Project Background

This PBOX (Project Based On eXchange) was the first one of its kind to get off the ground in Turkey. PBOX's like this had been attempted before by other individual and groups of LC's (Local Committees), but because of the difficulty and complicated nature of developing and carrying out a project where you provide everything, including fun, for a large group of cultural ambassadors, none of them had ever been successful.

That was before an Aiesec like Bursa stepped in and said, "Hold on a cotton-pickin' second! Can't we form one of the most kickass OC's ever?! And can't we work for months and months without going to class or sleeping?! And can't we recruit like madmen for some fantabulous trainees to come here to our little emerald in the rough for two months?! Then what the hell are we waiting for?!"

So they did just that! The team of ten OC members from two different countries recruited a team of twelve trainees from eleven countries who, when their powers combined, formed an inhuman culturally diverse, fun-having, Turkey traveling, SUPERFORCE!! Fear not world, MMF '05 is here (and gone :( )! Shed not one tear, you can relive the adventure of your favorite superforce through these photos! :)

Travel with the MMF superforce through two months from February 7th - April 2nd and leap over the jagged, snowy peaks of Uludağ, forge through herds of culture-thirsty children, withstand the typhoon-force blasts from the sea of Marmara on a windy day, and try and do it all without getting a case of the Montezuma's Revenge from the Turkish food.

Introductions

I thought it would be nice for you to see the individuals who were involved with the project so that, well, you'd know who the hell was in about 90% of the pictures. First, we'll meet the Organization Committee (OC) team, then all of the trainees...

The OC Team

The OC Team we worked with consisted of ten people, one who was an international OC member from Romania. They worked their fingers to the bone for months and months before the actual start of the project to plan, organize, and prepare for our arrival. They did this all on top of being full time students, though you wouldn't know it by how much time they spend NOT going to class. :)

Ibrahim, OCP - Izmir, Turkey

First, there's Ibrahim, the OC President (OCP). The man that turned the vision into a reality, but not without the help of some other very important people




And here are those important people right now..

Aysenur - Istanbul, Turkey

Serap - Bolu, Turkey

Ayse - Istanbul, Turkey

Furkan - Istanbul, Turkey

Every trainee has a "buddy", a person who is responsible for them while they are here. Furkan was my buddy for the project.

Onur - Istanbul, Turkey

Eray - Izmir, Turkey

Sevde - Istanbul, Turkey

Alma - Romania

Remember how I mentioned our one international OC member??? Here she is, all the way from Romania...

Canan - Ankara, Turkey

And the last, but certainly not the least of our OC team...

The Trainees

Now, I'd like you to meet some of my other friends, the other trainees.

Claire (Yang Hsuan Han) - Taiwan

Oh please God I hope I spelled your name right...

Masha - Russia

Denis - Ukraine

Wing Chi - Hong Kong

Marloes - Holland

Nicola - Germany

Ibrahim - India

Tina - Romania

Mari - Romania

Kota - Japan

Ewa - Poland

The trainees were divided into partners. She was my partner for the project, meaning she was the one I spent all day with for six weeks going to the different schools.

Laura - USA

And the toughest one of the bunch, who needs no introduction...

The Reception Team

These are the Bursa Aiesecers whose job it is to pick up trainees, plan activities for them, and do well, reception type activities; so anything you can imagine that can be involved in that type of job.





There is also another reception team I unfortunately don't have a picture of, but am sure most of the trainees have been well acquainted with, and that's the Istanbul reception team. They are the ones who met each one of us at the airport in Istanbul and made sure we got on the right bus to Bursa when we didn't know what the hell was going on and were still suffering from major jet lag, or offered our weary selves a place to stay until we could get our bearings, and gave us brief tours of the hot spots in Istanbul. So, thanks guys!!

Welcome

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