Back to basics

Just about a month and a year ago I got back from my EVS and even today i still am amazed and a bit confused about the crazy world we are living in...well, perhaps it’s me being Estonian therefore as according to most widely known stereotype “a bit faster than a Finnish person” (sry Henna :)) in understanding things or hell, probably it just me…anyhow, will leave that to you guys to figure out, you got nine months to see whether stereotypes about Estonians bare any ground and IF it seems they do, then challenge those bastards (stereotypes I mean).

Well, about the thing…I did my EVS in Rep of South Africa in one of the tree capitals called Cape Town and in one of the first black townships called Langa (meaning Sun in isiXhosa which is one of the twelve official languages of the country). Why I keep saying “in one of the” is merely cause this country is crazy and my first month went by in desperate endeavor to try to figure out when everything is “one of the” then where/what is the whole??? … well, during my 6 months there I did not figure out the One and Whole dilemma of mine, but I learnt a lot about one of the local cultures called Xhosa and people sharing it, I learnt a lot about myself AND most importantly got to know how some define life in Europe. Namely in one of the gatherings I notice a lady staring at me, I was confused cause…well, it was my first meeting and being only white person in the room with no black friends, there was no way I could have known her from before, so I don’t know how exactly I caught her attention, but she decided to approach. After little chit-chat she asks where am from and hearing it is Europe (SA is another country where Estonia is not working out) she practically yelled “aaahhh, it is where you have permanent toilets, yeeesss!!!”…so,no French Revolution, no houte couture, no Euro, but permanent toilets, that is how Europe seemed to some looking at this way.

Except going to meetings, really there was a lot of meetings and not the ones when you meet on the corner of the street to plan where to go next and then you actually go for it, not those constructive ones. They were just big gatherings which usually ended up with a conversation “what was offered for the snack” and it was muffins all the time, but people kept going. Not me though, I decided to sacrifice all the muffins for the time I had during the 6 months with the kids at the orphanage.

I worked in Siyaphambili Orphan Village (well, village was a wishful thinking, but starting big at least helps to start..) which accommodated 15 kids who had either lost their parents to HIV/AIDS or lived in such a poverty that they had to be removed from their parents. Honestly, Villages is really what Cape Town needs, what Rep of South Africa need for all the people in need, cause it was just a drop of sand what Siyaphambili contributed to the solution, but I was so proved to be part of that drop. Seeing those 15 kids getting help and living in conditions, which are not anywhere near to our standards here, once more corrected my perspectives and priorities in life. Well, another thing which helped a lot was the fact that I shared those conditions with them. Yes, I had my own room (after one of the house ladies removed her stuff and relocated to the children room).

Apparently they did not quite get what I was doing there and where exactly I was suppose to live, but it was sorted out rather quickly when I declared that I am to stay HERE for the next six months. I believe we got a long with that house lady just perfect and her food became the best I ever had (there)…which I take as a sign of friendship from her side as well, cause unfortunately she was the only lady not speaking the mix of isiXhosa-English, so I couldn’t ask her directly, whether we were cool…

Anyways, it is hard to forget my very first night there. I woke up with a peculiar sound and once I managed to peak out from the bars (for protection) covering the windows, there were huge flames, like really huge. Luckily they did not reach to our house. As I heard later then fire brigade got there 30 min later, though Langa is like 15 min away from Cape Town center (with very old minitaxi which is like Flinstones car where, ou so many times, I fought with the temptation just to put my legs on the ground and help the bloody thing to go faster) and on top of it all fire brigade got there with empty tanks and water was nowhere around…I truly hope it was a folk fable and in reality things are not so tragicomic, but the thing which was burning is called Joe Slovo, area for informal settlements.

At the same night, got back to bed thinking I have at least 5 hours left to sleep was my first wishful thought. Rest of the night I fought with a human finger size cockroach. Indeed, I could hear it running on the carpet, but Ii couldn’t see it at first (it fell on my face while I was trying to sleep and from the bounce it made when I threw it against the wall, I knew it was no flea am fighting with) so, I armed myself with hair spray left behind by the house lady and started the hunt. It was successful one as many others yet to come with all the  “domestic” animals in the room, but it was okay, cause I knew that I can return to the land of permanent toilets any time.

There were loads of things I had to readjust myself to, during every meal time I had to serve men and boys before women and girls (ou, how I got it wrong at the beginning, but it is another story), also had to do my washing with hands from socks to winter clothes (yes, there is winter is SA) for the whole 6 moths and it is very hard to try them during the winter cause sun is the only trying system they have, no heating system what so ever, and it gets cold, ou so cold and wet, ou so wet. Another skill was making strategies for going to bathroom while there was nobody around cause without the lock it was very common that I was caught while doing all the things I had used doing while locking the door. Well, it was a kind of a survival camp and I made it with a master degree in strategical planning. What I did not master and am ashamed to admit it to my friends back in South Africa was dancing to house music, I mean it is phenomenal how they sense every little rhythm and put it into accord with their body, like really. I was suppose to become an ambassador of one of the local dance moves and was suppose to spread it to masses in our night clubs, but I should have told them already back then that, cause obviously they were too nice to say it out loud, that I suck when it comes to dancing, when it comes to moving your feet, body, head and hands all together and separately at the same time and then not so at the same time and in way that it all looks nice, well, I just don’t have it in me…and I don’t go to night clubs, so I was a failure already from the very first moment. 

You are still in the beginning of your EVS, I dare you to make another round of evaluation and find things why you are here and things why you are not here as well…am sure there are things you are not able to go on compromises, it is okay too…well, it was hard for me to admit that no way am gonna dance like them, but it is okay :)

Ahh, my experience has become a sort of mosaic in my head and it is weird to write about it after so long time. Every time I’ve told the story it is a bit different, well, this time it came out like that…

Anyways, did you already book a coffee time with your mentor for the first gossip round? Did you learn the names of your staff members? Did I just hear you complaining about how difficult Estonian is???????? Well, I tell you, if you master this I will personally excuse you from all the estonain classes…this is what I was facing…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5c2EYPEs6o&feature=related

…and yet, I would do it all over again!

See you around,

Kai

GIFTS FROM THE PREVIOUS VOLUNTEERS - VOLUME 1

Hello guys,

I will post some documents, videos, photos that the previous volunteers did about their working places/cities.

I hope that you enjoy like I did!!!
Marco

This is a video made by our austrian volunteers Stephanie Sieber about the life of EVS!!!

Enjoy

If I could, I'd do it again! - my EVS

"FREEDOM!"

(I have been trying to get my thoughts together for nearly an hour now. It's been a bit more than a year since I returned from Scotland where I did 12 months of EVS and every time I need to summarize what it was like I'm struck with the awesomeness of it all - including problems and hard times. So here it goes.)

When explaining my EVS the short way I can say that it took place in Scotland, in a city near Edinburgh, in a organization (Firefly Arts) that delivered drama and film workshops for young people, including some with learning difficulties. I was a drama workshop leader but also worked in the office (paperwork, educational seminars etc), promoted EVS in the local schools, worked with LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bi- and Transsexual union) youth and did some other youth work policy stuff. 

Before I flew over to Scotland I knew I was to have two other volunteers with me (from Greece and Azerbaijan) but (unfortunately) the European Commission only funded one spot so I became the very first EVS volunteer for Firefly. Previous plans for us to live in Livingston (where my HO is situated) in a house for three people were not possible anymore so they found me a flat in Edinburgh which is about 30 km away from Livingston. That meant at least 1-hour long bus rides to work and back home. Sometimes it took longer as the traffic was horrendous. Sometimes I got lucky and took a car with my boss :) 

I did enjoy living in Edinburgh though. Livingston itself was not a pleasant place as a city whereas Auld Reekie (as they call Edinburgh) is THE city for me. I started to love the place the minute I got there. My flat was situated in the centre, about 10 minute walk from the ancient Castle! That was the main plus of the flat though. 

As I was the only volunteer for some time in my organization I shared the flat with people outside of EVS world (which was a welcoming change of all the volunteering but made it also hard to explain what exactly am I doing there and from time to time made feel extremely lonely). During my 12-month stay I had 2 Polish, 1 Italian, 1 American, 2 Australians and a Dutch person sharing the place. Some of them were lovely and others were... rather difficult. In the end I was the only girl and not trying to be rude, but boys are SO messy. I had pretty intense times with a flat mate about cleaning up, cooking, terrible techno music, loud parties at 3AM during week, obnoxious visitors and so on.

The flat itself was okay with some quirks I got use to pretty quickly. I had a tiny room at first and changed into a bigger one later. I had some furniture (a creaky small bed, a table and a chair, built in cupboard), but had to buy sheets, a new proper pillow, some carpets and other stuff to make it more comfortable. The first night I woke up to some kind of noise which turned out to be a mouse (and it's hungry family) who lived under my floorboard and had come outside for a quick snack of my delicious Estonian chocolate. Mice were a constant problem during the year as 1) it was a old house with some cracks in the floor and walls, 2) we lived above a pub, 3) the food trash left out by my rude flat mates (well, just the one person). Also, the flat got quite chilly during winter time as most UK's old house windows are single-framed and let wind through. Oh well, didn't mind that so much as the climate is much much softer than in Estonia. The third negative side of the flat was the lack of common space - the kitchen was a tiny corner without a table and we didn't have a living room - a designated corner in a corridor was occupied by this huge out-of-tune piano and a tiny rickety couch. So we all ate our meals in our own rooms which was quite lonely. Ah, and the view out of my window was the wall of a church (I heard organs playing every Sunday at 10am) and a beer garden of sorts that belonged to the down-stairs pub (live football matches & its fans on most weekends).

All in all though, the living conditions were alright - I mean, I wasn't expecting anything grand anyway and for me the location was already like a blessing. I did spend most of my time at work or in the city too.

A funny thing about the workplace was that it used to be a tractor shed and was pretty old and shabby. Luckily the staff in it and youngsters that came to do their workshops were absolutely great making it feel like some sort of hub of happiness and laughter. Firefly works in the most poorest areas of Scotland and Livingston, as said above, is rather ugly town. It happened so that the council was building a new house, a culture centre in Livingston, and Firefly was to have office and performance space there. Unluckily for me they postponed the deadline several times and so my last day at work was the moving day where I packed and unpacked all things to the new office but never had the chance to actually sit in the much brighter, warmer rooms. 

Despite all of this, the experience of the year was fantastic - I can't describe it so that you could feel the speciality of it. I think it's not even necessary as you will make your own fantastic memories and experiences. How I see a successful EVS experience is as follows: people are the essence of this service. There can be many little or big problems with things, but when the relations with people (your colleagues, your fellow volunteers, the locals, your clients etc) are good then everything is much much better (of course, problems occur with people as well but that is natural). Then, it is also important to be as unexpectant and unpretentious as possible. Try to have wondrous eyes and try to blend in. It is your responsibility to understand the culture you've arrived to and it is your honour to present your own culture to the people you meet.

Oh, and enjoy :)

Hannele, EVS volunteer in 2008-2009

TERE TERE VANA KERE - My EVS experience in Estonia

Hello guys,

I'm very happy to see you guys here and I hope that we will have great moments during your EVS. So as you know my name is Marco Santos and I'm the Project Coordinator of noOR since a year ago and I live in Estonia since 2008.

You can know about noOR in our blog (http://ngonoor.wordpress.com/) in our website (www.erinoor.ee) and in our facebook page but now I'm not here to talk about my work but about my EVS in Estonia.

I arrived in Estonia in August 2008 for a 9 months project in a organisation called European Movement Estonia. My work was mainly to help the coordination of EURO<26 youth card and to help in EURODESK network. I had to make some presentation around Estonia and promote those services. Honestly it was a very "office" job.. where I have some freedom but I was treated as a worker. I was the only EVS in this organsiation but I start to hang aorund with the EVS form Continous Action because we did the language course together.

During my EVS I felt like I was a bit different, I was not that often with the others EVS volunteers and very fast I had my own group of friends from Estonia. Of course that I was out with them from time to time and we even spent Christmas together travelling around Europe.

I also couldn't complain about money because I saw that I got more money than the rest of the EVS in Estonia (maybe during my EVS I made around 50.000 kroons of profit for my hosting organisation preparing people for different projects and making partnerships). Anyway, I saw that it would help me to stand up by myself for some time.

My accomodation was shared with 3 estonians in a house in Kalamaja. I live in that house since today. When I arrive here my room didn't have light, closet or anything. When I arrived there was a matress, a pillow and a blanket. It was quite funny that in the next month I used my luggage as a closet until I get a shelf. I went to a second hand shop to buy bed-linnen, towels an the other little things taht I needed. (I feel very proud that now I live in the biggest room of the house and I even have a bed hehehe). I never complained about the place because I saw my EVS colleagues living a flat with 3 bedrooms (they were 6 and sometimes 8) in that flat in Kadriorg. I saw how they had some fights because of that and how everything was tight, so at least I knew that I have my dark room (remember? without light.. I got a lamp for the room :-D)

During my free time I started to help noOR with some work and after that Juta invited me to stay longer in Estonia to give a bigger impact with noOR in the youth work. I felt challanged again and then I decided to stay. I guess I had the right choice because I feel challange constantly with my work and I really feel that we have a very gerat and positive impact in how the things are done in Estonia in youth field (I may be dreaming but that's a real feeling that I have).

I would like to invite all ex-EVS to share their experience and maybe we can discuss a bit more about it and find ways to have a great experience here in Estonia!

See you guys around and feel free to make me questions about my experience too!!!
Marco

 Yes, as Juta wrote - Gerda (on the right) and Przemek (on the letf) are already in Estonia, waiting for you :-) This is "Viljandi style", so Gwenaelle, get ready!

 Unfortunately we have only two pictures together and didn't know which one is better, so you can see both:

 

 

See you soon!

Tere!

I finally mentioned to log in as well =)
My name is Viktoria and I am from Germany. I am 18 years old and just finished school here in Berlin. I was born in Bavaria and lived there for quite a time before we moved to Berlin.
Like many of you I am also arriving in Tallinn on the 17th of September (only 3 days to go….and still so much to do – ahh)
I will stay in a small village called Habaja 50 km from the capital and work in a local kindergarten and primary school for the next 9 month. I am so excited to get to know everyone there, as well as the culture, language and the country. I tried to learn some Estonian, but wasn’t that successful yet =)
I started to pack my bags today  (which was a huge mistake!!!) this is just crazy, to only have 20 kg =)
Well, I am really looking forward to get to know you all!!! See you in 3 days =) can’t wait!!!!
P.S. I have a question to Juta: I was just wondering who is going to pick us up at the Airport, or do we have to meet a special place? =)
And to all the Germans/ Austrians: does your flight stop in Frankfurt? We might even be in the same plane… (mine starts in Frankfurt at 14. 30)
I hope everyone has great (tearless) 3 days and a good trip.

Hello :)

My name is Andrea Waldauf and I am also from Austria. I grew up in a small village called Anras and I live for nearly 10 years in the city of Innsbruck. In Innsbruck I studied educational sciences at the University and graduated in 2007. After my studies I worked as an assistant of the director at the Management Center Innsbruck (University). I will stay to Tallinn for 9 months and will be working with children in a kindergarten and will be organizing events. I am looking forward to Estonia :)!!

Tere kõigile!

(Hello Everyone!)
My name is Gerda, I am 18 years old, from Germany and a volunteer in Estonia for nearly two month. Thus, I'm still staying nine month as most of you.
So far the general information.

I am working in Viljandi which is located quite in the center of Estonia. For Estonian conditions it is supposed to be a big town with 20,000 inhabitants. But also for me, as I am a real village girl.
After finishing high school I didn't know what to study, so I decided to do a gap year. Of course I don't only want to find something that could suit me for future, but also get a lot of new experiences. So I'm curious to meet all of you!

However, in my opinion you can be really happy to come to Estonia, it is a beautiful country and I already start to feel familiar with this place. By the way, the Estonian language is not that hard as you may have heard. But it is challenging, of course it is. There are days I understand something ;)

Hääd (All the best)

Hello, my name is Henna and I'm from Finland. I'm going to work in a place called Tudulinna with children in a local school and in an orphanage which I understand is quite small. Last spring I graduated as a musician but I'm not sure that's what I want to do all my life - for work I mean. So I hope these months will help me with my future. I'm also looking forward to learn Estonian language.
For me it's a weird feeling to know that I'm going to leave all that is safe and familiar behind and step into life that I know nothing about. But on the other hand I feel so free and am so excited!
One week and a few days more... this is really happening :) ! See you!

A picture is worth a thousand words

Convicted to 9 months of volunteering:      Livia
Age:                                                          24
Current location:                             Romania, Bucharest
Life principle:                                     Live high see far
Jury's decision:                         To be noted on the 17-th of Sept

Hello,
my name is Marina and I´m from Austria. I will arrive in Estonia, as many of you, at 17th September to work in a Youth Center in Maidla. I´m looking forward to get to know all volunteers and staff members. I´m glad to have the opportunity to get to know another country, culture and new people.
I am 23 years old. I´m studing health and nursing science in Graz (Styria) and I have already delivered my masterthesis this week. So you can say I have finished my study  I´m really glad about it. As the end of the academic studies comes closer, I increasingly have an itch to go abroad and doing social work. I think the EVS is a good chance to realise this. I´m very curios how it would be. I´m looking forward to arrive in Estonia and get to know each of you 
All the best and see you soon in Estonia!

Dear everybody,
My name is Renáta Tóth. I'm from Hungary. I am going to go Estonia 17th September to work Tallinn´s City Board of Disabled People.
About me: I am 22 years old. I finished my university in this year. I'm social worker. I am a volunteer a Foundation. In the Foundation I help oragisation national workcamp, some programmes to the children and the youth. We would like to join to EVS programme. So my project will be good for me to get to know everything about EVS, and one part of the social work. I think that's all. I wait the time, when we will be together, and we'll do, talk, or work together. And when I will be able to develop my english skills with you:-DDD
Have a nice day! Bye

Lets get to know each other:)

My name is Juta and I have proposal for you. As very very soon 10 wonderful volunteers will arrive to Estonia to do EVS project, it would be cool before to get to know each other. So, I propose that all the volunteers will introduce themselves via this blog. Then it is easier also to arrive, when you know at least abit about each other:)

To give a good example, I will start from myself:)
Like I said, my name is Juta. Mostlikely you haven´t heard about me, but you will:) I am board member of your coordinating organisation- NGO noOR (well officially long name is Eesti Erinoorsootöö Ühing noOR/Estonian Special Youth Work Organisation) and mostlikely we will meet here and there once in a while:)

I also did EVS few years ago in Portugal and I think it was one of the best experiences in my life- a lot of good memories from these days:). From my background I am social worker, many years been involved in international youth work, but at the moment I am at home with my baby.

During the project, if you have any problems, you can always turn to me (well, also you can write/call/draw to me, when there is no problems and everything is fine;))

Welcome to noOR volunteers blog:)

This blog is created for noOR volunteers. How it will exactly look like, what will be written here and how much it gets used, depends on the volunteers:) Lets see!