Sara's journal

So, the last day of the year 2007 is here and it's time to look back.

The year 2007 had a lot of unexpected surprises for me... I don't think I've ever had such a moving, challenging and intense year in my whole life.


AIESEC has pushed me further than I ever thought I could go.


I was elected LCP of the LC Geneva in January and a whole new adventure started. I've been blessed to be able to work with 3 amazing individuals for one year, who have changed the way I look at life. We had tough times, we had fun together, but most of there was a lot of respect and understanding, support and team work and I can't express in words how thankful I am to have spent the year with you, Bilal, Nadja and Ravaka!

Connect2007 was a big highlight of this year. I believe the best proof how fond our team is of this conference, is that wherever we go (Kick-off, Do-it, IC, EuroCo, etc.) our green Connect2007 jackets are always present. At this place I want to thank Sarah, Regula, Joe and Joan for this experience!

Another blessing of this year was to be part of the most amazing LCP-team ever (I know this is very subjectif, but I'm convinced that it's true). I love you guys! You are even on my desktop background at the moment. Hahaha! Thanks for the LCP Weekends (the official and unofficial ones), the deep conversations outside the meetings, our time at EuroCo, Starbucks in Lausanne, coffee at the university of Bern, phone calls, msn-chats, etc.

The year 2007 has also been a year of friendship and losses.

I met James at Kick-off 2007 and I can't be grateful enough for all the support and friendship he has shown me this year. THANKS! You are always there when I need someone to help me get on my feet again. Thanks for believing in me! I hope to meet you again soon, hopefully in the U.K. of course!

I've been blessed to spend many many hours with the most amazing girl walking on this earth: Sarah! Soulsister, I can't put into words how much you mean to me. THANKS!

There are many other people I would like to mention, who have changed my life this year, but out of fear to give the impression that I favour anyone, I want to do that in person instead.

I also lost some people that were very close to my heart.

There were people I hurt, people who broke my heart, people I neglected due to all the other things on my mind and people who became strangers to me because I or they changed.

I want to ask forgivness for those I hurt. It was never my intention.

I want to forgive those who hurt me. I know it wasn't your intention.

I want to ask forgivness for having neglected certain people. You were on my mind , but I didn't manage to give you the time I wanted to.

Here some extracts from the lyrics... I love them... And the song is amazing...


Mrs Black and White
She's never seen a shade of grey
Always something on her mind
Every single day
But now she's lost her way
And where does she go from here


Mr Multicultural
Sees all that one can see
He's living proof of someone
Very different to me
But now he wants to be free
Free so he can see


And they'll meet one day
Far away
And say "I wish I was something more"
And they'll meet one day
Far away
And say "I wish I knew you, I wish I knew you before"


He says "I wish I knew you, I wish I met you
When time was still on my side"
She'll say " I wish I knew you, I wish I loved you
Before I was his bride"

So, I'm back from Sweden, where I spent Christmas with my family. We left yesterday at 19.00 and arrived this morning at 9.00 in Switzerland (going by car).

I think I've never been so happy to see the sun before, like this morning when we arrived in Switzerland. Sweden was basically pure darkness, with a few hours of twilight, that were covered up by clouds and fog.

It has never been this extreme before. I didn't see any sunshine for over 10 days.

I will never make fun of the Swedish people again, that are sooooooo fond of sunbathing. I only spent 10 days in darkness, but if you do that for months, I totally understand that sunshine becomes very important to you (even though, a bit less tan wouldn't hurt)...

Today I was sitting in the tram once more, picking up the newspaper "20 minutes" that was lying on the seat, scanning the articles for any important news, sitting down in a cafe and checking my emails on my laptop, quickly reading the news online of NZZ, heading back home to turn on the television, listening to the news in the background, reading in my book for some minutes with the television in the background, then heading back to university, entering the office, reading my emails, doing some phone calls, going to a class and talking to some AIESECers at the same time to exchange information and plan our meetings, heading back to the office, doing some phone calls, reading my emails once more, reading about the treaty of lisbonne to prepare my meeting the professor tomorrow, chatting on msn, having people talking to me at the same time and now finally, writing my blog entry.

I'm just wondering how my brain is processing all the information it gets, how my body is dealing with all the external influences like sounds, the cold, the smells and how aware I am of the feelings I'm getting when meeting all those people everyday.

I think it's impressive. I once read, and I don't exactly recall how it was written, but that a person from the 18th century received as much information in his whole life as there is in one newspaper today.

Time for some meditation...

I'm in Madrid over the weekend! :) I arrived here yesterday and will stay until Monday morning.

I'm staying at Sarah's place in the MC flat and we have a wonderful weekend ahead: Hamam, Shopping, Sangria and Tapas, Museum, Brunch, Sleeping late, Going out, etc.

Yesterday when we went out (Sarah, Regi, Ira and me), we noticed that people here in Madrid are wearing colourful wigs and masks in the streets. Supposedly it's to get into the Christmas mood and have a good time. The wigs and masks are sold at the Christmas market in Plaza Mayor.

I thought it was only during the night, but today when I went to get a coffee at Starbucks, three women with Rudolf the Reindeer masks passed by. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!