insight into zuzka's life

last one on exams ;) + life beyond

or at least I hope so! Last results are coming out tomorrow morning...
today, I took my last exam for this semester

... and there are only 2 more left by the end of my studies besides the big huge fat state exam that will lead to my diploma


after 4 days out of my mind and offline - well, almost offline besides checking my e-mails from time to time - i got back into my virtual and physical reality.
Checking what's new, speaking to people I wanted to...
Rediscovering the world around me, the change of weather outside, the beauty of the lake 15min jog away from where I am currently staying...
Nice surprises waiting for me in my e-mails and a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooong call with someone who is only 4 nights away!
At the end, a fun dinner & filling in an application (in German!) with my little, tired and today extremely lazy brother.


Can there be a better day?
not really... except of upcoming Sunday!

posted by zuzka @ 9:51 PM 1 comments  

strach má veľké oči

relief
happiness
laughter
the world starts moving again

strach má veľké oči (fear has big eyes)
don't let your fear take over
take the bull by the horns
one more to go

posted by zuzka @ 4:14 PM 0 comments  

we are what we do

being on a study break, enjoying my salad&rice lunch, allowing myself to browse around a little bit...

I suddenly thought of a little sticker I got from Jarda last week in Rotterdam. It looks either like a capital C or a smile - depends on how you turn it ;)

We are what we do, it says and indicates this website.
Opening it, I recognise the book we as the Swiss MC got from this guy.
A collection of everyday simple actions any of us can do in order to make our world a bit better, cleaner, happier, nicer, more sustainable and definitely more enjoyable place.
i like!I think I have a tendency to practice this one a lot.
And this one I do subconsciously....
I enjoy this one, however, for my future it still needs to be clarified.
And this one is a cool new idea to me!
And this and this one are more practically oriented.
i like!

Choose what you like doing... what fits you the best... or come up with your own ones.

My today's to-do list:

• buy milk
• skype with my big bro
  
• study international economic relations II
• change the world

posted by zuzka @ 2:49 PM 0 comments  

...!

posted by zuzka @ 5:43 PM 0 comments  

Alumni Convenium 2007

yeah, I reached the stage when I started to be invited for Alumni Convenia....

Last night, I joined my first one - for alumni of AIESEC in Slovakia. Nice restaurant, wonderful jazz music and lots of people I haven't seen for ages.

From all sides, you hear the same bits and pieces of various conversations:

Hey, how are you doing? What are you currently up to?
Where do you actually work/live now? Are you still together with ...?

...and do you know anything about xyz (your common AIESEC buddy)? I haven't heard from her/him for years!

Seeing faces that have been replaced by much younger ones in the AIESEC offices...
Getting updates, news, gossips...
Recalling memories of your common star past...

Each annual edition of Alumni Meeting manages to collect a strong group of AIESECers from an era. This year, it was for sure my buddies, the ones being active around the change of millenia time.

Despite considering myself still a pretty active AIESECer, I realised that I already DO have reasons to join alumni parties...
And on the top of everything, I won a bottle of wonderful white wine in tombola! ;)

See you next year, friends!

posted by zuzka @ 5:26 PM 1 comments  

... just missing you

being extremely busy at the moment

posted by zuzka @ 9:52 PM 3 comments  

WENA LDS 2007 - a.k.a. developping html skills :)

Are you about to take up a leadership position (EB, OCP or Team Leader)?
Would you like to discover your behaviors, strengths, doubts and fears?
Are you wondering what expects you in your leadership position?
Are you interested in exploring the need for leadership in Western societies?

WENA
Leadership Development Seminar 2007

...an eye-opening journey to discover yourself, explore leadership and find the link between these two

Are you rather interested in enabling leadership development?
Are you able to facilitate small groups?
Have you already worked with WENA people?
Do you have some experience with mentoring?

4x yes qualifies you for the WENA LDS facilitator...
apply now!

download application here

basic info for facis:
date: March 11-19, 2007
place: Goytre, UK (30min from Cardiff)
costs: partially covered

posted by zuzka @ 1:42 AM 2 comments  

snowing!

sitting at my computer, I just looked out of the window and what do I see? It's heavily snowing!

I just checked the weather forecast for the next couple of days - temperature dropping and snowing all over the place. Finally, it looks like winter is coming... yey!

I hope that this snow will bring me a bit of luck - I just figured out that I missed out one exam because I confused the dates...
Overall, my January exam score is pretty bad: 0/3 as I don't know the result of the one exam I managed to take so far. Somehow it seems easier to manage 3 conferences than 3 exams.

posted by zuzka @ 1:53 PM 2 comments  

WENA Board Midterm Review in Rotterdam

yey, it was simply cool! Wonderful 4 days I took off during my January exam period...

my second time ever in Rotterdam. When I arrived to the Schiphol Airport, the first thing I saw when getting out of the plane was a huge ING advert saying:

The man with a good idea is usually a woman.

It's a pity that I didn't manage to take a picture of that... It kind of suited the whole WENA Board meeting ;)
Besides that, there were some other cool ones like: "so, you want to be a zillionaire" or "are you re-marrying your ex to cut taxes?". I have to agree with another one I saw: "you will remember this ad in 10 years" - for sure I will!

I proudly made it on my own to the AI office (with some instructions from Mairi - thanks!) and for a couple of days, I joined the Finance corner and occupied Petroula's desk (thanks for sharing).

Together with Mairi and Majken, unfortunately without Hinnerk, we spent 3 cool days of work and fun in a quite balanced way. Mairi's flat is really cozy and she is a wonderful host. I also discovered how great cook she is! The sporty girls we all are, we went to the gym with Mairi and jogging with Majken. Ah, simply great!

I enjoyed working with my two girls, it's so motivating and inspiring! Refreshing and reviewing last half a year, seeing the progress that WENA as a GN has gone through, analyzing collected data and facts, identifying the priorities for the next half of our term... Busy and fruitful times!

Even though we usually interact more virtually than physically, we managed to create a team feeling. I could see a lot of synergies while working together: each one of us is adding another perspective and a different strength that completes the others. We have respect for each other's contribution.

Having the same type of humor helped us to click on the personal level as well and become good friends. The fact that we managed to meet up quite often at various occasions in various countries helped as well. Being together on the WENA Board counts for sure to my best team experiences.

Thank you, my dear girls, for last 6 months. I am looking forward to next 6 months, according to plans, they'll be great. We will for sure keep our standards high and deliver some kick-ass results, yey!

posted by zuzka @ 11:14 PM 1 comments  

catching up with Bee

After a very very long time, I skyped with my favourite radio - Bee ;)
Thank you, my dear!

It reminded me so much about the chats we had in our kitchen in Bernastrasse when we deliberately left the MC office early in order to get a long sleep... and ended up talking till 2 or 3 a.m.

And our IC breakfast tradition.

Miss ya! Hope that our plans will work out and we get to see each other soon.

posted by zuzka @ 10:44 PM 3 comments  

exams, exams...

and yeah, we continue the exciting exam period!

theme of the day: how to sit so that my butt doesn't hurt so much?
It starts to have the shape of my chair, ops! Should I change the chair or benefit from the global warming and go jogging a bit more often?

special freshly acquired skill: google research specialist
Updating my scripta of International Economic Relations II (2002) on current info, I think I've seen tons of interesting web sides these days!
The world is moving so fast and the regional integration trends are more-less the same all over the world: support the economic and social development, more trade and less regulation for international investments and in last 5-10 year more and more political cooperation for more security and peace. Everyone seems to have the same aim: higher living standards of all the peoples. Everyone seems to have their own ways to achieve it as well. However, according to what I read, the world becomes more and more interdependent...
No news, I know - but it hit me when I saw all the proofs!

result: failure
The professor asking a question that doesn't feature in the provided study material.
First time in my life I walked away from an exam... Uff, luckily I managed to get this experience before the end of my studies ;) But still, it's not a great feeling to fail an exam. I think I got used to passing too easily, so now I got my lesson. Well, well... there goes my self-confidence.
However, if I don't get to become a "engineer of international relations" (according to the title on my future diploma), I can still become a shrink! In last 4 days, 3 people independently suggest that to me... a coincidence or food for thoughts about my future?

next on my agenda:

• finishing my application for the Pool of Trainers 2007-2008 for the European Youth Forum
• consulting a friend's motivation letter - that became a frequent activity of mine recently... good preparation for my job application season starting soon...
  
• going to the hair dresser's tomorrow morning - getting pretty, yey! A nice way to boost a woman's self-confidence ;)
• studying a bit more - International Political Relations this time, very very interesting even though it includes quite a bit of theory...
• WENA Board meeting, yeah;)

and now, catching a bus home. Home, sweet home!
I can't wait to sleep in my very own bed!

posted by zuzka @ 6:56 PM 0 comments  

happy Birthday, Matrinko

posted by zuzka @ 12:41 PM 4 comments  

Starting 2007!

long time no post...
I noticed the less I have to do, the less I get done ;)
So now, after the super-relaxed Christmas time, I have enough on my plate to create the efficiency tension and I am getting started.

To keep the right balance between the mental and physical activities, I am studying for my last exams (only 2 more weeks!), enjoying WENA LDS affaires (the agenda team rocks!) and benefiting from the global warming, that allows me going jogging in the middle of January. Yey!

This year seems to have a lot of things I am looking forward to:

• WENA Board meeting next week - can't wait to see Mairi & Majken again! And I am sure I will manage to meet up with Bergio as well. It seems like it'll be a great long weekend in the Netherlands!
  
  
• Sami coming home - in 21 days, I will hug him in Frankfurt! And then 10 days of chilling & filling in the applications for jobs together being spoiled at his parents' place...
  
  
• Winter holidays with Sami, Ruth & Kolja in Donovaly, Slovakia - even if there won't be any snow for skiing, we will have a great time in an aquapark and other alternative programme. I am looking forward to be a travel guide!
  
  
• WENA LDS - wherever it'll be, it's going to be a very good experience. I am doing everything to make it so!
  
  
• writing my theses about the future of the EU enlargement - I am looking forward to actually explore more about this topic! ... and recently, I found out that there are paid traineeships with the European Commission - that is definitely one of the options I am looking into for the time after my graduation. Feeling profoundly European and being interested in diversity and inclusion, I think that the EU enlargement is something I can contribute to. DG Enlargement, watch out ;)
  
  
• my graduation - it'll be after my final exams, my thesis.. Having finished my studies and having the whole life in front of me...
  

... and there are at least six more month of 2007 with no special plans, for the moment. I am sure that there are more things to be looking forward to.
2007 looks good, really good ;)

posted by zuzka @ 11:49 AM 1 comments