up-date!!!:) - my "first times"

Today is 3 weeks that I came here:))
can't belive :)! really so fast :) I need to do so many many things and one of them -studying Spanish:))ahh...........
ok, what was I doing last and this week:)

Ok. I need to write it!I needJeveryday is unique, is something new, new tasks, people, placesJ

Last week I had my first day in NGO “Nuestra escuela” –that deals with youth education and leadership development program for schoolchildren also. First day I was at “Institution of leaders” – it’s monthly program for youth (whose parents working in one bank of Puerto Rico). So during this program they attend every day this “institute”. They have different developing activities and after this month they can be volonteers in youth organization for one year. After that they can apply for advanced level of this program, which is more complicated. After it U also can continue to work in this youth organization and keep volunteering. I like it very much. When I got there in the morning there were a lot of people – it was interesting meeting (actually activity). Children were coming into the room –one by one and they were showing how the person that they consider him/her a leader acts and behaves. After this each child invited her/his leader and talked to his/her leader why he/she think so. It was really touchy – everybody was crying –even men. I was ok, and was not crying , but at the end I remember my mom in the airport – and yeh, I had this feeling- a bit sad and nostalgic. It’s too sharp change inmy life to go very smoothly, I’d feel more comfortable, if before I lived out of home for some time, in Ukraine I mean. But it’ll be ok. I feel that I have strong support here, and it helps me a lot – my dear dear teammate –Fati and my caring “boss”. And people in general are very-very friendly. Fati once came to the office with words: “ I have cultural shock”. I was scared – what happened to her. She just came to buy coffee. But it was good “cultural shock”-positive one. Before this, in the morning Fati burnt her fingers with steam while she cooked. So it hurt a bit. When she was buying a coffee in local student fast-food, she told to lady (without any purpose) that today she burnt finger and it hurts . (People here can talk to each other , even if they see first time in life and they don’t know each other. It’s kind of habit and culture. I like it:) and then the lady was very caring about Fati – she proposed her ointment and plaster , she was so caring about her, she told her that Fati can take the medicaments and back them next day. She cares about the girl so much as she was her mother. Fati was astonished and really excited about this cultural fact. And actually if u are lost , or u want to get to know something – it’s not a problem – people will help u , and help u a lot. Only one thing can happen – that they don’t know English (not some many people don’t know English – but u can meet tem:)

And more about my first day at my Development internship – second part of the day – it was “Talent show” from children. It was amazing! I loved it! All of them turned to have really hobbies or sports that they are doing and it was great , to see that actually. I remember about what I can do and how was it when I was small and younger –actually I was doing a lot. and it’s cool!

Next day I was also at my internship – we have agreement with MC- that I’m working there half of week for internship – half for MC. So next day I was going to another city (it’s 15-25 mins by car). There is the school for children that drop from the school. I like it also very much. For me it was new – that bigger part of teachers stuff didn’t know English . it’s not huge stuff – there are only around 7 teachers and social workers. But still…It was new to me. But people are friendly and asked a lot about Ukraine and all staff. I was just spending time with them, seeing the process of giving credit notes for parents (it was the last day of studying ) and they will have vacations till begging of September. But this school is special also about the treatment and relations teacher-pupil. It’s different – teachers are here friends for young people. Cause all students have some sad or difficult story behind them – they need another treatment. And u can notice it from the first days – for example it was not studying da –but a lot of children were hanging around just because (I suppose) They feel comfortable here. Here they can talk, make jokes, surf internet, spend their time in a company of interesting and friendly people. I like the place? People. Hopefully I will back for couple of days.

After that was working day in MC. not much done work – but slowly I’m strating – and it motivated sometimes me a lot. I think that I’m very very happy person – to live such experience – to work in such organization and to have such work. It’s really creative and developing XP. It gives u a lot.:)and it opens for u more and more space in this world.

Also new intern – from Mexico came. And all together we went on Friday to the area –that has the name –“ Santurce” – where is a lot of bars and minidiscos. New for me was a lot of people at the streets that were drinking beer and chatting, sometimes dancing – u can’t see it in Ukraine – only our concerts outside – but it’s square or park or smth like this. Here people can crowd half of the street. And it crazy to drive among them – but usually it’s ok for them to move through crowd of people in the street. They somehow manage it (don’t know howJ) so we were drinking beer and watching dancing , listening to music. I saw very very common here dancing style and music – “Regaton” . I can mistake the spelling , but I never heard about it in UA. Here it’s really popular. So we were there, but I was tired and actually I was not so mad about this.

On Saturday night we went to the down town (Old San Juan ) it’s really very beautiful place with a bit European architecture in Spanish style of course:) I didn’t have money , and amazing thing I was in 3 diferemt places (for sure not drinking anything and, but u can go to place and have fun with friends. U can go to place that I like actual, and it’ll cost u nothing. It’s not for all places , but if u want u can find such place. I enjoyed some kind of “suchi” bar with electronic music. But after that when we were on our back way – I was almost sleeping. It was good evening.

On Tuesday I first time in my life was in small small tiny airplain, where only 6-7 people can be and 2 pilots. It was scaring feeling at the begging , but after it became ok. The trip lasts for 12 minutes – it time to get to nearby island with the name “Vieques”, where beaches, resourt places are and 9,000 people are living. I was going there , cause NGO where I have my DT internship has department (school) there. So academic manager was going there and she took me also. I was not there for long time, but it was good to see the place, to see the picture of that school and to get to know more about this NGO. So it was my first time in life to travel on such planes (as I took back also the same, but a bit bigger). When I was at the airport I saw a lot airplanes and thought – why not to try to learn how to drive it one day in life? It must be very interesting feeling when ur small airplane takes off or lands or u run it in the air. Should try it one day of my lifeJ

This week I was planning with my MC team. It was quite ok. We were developing or strategic planning and analising skills. I think it’s amazing organization for perspnal and professional development. U can do such things that average student even can’t imagine sometimes. And I was pretty motivated. In 6 month we plan to have growth in 70 members. Now we have 30 , and for 1^st January we want to have 100. it’s really big growth , but we need it and we can do it! We have chance – amazing chance in this life –to try this strategy – to learn from this XP. It’s great!It's amazing!!!!