goodwill

I am so excited about my job as I have not been since my days in AIESEC!
We are doing a fair with service organizations that are going to present their work in front of our kids.
There is so much creative energy and love that buzz around that it is bound to be a success!
And I can feel the people smiling on the other side of the phone while talking to them.
The snowball of goodwill keeps rolling and rolling and gets bigger and bigger :)
Hope we can make a difference to some lives!

That's me...8 months after

Well...it seems I have been in India forever...
Funny how a life changes from year to year.
One year back at this time I was headhunted.
Two years back I was just starting on my first "serious" job
Three years back I had just come back from IC in India (fate maybe...)
Next year - who knows...
Now is the time for decisions.
I hope my intuition leads me in the right direction again.
and as Alanis Morisette used to say in one song
"Thank you India" :)
Our journey has not yet finished, yet I know that it is one of the most amazing journeys in my life so far!

Are you ALWAYS ON?

Recently Alcatel-Lucent launched an advertising campaign I just really love. It is built on our commitment to facilitate non-stop communication across the world.
The people in the campaign have various jobs – musicians, designers, architects, travel agents , but one thing is in common – they are all using innovative communications solutions to be ALWAYS ON.
The concept of being always on appeals to me very much. Indeed, before I came to India, I was so much ON-line that it was getting a bit scary. However, it is now more than ever that I realize what great difference modern communication tools like internet make to our lives.
Not being able to communicate with certain people as intensively as you are used to can be painful.
Not being able to blog regularly can be annoying.
Not being able to visit your favourite web-pages every day can put you in an information blackout.
Yet, however strong is my need to be always on…it is sometimes better to just grab a beer, sit under the stars and spend some time just talking to people…
What is your perception of being ALWAYS ON?

Working for Alcatel-Lucent

It has already been two weeks that I have been a part of the Corporate communications team of Alcatel-Lucent in India. I still have not undertaken any major project, I am still learning, asking loads of questions...
The job is rather interesting and my "bosses" are for sure people I can learn a lot from, both from personal and professional perspective.
So far, I have been more involved in External communications, mainly dealing with some press-conference and interactions. It is rather interesting to be on exactly the opposite side - that of the PR/Communications people, that need to communicate a clear message to the public. And even if they do...journalists can still destort the story (aaah, how nasty I have been to some PRs, now I realise ;))
And, Alcatel-Lucent has quite a bunch of interesting stuff to communicate indeed.
For example - a new security technology, called Laptop guardian, that helps protect confidential company information from being stolen (in case you loose your laptop), or the Femtocell, which allows people to get a good wireless signal within buildings where they are a lot of people using the same network.
Yet, what people always focus on the "bad news" - loses, people leaving, stocks prices falling down, job-cuts...Phew...Yet, this is perfectly normal for a huge company to have these when merging...And it is totally up to the people how they deal with change, ain't it?

Question is - what percentage of the people really have ownership and are willing to "deal with", rather than just switch to another job.

Matched!

It has already been two days and i still cannot believe it! Everybody was telling me how hard it is to find a proper AIESEC traineeship, that it takes so much effort and long months of sending e-mails.
Well, I got matched to the first position I applied. Maybe it is beginners luck :) Maybe it is destiny!
Ta-da-dam!
Alcatel-Lucent in India, here I come.
One year in Corporate communications in one of the most amazing countries in the world.
Working along with a Brazilian guy and a Lithuainian girl as AIESEC trainees in Bangalore and Chennai. Challenging myself. Learning a lot. Living a different culture.
The journey will start in less than two months.
I have always believed that there are roads that have to be followed.This is such a road. It might be difficult, unexpected, uncomfortable, dirty and long. Yet I have already stepped on it and I will walk till the end. Sure it will be an exciting journey!

I was accused of not writing here ;)

Today Boris (oh my dearest beloved Boris that has the habit of interrupting just when I am trying to work) accused me of not updating this blog. So I thought "OK, might be high time I wrote something. I am too busy writing in the Bulgarian blog and twittering indeed ;)
So, wazzup :)
I had a veery serious dilemma if I should change my job - I was unexpectedly headhunted by another media. After two weeks of intense decision making, I decided to stay where I am and...yupee, search for an AIESEC traineeship. Anything connected with Media, PR and Communications is warmly welcomed!
The new collegue came, so I am finally moving to the Careers and Management section of the Paper. God Almighty - what a miracle :)Of course, the new boss already found me some work for the first weeks!
Anyway, before that, I will allow myself a one week vacation, going to Varna and then home. I dunno what a vacation it might be with French studies around the corner, but still, I will be away of the office, that's pretty good!
Then, I am seriously considering to join a course of the London school of PR and on finishing it, I might have found some nice traineeship :)
Looks like it is going to be an interesting autumn!

My weekend in pictures: Saturday

Interesting food info in Borovetz

The Samokov hotel

The "You are not alone" campaign is well integrated in selling real estate

The jeeps for our extreme-safari

Picnic time ;)

Me (almost) on top of the world

Then and now

Me, one year ago in Varna, just before finishing University and starting my job at Capital.
Excited:)


Me,in Krakow, one year after I started being a journalist.
Disillusioned:(
Learned a lot:)

AIESEC and non-AIESEC emotions

In the last few days I was
...excited about AIESEC, as Emo invited me on the official panel of BLDS. It is really an honour to be among Koceto, Krasi, Kalin:)
...happy because of AIESEC, when I saw the people applying for LCP of LC Plovdiv. I remembered the old days back in my home LC Varna.
...sad because of AIESEC,because the way the same elections in Plovdiv were organised and ended
I was also excited for I had to take a major risk at work. I had to decide if I am willing to change my field. I did it and I do not regret.
I would never forgive myself if I had missed the chance.
Better regret for decisions made, then for decisions not made...

Blogging misfortunes

Blogging is a very nice thing.
BUT...there is one big but, as someone used to say:)
Since Saturday, I cannot open my Bulgarian blog which really drives me crazy. I just send a letter to the support team of wordpress and I am keeping a my fingers crossed that I will get an answer.Soon. I hate not knowing...
Besides these blogging misfortunes there is one good piece of blogging news from me:)
Today, a month or so after the idea was born, I started my Real estate blog on the Capital website.
It will be a great challenge for me, as I believe there isn't a good Bulgarian blog on this topic. I have the ambition to make mine one:)

Slow down week

Are you feeling a bit stressed lately?
How much time are u spending with your friends and loved ones?
Do you actually take time to think bout that?
Well, it seems that some good people have invented the "Slow down week" which happens to be just next week:)
What better time to stop and enjoy life - over a cappucino with friends, a long walk or a good book.
Check the flash of the "Slow down week" here :)

Lack of communication

I found out that I really hate the lack of communication at work.
It is not that I am interested very much in everyone's personal life, but still - I think it is good to know some basic stuff about people - so you can start some kind of "small talk" when necessary.
Well, seems it is not so important to other people.
For example - we do share birthdays and namedays, but other nice (or not so nice) stuff is not shared.
I just learned today that two of my collegues were pregnant (wouldn't hurt if they told us:) )
When one of my collegues left - it was not officially announced.
When another one was moved to another job-position within the company - nothing.
When three new people came - also - no official presentation in front of the others.
I guess it is the HR's responsibility to do these, yet people might also dare to take the lead.
They have nothing to loose in the situation:)

Happy birthday:)

Today is my first birthday:)
Yep, you are not mistaken. I know that you know that my birthday is actually in July (though you may have forgotten to call me, you are excused).
Butyesterday the paper I am working for has a birthday. My first birthday here.
The editor in chief made a very nice joke to us, telling us that we have to attend a "very important presentation by our guest Marta that is auditing us and giving advice how to improve our performance".
So, we went to a nice restaurant near the office, expecting to attend a long, and maybe a bit boring event.Then Galia (the editor) came in front and said - well, guys, you see that we have to make some changes, to cut of around 70%, we have to do this and that...and, besides, we will be moving to a new office (here she showed a picture of a terrain near the Kremikovtzi factory, one of the durtiest places in Sofia. At this point I couldn't stand it and - as you can see I was laughing like hell:).

At the end, it all turned to be a joke and we had a very nice cake and cocktail.
It is the 13th birthday for Capital.
First for me.
How many more? Who knows...when I was applying, I couldn't tell my boss that I will dedicate my life for the cause. I really like it, it is challenging, yet, I also like to feel free in a way. As I shared with one of my collegues yesterday - when I feel I have no more to give and get I will move forward. It happens naturally...

Corporate brainwashing and AIESEC

Today I came to think of the following.
When AIESEC was created, it started with the simple enthusiasm of several people, who wanted (rather naively and idealistically) to change the world. It is good to have such people, yet nowadays it seems to me that they getting less and less...
Maybe AIESEC is one of the last places where you can find so many of them together.
I was thinking - we did change a lot as an organisation through the years.However - did we change into the right direction, did we manage to be flexible enough to deliver to society the "positive change" we promised.
True, a lot of corporate leaders may be influenced by AIESEC, yet isn't AIESEC influenced too much by corporations?
We, as an organisation are so proud of the people we are producing - yet - are they really changing something? Or we are just boasting ourseleves on being "the best, the most, the biggest"?
AIESEC is so simple, as all great things.Yet, during my years in the organisation I saw a tendency that is gaining more and more influence. Things have been complicated, strategies have been developed, difficult terms used, words ruled over actions.We have become the BIGGEST YOUTH-RUN BUSINESS NGO.
Yet, if we are produsing the people that the busenss needs - how NON-CORPORATE are we?
Isn't the whole idea of AIESEC experience and vision 2010 just a preparation for the big CORPORATE BRAINWASHING that we are preparing ourselves for?
Because - let us be honest - we are not staying in AIESEC and striving for excellence only to "save the world", but to make ourseleves better and easily sold to our PARTNERS.
When this thought dawned on me...I was shocked.
I am not against AIESEC Brainwashing,nor against brainwashing in general.
I was just shocked to realise the complexity of the world I am living in. And my inability to change something drastically.

My new office with a smile:)

The sign says "editor's office" in Bulgarian. I found it in one bar, where this is actually the entrance to the toilet:)

AIESEC and the difference

After two weeks of my real job I got to realize that I have lived in a dream while being in AIESEC.
True, I have held positions and took a great deal of responsibility.Still it felt like I was as if I was in one big family.I knew that whatever I did, even if I screwed up...they will forgive me.
Now it feels different.
I have to learn a lot of new things. I have to take the lead and search for the answers I need, as nobody seems aware of the fact that I am a bit lost. Here, AIESEC attitude helps a great deal. Asking, searching, being proactive...But if I was in AIESEC, I would have a person - alumni, or a teammember - helping me realise what is actually happening, leading me through my learning.It seems I have never realised that the words about mentoring,learning process and competency model are more than theoretical stuff. I just realise how important they are.
And the attitude. AIESEC is warm, like staying at the fireplace in a cold rainy day. Well, this is in most of the cases...We are trying to be business, but we are still holding on to our dreams that we can change the world. We are actually living these dreams, and therefore feeling like a huge family.
I remember that during my President term a lot of times I wished that people in the organisation worked as real professionals, made less mistakes, were more responsible. Well, now I miss the warmth of my family, in the real business world where everyone is so polite, smiling, yet rarely caring.

Random thoughts...

Number 1:
Am I not a true emotional exhibitionist? Having two blogs, discussing my emotional state with my closest friends?Am I not the same as the person that I fear I might be?
Was I like that before I moved to Sofia?

Number 2:
I recently realised that I am closing in myself.When I am walking down the streets I put the music and just switch of the entire surrounding world. Isn't the music a way to close myself in my little world where the bad things from this one cannot reach me?

Number 3:
Yesterday I stayed at the office till 1.30 a.m. for the first time. It was disturbingly exciting. It will become a routine I guess, even a boring responsibility maybe...Still I am very worried not to become "grey" and loose my dreams. Everybody around seems so engulfed in their own life and so business - cold...I do not want to be like that!

Number 4:
Am I really expecting too much of people and of life? Am I really searching for some extraordinary feelings?Why cannot I be satisfied with what I have? Why cannot I stop searching? Will my life end on the track chasing a dream?

The dice is thrown...

I have made the choice for my future career development or at least the next several years of it.
It is decided.
I was offered a permanent job at "Capital" and I accepted.
I will be responsible for writing for Real Estates and Building sectors.
That's it.The coice.Good or bad.
That's it.
I think I am happy:)
And I have a pile of Real estate magzines to read:)

Positivity attracts positivity:)

There must be some truth when people say that the attitude influences the things that happen to you during the day.
Today was an example on that.
In the morning we went to see a flat, and - we found our home. A nice - two room apartment in the centre of Sofia, with a view to Alexander Nevski cathedral from one of the terrases.
The owner is an artist - and the place is really cosy. Seems that God again has thought about it ;)To place artistic people in artistic house :)
Since the morning, a huge burden fell off my heart and I started to feel happy and excited.
Then, we went to have coffee in one of the small streets of Sofia - just opposite Dani's ( a nice tiny restaurant). I love these small streets. They are so timless...I felt as if I am not in Sofia and it is not Tuesday:)
There was a couple - a woman in her 40ies ( when I saw her I thought how ruthless time is - it was clear that she had been beautiful some years ago, but now...) and a man, maybe in his 50ies and they were speaking French.
It was quite interesting. To chat like that not in your native language, but in French...
Then, at work - Jana had a birthday and me and Hrisi prepared a little surprise - a wooden elephant with stick-it notes. Jana was so happy.
And, shame on us - we ate so much ice-cream - a whole box of half a kilo...
Then, I was thinking over that strange situation - I don't have a boyfriend for a year now, yet I have been emotionally entangled in something like a "relationship". I have considered myself "single" yet was I really single???
Anyways - after an afternoon of taking an online course at on reporting basics, I was given an interesting task on international transportation.Will start the research tomorrow.
I received a farewell mail from Mike and it made me feel how great the people I have met in AIESEC are. And how happy I am to have had the chance to meet them.
And now, I am going to see Mimka and the two CEEDers from UK and Poland that are now in Plovdiv.
Seems that my positive mood from the morning is giving results all through the day :)