El Centro del Mundo

Incredible how fast the time is running... and there is always so much going on here that I didn't find time to write on my blog, sorry...
So what happened lately?
Two weekends ago (from the 21st to the 23rd of April 2006) I chaired my first conference, jajaja!!! Although I faced some problems with the language (my spanish isn't really fluent yet and not all of the participants spoke english) it was a great and learningful experience to me. Especially to experience the role of a chair, how you manage to run a conference but also to see how the people work here, what their approach and processes are. It was about goal setting of the LCP's for the next year on which figures the MC will base our planning on... Que chevere!

Beside studying spanish I fixed everything with my visa and finally got an Ecuadorian ID! Feels really good. And guys, never complain about the swiss bureaucracy anymore please! You should see that here! You have to run from one office to the next in order to get it done. For example: since the government is not really trustworthy and they would corruptly keep the money you pay there, they give you a ticket with which you have to go to the bank and pay. With this ticket you go back to the other office where you obviously have to que again... And this went on and on. It took me two days to get it done... in Switzerland it took me 30 minutes...!

On Thursday the 27th of April I travelled to Quito to attend the SDL (seminar desarrollo de lideres = LDS (Leadership Development Seminar)). My role was pretty much one as a delegate and observer due to the fact that it will be me who hast to organize this conference next year. It was excellent to get to know some of the people I'm going to work with and finding out more about the way the run conferences. It's pretty amazing to see their passion, spirit and drive. That really fascinates me. And they have a much much stronger dancing culture than we do in CH. Well, I mean in the plenary as well as at the parties!
My personal highlight of the conference was to walk over burning coal...!
Before doing so we had a session about concentration and psycological strength. So we had to imagine of being in front of the firewalk, run and reach the other side. Although we were mentally prepared and willing to do it we all were still afraid - but we ALL DID IT! It was such a great experience and felt so great afterwards!! Really empowered and encouraged that it's possible to DO ANYTHING if you just want to, if you're just really really willing to do so. It's up in your head - you decide where you go, what and how high the goal is that you want to reach!

After the conference our transition (passing the knowledge and takingover of the new team from the outgoing group) started.
We did a little sightseeing in Quito and visited the centre of the world -

EL CENTRO DEL MUNDO!

On the picture you see me with one foot in the northern the other in the southern hemisphere!
The orange mark is the 0º line which is called equator...
...and I was on it!
Jipeee-ai-eeeiiiihhhh!!!!

:-))


For more pics klick here:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?Uc=1sed448x.99mbm77d&Uy=23ww15&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&mode=fromshare&conn_speed=1