jueves, 16 de septiembre de 2010

Colombia’s lesson in economic development


During the last week I have found myself at least 5 times, explaining to people about the changes that Colombia is having right now. For some reason people (that I've known for a while now) asked me about Colombia with a genuine curiosity to understand better our situation.

If you know me, you know that nothing makes me happier that talking about my country and change the misconception that it isn't a safe country and that we are all drug dealers.

This is an article I read some time ago from McKinsey Quarterly, and today I randomly watched the video on it again. I couldn't avoid getting excited (again) and neither share it with you.

Now, this article reflects in a very big scale what has been happening in Colombia for the last 8 years. There are way more many examples to tell (and in my poor opinion even more interesting), but I think it's a pretty good "piece of cake" for those who still don't know about the major transformation Colombia is going through.

The video is featuring our former Trade Minister, Luis Guillermo Plata, a major character in Colombia's development during Uribe's government and who I believe is the sexiest Colombian man alive (I don't care how politically incorrect that was ;) ).







Video: Back from the brink—An interview with the trade minister of Colombia
Luis Guillermo Plata describes Colombia’s efforts to recover security, overhaul its industries, and revive a teetering economy

miércoles, 28 de julio de 2010

La ida al baño es necesaria pero no justa


Me imagino que ya habrás leído o escuchado sobre la dura ola invernal que hemos estado viviendo en el cono sur durante las últimas 2 semanas (si no has escuchado nada es porque realmente eres un “desinformado al borde del importaculismo existencial” y cuentas con la suerte de tener una amiga como yo que te comenta este tipo de cosas).

Pues si querido amigo(a). En el caso particular de Santiago, se está experimentando el invierno más frío desde hace ya varias décadas, llegando a temperaturas sostenidas bajo cero durante varios días. Chaquetas, bufandas, gorros y guantes, se vuelven prendas básicas del vestir diario y una necesidad primaria para cualquiera que se atreva a salir a la calle (y en ocasiones a permanecer dentro de ella).

El usar ropa extra para mi nunca ha sido un problema. Me encanta comprarla, usarla, combinarla y volverla a usar. Aunque debo confesar que mi parte favorita es la primera, la de comprarla. Tiritar de frío es un condición a la que uno se acostumbra a los pocos minutos, sentir más hambre de lo normal es perfectamente sostenible y perder la sensibilidad en los dedos de los pies es solo otro gaje del oficio de vivir en un país con estaciones.

A lo que realmente aún no me acostumbro y continúa siendo mi verdugo diario es la difícil y martírica tarea de ir al baño!!! Una actividad que pasaba desapercibida en mi día a día, ha dejado de ser pacífica y placentera para convertirse en un complejo sacrificio entumecedor!!!

Complejo, porque no se imaginan la cantidad de capas de ropa que una lleva encima y le toca quitarse una por una pa’ poder bajarse los benditos pantalones. Sacrificio, porque mientras se retiran las capas una a una, toca contraer la vejiga lo máximo possible o en su defecto empezar a hacer pequeños saltitos en puntitas de pies mientras se reza el padre nuestro pa´ que una alcance a bajarse los pantalones a tiempo. Y entumecedor, porque una vez pantalones a bajo, la ráfaga de frío que entra por el huequito inferior es dignamente merecedora de un HPzo mudo!

Como si fuera poco el dolor al que uno se ve expuesto cada vez que necesita ir al baño (por aguantar las ganas de ir y por el HP frio que le toca aguantarse mientras hace del cuerpo), el mismo clima hace que a uno le den ganas de ir al baño con mayor frecuencia. O sea que el “complejo sacrifio entumecedor” aumenta su calidad de ‘martirio’ porque lo obliga a uno a volver, a volver y a volver más de lo normal.

Todo esto me ha llevado a darme cuenta de que en Chile no ponen aire acondicionado ni reguladores de temperatura en los baños. Son los lugares más fríos de las casas, oficinas y centro comerciales. A parte les ponen unas turbinas que hacen circular el aire de manera casi anti-natural y el agua del grifo es más fría que la de las cataratas del Niágara. Como si fuera poco, después de lavarte las manos te encuentras con que casi ninguno cuenta con secadores de manos eléctricos - aquellos que uno podría usar como “calentadores”. Es como si te estuvieran diciendo “si po’ wueon… te “cagamos” la cagada, cachai?”.

Pues si… ya caché. Mejor dicho, ya entendí, comprendí y asimilé que la ida al baño no va a ser una experiencia normal hasta que no pase este bendito invierno (nótese que de bendito no tiene ni la “b”). Mientras tanto tocará seguir contrayendo la vejiga y dando saltitos de puntitas, al tiempo que cruzamos los dedos para que el clima vuelva a una temperatura racional.

La representación gráfica de mi trauma

jueves, 22 de julio de 2010

Submerging in unreality



I finally made it to one of Cirque du Soleil’s shows. Last night I witnessed “Quidam”, a story about a little girl who created an imaginary world to escape from the sadness induced by the isolation from her parents.

The show is complexly a perfect combination of different types of arts: live music, elegant stunts, choreographed dance, dramatic acting, customs & stage design, and off course lighting technology.

It is on tour in South America right now. Will be going to Peru and Colombia after August 11th when they finish their performances in Chile. If you got the chance to see it, I strongly recommend it.

It is a perfect space to submerge yourself in a fantasy world for a few hours. Take a look at the trailer:






Quidam. Cirque du Soleil

martes, 20 de julio de 2010

DID WE STOP GROWING UP OR WHAT?


Recently I was asked to invite other young people to share their dreams on how they wanted to see AIESEC in 5 years.


Today, I suddenly had the inspiration to write that invitation and in the previous post you can find what I came up with. The reason to share it in this blog, is because I realized that it also applies for personal paths.


When we are children we are constantly asked "Who do you want to be when you grow up"? The answers are used by Teachers and Parents to guide us in our educational path to "success".


And today I wonder: when do we stop asking ourselves this question? and why? Doesn’t the answer changes according to our age and experiences? Or is it that we stop growing up after we finish school? I mean... Hello? Isn't extra fat, wrinkles and backache a sign that we are getting older?


Then… don't we have the right to keep on asking ourselves "Who the hell do we want to be when we grow up?"


It personally annoys me people leaving themselves to be driven by general or others understanding of “personal success”, and start a non-sense competition against nobody no get first nowhere. When the truth is that personal success should only have a meaning on each individual’s dictionary.


From today I would ask myself more often “Who do I want to be when I grow up”?


As a Child I just wanted to travel


See the change first


There is a very famous and often used quote from Mahatma Gandhi that says "Be the change you want to see in the world”.

It is with no doubt a sentence that makes you feel important and relevant for the world. It makes you feel like you have the power to make positive changes. That your actions also count. It is so influential that it is repeated every day by thousands (or millions of people), up to the edge of sometimes losing its meaning. Even within AIESEC environment.

Today I coincidentally read in the website from an alumnus’ consultancy company the difference between Creativity and Innovation:

Creativity is having a good idea to do something or solve a punctual problem.

Innovation is having the individual or group capacity to work after the creation of a future.

Now, you must be wondering: what’s the relation between Mahatma Gandhi and an alumnus business website?. Well, my fully understanding of the innovation concept made me comprehend that in order to BECOME the change I want to see in the world, I need to SEE it first!


In AIESEC we are lucky enough to count on an organizational vision that pushes us every day to be innovative. The way I see it if AIESEC looks to contribute to “Peace and Fulfillment of Humankind’s Potential” then every generation of young people has the opportunity to challenge the concepts of PEACE, FULFILLMENT and specially POTENTIAL.

Five years ago I was asked to dream on how I wanted to see AIESEC in 2010. Today I’m happily amazed to see that many of my thoughts came true and that, somehow, I contributed to make them happen. Now, it is your turn to also dream and speak up your voice to make changes a reality.

Every voice counts. Your academic background, your cultural perspective, your experience or non-experience in AIESEC, your age, just YOU. Each element makes your voice unique and WE want to listen it. Then I ask you again:


HOW DO YOU SEE AIESEC CONTRIBUITING TO PEACE AND FULFILLMENT OF HUMANKIND’S POTENTIAL IN 2015?

If you dare to D.R.E.A.M. with us just go to the AIESEC 2015 website and share your story with the network.

Hoping to see all your dreams soon!