News on the AIESEC Front...

As I sit here at my desk on Thursday afternoon - I feel satisfied. I have seen a lot of progression this week with my AIESEC work and I now have a clear idea of the tasks I must complete before I leave.

On Tuesday, first I had a meeting with Leon, the MCP of China and the Tsinghua Science Park Services Director to discuss an AIESEC Partnership. We came to the conclusion that next week I will send the Science Park an information package on AIESEC which they will translate and distribute to the companies in the Science Park. I will then hold a presentation on AIESEC for about 20-30 companies on July 5th to see if any of them are interested. As well, right around the beginning of July, I have been given a small desk at the Science Park so I will be able to work their at their offices to put the final touches on the presentation. After this we will follow up with the companies to see who is interested in taking trainees. I will then be the account manager and person responsible for the partnership until I leave in August.

After Leon and I's meeting at the Science Park, we met with the LCP of Tsinghua University LC which is just starting up. We have set weekly meeting dates and a time for me to hold an exchange and insight training session for all of their members. There is alot of work to be done here, but this might be my most enjoyable task, as I will get to work with fellow AIESECers. Hopefully when I leave, I will be able to look back on the LC and see noticeable improvements.

My last big piece of news which is really exciting is that last week at dinner, Leon asked me to Chair their next national conference in 3 weeks! It's a 4 day national planning conference that will have AIESECers from Beijing, Shanghai and hopefully guangzhou and tainjin attend. I'm really looking forward to this opportunity and I will have to sit down and pull together all of my ideas/thoughts/experiences from chairs at past conferences. If you have any ideas or thoughts - please post your comments. I am open to ideas.

As for what is coming up: We are leaving in about an hour for an MC planning, transition and teambuilding weekend where we will be travelling to Xiangshan, which is just northwest of Beijing. Since I won't have to be there for the whole time, I think I will make some side trips to the Summer Palace and the Botanical Gardens. Also, if I can fit in some time for climbing - I hear there is a really good mountain to climb at Xiangshan.

For next weekend, I will either be in Shanghai for some AIESEC work (preparing SN's that have already been selected to work abroad) or it will be a weekend trip to Inner Mongolia with about 12 other people. Either way - it will be an adventure.

As I sit here at my desk - I feel satisfied and also incredibly lucky. I have my Lonely Planet books beside me here and each and every weekend I hope to find myself in a new place somewhere throughout the country. Only time will tell.