After a slightly inauspicious start, my first day at Microsoft was really good. I was late getting to work because the person from AIESEC Istanbul who was supposed to take me slept in and didn't come to pick me up until over an hour after he was supposed to. Then neither he, nor our cab driver knew exactly where Microsoft was located! Fortunately, we finally arrived and my boss was very understanding - she knew it wasn't my fault.

Today was mostly about orientation. First we had to pass through a metal detector and check in with photo ID. I got a security card that I will have to use about 20 times a day to pass through different sets of doors etc. The bathroom doors are also locked and you need to know the code to enter them. Suffice it to say that I feel very safe in the building! I met my boss in person and she was very welcoming. There were even flowers on my desk for me!

My laptop wasn't quite ready so after talking with my boss for a bit I went upstairs to see the IT guy, who is (somewhat ironically) not actually from Microsoft - they outsource some of their IT operations to Siemens apparently! He was also very helpful and gave me a "welcome present" in the form of a wireless mouse. My email account and system username was all ready for me as well.

Besides touring the building and meeting a ton of people, I participated in 2 conference calls and reviewed a bunch of materials to orient myself as to what I will be working on. I'm still not clear on exactly what it is I need to do in the next little while in terms of the bulk of my job description, but I'm getting a good idea of the scope of it, what CPE does, and how. I know for sure that it will be a good job with real responsibilities.

I went for lunch with 2 AIESECers, Matthias and Emel (Matthias is also an intern while Emel is a 'real' employee). Emel recognized me from when I was in Turkey the last time - we were at the same conference. I found out that Microsoft will provide a card to use for buying food that should cover at least all my lunches while at work and probably more. It only takes about 20 minutes to get to/from work on the public transit. They are surprisingly pretty relaxed there, more so than I expected. Many people were wearing jeans and they are not really concerned about when you come to work etc. Holidays should not be much of a problem either as long as they don't interfere with important dates etc.

Alright, I'm going to stop there - I haven't seen the confidentiality agreement yet! :) Tomorrow I have a teleconference with an external consultant to learn more about the project, and then in the evening I will have 2 parties - Microsoft is having a New Year's Party and then later the interns will have a goodbye party for one of my roommates. Oh, and life in the dorm has improved as I was able to move "downstairs" last night so I have a bit more privacy. I also discovered I can get the internet (kind of) from my bed. Sweet! Also my contact at AIESEC Istanbul told me that a woman (she's a lawyer) called them wondering if they had a native English speaker in town who might be interested in helping her to improve her English, which might involve payment of some kind or at least nice dinners out. And it never hurts to know a lawyer! I am the only native speaking intern in the city these days. So we will see what that is about. Overall it was an interesting and productive day!

Picking up my second life again

So it's been a while since I last blogged. I guess I don't feel very inspired to blog while I'm at home. Actually I'm lazy to blog all the time but just more so when I'm in my natural environment. But as I am "picking up my second life" again, or, embarking on a new adventure in Istanbul, I felt it was time to take up my blogging pen once more.

I was rather overwhelmed when I arrived a few nights ago. I am sharing a dorm room with about 12 or so other interns! We have a big common area with bunk beds and then a kitchen and bathroom/shower facilities for ourselves.

It was even more overwhelming than it might have been because I apparently walked in on a meeting that they were having about the New Year's Eve party they were planning - so all 13 of them were huddled around the table. They weren't expecting me at all but were instantly very welcoming! I didn't even start introductions at that time because I knew I wouldn't remember the names. Fortunately I have learned everyone's name by now!

My roommates are really great. Although I was hoping for more private accommodations, there are definitely benefits to this arrangement. Someone is always around when I need help or have questions, and it is fun to have people around to share with. My first night I arrived around 10:00pm local time after about 30 hours of travelling so I basically found my bunk and went right to sleep!

My first full day in Istanbul was mostly spent shopping with 2 of my Chinese roommates, Sandra and Simon. I saw some places that were familiar from my last visit here and picked up everything I needed (I forgot to bring a towel - so stupid) except for I need a photo taken so I can get an ID card for the dorm - but it doesn't seem to be a problem without. They have security here that checks everyone that comes in. In this building are a bunch of other students, both Turkish and international students.

On New Year's Eve we had a party in our room - although it seems to be a bit like a party around here most of the time :) Right now I have a top bunk, but I should get to move "downstairs" once 1 or 2 of my roommates leave for home. That will be better (although sad to see them go!) because I will have sheets surrounding the outside of the bed for a modicum of privacy. It seems quite a few of them stay for a short time only, several weeks or so, so it will be new people coming all the time. Should be interesting! There are also 2 Serbs here, one of whom I believe I met very briefly when I was in Serbia - Bojan - AIESEC is a small world! I will try to add some photos of the party and our other activities in the next few days.

Our dormitory is right by the Bosphorus Strait - I can hear the ships blasting sometimes and seagulls. We are right close to the Galata bridge that I remember from my last visit here. I found a borek place right near our dorm and had borek for the first time since I've been here today - it was delicious! (For those of you who have the misfortune of not knowing what it is, borek or burek is a pastry-type dish usually with cheese which is found in the former Yugoslavia and Turkey). It's not the same as in Serbia or Croatia - I think it is flakier there - but it was still good.

I have been spending the time so far settling in, finding things I need (you can't just go to Zellers or Walmart here for example - you must wander around the streets and find an appropriate small shop) and getting to know my roommates. Yesterday some of us took a ferry across the straight and had dinner at a nice little restaurant. And unfortunately today one of them left to return to Russia :( It was nice to know him for a few days though, we will miss his jokes here!

Alright I'd better wrap this entry up. Those of you that know me well know that my journey in AIESEC has not always been an easy one (part of the reason for the name of this blog, actually). However, I am thankful for the challenges I have faced because I believe they have made me a much stronger, more compassionate, and richer person. I know now that perseverance really does pay off. Although I didn't reach every goal I set for myself in exactly the manner that I envisioned, I've reached my ultimate destination via an unexpected path, and I wouldn't change it for anything. Tomorrow I will begin an internship with Microsoft and I'm excited to find out what this new challenge will bring. :)

A new hope....

Some interesting things are happening these days. First of all, of course, is the conclusion of the Liberal leadership race with Stephane Dion coming out on top. As someone who once considered herself pretty Liberal and interested in Canadian politics generally, I have been following the race to some degree but I hadn't formed a strong opinion about who I wanted to see as leader. I think I'm pretty happy about Dion, particularly because of his "three pillared approach" which includes economic prosperity, social justice AND environmental sustainability.

Yes, my faith in the party was shaken with the sponsorship scandal. I think the Liberals lost their way, and I think they needed a kick in the ass. I think Harper has provided that, and now it's getting close to the time when he is going to be brought to account. I can't believe that he has cut funding to the Status of Women, and I am absolutely embarrassed about Rona Ambrose's "performance" at the UNFCCC Conference of Parties. Perhaps we needed something to help us get excited about yet ANOTHER federal election! Bring it on!

On a more personal note, I had a very good day at work today even though I wasn't planning on going into work at all. I have been working part-time as an Assistant Advisor since September, and my three month probation period will soon come to an end. They have been very pleased with my work, and apparently glad to have me back in the office on a regular basis (I have worked for them on and off in various capacities over the last 7 years or so) and so they have asked me to come on full-time. I am really enjoying what I am doing, I believe it is good experience and relevant to my career aspirations and other personal goals, but this will give me more time at work to do what needs to be done, and of course, I am looking forward to a bigger number on my paycheck every two weeks! It is nice to feel truly appreciated for the contribution that I make and actually SEE that appreciation in a concrete way. So thank you to my colleagues/bosses if you are reading this!

One final note before I sign off - I saw "An Inconvenient Truth" over the weekend - if you haven't seen it, please do. And then do something about it. I will.

Canada in Twenty Twenty

There is this cool website...even cooler because our friends Adrian and Brenda have contributed an essay to it so go check it out:

http://www.twenty-twenty.ca/dissertations_de_citoyens.phtml

Wouldn't it be amazing if our country could actually look like that in 2020? It begs the question: what kind of democracy do we have now - a shallow one? ;)

better late than never...

I've managed to scrape together a few photos from last year (unfortunately I left a lot behind in Belgrade)...and here they are.







The obligatory photo :) Keep in mind it was about 5am on the last day of IC (i.e. no sleep)!




The Serbia & Montenegro delegation at Global Village, IC 2005. It was so hot the makeup was melting and running down our foreheads!

View over the Sava River in Belgrade in autumn

My good friend and roommate, Enora, & I drinking blueberry beer (YUM!)

Cambridge

I figured it was about time for an update, and now that I've upgraded my technology at home (I finally have a laptop, a reasonable internet connection, and a wireless router) it makes doing so much more pleasant and convenient.

I write from my new front deck...in Cambridge. You can see photos here. (old house and rando photos first, new house later). And yes if you are wondering - I'm still living at home with M&D :)

I can see the Grand River if I look just the right way, which is nice. It reminds me of boat rides and picnics with my brother and cousin when we were younger, a ways downstream from here. It's scenic, peaceful yet...alive.

What else is new? I've started a new job as Assistant Advisor at a small consulting firm, working mostly with First Nations - assisting them with project and economic development. My job - support the Advisors of the firm and sometimes work directly with clients, usually in the areas of public relations and general communications, and also drive strategic and marketing initiatives in the firm. I've been working for this company on and off for over 7 years now, but now that I have a degree things are a little different :) Working with friends is great, however, it remains to be seen if this is the right fit for all of us. I still have time for the little enterprise I started a few months ago so my eggs are diversified :)

I guess I'll leave it at that for now. At least you all know I'm still around :) Cheers!

ointment for my bruised ego

I received my first alumni magazine in the mail today. The focus of the issue: the University of Guelph's international goals. As I was leafing through it I thought, of course, that we should get an article about AIESEC in the alumni magazine - alumni of the University of Guelph being a good target audience for messages about AIESEC. Then I saw a short little bit called "Canadian Students Travel More." It starts out talking about AIESEC Canada Inc.'s 04-05 exchange results, and ends with a little "quote" attributed to me - not sure where this article came from, and it's just a short one that doesn't really say anything about any accomplishments I may have made, but I'll take my name in print in some positive vein any day, particularly today :)