Now i am sitting in a bed in Chile it 11 p.m. I m dying and wanting to go sleep but before I want to put down some thoughts from last days..
After being 3 months in Argentina, I was assigned to go to Chile to the local comittees there to help , advice and coach them. So I went.. With no clear expectation with fear of next culture hock, being scared of Chilean very very fast Spanish..
I was again late, running from the Office to the bus station going through several checking places and passport control, got on the coolest bus I have ever been before. When I was buying ticket- I could choose if I want to go by normal or „royal“class. The difference was 10 USD s I chose royal awaiting 20 hours of travelling.. and it was sooo cool, stright form the beginning they brought us sprite and chocolate then we had ho dinner then wine,.. actually I had the feeling that we were eating all the time..
Funny thing was that in the whole bus there were around 10 ppl and exactly next to me was sitting a chilean guy that wanted to talk.. but did not speak English.. and so it happened that I had my first „advanced“ conversation in Spanish in my life!!! :D
All my friends that were crossing the mountains to Chile have amazing memories from the mountains and everything, for me the view was also beautiful but I have another memories...
On the frontiers all of us had to get off the bus and got o passport control.. a bit late I realized that I do not have the stamp of coming to Argentina (when I remembered my estate coming form Brazil with fever and caughing after 30 hours spending on airports I really did not think about importance of having a bit of blue ink in my passport..stupid..)..so I hoped they will take it easy.. as everything.. BUT- they did not.. I had to pay 15 USD for this stamp and for being in Argentina for last month illegally..
Then we moved to Chilean boarder and to declaration place- I declared „I have nothing to declare- neither vegetable fruits, etc- although I had like 2 bananas, 1 apple- for me- this is really nothing to declare- i was going to eat it on the way..
BUT I did not know that it is forbidden to bring ANY fruit or vegetable to Chile,.. and I put my fruit into my sleeping bag because my Backpack could not absorb anything else.. after declaration control through this infraview they took my sleeping bag and found the fruit.. first of all they asked me if I knew I had it there- I said“ of course I put it there!“ they:“ so why did you write you have nothing to declare!“ „Because it is just 2 oranges and 1 apple, it is nothing“ For them it was not “Nothing” for them I wanted illegally import forbidden goods to Chile!!… After small argument and discussion and my desperate face, they forced me to write another declaration that I brought fruit, took my oranges and apple :(..and let me go.. (I was lucky- as Emil said to me later I could pay very high fee..)
In Santiago waited already for me Javi and took me to my new temporary home:)
Coaching in Santiago was so great!! I like the people here, I like their ideas, I like they are willing to do something-at least those I talked to..
Joaco is cool, we have lot of fun here- he made me to do a presentation about Czech Republic at „international Business“ class in the school- so I motivated several people to go for internship to Czech republic ;).. it was veeery interesting and I god very nice feedback from the profesor :P, and business card to start a cooperation with my university back in Brno hehe :)
VPER- Martin was teaching me Spanish- on one day he took me around Santiago and we were practising :). Anyway- in Santiago I felt very soon as at home, it was very very nice environment, it was much cleaner than in Argentina, it seemed to be more developed, and people there were not so "noisy"..
After several days I went to Vina de Mar.
This was totally but totally different experience. At the beginning before- I was trying to contact the Eb to know where to go how to go, who will wait for me, if I have place to sleep.. several hours before my departure form Santiago I just knew- yes I will have place to sleep :).
On the station I met Nico- VPER with his Team-mate Carlitos and we went to their University.. MY GOD- such a university I have never seen- they told me that Sveta(last MC) called it Harry Potter s house- and I totally agreed- anyway I liked it- it was old, ancient but was really interesting.. going on the wooden corridor and hear the ground „singing“ :)..
I met first Nico, then the LCP then I made a meeting with VP X and that was it- n the visit I realized that VP F quitted, VP TM was about to quit, and the worst thing for me- the LCP did not speak much English.. I so much wanted to talk, to explain to see really what is happening.. but when you cannot explain the things and cannot talk so much with the person it is soo hard.. sooo hard..
In Vina just several people speak English- I really believe that they can speak, they are just afraid and it is much more comfortable to not to speak with me and speak Spanish.. I was so happy with each person that at least tried, asked at least- how do you like Vina..
It was my first time I felt totally homesick, angry with myself that I did not study more Spanish, sad with the despair- what I will do here if the people do not understand me.. How can I help them???After one day in Vina I was sitting in the university in the morning thinking about all tis stuff, almost crying, chatting with my cousin, talking about „being homesick“ when we are soo far away (she was half a year in Turkey..) and letting her cheer me up a bit :)..
And then suddenly there was a breakpoint.. I met Vicky- a person that was responsible for CSR event in the Local committee and we started to update the plan of the event- se was listening a lot, coming up with ideas- I found a very smart person, somebody that is catching the things really fast and make a huge change in Vina.. I was so happy about our meeting- after that we went for lunch and for amazing Chilean ice-cream, talking a lot about LC and people and how are things going and how they could go.
Then in the afternoon I was having meeting wit Pau- marketing Coordinator- first of all I thought that we will speak in English, but after several minutes I realized that it will not work like that at all.. So – we had meeting in Spanish. 2 hours talking about marketing, planning and tracking, drawing a lot ;), explaining- but we managed, and after my second meeting of the day I was really satisfied and started to believe in things moving in this LC. I was even helping a bit with preparation of Assessment Centers for Exchange participants (almost forgot how it is on LC level..:) and on Saturday I had last meeting with EB and all ppl who were interested. What was interesting- all of them were just guys..It was very funny for me coming form country where usually of the AIESEC membership are girls :P.
I was drawing on the board trying to speak slow and make sure that everybody understand- we put down all the LC processes and people involved and realized that several people are working on 3 or more places and there are some areas not covered by people at all.. Step by step we put down the things that needed to be made, I saw guys understood my points and I felt much more confidence while leaving the LC. Anyway- they are working just one year and many things are missing- but the people there have a lot of energy and if they invest it the right way- it can change many things.
Just one more point- I was living in a house on the beach with a view on the ocean.. Oh My God!! It was sooo amazing!!
On Sunday I met Emil In Santiago- it was so great to see him!! As I would meet my brother J. We were talking a looooooooot.. He invited me to the late lunch with his family- it reminded me our lunches at home (a bit homesickness again..), the family was very nice, and Emils dad speaks perfect English so we talked a lot. I was very happy to share and listen to his experience.
Then on the way to Argentina we were talking soooo much, sharing frustrations and happiness, talking abou everything possible and drinking incredible Chilean yogurt.. that was my journey back “home” :)..
Other pictures you can find on http://picasaweb.google.sk/pospisilova.m/
