It's Rotterdam or no where!

Time really flies! I don't know where the days go theseto... cuz as Monday comes and you are yearning for a glimps of Friday. Before you know, Friday is knocking your door again! Time! HOLD ON!!!! :)

Anyway, it's been 9 months since I've left The Netherlands. Many things changed when I left Rotterdam... I stopped drinking alcohol, lost 23 kg's, started working for one of the Big 4's here in Malaysia.. and most of all, what has changed is that

- 

I stopped hanging out on the rooftop of Hofdijk with the gentlemens club - Tamer, JC, Rishabh and Emanuel.
- I dont have guilty lunch trips to Mc-donalds with Shirley,Betty and Mindy.
- I dont drag bags filled with our stuff to recycle with Bee.- I dont watch movies and talk about the world with Aman.

- or go to the gym with Gabiza.- I am not able to remind Ivan and Rob that AP is number 1 EVERYDAY! :)
- nor can I make fun of Juan and be tickled by Araz's HUGE laughter.- Stopped hearing updates from Michelle about what she did it Pilattes class and why she couldnt come for our Monday team dinners... hehehehe- I dont hear the

 frustration in Martha's voice whe

n a member calls the AI office to ask why 

I cant access myAIESEC.net.
- or listen to Abhisheks conversations with TCS from the server room!!!
- I dont hear anyone else introduce themself as " THIS IS Ahmet..."
- I cant walk over to KP's place and pretend that I live there... :)

- I can't wake Laura up EARLY on Sundays and plant myself on her king sized

 bed!
- Or cook Mon

day dinners with Monica while talking about our future..
- and no

 more Saturday morning visits to the market to buy my fresh vegetables, strawberries, tempeh, tofu and tom yam noodles with laura and Betty!!!
- No trips to SUMO with my team and have great Japanese Buffett for 20 EURO's..

- no more being Big mama and checking

 on the cleaning teams :)

- No curled up people in my office playing with other peoples hairs like Araz, Bee and the rest... hehe.

- No singing our

 version of Enchanted songs or lines from Kung Fu panda with Shirley 

- No cooking indian dishes with Bee and cleaning the strange dutch toilet

s... hehehe

- No big JC like voice talking about SOGA and i

nternal audit stuff 

with people from across the globe.

- Never seen another pink tandoori chicken dish like Abhisheks :)

- or random fire drills by "fireman Rishabh" ...

- no power of now conversations or "how do you feel" questions from Emanuel...

- no morning trips to the bakery with Mindy to buy our share of Milk and sandwhich or to the chinese restaurant 

across the street to pack our lunch..

- Cant see my favourite Egyption friend, Tamer who just knows how to  make me feel better by saying the right stuff at the right time :)

- no more invention of new words from Gabi....za :P

- most of all... no non Malaysians trying to use LAH's in their sentences while speaking to their

 friends and parents :):):)

Many things have changed from 9 months ago...

 and so as a tribute to my experience and my family members while I was 

there in The netherlands - I would like to dedicate

 this posting to my peeps .. the coolest 22 people I have ever met... :)
AIESEC International 2007-2008

22 individuals from 18 different countries - now that's what I call

 INTERNATIONAL! :)
My AI term was really special becau

se it was the first time I was staying out of Malaysia for

 

such a long time and it was my first REAL international experience and to top that, I was on AIESEC International :):) - need I say more! hehehee
Well, to sum up my experience on AI,

 I think it was probably one of my most intense experience 

in AIESEC. It was the 

best finale to my AIESEC experience.

But frankly speaking, I wouldnt have 

enjoyed my experience there if not for my 22 che-

 che's, ko- ko's, ti- ti's and mei - 

mei's :):)

The power of :)


Disclaimer: I understand you can't be using symbols like :) in a formal letter/ email to the Prime Minister or the Chairman of the company... so the observation below is something that can be used in your everyday written communication within your teams or colleagues that you work with in the office.

You know how when you open your email or sms and there are some that make you smile at the end... and some that leave you confused...wishing you had never opened them!!!

It's not so bad when the sms or email you receive is a fun loving one from one of your buddies... but I sometimes find work or serious emails quite frustrating as I tend to interpret the worst when reading these communications.

I don't know about you, but I have certainly gone through this experience many times... The problem about written communication sometimes, ( well at least in my point of view) is that it is very hard to interpret the tone that the writer wishes to highlight through their message. Well, I'm pretty sure this isn't the case for many well known writers out there. Unfortunately, we are no JK Rowlings or Elizabeth Gilbert who are able to make sure that the message is clear and is understood in the right tone.

Especially in a work environment, it is important to make sure that you get the right message and tone at all times. More than often, many of my emails leave me frustrated because I misinterpret the tone that comes from the email.

That's why I prefer verbal communication :) but unfortunately that is not always the option, isn't it? :) So when I can't help it... I always try to make sure that my emails are not that long, point form ( if necessary) - so that it is easier to read and my secret is the power of :)


An example:
a) The sky is blue. If you didn't know this, you should have asked.
b) The sky is blue. If you didn't know this, you should have asked. :)

Which one do you prefer to see in your inbox?

Try it out as you find that you are still able to get things done, send the right message but at the same time make the people/your team and the office environment less stressful or tensed!

Virtual or physical smileys always make a difference :)  Have a great week everyone...

Topics for my new postings :)

Okay, so I guess you all know that I have started working with PwC here in Malaysia. I am currently part of the Human Capital Communications team. - Pretty cool hey! :)

Yeap it is indeed cool.. loving my PwC experience so far.. ain't easy though... but I guess I've been through hard times in AIESEC, so ... will make sure that I am getting as much as possible from this Super High Intensive Training :)

So, my job in PwC involves quite a bit of writing.. which for those of you who know me, you will be able to associate me as being more of a "talker" than writer. But funnily enough, this has inspired me to observe more these days and realise a lot more than I used to.

So I have decided to officially start blogging... ( hehehehe.. )again.. ( I promise to be as regular as possible!) They wont be as long as my previous ones, and also.. will still reflect some of day to day experiences.. through my observations :)

Sneak preview to my up-coming blog posting topics.
a) The power of :)
b) When you say no to a plastic bag
c) Excuse me in the supermarket... but go to hell on the road??!@**@!!$$###!
d) A tribute to my AI buddies...

Okay... that's all from me now! Will keep you guys posted :)

Silence of the Vegetarian :)

So i guess it has been ages since i have last updated my blog and you guys about my life :) I am very touched/surprised that I have so many vivid readers that follow my stories and updates through my blog!

So no more silence guys! I am going to try to write as frequent as possible from now on and also as per you wishes, I will also try to write about my life on AI and of some the special moments that I went through during my time in Europe :)

A special recognition to Ka wei (Taylors University College ) who made me realize tonight, that your memories may only be events that you can look back upon and laugh or cry... but to some, your memories reflect more than just events in ones life :) They can reflect hope, inspiration, love, ambition, humour and so on...

Thanks Ka wei for this enlightenment... :) Muax!

Next few posts will be about key events during my AI term and an overall post about my experience in AIESEC International...

Stay tuned people...

Did Jordan make my hair ORANGE or am I becoming DUTCH?

Jordan- an experience to have!

My Visit to Jordan:


As part of my transition and a surprise gift from Ildi and the rest, i was told that that i would be required to go to Jordan for a meeting. JORDAN!!!! I MEAN JORDAN!!! It was extremely cool. And together with Gee and Martin I set out on my journey not knowing what to expect..

Now what was also interesting, just on my last week in Malaysia, Prakash Etta came to Malaysia for a brief visit. I had not seen Prakash etta in 14 years and it was really great to see him again. So even though it was my last week and things were extremely crazy for me that week, i had to take some time off to hang out with Prakash etta for sure! Because when else would i see him again? 14 years down the road perhaps!

But anyway, when Ildi gave me my tickets and said, " Anisha you have to go to Jordan for meeting with PSUT" something started playing in my head.... Hmm... Jordan, very familiar something recent connecting to Jordan was playing in my head. I was trying to think who i know from Jordan...immediately Oksana ( the current MCP of Jordan) came to my mind and as soon as i remembered Oksana immediately i jumped because i remembered telling Prakash etta before he left that " Yeap i will try to come to Jordan sometime, i even have a friend called Oksana there.... "
Yeap prakash etta was also in Jordan!!!!!! Gosh.... i was not only going to see him again but also his family-Jaysri chechi and the kids....

Prakash Etta and Family: airport and dropped Gee and Martin off at their hostel and brought me to their home which was extremely comfortable and really nice. Prakash etta and chechi went out of their way to make my stay so memorable and comfortable. They made me food everyday, chechi even packed Well, just like how Sami velicha treated us in India, Prakash etta and chechi took care of me and my friends really well that 5 days. They picked us up from the meals for me and my friends so that we wont need to eat outside. They brought me to the university everyday for my meetings and brought me back as well. We had great chats in the evenings and they showed me around Jordan. I even got to visit Archita's graduation... it was really special. I actually felt very much part of their family. Chechi was amazing, she is an extraordinary cook and she is a really nice person to talk to. We actually had good conversations around many topics and i actually felt that i was very similar to her in many ways.

Thank you etta and chechi for making my visit to Jordan such a memorable one. Love you guys so much and good luck for your future :) Let me know where you guys decide to go to after this ya?

AIESEC in Jordan: Thinking back I think the most memorable and meaningful moment i have had so far comes from my visit to Jordan. There was this one night when we were having dinner with the MC's of Jordan- Monica,Oksana, Annika, Saba, Mo, Asier and the rest...i was so inspired and touched by these individuals who have all come from various backgrounds, countries, experiences,cultures and so on- but all here in Jordan for one reason, to see the young people of Jordan grow and develop through the establishment of yet another chapter of AIESEC in that country. Going through the challenges of being in a different country/culture, throwing themselves out of their comfort zone or even leaving behind some of their other priorities in life, these guys put their heart and soul to be able to make a difference for the people and the community that now they call home.
So guys, thank you for sharing with me your special moments and experiences during my visit to Jordan. Thank you so much for showing me one part of AIESEC that i had not seen/experienced for myself as i started and ended my 6 years of AIESEC only in Malaysia.

You guys are my real inspiration :)

Work in Jordan: Oh well, work in Jordan was fine, it was a different kind of working environment after having worked on AI for 2 weeks...where everything was about structure and process :P Well here, it was more of a ....ermm.... less structured and less complicated kind of a environment. Which clearly some of us were not used to.... :)

Visiting Jordan: Dead Sea and Petra
It was amazing!!!! Only 2 things that were quite challenging for me... Petra- i had to climb 900 stairs to reach the peak! Fuyoooooooooooo... i was almost going to die when i reached. Thanks Martin and Gee for making sure i reached the top and not give up on the
498th stair! :) And dead sea.... hehehe.. the challenge was that we were not prepared for the trip la... because as soon as our meeting was over, the university arranged for a car to take us there... and of course no clothes... no nothing.. only formal stuff! Well, it was easy for the guys, cuz they could just pick up any shorts or something from any store... but for me.. ermm.. lets say, the process is more complicated la... So anyways that was challenge 1... but as soon as we reached, Gee dragged me to go at least get a shorts to go with my formal shirt and get into the sea... well...i felt bad and so i let him convince me in buying this really striking blue pants la! :P

Another challenge was that, as you all already know, the dead see is known for its high level of salt that is present in the water. It is said that the water and the mud/sand in that area is extremely good for your skin. And due to the high density of salt, it is said that nothing can sink it the sea and so when you get into the water you will tend to float no matter how you try to get into the water.

Well so anyway, as soon as i got into the water, i felt all my blisters in my feet burn as the salt water touched my skin.... okay its okay... its just helping me heal the wound... lets try to float now... hehehe... and okay.. good i could float really easily.. thats good... and now enough of floating, lets try to stand up!!!!! OH NO!!!!!!!! I cant stand up!!!!!

Yeap thats right, i tried very hard to stand just could not get my feet to touch the ground... i panicked a little and got salk water in my eyes instead! *ouch* Anyway, i tried to calm myself down, and shout for Gee or Martin to come rescue me... it was extremely hilarious... sometimes i even had unknown people help me to stand up :)
So after a while, i made myself to the shore and played with the magical mud instead! :)
So that is it! I had an awesome time in Jordan, both personally and professionally! I think it was the best way for me to start my term on AIESEC International :) Looking forward to my term, that's for sure :)

AIESEC International 2007/2008

Start of Transition: Well, the first day was kinda hazy for me... as i was still trying to remind myself all the time i was actually in The Netherlands.... in the AIESEC International office and that for the next 12 months, i am going to be part of a team that I never imagined to be part of! :)So on Ist June 2007, i set feet into The Netherlands... the country i will be staying for the next 12 months.

I arrived at 6am on the 31st of May.... and Ildi was there to pick me up :) And she brought me to her place to rest for a while and after sometime, i found my way to office, thanks to the beautiful map that Ryan drew for me ( seriously.... it was a great map!)


One by one... my team mates started to arrive and i was feeling more and more excited every time someone would walk into the office... anyways that very evening, i experienced something that i have heard so much about and was also illustrated in the "I'm so excited" song - TEAM DINNER! Yeap, i was part of cooking team that day! Hahahaha... :)

It's really great! I just cant believe that i am here. Team dinner, AI Office.... never even dreamed of these things....Anyway, two months are going to pass like the wind... and before i know it i will be in IC :) I am very sure this is going to be an amazing part of my journey and so i better stop dreaming or pinching to see if this is real and start living this experience. Every year, about 20 individuals get to live this experience, and i'm glad to be one of them this year!

AIESEC International 2007/2008!
Malaysia BOLEH! :)

Good Bye Malaysia, Hello Rotterdam!

My last day in Malaysia was extremely hectic with packing and throwing out stuff cuz i couldnt afford to pay more for excess baggage! Hehehe...

Anyways, my parents sent me to the airport that night which i was extremely happy because i was worried my dad would not be able to send me as it was an extremely crazy month for him. But i was glad to at least have some moments with my daddy and mummy on my way to the airport. The 2 people who have been such an inspiration to me and in many ways a benchmark to where i would like to be in years to come! I know it hasnt been really easy to put up with me and my ever changing plans in life, but they supported me all the way to where i am today. I love them very very very much ( even though i may have arguments with my mum most of the time...hehe) but they mean the world to me!

Daddy and mummy, thank you sooo much for everything that you have done for me all these years. I owe everything i am today to the both of you.

Now the airport was an extremely special moment for me. I was greeted by all my old MC mates ( Thomas, Eric, Wei Han) current MC mates (Sandy, Geralynn, Cheekek ( who lied to all of us and said he wasnt coming!!!) and Yokey), New MC team( James, Nick, Jasper) Daryl, Charlie, Jasmine, and some other HELP members and of course my Klang buddy, AIESEC Alumnus and personal photographer, Alan :)

It was a definitely a great send off... my parents and everyone there... it was really hard for me to say bye, but i knew i had to lah. It was really special for me, with Nick video taping every moment that happened in the airport, the tears and byes and roll calls in the middle of immigration, the running from one point to the next point to say bye and wave from the glass windows.... right up to i got into the train... where i knew i had to stand in the last coach so that i could see all of them for the last time.... and when i got into the train i knew " that was it" that would be the last time i saw my team mates and my members... all together... and of course i wanted to see my parents hehehe... it was funny to see them run with the rest from one point to another to see me off too hehehe...:)

So we had our last wave in the train.... and i reached the boarding gates after that. As i was lining up to enter the boarding area, i got a call from James and it was of course, the whole team on the phone! hehehe... They asked me if i was crying yet.. and i said "no" and so they played my favourite song of the week " Kenangan Terindah" of which they knew upon hearing this song, i would just break down * evil people* and they played the whole song till they were convinced i was crying.

It was only then i realized that i had not cried during the whole time in the airport- only because i had spent all my tears crying for the past one month that i had no more tears to shed. Also , i knew that if i cried in the airport, that would make the rest of them feel really bad and sad too... so i put a very brave and strong front that day. But when they called me again after i passed immigration, i didnt cry because of the song but i cried because i just felt this rush of extremely LOVE for these people and the thought of not knowing when will be the next time that i will be able to see all of them together again, was just too much for me to handle at that point of time...besides..also because i knew they were crying on the other side and that made me feel really sad. I just felt like running over and giving all of them a hug ...one last time!

Thats the thing about AIESEC, you never know when will be th e last time that you will meet again- all together. Of course i was sad leaving my family members behind, but i knew that we will meet again- for sure! But in AIESEC, it is very different because we come from different places, different backgrounds, different families and all... which makes it almost impossible to have the same kind of experience that you may have at one point of time ....to happen again!

In the airplane, i opened the huge envelope that Geralynn gave me and inside was a huge card with the lyrics of Kenangan Terindah and a picture of a compilation of our MC 2006/2007 and had it in my hand for hours...

My Kenangan Terindah before i say Bye Bye :(

After a teary farewell at my last AIESEC Malaysia event in National Pioneers Camp, i set off all alone in my beautiful MyVi back from Penang to KL.

It was a long 5 hours drive where i got a lot of time to to reflect on my life so far....
how much it has changed...
how much i have grown...
how many new friends i have gained...
how many new things i have learnt...
how many events i have experienced....
how many things i have done, that i never thought i will be able to....
how many places i have visited....
who i have become after this past 6 years....

I couldnt believe after 6 years of being part of a family i by accident was part of, it was time for me to say goodbye and leave. I knew that it wouldnt be that bad since, its not like i was leaving AIESEC forever, and that i would still be part of AIESEC in the coming year...

but still... seeing pictures of my seniors and team mates of the 5 teams that i was part of, the new guys and girls from the LC's in action in National Pioneers camp, seeing the LCP elects that i had worked with during the previous term and to see my MCs.... i felt that i was leaving a big part of what had build me this past few years.... and it was definitely the people of AIESEC in Malaysia- each and every one of them who helped shape me to who i am today- they were everything to me, my mentors, my gossip buddies, my friends, my family, the people who guided me, inspired me, shared ups and downs, challenged me, cried and laughed together, travelled with me,drove with me, took care of me, made me feel happy and proud...always!

They were in short, my "KENANGAN TERINDAH" in life....

It was the longest 5 hours drive from Penang to KL. I listened to all my "road trip compilations" songs that we( MC 06/07) had compiled every time we would travel for an LC visit. ( we had about 7 CDs altogether). Every time a song played i would just start to cry because every song in those CDs had a special memory for me and my team and the thought of never being able to do this together with them again was just too much for me to handle that night...

The thought of not able to see my LCPs and members after this was something that i was not able to handle well that night....

The thought that i will not be able to attend NatCon 2007 with my old team mates and to see my new MCs and LCPs in action was something i felt so helpless about, that night....

And so as the songs played in the background....and memories played in my mind...i cried and cried for about 5 hours that night.

The next day i had to start with my packing and went to my office to pick up some of the remaining stuff i had in my office, and of course i was going to my office for the last time, LAST TIME! The office that has been my home for many days in the past 3 years... as i walked out of the office i took one good look around my office with flashes of memories and stories passing through my mind as i scanned every corner and table of that office.. and as i was walking out i saw the 10 interns who were working on the HIV/AIDS PBOX sitting on our meeting table. I remember them wishing me and bidding me a great farewell.... but i just couldnt take it at that point time, i knew that if i stayed any longer i would start to cry in front of them... so after a hurried exchanges of "byes"... i left my keys on Chee Keks table and left quickly.... and as i dashed down the stairs of my office,i felt my tears roll down my cheeks again....

That night i had a great farewell dinner with my MC Teammates of 2004/2005 which was attended by everyone ( except Bonnie). It was also HuiLins birthday and i was extremely glad cuz she was back too. It was a great dinner with a perfect ending to my night in Malaysia. I owe a lot to the people from this team, because without them, i wouldnt have reached to where i am today. Thank you Tong Chien, Huilin, Bonnie, Thomas, Eric, Alicia and Wei Han for giving me this chance:)

And that was it- my last night before i left .... i had still not seen many of my close friends but anyways, i took some time to think about all the people in my life that have been my Kenangan Terindah till today.

But before i leave, i just want to thank each and everyone of you for being my KENANGAN TERINDAH in my life....

* Song title: Kenangan Terindah, Artist Samsons)

Asia Pacific Member Commitee Transition Camp

The first ever Asia Pacific Member Committee Transition Camp- something that i've always dreamt about and even had conversations around with Mindy and Sharon finally took place in Penang, Malaysia this year! It was awesome!!!!

I would like to thank all the countries that made this happen and i can see a great beginning for the APGN in the coming term.

And thank you to me team of facilitators ( Rina, Sharon, Pui and Mindy!!!!! AP SISTAS!!! Woo hooo) we made it happen la! Yay....

I really wish the other MCPs could be there too, but anyways, we missed you guys and am looking forward to our MCP 2006/2007 reunion in Vietnam next year :):)

Wishing AP GN the greatest in the coming term lah! I know you guys will be awesome!!!!

*Photos to be uploaded soon!*


P/S: Proud to be a product of the AP GN :)

JUST DO IT!

So as when i thought i would be heading for the future- then APXLDS in India happen and once again, i changed my route decided to try one last route that i had never imagined i would go for.

In 2004, after finished my term as LC VP HR and also when i thought that i was heading towards the "heading for the future stage, i headed off to India in my "last" months of my AIESEC Career, to do a 5 months internship with an amazing organisation in Bangalore- and in the middle of my internship, i changed my mind and decided to JUST DO IT and decided to take the next step of running for the National Committee... and there i spent the next 3 years of my life -on the national committee of AIESEC in Malaysia.

In 2007, as i was towards the end of my term as Member Committee President of AIESEC in Malaysia, i once again went to India as the agenda manager for a regional leadership conference-also at this point cherishing every minute that i had during this period of time thinking that- "well, next stop- Heading for the future, of course!" and then, after an amazing experience during that conference, i once again decided to embark on another route that i knew if i got the opportunity to be on- that it would be definitely a journey that would changed a lot of big decisions and my future plans in life, but definitely a journey that i was looking forward to!
And so, yeap by the end of APXLDS 2007 in Hyderabad, i decided to JUST DO IT again, and apply for AIESEC International 2007/2008!!! ( Crazy but incredibly amazing!)

The Application
So in 4 days i did everything i could ( after working hours of course!) to get my endorsements, do some research, write my application,pray and talk to my team mates for motivation and guidance!

Please note that at this point of time, i had not told anyone from my family yet about my decision as i wasnt sure of how they would react if i told them about my decision. I knew that it would be a big thing for them as they had different plans and expectations of what i was going to be doing next after my Presidency ( well so did i actually!) but at this point of time, while filling up the application i just wanted to go through it without any extra stress of having to convince my parents about my drastic decision. At that point of time, whether or not i get the position was another thing, but going through this experience of applying and going through the selection was something that i was looking forward to!

Telling my parents
Anyways, a few hours before the deadline, i sent in my application and went home. The next morning i called my mum and told her that i sent in my application for AIESEC International, but not to worry because i knew there would be many people applying also, and my chances of getting is probably quite low :) . However, my mum took it quite well as she had talked to 3 generations of the AI Directors ( Liv Flores, Chris Zhao, and Ryan Sheppard) who all stayed in my house and have had conversations with my mum about what is AIESEC International and how can this experience add value to your future career path! :)
At that point of time, besides my parents and my team mates, no one else knew i was applying for AI- it's just my personality, i dont like to say anything till its over.

The Interview
So anyway, i passed the first selection... waited with anticipation for my interview which lasted almost 1 hour and 20 minutes ( it was the longest 1 hour and 20 minutes of my life). Every time Petr said "next question" i would just take a deep breath and drink a sip of water and start sweating!!! Hehehe... At the end of the interview, i was soo relieved that it was over, and even though Petr was saying something about when they would announce the results, i just couldnt listen anymore,at that point of time- it really didnt matter and i just was glad and proud for going through that couple of days. I would like to thank all those people who stayed with me through out this time- giving me a lot of courage and confidence to go through this process!!!

The Announcement
So after a great weekend with my family ( totally forgetting about my interview and not knowing when the results will be announced:)) celebrating the Hindu new year and all, i returned to office on Monday and since we had our 10 HIV/AIDS intern team complete- we decided to have our reception dinner that night. It was really great since Ryan was also around at that time. At just after dinner, i saw my phone and noticed that i got a miss call from an international number and at that point of time, i knew that the results are going to be announced soon. And suddenly, i felt really nervous again!

I tried to calm myself down saying that " well, if i dont get...life is not over and that i can continue with my plans and stuff... " but deep inside me, i knew i really wanted to get this position. There were a lot of reasons why i decided to apply but one of them was because i wanted to prove to my Malaysian members that MCP is not the highest one can be in AIESEC and that we can go further as long as we take that challenge to "JUST DO IT!"!

Anyway, coming back to the announcement, as we were about to pay i got a call again...and it took me one second to realize that it was no other call.. but THE CALL itself!
Me: Hello?
Rishabh: Hello lah....
Me: Oh Hello......... ( very nervous but trying to stay calm)
Rishabh: How was your weekend.......... + many other questions................)
( After like 10 minutes)..............
Rishabh: Well anyway, i am very sorry to inform you about this over the phone, but ermm... i just wanted to inform you that ermm....you will be joining AIESEC International in ROtterdam this year!!!
Me: Means i got it? ( duh?!)
Rishabh: Yeap, thats right! Congratulations!!!!!
Me: Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Thank you ....Thank you... Thank you... Thank you!!!! ( YAY!!!!!)

The conversation ended 5 minutes later after Rishabh also told me who else made it to the team ( MINDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY yay!!!!)

After the call
Well, during the period of the phone call, what i had totally forgotten is the fact that 50 metres away, i had left 12 interns ( + Amel and Daniel), Ryan, Daryl, Sook Theng, Chee Kek and Sandy waiting curiously for the call to end. Most of the interns were quite confused, but those who knew what was going on helped to "educate" the rest of the interns about why everyone had stopped talking and focus their attention on me... hehehe...

So anyway Rishabh hung up and i walked slowly towards the gang and as i jumping inside, i saw Sandy walk towards me and when she reached me, i just shook my head ( sign of dissapointment) and she just gave me a hug and said " its okay..its okay lah" and as i hugged her i just said in a very sad voice to her
Me: I'm sorry Sandy.... but i wont be with you guys next year.....
Sandy: It's okay.....( still comforting me)
Me: because i will be going to Rotterdam in June!!!
Sandy: AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

And we just hugged and laughed for about 5 minutes and of course it didnt take even one second for Ryan to understand what had happened there !!! hehehehe....
As Sandy and I walked back to the rest of the team... i felt like i was in a dream! I just couldnt believe it!

I DID IT!!!!! :) only cuz i decided to JUST DO IT!

Note: All major decisions that i made in life happened in India- who knows what will happen if i go there again, huh? What decision will i make next?????

I LOVE MY TEAM!

Hyderabad... here i Come!!!!

Yes!!!! Hyderabad it is!!!

I was agenda manager for APXLDS 2007 that was held in Hyderabad in March- yeap my last travel, if not, my team mates are gonna kill me for travelling so much from January till march! Hehehe.. but anyways, the most amazing conference for me was this one of course because few things happened during this conference:

1) I saw the true potential of AP
2) I saw how much power and energy these future leaders had!- Which truly inspired me
3) It challenged my ability to create an agenda/conference that is adaptable to all levels of members in the most diverse region- AP!
4) I met Abhinav and Jeanne, the 2 people that changed my decision to "head for the future" after my MCP term ( I love you guys sooo much!)
5) I had the GREATEST ever FACILITATOR Team! ( 6 guys and 6 girls!!!!) Woo hoo... it was soo much fun learning and working with them through out the conference- definitely the best!
6) I got to meet Huilin- was extremely happy to see her and see how she is doing in India. We stayed with her during pre-meet as we were hosted by ISB during that time. Huilin was really a dear and helped arrange everything! I just love her la!
7) The delegates of this conference truly inspired me and changed my direction in life forever! These individuals made me feel that i had so much more to give the people of this organisation and that my time was not over.... They made me realize how much i love this organisation and the people and made me realize how much i would miss all of this after my MCP term- they made me realize that there was something else i had to do... and if i had to do it, it had to be NOW! :)

APXLDS 2007, for me was extraordinary- so many great memories that i will never forget, i have been the chair or facilitator for many international conferences now, but to have this bunch of diverse delegates alll at one place-reminding you of why You were in AIESEC, was simply very touching for me.
Few moments i will never forget:
1) During one of the suprise sessions, when i sang "Tong Hua", as soon as i finished singing, all the delegates rushed up to me and gave me hugs that were so genuine and sincere. I couldnt hold back my tears, as i heard them chant my name- at that point of time, i just felt an over flow of love for these people...It was my most amazing moment this conference!
2) After Night Stalk- the first time ever bringing night stalk to APXLDS- was kinda scary. I had to convince Abhinav to allow me to run this event, after which much doubt he gave me the green light. ( Thank you for the confidence Abhinav!) and after that, on top of the agenda, i started to create the script and story and stuff, and wished that people would get the point of the game and would enjoy it of course. And of course, after night stalk, i couldnt hear anything else but only how much everyone loved the game and wanted to bring it back to their countries! That again, was a powerful moment for me. I know it may not be such a big deal for many, but for me it was- and to see them enjoy and have so much fun and learn together at the same time ( just what i envisioned the conference to be, ) was simply amazing!

Anyways, APXLDS is over,i met many people who changed my life and inspired me to go on further, i met people who challenged me and in that process taught me many things about myself, about life and about possibilities!

And because of this APXLDS, i decided to go on challenge myself further- something that i never thought i would do... but it was a challenge i was willing to make after everything that i went through during this conference- and i owe everything to these individuals that made a difference in my life...

For everything my dear delegates and facilitators of APXLDS 2007, Hyderabad- THANK YOU!

The BIG GAP!!

Hello everyone... yes yes.. its been a big gap in my life...... not that nothing has happened.... but so much that i didnt have time to update everyone on how awesome my life has been up to now! What has happened in my life after International congress in Poland ( yes i know i just finished part 1...promise to update that once i have settled in,ok?)

Okay here it goes:
September: Work Work....

October: Work Work... preparation for the HEROES COnference in Kuala Lumpur, NLDS Malaysia and AMAN ( my brain child!!!!- the first ever event of its kind!:))

November: Crazy month of working towards 3 mega events! Crazzzzeeeyyyyyyy!

December: It's all about execution and looking back and cherishing all those crazy moments! Yeap it was the month of conferences , my last NLDS took place in my home LC- USM!!!!! Kudos to the facilitators and my MCs for such a magnificient conference :). Right after that, I chaired the first ever regional entreprenership conference here in Kuala Lumpur!- superb! and ending the busy month with AIESEC Malaysia's Awards Night!!!!! The most perfect event i have ever attended- i salute my team mates in making this event a reality, especially for me lah:) and also James for without his opening act, AMAN would not have made such a lasting impression on me! Thanks James!

January: The travel begins! I went to Hong Kong to chair the Winter National Conference- it was awesome, the first time i began to realize that my love for the people of the organisation was not only limited to those from AIESEC Malaysia. I loved this conference very much and tried to add spice to it within my capacity- thank you sister Mindy for giving me this chance :) Anyways, i had a great time in Hong Kong getting inspired seeing the ever so passionate and enthusiastic members of AIESEC Hong KOng and seeing the leaders of the generation being elected, was a very touching moment for me. Being in this position last year, i knew exactly how the candidates felt and with that i knew that whether they get it or not, they had just gone through a life changing experience then and there! Bringing back a lot of memories and feeling rejuvenated after that conference i returned to malaysia bringing more insights to my country!

Just 2 weeks after- i embarked again to Taiwan to again be the chair for their Winter Conference. Firstly, i was extremely excited because i had the chance to meet my baby sister- Sheana.... and i was extremely glad that she invited me to be the chair for her conference and to be able to do my very best for her people there in Taiwan. Members of Taiwan definitely challenged me in every way possible. In Taiwan, the members were extremely eager and willing to want to make a difference. I remember that i never had to have lunch or dinner alone as every day, different LCs would come and make appointments to sit with me during those times or even breaks. And during this time, i was really touched to see how genuine they were with their questions and thirst to know more. Even thinking of them, brings tears to my eyes. I love being in the midst of these kind of people- genuine and sincere!

February- After 2 weeks of being in Malaysia, i hit the skies again but this time, not alone- yeap thats right, it was International Presidents Meet in Egypt, and i was going there with my "baby"- SANDY!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!! Yeap, ladies and gentleman, AIESEC Malaysia has the next president for term 2007/2008- and it is one of my babies- Sandy! So anyways- we went to Egypt and were there for 2 weeks! IPM being my last international conference, ( well at least i thought it was then)... was extremely a special conference for me, and of course I cherished every minute of those 12 days! Like always, despite my extended activities after conference hours- I made it a point that no matter how hard I had partied every night, that I made it to plenary and all sessions through out the conference. I also felt extremely responsible to set a good example for Sandy. Remembering my first time in IPM, I felt that IPM was the one conference that really helped in me setting up my first few steps in Malaysia as President and I wanted the same for Sandy in the next term. IPM 2007 was extremely special for me also because it is in this conference that I was really able to show and do something more for my Growth Network- the GN that has shaped me to whom I am today….. AP!!!!! J I became more involved in the GN planning and designing stuff and event proposed the idea of having a regional transition camp for the newly elected MCs- something that I was talking to Sharon and mindy about informally prior to this. I just felt so much love for my GN and the people… and in my mind I only wanted the BEST for AP in the coming term!

March-Anyway, IPM crossed over to March and of course like the previous year, I got to spend my birthday in a foreign land and this year- the ever so beautiful, EGYPT! After IPM, the APians decided to go for our last post tour together and it was beautifully coordinated by Amzad for all of us! ( THANK YOU SOOO MUCH AMZAD!!!!) We had the most amazing time in Luxor and Cairo and was able to visit the wonders of Egypt that I have so often heard about. We spent about 3 days together on a van…heheh so fun lah! We could have maybe seen more of Egypt if there wasn’t such a strict rule on traveling within Egypt which required the police approval and following you as you cross borders of cities or something like that. On top of that we had quite an annoying but it some way quite funny driver. He was always asking for tips for the slightest thing and we being pool AIESEC presidents, had very limited cash to spare and found this quite annoying. Or

Anyways, the most amazing part happened on the eve of my birthday. At night, we all went to dine on a Nile cruise and it was an extraordinary dinner because I was having on the nile river, my first cruise, with my “family members” from over 12 countries and to top it all- there was a traditional wedding on the cruise so we were entertained by traditional Egyptian performances! What more could I ask for man? Anyways, as the clock was about to strike 12am, everyone started singing happy birthday and it ended with an AP group hug with everyone else looking at us strangely. Now,you guys have to check out the youtube of Amzad singing happy birthday to me which is in Mindy’s blog. Why is it special? Well because Amzad is tune deaf (or so we tease him lah…) and so he couldn’t get the tune right and had everyone coaching him on how to sing the song for 3 days through out our trip around Luxor and Cairo.

Anyway no matter how the song sounded, i am extremely fortunate to share this kind of an experience with the people that mean the most to me! I feel like i have been the luckiest person on earth- i mean, how many people will be able to say that " I celebrated my birthday on the Nile River with friends from over 12 different countries?" :):)

My second International Congress-Poland! ( Part I)

International Congress 2005 in India was absolutely memorable-mind blowing!!!

and of course as International Congress 2006 was coming nearer and nearer.. i just couldnt control my excitement and emotions!!! For me, going to IC 2006 in Poland was absolutely important. Why?

1) To meet my dearest and loving AP MCPs...
2) To provide me with the avenue to take back key learnings, strategies, thoughts, questions back to my country- so as to help me better perform as a president of my country!
3) To meet people who could further help me to develop and challenge myself :)
4) To get my inspiration and motivation to carry on.....

These were my 4 objectives prior to leaving to Poland! And i was not going to miss this once in a lifetime chance to take as much as i can from this conference, the people that i will be meeting and also my experience there in Poland itself!

On the 16th of August- my travel begins..
Due to the world cup and all...all of us found it very hard to get to tickets to Europe during that time, i only got my ticket confirmed a few days before the conference ( phew!!) but bad news was that i had to travel by myself, arrive earlier than the rest, and travel from Singapore :(

So i got a bus to Singapore on the 16th from Malacca, reached Singapore- met my fellow Singaporean AIESECers who were catching a flight to Europe also at that time. Even though we were not on the same flights, we planned to meet up after we had reached Poland. My flight had a 6 hours stopover in Paris ( for all of you who dont know, I LOVE PARIS!!!!- never been there but i would like to go to Paris for my honeymoon because i think Paris is the most romantic place on earth!) Didnt manage to go anywhere, but just took a picture of myself out side the airport :P

Reached poland in the morning of 18th. I had booked myself a place at a hostel called Helvetia ( really nice place, nice people who always willing to help) so from the airport a very nice gentleman who recognised that i was malaysian through my passposrt helped me get a cab to where the hostel was located ( dont know his name- but he was kinda cute and had a Japanese wife!) Hmm... not bad for the first day:) It was about a 20 minutes cab ride to my hostel- the driver was really nice, he couldnt find the hostel and so he asked me if i had the number and he gave them a call. I thought he would charge me for the call- but he didnt! Thanks cab man!!!:)

Reached Helvetia, settled down and tried to contact Sharon but my stupid DIGI line wouldnt work! EVen though i went to the centre 3 times to get my roaming activited!!! I was soo pissed off! I couldnt only receive calls and MAKE calls.. EXPENSIVE!!!!!! So failing to reach Sharon, i decided to make myself some dinner. Took a walk around Helvetia- found myself a minimart, bought some bread, milk, spread ( choc) ! :)

The next day, i work up early- sent an email ( Yes Helvetia has internet access) to Sandy and got her to buy me a MAXIS sim card and used my current credit to call my dad and tell him im safe and sharon- to plan where to meet for that day.

The first day...gosh!
The first day was a cultural shock for me- why? Well just imagine this scenario
Helvetia gives me a map of Warsaw which is amazing- very detailed that i am able to use it to find myself the nearest Metro station. I walk towards the station and get into the station to find that i am unable to buy tickets like a normally do in our LRT or KOMUTER stations. So i asked about 25 people- " excuse me can you help me" or " Excuse, do you speak english" and they would reply very abruptly " No English!!!"

But Finally....

Anisha: Excuse me, can you speak English?
25th person: Yes i do!
Anisha: Oh thank god!!! I was wondering if you could help me cuz i would like to buy a ticket for the Metro.
25th Person: Oh! I'm sorry, I cant help you on that- I just arrived Poland today morning myself :(

That was it! I took out my very trustable map and started walking to the direction i was supposed to meet Sharon and her team. And in 40 minutes i reached the station in which i was supposed to meet Sharon :)


Well one thing i learnt is that, the older generation in Poland dont speak that much of English and also they are very proud of their language, Polish- so they dont really need to know how to speak English that much. But if you really need help- the younger generation in Poland can speak some english la.. its whether they are willing to help you or not lor! hahahaha...

That day i had a great first day in Poland

It Ain't Easy to be a President :P

But if aint hard- it aint worth it!!!! :)

Yeap so i have officially started my term as President for AIESEC Malaysia! Absolutely exciting but nevertheless challenging! Its just been few months from the time that i have stepped into duty, but i am very shocked to see myself change little by little, grow little by little!

I knew that this one year is going to be a life changing experience for me- an opportunity to learn and grow while managing my "company" as the "CEO" but never did i think that the changes or the key learnings would be that immediate!

Anyways- no matter how challenging this term is going to be i am going to cherish the time that i have left in AIESEC Malaysia- cuz who knows what i will be up to same time next year *wink*

Just wanna share some unforgettable moments that i have had so far in my term!

* Note: Yeap- i would really like to thank my LCPs and MC's for challenging but at the same time going on this journey together with me so far! And i may not have a lot of pictures of my member of AIESEC Malaysia- but this 500 people that i have have been that one drive for me to push myself everyday and having them in mind makes me very energetic trough out the day to serve this people who have taken up the challenge of creating a positive impact in society today. I know it is not easy for them being students and all, but their passion truly inspires and drives me- thank you guys!!!

I've just turned 25 and I'm the President of my country!

Now that's not a sentence you hear a lot do you? Well, then again, if you've not heard this before... then you've probably not heard of AIESEC! :)

It's been phenomenal this past few weeks... It's been amazing!!! And i just celebrated my birthday! I think this year is really special cuz i got the best gift ever....

So what did i get for my birthday?
I was elected as the next President for AIESEC in Malaysia...
I just travelled to Europe for the first time in my life for about a month....
Went psycho having my first experience of playing in the snow and getting hit by hails...
Made friends from over 90 countries ( at least one person from one country!!!)
Watched first hand 42 dynamic individuals run for AIESEC International (AI)!
Had these people sing the "birthday song" in all sorts of languages on my birthday
To get a ROSE from Brodie on my birthday ( haih....)
Had the MOSTTTTTT inspiring and amazing conference ever before...

Internationals Presidents Meet 2006- The Netherlands...

~and I was there! :)

So many things happened during IPM, that really made me realize how fortunate I am to be able to be there and meet inspiring and reputable individuals that continuously remind you of how fortunate you are to have been part of this global youth organisation.... reminding me to cherish every single moment i had in IPM because not everyone had the opportunity to learn and get as much from the amazing experience.

But nothing of the above would have been possible if not for my mummy and daddy who gave my dreams wings to fly! I wouldnt have gone through so much if not for their support and encouragement to follow my heart and chase my dreams!

A special thank you mummy and daddy for helping me make it so far... I wouldnt have been able to do it without you both... okay and Vivek too.. for taking care of my car for 1 month

~yes this is a delayed posting...supposed to be out in March...:P

3 Special People

I would like to take highlight a few people that truly inspired me during this NatCon:

1) Anthony (LC UKM) : Iwas touched reading the sugar cubes left for me by my delegates this conference. But the one sugar cube that made me cry so much everytime i read it and even now, just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.. is the one that Anthony wrote for me during AGM! ( thanks Anthony... you know what? You truly inspired me!)



2) Philo and Dayana ( LC UUM): This 2 girls, were new, didnt know what to expect but worked so passionately
during the conference... just so that everyone would go back with a smile on their face. No matter how tired or angry they were, they always maintained a sweet smile on their face! To the 2 of you, i really take my hats off lah!!

3) HuiLin: When Huilin came during AGM that evening, I dont know why but i felt so glad to see her. I was okay that day... till Huilin played the special MC 2005/2006 ppt during AGM for all, it is during that moment i just broke down to tears, as each slide containing our team moments and pictures was played to the music of Reach ( Gloria Stefan)And i think the only reason why i cried so much that day was because I realized i had shared so much with her this past 5 years...high and low, we have gone through so much together. I just couldnt bear to see her make her way through the crowd to LC USM members to hug each and everyone of them that night as the song "At the beginning" was playing... USM... that was were we both started... and now it was time for her to move on.. i was happy for her...and inspired to build AIESEC Malaysia to greater heights just to make sure that all those dreams we had for AIESEC Malaysia will not just end as dreams... but at the same time i knew i will miss her. Oh well, i've so much to write about her... so will specially write one post on that....sooon...i promise!

Unleash Your Power, Prepare for the adventure

" I think I learnt so much this NatCon!!"
"For the first time NatCon was so much fun"
"You know what... I'm really glad I came for NatCon"
" Anisha, I think this was the best conference i have been to"
"Thank you MCP for organising such a great conference for us!!!"

I was so touched when i read some of the sugar cubes left for me by my delegates during the last National Convention 2006 held in Universiti Utara Malaysia last June. I think for me, this conference has been really special because it was my first conference as MCP and i wanted it to be a conference that everyone would remember!

I've always believed that a conference should be worth every cent that a delegate is paying to attend and it was my role to live up to that expectation!

I think NatCon for me started in April itself, and together with my newly elected team we worked together towards delivering the best we could for each session.With that came a great lot of responsibility and multi tasking. We were having camps and seminars planned every weekend prior to NatCon and at the same time we still had to keep a lot of energy desiging and planning for the grand finale- National Convention 2006!

But when the week finally came, my team and I were really excited... as we drove up to UUM in our "company cars" hehehehe... 2 black MyVi's... all we could think about was about the delegates and AIESEC in Malaysia's future for 2006/2007!

We were excited, happy but at the same time nervous, because we knew this was it... and there was no turning back!
I dont know if it was because i knew this would be my last National Convention or just because i had very high expectations, but i wanted National Convention 2006 to be PERFECT!

The X-Team ran every session with so much dedication and with the hope that every session with be as impactful as it was for us!
NatCon, was built with a very different concept of using this space to plan for the coming term, where
LC's planned national initiatives and together with action steps and strategies that would take place in their LCs in order to support the National Goals that were set by the LCPs and MCs earlier in the month!
NatCon was planned to give full ownership to LCs to run initiatives and plans that would suit their different realities,wants and needs. Some of the sessions run were,AIESEC Balance score card,SONA, P&P development sessions, AIESEC MBA, Night Stalk, Special workgroups and functional meets for all the management team members.

Overall, it was a great experience for all of us... and i am glad with the outcome of the conference!
And thanks to my teams mates ( all my MC's and LCPs)...from the responce that we got from all delegates, i can sefely say that we have "unleashed our powers and have started on this adventure"!!!!

My Role Model

When i was young i would,

Give him a peck on his cheek,

Everytime he left for office,

When I was young I would,

Wait for him by the door,

To see if he was coming,

When I was young I would,

Sit on the table,

When he was having his meals,

Hehehe... Thanks to him,

I learnt how to eat spice!

When I was young I would,

Wait for him to console me,

When I was crying, sad or just cranky,

He would carry me on his shoulder,

And suddenly the world would be bright again!

When I was young I would,

Thank God everynight,

For giving me a great dad,

A dad who was always there for us,

A dad I admired so much,

A dad who taught me a lot about life,

A dad who inspired me to shape my own future,

A dad who challenged me to live my dreams,

A dad who always support me in everything I wanted to persue,

A dad who grew to become MY ROLE MODEL!

Thank you for everything you have done for all of us all these years!I wouldnt be anything today if it wasnt for you!I love you a lot daddy.... I LOVE YOU!

~by Anisha Sasheendran Ck Balan