it is very hard to summarize the last months in some smart sentence or light-motive :) for sure it was one of the most interesting and challenging times in my life...total responsibility, many new people and more people, their emotions, feelings, irrational, cool, motivating, problems, travelling, perspectives, compromise, strong love, success and confidence - maybe those are some of the words to describe my feelings recently.

One thing is for sure - - I don't know if you had those times when you feel perfectly ok with yourself :P well I am like that now...you know when you see yourself in the mirror and say "yeah, that's a cool guy" :) don't laugh, it's not too much confidence, just feeling happy with what you are...

and one more conclusion - I realized how POWERFUL and amazing is AIESEC, whatever you say - it is simply the biggest, the coolest and the most valuable organization in the world...I can put many arguments for that if you ask me :) yeah many fuck-ups happen, many challenges to overcome, but when you look from my perspective of 4 years I see only great things, things to remember!

and finally one great remix of one great song - Do you think radio will disappear? I hope not :)

nice song :)

here is a cool song I like very much recently:

comfort zones

people in our country emigrate to more developed countries because there will be their comfort zone - security, more money, etc.

people stay in Bulgaria and go abroad to try something interesting cause here is their comfort zone, even if they don't like the work, the garbage, the politicians, etc

people don't leave their girlfriend/boyfriend cause it has been long with her/him and is comfort zone - although they dont love each other and quarrel all the time...

people prefer to donate money by sending sms, rather than go and help the homeless/blind children. Cause it is comfortable to sit in your chair and send sms

people prefer to watch others' lives on TV rather than having their own. Cause it is comfortable to sit in your chair

people don't call companies to sell cause it is taking them out of their comfort zone

students prefer to "have a lot to study" and in the same time spending the exam session time doing nothing. Cause it is easier than to do something useful

people like to complain that there is no agenda prepared for a meeting, rather than propose how to have effective meeting - cause it is more comfortable to complain and blame rather than have ideas

we prefer to send somebody message on Facebook rather go and see the person and talk...cause it is our comfort zone to be online 7/24

we never go to our professors in Uni and propose to them how to improve - they will never listen to us, cause both sides will need to go out of their comfort

we give feedback only when the issue is concerning us directly, rarely only with the purpose to contribute to the development of somebody

i am writing in my blog now cause it makes me feel comfortable :)

slef-reflection

i was sitting long before writing something, i knew i want to write...but what? then i decided to put all things i have on my mind

I discovered how many things I missed during my active years in @ - discos, random days, movies, walks, reading novels, weekends, sleeping till lunch. Bad time management or just right prioritization, maybe I didnt need those....
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also I think a lot what I will do in my life - well, I have time to find out...I worry that instead of thinking about my year as MCP I think about my internship after that. I need some thrilling and challenging, crazy internship...Maybe I know that this year will go in good way, I already know what is MC life, that's why I dont worry... My new team is so cool and energizing me all the time - thank you girls and Gasho:) New EBs are also just amazing - never felt such enjoyment and care on AIESEC conference as on PlanCo! We have ambitious plans...Everything is in place for the greatest term in history :) but still when I have time for self-reflection I think mostly about the time after it...maybe because this is the unclear thing and need to be thought about...
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I was assessing myself and started to answer if I'm that kind of person that follows a goal whatever it takes, or just somebody who is highly responsible....there is difference...it seems sometimes I give up easy, or not :) what is needed from me?
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and I realized how important is family - my parents are the biggest support and example for me - I cannot imagine how I would do the things I do and I like without their support, also the attitude and values they teach me! I am proud of my parents!
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i am sure all stuff i do makes sense cause one day being 50 i will not regret, cause they are good for people, they change something, that is enough :)
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next time i will share about my idea for my own University :)