Teacher

Today I had my first day of teaching English classes at Wall Street Institute of English in Cuenca.
I must say it’s a lot of fun – I really like it. Well, the hardest for me definitely was to get up at 5.50 a.m. in order to start the first lesion at 7 a.m.
Swiss as I am I arrived at 6.50 a.m. at the Institute – and well, it was closed. That was kind of funny to me. Yes, of course I know about the Ecuadorian time by now but honestly speaking didn’t expect it for the institute. Well, someone locked it up at 7.02 and I right away started with my first class, cause my student was already waiting since 6.55 in her car outside.
So I managed 4 hours of classes, went "donde la abuelita" to eat at the grannies place of Vale, in which's house I'm staying at the moment. Once more I had "cuy" which is a typical dish here. The animal is a mix of a bunny and a rat, in German known as Meerschweinchen but much bigger and actually tastes nice.

Then another pen drive got fkt up. The bloody computer at the institute killed all the memory, what a shame! I have lent it of a friend - and now another electronical thing to replace. Beside I had to re-do 3 hours of work I did yesterday...
It doesn't bother me too much anymore – kind of get used to it…

So after my so called lunch break which means working for @ I went back to teach.
The system of rotation is really great and so diverse to teach! You have always different students with differnt levels of english! That makes it really interesting and intense! Great experience!!!
Well, as you see you can be a teacher and a teacher, figure it out yourself how my students do… :-))

Looking forward to the upcoming fiestas de Cuenca!

Thank You - Dankeschoen - Muchas Gracias

Dearest friends
since a while of relaxing and just having time for myself I'm online again...
and I must say I AM TOUCHED!
Reading all this lovely comments on my blog, reading your lovely words in mails and everything is just incredible. So nice of you - THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Some have asked me what they can do in order to help me and honestly you did all you could do - just being there for me , sending me a mail, calling me and just showing me that you are there for me - showing your friendship!
To see that does unbelievable good to me, really! Let me give you a HUGE HUG to express a bit better what and how I feel like!

Some of you have also asked about a number to call on, so here you go:
0059 38 416 44 08

For sure this was a really intense experience that will be with me for the rest of my life. Definitely I have learnt so much out it. Most important lesson about it is how valuable LIFE is! That there is nothing more important than that, all the materialistic stuff can be replaced but my life is unique. I LOVE IT and I WANNA HAVE IT FOR MUCH MORE TIME.
That’s why I’m so grateful that nothing more happened.
Actually we all know that - but often forget about it. We worry about our daily problems so much and forget to see what we have, how lucky we are and that we should be happy because we are so privilleged with what we have, what we can do.
! EVERY DAY IS GOOD BECAUSE OF BEING ALIVE !


By now I’m doing fine. Actually getting better every day and re-motivating myself – with your help. Because NO, I WON’T GIVE UP – NEVER!! That’s not how I am and I guess this happening didn’t want me to stop with what I’m doing but rather show me the importance of my work.
Yes, THE WORLD NEEDS MORE AIESEC, cause AIESEC is peace and with my work I give my contribution to making the world a peaceful place in the hope that our kids and grandchildren still can travel and don’t have to stay home because it’s just too dangerous leaving your house.
Stop dreaming and giving up hoping would be the worst I can do I guess.
As Walt Disney said: "If you can dream it you can do it."

I don’t give up believing in Ecuador, either. The robbery just showed me about the problems there are in this country and opened my eyes about the differences there are to Switzerland. Some people have no choice but being criminal because they live in a corrupt system where they don’t get education nor any hope to improve their situation. The only option to them would probably be starving…


If I give up I don’t change anything, won’t impact anything. That’s why I keep moving with probably even more energy, an even stronger will to help, educate and develop people that they themselves carry the message of PEACE further and further and further… till it’s around the world, in everybody’s mind, in everybody’s heart and finally in everybody’s reality!


If the world gives you a hundred reasons to cry
-
Show the world that you have a thousand reasons to smile!


Never stop -
never stop dreaming
never stop beliving
never stop moving
never stop trying
never stop changing
never stop smiling
never stop being positive
never stop hoping
never stop acting
never stop ...
never stop

and most important:
NEVER STOP LOVING


and being aware of what you have and how valuable you are

NEVER STOP BEING GRATEFUL


LOVE
giovanni

Getting shot and robbed

To tell you right away, what comes now is not a joke neither invited… although believe me, I wished it was!

Yesterday, Thursday the 19th of October 2006, I was still more or less excited about the fact that there is wireless in the mall just around the corner of my house so again I went with the laptop there is in my house (because mine is dead) to use the free internet. I got a message that some friends were about going to the pictures. So I grabbed my stuff at 7 p.m. and went home to put the laptop down. On my way home I was thinking of putting another shirt on where I saw this two boys standing on the street talking to each other. So what, there are always people on the street. I didn't think anything.

I was opening the door to enter the front yard of my house when a guy from behind bound himself over my shoulder, put a rifle in my face and asked me for my money.
I was in shock, couldn’t believe that there is a fkn gun in my face!
What happened next went all really really fast.
Seeing that revolver I wandered if it was a real one…(strange I know but true)
I turned myself really quickly, screamed like hell, kicked the guy with the gun with my left leg away and tried to shot the door but there were two of them and therefore stronger in keeping the door open. The guy with the gun shot in my left knee and I flew on the ground. He grabbed my shirt, pulled my bag over my shoulder and took it. I shouted no, not the bag, here take the money and offered him all I had in my pockets (which was 8$). Strangely he didn’t take it and they quickly walked away. Surprised about the fact that I could still stand with a shot leg I ran after them, because all I thought about was the laptop in my bag.
The guy with the gun turned around and pointed the pistol on my body waiting for my reaction. Scared about my life I stopped. They went off to the car waiting for them and drove away.
I was like “FUCK, FUCK, FUCK” on the street when I realised that there were already lots of people watching what’s going on.

I was in shock, couldn’t believe what just happened and was so pissed off about that all I got just got stolen. Really, everything!
There was a laptop in my bag, my external hard-disc with all my work, all my data and information, all my pictures just everything on it – gone!!!
There was my MP3 player, my agenda, my book that I carry with me since EXPROS in Colombia with everything I’ve ever written down for AIESEC since then. There were all my contact cards from IC, the keys for the MC office, my medicine for my sickness and some other stuff like English-German dictionary, pens, markers and so on.
I was so down, so sad that all this stuff was just gone!

The first time I realized about the fact that I was bloody lucky that I was still alive was when Marie-Louisa, the doctor in my house came home and told me so.
Hell yeah, I was very lucky, the bulled just hit my knee, it didn’t enter (Streifschuss). My trousers have 3 holes in and the wound is about 5cm long, 1cm broad and 5mm deep. But I can move my leg and it doesn’t hurt – it’s all good about me. Guess that’s why I was worried about the laptop and my work and stuff.

It’s weird what you start to think about after a happening like that.
Some thoughts that went through my head were:

• I just said thanks to my angels (one day ago on my post - I do so every day) that guard me and that is what you do??!!
• One second later you go: Wow, thank you very very very much my beloved angels that you guard me and that I’m still alive. That nothing more happened. That the bulled just hit me in my knee and not entered somewhere in my body. That I didn’t get punched with the gun or whatever!
• I’M ALIVE, THANK YOU MY ANGELS!!
• Fuck the laptop is gone – and it’s not even mine!!
• Damned, ALL MY WORK – ALL MY WORK IS AWAY! I can kind of start from scratch

And then you start analyzing the whole thing:

• Why didn’t they take the money?
• Did they knew that I have a laptop? No, they wouldn’t have asked for the money?
• Did I react correctly? What could I have done? Should I have done to react better, to prevent the whole crime.
• and so on…

and of course you start with all this what if questions:

• What if I had gone the Manta to the conference?
• What if I had reacted differently?
• What if I just had given them the money right away? Would they have taken it and just left?
• What if I hadn’t been there at that point of time?
• and so on and on…

But this all leads to nothing. It happened no matter what and I cannot change a thing about it.
All I can do is saying thanks to my angels, being happy that nothing worse happened and that I’m still alive.

One thing more there is to say though.
I feel like these guys haven’t just stolen all the values, all my work and I can start with NOTHING in my hands again, I guess there is much more than that.
I feel like they have stolen my motivation, my trust and connivance and I don’t know about my believe in Ecuador, my believe that I can change something here.
I really ask myself what this has to mean, is it a sign?
What is it I’m trying to do here? It’s all for nothing, isn’t it?

Guess I need time, time to calm down, to come over it.
Time to find my motivation again, to get up again and move on.
Up and till now I always thought I NEVER GIVE UP!
Hope that’s not gonna change.


A really sad but happy about being alive
giovanni

Profesor Odoni

Life here goes pretty fast as you might have noticed. For instance can you cancel your job within one day. And the same thing is with getting hired.
Well, I got yesterday a mail and a message about this teaching opportunity that is open. Kids of 12 years upwards in a private school in Cuenca (the LC that I'm Coach of), organized transportation, living at a friends place, good paid money (I'm still Swiss and don't talk about how much) 5 hours a day that I can choose when I want to teach...
"Sounds good", I said, "will think about it." "You have till tomorrow", was the answer I received.
So couldn't ask you guys about what you think. hehehe

Well, I guess from Monday onwards I will be blogging for 1 month from the lovely city of Cuenca.
I give my life another exciting part, a new challenge. Is gonna be interesting teaching kids. Always wanted to do so.
And besides that, Dalal will go back to Canada soon and Luigi is in Peru due to Visa issues and god knows when he comes back.

Just have to get used to be called “Mister Odoni” now.
I’m very excited :-)

my angels

Thank you my angels for all the protection, guardance and safty you give me.
So good to knwo you are there for me.
Grateful having you

conference or health - health or conference

Thank you very much for all that lovely postings. Strange that they all go in the same direction...

Well, obviously it’s much easier to say, stay in bed, don't worry, relax, calm down, everything is gonna be alright and so on than actually doing it after you have put so much into something…

Taking the decision was therefore much easier for the others. When I explained my situation yesterday to the other MC members it was clear to them that I won’t assist due to my health. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING MY FRIENDS.
But to me it was still hard to do, cause I felt like I’m letting the people down, like I cannot fulfill the expectations that last upon my shoulders (maybe they are unreachable high), like I’m not there for the baby that I put into the world (metaphorical of course).

Anyways, I worked hard today to arrange everything, find the solutions, inform the people and deliver them with all the needed stuff. Probably too hard – but what can you do about it if the support of your teammates is just there to a small extend?!
Yes, I am the perfectionist, I do feel responsible and I am kind of worried about the conference. Not because I’m not there – because hardly anyone that was prepared is there.
Forgot to say that another faci cancelled today – also due to health reasons.
We don’t have a chair for the conference (didn’t find a re-emplacement in only one day of course) and the due to a weird traffic system the facis can only be there late for the pre-meeting.

But I don’t worry…
because as Nelson Henderson says: “The real meaning is to plant trees under which’s shade you are not expecting to sit.”

I’m probably relaxing tomorrow. After 12 hours it’s now enough isn’t it?!

hard decision

Today or tomorrow I have to take a really though decision.
What happened is that I got really thick on Saturday. When we entered into the cinema everything was fine, as usual. But when I got out I kind of felt strange. And it was not due to the film which was so horrible, that one was ok. No it was about my body, I had headache and my legs and back hurt a lot. Later on I started shaking, trembling although it wasn’t freezing due to the fever I got(Schuettelfrost). During the night I woke up every hour and had to go to the toilet. On Sunday the same. Stayed in bed all day long.

Luckily Marie-Louisa, the girl who lives in my house as well is a doctor and she checked me and gave me a receipt for buying medicine.
She thinks that I have a virus or an infection of my stomach. It could also be malaria (well some bloody mosquitos have bitten me in the Amazonians although I used repellent all the time, so it's posible). The doctor though says that it might only be malaria if the fever comes back at Wednesday or Thursday.

And that’s the point now. I’m supposed to go to a national conference from Wednesday (Faci and Chair premeeting) and then from Thursday to Sunday the LDS of AIESEC in Ecuador (Leadership Development Seminar). Fact is that I’m the conference responsible and facilitator.
Furthermore this conference is only been hold because one of my first things that I put through here in Ecuador was having two member recruitments and two SDL.
So what do I do?
My doctor says that it would be totally irresponsible of me going anywhere out of my bed! That I have to recover and get my health back – otherwise this virus or whatever might never get out of my body.
Well I see that point of course, but what about my professional responsibility? What about my role as faci, conference manager and what about all the 50 delegates and my beloved AIESEC in Ecuador? The education of the future leaders!

If I don’t go to the conference and nothing happens, like the fever doesn’t come back and I don’t have to go to hospital or whatever it pisses me off because I didn't go...
If I go and the fever comes it’s all even worse then when I’m looking for a solution beforehand.
I don’t know… IT’S SCREWED ANYWAY

Will go now to the MC meeting – without the permission of my doctor of course – and talk about it with them and see what they say. I’m waiting for the response of my predecessor Cristina if she can stand in for me and I will talk again to Marie-Louisa in the evening.
Like that I will hopefully be able to take the right decision.


Ah yes, just beside – one facilitator from Peru cancelled because she doesn’t have the money for the transport to Ecuador (which she thinks of NOW!) and today the Chair of the conference cancelled as well. So who the f%#@ is telling me that I don’t have to worry??!!!??
Do you see the option for me like that to stay in bed?! I doupt it!!

gopfertorihueresiecheschdasenscheissdasgedsjogarnedverdammtundzugenaeht
HEUL HEUL HEUL

Imaginate esa situacion y piensa en lo que resolves primero.

Supongamos que hay 5 cosas que están ocurriendo simultáneamente que necesitan de tu atención para su solución y te encuentras sola(o):

1.- El teléfono esta sonando.
2.- El bebe esta llorando.
3.- Alguien esta tocando la puerta o esta sonando el timbre.
4.- Hay ropa recién lavada colgada en el tendedero de afuera y estácomenzando a llover.
5.- El agua se esta desbordando de la pileta en la cocina.

Ahí te quiero ver!!
¿En que orden solucionarías los problemas?
Anota el orden, luego baja y revisa como fueron tomadas tusdecisiones.
PERO HAZLO DE VERDAD, LOS RESULTADOS SON MUY INTERESANTES.NO VEAS ABAJO HASTA QUE ELIJAS...........







Cada uno de los anteriores puntos representa algo en tu vida.
Cada respuesta significa:
1. Telefono - El trabajo
2. Bebe - La familia.
3. Puerta - Los amigos.
4. Ropa - Dinero.
5. Agua - Sexo.

El orden que elegiste es el orden de las prioridades en tu vida.
NO ME DIGAS NADA MAS..................
¿¿Cerraste primero la llave del agua ???????

AJA!!! LO SABIA!!! :-))
jajajajajajaja

back from holidays

That's how it always is when you are enjoying yourself and having a great time - time flies by too fast, just goes too quickly and I'm already back at work.
That's exactely how it was during the vacations I had with Barbara - but it was awesome!
Once we had each other in our arms after 6 months we couldn't stop chatting of course. We went to my home to put her bags down and already went for her first ecuadorian party.
1 day of citytour in Guayaquil, then we flew to Quito and checked the capital and its surrounding out before we headed to the Amazon - which was an awesome trip.
3 days of taking bathes in the same river where crocodiles, snakes and piranias live, seeing monkies, spiders and all kind of animals, fishing and eating piranias, sleeping in the bush and listening to all that noises of the nature....
It was incredible! We just loved it!!!
Then we went to Otavalo which is famous for its traditional market. On the market day the city changed into one big market - at all the places on the street were stands - with everything you can (and cannot) imagine, it was so colorfull, so amazing!
El Nariz del Diablo (the devils nose) was the highlight we did at the end in Riobamba. It is a 104 km track - the most dificult trainride ever built on earth that you can pass of the roof of the train. A wonderful experience and the environment we passed was just beautiful...

ah what can I tell - hope the pictures might express more than I'm able doing so by words...
Check them out by clicking HERE