First Week in Caracas

AIESEC Venezuela

Yes, I know I promised I would blog regularly. I have been extremely busy for what seems like every moment since I arrived here in Caracas! And I feel this is only a taste of things to come. I am just back from my first AIESEC conference in Venezuela, my first conference as a facilitator and my first as national committee member, oh, and my first in Spanish! This was our annual planning conference, so all the elected and last year's local leadership teams were there. The main aim was to form a national set of goals and actions we will achieve this year, based on the global focus areas defined at an international level, as well as national focus areas we have decided upon. It is all very exciting and I really feel engaged with AIESEC in Venezuela now. I'm so happy to have been able to attend this conference, be involved with the planning and get to know everybody. I've met most of the people I am going to be working with over the coming year, and there is a real sense of excitement and drive to succeed. But we have a lot of work ahead of us! And I've begun my education in salsa, etc. dancing. Again, a lot of work ahead of me!

Obviously, it was quite challenging facilitating at a conference that was mainly conducted in Spanish! The level of English varies drastically amongst the members here (I think this is the same across Latin America), even in those in leadership positions, so some translation was required, and some jokes were definitely lost in translation! It seems pretty much every word can be used in either: a) an offensive way, or b) a romantic way, or c) a sexual way. Drinking games in Spanish was definitely quite an experience, one that involved me getting quite drunk. But apparently once in that state I speak "perfect Spanish". But I do really feel I am getting to grips with it, and have had success communicating basic things in Spanish. A minor mistake in stress seems to render a word completely intelligible though, which is a bit tricky. But being immersed in this Spanish conference, it really feels like it is going to happen, I am going to learn Spanish.

It continually surprises me how many things just work differently here. Every house has bars on the windows and doors. You do not go out at night (unless in a car, although the safety of that is also dubious in my mind). There are dogs and cats just roaming the streets (I came accross a tiny kitten just sitting on the sidewalk the other day, was so tempted to take it home).

The communiticas (small local buses) drive about stopping wherever people want and blaring out local Regatton music (like a kind of explicit version of Reggae that can only be danced to in one way!) Red lights mean nothing (and only women need to take a driving test). People don't use liquid soap to wash dishes. The list goes on and on! It's all these small things that really surprise me!

But a lot of things are the same, or at least, American. I've been to McDonalds twice. People love baseball. The university where our AIESEC office is has a food court with a Subway and a Wendys. Latin American Idol is watched by everybody, and something silly like 300 million people across the continent, who rush home in their big old or new American cars. One thing that was pointed out to me on the communitica to the conference was that all the people living in the barrios (the really poor, deprived, crime-ridden neighbourhoods on the hills surrounding Caracas) have satellite dishes on their otherwise most basic of chaotically arranged dwellings. Apparently that is because it is too dangerous to go out at night so they need TV.

And there are cellphone shops interspersed amongst the dusty chaos.

The food. Disregarding the US (not allowed to call them American!) chains, the local food is, well, different. Breakfast is always hot. Either Arepas, which are stodgy muffin type things, filled with cheese, ham, whatever you want, or fried bread usually with cheese and ham (and sometimes marmalade, at least by my local flatmate Mario). All very healthy I am sure. Arepas again for dinner! Or something vaguely Mexican-looking and yummy. And always followed by fruit. The fruit is incredible. Huge papayas (like 10 times bigger than the ones you get in the UK), unbelievably sweet melons, several types of bananas, there is so much! Every morning I go down the road to get orange juice squeezed there and then in front of my eyes. And crushed watermelon smoothies are so refreshing in this heat.

It can get hot. I think it is only around 30C at the most, but in the sun that is very hot, and when it is humid it is quite uncomfortable. Luckily we have air conditioning in the office. The rain is crazy though. It just switches on randomly and comes down in huge globules then flows down the streets into big storm drains. Then it just cuts out and the sun comes out.

Just like Hawaii, tropical rain.

Somehow I managed to survive the first three days without encountering a mosquito. This was clearly some kind of mean ploy to lure me into a false sense of security. They are here. They do like me. Two types of spray and some kind of anti-mosquito air-freshener lookalike seem to hold them off quite effectively though. I can't see a single one in my room tonight, with the window wide open and the light on. Maybe it depends on the weather.

My apartment. I am living with Mario, a Venezuelan AIESEC alumnus, his (slightly crazy I think) brother Leonardo, and, until he leaves on Thursday, Nino, one of last year's national team from Sicily. It was Nino who taught me how to make Arepas, and also has been trying his very best to make sure I don't get mugged. During one year, he has been mugged twice. And he probably doesn't stand out quite as much as me. But I am certainly heeding this warning, the furthest I've gone on my own is the bus stop about 4 blocks away. Everyone is looking after me just now!! At least until I get to know which areas are safe. Nino also didn't know any Spanish when he arrived and is now fluent, so "that is great" (as he says about everything). The place itself is quite spacious with two living rooms and quite a big room for me. Not bad for $60 a month. No, I didn't miss out a 0 there.

It is about 10 times cheaper than Edinburgh. But of course things will only seem cheap while I still have British (well, American) money. Beer for about 40p a bottle in bars. Buses are about 12p to go anywhere, complete with music! To fill a tank of gas costs roughly $2. For the entire tank! That's because 80% of the economy is petroleum, they are getting a pretty damn good price for it in external markets and I don't think it's taxed locally.

Work is fantastic. It is so great to be leading AIESEC like this, and so exciting at this stage of goal-setting and planning.

I've worked every day for the last six days, usually staying until 8 or 9pm. But that is because I really want to. I am enjoying it so much and really believe in it. And there is a lot of it! Tomorrow I was told I have a day off, and I was like, what? But I want to go to work. I want to get on with it! Which is a good sign, but a dangerous one. I think I do have to be careful to have some time off! So tomorrow I am going to climb La Avila, the mountain with the cable car (but that's cheating) towering right beside Caracas. Better get some rest first. It's been a long weekend, but everything has gone so fast this

week! I have yet to unpack.

Chao chamos!