The European Regional Alumni Conference (ERAC) by AIESEC Alumni Europe is an annual conference that brings together AIESEC Alumni from across Europe and the world. In April 2024, AIESEC Alumni Croatia hosted the conference in Zagreb and welcomed 120 delegates from 24 countries.
I'm ready for the conference to start
Under the topic “Connect to Impact”, we heard several speakers talk on where we can make impact (among others: education & learning, sustainability, and leadership), how we can shape impact and how we can connect with others to drive our ambitions forward.
Panel on Connect to Impact
ERAC 2024 gave delegates the chance to broaden their network across countries, industries, and generations, participate in workshops on communication, leadership and well-being and continue their development.
A cake for 10 years AIESEC Alumni Hrvatska (Croatia)
In the evenings, we celebrated Croatian culture in a Pub Quiz, cultural diversity with food, drinks and tokens at the global village and the achievements of the different national entities over the past 12 months with awards at the gala night.
Heidi entering the Global Village location
(my usual roommate on alumni events)
Queen Power
AIESEC Alumni Europe team
The end of the conference does not mark the end of the topic but rather the continuation of our efforts to make a positive impact in the world following AIESEC’s mission statement “Peace and fulfilment of humankind’s potential”.
Sugarcubes - an AIESEC tradition
(little notes from the other delegates for you)
My personal contribution was bringing the speakers together based on the people I knew, the recommendations I got and the answers to the registration form. From December to April I looked for a diverse group of AIESEC Alumni who had stories, topics and insights to share that would have an impact on the delegates. Besides looking for & finding the speakers, I also looked the mic as President of AIESEC Alumni Europe - I might explore the avenue of speaking more in the future.
Can't lose the grip on the mic
Sign up for the workshops
Thanks to the great Organising Committee I had the time, the calm and the mood to join the workshop on “leading without fear” by Stuti Singh. It was very insightful.
Stuti during her talk
"Create your impact without fear"
Sunday evening, I left by night train to Munich - 4 places couchettes compartment (comparable to the one I took in India) - only downside was that it's basically a 6 places one used by four which made my lower berth a bit claustrophobic and the luggage space was limited. With the help of the other travellers I could store it on the top bed.
The next morning, I thought the train would stop in Munich East and Main station. So after we passed Munich East, I got ready to de-board but waited in vain. Suddenly, we passed Munich Pasing station and I knew that I'm well on my way to Stuttgart. Luckily the train stopped in Augsburg, where I caught an ICE back to Pasing and then a tram home. It would have been great to read the ticket details:-).
While traveling to and from Pondicherry I stopped in other Indian cities to meet with old friends.
Sindhu & Chris
In Hyderabad, Sindhu picked me up at the airport and drove me to her new place. Later in the afternoon, we visited her office and then had a snack at Roast. We decided to go Shilparamam - a crafts village and bazaar. There, I got a new bedspread and cushion covers that I will use on my couch. We wandered the different alleys of stalls and looked at different crafts. There were not a lot of visitors and it seemed that there had not been all day as my purchase was the first for the stall owner.
Shilparamam
Afterwards, we went for dinner at a nice Japanese restaurant and Sindhu had fish sushi for the first time in Hyderabad.
The next morning, Sindhu brings me back to the airport and I catch my small plane to Pondicherry.
On the way to the airport
After a couple of days in Pondi, I left the city by train as there were no flights (I searched and checked for over a month - but it seemed as service had suddenly stopped). To experience something new, I opted for 1st class AC - which meant a ladies compartment with door and four couchettes instead of 3rd AC with open wagon and 6 couchettes plus two on the side.
1st AC
just outside - there are only three 1st AC compartments
After more than 10 hours, the train arrived in Bangalore where I took an auto rickshaw to get to Sharjeel's place. I met his son and wife and then we went for breakfast and juice in the city. It was great to catch up on each other's life and what we know about the different people from the Congress Committee we worked with nearly 20 years ago. A couple of hours later I caught an Uber to the airport to travel back to Jaipur.
Sharjeel & Chris
Juice Bar
Bangalore - street view
Sankalp, Sharjeel, Sindhu and I met first in 2005 when we were all part of the Congress Committee of AIESEC's International Congress in Agra, India. A story of mine about that time made it to AIESEC's 75 Years Storybook: https://blog.aiesec.org/aiesec-storybook/.
My story
I had less than 24h in Jaipur - just enough time to pack the luggage and get a ticket for the bus to Delhi/ Gurgaon. Thanks to Sankalp I got a decent Volvo seater bus. Otherwise I would have gone for the Bharat Benz which would have been a seater and sleeper bus combined. The bus was punctual and stopped once on the way where I could check out the alternative.
Albert Hall Museum
My Volvo bus to Delhi
Inside the Volvo
the alternative - Bharat Benz
In Gurgaon, I got off at IFFCO Chowk, basically under a flyover bridge in the middle of the road. Hard to find if you want to pick up someone there as there are so many roads parallel and it's not easy to get from one to the other. In the end, I took a taxi to a hotel where I met my colleague Tabish. He safeguarded my laptop for the past weeks and handed it back and we had a great Italian dinner at the restaurant.
Chris & Tabish
Around 10 pm I finally headed to the airport where I had to repack my luggage and pretend it was much lighter than it was. After I got rid off the suitcase at check-in and passed immigration and security check, I tried to spend my remaining cash. So I bought some perfume in duty free, Indian sweets for the colleagues back home and another four books. I weighed my luggage later at home - I returned with 45 kg.
More books?
The flight was uneventful and even though I got the seat I wanted, sleeping was not easy. Back in Munich, I took a Miles car and drove home.
One of the destinations in India I had not yet been and that evoked an emotional reaction from books I have read (like Life of Pi) and might have heard and seen at some point was Pondicherry at the Coromandel Coast. So this year, I decided to go and see.
Promenade
Hotel Krish
I arrived in the former French colony and had booked a hotel in White Town/ French quarter. From there I could walk in 5 to 10 minutes to Rock beach and the Promenade where every evening lots of people went for a stroll or just hanging out. I usually started with a walk through the crafts market and then came to a big square that look out to the sea where a statue of Gandhi hi reminds everyone of the long way to independence.
Gandhi
While British controlled India became independent in 1947, most of the French territories remained with France for a couple of more years. In 1954, Pondicherry and the others joined India de facto. After agreements were signed with France in 1956 and their ratification in 1963, four French enclaves across India became a Union Territory with Pondicherry as its capital.
Before I went, I was told that there is no diving in Pondi as there are no natural reefs. When I arrived, in every street I could so an advertisement for diving. So I went to one of the dive shops and learned that the built artificial dive sites. I did a refresher course in the tank and then we went to the harbour: 6 people for DSD (discovery dive), a lady who did her OWD (open water diver) and I for a fun dive.
Diving boat
Silver Moonies
After 15-20 min going out on the sea, we anchored at the site and went down. This time it was a big step from the rear of the boat and I was in the water. The number of fish and diversity was amazing: sergeant major, Silver Moonies, angelfish, groupos, snappers, giant triggerfish, lion fish (dangerous), file fish, Emperor Angelfish, ... Thanks to the discovery divers we also had a camera man who made photos and videos of us.
under the sea
Besides its French history, Pondi is very well-known for the ashram of Sri Aurobindo and lots of people come to learn and meditate here. Sri Aurobindo and a French woman called "The mother" founded nearby Auroville in 1968 - a spiritual but non-religious place dedicated to peace, sustainability and "divine consciousness". A central focal point is the Matrimandir that looks like a big golden Ferrero Rocher. Inside you can meditate if you received permission. Most of the visitor remain faraway with just a free ticket to view it from a platform in the scorching heat. Further, you can learn about the history and construction of Auroville, enjoy food and explore local crafts.
Auroville from the sky
Walking through Auroville
Matrimandir
In the afternoon, I went for a yoga session close to Rock Beach - instead of the standard sun greetings I learned deep breathing exercises and a thorough warm up - all with the view of the ocean.
Yoga teacher Pavithr
Rock Beach
My last day in Pondicherry, I spent with a bicycle tour in the early morning going through different neighbourhoods, the bazaar, from cathedral to churches, to the sea, past the ashram and through the French quarter till we reached back to the starting point.
Immaculate Conception Cathedral
Notre Dame des Anges
Sacred Heart Basilica
Goubert Market - vegetables
Goubert Market - flowers
The tour was offered by the Sita cultural center that also offers many other classes. I had asked what the white flowery paintings on the pavement before the houses mean. These are kollams and are a welcoming message. As they offered a class in a couple of hours of Kollam, I decided to come back after a breakfast at the Café des Arts.
Café des Arts - outside
Café des Arts - inside
To do Kollams, our teacher explained you need focus and patience. And while our first trials did not resemble much, we got better and better throughout the 90 min course.
Kollam
In the afternoon, I went spice, clothes and food shopping at the bazar before taking a break at a spa and getting a massage. I ended the day with a lovely dinner at La Villa.
