14 countries... 88 days...

Wow... for the first time in a blog of mine since country visits started I don't know where to begin! Just reading the title I have put for this post, many thoughts run through my head... how did I survive for one, did I make an impact, how has this journey changed who I am. I am sure that the next few days back in Rotterdam will help me answer many of these questions as I finally get a chance to stop, breath and fully reflect on the experience I have just gone through. And before I reflect on my visits as a whole in this post, I want to first update you all about the last two visits of my schedule, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

VIP living in Bangladesh
My arrival in Bangladesh will probably go down as the most memorable of the entire country visits. Arriving in Dhaka, as I walked off the boarding gate, Shamnoon (the MCP of the previous term) was there to meet me as his work now involves a project at the airport. I was quickly then ushered through immigration, handed over my luggage tag, and was taken to the VIP lounge of the airport where the MC team was waiting for me and I waited for my bags to be delivered, before leaving out of the VIP exit of the airport. Now that what I call arriving to a country in style!

Now after some print media interviews in various countries, my television debut in Malaysia (hehehe... was part of a TV special on HIV/AIDS and AIESEC was being interviewed about the PBOXs they have been running), Bangladesh saw my debut in yet another communication medium... radio. No autographs please :P hahaha... But all jokes aside about my new found VIP status, Bangladesh was an amazing experience. Dhaka is definately a city of constrast. While I got to stay in nice accomodation, being driven around, eat at nice restaurants, etc, the city around me highlighted the difference between rich and poor. Yet at the same time Dhaka provided to me a sense of mystique, for example the rickshaws (like bicycles with a carriage) with all the different colours and patterns you can imagine and the beautiful architecture of the parliament buildings. And to also see in Bangladesh the strength and work of their NGOs like BRAC, visiting a shopping arcade completely dedicated to local products brought together by the NGO.

For all the news that you may hear about Bangladesh, for example the political issues and instability, Bangladesh was yet another example to me of how you shouldnt always label a country based on what you hear on CNN. It was intriguing to sit back and listen to a conversation between a former MCP and current LCP discussing how Bangladesh is the future. And we you think of things like the Bangladeshi textiles industry, or about the country being the birthplace of microcredit, or when you play a game of count the bank while driving within one area of Dhaka and you can count about 50 different banks, you can see that Bangladesh is a country that has a lot of potential in it and others can see that too. It is inspiring to see that after 10 years of history in Bangladesh not only the reputation AIESEC has been able to build, but the individuals that have been going through these experiences. No doubt it is the leaders that AIESEC can provide that will prove vital in steering the future of this country, and letting the world know what Bangladesh is like beyond what you hear on CNN.

Thank you Bangladesh for an amazing visit. After leaving Bangladesh it was time to go to Pakistan.

Last but not least, my Christmas in Karachi
So I finally arrived to Karachi after a long delay in Dhaka thanks to what I found out is the ever-reliable (sarcasm :P) Biman Bangladesh Airlines. But the long delay was quickly forgotten when I arrived in Karachi and greeted by the AIESECers there. Even after waiting forever for me they were still bright and smiling (including bursting out in a trolley to greet me). The night was magnificient, as they took me to dinner where I sat on a table, took me to ride on a camel along the beach, and smoke sisha outside. I know it has been a theme for the last few countries I have visited, but the South Asia I saw was definately not the one you see on the news, and Pakistan was no different.

It is amazing to see what has been happening in AIESEC Pakistan over what has been less than two years. They have 2 LCs (soon to be 4), have exchange results that some countries would be envious of, have probably the most well-connected board I have met as of yet, and are not showing signs of slowing down. I fact what the only restraint they have is their own capacity to deliver. It is the extension countries like Pakistan that provide a rolemodel not only to other extensions as the AIESEC network expands, but also to the countries that have been members for some time.

My trip to Pakistan also coincided with Christmas, and what a unique Christmas that was. Christmas is a public holiday in Pakistan, not for Christmas however, but because it is the celebration for the founding father of Pakistan's birthday. The LC members in Karachi pulled off a bit of a surprise for the internationals on the MC by setting up a Christmas tree at the MC house, and organising a little Christmas celebrations. I downloaded a few Christmas carols to accompany the celebrations, and looking at the fun everyone was having it was no different to a Christmas celebration I would have back home. The only give away that we were in Pakistan was that the sisha was started up :P hehehe...

With all the negative publicity that Pakistan gets in the news, I think people should hear more about the growing potential this country has a lot more. Just look at the amount of investment countries like the UAE are making in Pakistan and it easy to see what an exciting business environment that the country provides. It is so incredibly important for us all to overcome the prejudices we have towards other countries, and really take the time to appreciate the beauty and potential that all countries have. My time in Pakistan further reinforced this message for me. Thank you Pakistan! There is no where else I would have rather been this Christmas!

So now I am back in Rotterdam
The past 88 days have been absolutely incredible (to say the least). So many people put is so much work and time to make this visits happen and for everyone I met along the way I thank you for everything. There are a few things that kept me going throughout this journey.

1) The excitement from everyone I met: I would spend 5 days in one country, and then without a break it was on to the next one. By half way I should have been dead tired, but even when I was the excitement and thrill I got from meeting people at the airport was like a shot of adrenaline that just kept me going and going.
2) Talking to my team back in Rotterdam: The phonecalls back to the office helped keep me on track and remember the team I am working for. My conversations with people just reinforced my belief of what an amazing AI team this is (so what if I am biased :P)!
3) Self-talk: I would frequently wake up in the morning and talk to myself silently. May sound a little insane but when I woke up in the morning and reminded myself that this day was never coming back you have to make the most of it. With 5 days in one country every day counts!
4) Vitamins: I got sick on around 4 different occassions, and I credit my daily vitamins for my quick recovery every time. If you don't take vitamins I strongly recommend you do :).

And of course my sharing wouldnt be complete without sharing my top three funny moments:
3) Drinking with Kansai Alumni in Japan. An Alumnus taught me the perfect mix of Japanese alcohol to use when picking up a girl (but I didn't try as there is someone in my life who wouldn't appreciate that much).
2) Eating leaves in Sri Lanka. My airport reception involved a lot of chanting and making me eat leaves that was part of tradition... or so I was made to believe!
1) Being called Jeff. Not a single country got my name wrong over the course of country visits... except for one. None other than my home country... New Zealand! I guess it shows even after 5.5 years how quickly you can be forgotten :P.

AP has taught me so much over the past 88 days, of which I come to realise more everyday. The region is full of opportunity and beauty, if you only take the time to discover and appreciate it. I hope that one day you get to experience it as well! Thank you so much everyone who made this experience truly special. Happy new year to you all and best wishes in 2007!

South Asia here I come! First Stop Sri Lanka!

So continuing my visit schedule next stop was my South Asia leg, beginning in Sri Lanka. This last leg is the last leg of my visits and my 12th country on the road, but how can I feel tired when I arrive to a greeting like the one I received in Sri Lanka. I was met at the airport by AIESECers from the MC and LCs, who promptly gave me a 'traditional' welcome, which involved chanting and waving leaves around before asking me to eat them :P. It was only after putting it in my mouth I realised the joke was on me :). From there I drank from a coconut before heading off to my homestay. What an interesting reception it was indeed.

People ask me if I am worried about my South Asia leg ahead, as many people talk about the conflict they see on CNN, BBC, etc. If only CNN gave you the whole picture you would quickly realise that there is more to the area than the conflict they report on. I was received so warmly in Sri Lanka, and even though I was in an element so completely foreign to that I am used to, I almost felt like I belonged :). Quite a feat I have to say given the short amount of time I actually had in the country. I suppose that is because of the kindness and generosity showed to be my the many AIESEC members I had a chance to interact with. From my homestay where I was staying with one of the most hospitable families I have ever met, to the various members who took me to and from the office everyday, as well as showing me around Colombo.

A couple of things that are immediately obvious when going to Sri Lanka, 1) It's really hot (or should I say humid), and 2) the food is super spicy. Sri Lanka has officially taken the crown from Korea as the 'So Hot Ryan Can't Handle It' Award. And then there is the fruits! Oh I wish I had more, the pineapple was the highlight, so rich and juicy I could have had two! The MC office is Sri Lanka was also a treat, being tucked away from the main road it what seemed like a mini jungle. Just trees and the sound of birds all around make for a very pleasant working environment. I think I spent a good five minutes marveling at a bird that had perched itself on a tree branch and was picking away at the fruit hanging off :). If this is what I say in Colombo, it makes me wonder how much more there is to see across the country!

I was amazed at the appreciative nature that Sri Lankan AIESECers displayed. I was pleasantly surprised at the end of my visit at a farewell party where everyone shared one thing they had learned or they appreciated from the country visit. It is hard for me to also share fully, how much I really appreciated the open mindness, proactivity and passion that the Sri Lankans brought to the visit. Leaving Colombo I think I am leaving the country with more gifts than I have from any other country (the luggage is slowing getting bigger and bigger, with some still sitting in Singapore :P). My visit also made me sad in a way, when I talked to the AIESECers about all the amazing opportunities they can provide to interns from abroad, yet they are finding it increasingly difficult to find people to come due to the reports of conflict happening within the country. Yet at the same time after my experiences I would say that many of those people are missing out on an absolutely amazing experiences in one of the most welcoming countries I have ever visited. I guess I just hope that people look beyond CNN, BBC, etc as their source of information, and take the time to fully appreciate the good as well.

So now I have left Sri Lanka, reenergised once again, and off to Bangladesh. I am now sitting in Dubai Airport waiting for my connecting flight, enjoying the free wireless :). After Bangladesh it will be on to the expansion countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan which I cannot wait to get to as well! So for now here is Ryan signing off again from Asia, and this time South Asia!

Pacific Bound... my visit to Australia and New Zealand

It is hard to believe that I have visited 11 countries in just over two months, and even more hard to believe that there are still 4 more to go! I am back in Asia now, after my visit to the 'P' in AP. First stop was Australia and the city of Sydney. Now the last time I was in Sydney was 2001, my first year in AIESEC, and I attended the Australian Model United Nations Conference with a group of friends from AIESEC New Zealand. I shared this story a lot of time while I was in Aussie, that on the last day of that trip I was mugged at lunch time in the city centre. After my trip back I am glad I didn't let that experience be my last impression of Sydney, as I found myself learning to really like Sydney, despite the very quick visit.

The first sign I was entering the Pacific part of the world was arriving in Sydney airport, and when going through immigration I was allowed to go through the Australian... and New Zealand passport lane (although back home in NZ it is called the New Zealand and Australian passport lane instead :P). After going through customs the first stop, after dropping my bags off at the MC flat and some opening meetings, was the Pie Shop. Yum yum yum, nothing beats a great meat pie which I have been missing for the last six months. Chowing down on a good pie is something that I used to do regularly back home in NZ (maybe too regularly...). It is funny to say this, but my country visit was really my first indepth interaction with AIESEC Australia since I joined AIESEC, which is strange considering that Australia is the closest country to my home country. It is strange that AIESEC countries with such proximity to each other do so little with one another considering the distance the countries have to the rest of the world.

The Australian visit also got me back in the habit of Australasian style nick name, for example, Ralph (MCP) becomes Ralphie, Michael Chen (VP F) becomes Chena, and Ruth (VP X) becomes Ruthie. Nothing like a "a" or "ie" at the end of someones name to make you feel like you are at home. One of the highlights of the visit would have to be the office Christmas party, with Santa making a visit, fortune telling, a kissing booth, lucky dip presents and my personal favourite... origami, the party had everything needed to generate the warm Christmas feeling. Ralphie made a fantastic Santa (although dont tell anyone who might be scared of the prospect of Ralphie coming down their chimney this Christmas :P).

After a great visit to Aussie it was then time to head a little further south, homeward bound to Wellington, New Zealand. Back in Wellington after 6 months with AI, it was a weird feeling touching down. In a lot of ways it did feel like a home coming and in other ways it felt like Wellington was no longer my home. These feelings became even stranger as I arrived at 100 Kelburn Parade, which has been the MC house for 6 terms now, including 2 of my own. It was an interesting experience doing a country visit for a country I had only been MCP of just 6 months prior, but what made it even easier to keep my AI Director hat on was the fact that the team is doing quite well for themselves.

In NZ I got a real pie... a steak and cheese pie. In short supply in Aussie but everywhere in NZ. Beefy goodness with melted cheese inside, I was in heaven as I ate several of them :P. Oh... and one of the weirdest events of the whole visit happened to me... in no country yet have people got my name wrong (except maybe the occassional Brian instead of Ryan which is forgivable), but after an evening in NZ a series of photographs were sent of the dinner with Jeff. Who is this man Jeff I wondered, when I realised that Jeff was indeed me :P. Funny that after 6 months away I am already a Jeff now :P hehehe.

After a good visit in Wellington it was my first weekend off, and time to head on an overnight bus to my hometown of Huntly. Huntly is a large town for NZ standards, but if I talked to the Indian guys in the office about it they would probably call it a village... if that. It was great seeing my Grandparents again, and in a way the trip was awesome in that it gave me a chance to comtemplate how much my life has changed since I left Huntly at the age of 9 to go live in Indonesia. I suppose in all of our lives there are some defining moments like that which radically alter the path our lives are taking.

So now I am in Singapore getting some quality time with my laptop before I head off to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Indian Sub-continent here I come! Stay tuned for the last leg of my visits in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan!

Reporting from South East Asia

Many of you have been asking me when I would update my blog, so fear not, the blog is back in action :). Since my last post I have now been to Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, and now I am back in Malaysia about to head off for the Pacific leg of my tour of AP.

Ni hao mah... Arewah-lah
First off was my visit to Malaysia, which after a comfortable bus ride, I was greeted to the sight of the KL Towers. A beautiful way to arrive to KL. Many of you may be look at the title of this part and wonder what on earth am I talking about... Ni hao mah... Arewah-lah????? One of the most interesting things that I encountered in Malaysia was the three distinct ethnic groups of Chinese, Indians and Malays, which make up the bulk of Malaysia's population. Each group brings its own unique culture which adds to the diversity and richness of Malaysia. I was in Malaysia over celebrations for Hari Raya and Deepavali, which also gave me the awesome opportunity to be invited to open homes, where we were invited to one Malay home and one Indian home, and treated to different foods, music, conversations, etc.

I remember distinctly the conversation with the mother at the Malay house we visited. The family was so kind to invite complete strangers to their house, as in our group of 5, only 2 actually knew members of the family. Despite this we were greeted with such hospitality, and after lunch talked about Malaysian society, ranging from Idol competitions to the blend of cultures in Malaysia. The mother shared about her younger days where schools were very multi-cultural and the Indian, Chinese and Malay students would interact, share food, etc during lunch times. One of her worries, and something I have also read about I a recent article in Time, is that these societies are becoming increasingly polarised (Time quoted stats on how the number of Chinese youth being sent to predominant Malay schools which used to be high has been dropping for years). If such polarisation were to continue it would be such a shame for Malaysia, as from only my brief experience there, it was the blend of those cultures that truly makes Malaysia a special part of Asia. What I enjoyed though was my time with AIESEC in Malaysia, and seeing the catalyst that organisations like AIESEC can provide to bring together people from these cultures within Malaysia itself.

I enjoyed the late night living, the mamak-ing (eating out, mainly from stalls) late in the evening, only to find out that you can go mamak-ing practically 24 hours a day! I also got a chance to experience a different side of Asia thanks to the Kazakh trainees, who feed me with Camel and Horse milk (I prefered the Horse but most prefer the Camel).

Traffic, spirits and VIP treatment in the Philippines
I left Malaysia for the Philippines, and flew in to an obscure airport in the middle of nowhere in what is Clark Airport. Like the budget airlines in Europe, Air Asia tends to fly to obscure locations where you have to then travel further to your final destination, but the plus side is 20 euros between KL and Manila (or should I say just outside of Manila) is not bad at all.
Manila is a very very busy city, and so far from all the cities I have traveled to so far, they have the most talkative taxi drivers. As you sit in what is some of the worst traffic jams I have ever seen, it helps to be able to talk to the driver and to have them so happy to share their perspectives on life, politics, religion, sport, etc. The taxi driver who drove me to the airport for my departure was the most talkative of all. We talked about the crippling effects of corruption, the current government, tips and tricks for surviving Manila traffic, and we even hummed along to some songs and he sang a few lines (although after Mindy's previous post on her blog with my singing I decided it was best for me to stick to humming).

Manila was hot! It took me some time to adjust to the heat, which I found much harder to bare than any other country I have traveled to so far. I breathed a sigh of relief everytime I walked into Air Conditioning (which is thankfully everywhere). One of the things I was started to observe was that the Philippines was all about western style fast food and malls, until I got the opportunity on my last night to visit Tabbee's (the MCP) home, and try Philippine style snacks and talk have a very spooky yet intriguing conversation about the belief in the spirit world, such as ghosts, elementals and dwarves.

On the other side of my Philippines experience I got some VIP treatment on Saturday night, visiting some night clubs and going to the VIP places thanks to my fellow MC party-goers. I called it a night early however, as I don't think that I have what it takes to survive the Manila night life. The one thing I really do want to do is go back to the Philippines later on in life to see more of the country outside of Manila. It was a Philippines alumni I was talking to who sparked my memories from Japan, when he said "Manila is not the Philippines. Manila has a culture and way of life to its own". That made me remember my experience of traveling to three different regions in Japan, and the realisation that how often, not just in AIESEC but in general as well, we define a country by what happens within its major city rather than taking the time to appreciate the country as a whole.

Kembali ke Indonesia (Returning to Indonesia)
After leaving Manila, next stop was Indonesia. Personally one of the most exciting visits for me considering that I used to live in Jakarta for 6 years. Returning to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport was like a blast from the past. In a lot of ways it looks exactly like it did to me when I was 9 years old first moving to Indonesia :). I then became very excited on the drive to the MC house as I came within 15 minutes of my old place in Tebet (district within Jakarta). Seeing all landmarks again brought me back to my times in Indonesia. Like any blast from the past it also made me realise how much things have changed in my own life. In my wildest dreams I dont think I would have ever thought I would be returning to Jakarta as a director of asia pacific for an international organisation :).

One thing that definately stays the same though is that you cannot beat Nasi Goreng Ayam (chicken fried rice) from Indonesia. Eating it again was heaven. No matter how much European countries may try and make the same, they just cant do it. I reckon it must be the spices used that makes the big difference. And it was absolutely fantastic practicing my Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian language) again. We had a lot of fun in the office literally translating Indonesian sayings into English to create a language of our own. Some of my favourites include No What-What, translated from Tidak Apa-apa which is used for No problem or do not worry, and Accept Give, translated from Terima Kasih which is used for Thank You.

I stayed in the MC house during my stay in Indonesia, which was awesome! It was great hanging out with the team, who for Damy and Ewa, were adjusting to life in Jakarta, while I was reconnecting with the same. We shared many a bus ride together, and I actually think I took more buses in my country visit than I did for my whole six years living in Jakarta. What I found intriguing was that in the traffic jams, singers/buskers would leap onto the bus to play a song and then collect money before heading on their way. Convenient way to capture a captive audience when you are stuck on a bus in traffic. One group even brought on drums and a guitar onto the bus to sing their song! For all the buses I took, I also took a familar form of transport, the Bajaj. Quite like a rickshaw that many of you may be used to, my face lit up like I was a small boy again as I took my familar form of transportation.

I loved being back in Jakarta, and know that sometime I will be back for sure. Life keeps on bringing me back to Jakarta in one way or another. Although I was thoroughly enjoying my reconnection with the past, the MC team helped keep me in the present with a schedule packed with meetings, and I got the thrill of using a little bit of Bahasa in a meeting. When talking about how I could understand some Indonesia in a ER meeting I got to say "Tetapi Bahasa aku tidak bagus" which means "But my Indonesia isn't that good" :P.

Getting my hands dirty in Bangkok
So after Indonesia it was on to my next stop in South East Asia, Thailand. But on the way I had a five hour transit in Singapore where I finally got the chance to use my complimentary invitation to the Qantas Club. 5 hours of luxury followed with free food, drinks, internet, newspapers, magazines, and the place was empty for most of it except for me. Sitting there in the lazy boy chair I realised why being a frequet flyer is so good! Hopefully that free membership isn't too far away :).

After being well fed and a quick flight I was arriving in the fantastic new airport in Bangkok. By far this must be the most impressive airport that I have visited so far! Just opened a month ago you could hardly notice that this is a country which experience a coup a couple of months ago. Infact it was hard to notice that a coup had happened at all from an outsiders point of view, with only the occassional joke about democracy and a consitution day holiday next month when there is no constitution. What is immediately obvious however is the deep respect that people have for the King (the longest serving monarch in the world I have heard). Flags with the symbol of the king and his picture are everywhere as it is his 60th year of succession to the throne, and I hear next year will be another year of celebration as he celebrates his 80th birthday. We went to the cinema to watch a movie, and before the film they play a clip in honour of the King where everyone stands up in respect. And on Mondays people wear yellow shirts as yellow is the colour of thr King. It was espicially intriguing to see that the people of Thailand pay such respect to their monarchy.

So many of you may be wondering what I mean by getting my hands dirty in Bangkok right? Well for the first time for a while I got involved in directly recruiting members :). Thailand is running recruitment at the moment, so I got to speak at an information session and even hand out flyers and talk to people at their lunch break at one of the Universities. It was fun getting a taste of grass roots activity like recruitment again! Lets hope I didn't scare anyone off now, hahaha...

I had a blast with Rob, Rina and Pui. It was great to see the fantastic job they are doing with AIESEC in Thailand. Watch out as the results from this country come through over the coming months. I have no doubt that this time is turning around AIESEC Thailand with everyday that passes!

And now heading off to the Pacific
Its hard to believe, but after around three weeks I have visits all of South East Asia! And now I am in Malaysia, catching up on emails :), as I prepare for my journey south. First stop Australia and then off to New Zealand, before I head over to the Indian Subcontinent area. So stayed tuned for more news from me and take care everyone!

Falling in love with Asia again... my visit to Singapore

The first month of country visits has been flying by so fast, and after the next stop in my country visit (Malaysia) it is hard to believe that I would have been on 6 visits! Some of you may not know that I spent 6 years living in Indonesia while I was growing up. My parents were teachers, and I had the chance to live in Jakarta, experience a completely different reality to my own, learn Indonesia and start to even think in Indonesian. While living in Indonesia I traveled to Singapore several times, and this country visit was my first time back in Singapore (at least more than just a transit that is) since my high school years in Indonesia.

Singapore was a little bit different to what I remember it. I recall on one of my journies when I was younger in Singapore that I got in trouble for chewing the gum I had brought from Jakarta, and then become obsessed with all the different fines you can get in the country. This time around I hardly noticed that at all (except for the No Durians sign which I found somewhat amusing after Sharon pointed it out to me). The other thing I associated with Singapore was staying in fancy hotels and spending lots of money. This time around the fancy hotels were out (although I still did spend beyond my budget :P), and I got an amazing chance to see Singapore at least for a little but through the eyes of someone who actually lives there.

I spent a lot of time on University campus' but even though I didn't get to see some of the big sites of Singapore, I had a tremendous time actually interacting with the Singaporean members of AIESEC. I thought that AIESEC International is an unrivaled cultural diverse team experience, but some of these Singaporean LC have the diversity to match. I recall a meeting with the NUS EB where their were people from Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Laos, China... (sorry if I am missing out some nationalities). Studying in Singapore must be a rich cultural experience in itself with international students making up the majority of student populations. I envy the opportunities that Singaporean AIESECers get to have everyday in their LCs, in being able to interact with people from so many different countries (and thats before they interact with the interns!).

The second night I spent in Singapore we went out for food, and I had an awesome time reconnecting with the South East Asian taste. It is true that the rice is really better here than it is in Europe and back home in New Zealand, but even more so was the sate. It is the first time in years I had a chance to eat good sate with real sate sauce, and I absolutely demolished about two plates of the stuff. Dont know what I am talking about? You will have to come and try it for yourself! That same night I played Risk with some of the members of AIESEC Singapore, to be demolished myself and get the honour of being the only person to die in the match that was eventually called off. I made the mistake of trusting an alliance. As some of my fellow Risk players in AIESEC International will tell you, this is probably Charma coming back at me after all the alliances I have broken in the various Risk games we have played!

So apart from great food and losing board games, and getting to interact with so many great people from AIESEC Singapore I also got the chance to meet up with my predecessor as MCP of NZ, Aditi. It was awesome to catch up with her and talk about our times back in NZ. But one of the things I have realised after that discussion is really (cliche sounding I know...) how different my life has become, and how thankful I am for the experience I am having now. I had both great times and challenges in AIESEC NZ which I am greatful for, and now I have the chance to challenge myself even further in my current role, and really connect with the beautiful, amazing, ambitious and incredibly talented people of AIESEC Asia Pacific. It is hard not to fall in love with Asia all over again when I am met with such hospitality, but also people share with me their passions, their troubles, their ambitions, and themselves. One month into country visits I cannot begin to explain how much Asia has taught me, and I cannot wait for the next two months ahead. Combine how amazing visits are going, with my fantastic girlfriend who I adore, and all the friends both old and new I am making, life is simply fantastic!

I better get back to some email responding now before my batteries run out. I am writing from a bus heading toward Kuala Lumpur from Singapore. By the way its probably the most luxurious bus I have ever been on, really comfy seat, they just served me dinner, and also brought up my hot coffee. The only downfall is that there is no power outlet... hahaha... Take care everyone, and for those of you I am visiting soon, can't wait to see you all!

Oh yeah... before I go I havent blogged about this yet but I have to say this! GO WAIKATO! My home rugby team just took out the national competetion back home and I got the chance to watch the last 20 minutes of the game live after a country visit meeting :P. The first time since 1992, so am over the moon and now am looking forward to a kiss ass All Blacks season!

Next stop in the whirlwind tour of AP... Hong Kong

Another 5 days, ending 22 days of country visits when leaving Hong Kong, and some people ask me if it is getting repetitive.

Hell no! It is like relearning AIESEC, myself and life every 5 days during these visits. One might say that my visit in Hong Kong has been one of my most efficient. Upon arriving at the airport our first topic was covered within 5 minutes :P. Hong Kong was astounding, I had heard so much about the skyline of Hong Kong but seeing it exceeded my expectations. Every thing is up, a jungle of buildings, signs that hang out across the streets, and so many people. It is hard to imagine that anyone could rest in this city that always seems to be alive. I did something that would be impossible in the Netherlands, I went shopping for a cellphone at 11pm at night! (Still early in Hong Kong though I suppose).

An interesting observation I found was in discussions with Antony, a former HK trainee who came to my LC in NZ when I was LCP. He talked to me about his life right now, and how people work so long and so hard to get their apartment and their car, and enjoy the things I would take for granted in NZ. It is easy to see why the AIESEC members I interacted with are so ambitious, as in Hong Kong life (as it is with their skyline) it seems to be either up or out. My appreciation for the HK work ethic has grown even more after my visit in the territory.

I have to thank Mindy (Hong Kong MCP) so much for everything she did to make the visit as effective as possible. She busily arranged extra meetings to followup on urgent topics, while preparing opportunities for me to talk to potential partners, current partners, their whole Supervisory Group, and of course all the EBs and new members from various LCs. For some LCs I got the chance to meet with them for 3 times, which helped so much in understanding the real Hong Kong. The LCs focus on reforming structures to provide more opportunities to more members is impressive, and from my visit I am sure that the newest LC oF PolyU will be a role model for this not only in HK, but for the AIESEC world.

As much as the AIESECers were interested in work, they were also interested in my stories, and I think I shared my experiences of running for AI and why I am so passionate about AIESEC more than I ever have before. Mindy has documented these well in her blog (http://hellomindy.myaiesec.net/ and unfortunately see has also well documented my terrible singing :P). As much as I may have inspired members in HK, I believe that they have inspired me more. There is no doubt that these members will drive even greater successes in HK in years to come, and you can see the quality of new generations coming through. With the internal reform happening within the country, and the external market they operate in, you will no doubt see AIESEC HK explode in performance in the years to come!

Thank you HK for the interaction, the proactivity, the stories, and the kareoke; and thank you Mindy (HK is very lucky to have this amazing individual as their MCP).

No food challenges this time around, but I did demolish a lot of sate on my first night in Singapore. For now signing out from National University of Singapore, stayed tuned for my travels in Singapore.

Another experience to remember... Japan

Another 5 days and another country, this time it was the amazing Japan! I feel like the luckiest person alive to be able to go through this experience and share it with you all :).

5 days, 4 cities, a couple of bullet trains, more subways and trains than I can count, more vending machines used than I have ever used in a 5 day period before, and all in all a fantastic experience.

I started my trip in Japan by visiting the West Region of Japan, visiting both Osaka and Kyoto. On my first evening I attended my first LC meeting in a long time, attending the meeting of the KGLC. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of talking about the @XP in the context of both the individual and the organisation, and was amazed that for many it was their first presentations that they had ever had entirely in English. Thank you so much KGLC for your hospitality! While in the west region I also had the fantastic experience to got to an Old Boys (alumni) meeting for the Kansai region. I was so awesome to see that the region had a network of alumni spanning decades of generations in AIESEC. It is definately an alumni network to be proud of as one of the founding countries of AIESEC in the Asia Pacific.

From there I moved on to Central Japan, and met the LCs of Nagoya as their stakeholders hub evening, and also stayed up to the early hours of the morning interacting with the members and incoming interns of the area, before hoping on a train bound for Tokyo for two days of meetings and fun with MC, LCPs, the Board chair and other members in the region.

It is so amazing to be able to not only visit all the countries in the AP, but continue the experience of visiting regions that never get the opportunity to be visited by AI. Many times it is in these regions that AIESEC has the greatest potential to grow, and that those short conversations can have the largest impact. I would like to thank my good friend Satoshi (MCP Japan) without whom I would have been lost. He traveled with me every step of the way, as we talked about the different regions of Japan and his vision and plans for the country. And by the way Satoshi has the most amazing ability. He can sleep standing up on the subway, a great way to use travel time effeciently to catch up on missed sleep!

And it seems like no country visit is complete without some type of food challenge, and Japan was no different. 20 minutes, a huge bowl of rice, meat and vegetables, and if you finish it all you get some of your money back. After failing miserably in the last food challenge in Korea, I was determine to finish, and got it all down within around 13 minutes. Very satisfying, but I am sure my pal Ceek from Korea would have downed in it less than 10 minutes for sure!

Thank you Japan for my third visit, and a truly amazing experience. What I realised about Japan is that it is a top 10 exchange country, with so much more room to grow. I wish the very best for the adventures ahead for the current team, and the newly elected MCP Shingo and his team that he will be selecting now.

And now I am off to Hong Kong! So to the countries of AP, see you soon in your country!