A day in AIESEC Prague

Today was day two in Prague and already I feel like I’ve been here for a whole month. I’ve learned so much, seen so much, and experienced so many new things that my brain can’t process it all. Today I took the train to Prague by myself to meet Jenny and Olga for lunch. I walked from the apartment to the train station, made it on time, and from Masarykovo Nádraži (Masarykovo station in Prague) to the university. Jenny’s university is very nice, it is the University of Economics in Prague and it has a small square outside with a statue of Winston Churchill. Walking into the University, Jenny introduced me to some fellow AIESECers who are members of AIESEC Prague. It was cool to see everyone speaking English and welcoming me to Prague, just the way I would greet someone when they come to New York on an internship. The university buildings are a little confusing because they added the new complex onto the old complex, and the floors don’t exactly line up. I almost died when we walked to the cafeteria and I saw a nice Sodexo sign smiling me in the face. I couldn’t help but laugh and think to myself, what great luck I have—that even after I graduate Sodexo finds me. For those of you who don’t know, Sodexo is the company that provides the cafeteria food at Fordham, prisons and to the president of the United States. The students warned me before we started, “It may look good, but it has no flavor.” Ironically, as much as I disdain Sodexo, I secretly love it and lo and behold, I actually liked the cafeteria food here too.

After lunch, it was time to work. Olga, Jenny and I went to the AIESEC club office and begin planning what to do for the Presentation Skills Workshop next Thursday. We came up with five basic elements that the students should walk away with:

• Preparing the presentation
• Goals of the presentation
• Body language and voice control
• Using visualizations
• Working with the audience

Each student will have to give five presentations and each time using more of the techniques that we teach them (which are much more detailed than I described, I just didn't want to bore anyone). I’m really excited about the work we did and it will be a good workshop for the students (sophomores in high school).

After this, we took a short break and Jenny and I went to pick up our Green Day tickets at the ticketpro dealer in Old Town. After, we ate dinner (at the cafeteria again), and made our way over to a lounge where AIESEC had planned a “Welcome to Prague” event for me. Going to the lounge, I walked in on a table of 12 AIESECers all sitting down talking and having drinks. Now I really know what it feels like to be a foreigner meeting a bunch of new people. Of course, we were the last people to arrive…which seems to be typical when meeting AIESEC interns. Even in New York, the foreigner is either waiting alone at the restaurant for the rest of us or they are the last one there after we’ve already ordered. I said hello, awkwardly, and sat down at the end of the table.  The table was far too long to hear what was going on at the other end, but I made good conversation with my fellow Czech AIESECers near me. They were very friendly and spoke good English and we talked about random topics. They couldn’t help talk in Czech every once in a while, so I kind of just sipped my drink and pretended to listen and, of course, I would laugh whenever a funny joke was told…haha.

Overall, it was a good night. The drink specials ended at 8 PM so most of the group left around that time. Jenny had left to run a quick errand and wasn’t back until 9:30 PM, and by this time, I felt bad for the rest of the students who wanted to continue their night at a less expensive venue near their dorms while they waited with me for Jenny. I would have loved to join them, but I knew I couldn’t just leave to go to their dorms, which are 30 minutes away in the opposite direction, so we waited for Jenny and then parted ways. I’m pretty tired and it’s past my bed time (again), but today was a really eventful day. The heat has been unbearable, but I’m biting my tongue because it’s supposed to be 65°F and raining this weekend. Bummer. Anyway, I’m working on the Camp Agenda tomorrow and it should be a low key night aftewards. We’re just waiting for the other trainees to arrive before all the fun really begins. I miss everyone and my sister still hasn’t had her baby. I’m waiting for the e-mail! Take care and pictures to come tomorrow.

PS -- In the previous post I said I ate babufka for breakfast, it is spelled babuvka.