How is rain in Lahore?

It's raining here in Bucharest today and I was thinking on my way to the office about how is the rain in Lahore. Days ago I was talking with Adeel on GTalk about rain, and about those kind of feelings that rain might awake in you. I personally love the sun and the sea, and swimming and the warm weather. So, rain is not among my favourite natural phenomenons; and still, today's rain was different. Was still, and there was no mud on the alleys or on the streets, the air was very, very fresh although I am in the heart of Bucharest, where is mostly cement and blocks, it smelled a little like spring and a little like winter, :) confusing smells and confusing state of being. This winter was particularly weird, I still miss the snow, but I really hope now for the real spring to come, to be able to go again to Cismigiu Garden and to enjoy the magnolias and the lake and everything. I'm sure it's going to be a weird spring also.

So my dear friends, how is rain in Lahore? :))

same aura

another kind of post

I am standing now with this silent keyboard in front of me, having it like a best friend, and just letting things to move ahead, together with my thoughts. It's been so long since I allowed myself to day dream and to think of life in general; I just read some of your blogs guys and I found so much motivation and inspiration in them, I feel like I just woke up from a deep, deep sleep, with no dreams, no hopes and no life. I wonder how could I for almost 2 years only hear the news at the TV but never actually listen, how I met so nice people and never actually get to know them, how I listened my favorite music and never perceived its message, how could I just be so blind and death and insensible.

I was yesterday in the subway coming from the embassy and a young man, I mean around 40 years old, passed by me and he only had one leg, he was using those crutches for helping him walk, and I felt so much compassion for him, but in the same time I forgot to see things like, God, that was his LIFE, that was normal to him. I mean, must be so tiring to see people around you feeling only compassion when you have still so much to give to the world and you have such an amalgam of emotions to share. I do not know why am I writing this here, maybe because it impressed me so much, but yesterday I choose to put it behind like I do daily, as Bucharest is full with this kind of examples of just life.

When almost 10 years ago I had that awful car accident and my mom lost the ability to see with one eye, I felt like the world is going to be over. Now, looking behind, I understand that normality for her is to see with only one eye, to take care of her more carefully, to take medicines daily for keeping the ability of the other eye and to just look forward as she is only 45 years old.

I was thinking so much lately at what normality is, and I ask you guys, what is being normal?

In a world with so many discrepancies, with richness and with poorness, with so much technology and with so many in-capacities, what is normal? are you normal? is your life normal? God, I wish I have an answer to this question.

ending here now, aura

I am sad

I know I should be happy, I just went to the embassy and apply for the visa, things are really happening, I am now planning my time for leaving everything behind me in the right order, with my contracts, with my job, with everything. But, I just can not help myself hating the fact that there is no one around me whom I could talk about all this adventure, about Pakistan, about AIESEC, about me taking this decision, about what to expect, about what will be different and what will be the same. I know I have your support my dear AIESEC in Pakistan, and I am very, very grateful because you write to me, you talk to me on GTalk, MSN, I really am, it's just here in Romania I can talk about this only with Delia, my mom, and ... that's about it, when I have the desire to actually tell everybody: "you know, I'm gonna go to Pakistan for half a year!" It's sad not having with whom to share this feeling of excitement and happiness, and the worries and ... everything :(

But, I'll get over it. Hopefully I will get the visa and then I will be able to tell this in the office also, and everywhere, on MSN, on YMsg, over the phone, well ... EVERYWHERE!!!!!

Until then, I'll just write here and talk about it with Delia and with you guys, listen some Pakistani music and plan things ahead :))

Hope to see you very soon!

same aura

me, at work in the office

a drop of Bucharest

Bucharest, with love

Good news, Inshallah

Good morning AIESEC Pakistan!!

yes, I know in Pakistan is almost 4 in the morning, here is just 1 and I just couldn't go to sleep without writing here some words. A good thing happen today (I mean yesterday :P), I managed to call the Pakistani embassy in Romania and although I was attention not to be too trustful :) I talked with the visa officer and it seems there are good chances to get a NGO visa for coming to Lahore. Now, I am very, very happy and I hope it will not end in a disappointment first, but actually does not matter, I'll get it one way or another, right?

Beside that, I started my day at 6 AM last morning, I had an interview in the office, managed some urgent tasks and did a paper for an exam I had in the afternoon. The day was full indeed, but not too crazy. Today, well, a client meeting at 09:30 and then, finishing the planning and the preparation for an Assessment Center session we'll have on Saturday in the office, for 18 people, this is a challenge, but will be done successfully.

Now that you know my plan, you know you can reach me anytime, so, I'll stop here and go to bed. Take care of yourselves and see you soon, right?

same aura

just some pics

Fall in Cismigiu garden, Bucharest

Bratislava, view from the castle up the hill

Looking for a map -- also Bratislava

same Bratislava -- this is what I mean by a HUGE HUG :)

Vienna -- Schoennbrun Castle

oh God, is so good to live your dream!!

I can not believe I did not find the time yesterday to post something here :D I had a very full day, full of events, full with meeting new people, full with lots of enthusiasm, laugh, happiness, and excitement. Do you still wonder why? Because I'm coming to Pakistan, of course :D

I talked yesterday with at least ten members of @ in Pakistan and it felt great, I felt welcomed, I felt already like part of AIESEC Pakistan, and these feelings are awesome.

And, in the evening I met with Delia to plan the next steps for getting the visa and preparing everything for my arrival there. You can imagine me and Del, in a McDonald's restaurant, listening I do not know what song of Madonna's and at one moment, Delia just leaves her hamburger down and she lays on her back into that comfortable armchair, and says: I can not believe it, I'm listening same Madonna's song, I'm tasting the same hamburger in a McDonald's restaurant and I'm talking to you about Pakistan, I have the impression that I'm there.

And now, because I know she wants so, so bad to come once again in Pakistan, I'm telling her: Imagine how in October, when I'll end my traineeship, you and I will listen the same Madonna's song, will taste the same hamburger, in a McDonald's restaurant ... in Karachi :) -- well, you can imagine her reaction, right? :)))

I can not even imagine making a better choice regarding a traineeship ever, or going now someplace else. God, I talked yesterday with wonderful people, actually I managed to actually "talk" into a microphone with Moaiz, you can imagine my excitement, in the beginning I was speechless, I think Moaiz was wondering if his speakers are on or not :D

I already have some very interesting offers form you guys ;), some cooking offers from Adeel, but I have to ask him nicely because I changed my message on MSN with his wish of Happy Birthday, and now, well, I have to take consequences :P and I also have an offer of some Urdu lessons for starters from Yahya :) well, what can I say?! What more can I ask? Just you tell me what!!! :D

That's it for now, you can imagine from where I'm sending this post :P so, more to come, hopefully in the evening.

same aura

the youngest hour

It's almost 1 AM in Bucharest and what am I doing? working, and yes, just opened a beer and while listening a good selection of international music I'm trying to finish an assignment for an Assessment Center from almost 10 days ago. I experienced today some first reactions to my decision to come to Pakistan :) My mom just went home from Bucharest and told her boss how wonderful was our mini-vacation in Bratislava and Vienna and told him that I'm considering going to Pakistan for half a year, his reaction? extraordinary :)) happy for me and encouraging for my mom, wonderful man. Soon more reactions to come :D

As the day passed I did another small step to Pakistan, I booked a flight and Delia talked to the consulate here in Romania -- actually I am meeting her tomorrow to plan everything in detail -- and I also did my sponsorship letter and have some ideas about some target companies or people to approach with my request. So, slowly, things are moving forward.

Another interesting thing happen today, as you might know, or not, I posted a message on the forum of AIESEC in Lahore introducing myself in a few words and leaving there some contact details for who's interested in meeting me before actually landing in Lahore, and today, a guy added me in his list on MSN and I found out he is also an alumni of AIESEC, he was VP X in Dubai and that currently he runs his own business. Wow, so many things in one day.

To bother you with more work related issues? just one -- I'm experiencing now that cost of opportunity I learned about in faculty, I've been given the opportunity to travel in the next two months to Budapest, Prague and Moscow -- unfortunatelly and luckely I will be in Lahore that time -- but this is how life's going, as my friend Delia told me these past days, the biggest enemy of "best" is "good" -- hopefully I'm getting rid of "good" to find in Lahore "best" or at least its first step.

I'm stoping now, still have some work to do :)

same aura

About today

I had so many things to do today, and in the beginning everything was so important, not to say also urgent. Now, I'm ok, managed to go through the day :) I'm involved now in a regional project and managing romanian operations, it's InBev, you might know it :)) and I'm evaluating now candidates' motivations. I had 10 days ago almost 30 candidates in a huge Assessment Center, and one of the exercises was to determine their future plans. It's so interesting to read what these young people dream and expect from their lives in term of professional career. I am wondering what I would write if I were them. Actually, I would know what to write now :) but years ago, or months ago, or even in the end of the last year, I wouldn't know what to write, what to want, what to dream of.

Now, coming back to reality, I still have three exams and three papers to do for passing those exams, and I just can not find the mood for learning. I appreciate so much those who can work and also graduate a faculty.

Well, I think I'll just have to learn :)

same aura