My year in AIESEC....in a sushi roll

Tis Cynthia here! If you're wondering, why a sushi roll of all things scrumptious? Well, Go's amazing first post reminded me a lot of my personal reflections that I had when I visited Hiroshima just prior to starting uni...and the yummy delicacies I consumed there. Major sushi props to both Go and Amelia for mind-blogging posts - they really have set the precedence for the level at which our LC blog will be from here on out - as well as to Nisha for setting this baby up!

At times it's crazy to think of where I am at now, that just 1 year ago I was a freshie newbie myself, asking the wise AIESECers in a whisper what this or that acronym meant. With any experience one encounters, I strongly feel that it's all about what one puts into it that directly determines the outcome. I am merely one of many testaments to just how one can utilize AIESEC in a way where one can develop oneself, and simultaneously contribute to his/her LC and help launch it to a whole new level.

My advice for anyone who joins is to suspend all expectations - if you just let it, AIESEC can provide you with unlimited opportunities to grow, to develop creatively, to challenge yourself, your beliefs and your worldview, to make lifelong friends around the world, to have fun...to dance. I viewed many concepts from a whole new perspective since I have joined. The concept of networking no longer exists in a purely professional context, speaking in front of up to 500 no longer made me nervous, traveling alone to a foreign place was no longer a scary uncertainty, double language barriers were no longer hindering, I was no longer hesitant to just be myself whenever, wherever. Someone as wise as wisdom teeth reminded me recently that a president is one who does more than manage the group, but s/he also steers everyone in the direction of our common goals, keeping the vision in the forefront of everyone's minds. In my year as LCP, I hope I can be that collective glue that holds our LC together, that AIESEC oil that aids in igniting the individual flames if you will. This past month I personally felt I have already made strides in this respect, but could not have done so without the most incredible EB and LC members at large.

With that, I would like to share something with you guys that is essentially the launching pad for my passion in AIESEC. I taught English to over 60 kids at Amal Salé Association (a local NGO that catered to underprivileged youth) in Rabat, Morocco this past summer 2007 on a developmental traineeship for 8 weeks. Thanks to my traineeship through the Salaam Program, I feel I have packed a lifetime's worth of memories into two months. The more I taught English to the local youth, the more I became inspired by the hope and passion they each had for life itself. I have learned an invaluable amount not only about Morocco and Islam, but also about the world, humanity, life, friendships, myself and what it means to make an impact through my actions and presence.

Refer here for more pics and thoughts if you are interested!

If you had asked me 10 years ago what my greatest fear was, I would’ve said tornadoes. For some reason or other I was scared of them and even once dreamed of being chased by a purple tornado. Then for a while, I thought it was dying, either of myself or someone close to me. Last spring, I realized that wasn’t the case anymore, but rather what scared me the most was not having enough time. Not enough time to sleep, to study, to hang out…to truly live out my life even. But then I realized, it’s not the quantity of time you are given, but the quality time that you make of it. At RoKS last fall, I talked about how my whole concept of time and life was changed since Morocco, and that it took a bit of adjusting to get used to 3-hour lunches, midnight dinners, and even staying active at an all-night wedding. Western societies nowadays value fastness and efficiency, and oftentimes people associate waiting time with wasting time. But when I took a good look around, I saw that Moroccans had so much to strive towards, so much to celebrate every day, that they made every minute of the day count for something. Even in the youth, it was almost innate that time was never something to be concerned about. While the other trainees and I weren’t merely waiting though life, but we were, in fact, living it...which is exactly how I have felt about my time in AIESEC upon joining.

Why am I saying all of this, you may ask? It’s because while I am writing my first post, I couldn’t help but think how lucky I am that I still keep in contact with many of those I met in Morocco, several of whom I have already been reunited with or will be in a couple weeks. I realized just how excited I get hearing their voices on the phone or on Skype and how they put a smile on my face just thinking about them. These people are what made my traineeship what it was. Then I realized that you guys all do that for me.

AIESEC has made the world of difference in my life. I have grown, developed, and challenged myself, whether it be on campus or overseas. It has also merged my friends from all aspects of my life and opened up a whole new diverse pool of amazing people to hang out with. We are all essentially here for each other, and not only do you guys make AIESEC IL exist, but you guys make it thrive. Our LC, having survived shaky times, is at a great place right now. AIESEC is fundamentally built from the passion we each hold for our organization, the compassion we hold for each other, and the drive to accomplish majestic goals, all of which is naturally manifested by the sheer nature of who we are. I could not have asked for anything better than the LC that I have now...we truly are, without a doubt, one crazy LC!

So there it is - my @ in a sushi roll!

A new year of AIESEC matchsticks, snowglobes, gummy bears swimming in strawberry banana jello, random questions in Chinese red envelopes, M&M's, massages, moohla, and more (M&M&M&M&M's??), casino night, 6000+ pics...what will be next for our LC?

Stay tuned to this blog for more!