Friday 28 January 2005

What do I want to be IF I grow up?

When I was in high school, I wanted to be a criminal lawyer and defending big criminals no one else wanted to defend...I actually would tell my teachers this.

Because I do not consider myself "grown up" yet here is a list of things I want to be if and when I ever do grow up:

1. Ambassador in some far away African country
2. Restaurant/Hotel owner
3. Popstar
4. CEO of Shell
5. Professional adventurer
6. Hotel owner
7. Writer for a travel magazine
8. National coach
9. Millionair
10. Nobel-prize winner

I will keep you posted on my progress.
In the meantime; What do you want to be IF you grow up?

Thursday 27 January 2005

ELSA

In reaction to my last post that I am out of ELSA, I should perhaps have explained what ELSA is. ELSA stands for the European Law Students' Association, which is an international (or European if you want) network of law students. If you study Business or Economics you will probably know AIESEC or AEGEE, well this is the same, just focussed on law(students).
The local groups organize seminars, lectures, moot courts, travels, exchanges, traineeships, visits to firms/courts etc. The national group (NG) is more for the overview and represents the country at an International Council Meeting (ICM), where the NGs discuss with the International Board (IB) about policies, guidelines, ideas, trainings etc.
During my time in ELSA I was president of a local group in Groningen and treasurer of ELSA Germany. Well it might seem strange that a Dutch guy goes to a German board and quite frankly it is. :) Just I had the opportunity (as was the IB) and took it and I didn't regret it. For me that was the highest level possible (in order of importance and work, Germany and the IB don't differ that much) and the biggest challenge. Now my final accounts got approved and I am finally out of it. Time to graduate and go to work! :)

Wednesday 19 January 2005

No More ELSA

As many of you know I have been active in ELSA for a couple of years, with as summum a year in the national board of Germany in 2002/2003. Last weekend was my last ELSA Germany event, as I finally got my final accounts approved. That this took a while has three main reasons: first I was a bit lazy in regard to the bookkeeping. Second my predecessor only got her accounts approved last NCM, so I had to wait for that as well. Third I never got any explanation or training in bookkeeping in a for me strange programme in a foreign language. Luckily took Anja Illing (treasurer 03/04) the task on her to do my bookkeeping. I owe her a lot for that, as it is a shitty job. Thanks again Anja! Now my ELSA days are really over. Perhaps I have to go to Vilius for the next ICM, but will have to see about that.
ELSA has also changed too much for my taste. At the NCM no more questions were asked to the national board during plenary, no one showed any interest in the financial matters (ok, it is a boring topic, but we could have told them anything), and the mistakes made by the national board so far, were not mentioned or even brought up. We as ex-NB members had a lot of criticism to what the present NB has done so far, but due to our code of conduct we don't speak up. As a friend of mine put it: "these people are only here to drink and get laid..." ELSA is not what it used to be, I guess. Although this is probably a sound that you will here often from ex-national board members... :)

Thursday 13 January 2005

Musictips 17

Intwine - Happy
Pearl Jam - Man of the Hour
Hevia - Busindre Reel
INXS - Beautiful Girl
Anouk - Girl

Wednesday 12 January 2005

Ill

I'm ill. The doc told me yesterday that I have a bronchitis and gave me a treatment with penicilline. This is really not something I can use, as I have exams next week and I have to study. Yesterday evening was terrible and went to bed very early; think I will go now again, as I'm not that good today as well. Problems with that: they are rebuilding the house next to me and I have an empty fridge... What a mess.

 

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