what i am doing and how i am being, here and now
yipee...it's a big a long period of social isolation while i finished my essays comparing employment relations in fast-food industries in three countries (in case you're wondering Australian crew members get paid three times as much as their Singaporean and Dutch counterparts)...and analysing China's problems...but essays are both done now!!! :)
well a few months ago in a moment of boredom at work, my colleague Jeroen gave me a CD of a dutch band....called racoon....one of these little criters: 
after a short but sweet ceremony, exchange of vows and signing of certificates it is done - dian and ingmar are married in the Netherlands :)
because they will exchange rings at their church wedding in indonesia today they exchanged gifts for the future...three envelopes that they will each open after one year and seven years of marriage and when they move to a new country together
by the celebrant...this was the way the ceremony started...describing the background of the bride and groom and how they met, maintained their long distance relationship across the oceans, moved together in Holland and decided to get married...even though it was in Dutch it was a nice start :)
it is compulsory in Holland for all weddings to be held at the Town Hall...so after a beverage or two at the cafe, where the bride and groom calmed their nerves, we proceeded to the nearby Town Hall, and specifically to the "Trouwzaal" - the marriage hall...since this is the first of their three weddings, they decided to have their wedding on a Monday afternoon - the cheapest time to book the "trouwzaal" :)
well it started 5 years ago at the airport in Jakarta and their relationship has seen 18 hellos and farewells at Amsterdam and Jakarta airport since...but today Dian (former MCP of Indonesia and fellow ABN AMRO trainee) married her Dutch "schatje", Ingmar, who met Dian when he went to Indonesia for an AIESEC traineeship...
and now not only do i get to work with other trainees who are passionate about diversity on cool initiatives like a global village at the Bank...but it's also my full time role to work with the Global Head of Diversity...supporting her with communications and engagement around diversity & inclusion from Group HR...i had a great introduction to my new role by spending 3 days at the Diversity Platform - with the Diversity Practitioners from around the bank...where we reviewed the progress and made the plans for the coming year...and managed to do a bit of Nordic Pole Walking along the beach at Nordwijk during sunset :)
we realised that as a group of AIESEC trainees we are already contributing a lot to the diversity within ABN AMRO - diversity in terms of culture, age, functional and professional background...but we also had a lot of ideas re how that diversity can be better utilised...so we decided to spread the word and hosted a workshop open to all trainees to learn more about diversity and how we can contribute to it at the Bank...Ellen Simons, the Global Head of Diversity (blonde lady in brown suit) was the guest speaker...and she is also my new boss :)
it's a field and career i discovered more deeply during my AI terms...and it was meant to be my job at UBS in Switzerland, but thank you to the Swiss Immigration Department who rejected my work permit...because this gave me the chance to go to ABN AMRO in Amsterdam where i have been able to act on my passion for diversity...firstly with this great group of people - fellow trainees who are also keen on the topic...we got together to learn more about diversity & discuss how as a network of trainees we could contribute to this initiative within the bank...
aussie_loud sneezer_keen learner_diversity diva_karaoke queen_trying to learn the rest
