3rd to 7th of May Tour of European Year of Volunteering

Time is realtive, it is March, but we work for May. Yesterday was March and I worked on things happened in December...so, don't sit and relax thinking that you'll always have tomorrow, because time is relative!

This will be the space for you to let us know how would you like to participate in teh Tour of European Year of Volunteering happening in May, as suggested in the e-mail we have at the moment these proposals:
- Pecha Kucha Sessions
- Games, WorkShops

Even though it is all on the bases of volunteering, I do hope on your active participation and contribution!!

In case you have ideas of your own what to make, this is the space for that.
Please keep the discussion alive till 25th of March.

Thanks guys and see you around...ps don't forget to enjoy the spring!

What Was On The Plate?

There's a little game via e-mails where people share easy-to-make recipes...am collecting the ones i receive here. Also will encourage the good practice of sharing the receipts with my friends who participate in the game to contribute in comments the ideas they get...i know Viktoria you also need pictures, so everybody who actually try something out could make a photo and add it to their comment or a link to the photo (am not sure whether it is possible to actually add one in the comments).

So,What Was On The Plate?

PLAN A

February's dead line

Hello,

It's the second of February, which means that we all have perfect ideas for our fair tables. Doesn't it? (Well, my plans for my Finnish table are anything but ready.)

What I'd like you to do now is to share your ideas, so that us, who have found it more difficult to think up what to do, may get inspiration from your great ideas. If we all have had equal problems - it's good to know too, then we can support each other. :)

About other activities than the fair, please let me know your games, sports, movies etc. Please tell also if there is nothing you can share! If sharing ideas in this blog turns out to be impossible, we just have to take some time in Viljandi for this subject (or organize a brand new meeting?).

I'm happy that I found a group of local teens to prepare some activities and performances for the happening, and I think this group can take care of the schedule and other similar stuff too. I meet with this group every week, with you all only twice (?) before The Event.

And. Forget what I wrote about me talking about your countries with the Group, it was a bad idea. :/ But be prepared! The youngsters will soon ask you something... :)

henna

Outsanding, Incredible and simply WOW!

Dear All,
am absolutely thrilled to read your plans and ideas for upcoming local events. Can't wait to have the first Disko in Tudulinna (and of course sports and games and.etc. ;)). Viktoria, creative cooking is what i need in my life, so am anxiously looking forward for the first receipts, delicious idea! Marina, i've heard about Maidlas' legendary volunteers who make local community really vibrant, my dream is to visit you guys and i'll make it ture this spring!
Also, DGG, our newborn performance group with the slogan "First Estonia then the World", looking forward to see the debut! Table games, love them, especially when they take me to countries I've never been before. Gwenaelle, i want to visit France!

"EVS on Wheels" is something really cool that Livia, Renata and Andrea are planning to have in schools in Tallinn and around Estonia, to spread the idea of EVS as a good practice for youth!

Thanks for making the spring really something to look forward to!
Good luck and keep the ideas growing - sharing is caring!

Greetings to All,
kai

New project idea: "Volunteer's cookbook"

Dear all !


unfortuantely I could not be at our last evealuation meeting as well.

Nevertheless i tried to catch up with what you talked about at the meeting, and must say that i really like the ideas you all came up with !


Some weeks ago I also had an idea, that might be something we all could contribute to and make to some sort of groupproject.

Just read through the description of my idea of a "Volunteer's cookbook" and then comment, add or change.

Be creative =)


Idea: to create a cookbook that is helping volunteers.



Many volunteers are quite young and might have never lived totally on their own before. Living alone might be an exciting experience, but also brings many difficulties with it. For example cooking.



This is where the cookbook should support and assist the volunteers.



This could include easy and basic recipes which everyone should be able to make.

Also recipes for the first days, where you might not have so many groceries at home (only the basic things eggs, milk …).



As well as cheap recipes, because as everyone probably knows, volunteers are always short on money!

Furthermore there could be international recipes from all over Europe be presented, which each volunteer can contribute to this book. These recipes could be useful to bring a bigger variety in the dishes.



Another chapter with tradition Estonian recipes can be made as well so everyone can impress the friends and families back in their home country.



To these recipes the author could add a small story or funny incident he or her connects to this dish, as well as the approximate price of every dish.



Another thing that might be useful for the new cooks might be to write where the cheapest products can be found (lists of supermarkets, discount cards and insider tips)



If someone has another great idea, this cookbook can always be extended!



After the ‘first generation’ of volunteers has contributed to the cookbook, it can be passed on to the new volunteers year by year as part of the staring kid. (either printed, or digital)



Now I would like to hear your response to this idea, and maybe we can make this project together =)



Be creative and let your ideas speak!

Some ideas...

Hello to all of you…

I haven´t been at the meetings (I´m sorry, but some bacteriums or virus was coming between), but I was reading this post through and I really like the ideas, well done!

I would really like to help you and also to represent my country! 

Ad music: Of course I can recommend some funny music from austria like falco, EAV, STS, Hubert von Goisan and so on. So I think we should select the music and fix some date until we bring it with us to the meetings and someone saves it.

Ad olympic games: very famous sport in austria is skiing (downhill), ski jumping, tennis but it´s difficult to implement it and to make a competition, because we need ski´s and a big hill ;). What is very funny, but not a real kind of sport is to sled downhill. So henna I don´t know, maybe you have a hill in tudulinna where we can sled downhill. It´s very funny and we can also make a competition out of it. Oh but now I just remember, in May there will be no snow anymore, I have to think about something different ;) 

Ad Children games: oh we have a lot of games. But what is very funny, you can make it inside without needing equipment is silent post (direct translated, I don´t know if there is a special english word for this game). It´s for children between 4-10 and 4-20 persons can play. All the kids are sitting in a circle and one starts to whisper a word in the ear of the kid next to him or her and so on. The last kid in the circle has to say what it understood. Maybe you know this game. It´s very funny and sometimes the words during the game chance in a very funny way. When I was a child I was playing it very often.

Another game is called „room, kitchen, cabinet“. The players are standing in a row and one player, the speaker, is standing with the back to the others. The distance between those two parts depends on the space. The speaker starts to say the the phrase „room, kitchen, cabinet, behind the oven is standing  a bed“ (in german language it´s a rime). When the speaker is saying this the others have to go as quickly into the direction of the speaker. When he stopps he turns around and the other player have to stand still. If they just shake, they have to start again. Who is reaching the speaker at first is the next speaker. Uhhh it´s very difficult to explain it in english, but a funny game!

Just some thoughts, maybe you like the games ;)

Ad Fair: at this stop I would really like to make something. I will do already a presentation of austria in  the youth center in maidla, so maybe I can use that also for the older ones. The presentation includes some typical characteristics from austrian people and also a video of different dialects ;) and of course a lot of pictures. And for the smaller one, I think to make a tablegame on myself – the form could be the austrian country and it should be a simple game, I will think about it. And of course I can bring something sweet from austria like Manner (slices) etc. 

So thank you all for reading through this ;) let me know what you think about it!

Oh and maybe you read also my older post. I also want to make a happening in Maidla in the beginning of april, when the evaluation meeting will take place here. I was thinking about representing the different countries. So you can also use your preperation for tudulinna. You can make whatever you want (pictures, short presentation, drawing etc). oh and i would like to make a small buffet of international food .. what do you think about this ideas? You want to participate? Please let me know!!!

I hope it was not to much information , but it´s very difficult for myself to be precise ;)

Head õhtut,

Marina

The International Day in Tudulinna 14th of May 2011

So, on Saturday 14th of May there will be a Happening called International Day at Tudulinna Kultuurimaja.

The main target group of the happening are children of Tudulinna school (from age of 7 to 15), but I think that also other people in Tudulinna will be interested. So basically our doors are open for everybody, and we should offer both simple and a more advanced stuff (which also the oldest pupils need anyway).

So, what will happen then? On Saturday we had some ideas for the activities. These ideas are by no means ready, so please associate and critisise and continue these plans.

[I write very accurately now (also things that seem stupid to write out). But this way there will be as few misunderstandings as possible. After your comments I will write a plan with less information and send it to you.]

1) The Disco:
We will definitely have a disco for the kids. One 13-year-old girl told me today that they like discos with not much light and "the music that young people like". I think we can supply that :) . Anyway, it would be nice to have music from every country we represent.
- We need somebody to take care of the music (maybe Ludwig from Maarja Küla?).
- Your recommendations for the music?
- Maybe some refreshments?

2) Performances:
At least the DGG group will prepare a show. And maybe the local kids prepare something too. (I'm sure they will.)
- There's a nice stage at the Kultuurimaja and also PA equipment

3) "The Olympic Games":
The competing countries would of course be our countries, so we have to gather teams around ourselves. We just have to figure out a nice way of getting equal teams... for the sake of the children :).
The Games could be anything. Just anything. Actually, maybe you have some crazy sports in your home countries (we have for example the rubber boot throwing and many many more)!
- So please let me know your sports!

4) Children's Games
I have no idea if children play the same games in different countries, so it would be interesting to play the games you played in your childhood. Maybe we don't need this activity at all (it's quite near to the Olympics) but on the other hand it's good to have something on mind just in case that we suddenly have too much time with nothing to do.
- We could play games either in small groups or all together (for example Estonians vs. foreigners)
- I think it's not a big trouble if each of us has one or two games in mind.

5) The Fair:
This is where your efford is needed!
Each country that we are from will have one table. Children and the other people will have one hour time to visit the tables in free order. You can tell anything you wish about your country, but it should be interesting. :) For the smaller kids it would be nice to have some activities like face painting or table games. For the older pupils the most important thing around the table is you: you should courage them to speak English with all possible means! And of course there could be some facts too. And something to eat maybe?
- So think up something! :) Dead line is on the 1st of February.

6) Movies
Maybe we could have some short films. Either as a performance or then we could reserve one room as a movie theatre, where maybe three films run non-stop and people can visit there when they have time.
- Ideas?

7) The Fiest
Everybody brings something "small" to eat (at least the locals, we if possible). The food is collected in one place and then everybody can eat as long as there is stuff left.

What we should do is to create a schedule for the day (at what time we should start, how long each of the activities takes etc). But maybe that'll be easiest to do when we meet. We have four months time, so there actually is no hurry.

Did I forget something? Or was something unclear?

I think we can use far the same materials in Maidla (see Marina's plan).

In the end, I want to tell you, that me and my superiors :) decided today to change my hand-craft group into some kind of international group, and this group will be in charge of preparing this event from Tudulinna side. I hope this position will encourage the youngsters to use their language skills and be in touch with you (I will help them of course, but I really hope that they will take the initiative...). We'll see.

Anyway, because my group gathers 16 times before the Happening, we will definitely do other things than just plan it. Actually I think we'll have one meeting about all our countries already beforehand IF that's not a problem for you. Tell me now if you want to keep the privilege of talking about your country in Tudulinna! I still have time to change the plans (that I started to make today). But in principle there should be no fear of double information, and even if some repetition happens, in my group there will be only few of ALL 43 children of the school!

So if it's ok, I will sooner or later ask you to help me... as to recommend music/films from your country etc.

thanks, if you had the patience of reading this through :)

henna [who's really worried about the future co-opetation with her laptop's screen :( ]

Hey guys,

how are you? I hope fine… Well some time ago I posted my idea about the local project. Marco gave me some addice and I thought once more about it. It would be more complicated if the youngsters have to travel and much more easier if we will come to them. So I really would like to combine this project with the evaluation meeting in Maidla. Propably the evaluation meeting in maidla will take place at the 2nd of april, so far I know. It would be a good chance that on the same day the evaluation meeting takes place to make some presenations about the different countries we are coming from and maybe a short description of our EVS working place (what we are doing there and so on). First of all the youngsters get to know different countries and different tasks about EVS. So please guys participate. You all will come to the evaluation meeting in maidla, so maybe we can make the meeting in the morning and this project in the afternoon. So the trip will be reimbursed and you don´t need extra money to participate. I will try to invite as many youngsters as possible. Maybe we can also get some volunteers who have already done the EVS, such as Kai? Kai what do you think? I think this project will be a good step to motivate the youngsters to think about doing the EVS too.

Now I know allo f us have holidays and so I don´t want to hurry. But I write you very early because then you have enough time. I will write you in January an invitation too, so please think about this project and if you want to attend!!! The presentation need not to be longer as 15-20 minutes… Of course, if somebody wants to do the same at his/her EVS place, I would like to come and speak about austria…

Having said this, I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!!!

Häid jõule ja ilusat uut aastat!

Tsau, tsau

Marina

Hello everybody, My name is Aleksei Shatunov, Im doing my EVS in Portugal (Lisbon) Im here almost 2 month, My project is in the foster house of Barcarena. Place have 48 kids who have no family (or different problems in the family) center help the kids to find another family (adapting), or help the real parents (with finding job or other ways)  kids are from 5 to 20 years old (the older kids stay in the centr till they find work and would be capable to have independent life)
   I have 2 main directions in my project: art and sports. Im artist and i do wall painting for the center, also I have big experience in Volleyball and Im training kids to play beach volley. It is a great place, it is like a big warm family. I have a lot of freedom and good relationship with workers and kids..only one problem is the language..
I live in Lisbon  with 4 other volunteers. 1 girls from Spain, 1 girl from Catalonia, 1 guy and girl from Poland. Lisbon is a small town, but bigger than Tallinn of course, topulation of Lisbon is near to 600 000 so, its not big. people are nice, but tricky..Portugues people call Brazilians malandras ( what means sneaky and tricky) and pretending that they are not.. well dont believe it.. they are the same malandras..if they will have a chance to trick you, they will do it, dont think they wont..:)) (if you going to speak english) Specially taxy drivers and bartenders they are the worst.

 The city.. I love the city!! City have a beautiful parts and views, have a lot of mountains so you have to walk up and down always. City is very international and mixed, you have all skin pallet from white to black. Cant say much about the good climate, because its raining here alot because of the winter time :)) but in the march probably i will write how good is the weather here :)) Food is very good, a lot of fruits,fish and everything alse, prices are the same that we have in Estonia.
 Negativ stuff.. Lisbon is one of the dirtiest cities that I have seen in Europ, people have a strange habit to leave the garbage on the street, I mean to take your garbage from home in the garbage bag and live it on the street..and of course a lot of different trash everywhere.(like dogs shit..is everywhere.. I dont see much dogs..but some small smelly things are always reminding me that they have a lot of them..) what Else..oh yes drugs..drugs are everywhere, everyday on the street somebody asking me would i like to by some hashish or cocaine..maybe i look like drug adict i dont know..but i just look like a foreigner that's the thing.
 Language. I like the language  a lot, it is beautiful, but it is not easy to learn it. Main problem is people with whom you hang out..we always speak english, it would be much faster to learn the language if we would speak Portuguese  but its not happening so far.

So far Im very happy to be here, I like the people with whom I work, I have a lot of freedom, I like the country, city and the most important thing i like my project. A lot :))

Kallid sõbrad!

Sorry for answering so late, I have been a little bit indisposed.
I have to say I didn't really think of the idea to "unwrap" the monument after wrapping it.
But indeed, I think it would represent our message in a better way.

So we have to think of a way how we promote this project.
As there is the International Day of Volunteering the 5th december it could be a good beginning.
And right now I just start to imagine a bit.
Maybe we can start with "Jakobson", the man on the 500 crown bill and publisher of the first Estonian newspaper "Sakala". As he is a man of good taste, his statue is situatet in the beautiful town of Viljandi ;D
You could all come hereand we could make art happening. Thus, we go to the statue, wrap it and "dress up" up as journalists. Everyone takes a notebook and a pen. We go to the people we see on the street and ask: "Have you seen Jakobson?" - "Kas te olete näinud Jakobsoni?"
And dependent on the answer we can talk further, yes - he is right there, do you know who he is? have you noticed him on the500 crown bill? are you going to miss something when the Euro is there? do you think Estonia is losing some of its heritage? etc.
We can prepare the questions together, as well the Estonian translation in case people don't understand. Someone can also be the photograph an dtake pictures. In the end we can tell every questioned person to come back at a set time to the still wrapped sculpture. Then we can unwrap it again infront of the probably not very big - but still - audience.
This idea sounds very romantic, maybe it is not going to work like this, but maybe it is.
We can collect the stories people tell us and meanwhile doing an art happening.
Perhaps this could also be a good first promoting event.

Okay, now I have to ask again, what do you think?
Hääd Gerdalt

Tere minu sõbrad ;)

Hello to all of you…

I really think that Gerdas Idea is very great! In my opinion it´s very important to show estonians that they still can keep their identity, eventhough they are a memeber of the european union. But I also think, that it won´t be possible that all of us travel to those special places. Especially in my place I don´t have good bus connections, even at the weekends. But if there are any places in the near of my village or not so far away I could also go there. I don´t know yet where all of those places are ;( Gerda you know? And if we will have all of those pictures, Gerda what are you going to do then? You want to publish them in a selfcreated paper, make a blog or website or how do you want to spread this project? 

I also thought about ways how we can promote the EVS and I got an Idea. I´m sure that there are a lot of youngsters in Estonia who have never heard something about this possibility going abroad and being a volunteer. So it would be nice to increase their awareness. All of us are widespread through Estonia and we also have different working fields (youth work, kindergarden, school, center for disabled people, orphanage and so on). My idea is to show the young people in Estonia how different an EVS can be. How can we do this? Well, I think first we can go to schools, youth centers or any other places were we can meet our target group (people between 18 and 25, right?) There we can make a short presentation what the EVS is about and then give them the possibility to visit us one day in our working place (I don´t think it will be very timeconsuming). First of all they can get to know the work (what are the tasks of an EV and how does it go). Furthermore they can also meet people from different nationalities (US;)) So I think it would be possible to get some visits during our EVS time. What do you think? So we just have to make a list of our work and working places, at what times we are working and so on. I´m also thinking about making a blog for that, so we can share at what days we can recieve visits and on what days we have no time. And also the interested youngsters can contact us there. There is only one, maybe big, problem: The youngsters have to pay their travel to those places on their own ;( Marco and Jutta do you think there would be a possibility to get some support?

So guys, what are you thinking about this idea? In my opinion this is a good chance to motivate the youngsters to be part of the EVS and also to increase their awareness about the european union and projects founded by the european union… Let me know about your opinions!!!

Head õhtut,

Marina

Tere kõigile!

As I have already proposed my idea of the "money-project", here there are the details. No, we are not going to rob a bank or counterfeit some Euros. Not this time.

You probably have noticed that Estonia is full of national monuments, things that stand for the national awaking, the identity. One of those is the "Eesti kroon", the money. 

Estonia, is indeed not a big country. It unites the smallest number of native speakers of a language in one of the smallest national territories. However, this wasn't a reason for not developing a cultural heritage, a national conciousness, an Estonian history. After years of difficulties Estonia got its own money in 1992 and the awareness of being something special has probably increased.
But now this stage of patriotism is over and a new European one will begin. Crown is going to become Euro and the countdown has started. Maybe some are looking forward to this event, maybe some are regarding it as a mistake, at least it is a big change. This is why this nation should of course keep in mind its history, but as well look forward to possibilities offered by the community of Europe.

Of course, we as volunteers can't interfere in political issues, at least just in a very limmited way. But we can show to Estonians, that their national identity is not going to vanish, because thery won't see Estonian faces on bank notes.
Each of the pictured persons has a monument somewhere in Estonia. My idea is it to visit these places and "wrap" the monument. Well, the idea is actually related to Christo, an artist I can recommend to google if you want to see something really great ;D
Anyway, our wrapping would be done with another purpose, not the artistical realization, but the sense behind is counting. We can wrap the these monuments, cover them, to show that the intelectual property is not going to disappear. Lydia Koidula is still going to be in people's head although she is not on the 100 crown bill anymore.
I am sure someone will notice.
It was even noticed, when Gwen and me wrappen Jakobson just for some minutes for the picture.

Tell me what you think of the idea.
I am open for critics.

Musi ja kalli,
Gerda

GIFTS FROM THE PREVIOUS VOLUNTEERS - VOLUME 3

Hey hey,

here is some pictures that Stephan (from Germany) did about his experience in Käo Center in Tallinn.

Think out of the box!!!

Best
Marco

GIFTS FROM THE PREVIOUS VOLUNTEERS - VOLUME 2

Helo guys,

here I am with the 2nd Volume of the gifts that you received from our past EVS!!!

This one was made by João for our friends in Ida-Virumaa

Enjoy!
Marco

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