Picture Comments!

So I couldn't figure out how to post pictures with captions.... I'm clearly NOT a savvy blogger... Not yet anyways!

Ok, I will work my way up from the bottom picture.

This is a magnificent church situated in the inner city of Bonn, meaning that NO CARS ARE ALLOWED! It is a amazing place to walk around and shop, all cobblestone streets and fountains everywhere, patios of restaurants and spectacular architecture, most of it so well preserved! This church, around the other side of it, has 2 enormous stone heads lying on the ground, and though I'm not sure why they are there or where they came from (it looks as though 2 giant sculptures have been beheaded and their bodies carried off), it adds to the old world mystery and authentic charm of Bonn.

Next up is the main university building, so much longer than I could fit in one camera frame! Yellow, of course. I have noticed a surprising obsession with the colour yellow here, I've never seen so many yellow buildings! But they are undeniably gorgeous. The university looks out into a huge green open space, another thing about Bonn that I have noticed... greenery and water are everywhere! It's really a very peaceful city to just wander around in, especially on a rainy day (and we've had a lot of those) when not many other people are out and you feel like you have this entire historical experience to yourself. The next time is rains I will go and take some pictures of my favourite lookout spot over the Rhine river, I find it so much more magical in rainy days. I don't think that I will have to wait too long!

Next up is another green space, a long green corridor flanked by double rows of trees and bike paths leading up to another university building which houses botanical gardens behind it. I have only peeked through the bars at the gardens, I will definitely go and post some pictures, it's free on weekdays! The first time I saw this view down the long park to the university, I was stunned. It is so much longer than this picture shows, there is a charming stone bridge over a fish pond once you are closer to the university, and on a clear day you can see mountains rising in the background behind the university.

This next picture is a complement to the one before, it is the tree-lined walks which run on either side of the long park.

Next is the stone bridge I wrote about above, and a closer look at yet another stunning university building.

This next picture takes a bit of explaining. The organization I am interning with, the African Youth Foundation, puts on an African Business Networking dinner every year, a chance for members of the African Diaspora to come together and discuss solutions to issues and barriers that they face in the business world, and also those faced back in Africa for entrepreneurs. I arrived at the dinner, expecting to listen and learn (and enjoy a free meal!), but the executive director of AYF, my boss, asked me for a favour. I could not have been more shocked when she told me what it was! One of the speakers had dropped out, the ONLY female speaker, and she wanted a female perspective on the roster for the night. So she asked me to fill in.

I seriously considered not doing it. I mean, I am fine with public speaking when I am prepared! And I was thinking, "if only I had known this yesterday I could have written a speech and been confident!" But luckily Patrick, the other York intern at AYF and Adam, another York student at a different internship in Bonn who we had invited along, encouraged me to embrace the opportunity. I knew they were right, but I was freaking out! Adam, as a business major with some insight into aspects of business which I'm not as knowledgeable about, offered to come up with me and help me fill the time (I was supposed to talk for 15-20 minutes!) I was so relieved to be sharing the responsibility, but still participate and voice my concerns and observations. We were asked to discuss a more youthful, Canadian student perspective on entrepreneurship in Africa and on business linkages between Canada and Africa.

I chose to pull from personal experience, from my year as an assistant manager at Ten Thousand Villages - a not for profit fair trade organization which deals with many artisan groups in Africa - to talk about the power of consumer awareness and the possibilities of fair trade. Since fair trade often walks hand in with ecologically friendly methods of production, I also voiced my hope, and the hope of many Canadian I have spoken to through my work with TTV, that Africa uses its unique position as a developing nation to break the traditional industrialization mould. Africa has the chance to utilize its one of a kind and abundant resources and a growing base of responsible entrepreneurship to help to create a culture and a path to development which is a more sustainable model than the one take by the West.

I have to say, I'm so happy I embraced the opportunity to speak before these successful African Diaspora entrepreneurs, many of whom are involved with development or entrepreneurship ventures in Africa. I was nervous during my speech, but once people started asked questions and discussion began, I was able to join in and feel quite comfortable talking to the group and interacting as a forum leader. And I have to say thanks to Adam, he was great to have up there with me, and to Patrick, who had some of the sharpest questions and observations! He kept the discussion going when I feared crickets were about to start chirping. Thanks guys!