Movember – The month of Moustache

This is one of the coolest things I have seen in world :P. So November is the month of Moustache, called Movember. Each guy who wants to participate in Movember has to grow is moustache.

The Movember participants known as Mo Bros then have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their moustache and along the way raise as much money and awareness about male health issues, in particular prostate cancer as possible. So all the people around the man who grow moustache can donate money. I think it is such a cool way to earn money for charity.

Isnt this cool?

I am actually starting to like men with moustache :P. You just get use to it when everyone is wearing it. It seriously a lot of people do that – u see them in TV, on the streets, in the shops etc.

Read more:

http://www.movember.com/

AIESEC in Australia

AIESEC life is wired, it keeps you constantly thinking about your future. Every year you have to re look your goals and values to choose the right opportunity from the thousands that AIESEC offers.

It is not even half of my time in Australia, but the applications for the MC team 08/09 are opened now! Soon we will have babys J.

Being the only international in my team I sort of feel obligated to promote this opportunity to all the international people out there. Actually obligated is not a right word, I just really want to show the world how cool is AIESEC in Australia and how much you will be missing out if you don’t consider this as one of your opportunities. So I am going to write now some of my thought, why being part of AIESEC in Australia next year would be awesome opportunity

GROWTH! – We have just conducted updated version of our Long-Term plan, because we had already hit the 2010 goals set. According to our new plan, if we achieve the goals set for this year (170 exchanges) and we will keep growing by just 16% every year, then by 2010 we will be the TOP 10 Exchange country in AIESEC. How awesome would it be to be part of Australia exactly at the moment when it breaks all the barriers and mindsets – Australia being a low performing country? How awesome would it be to be part of the team who brings AIESEC Australia back to the AIESEC map?

Membership – The membership base has grown enormously over 2 year. We have already hit far away from the membership goal set for 2010 couple of years ago. But the growth is not only in numbers but also in quality. The members in Australia hardly ever get to go to international conference, but still they are able to get equal amount of passion and AIESEC knowledge. The members of Australia are extremely smart , which makes it easy to drive the success and growth and work with the members. AIESEC Australia is really well Internationally aligned country.

Potential Coming from the 2 first factors, the potential of Australia is huge! All the relevant factors for AIESEC have a lot of potential to development in Australia. For example, Australia has about 40 universities – AIESEC is only in 16 of them – You can calculate yourself how much more growth potential is there.

So yes, being part of AIESEC Australia this year has been excellent, exciting and challenging. This year has been focusing on setting up the ground for the shooting star, approving that we can grow, changing the mindset that 2 exchange per LC is good and 20 is impossible. All of that is what makes next year really exciting and I cant wait to see the talented, smart and passionate people of next MC team that are going to achieve great things!

Take a look ate the MC video and see how cool is our MC life – we have a cool office as well :P:

You know you have been too long in AIESEC, If...

...so I would like to open a blog posting about this issue :). Being in MC you constantly find yourself living and breathing AIESEC, which sometimes can have quite funny outcomes. So Here are my top things:

1. You don’t go on dates anymore, but you have scheduled meetings with your boyfriend
2. Your personal weekly priority is follow up with friends and parents
3. You have been caught almost naked by uni security guard, from changing close in the middle of classroom, because you couldn’t leave the room, due to a global chat.

Some updates

I am starting to enjoy more and more living in a big city. So many good artists, so many music festivals - if I would only have enough money to go to all of them! So my next target is festival in Sydney, January - Big Day Out (www.bigdayout.com). The lineup start with Range against the Machine and Björk. Jei cant wait for it!

So what else have I been up to so far:
Last week I was at a conference (and the weeks before that I have been living in the office - so nothing interesting). The conference took place at a suburb in Sydney. Very nice place in the nature that actually reminded Estonian summer camps places (pioneeri laagreid). 35 people in on room, nice nature around and you can make as much noise as you want. The conference was meant for all the LC president in Australia - incoming and outgoing. Yes, the LCP term in Australia is from December to November. It was nice and short conference - 4 pre conference days and 4 days of conference. As one of the really exciting thing - Long Term Plan for AIESEC Australia was created during the conference and it is very exciting, but I have to make another posting someday about it :). Shortly - AIESEC Australia is raising star and I am extremely happy that I am here at the moment and I can contribute to the development of country that will be in top 10 performing countries sooner than anyone is expecting ;).
Some more interesting things that are happening soon:
next week I will choose my own National Task Force - Expansion Task force that is going to develop Expansion Long Term plan. As part of my responsibilities is also expansion strategy.
week after that I will go for my 2nd LC visits - full week out of office and full of meetings - hard but exciting experience.

I have also received 2 hand written letters from Estonia - from my granny and my drunken friends :). It is so exciting no I know that love is a balloon and I should never drink for love with empty glass - thanks guys for educating me! But all the pictures and letters sent are on my wall and I am looking at them everyday. It is so inspiring and nice to receive real letter. Please write me more!

ok, enough of the random posting. Next one is going to be more structured and have more content.

PS somehow my photos web page has constant problems, so I have been uploading my pics to facebook - so everyone join facebook to see pics :P.

TORI AMOS, OPERA HOUSE

… Probably one of the best things that has ever happened to me!

About a week ago I was watching TV at home and suddenly they announced that Tori Amos is going to perform in Sydney in one weeks time. Off course I though it was some kind of joke – it is not possible that some one who I have desired to see for 5 years is suddenly coming to the town were I live! But I guess I just have to get use to the fact that I leave in the big city now and I don’t have to see the second hand artist lives anymore.

So on Monday morning, I looked it up from the internet and there it was: Saturday 15th of September, Tori Amos, Sydney Opera House, ticket $120. …hmm that’s about the same as my weekly salary, but suddenly I realised that I don’t even care how much it costs – I had the money and I bought the ticket. I have been waiting this moment so so long. The moment were I can actually go to listen an artist who I truly love and enjoy. So far I have just seen the artists that I can see – because every year we get about 1-2 international starts to Estonia.

While walking to the concert I was a bit scared – maybe my expectations are do high, maybe I will walk out with disappointment. Luckily, the experience that I got was far from that.

Saturday at 8 o’ clock I walked into Sydney Opera House. I got a seat at the box which was just above the stage –the view was good. While walking in to the room, I realised why the Opera house is so famous – the acoustics were just amazing. So good that even a crappy Ozzy-rock warm-up band sounded quite good.

At 9 pm – the concert hall is filled with people who don’t fit to the place quite well –hippie people, lot of gey guys and girls who want to look like Tori.
9.05, room goes dark, band starts playing – Tori walks in. She is wearing Blond wing, smoking – she does here interesting looking poses on the piano. There is a piano and a electric piano on the stage and she sits in the middle of them. The concert is amazing, audients is almost in heaven – going crazy from the pleasure that Tori is giving us. If feel like going through journey of my life – feeling 10 different strong feeling in 2 hours. She is just amazing – at one stage she was standing in the middle of the pianos playing one with one hand, the other with other hand and singing at the same time. So who ever thinks that she is just a piano player who doesn’t do any shows, your perception is way wrong. Somewhere in the middle I started thinking what is so special about here. I started focusing on her piano notes – soon I realised, that her voice and the piano just go so well together that sometimes it is hard to tell them a difference. All of her songs are like small little stories that have begging, end and the culmination point. And off course not to mention the echo of the concert hall – I have never heard so good quality live!

So seriously – this was one of the best moments of my life so far! If I‘d had a change I would do it again – even if it costs way more than I can afford.
I praise the person who introduced me to Tori Amos music! Thank you!

Australia - the land of Vegemite

Here is a list of some interesting and weird things that I have discovered in Australia so far:

They sing their national anthem in the bar while being drunk

• They grill Mars (yes, the chocolate)!!!!
• word Heaps(stands for a lot) is used all the time
• Apart from driving on the other side, they also walk on the other side
• And in the traffic light, instead of green light flashing for pedestrians, the red light is flashing.
• They eat a thing called “vegemite” on sandwich, which for most of the Europeans would remained the Maggy soup base
• Europe is a fashion – “You look so European”, means that you look cool.
• Voting in government elections is obligatory and if you don’t do so, you will be fined
• The TV has a time difference as well – ex. If Adelaide is 30 mins behind from Sydney, then they also see series in the TV 30 mins later. So if you get sleepy and cant wait to the end of the movie, you can call to the other state and ask how the movie ends
• You can take cash out at the shop, while paying for your shoping. So if you pay with your card, then you can just add the amount of cash you would like to your bill and the shop assistant gives you cash.
• The functions in AIESEC are called portfolios
• The AIESEC Dances are called “Line dances” here

Probably the list will come longer with the time, but these are my main observations from first 2 months.

Melbourne

Today at 15.00 the planed took off from Sydney and at 16.30 we arrived in Melbourne.
Either the flight or the pilot was the worst I have ever seen. Now I totally understand why people dont like domestic flights. In what ever plane I dont like take offs and landings - but this plane today was shaking and turning and shaking and shaking during the take off and landing. But we arrived safely!

We had a quick tour with a van in Melbourne city and the city looks really nice. The people here on the streets look more stylish and hipi than in the Sydney - but maybe I just havent seen these kind of suburbs in Sydney yet.
Then we went to this really cool hipi place for a dinner - you can eat as much as you want and you can pay as much as you want! You just go in, and you have this cool hipi looking waitresses, that give you the menu. the menu dosent have any prizes and includes only vegetarian food. The meal was excellent - good looking, nicely served etc. after you have eaten they bring you receipt without prize and you just write there how much you want to pay and then pay it. How cool is that! I payed 5.20 $ - the only cash that I had :).

The conference is coming closer and closer and it is getting busier and busier. In 3 days time we will start our 5 day pre-conference and on next Monday - the real show begins! We will be standing in front of 250 pair of eyes for 6 days!! Its scary but exciting!

PS. for all the people who think that I am having the best time here and dont miss you at all - this is not like that at all. I do have really great time here, but I miss you a lot!
Writing about the cool stuff is just my trick to make more of you to come here!! :)

But write me, sms me, call me, draw me etc - keep me updated whats happening in the other part of world as well!
my address - 2/28 Chandon st, St Leonards, 2065, NSW, Australia
phone: +61 420599759
skype: kristina.toms

birthday weekend

Last weekend was a birthday weekend - Anne and Lucy from the new MC team and Kyle from the old MC team had a birthday.

We started the event at six o'clock, because then there was happy hour in the cocktails pub in the center - two cocktails for one prize. Which made them cheap even for Estonian standards.
Although the party started quite early because of the cocktails, it is quite common here to start the parties early - normally around 8-9 pm.
After the cocktails place we went to some place which was something in the middle of pub and nightclub. We stayed there for couple of hours. Then we tried to enter to some traditional Australian pub, but not all of us got in there, because some of us were to drunk already.
There is a rule in Australia that if the security guard lets in people that are drunk(they dont have to be really drunk) they can get a ticket. Also they same rule is for the bartenders who sell drinks to the people who are a bit drunk already.
So we went to other place - brand new nightclub(a lot of floors, good house music and nice atmosphere). But we had problems entering there as well. Because the nightclubs dont let in the men who are waring sport shoes and t-shirt. How ironic is this - A trendy nightclub in the big trendy city dosent let in people who ware trendy close -todays trend is t-shirt and sports shoes

Apart from parting there has been another interesting week. My transition is almost over and I am starting to actually work now :). We have one week till the conference in Melbourne and there is a lot of work to do before that. and we got 236 delegates registered!!! This is the biggest conference that AIESEC Australia has held since 5 years. It is really exciting and challenging for all of us. Non of us has facilitated so big conference before. But we are working hard and it is going to be amazing conference!! :).
more pictures: krissu.mypohtoalbum.com

My work

A little bit about the work I am doing here:

My general role is to be the Finance Director of AIESEC Australia. But, what to I actually do:
1. Financial management - and only the fun part of it! I also have an accountant and a book-keeper - so no more shity work :)...no accounting anymore, just financial management! And this is exactly the fun part and this is what a enjoy the most!
For the first week I have mainly worked on transition(getting the knowledge and necessary skills for my position). But I have also started the budgeting process and during this week I have to prepare the budget for our team.
2. Conference and agenda management- I am the main responsible of the agenda management of all the national conferences in AIESEC Australia. Again - the task that I really enjoy - creating the conferences!
Right now we are working on the July National conference, which is going to happen at the 3 first weeks in july: 1 week for pre-conference with different external events, 1 week for AIESEC conference and 1 week for post conference (which is generally chill out :)).
3. General leadership of AIESEC Australia - all together with the MC team we are the national directors of AIESEC Australia and our responsibility is to coach the country, to set the direction for the country and to develop and work with the strategy's that help the country to develop.
For the past two weeks we have been working with the strategies and goals for the upcoming year. I have been responsible for the expansion strategy.

4. LCD (In human language: Local committee development). 4 of the MC team members are also responsible for the regional coaching. AIESEC Australia is divided into 5 regions which each have 2-3 LC. I am responsible of coaching the New South Wales (NSW) region. I will have weekly coaching chats with the state manager and every quarter I will have the LC visits in my region.
On friday, together with the current NSW coach, I will have the first meeting with the state manager from my region.

I hope the posting wasnt to serious :)! I just wanted to give everyone the overview of what I actually do here. I promise that the next posting will more fun!

First Weekend in Australia

I arrived in Australia 5 am on 1 st of June (22.00 on 31th of may in Estonian time). 3 of my team (MC) members were waiting me at the airport – Kate, Anne and Lucy. And I got my first kangaroo. We took at taxi to our apartment, in a way I got the first view to Sydney Harbor bridge and Opera theater. Then we arrived to our apartment and I met the rest of my team – Chloe and Daz and after one day also Eloise arrived from Melbourne. They are all really great. Really opened and free minded people who know how to have fun. From the first moment I have really felt myself welcome and comfortable.

On Friday morning we went to have a breakfast in the coffee and we visited our office – which is huge compared to the Estonian one ;). In the evening we went out to a really nice live – music place called the Basement. It was just great – it was like a mixture of Hell Hunt and Von Krahl in Estonia, so I really liked the place. Also the music was great – rock and jazz.

On Saturday evening we had a house party at Mc house. And after wards we went to the club – were some guy was playing popular songs with the piano and every one were singing along.

Saturday we went to Manley beach, which is one beach in Sydney. All though the weather is too cold already and we couldnt go swimming it was really nice.

During these two days already I have found that Australians are in some ways really similar with Estonians. If the party starts – no one dances , when people get drunk, then they start dancing and then they cant stop anymore. So the parting style is really similar with Estonians.

The craziest thing for now is still the traffic, since it is the right side. All the time I look at the wrong way while crossing the street and while waiting the buss. Every one is just driving in a wrong side.

Last weekend in Estonia!

Last weekend in Estonia was incredible! A lot was done in 4 days and I met more people than I have met in past months!

It all started on Thursday, when we went out with My Mom and My childhood best-friend Kadri and her mom. We went to a really Estonian restaurant and I had the really Estonian like dinner.

Friday morning the last visit to meet Diana and cut my hear – so that it could last for a year.

On Friday after noon – visiting my Dad at his place to have the last barbeque and chat with him and his family. And to also see my new baby sister.

On Friday evening I met with my dear girlfriends from university years. It was a create fun...sharing about boys and other stuff as usual.

After that I went to a big over-town party “KUMU öö”. The party wasn’t the best – too many people and too less space. But still it was my last big party in Tallinn.

At Saturday daytime – family gathering – celebrating Kersitis birthday.

A small gathering and good-bye party with friends at “Hell Hunt”.

On Sunday morning we (Me, Karl, Raul and Wolly) went to the Tallinn sea days and enjoyed the beautiful whether of Tallinn. It was about 30 degrees outside. After the see days we also visited the famous “Patarei” prison. Which hasn’t been working for a couple of years already and has been made as a museum. The feeling inside there was pretty weird an depressing – Like you could really feel the anger in side the building.

On Monday afternoon the last meeting with another grandmom, then the last meeting with MC Estonia and the Placebo concert with Karl. And so the days ended and soon it was Wednesday and the time to leave Estonia.

Party

Just a short postage to the people in Estonia.

Everyone who wants to say good bye to me and take part of a small party, you are more than welcome:
Tomorrow 26.05 at 21.00 in the pub Hell Hunt.

My first blog

Welcome to my first virtual space!

Now everything is official-

I have a the Kangaroos in my passport, improving that I have Australian visa

I have the tickets from Tallinn to Sydney

...only the things are not packed yet.

Some clarifications for the ones who still don’t know – Since June 07 till July 08 I will be in Australia. I will be working in AIESEC Australia head office in Sydney as a Finance director.

And this is the place were you can be updated with my experience in Australia.

My journey will be the following:

I will leave Tallinn on 30th of May around 11.00 a.m. with a plane to London. Then I will have about 9 hours in London for traveling from Stansted airport to Heathrow. This journey will take about 1,5 hour. So I have plenty of time to waste in the airport.

Around 21.00 my plane will take off from London to Sydney. The journey will take 21 hours!

At around 5 a.m. on 1st of June I will arrive in Sydney.

Can you imagine – the traveling will take about 2 days and I will spend nearly one day in the airplane. But this doesn’t scare me the most at the moment…

Just few days ago I finally realized that soon I will be living everything I love! And I have only one week left to wrap up my work, complete the transition and say good bye to everyone here.

Today I started the good bye ceremony – I said good bye to my home city – Tallinn. Together with my successor Inna, we went sightseeing to Tallinn old town and for the first time ever I felt my self like a tourist – taking pictures of everything in Tallinn. And off course, classically – I got lost in Toompea J. But, the old town off Tallinn has never felt so beautiful and special yet.