IPM update: numero dos!

What an amazing opening ceremony! Driven by diversity?! I don't think you can get more diverse than royalty, a former ambassador, a percussion act and sweet Dutch ladies (wearing lots of layers) doing traditional Dutch dancing!!

Opening plenary....what a hoot! An unfortunate incident with the WENA spirit stick did momentarily look as though it was gonna upset things, but luckily Dominique had the materials to right the situation and WENA spirit lives on!!

And then to the PAI speeches! It was so awesome to listen to three very different guys set forth different visions around similar issues and was fantastic to feel the energy from plenary toward them!

I'm very excited about today! not only do we have more election stuff but also the beginning of a mysterious leadership session for elects!

hugs from the netherlands

IPM: update numero uno!

It is only Day -1 and i've already had a few moments that I know I will take away from this conference!!!

Yes I suppose I could include stories of the WENA spirit stick (as yet to be unveiled to the other GNs) or maybe even the WENALYMPICS where the elects were shamefully outdone by the currents...except in figure skating!! :)

But honestly the best moments of the WENA pre-meeting have come from talking to other elects; sharing our hopes, fears and expectations for the next year. Having chats about the excitement of being elected, putting together a team and feeling like a newie again here at IPM! Suddenly getting very serious during a coffee break as realisation dawns that the coming year will be the most challenging of our lives to date!

The great part so far has been meeting people that you know are going to be the ones to support you through the next year! The ones that will REALLY unserstand how you are feeling! It has been so much fun getting to know people so far and I know that the next 10 days are going to be magic!

Oh and another random high point is meeting friends from other GNs for the first time since elections!

Best wishes from the Big Apple :)

For_Aine
Originally uploaded by aineoconnell.

It's good to be......

It is very hard to believe that less than a month ago I decided to run for MC! So much has happened since then! and there is so much still happening!

On Friday the 3rd of February the fabulous Dominique called to tell me that the selection panel had made their decision and then spent ten minutes (that truly felt like an hour!) giving me the feedback from the panel.....to the point where I was starting to think that a jug of water over the head seemed like a very good option! Anywho, she finally said those loverly words...."Aine we would love for you to be MCP 2006/07!"

And since then sooooooo much has happened! I've had to select my team from a group of very talented apps! it was so difficult to see all the pieces of the puzzle fitting together! but finally having read the applications a dozen times, painstakingly going through the assessment exercises and talking to each one of them I sat down with the rest of the selection panel and talked through my concerns and more importantly what excited me in those applications!

After an arduous morning of discussions, we finally settled on a starbar team! and I set about calling all the applicants! It was really difficult calling to tell people that we could not offer them a position, but there were two phonecalls that made up for that! Calling Jochen and Prue to tell them they were going to complete the Irish MC 06/07 team was the BEST feeling ever! I was so very excited to be able to give them the good news and I get the feeling they were very excited too!!!

As if all that wasn't enough! In just four days time I am heading off to IPM!!! and of course Dom and I are planning some serious P.E.S.K.Y.ness!!!! Watch this space for gossip (s)!!!!

huge hugs!

I'm soooooooooooooo excited!!

I had intended to write a huge long story about this but really don't have the time right now! but I still wanted to write something because I am uber-excited! drumroll please! yesterday I was selected as MCP AIESEC in Ireland 06/07!!! and it just 2 weeks time I will be heading to IPM! oh what larks! Dom and I will be getting very p.e.s.k.y.!!!!