Marija's AIESEC Blog

Mishie I am alive ... very busy .... but I haven't forgoten you guys .....

NOTE:
If anyone has an exam or needs to do something in the next 30 min I suggest you come back later – 4 pages of MARIJA’s US adventures …..coming your way …..ENJOY

Hi guys,

I know it’s been a long (…long) time since I’ve last written and I have no excuses but I guess I have to make up for it now somehow. Well, I better start because there is so much to share. So
here is the update…..

Believe it or not tomorrow is going to be a month since we’ve (Helena and I) arrived in San Jose (We’ve got to celebrate!!!) and sometimes I really feel like I’ve been here way longer than that. We’ve met so many people but it is the fact that I’ve already made dear friends that just fascinates me. It is definitely something I expected to come way later in my traineeship and have been fortunate enough to experience so early on. Because I haven’t written for a while I am trying to remember all the events I’ve attended and experiences I’ve had.

Arrival

The first day I arrived I was met by a lovely sweet guy called Saldy. He is just so sweet and nice and has pretty much become mine and Helena’s full time taxi driver!!! Whether we are going grocery shopping, need to go to the bank or need a ride home from work he is always there for us. Helena arrived half an hour after me and there I was with Saldy holding a huge poster with my name on one side and Helena’s on the other. Ever since than the 3 of us are like the 3 musketeers and even have our special song. Guess!!!

What else but the Romanian song from the National Conference (sounds like Mari(j)a hi, Mari(j)a hu, Mari(j)a ha, Mari(j)a ha ha …) They tell me they’ll always remember me by that crazy song …although I know most of you will as well (Emma, WeyMin, Steph!!!)


Work

After a quick weekend (I came on Thursday) the work at PwC started. The first day as always we had the standard training, however on the second day Helena and I decided to walk to work (a half an hour walk!). Being practical girls we decided to wear sports shoes and change to high heels at work (good plan, right!). So there we were just outside the lift when we realized that we didn’t know where the toilets were, so we decided to change our shoes right than and there.

There I was lying on the floor changing my shoes next to the lift doors hiding behind Helena so people wouldn’t see (yeah right!) thinking how stupid it would be if the lift door opened and people came out to a sight of two AIESECers lying on the floor. At that very moment the door opened and the PwC staff just looked at us and I do not even want to think what they taught. It made a great start to our day though and let’s hope to our careers ….

I guess I’ll have to disappoint you guys with the fact that I am officially an accountant, now that I prepare tax returns for a living (but don’t worry, I am still my crazy old self). In the last week we’ve been really busy and the next 10 weeks of my life are pretty much written off. I’ll survive thought … as we are already making plans to go to Chicago in April (let’s hope it doesn’t fall through because of work) and Vegas later on (wait till I tell you what we are thinking of doing … you have to wait though!!!).

There are lots of AIESEC Alumni’s @ PwC and it’s been great talking to them about their experiences and traineeships. Our mentor, Antony Tan is an ex-MCP of Indonesia and was on the Estonian NC. They are quite active and we’ll be coming to the Bay Area’s Regional Conference this weekend being held in San Jose. The National Conference in July is also most likely being held here. I am definitely going (to both) and wait till you get the photos next week. All I’ll say is keep watching …. (Oh yeah, me and Helena are doing a role call together!!)

Chinese New Year

This was a cool night with most AIESEC trainees and members there. The photos pretty much speak for themselves but it was nice to be surrounded by fun and interesting faces particularly on a Tuesday night after a hard day at work.

San Francisco

Well, let’s just say if I’ve ever experienced love @ first sight it was when I saw this city! Laugh, but it simply has such diversity and charm I can’t quite explain it. For one it pretty much has something that reminds me of most cities I’ve been to. It has a beautiful harbour and city centre like Sydney, hills and wooden houses like Wellington (did I forget earthquakes!), diverse culture like Melbourne and I guess just the San Francisco charm. Saldy, Helena and I went to an Italian part of town with so (many) cafes. Sitting there at a café having coffee, chatting and watching people go by I just felt so right at home, I just didn’t even think for a second that I was in America. It is a place I want to know like the back of my hand by the end of my traineeship.

The very same night we experienced the San Francisco nightlife, as it was a birthday of one of the Polish trainees. We ended up in a part of town that reminds me a lot of the Brunswick area in Melbourne and even though the place we ended up in didn’t look very impressive’ the inside of it was great with a tropical island theme. The great thing about California and the Bay Area in general is that they have a diverse population with a lot of Latin’s (WeyMin, I know what you are thinking now!!!) Everywhere you go there are signs in Spanish. I guess I’ll have to learn, that’s what I wanted after all.

LCP and AIESEC (Will, thanks for emailing Farid -SJ LCP)

You are probably thinking how was the party but I have to admit that the most memorable part of the night was getting home with our dear San Jose LCP Farid who drive’s like a true TURK (Selim, you understand what I mean). I think at one point he was going close to 200km/ph and I have no idea how many miles that is (everything is in miles, stones, pounds, feet … here), but we always say to him that as long as we make it home in one peace we are fine.

One of the things about AIESEC here that just stands out is all these policies and rules they have. On Saturday when we register at the conference we need to sign a Sexual Harassment and Alcohol Policy as well. And no we are not signing that we’ll get drunk and get crazy but quite the opposite!!

I mean everyone signs it and nobody follows it but the fact it has to be signed is quite a surprise for me. I have to admit it is a bit (he, he .. I’ve been warned) more corporate here than in Australia (WeyMin, have a read of the TN acceptance form email again and I have to admit your and Laura’s replies were funny!!! Hmm…)


STATES

I think it’s best to mention just a couple of facts about the States that have caught my attention (please don’t take these as either good or bad … I might change my mind in the future but for now here’s what I think):
• They drive on the right side of the road (obvious I know, but still it doesn’t make it easier to remember every time I get in the car. Don’t worry, I still haven’t had a chance to drive ….)
• No speed limits on freeways (kidding … I think it’s 110 or 120 km/ph … although I don’t think anyone and I mean anyone follows it
• No speed camera’s on freeways (yeah!!!)• Everything is labeled in MILES (i.e. ¼ miles to wherever)
• They really don’t speak English sometimes
• Living rooms and bedrooms have NO LIGHTS (I mean nothing, no light bulbs)
• Mobile Phones (whether you call someone or they call you, you are charged … What da? That’s what I thought. Basic concept is you pay for a certain number of minutes per month and when you call or receive a call they are reduced)
• Food portions are way bigger (and everyone here thinks I eat a lot …please … you know me guys…. Although I have to admit I eat more than usual)
• Make-up is cheap!!!
• Generally (being an important word) people are conservative – I mean me, Helena and Saldy were the loud one’s at a Wine and Cheese party (AIESEC event) at Berkley last weekend because we sang and danced to the AIESEC songs while most people were chatting … really we were nothing spectacular … just ourselves]
• SO much VARIETY
most things ….but an example I’ll use is bank cheques … I’ve never had so much fun in my life in a bank as when I opened an account here. There we were filing papers, answering yes and no, when we were presented with cheque books …. The choices… photos of San Francisco, Scooby Doo, Betty Boo, cats, dogs and god know what else …We were laughing so hard we even ended up spending 30 min making a very important decision …me ….choosing Betty Boo cheque book … I’ll make sure I send you a copy (RMIT – you deserve it)
• You have to be 21 to drink but you can be 35 and they will still ask for your ID in a store


HOME sweet HOME

Finally after a month of living in a house which rents rooms (with shared bathrooms and kitchen) where we had fun and have met fun peole, Helena and I are moving in to an apartment together. It is a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment close to a very nice shopping centre (not that I’ll shop or anything!!) and we are moving in this Friday. This hole week has been hectic with busy session at work, AIESEC Conference at the weekend and moving in, but it is really, really exciting.

At the moment all we have is 2 mattresses, a single lamp and 2 chairs. The place is going to be quite empty for a while but considering we spend 12 hours a day at work we won’t be seeing it too often at least for the first month. Since I am getting close to the end I've got to tell you guy’s one last story …. And it is about the mattresses!!

We both bought them from a trainee who is going back home to Indonesia and it just so happened that she lives very close to the apartment we are moving into (say 200 meters). So around 9pm last weekend with a little rain there in the street you could see me, Helena, Saldy and the trainee’s cousin carrying two mattresses (queen size both), trying not to drop them, crossing the street, looking just plain ‘SILLY”. I wish I had a camera right than and there but I definitely remembered I was a trainee at that moment. It is amazing how little things like this have made this a memorable traineeship already.

HELENA

First thing, the name is pronounced Elena.
Second, she is from Brasil.
Third, she is my big sister!!!

It is amazing how unprepared I really was for certain aspects of this traineeship. I never really taught what it would be like to be a trainee all by myself and potentially live all alone!!! I really was preparing myself mostly for the stuff like cooking, cleaning and washings because let’s be plain honest they are not my greatest skills. Let’s say I still wouldn’t make the best housewife but it is definitely not as hard as I made it out to be.

I realize now how much harder everything would have been if I had to do everything alone. Thant’s why I am really grateful that Helena and I get along so well, and are so similar considering our different backgrounds. She refers to me as herself at 22, still immature at times and a bit to blunt on occasions (!!!). I mean we are already talking about visiting Australia, Brazil and Colombia (I can’t believe I actually got her to agree to go) at some point of the traineeship or after. It is great to have a friend so early on in a traineeship to share all the girly stories & secrets!!!

Although we don’t like to say it too often, we definitely agree that our friendship/relationship is pretty much like “Marriage without SEX”. We work together, we are going to leave in the same apartment and we sociale together. I’ve never spend so much time with someone in my life every day of the week.

FIN

I have to say however you take my experiences so far, I really am glad that I’ve gone on this exchange to the US (most will know that was not my ‘ideal’ traineeship – at least I taught!!) and with AIESEC. I can’t explain how at home I feel when I am surrounded by them and can’t wait for the conference (remember, you’ll be getting photos next week). They really have helped us so much, Farid and Saldy in particular and I guess I wasn’t expecting that I would have to rely (something I don’t like to do but am learning) on people so much (we definitely need a car in San Jose … it really is a need) so now that I really know how much AIESEC does for the trainees all the little things that are not done well just don’t matter.

I hope you are not studying too much but rather having fun and loving your trainees in Aus and aboard (he,he,he!!!) Keep in touch and I promise to write more regularly, but no more novels like this one (I wonder if anyone has got to the end)

Adios amigos,

Marija

P.S. Miss you all but am so glad to be here!!!

Ma-Ria-Hi-Ma-Ria-Ha (Rejector) and Hot BIKINI MAMA