How everything started...

¡¿AYE-QUÉ?! (AIE-WHAT?!)

The title is very easy to understand for Spanish speakers, but I'll explain for those who might be trying to figure out how to correctly pronounce "AYE-QUÉ" ;-)

First of all, it is very usual to wrongly pronounce AIESEC in Spanish like this: "I-EH-SEK" (read that with English pronunciation)... then, Spanish speakers who have heared this for the first time, might reaply with: "AYE-QUÉ?" which is a mix of what we have understood at the begining ("I-EH") and a question with exclamation ("QUÉ?") which means in Spanish "What?".... so, it is similar to say: "AIE-WHAT?!"

So, this was my first reaction the moment I first heared about AIESEC...

I was sitted with some friends in the cafeteria of my university, I don´t remember what were we talking about, but I´m sure it was not about changing the world, or about any world issue... I was just another simple university student spending some time in the cafeteria.

Suddenly a guy that I didn´t know before came to the table where I was sitted and gave us some flyers about some organization... AIE-something...

- "What is this about?" I asked.

- "AIESEC is an international student organization which main focus is Professional International Exchange" He said, with a different accent that I recognized at the moment.

- "You are not from here right? Are you from Colombia?"
- "Yes indeed... My name is Hugo, I'm from Manizales, nice to meet you"

For those who don´t know, my parents are from Colombia, so listening at his accent cought my attention from the begining.

Carlos: - "Cool... so are you here on a professional exchange?"

Hugo: - "Not really, I´m here having what we call a CEED, which is an AIESEC possition in another country for a short period of time"

Carlos: - "hmmm... interesting" (what is this guy talking about?! what is that "SITH" thing?...)

Carlos: - "Hey! it says in here that there is AYASÉ in more than 89 countries! Is it also in Japan?!"

Hugo: - "Yes! There is AIESEC in Japan, and in many..."

Carlos: - "GREAT! Where do I sign?!"

AXLDS 2004, Margarita - Venezuela

Americas eXchange Leadership Development Seminar, 2004!

Francisco Seyler, MCVP Finances 04-05, AIESEC in Venezuela,

having a relax moment few days before the AXLDS 2004 on a beach in Margarita Island

This was my first "International" experience in AIESEC. I quoted the word INTERNATIONAL since this seminar happened in my own country, but because of the diverse delegation I consider this my first approach by first hand to the World of AIESEC...

I have started my AIESEC Experience (@XP) just 5 months before this congress.

I thought I knew what AIESEC was about, and then in this seminar I could see how little I knew and how much I was able to learn.

This seminar joined the participation of more than 200 youngters from more than 17 countries, most of them from Latin America, but there were also delegates from: Japan, Australia, Holand, Scothland and Austria, making this a really wonderfuly diversed congress!

My best memories are related to the extention of my friends network...

Friends from many places in the world, who I must say I'm vary happy to still keep contact with until these days, joining experiences and stories of our lives.

I still remember sharing great moments with the wonderful Puerto Ricans (Hello Damaris!), the crazy Ecuatorians (Ivan, Priscila, Franchesca), Costa Rica (Pura Vida! from Tico-land), Brazil, México, USA and so on...

Of course, I must say that it was a great moment also to share with my own delegation! The Venezuelan feeling was all in the air, at every moment! We where no separated LCs, we where not delegates from different cities. We were all VENEZUELANS, proud of our country and our culture!