Thanksgiving Weekend

   This past weekend for Thanksgiving I went home to California.  It was such a nice break!  I had a great time seeing my family and my friends who are still back in Long Beach.  Although it was a short four days, it was a much needed relaxing weekend.  I got to see a couple movies too, one of which was The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest.  If anyone has read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo books, then you know how amazing they are!  And if you haven't, you are missing out, and have to read them when you get some spare time.  The movie was great, and getting to see it was a highlight of my weekend :) Now it's back to the internship for my last week in the office!

Internship Interviews

   Last week we held the interviews for the Spring intern positions.  It seemed like just yesterday I was sitting in the chair they were sitting in, interviewing for the position I now have.  The other interns and I got to be involved in the interview process, and it was a fun and helpful experience.
   Each of us interns got to sit in on 3 to 4 interviews, ask questions, and answer their questions about what the internship entails.  It was good for us because we got to see how people interview, take away things that people did well, and become more aware of what not to do and what not to say.  Most of the interviews I got to sit in on though, the interviewees did a really good job.  There were 13 or so applicants and only 4 spots though....so there were decisions to be made after the interviews were said and done.
   I also got to be involved in giving opinions about who I thought would do a good job as an intern.  Most of us agreed on who should definitely get a position, but there were a couple of people that were maybes and discussion needed to be had before they were dismissed.  I realize now how hard it can be when so many good applicants are in the running.  It's too bad only 4 positions are available, because I have no doubt that many of the applicants would have done a great job and would have loved working at Phoenix Sister Cities.
   Anyway, all in all, I really enjoyed being a part of the interview process.  I learned a lot, and I'm glad I had a hand in seeing who will take the newly opened spots come January :)

My Last Committee Meetings

   This week I attended the last of the committee meetings that I need to attend for my time as an intern.  On Monday night I went to the Calgary, Canada meeting again and on Wednesday night I went to the Ennis, Ireland meeting for the first time.
   Just like the last meeting, the Calgary committee was very laid back and fun.  I think I mentioned before that it takes place at a restaurant/bar and doesn't feel like a formal meeting.  It's a good way for people to be involved in the committee and not feel like it is more time and work that they need to put in on top of the rest of their commitments.
   The Ennis committee was a good experience because I could compare how the two meetings were conducted differently.  The Ennis meeting was still pretty informal, but it had a structure that the Calgary meetings seem to lack.  Those on the Ennis committee seem to have their stuff together more so than Calgary does.  They seemed to be getting a lot discussed and accomplished because everyone was on the same page.  At the Calgary meetings I've been to there are a lot of different things going on at once; side conversations, tangents, and just a lot of little things making it seem chaotic.
   It's interesting because both meetings seem to function in there own way and still get things accomplished.  The people are different and therefore the structure is different, but it works for the each committee in its own way.  I personally liked the Ennis meeting because it was to the point, but I understand that the Calgary committee only functions and has participants because it is more of a get together rather than a meeting, and I think that is important at this stage of the committee's life.

Goodbye PJ

   Over the last few days I was informed that my intern supervisor, PJ, is leaving Phoenix Sister Cities for a new position with the city of Chandler doing environmental education.  His last day in our office will be the 19th, which is two weeks before the other interns and I are done with the internship.  So, we're all a little confused and worried about how those weeks will go.
   He is pretty much our go to person with questions because, well, a large part of his job is to look over the interns :)  And he's great at it...such a fun guy.  For those last two weeks the interns and I will be in the office with the two other staff members, who are both very busy people and have little time to do much with interns.  Basically it will be interesting to see if there's not much to do or if its just absolute chaos with a staff short one person.
   It's also interesting because our last week there the executive director will be out of town for a conference.  So it basically looks like us interns will be there alone for our last week in the office.  Yay for a big send off :)

First Friday

   Last night I spent my evening at First Friday in Downtown Phoenix.  Phoenix Sister Cities not only has committees for our 9 different sister cities, but we also have a Disabilities Awareness Committee (DAC).  DAC is involved in promoting awareness for those with disabilities here in Phoenix and partnering with our sister cities around the world to do the same.
   Last night at First Friday DAC put on an exhibit of art done by people who have disabilities.  It was actually a really great exhibit with so many different amazing pieces of art.  The pieces were judged and three of them won prizes.  Also, as people came in they were asked to vote for their favorite, and one lucky winner won the people's choice award.
   Another cool thing about the exhibit was that many of the pieces were for sale.  Half of what the piece was sold for went to the artist and the other half went to DAC.  So not only was it a great exhibit for a lot of people to experience, but it was a way for the committee and the artists to earn money for a good cause.
   Last night was a lot of fun.  I enjoyed seeing the art, walking around first friday, spending time with the other interns, and getting some extra hours of work in in a fun environment!

Executive and Board Meeting

   Tonight was my first experience at one of Phoenix Sister Cities' Executive and Board of Directors Meetings.  All semester I've worked on putting packets together for these meetings (that happen once a month) but haven't been able to attend yet.  It was an interesting, but not all it was cracked up to be experience.
   In the past I thought these meetings were a big deal, considering all the work that goes into making them happen.  I didn't actually attend the Executive meeting; all I did was sign people in as they got there and give them their packet of papers for the meeting -- that was easy.  Following the Executive meeting was the Board meeting, where again I didn't do much.  I got a free dinner of hummus, pita, and other mediterranean foods between meetings.  But other than signing people in, stamping parking passes, greeting people at the door, and cleaning up, my role was limited.  The other interns and I are there really for the experience and to help out when needed.  I did help out, but the experience wasn't that great.  I found the meeting pretty boring and not very substantial.  However, I do think this meeting was shorter than previous ones from what I've heard from other interns who have attended in the past.  Regardless, it was a good experience, just not what I had expected I guess.
   Anyway, that was the last Executive and Board of Directors meeting of the year, meaning it was my first and last with Phoenix Sister Cities.  Only 5 more weeks on the job actually -- hard to believe!