Problems with internship

It is already more then month, since I have started looking for the internship. And my first impression is that I don't like this system. There are of course people who seems to be professional and are answering e-mails quite often and are able to provide the information. Unfortunately there are more problems, and the whole system is rather not working.

1. The biggest problems - acceptance notes

Acceptance note - it is kind of declaration, that if you will be choosen, you will for sure come to this place. I know it is needed, but I think it is overused. When you write to someone, you are immediately asked for AN (acceptance note). First, I thought, it means they like me and it is serious. NOT AT ALL!!! It looks like that everyone is asked for the acceptance note, and then after 10 days (becuase they have to answer you within 10 days) you get to know that the selection process didn't even started.

The rule is that after sending one acceptance note, you cannot send another one for 10 days. It means as well that you cannot look for the internship during this time, because all other people ask you for the acceptance note.

2. MY experience with project in Jordan
project: TN-In-JO-AM-2009-1012

It was very interesting project. I wrote to them and they said, everyting is fine, send us AN. So I ahve done it and I was waiting 10 days. After this time, I got to know they they still didn't started interviewing candidates, and they have more then 20 of them. After another week I got to know that there was a holiday, so still there was no interviews. Next week the main coordinator was on the training abroad and could't give me any details. It was already this time when the coordinator was suggesting me looking for something different. I was doing it, but as well keeping eye on the internship in Jordan. And the last week I got to know that there are problems with the company and maybe this project won't happen at all.

Right now I have checked, and the project status is on hold

3. My adventure with Mexico

I have found amazing place, and I decided that I can wait 2-3 weeks until they will finish recruitment process. To do that I had to withdraw my interests in the internship in Indonesia, where I was already accepted.
But I have found the coordinator online, and we were talking a lot, everything looked good, and I had big chances. The deadline for application was 25th, before that date I was informed that maybe the results will be even earlier. It was the last info I got. It is almost two weeks since I was in touch with people from this organization. Last week I was writing to them everyday. The coordinator was not online at all (on msn or skype).

Today I have checked the status of those internships and it is once more on-hold.

4. Egypt is the same

I don't understand the situation with Egypt either. I had very interesting internship, where they didn't have a lot of condidates. Even the girl I was taling to was very happy they I appeared. The last e-mail from her was that she will organize interview as soon as possible. Since then I didn't get any e-mail from her. Some time later I wrote once more and sked what happened, but there was no respond either.



Right now I am not sure what I supposed to do. I am not afraid that I might go to place where I can not depend on people. I used to manage by myself, and this time it will be the same, but I want to go somewhere, and it is already anoying that nothing the people are not responsible.

development of internship looking process

Last few days I had a huge dilemma - I coulnd't decided what to do. There was this TN manager from Indonesia pushing me to give him an answer, but there was also another places I wanted to give a chance.

How the situation with Indinesia looks like - so there are two projects, both cool, both interesting (help with teaching English) and I always wanted to go there. But there was something wrong. All the time I was thinking that maybe it is not a good idea, although I was convinced from all sides that I should go there.

Yesterday I made decission. There is this proverb - better bird in hand, then pigeon on the roof, what means better are things which you have, then maybe more atractive but far away. So there was nothing wrong with Indonesia - I just didn't have this strong feeling that I really should go there.

But today I did manage to catch a coordinator from Mexico, where they do have amazing internships in Ethos Foundation - NGO dealing with different social issues! This was something perfect for me, things I was doing since I remember, things I loved to do. And it was a second that I had this very strong feeling - yes that's this place (especially that maybe finally I would improve my spanish). I had a problem with this intenrship, because I was not sure if the dates I am available are fine for thie employee, if they do have a lot of candidates and so one. But today after the short chat with the coordinator I know I should give a chance to this project. Maybe they do have same candidates (and most probably in 2 weeks they will have more), but I know that I would be a perfect match, I have enough skills, I can apply for more then one intern... and I have to wait only till 25th of March!

So where I am now...

I decided that I will cancel all these places where they want my decission right now. I will apply for this 2 additional project in Mexican foundation to improve my chances. Still I am in the application process in Jordan, where I was informed it will take ages to decide. Moreover I have contacts to other MEDA countries, where I can even go for development internship (don't get salary, only accommodation, but have much cheaper travel), and looking on my performance till now I am sure that if those places won't work for me as I wish, I can easly find nice DT somewhere closer to home and as well fine. But if I won't give a chance to those all better project I know I will regreat.

Looking for an internship with AIESEC

The decision is made – I want to go somewhere for the summer, somewhere outside Poland. And this is everything what I know. Recently I applied for an AIESEC internship. I have already the number and I am in the database. Looks like I will end up somewhere with this organization for summer. Therefore I decided to write this post about finding internship (before any decision), because it might be a nice memory, reading this in the end of the summer and reminding myself how it happened…

I am so curious myself where I will finally end up. I have so many ideas. But let’s make describe it chronologically.

1. Deciding where to go
So right now I have the whole world and I have to choice where to go… Actually the first conception was not that difficult. I said Middle East. There are few advantages of this choice – I have already been there and liked it, it is relatively cheap to get there (what is the most important for me), there is warm, I have already same friends.
In the mean time I thought let’s go to Balkans! I want it cheap, and Balkans are the most exotic from the whole Europe, and the cheapest, and I haven’t beet there for a long time.
For a second I thought as well that I should go somewhere really far, exotic, maybe Latin America, maybe South East Asia, somewhere, but then I said to myself that I should be realistic. That I don’t want once more go somewhere far and adjust to the culture and make friends and then leave. And Middle East is different, still kind of exotic, worth discovering and close enough.

2. First actions
To be able to search the database you have to be enroll in the internal AIESEC system. It takes a lot of time and I am very impatient person when I want to achieve something. So smart Aga decided do something by herself, without being in the system (yet). So there was a lot of discussion groups, facebook, and other sources where I have found e-mails to people in charge in different countries. From Middle East they have projects in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Jordan. Unfortunately there is no in Syria and Lebanon, and Lebanon would be cool:)
So I have sent e-mails to all those people and I got the responds very fast!!! I was shocked that everything is happening so fast. I was in touch with girl from Jordan who offer me amazing internship in company implementing clean development mechanism – yes about this I was making research for my conference in Chicago! I got as well very good offer from Alex in Egypt – in the NGO, working on issues I am real specialist – NGO management:) I loved this offer, but the problem was that they are offering only flat, and I have no idea how I will survive, because I have no job right now and I am not able to earn anything till summer.
I got as well same offers from Morocco and Tunisia, but as well DT internships, what means that they are not paid, I am getting only apartment and food. So they asked me for the acceptance note from Jordan, and because it was first paid offer I got I have sent them one.

3. And what now…
Finally I am in the database. I am waiting for the feedback from Jordan and in the meanwhile I decided to look for something else. I search the database, but not selecting any particular country. As a criteria I put development studies, NGOs, PR and marketing and so one. This way I have found few amazing, and once more amazing projects. I have sent them questions and I am in touch with internship managers.
Right now I have to wait until I will get confirmation from Jordan, and then decided what to do next. And I have still so many amazing ideas:
• Indonesia – teaching English in primary school, preparing intercultural workshops (I am a trainer experienced with children) and they are offering 700$ + apartment! So the deal is great;
• Mexico – as well amazing foundation making research on poverty in Latin America countries, I like the project a lot and that is what I want to do, and it is DT but they are paying 700$, but to get to Mexico I have to pay too much – 5000PLN (where to Middle East I will pay max 2000PLN);
• Tunisia – Ii was found by this company, project looks great it is MT – promotion and marketing so standard
• China – amazing, amazing project for big amount of interns, teaching English and making intercultural activities for youth! And it is relatively cheap to get to China
• Malaysia – I don’t remember what did they offer but I remember I liked it:)
• Thailand – ones more project about education about other cultures, I have found it and loved it from the first second, but they still didn’t answer me
• Australia – yes even there is an interesting project. I have written to them, but still no answer, and project is about working with students, informing them about different job and scholarships possibilities and organizing different events, so as well perfect for me but as well travel will be very expensive.

So I don’t know what will happen now. I don’t know what to do. Decide to go to Middle East or maybe choice something else from the list. Everything looks so interesting.

Walls graffiti in Manila

Photos come from May 2007. I have done it in Manila, Philippines, next to the city center in the university district.

I have found the wall paintings amazing, beautiful, inspiring and just worth seeing. This kind of art I like to find when I am traveling.

My life at Hendrix - slide show

Yes, once I was bored. Or maybe I was inspired y one guy who done amazing slideshow, and I decided to do one for myself.

So how my life at Hendrix College looked like:

Jiji – the heaven on earth

There are not so many places in the world where I love to come back as much as to JIJI.

Jiji it is a small bar, but without alcohol next to Bibliotheca Alexandria, in Alexandria in Egypt. It is a place where I spent most of my time during my first stay in Egypt. It was in October 2006 during Ramadan. I remember going to Jiji just after Iftar and leaving just after the sunrise. And when I came back to Alex in July 2008, it was one of the first places I went. This place changed a lot during this time, but I love it still.

Old Jiji - view from the sea side


Old Jiji - view from outside


Old Jiji - inside

Why it is so special? I have no idea. I liked this place more before it was renovated. The old chairs, tables, and the roof out of straw umbrellas. There was no windows, just the smell of water. And the best was that you could go down to the water, it was dirty but lovely especially during sunrises.

Last year when I was there, everything was already new, at first I was very disappointed and finally I was avoiding the new part “building with windows”, but there was still the outside part, still lovely, still with amazing views and the smell of water.

New jiji

Because I could sit there for a very long time, and even make same friends in this place :) with my friend we decided to work in this place. Why not? Isn’t it an amazing idea? Because I am so fluent in Arabic – I can order shisha, mango juice, banana juice and of course coffee without sugar, with small help of my friend I convinced the waiter that I do speak Arabic. And it was going quite well (applying for a job) until the guy realized that we are very serious. He was quite confused when we wanted to talk with manager. And here the problems started. We were offering our help, flexible hours (we were flexible), with experience (having own shishas at home and preparing it for all our friends), and even we didn’t expect the salary, we said that tips and t-shirt would be enough, but what we got to know from manager was that they don’t hire woman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was very sad about this. Lovely place but with weird policy.

4 months of holidays at Hendrix

Once, it was during finals, I was standing and chatting with my friend in front of the cafeteria. We were joined by one guy who asked me, how did I like Hendrix College. I remember I said that it was amazing, I liked it a lot and I have never had 4 months of such a great HOLIDAYS. I have seen big disappointment on his face. After, my friend told me that this guy works in admission office and is in charge of international students, so most probably he was the person who gave me a change to study at Hendrix.

I still do think that my stay at Hendrix was the best and the longest holidays I have ever had, but I want to explain why.

Since I remember I was working and studying and doing tons of things in the same time. Then I went to Hendrix to spend my semester abroad there. I end up in a very small town in Arkansas, on the beautiful campus, with sunny weather, where people were enjoying their lives. I didn’t have to work (even I couldn’t because of my visa status), I didn’t have to worry about such a things like cooking, cleaning, traffic jams, permanent ringing phone which I was afraid to answer, deadlines, budgets, invoices and many more.



At Hendrix I had just my studies. I have chosen four classes I really loved: Introduction to Film Studies, American Parties and Elections, Model UN and Conflict Management and Resolution. I had homework (it is hard to say if it was a lot or not), but this kind of homework it is a pure pleasure. We had to read a lot. And what is more relaxing then sitting in the shadow in the sunny day and read good book. Maybe in the beginning I was a bit frustrated, because I have found few mistakes in one book (so I have written to the publisher), but when I got such a book as “The Prince of the Marshes” by Rory Stewart, I couldn’t stop reading.

I had papers to write as well, but most of the time I had a feeling that I can express myself. Mostly I was walking around with the topic in my head and analyzing what I want to write, what I think in this topic, what is important to me. Then I was making additional research and finally writing. I was writing in the library, which was the social place, you could always find friends there who wants to have a break with you.

I still think that I had the best holidays in my life. And it is not because I was doing nothing, I was doing a lot, but I was doing things that I like a lot. I am happy because finally I have learnt what studying really means! And the life on the campus it was like the summer camp, a lot of people living together, eating together, partying together, studying together, and the biggest worry was how to dress up for Haloween.