Lia Touska is definitely a creative person. Her dream job? Becoming a fictional writer, because she wrote stories and poems all her life. One of her hobbies: knitting scarfs, hats or other clothes for friends and family. After a long time being active in AEGEE from antenna co-founder to CD member, the AEGEE-Thessaloníki member now wants to join the Juridical Commission for the term until 31st of July 2019.
Golden Times: How did you join AEGEE exactly? How did you find out about it?
Lia Touska: A friend from university told me he needed help to establish a youth NGO. I had experience with founding NGOs in Greece, so I said: “Why not?”
GT: How long did it take you from the first moment until you signed the membership form and joined AEGEE?
Lia: I signed the membership form or rather the founding members list right away.
GT: What’s the typical drink and food you bring to European Nights?
Lia: Tsipouro for drink and ION chocolate for food.
GT: At an AEGEE party where will we find you? On the dancefloor? Talking at the bar?
Lia: Depends on the music. Who can say no to “Macarena” and “Tunak tunak tun”?
GT: What was your first position in the local board?
Lia: IT responsible of the Contact of AEGEE-Europe in Kastoria.
GT: What was your favourite event as organiser – and why is it your favourite?
Lia: Leadership Summer School 2013 organised by AEGEE-Sofia. I was just a helper, but in the end I got some important tasks. There were 80 participants, separated in three different dormitory blocks and I was responsible to wake them up, take them to the sessions’ place and make sure they are not lost. In this event I got the chance to meet people from outside of AEGEE and I am still really good friends with some of them. I believe the LSS was what motivated me to be more active in AEGEE and in 2014 I attended it as participant.
GT: What was your first Agora and how did you feel there? Happy, excited, overwhelmed, lost?
Lia: It was Autumn Agora Budapest 2012. I felt awe by seeing that many people from different cities gathered in one place and I was excited because we were going to sign the Convention d’Adhésion with AEGEE-Europe. That’s how I fell in love with Agorae.
GT: Do you like cooking and what’s your favourite dish you like to cook?
Lia: I don’t just like cooking, I love cooking. It’s hard to choose only one favourite dish. I enjoy cooking moussaka and some traditional Turkish dishes, following family recipes.
GT: What’s never missing in your fridge?
Lia: Chocolate.
GT: What do your parents think about the idea that you are so active in AEGEE?
Lia: They are really active in local NGOs themselves. They are really proud seeing me improve myself within those almost seven years.
GT: In a typology of members there are the three aspects fun member, career member and idealist – to which percentage are you which of these aspects?
Lia: For me, the types of members are four: traveller, party animal, careerist and idealist. I am 30% traveller, 30% careerist, 30% idealist and 10% party animal.
GT: What other hobbies do you have aside from AEGEE?
Lia: During winter, I love knitting scarfs, hats or other clothes for my friends and family because it is my way of making other people warm. I love hiking. When I was unemployed for two months, I was waking up at 6 AM to go hiking for 5 kilometres. During summer, I really enjoy swimming.
GT: What’s your dream job?
Lia: I want to be a fictional writer. Since I remember myself I have been making and later on writing my own stories and poems. I enjoy creating something out of nothing. It is a job that can be done from any place in the world, your working schedule can be really flexible and sometimes being far away from home in a new place can be inspiring.
GT: What’s the favourite city or place on this planet you ever visited?
Lia: The place I call my second home: Sofia, Bulgaria.
GT: And where would you really like to go?
Lia: Zürich, Switzerland.
GT: What’s your biggest frustration in AEGEE?
Lia: Bad time management.
GT: Please complete the sentence: “AEGEE for me is…”
Lia: AEGEE for me is family.
GT: How would you describe yourself in a few keywords?
Lia: Laughing – inventive – ambitious.
