RAIN RAIN RAIN!
Booooooooo!
But I am packed 3 days beforehand!!
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Costa Rica Next Week
So...
last night I was at a dance party, techno music, not really what a I am into but it was held in the Planetarium at the Natural History Musuem!!!
It was so much fun. It was a really odd mix of people, you had the trendy arty students from Brooklyn, preppy boys and then middle aged women just doing crazy dancing!!!
I am off to Costa Rica in Central America on Saturday to take part in the Insight Abroad program with work.
I will be staying Cartago, check out one of the videos here
I am so excited!! I get in to San Jose on the Saturday and the program does not start until the Sunday. So I am staying at a hostel on the Saturday and Jose the Country Director is taking me out on Saturday night!
My placement is at a school.
The school surroundings:
Most of the children attending this school come from unprivileged homes, mainly from “Los Diques” area. The origins of this community go back to 1962, after the Reventado River`s great flood, caused by Irazú Volcano’s eruption. During the disaster, a group of US Marines came to Cartago to build a large dike to protect the city of new avalanches. Few years later, this area was occupied by different groups of homeless families who decided to live around the dike permanently, generating a high socially at risk community.
This community is the most affected area in Cartago by poverty and violence; many of the children have to deal on a daily basis with physical and emotional aggression as well as sexual abuse cases. Besides these problems, drugs abuse, drug dealing, and urban delinquency are becoming part of everyday life for children, teenagers, and adults.
The school was founded in 1982. There are 26 staff members including teachers and administrative staff working at the school. There is an interdisciplinary team with a social worker, a psychologist and a sociologist as part of the school staff.
Project Description:
The insight participants will paint murals that have been previously outlined. The mural outline is located in the outside walls of the interdisciplinary team, right in front of the kindergarten classrooms.
Insight participants will paint the mural according to the colors that will be selected.
Volunteers will also have the chance to interact with the kids and get to know more about the community and the Educational system in Costa Rica.
General Objectives of the project
1. To promote cultural exchange and interaction among the participants of the project: volunteers, students, school personnel, CCS staff
2. To paint murals
3. To visit the community and its surroundings
I am really looking forward to doing another program and visiting a new program obviously but I looking forward to having my own experience and doing it alone again, like Brazil. Although I recently visited the Guatemala program for staff travel, another staff member was there. I loved the group I was with in Guatemala as it was a small group and we all got on so well.
This is going to be a totally different experience as I will be a volunteer again and the house is full - 38 people!!!
Well the weather at the moment in NYC is RAIN RAIN RAIN, so off to see Sex and the City movie and try to stay dry!
last night I was at a dance party, techno music, not really what a I am into but it was held in the Planetarium at the Natural History Musuem!!!
It was so much fun. It was a really odd mix of people, you had the trendy arty students from Brooklyn, preppy boys and then middle aged women just doing crazy dancing!!!
I am off to Costa Rica in Central America on Saturday to take part in the Insight Abroad program with work.
I will be staying Cartago, check out one of the videos here
I am so excited!! I get in to San Jose on the Saturday and the program does not start until the Sunday. So I am staying at a hostel on the Saturday and Jose the Country Director is taking me out on Saturday night!
My placement is at a school.
The school surroundings:
Most of the children attending this school come from unprivileged homes, mainly from “Los Diques” area. The origins of this community go back to 1962, after the Reventado River`s great flood, caused by Irazú Volcano’s eruption. During the disaster, a group of US Marines came to Cartago to build a large dike to protect the city of new avalanches. Few years later, this area was occupied by different groups of homeless families who decided to live around the dike permanently, generating a high socially at risk community.
This community is the most affected area in Cartago by poverty and violence; many of the children have to deal on a daily basis with physical and emotional aggression as well as sexual abuse cases. Besides these problems, drugs abuse, drug dealing, and urban delinquency are becoming part of everyday life for children, teenagers, and adults.
The school was founded in 1982. There are 26 staff members including teachers and administrative staff working at the school. There is an interdisciplinary team with a social worker, a psychologist and a sociologist as part of the school staff.
Project Description:
The insight participants will paint murals that have been previously outlined. The mural outline is located in the outside walls of the interdisciplinary team, right in front of the kindergarten classrooms.
Insight participants will paint the mural according to the colors that will be selected.
Volunteers will also have the chance to interact with the kids and get to know more about the community and the Educational system in Costa Rica.
General Objectives of the project
1. To promote cultural exchange and interaction among the participants of the project: volunteers, students, school personnel, CCS staff
2. To paint murals
3. To visit the community and its surroundings
I am really looking forward to doing another program and visiting a new program obviously but I looking forward to having my own experience and doing it alone again, like Brazil. Although I recently visited the Guatemala program for staff travel, another staff member was there. I loved the group I was with in Guatemala as it was a small group and we all got on so well.
This is going to be a totally different experience as I will be a volunteer again and the house is full - 38 people!!!
Well the weather at the moment in NYC is RAIN RAIN RAIN, so off to see Sex and the City movie and try to stay dry!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Long over due upate....
So... work has been SUPER crazy. Where do I start....
Last week I had a meeting at NYU. Then I went up to Boston to train the EF staff. I did a 2 hours training with about 20 plus people and then a second hour training with 4 other people.
I then stayed the night in a hostel
which was fine but I didn't get much sleep.
Then I was representing CCS at a Global Volunteering Fair, I also presented a 90 minute work shop on international family volunteering and a 30 minute presentation about CCS.
The fair went really well, and I had some AMAZING alumni who helped me out and were fantastic.
Then got the Amtrak and got back into the city about 12pm.
Then on the Wednesday I did an information Session at Columbia.
Thursday I help paint a set at Astoria Performing Arts Center. That was fun and great to do something creative again.
Friday night, I met up with a volunteer I had met in Guatemala and then also went down to the Village and played darts all night.
Saturday, we initiated the latest PEM and took her out to happy hour.
I then had to get up at 7am on a Sunday morning to catch a flight to Colorado to train the EF Colorado staff. I was waiting at the subway station and had a look at my itinerary to see how long the flight was and realized that I was on my way to JFK when actually I was flying from LaGuardia!! Fortunately me being super early all the time paid off!!!
Other highly exciting news, I just bought flights to go and visit our Cartago, Costa Rica Insight program on June 8th!!! I am so excited.
So the past couple of weeks have been busy, so I arrived in Colorado this afternoon, went and had a pub lunch and tried out some of the local beers, come back to my hotel room, had a really long bath and am now watching TV in my kingsize bed!!
I have a 2 hour training session tomorrow and then fly back into NYC and will get home about 12pm.
It's allllll go!!!
Last week I had a meeting at NYU. Then I went up to Boston to train the EF staff. I did a 2 hours training with about 20 plus people and then a second hour training with 4 other people.
I then stayed the night in a hostel
which was fine but I didn't get much sleep.
Then I was representing CCS at a Global Volunteering Fair, I also presented a 90 minute work shop on international family volunteering and a 30 minute presentation about CCS.
The fair went really well, and I had some AMAZING alumni who helped me out and were fantastic.
Then got the Amtrak and got back into the city about 12pm.
Then on the Wednesday I did an information Session at Columbia.
Thursday I help paint a set at Astoria Performing Arts Center. That was fun and great to do something creative again.
Friday night, I met up with a volunteer I had met in Guatemala and then also went down to the Village and played darts all night.
Saturday, we initiated the latest PEM and took her out to happy hour.
I then had to get up at 7am on a Sunday morning to catch a flight to Colorado to train the EF Colorado staff. I was waiting at the subway station and had a look at my itinerary to see how long the flight was and realized that I was on my way to JFK when actually I was flying from LaGuardia!! Fortunately me being super early all the time paid off!!!
Other highly exciting news, I just bought flights to go and visit our Cartago, Costa Rica Insight program on June 8th!!! I am so excited.
So the past couple of weeks have been busy, so I arrived in Colorado this afternoon, went and had a pub lunch and tried out some of the local beers, come back to my hotel room, had a really long bath and am now watching TV in my kingsize bed!!
I have a 2 hour training session tomorrow and then fly back into NYC and will get home about 12pm.
It's allllll go!!!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Atlantic City!!!
So Karen came to visit - Yay Karen and all the English chocolate she brought!
Random pillow fight in Union Square
We random decide at at at 11.30 on Thursday that we would go to Atlantic City
We found the cheesiest hotel - The Hotel Tropicana - which all so had a casino and waht seeemd like everything we would ever need and booked a bus from Port Authority.
Me Trying to figure out how to win some money!!
Our Hotel Room
The Casino
Random pillow fight in Union Square
We random decide at at at 11.30 on Thursday that we would go to Atlantic City
We found the cheesiest hotel - The Hotel Tropicana - which all so had a casino and waht seeemd like everything we would ever need and booked a bus from Port Authority.
Me Trying to figure out how to win some money!!
Our Hotel Room
The Casino
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Schmoozing....
Recently I have been doing quite lot of schmoozing at posh clubs or events.
I attend a conference through work the other week. After the conference there was a cocktail reception with really nice free food and booze. We then went to a concert at Carnegie Hall. It was a Free Tibet fund raiser where we had seats in the boxes so had a great view. We then went to the after party where there was more free booze and food and partied with the stars of the show and Uma Thurmans Dad!
Then last weekend was a work colleagues birthday. He had rented a room at Jay-z's 40/40 Club. He had rented The ESPN Hall of Fame Lounge. It was really good fun, a lot of dancing and feeling like I was in a rapper music video.
I also went to Extreme Embroidery exhibition was was really good as well.
Last night I was at the Gnarly Vine being very sophisticated drinking wine and eating cheese!
I think that this weekend it going to be pretty quiet with the 4 inches of snow we have got keeping me inside..... but who knows!
I attend a conference through work the other week. After the conference there was a cocktail reception with really nice free food and booze. We then went to a concert at Carnegie Hall. It was a Free Tibet fund raiser where we had seats in the boxes so had a great view. We then went to the after party where there was more free booze and food and partied with the stars of the show and Uma Thurmans Dad!
Then last weekend was a work colleagues birthday. He had rented a room at Jay-z's 40/40 Club. He had rented The ESPN Hall of Fame Lounge. It was really good fun, a lot of dancing and feeling like I was in a rapper music video.
I also went to Extreme Embroidery exhibition was was really good as well.
Last night I was at the Gnarly Vine being very sophisticated drinking wine and eating cheese!
I think that this weekend it going to be pretty quiet with the 4 inches of snow we have got keeping me inside..... but who knows!
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Busy, Busy, Busy!
Just a quick up date!
We moved offices on Thursday night, as we are building a new level on the office at work because we are expanding so much. So Friday morning, I went into work early to try and sort out my new office space. Not know where I was going was a slight problem but I found it. The next problem was not being able to get in!
After getting in we had the task of trying to make the bomb site look presentable as a big company (www.eftours.com) we just signed a contract with had decided this would be the day they would come over from Boston to talk about this new Partnership!!!
Their mission is to ensure that every student some sort of international experience and yours truly is going to be dealing with them on ensuring that the ones that want to do some sort of service project will achieving this mission is going to be dealing with all the inquires on a day to day basis. I think it is going to be a huge partnership - which is exciting but it's going to take lot of work!
Today I am off to volunteer at a flower show in China Town. It is the Lunar Chinese New Year and there is a flower market going on with traditional arts and crafts happening.
Sunday I have the joy of trying to file my taxes, which I am not looking forward to but hopefully will get some money back so could be worth it!
We moved offices on Thursday night, as we are building a new level on the office at work because we are expanding so much. So Friday morning, I went into work early to try and sort out my new office space. Not know where I was going was a slight problem but I found it. The next problem was not being able to get in!
After getting in we had the task of trying to make the bomb site look presentable as a big company (www.eftours.com) we just signed a contract with had decided this would be the day they would come over from Boston to talk about this new Partnership!!!
Their mission is to ensure that every student some sort of international experience and yours truly is going to be dealing with them on ensuring that the ones that want to do some sort of service project will achieving this mission is going to be dealing with all the inquires on a day to day basis. I think it is going to be a huge partnership - which is exciting but it's going to take lot of work!
Today I am off to volunteer at a flower show in China Town. It is the Lunar Chinese New Year and there is a flower market going on with traditional arts and crafts happening.
Sunday I have the joy of trying to file my taxes, which I am not looking forward to but hopefully will get some money back so could be worth it!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
New Years Eve
After the success of the Green party, we decided to throw Tarts and Vicars party.
Not as many people dressed up for this one....
Midnight!
Not as many people dressed up for this one....
Midnight!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Overview of My time in Guatemala!!
So my travels in Guatemala started off with just under a week in Guatemala City.
Here I volunteered for a few days and visited some of the partner programs that we work with in Guatemala City, such as elderly homes, a soup kitchen and clinics.
This was the chapel we re-painted before
and the courtyard
Coming soon - the after pictures!
I then spent Friday night in Antigua.
At a very posh hotel
It was then on to Panjachal and to visit Lake Atitlan - the most beautiful lake in the world.
Then on Sunday Morning we went to Chichicastenengo, to visit one of the largest markets in Central America
It was then a 4 hour bus ride to Quezaltenango.
I stayed there for 2 nights at our program there, visited a few placements and some areas of interest that the volunteers visit and it was a 6 hour bus ride back to Guatemala City to fly home on the Wednesday!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Guatemala!
So I arrived in Guatemala City on Saturday, the whole experience was so different from my Brazil program. Obviously the main difference was this was staff travel, I knew the organization and knew pretty much what to expect. With Brazil I was so nervous when I had my expectations talk and nearly cried and decided not to go.
With this I trip I had hardly any time to prepare because I had been so busy with work and really had not thought about it much.
When I had picked up my bag and gone through immigration, I walked through the doors and there were hundreds of people with their faces pressed up against the glass looking for people. Again I was not nervous or worried, I saw the CCS sign and it took about another 15 minutes for me to make my way through the crows to it!!
There are 9 of us in the house and they are all lovely and we are getting on really well.
The placement I am at it a home where there are a couple of mother and daughters, a mother and a son, a writer and a painter that lives there, as they have no where else to stay. We are painting the chapel and the courtyard and also doing crafts with them.
So just a quick update really to let you know I am safe and well!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Thanksgiving
So yesterday was Thanksgiving, the day where Americans eat as much as turkey as possible in one sitting.
I was was just thankful that it meant I got 2 days off work!!!
I went over to Bonnie's parent house and had a traditional thanksgiving with her family.
Being a vegetarian I had tofruky
It's tastes the same as quorn really.
The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday. This is is supposed to symbolise the start of the Christmas shopping season and be the busiest shopping day of the year.
So I woke up pretty early this moring and thought I would check out what the deal was.
So at 6.30am this morning I was shopping at Herald Square. This is where all of the main shops are like Macy's etc. H and M was manic but Old Navy wasn't too bad
So by 8.30am this morning I was back in my apartment with several new outfits!!!
I was was just thankful that it meant I got 2 days off work!!!
I went over to Bonnie's parent house and had a traditional thanksgiving with her family.
Being a vegetarian I had tofruky
It's tastes the same as quorn really.
The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday. This is is supposed to symbolise the start of the Christmas shopping season and be the busiest shopping day of the year.
So I woke up pretty early this moring and thought I would check out what the deal was.
So at 6.30am this morning I was shopping at Herald Square. This is where all of the main shops are like Macy's etc. H and M was manic but Old Navy wasn't too bad
So by 8.30am this morning I was back in my apartment with several new outfits!!!
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Green Party!
In honor or our newly decorated green lounge, we decided to throw a green party.
Everyone had to wear green, bring green drinks ad green food!
And amazingly everyone cooperated!!
Green Friends!
Green Family Christmas Card style photo!
Green food!
Everyone had to wear green, bring green drinks ad green food!
And amazingly everyone cooperated!!
Green Friends!
Green Family Christmas Card style photo!
Green food!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Oktoberfest!
My first time driving on the other side of the car
Me driving with my eyes clothes - it was my first time driving in about 4 years!
German men in leinenhose dancing!!!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Busy, Busy, Busy!
So work has been super busy and will remain so until around November time.
Last week I went to Toronto in Canada for the day to train a company who will be partnering with CCS.
Met Dan at the airport has he arrived in the same terminal as me on the way back from Canada - how well planned was that!
Thursday was our T2 event consisting of a BBQ.
Friday got the Amtrack to Boston, which was about 4 hours on the train to train the office in Boston. Dan got the China town bus (a very cheap and slightly crazy bus that was 3 hours late) to Boston where we had the poshest hotel room for free.
The super posh Hotel!
Me in the Christian Science Plaza
Got the crazy bus back on Saturday - only 40 minutes late this time. Met up with some of the girls and took Dan out for a typical NYC night out, consisting of lots of drinks, multiple bars and some karaoke.
Sunday, we went for brunch and mooched around, went to the park,(where we saw a small child on huge stilts just sauntering around?!), Soho and little Italy.
Dan left on Monday and I worked practically every hour possible for the rest of the week.
Wednesday, went out for dinner with my roomates - the first time since well before summer - how can I live with 2 people yet only see them 3 or 4 times week??
Had a meeting at NYU with a potential Spring break group on Thursday and met Alexa for dinner Thursday night and went to this bar that was full of very drunk students, which was extremely amusing - was I ever like that??
Friday we had a girly slumber party in New Roc, drank several bottles of wine, including one hat was opened using a screw driver and hammer as the wine opener had broken. Women can be very resourceful! Had a couple of hours sleep in preparation to volunteer at Larchmount beach picking up litter.
Went to work again for about 5 hours and came home, where I am now sitting having a quite night in in the first night for aaaages!
This week hopefully won't be as bad, off to Michigan Thursday night with Brooke to a beer festival and sort of caught up on work so should be feeling slightly less stressed(?!?)
So I apologise for not replying to emails/IM's/Text messages etc but I don't really have time to breathe at the moment!!
Last week I went to Toronto in Canada for the day to train a company who will be partnering with CCS.
Met Dan at the airport has he arrived in the same terminal as me on the way back from Canada - how well planned was that!
Thursday was our T2 event consisting of a BBQ.
Friday got the Amtrack to Boston, which was about 4 hours on the train to train the office in Boston. Dan got the China town bus (a very cheap and slightly crazy bus that was 3 hours late) to Boston where we had the poshest hotel room for free.
The super posh Hotel!
Me in the Christian Science Plaza
Got the crazy bus back on Saturday - only 40 minutes late this time. Met up with some of the girls and took Dan out for a typical NYC night out, consisting of lots of drinks, multiple bars and some karaoke.
Sunday, we went for brunch and mooched around, went to the park,(where we saw a small child on huge stilts just sauntering around?!), Soho and little Italy.
Dan left on Monday and I worked practically every hour possible for the rest of the week.
Wednesday, went out for dinner with my roomates - the first time since well before summer - how can I live with 2 people yet only see them 3 or 4 times week??
Had a meeting at NYU with a potential Spring break group on Thursday and met Alexa for dinner Thursday night and went to this bar that was full of very drunk students, which was extremely amusing - was I ever like that??
Friday we had a girly slumber party in New Roc, drank several bottles of wine, including one hat was opened using a screw driver and hammer as the wine opener had broken. Women can be very resourceful! Had a couple of hours sleep in preparation to volunteer at Larchmount beach picking up litter.
Went to work again for about 5 hours and came home, where I am now sitting having a quite night in in the first night for aaaages!
This week hopefully won't be as bad, off to Michigan Thursday night with Brooke to a beer festival and sort of caught up on work so should be feeling slightly less stressed(?!?)
So I apologise for not replying to emails/IM's/Text messages etc but I don't really have time to breathe at the moment!!
Monday, September 03, 2007
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