New articles at CultureLab U.K. - 2007-10-17: "Misjudgments, poor practice and ineffective systems", 2007-10-03: The Diana And Dodi Inquest Is Under Way

2008-Feb-16
Valentine's day
On one of those cold winter days, Anca came up with an idea to spend the Valentine's day together... together with some of our dear girl friends, who are (oh my, how unexpected...) still on available on the new Exchange module .

So a plan was set: pajama night with movies that make girls cry, eat lots of ice-cream and play games.


And so this day came... the 14th of February... the day of all the lovers.

And we met in Rimi to get everything necessary for our plan:
1. Our gear girl friends - Evita, Laura and Lelde;
2. Food... which turned out to be very healthy - ice-cream, pop-corn, chips, bread, Nutella and... a bit of girlish drinks to spice up the night.

After getting everything we needed... the craziest girls (guess which ones ) proposed to go to Mc Donalds.
We really had decided to use all the means to spoil ourselves that night...

Let me share with You some of our "wise" ideas and thoughts we came up with during the night:

  • First and the most important: don't be so selfish and egoistic and take into consideration that there are billions of people without their second half... so You are not the only one who should feel special due to this reason! /Lelde/
  • Oranges are energizers! /Jana and Anca as life examples/
  • Ass is very important! /Anca... + most of the participants/
  • Next to Anca everyone is just a wallpaper. So if You want to be noticed, You really have to think of the best way (examples, deep decolte)... /everyone apart from Anca (coz she doesn't like competition )/
  • Everything good in the movies is just a fantasy, it is not real and doesn't happen in real life!!! /Anca very seriously/
  • You can do everything, it is Kuba's bed! /Author unknown/
  • Better just ask "Who is it on the picture?" than guess it wrong each time! /To Evita/
  • About oranges. "I think they are not good. They are Jana's ... or maybe Kuba's. Anyway... still bad!" /Anca/
  • I am hot. I am with Evita. (Most important conclusion - Evita is really hot!) /Jana/
  • I think that there is somebody snoring all the time. Maybe Kuba is home? /Evita/
  • Shut up! /Randomly to different people by different people/
  • Anca, be fun! - I am fun! - Be more fun! /Jana - Anca - Jana/
  • Situation. We are playing mimes... and someone has the idea: we all 4 are coming up with a word and then Evita tries to show it to us and we guess. /Anca/
  • Evita doesn't like "sinking"! /Evita... confirmed by everyone/
  • You know, on Valentine's they don't celebrate it in bed! /Anca/
At the end of the night (which was 5:30 in the morning) we were looking back at the night and came to conclusions:
  1. This was an unbelievably cool Valentine's day (really, really, really).... but next year it would be better (just for a change) to celebrate it with guys.
  2. Every movie can be made better by watching it with the best company and laughing our asses out during dramatic moments....
  3. On Valentine's day romantic and "crying" movies do not make You cry... they make You make fun of every stupid moment in it!
And so we parted in the early morning. With a sensation of having spent an amazing Valentine's day with an amazing company....
and happy that the day is already behind our backs!

Here You can enjoy some of the pictures taken during the day... or should I say - night...
Valentine's day pictures

To my dear girl friends: thanks a lot! As I said before, it was my best Valentine's day up till now! And You made it be so! Thank You!
posted by Nany at 07:39 | in: Love
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2007-Dec-3
ex BEx and "into the unknown"
    It was very dark and even though there were three of us, it was scary.

    Maybe it was the impact of the powerful view...maybe it was the impact of the night and darkness around us...maybe it was something that we have never seen before and it was the impact of the surprise that was clearly visible on our faces...maybe it was a combination of many factors and feelings together... though my guess is that it was the influence of scary stories that we were telling each other on our way there...

"Way where" You might ask...

The place where Daugava meets the sea.

You might ask what we were doing there.

    Well... normal teams make reunions in cafes... ex BEx team likes to improvise. We went to the sea. In the night. Just three of us.

    The view was amazing. Foggy eve, some crazy and incomprehensible shapes on the sea, lighthouse just like You can find them in horror movies... Our way through the forest into the splendid view of the river meeting the sea, wind, spooky lighthouse, and a dark way into the sea to reach the lighthouse.

     Three brave girls ready to conquer the world with that daring attitude. And then the wind got stronger... Well, that was quite a quick turn back, I can tell You!  As Laura said "samīzām kedā" - "chickened out"... But all three at the same time. This is what You can call a real team work. We went and we were brave together, we turned and we "chickened out" together as well! 

    Out of it all.... I can suggest this as a great teambuilding event! It's a lot of fun!

    Today I am very happy. It's been more than one year that I know those two girls: Laura and Lelde. And there are not enough words to express my feelings towards them. People that made my day bright when I was down, people that gave me courage and strength when I needed it the most, people that inspired me and made me come to a lot of revelations about myself and the world around...

    Girls, thank You for this! My deepest gratitude goes to You! And love...

    You know what You should to do now, don't You?!?
posted by Nany at 01:01 | in: AIESEC
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2007-Sep-16
Energy 2007 in Tartu, Estonia
I have great news...OK, better than just great:

I WAS SELECTED TO BE A FACILITATOR ON ENERGY 2007!!!

This will be my first serious faci experience and I am really looking forward to it.
My co-faci will be Mysty from Romania and we will be leading an 8 hours session about eXchange and external relations for newies.
And... my agenda manager will be *deny*. What else can I wish for? I got to work with a person that I admire and feel very comfortable working with!

I remember last year, when Energy took place in Lithuania, Šiauliai. I went there as a newie, being in AIESEC only 2 month. And I the conference. It was so inspiring... the people I met there, the people I got to know better... I still believe that that was one of the best conferences I have ever attended.
And friendships that I made there truly are for life. Best examples are Jon and Chris. Both were facilitators. And both of them filled my life with beautiful moments after Energy. Chris lived at my place for a week and a half and we had lots of opportunities to discuss world issues such as starvation in Africa and also the cultural differences that we observed in each other and society.
Jon is a completely different story. Can honestly name him my favorite faci. I remember Pbox session and how we were standing in an empty room while everyone was dinning... we were discussing our experience, our backgrounds, our beliefs... and guess what! It turned out that even though we come from totally different countries - Latvia and China (Hong Kong) - we are so very similar that we could finish each others sentences without listening till the end.
Every conversation that we had was full of discoveries and excitement. Thank You, Jon, for it!
The smile that curled up my lips when You called me while I was in Warsaw and when it turned out that You just left it and was just one hour away from me... Nice memories... and nice meetings. By the way, next time tea on me!
I am not even mentioning Umit... that crazy Turkish/German chair. So inspiring and motivating. I still  have the plane he sent me... ... and I still haven't managed to get to know how to dance properly the most beautiful AIESEC dance. At least it is beautiful to me... or maybe it was Umit who made it so beautiful???

Ah, and this year I will have this opportunity to inspire and give directions to the newies, to make them feel special and unique.. as they are!

Looking forward to this life changing experience!

P.S. If You cannot see the picture, click on it for options and choose "View picture".
posted by Nany at 01:54 | in: AIESEC
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2007-Sep-16
To Jack
Seems like yesterday... the day that I picked You up from the airport as a part of my erasmus buddy responsibilities. And by the way, I still haven't received any feedback about how I managed it all. My predictions... not so good!
The beginning was quite tiresome but really fantastic! Spending almost 24/7 with You and Your lovely sister (BTW, how is she?)..
And then there was a trip to Rundāle...which somehow makes me question if You still remember it, sleeping beauty...?!? (You can find some proof of it in the album: Aristocracy)
It was very nice, especially coz Jūlija and Eelco were there as well... my dear daddy.
Observing the life of aristocracy, dancing in the ball rooms, having a walk in the garden and... HAVING LOTS OF FUN!
One thing I really must admit: Giacomo, darling, Your really knew how to make me smile and party my ass out!
I also remember clubbing... "Far&gate" and go-go dancers coming to You and "offering themselves" as You friends for that eve... that was funny. Especially seeing how You try to get out of that situation! Ah... but what can You do if You have an image of a typical Italian...
I am somehow wondering weather the attitude of girls changed over time... I mean, the stereotypes about "ciao bella".. remember that it pissed You off... Did You manage to change that?

Ah... and here comes the blank period... trying to set up a meeting and somehow not being able to come to some solution. Such a shame...
You know, it really felt so weird when You told me that You are home already and I understood that it is not for granted that I will ever see You again. But... You never know what might happen... and I do plan to go back to Italy if not to live there than to visit my friends for sure. And I think that I can call You my friend as well...
Ā... how was it about showing me around Torino?

Jack, I really am sorry for not writing You more, for being "sempre impegnata"! That should not be an excuse...

And now that You wrote me and asked if You are included in my blog... hi hi... well, now You are! Satisfied?

And... I am looking forward to hearing from You about the result of the game and Your last exams!


Missing You quite some ,
bacio,
Nany

posted by Nany at 11:53 | in: Love
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2007-Sep-15
News in my album...
Guys... as I made this blog, suddenly such a huge amount of memories rushed through my mind that I decided to share some of them with You...
So here it comes, some extracts from my time in Italy...not even close to everything there is... You can find pictures with comments in my album!
Enjoy!
posted by Nany at 11:21 | in: Love
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2007-Sep-15
My 1st entry.... I have my first serious blog!
A miracle has happened.... I have created a blog!

I remembered my time in Italy... 1 beautiful year full or adventure, knowledge, new people and fun fun fun... and how much effort it took to write those long letters to my friends and then separate ones to my family. It was quite nice and not so bothersome at the beginning, as I was full of energy, full of new impressions that I wanted to deliver to the ones I had left behind. I wanted them to see it all with my eyes. And I really do have a terrible habit of writing everything in details... and, well, writing almost novels. It all changed within couple of month. I started to write much less and at the end I was communicating only through messengers...
So... looking back at that time, I came to a conclusion that the best way to let my friends know how I am doing and what's new in my always changing life, is by creating a blog!

And here it comes.... my blog
: Nany...

Some...ok, almost all of You will wonder why it is called "Nany" and why my nick name is Nany coz I am sure that almost none of You have ever heard about it...
The story goes like this: ever since I was a small girl, my mum called me "Nanīts" which is a slight modification of my name. No one knew of this nick name... only my family.
BUT... my dear co-faci and chair of LTS in Valmiera *deny*, after getting to know this nick name that my mum uses, decided to put me in the session outlines as Nany.
This is how my new nick name was born.
It is a bit weird for me as well, but somehow feels very comfortable and very much me.

So.... welcome to Nany's blog, where You will be able to discover what's up in my world and maybe take a look at it through my "never taken off pink glasses"!

Sincerely Yours,
Nany

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