Eu corre bem essa semana :)

3:48 - 4:09 - 4:13 - 4:10 - 4:11

These were my 1km splits. Before each we did a 500m gentle run to warm-up, and between each we had around 2mins break. I really surprised myself with these times!

On Tuesday night we ran 2 laps of 3km - 1 'gentle' and then 1 'hard'. I finished in less than 15mins, which i was very satisfied with.

I think i deserve 1 or 2 beers tonight at 'Trash 80s' ;)

Burning the midnight oil...

It's been a while since i stayed this late in the office (in fact it's the 1st time since i came to Brazil...) I'm happy with what i achieved though - i'm so productive when the office is empty :P Just me and my music... And I'm also happy because it means I will be able to leave at sensible times on Thursday & Friday ;)

So what have i been doing today...?

One of the most important elements of the partnership that i'm managing is providing opportunities for AIESEC members to gain practical experience of Social-Business Ventures by doing internships with entrepreneurs. In total we want to offer 22 positions in Latin America and 8 in India during the next 6 months.

Today was the day that we started to officially open the positions for people to apply. Needless to say i'm very excited :) So if you know any budding entrepreneurs with business experience and a passion for social change, send them my way ;)

Good night!

A new circle

"Life is like an spiral moving up… One circle closed is the beginning of a new one..."
(Carolina Laiton Galan, October 2008)

I couldn't believe it when i found this in my inbox on getting back to the office today. It just sums up perfectly how i'm feeling right now. I just finished 4 days of strategic planning with the whole Artemisia team. A connection of 14 minds, 14 hearts and 14 spirits. Celebration of a year passed, and ambition for the one beginning. 4 days of understanding new realities, imagining new futures, and co-creating new actions. And all in a new language!!!

It's not easy to leave behind an organisation to which you've devoted 7 years of your life with energy, passion, hope and determination, whose purpose and impact you believe in with all of your heart. It's not easy to walk away from a team of incredible people who understand and support eachother, who create and achieve together, and who are able to let go of their own ego for the sake of a common cause. A few months ago I worried that it would take me some time to find either of these things again in my life. But after these 4 days, i'm confident that i have found both.

Here, and now.
São Paulo, Artemisia, 2008.
My new circle

Further, faster. Stronger...?

Rob's Weekly Run - Round 2

As yesterday was Thursday, i set off again with Guilherme for Parque Ibirapuera (the largest park in São Paulo).

This week's achievements...

• Distance run: 9km
• Time: 50mins
• Pain: !?*>%+>!

Ok, so hardly Olympic pace. And this morning my legs do feel like i've climbed Everest (and my stomach like i've given birth).

BUT it is an improvement on last week!

Guilherme tells me there will be a half-marathon here in April. If i keep increasing 1/2km per week, i should just about be ready... :)

In control

I'm starting to understand that being in control doesn't mean controlling everything. I'm being reminded that, when I feel in control, I don't need to control everything. I can be comfortable accepting that many things cannot or should not be controlled.

In the past week I've achieved all of my priotries at work. I've spoken to my parents and spent 3 wonderful evenings with my boyfriend. I've been running in the park, and eaten healthily. I've updated my blog and read the blogs of some friends. I've enjoyed talking & dancing with members of AIESEC here in Uni SP. I've done laundry and tidied my room.

I could do all of this because I realised that I was in control. I was consciously choosing how to use MY time, and I am happy with my choices. And I know I can't control traffic, or the weather, or mobile phone signals, or internet stability. And I'm cool with all of that :)

To some readers this doubtless seems obvious. To me it matters, because it hasn't always been like this. Only a few months ago, I often felt that my life was controlling me, rather than me controlling my life. Now I realise that, because I didn't feel in control, I sometimes responded by trying to control some things that didn't need to be controlled. Acknowledging this now, I'm relieved that I didnt do any lasting damage along the way... And an important lesson has been learnt.

So Gabiza, you were right. Though by now I'm used to it, of course :)

To all of my friends, I wish you the the peace and satisfaction of feeling in control.

ouch ouch OUCH

I just ran 8 1/2 km around a park.

Beautiful scenery, relaxed atmosphere, and hundreds of people running. It was exactly how i expected Central Park to be (and how it wasn't, actually). Nevertheless it now seems less and less like a good idea... I'm in agony just sitting up in bed to type this (the connection goes if i lie down - don't ask...)

I went with a guy from my work, who runs with a group twice per week. Apparently tonight was an 'easy night'. Sometimes they do 'speed training' (running a series of 1km bursts with 1-minute breaks in between) or 'incline training' (effectively running up the ramp of a 4-storey building) I can't wait for one of those nights...

Right now i'm an extremely smug non-smoker :) And Moni - i respect you even more than before!

You were right, Haraz...

It really DOES get cold in São Paulo.

Ok so not cold like Zermatt in January, but one day this week we worked out it was colder here than in Crewe! Ok so there it's summer and here it's winter, but still...

I think ppl expect me to be able to deal with it, given where i've spent 25yrs of my life so far... But the strange thing is that buildings here do not have any heating. So when it's 10° outside, it's also 10° INSIDE. Yesterday i couldn't even take a shower, because i couldn't bear the thought of taking my clothes off! This morning i was a bit braver, but then i had to stay in the shower for half an hour because i couldn't stand the thought of getting out into the cold bathroom!

Roll on summer!

Photocopies, red apples & roller-skates

(aka: police registration and a trip to the Supermarket)

I’m legal. After 8hrs of filling in forms, copying documents, queuing, filling in more forms, queuing again and finally getting my fingerprints taken, I have registered with the Policia Federal do Brasil.

My prize? A 15x3cm slip of paper with my photo and signature. I can go back and get it replaced with a proper ID card after SIX MONTHS!

My new flatmate has a car, meaning today I could finally go to the supermarket. Not the cramped over-priced city-centre version - I’ve been to a few of those already - but a real out-of-town sprawling cheap supermarket (think ASDA, C1000 or Tesco Lotus, depending where in the world you are…) To my surprise and wonderment, the staff wear roller-skates! At 1st I thought it was a joke, but the more I think about it the better the idea seems – improve efficiency, reduce employee boredom, avoid scuff marks on the floor, scare annoying kids… the possibilities are endless.

As the lady at the checkout was scanning my shopping she asked out of the blue:
“You’re American?”
I informed her that I’m British, to which she replied:
“I knew it – a Brazilian would never buy green apples.”

Reassuring that the blond hair, blue eyes, translucent skin and primary-school Portuguese were not enough of a giveaway…

So, look out for the Brazilians in a supermarket near you! (They’ll be the ones buying all the red apples…)