I'm a hopeless...

...romantic.

It's weird.

I am sick at home still, watching TV and I get really emotional watching the love story of SUlly and Michaela on Dr Quinn Medicine Woman.

WHAT THE..?

I have definately sunk to new lows :-)

I mean... DR QUINN, at 4pm drove me to tears.

Ahhh but their story is soooooooooooooooo beautiful.

Did someone say... REUNION!

So I love it how life reconnects you with people that meant something to you at the stage you remember them from. Lately this has been happening to me, and I am quite excited about reuniting with:

1. My Scandinavian MC Gang - Finland, Denmark, Sweden, AI etc in the annual Scandinavian Chillout Weekend in November. It is one weekend of chillaxing in the lovely city of Stockholm. BRING IT ON!!

2. My NMS Faci Roomies - When I was a facilitator in NMS in Latvia, I developed a close friendship with my roomies: Lynsey, Susie, and Katrijn. We are also planning another meetup - last time was on the UK Boat Party in 2004!!! This time looks to be in Amsterdam

3. French Conference Reunion - Juliane (Germany) and I are organising a reconnection in November for the French MC, NTT and anyone else who wants to join. Since I miss everyone terribly, I am very much looking forward to this one!

Its amazing isn't it.

Reuniting with my Scandinavian friends.
Reuniting with my international facis from LATVIA!
Reuniting with my Frenchies and Germans from last week

THIS IS WHY I LOVE BEING IN EUROPE, AND LIVING THE INTERNATIONAL LIFE!

Party Fever!

September 2005 182, originally uploaded by Mazzy2.

Ooooo Laaa Laaa!

September 2005 180, originally uploaded by Mazzy2.

OC Relaxing Time

September 2005 190, originally uploaded by Mazzy2.

The French National Trainers Team

September 2005 220, originally uploaded by Mazzy2.

Disconnected

I am sitting in front of my computer - sick and tired. exhausted. without energy. without voice.

Missing France
Missing the MC team
Missing the intensity of an AIESEC conference

Feeling disconnected from work
Feeling disconnected from my colleagues
Feeling disconnected from Amsterdam

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...............................maybe I am just tired.

Canadian Colleagues

13870013, originally uploaded by Mazzy.

Some of my old Canadian Colleagues from University of Concordia...

Here they are singing some karaoke tunes...

GO GUYS!!!

Diversity Outline

September 2005 143, originally uploaded by Mazzy2.

Ahhhh don't you just love colours and big paper!

Diversity Workshop

September 2005 153, originally uploaded by Mazzy2.

Another Pic!

I am alive

After an intensive conference period:

Global ABN AMRO Diversity Conference

and then,

Chairing the French National Conference in Toulouse

I am back in my seat at work.

But I think I will head home soon due to illness....

Always Talk at Tramstops...

... to strangers because you never actually know who they are.

Tonight I started to talking to this man from Chicago whilst waiting for our never arriving last tram. We talked about our countries, about travel, what I was doing in Amsterdam but it got interesting when I asked him... so what do you do?

Turns out he is the President and Founder of 'Comic Relief' in US. He has written two books, and is a producer for HBO. He produced 'Man on the Moon' with Jim Carrey and is the comic writer for people like Kramer on Seinfeld, Saturday Night Live.. it goes on and on.

His name is Bob Zmuda - and he was sharing all his personal stories... how he started off, what he plans to do next (which by the way is a world comic relief similar to Live 8).

Really it was unexpected but MEGA cool to meet such a creative person, and I checked when I got home to see if he was legit... he is.

A sign?

Votes YES... write now

A powerful sentence ...

"What would you do if you were not afraid?"

Talent Team

September 2005 066, originally uploaded by Mazzy.

Claire and Emma last Wednesday for a business trip together in London.

Funny

September 2005 042, originally uploaded by Mazzy.

Last Sunday I went to the beach with Bergio and Olexander (Macedonia). It was looooooooooooovvvvvvvvvvely! But I just love this photo of Berg, he looks so wacky!

Smile Sarika!

September 2005 108, originally uploaded by Mazzy.

Ocean Race

September 2005 109, originally uploaded by Mazzy.

I won free VIP tickets to the ABN AMRO Volvo Ocean Race - Boat Christening. It was oretty awesome, and featured a Kane concert.

Here you can see Dave (Canada), Hetal (Canada) and Federica (Italy)

Farewell Lunch

September 2005 023, originally uploaded by Mazzy.

Bye Bye Mic

September 2005 052, originally uploaded by Mazzy.

Mic and Rashida at Mics farewell last Sunday night. Mic has gone to study education in UK.... I MISS YOU BABE!

@ Trainee Diversity Group

September 2005 022, originally uploaded by Mazzy.

About a month ago, we all decided to more actively drive diversity at ABN AMRO as trainees. Hence our diversity working group. We ran a workshop for all the other trainees two fridays ago... this is the group where PASSION is a MUST!!!

Swiss Diversity Workshop

September 2005 133, originally uploaded by Mazzy.

Linda (colleague working in Switzerland), Juanita (external consultant) and Kilian after our Swiss diversity workshop

My Fave Day

I love Fridays...

It is only minutes before I join my fellow ABN AMRO trainees for drinks at the Gustav Mahlerlaan building...

WOO HOOO!

Weekend is upon us!!!

SO EXCITED!

Strange Occurances

What a day!

Yesterday was a strange strange day.

I was travelling to London with my colleagues for meetings. The following occurred:

ON THE WAY THERE ...

* My train to the airport was cancelled.
* My passport would not register in the machine
* I was sent to the wrong check in queue
* The teller who eventually served me had to stop as her machine got stuck
* The teller where I was sent could not work her microphone to call the plane

ON THE WAY HOME ...

* I made it by seconds to my return flight
* I got a non-stop train to Amserfoort - 2 cities away from Amsterdam
* My bus took a different route because of my neighbourhood being out of bounds with police cars
* I had dinner at 11pm

I marvelled at all the wrong things, the wrong little things that can happen in one day.

In the end I was talking to the passanger next to me on the bus.

'Whats going on?' he said.

I smiled. Nothing that would suprise me after the day I had I responded.

Good Initiatives

http://www.wearewhatwedo.org/

http://www.whyshouldicare.net/