AIESEC Global Internship Program

AIESEC Exchange Program is the most intense learning experience that we can offer and links together our global network. Each year, we provide over 8,500 members the challenging opportunity to live and work in a foreign country in the areas of management, technology, education, and development.

The basic idea is that the AIESEC committees in each country raise jobs for the AIESEC members coming from other countries. The jobs are collected in an international database, limited to the use of AIESEC trainees and the people involved in the process. Once you have been accepted to the program you have 3 months to find yourself a place.

General information

Duration Development and educational traineeships are usually 2 - 3 months (8-12 weeks). Many management and technical traineeships have duration of 6 months to one year.

Salary Development or education traineeships generally do not offer salaries but food and accommodation are mostly provided. (there are some countries like china who will not provide the accommodation for development internship)

Starting date Internships are available during whole year.

Countries Turkey, China, Poland, Malaysia, Philiphine, Vietnam, Rusia, India, Afrika, Taiwan, Ukraine and the other development countries. Please Ask Local Committee (LC) if you're interested in particular development country.

Languages Excellent English required. Others - depends on particular internship requirements.

Intern profile Student or graduate at the latest two (2) years after obtaining a degree. Not older then 30 years.

How many times I can go?

There's no limitation in terms of number of internships you take part in. The most important rule is that in total, those internships shouldn't last longer than 36 months.

Time for preparation

We recommend contacting AIESEC about 4 months before the start date of your internship. Ideally at the beginning of the Semester at the end of which you would want to go abroad. Finding an internship will take about 1 month.

Prices

Development Traineeship: 2.000.000 IDR

These Prices cover the interview, induction, raising stage on myaiesec.net and Outgoing Preparation Seminar (OPS) as well. THE FLIGHT TICKET should be cover by the Exchange Participant itself.

*Development Internship — usually you will work as a VOLUNTEER with local NGOs. The internships usually relate to a wide variety of issues in community development and social responsibility.

The Support

AIESEC as an organization is there to support you throughout your experience. Through AIESEC LC BANDUNG you will take part in a Outgoing Preparation Seminar (OPS). We will help you in the application process, in the general preparations and in finding the suitable internship.

In your destination you will be welcomed by AIESEC members, who will help you with the local procedures. You don’t have to worry about spending your time alone; the AIESEC members are there for you. Besides the social network, the local AIESEC may prove very valuable in case you ran into any problems at your destination, which of course is unwished for…

And once you come back to your country, you have naturally the opportunity to go through and share your experience with your own local AIESEC committee. This will help you to complete your AIESEC Experience.

What makes the program so unique?

The Variety: The program offers altogether thousands of possibilities for internationally orientated young people. The classification of internships makes it easier to find the internship just for you.

The Quality: The internships raised by AIESEC are actual internship and provide relevant work experience as a volunteer. The application process ensures mutual benefit for the trainees as well as the exchange participant.

The Support: AIESEC guarantees you support from the moment you apply to the moment you return from your internship. Besides the actual support, the social network provided by the local AIESEC members at the destination

The Cost: 2.000.000 IDR for all the process: Selection, Induction, Raising and Matching process on myaiesec.net and Outgoing Preparation Seminar. THE FLIGHT TICKET should be cover by the Exchange Participant itself.

Process

There are only 6 steps that need to be completed to go on an internship with AIESEC. Every single step is an important contribution to making your experience unforgettable.

1st Step: Contact with AIESEC

To go on an internship you have to get in contact with the AIESEC committee at your university. We suggest everyone to participate in the meetings and work in a team of the committee. However, it is up to you to decide how much time you want to invest.

2nd Step: The Interview

If you want to go on an internship you have to pass an interview, called the "Student Review Board" (SRB). In the Interview we test your motivation, expectations and skills to go on an internship. The interview takes place in English.

3rd Step: Attend a preparation Seminar

Before you leave for your internship, you have to attend an "Outgoing Preparation Seminar“(OPS) where you will be prepared to live in a different culture and get some tips and tricks on how to find the most suitable internship. This Seminar lasts for one day and usually takes place on a weekend.

4th Step: Find your internship of choice

If you pass the interview, our EP Buddy (an AIESECer who in charge to assist you in finding suitable project for your Internship) will access to our online database. They will search for internships of your choice and directly apply for them. It might also possible that a company contacts our EP Buddy directly for their open internship. Generally, you need about one month to find your internship. However, the more flexible you are, the easier you will find an internship.So,be flexible and do not be too PICKY.

5th Step: The Internship

The AIESEC committee in your destination organizes you an apartment as well as all the necessary documents such as the work-permit. They also help you during the first few days when you arrive at your destination and introduce you to the members as well as other Interns.

6th Step: Return

AIESEC also supports you after your internship. We give you the opportunity to reflect on your internship and share your experience with others and inspire them to go on an internship as well.

The Exchange Process: Details

The Selection and Application After joining and understanding AIESEC, you can enter a review process to assess your experiences and motivation for going on an AIESEC exchange. This is a physical process consisting of selection interview and review board to ascertain whether you would be a suitable candidate for exchange. The selection process aims to ensure that everyone participating in an AIESEC exchange is suitable and will have a positive experience while on exchange. It is comprised of at least 1 stage and can vary depending on the local chapter:

Selection Review Board: a board that will interview you to assess your suitability to become an exchange participant in several areas.

Preparation This step happens before leaving for your exchange experience and actually starts before you have matched yourself to a suitable internship. It consists of areas such as:

Logistical preparation. Ensuring that you are physically and legally prepared to work in another country.

Professional Preparation and Community Involvement. To help you gain an understanding of issues facing the world and your own community.

Culture Preparation. Preparation on the country you will be going to and also how to cope with the pressures of living in a foreign culture.

AIESEC preparation. Providing you with knowledge about the exchange program and the roles of various entities.

The preparation step is critical to ensure that you are ready to make the most out of your experience both in a personal and professional sense. We also see it as an important part in ensuring that the people participating in the exchange program understand their responsibilities and the role that they play in fulfilling AIESEC's vision. Matching By this stage you have been through the selection process and have become an official AIESEC exchange participant (EP). Now you are able to start being matched to a suitable internship. You will be trained and given access to use our on-line database of internship opportunities. The more flexible you are in terms of geographical preferences, the better the chance are of being matched. Integration The most fulfilling step from here is experiencing the actual internship itself. AIESEC will provide you with much more information on what to expect during your internship experience and what kind of involvement you can have with AIESEC and the local environment while you are on your exchange experience in a new country. AIESEC members in your host chapter will provide support in receiving you, getting logistically setup while providing opportunities for cultural and social activities. Re-Integration AIESEC supports you in making the readjustment process when you return home. We hope that your experience opens up a world of opportunities to create a better society for us all. Also, if you're interested to continue your AIESEC career, you can try to take on a leadership opportunity within your local chapter.

Our Exchange Participant Returnee’s stories

“Real stories from their experiences in China, India, Malaysia, Ukraine, Poland, Russia and Turkey !!”

AIESEC Exchange Quotes

Yusuf Pribadi Adi Putra, AIESEC Kazan, Russia My Reason for joining AIESEC Exchange I got to know AIESEC from friend who was the Organizing Chief of the Project HIV-AIDS in AIESEC Surabaya. She asked a favor to help her be a translator from Netherland, I know nothing about AIESEC before, what are the value, what they envision? As I got along with this organization I feel the connection, I was thinking that this might be the right Organization for me to develop myself. AIESEC teach me that we as the youth of the nation, we can make a change, we can spread the positive attitude towards the society. Then I decided to join AIESEC by taking the Exchange program to challenge myself, I started to find an Exchange Opportunity in several countries than I decided with Russia. They were running a project entitled “YOUNG AND PERSPECTIVE”. Internship Description “YOUNG AND PERSPECTIVE” is as bright, creative and modern project, which encourages young people to become active participant in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the aim of the project is to mobilize the youth, society and NGOs to slow down, the rates of HIV infection in Russia that are among one of the highest in the world. This fact makes us the young global generation to be responsible for real action. We were trying to educate young generation through several projects. First, conduct and facilitating workshops on HIV/AIDS education and awareness to peers and youth, mainly focusing on schools, colleges, universities, and youth center. Second, be involved in learning activities to plan, design and prepare workshop related to HIV/AIDS education based on holistic education model provided by Standard Chartered Bank. Third, participate in the host LC during the internship period. Russia’s Impression and Unforgettable Experience Staying in Russia was a true blast for me, this is what I call with lifetime experience. I was so grateful that I got a chance to live abroad, Russia gave me life experience that I will never forget. Here in Russia I learned something new everyday, its amazing that I have to learned how to fit in with the people and the culture which is totally new, I got along quite well though, I made friends with bunch of people, I experience such a warm and true friendship in Russia. During my Internship period in Russia, I got a chance to travel to several states, they are among the most beautiful city in the world, I went to Kazan and I was thrilled by the beauty of “Te’uku Syarif Mosque”. Kazan is a city with the largest Moslem society in Russia, and I went to St’Petersburg the most beautiful city in Russia I can say. I spent the whole day exploring Hermitage, one of the most luxurious museum in the world. And I also got a chance to explore the Capital Moscow the busiest city in Russia but a stunning City with it’s red Square, Kremlin, and I also got a chance saw the Lenin’s Dead body. Testimonial for others We are young and we have long journey ahead to live our every dream, so it is actually up to us if you dare enough to challenge your self you will see Big thing coming your way, there is a say “Do something Big and see what happen”, ask your self, you can just sit at home or step out of your comfort Zone Do something big by taking this Chance to join the Aiesec Exchange Program the decision you will never regret.

AIESEC LC BARODA INDIA Living Condition I went travelling in India with my closest friend while I’m in India, an intern from Switzerland,Melanie. Beside Melanie I also went travelling with Sif from Denmark, my room mate in the traineehouse. Oh ya, after almost one month I stayed in home stay with the family, they (AIESEC Baroda)moved me to a trainee house. It’s not really a house. More like a flat. It has two rooms, bathroom (Indian style), and kitchen but without fridge or cooker or anything. I was very disappointed that time. But after a while I got comfy stayed in the trainee house with Sif and not so long after thatMelanie moved to the trainee house also. So it was great after all. We had a great time together,three of us. After the family, they (Sif and Melanie) also one or two of the reasons I love myinternship in India. I also got to know lots of other amazing interns. Mo from Egypt, Zia from Turkey,Michael from US (he’s on MT), Alex and Sarah from UK, Yasmin from London, Lexa fromNetherlands, and lots of interns from China, and also many other interns from other countries that Ihaven’t mention. Internship Description First, I hang in one NGO for maybe almost twoweeks, teaches women and children computer .After that I moved to another NGO, bigger andbetter. I worked there for one month. There, I learned about fund management, how the NGO run their project from financially side, and at theend I made a report about it. Cultural Impression What makes my internship very interesting isthat the culture is so different with in Indonesia.Well the country is not that different, crowded,polluted, dirty. But the culture, amazinglydifferent. With cows everywhere and monkeystoo. Sometimes the people, the society, can behave unbelievably annoying. Most of them never say sorry, excuse me, or thank you. Once, I argued with Indian guy in a supermarket because he tried to cut in front of me in the queuing.India can be sucks because of the Indians.They’re crazy (not all). I think most of Indian are worst than Indonesian. From what I learned and what I see in India, it makes me love Indonesia. Ilike Indonesia before, not loving it. But now, Ilove Indonesia. I appreciate myself beingIndonesian more than ever. Testimonial for Others I think other people should go for exchange. Why? The experience. Good or bad, the experience of going for an exchange is so valuable. You can learn a lot and make lots of new friends, interesting friends. I always said that I don’t mind if at the end of my internship, it will end far from my expectation. And it was far from my expectation. But and then I get lots of lessons that are beyond my expectation, in a good way. So I think, it doesn’t matter how messed up my internship was, it was still worth it and I loved it. It was one hell of a ride.

AIESEC LC NIKOLAEV, UKRAINE

Internship description There is not phrase which is able to depict the internship I did, except what an awesome it is!! Heaps of internship activities I did mostly are bloody useful and meaningful for me. Several project involved there, such as World Without Borders (WWB). Before I carried out WWB program itself, a Ukrainian project leader named Yuliya Grechka gave me such a run down schedule and agenda containing what following activities the others internees and I were gonna be contributed. For the couple of weeks, I have acquainted some activities involving the Ukrainian students, consisting of teenagers. First of all, me, Ukrainian’s people supposed as committees that project and the others EPs together arranged plenty of meaningful activities, like games, simulations and the other activities practicing their abilities, both stimulating their thinking and encouraging their creativity itself. And then we trained whole orphanages and local people there divided of children and teenager some such knowledge regarding useful current topics, issues and club discussions, such as Communication, Speaking, Time management, Goals setting and achievement, Leadership, Styles of leadership, Work in teams, Finance management, Global problems of Ukraine and the World and stacks of ways to solve them. Besides, we teached and accompanied them to do some sports and English Literature there because some Ukrainian teenagers are less literate in English. As their responses we also enjoyed Ukrainian teenagers festive abilities possessed and showed in the stage when the night party occurring in each weekend. The following Ukrainian party was also be conducted for whole EPs, Ukrainian’s people involved in project (the committee) and AIESEC Ukraine’s member. And last, as internee representing from Indonesia, of course I immediately promoted and introduced all EPs and Ukrainian folks regarding Indonesia holisticly. Example presenting Indonesia’s cultures, songs, history, geography, demography, ecology, economy, government, foods, tourism, traditional clothes, traditional dances, etc. During spare time I had and after I finished all my duties for whole project itself, I was allowed to travel around cities in Ukraine. I was also helped and directed how to reach several cities with the appropriate transportation. The cities I travelled there example Nikolaev, Berdyansk, Cherkassy, Odessa, Donestk, Kyiv, and Lviv. Cultural Impression If I am talking regarding culture impression happening in Ukraine, I am not able to mention all impression one by one because it is really stacking up of course. As we know, Ukraine is not old country in the world. It is a country formed and born from Uni Soviet separating into two countries, such as Russia and Ukraine. Because a lot of Ukraine are from Russia, it makes most Ukrainian speak Russian, not Ukrainian. Usually stage of people speaking Ukrainian are college students having fluency of Ukrainian. Ukraine is not quite different among Indonesia about amount of people speaking English, because not all Ukrainian are able to speak English in whole cities, including in the city I did project, Nikolaev. Afterwards, the population of unemployment, uneducated, and beggars are not slight, but Ukraine can be noted as independent country so far. There are not discrimination and harassment about the diversity of culture and religion engaging folks and foreigners. Ukrainian are friendly, funny, and helpful with all people, especially it did not apparent individuality within their lifestyle. When summer, mostly Ukrainian are really avid in swimming and dressing them up sexily. Regarding the necessary costs, in Ukraine I do not require much budget because the prices for all stuffs are not bloody high, it is quite reasonable, both transportations, meals, necessary, souvenirs, shirts, and credits costs.

Living Conditions When arriving in the first time in Nikolaev, Ukraine, my TN Manager, Valeria Bezruchko hosted me for a day at his flat. A day after, she dropped me at loadging house stayed another EPs and Ukranian orphanage house located in Radsat, Nikolaev. The house is much big because it accommodate plenty of orphanage people consisting teenagers and children. The house is nice and peaceful. It divides several rooms, example rooms for female and male, two class room, music room, two dining rooms, living room, kitchen set room, office room for in the committees and internees, games room, and praying room. The house itself also consists of two floors and each room has large space, so it is really comfortable to cover a lot of children and teenagers involved there. During living there, I was provided meals four times a day, such as breakfast (eating around 9am, dinner (eating around 1pm), desert (eating around 4pm), and sapha (eating around 8pm). There is traditional menu in Ukraine called “Bors”. In Indonesia, it is like such a “ketupat sayur” but the gravy or broth is much red-colour, but the taste is delicious and appropriate in my tongue. I usually eat rice or boiled potato as carbohydrate. For internee engaging Islam, be careful for each dishes provided. Most Ukrainian are really keen on pork and vodka so much. When you are served some dishes and drinks, it is important for you to ask regarding the ingredients of the meals one by one, because most of their dishes are contained pork and they are avid to drink beer and vodka, both for daily or for party. Testimonial for others For the following internees, you should decide to spend the part of your life for exchange, because of exchange, it would give you really positive impacts for the country you visited, your experiences or thinking in the future. You are able to contribute several actions for upcoming generation in the world because you learn a lot of character and ways of thinking of people in another countries and give them more inputs to explore them self emerging their career in the future. You are gonna also meet, interact, discuss current issues or problems, and extent networking around the world. Afterwards, you are gonna be forced to speak English always everytime and everywhere because no one could understand you if you speak in Bahasa, except if there is internee from Indonesia. Thus, it would encourage your potential to literate your English amongs internees and folks in the world possessing diversity of accent. For contributing in the Indonesia’s tourism, you also take a shift the function of government tosimultaneously promote Indonesia deeply with whole people around the world. It would add your own self to know more cultures and behaviors deeply spreading in heaps of countries and their ways of thinking to overcome each problems happening and sharing useful information about everything. So, it would ultimate to negotiate or influence what you suggest for anything. Honestly, so far exchange itself has made me encourage my dream to come back more to Europe!!

Mogi Nadya Prasetyo - AIESEC LC SGH, POLAND Having a degree in Law disqualified me to take Management Traineeship which was only available for those who have a Degree in Economics. I was over the moon when they offered me a Development Traineeship in Poland. The Next thing I knew was that I was packing my winter clothes and flying to Europe just two weeks after my graduation day. AIESEC LC SGH collected me and a few other students from the airport. As soon as we walked out of the airport snow welcomed me and the wind blew a cold breeze onto my face. My first winter yay! It washed away the tiredness because I could feel that the adventure had only just begun. Internship Description PEACE Project 2003 was all about teaching tolerance. There were 24 students from 18 countries that came to Poland for this project. We divided Poland into 7 regions and divided us into 7 groups. Each group went to different part of Poland. We had 2 rounds with 3 weeks each. After 3 weeks we came back to SGH Warsaw, shared our experience, and changed groups. With each new group going to a different part of Poland. In the first round, I was in a group of 4 students, they included Kateryna from Ukraine, Corin from USA, and Domenico from Italy. In the second round I was with Nina from Slovenia, Blashko from Macedonia, and Marc from USA. With the first group I went to the north part of Poland whilst with the second group I went to the south part of Poland. Both parts offered a dissimilar beauty of Poland. During weekdays we spent most of our time in small towns with populations of 10,000 people or less. The reason we went there because Polish people in small towns hold a very strong culture background. For those of them who do not travel much they never meet many foreigners. We came there to teach students in the last year of Secondary High School, this is considering their level of English. The subject that we taught was Tolerance. We showed them that even though we came from a different part of the world, spoke different languages, looked differently, we are all the same. We attracted their attention. We explained our background, where we were from, why we do what we are doing, etc. We broke stereotypes and at the same time we also created new diverse stereotypes. It was really great because I not only learned about Poland, I also learned about other countries too (especially those countries my friends in the same group were from). We had 3-4 classes a day. So, at the end of a round, Domenico for instance was able to speak about Indonesia, Myself about Italy, Kateryna about the U.S.A, and Corin about Ukraine, etc. Unforgettable Experiences All AIESEC traineeships are fun, our motto is “work hard, party harder”. After classes, teachers/students (mostly students) took us around and they showed us their towns. In the evenings we had dinner and had many parties. In the weekend we continued our trip. Transited in the bigger town where they have an AIESEC Local Committee there and partied again for the whole weekend with the AIESECers. We travelled alone to get around Poland. The AIESECers only dropped us at the train/bus station and the local English Teacher at each destination town collected us. The travelling was a very good adventure. They expected us to find our way whilst none of us could speak any Polish! Remember again why we came to Poland, because some Polish people were culturally unaware. There was time when some people tried to make it difficult for us. We came together as a group and we were like brothers/sisters. We helped each other. These things made the friendship bound between us become stronger. Testimonial for others I highly recommended for you to take this traineeship if you look for an adventure, want to learn about other cultures and to make lots of new friends.

NiPutu Desinthya - AIESEC In Beijing, Mainland of China Internship Description I was doing internship in Beijing, China (Education for sustainable development or hello china project) from September to November. In this internship, I worked in one private school. This is private school named Camford Royal. Located in a group of departments, my school has another name is International department. The purpose of this school is to send out their students abroad so the students’ English skills are pretty good.

Cultural Impression In those first days, wherever we went, people kept notice that we were strangers. Since our class got started, the students knew us, the atmosphere in school was much more better. This is a nice school with good supporting for studying. Everyone is friendly and help us while we have troubles. In here, PE teacher is also my teacher, I join in PE class in my free time to know about Chinese culture somehow and get know to the students’ lives. In the first time, the school had no idea about what we were going to teach. So we should gave them curriculum for our lesson. We taught about sustainable development in general, but we chose specified topics that related to students’ daily life, to make them understand better. To me, this was truly called starting teaching, not the time when we move here. It took a while to get used to Chinese students, their accent, their habit, their activities, theircharacteristics and so on… Living Conditions We lived in school dormitory, it made us easier to get closer with the student. Now I know them well, we build up a good relationship, more like friends than teacher with students. A lot of memories I had, I made a lot of friends there, they are awesome. Something that I really notice that people there always staring at me, I mean really staring at me, they watched me from head to toe, maybe because I don’t look like Chinese and I’m using veil but I’m getting used to it, I know how the celebrity feels now. I also visited beautiful places there, from traditional market to great wall. I ate many foods there, from scorpion barbeque to the famous roasted pecking duck. And I had my first snow in Beijing, wow! So beautiful..

Vike Vanesha – AIESEC UKM, Malaysia

Internship Description Hi, My name is Vike Vanesha, 4th year student in Economic Faculty, Andalas University. I was doing my internship for HIV AIDS Project collaboration with Standard Chartered Bank in Malaysia on September until October 2009. My Jobdesc are : Designing and delivering HIV/AIDS education and awareness workshops to peers in schools, colleges, and universities in Malaysia. Conduct and compile survey on HIV/AIDS awareness among students in schools, colleges, and universities in Malaysia. Working closely with local NGOs and foundations to gain support in enhancing the project I worked from Monday until Friday, but on weekend I have free time and always use it to hangaround Malaysia with my friends there. During my internship, I have conducted around 8 workshopsfor college students in UKM and other colleges in Kuala Lumpur. Around 30 – 50 students attendedfor each workshop. Beside that, we (the interns) also visited and working closely with local NGO, named is “Rumah Wake” and also PT Foundation and Malaysian Aid Council. Cultural Impression Many people ask me why I choosed Malaysia as my host country for this exchange program. Some ofthem said that Malaysia almost have same culture with Indonesia and the rest said that its too near. But, wherever my host country, it doesnt matter for me. I believe that each country has different culture and different experience. Yeah thats true!! I went there in Ramadhan month, and all of my friends there include AIESEC member are not moeslim, most of them are Chinese. But they really respect me, and one of the intern, Arthur from Tanzania also fasting even just for 3 days. The AIESEC member there are really nice and helpful. About Moeslim in Malaysia, they are more strict than Indonesia. All of the woman should wear veil. And when I was pray in mosque located in their campus, most of them look at me, I felt weird first but after that I asked to my Indonesian friend who have studying there, she said that because I’m not wear veil. But overall, they are nice especially the AIESEC member, I miss them so much! We are the interns also doing country presesentation, so we explain and share our culture and our country to the AIESEC member. It was really cool because I can promote Indonesia to them. Living Conditions AIESEC UKM rent one house for us, located in Kajang, not really far from campus. There are 6 interns live there at that time, they are from Tanzania, Hongkong, Poland and Czech Republic. And we are lucky because our house close to bus station and shoping centre. About transportation, I often to used bus, train and sometime taxi. Malaysia is one of developing countries same like Indonesia, they country is clean enough, but the living cost there little bit expensive than Indonesia, but not really significant. During my internship, I always travel with the interns, AIESEC member and sometimes with my Indonesian friends who study there. We are going for dinner, visited some historical places, mal, etc. At night, I often use my time in restaurant in order to get internet connection, especially when the earthquake happen in my hometown, Padang. Even I didnt sleep and spent my time all day in internet cafe to get information. Thats one of an unforgettable moment that i had. In one side I wanna back home because more than 24 hours I can’t get information about my family whether they are safe or not but on the other hand, I still have responsibility there. And it became a learning for me. I won’t forget it! At the end of my internship there, the AIESEC member held a very big and great farewel party. We had a last dinner in Sate Kajang (one of famous Sate in Malaysia) and then we went to Karoeke place until 3 am. I love it, and big thank to AIESEC LC UKM member. Testimonial for Others Living with different people, culture, country and background than us will become one of the great experience in our life. We can learn new things from that. And see how wide this world is. And we as youth should ready to change the world by giving a positive impact on society. It’s really useful for your future, trust me!

Sofiyaa Nur Intan – AIESEC Kocaeli, Turkey Internship Description Being a part of Meet My Friend project is definitely one of the greatest experiences in my life. I work in a private high school named Atayurt Koleji and in an English course named Ko-Mek in Izmit, Kocaeli, Turkey. Our aim here is to enhance the students’ knowledge about another culture andcountries also to improve their English ability, but it turns out that not only students who enhancetheir knowledge but all the interns too. Cultural Impression Profound culture, deep nationalism and religious beliefs allied with modernization, progressive way of thinking and of course avant-garde buildings and construction. The country itself and the people are beyond my expectations. That’s why I decided to throw away all my old expectations and started to enjoy everything that would happen in my way. The first week was the craziest. I stayed at one of the AIESECer house for 3 nights. We experienced how Turkish people live. They taught us Turkish traditional dance, taught us how to play Turkish traditional music instrument called ‘kemanche’ and of course tried yummy Turkish traditional food for our breakfast and dinner. Her family was very hospitable even though we can hardly communicate because of the language problem ;p On this whole week, we always hang out with the AIESECers. We went to a cafe, I tried ‘nargile’ or shisa for the first time and I was suck at it;p, they taught us Turkish card game called ‘best friend’ and ‘killer’ (I forgot the name in Turkish), we watched Turkish movie (with English translation of course), played ice skating, tried Turkish coffee… and I am living my life as a Turk!!! Living Conditions We live in Izmit, it’s not a touristic place so it’s a rare opportunity for the local citizen to see foreign people. That’s why people always looking at us when we walked around the town and what’s funny is they couldn’t differentiate from which country are we from, they always thought that all of us are from Japan, so… every time we walked by people always say “Konichiwa!” All of Interns stay in dorm in a place called çenesuyu, it’s 15 to 20 minutes away from the city centre by bus. It’s a good thing to live here together because we get really close to each other and after a while we’re no longer friends… we are a family. There are a lot of things happen in dorm, some of them are not good things but we never really worried about it, it’s funny because every time a problem occurred in dorm or in our workplace we always making fun of it, we laugh hard at it and as a result we can pass all these obstacles easily :> We realize that 2 months will pass so quickly so why bother the problems?? Here… all of us are enjoying our best and worst time. I got a chance to see many historical and beautiful places and building like Hagia Sophia, Topkapi palace and Blue mosque in Istanbul also The House of Virgin Mary and Ephesus in Izmir. A chance to meet incredible people from all over country, share our thoughts about everything, knowing how other people think, react and feel about some issues and of course experiencing the real Turkey. This internship really opens my mind and somehow changes my thoughts about some issues, some countries and some people. Sometimes we have hard issue or sensitive issue conversation in our free time but all these conversation really broad my knowledge and I’m glad for it. Turkish people are very hospitable. One day we were walking down the street on our way to the office and we stopped by at one bakery store to take some pictures. Suddenly the owner asked us to come and tried their cakes and we were like ‘yeah why not..” and we went inside and had the cake and took pictures with owners. By the time we were about to pay, he refused because he said that the cake was compliment for us, he wished us to have a good time for our stay in Izmit. We were very surprise. On the other time, we receive a lot of invitations from our students and some friends from Kocaeli University for tea, coffee, lunch, sweets… everything. It’s awesome!! What I got from this internship ? I’m having fun and learned a lot from this Internship. I learn how to deal with people, solve problems, divide times, deal with uncertainty and unfixed schedule, deal with communication difficulty because most people can’t speak English and deal with lootttssss of other things. I’m grateful for each moment that I spend here with my friends… and I’m sure that I will miss all these moments for whole my life.