On-Arrival Training in Warsaw

Dear people,

Yesterday morning I arrived back to Pułtusk after an unforgettable week in Warsaw. Last week, all the new EVS-volunteers in Poland gathered in Warsaw for the on-arrival training. The atmosphere was highly international as the participants were from many different countries, i.g. from Finland, Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany, Portugal, Hungary, Czech Republic, Turkey, France and Austria. It's usually quite easy to get to know people in this kind of group, because the wide variety of cultural backgrounds is pretty much an eternal source of conversation. 

The goal of the training was to prepare the new volunteers for EVS, teaching them how to face challenges and accept the reality; not all of the stay is going to be a bed of roses. Besides, we learned a lot about the Polish culture. Not only did we discuss how it looks like to a foreigner, but also were explained the historical reasons behind the intriguing cultural aspects. For me the most interesting task was to go to the city to interview real Polish people and find out their views on various topics.

We worked on the topics in many different ways, also by doing handicrafts

The trainers had also organized us two nice surprises. On Tuesday evening, a local guy took the volunteers for a walk and told the stories behind certain Varsovian monuments. Unfortunately I couldn't join the walk, but I heard it was truly fascinating. On Thursday evening an excellent traditional Polish dance group entertained us for a couple of hours, and we even got the chance to try some simple Polish dance moves ourselves.

The whole training was well-organized and the discussed topics were certainly important for the new volunteers, most of which had never spent a longer period abroad. I personally enjoyed the explanation of the Polish culture the most. The things about the challenges of living abroad were nothing too new to me, since this is already my fourth time abroad for a longer period, but hopefully I could contribute to the conversations somehow. Another great thing about the training was that we had quite a lot of free time to get to know the city, meet Polish people and eat Polish food.

The dance group made us dance

My personal view of EVS,  I was glad that the trainers let us visualize our feelings about EVS in our own way

After the week we all felt more motivated to do our best in our projects, so I'd say that the training was succesful.

Yours,

Petja

Language café

Last Thrusday we organized a language café in the Magdalenka Restaurant, so that local people could practise their English and get to know something about our cultures. It was a perfect day for the first language café, because that day pretty much everyone was happy due to Fat Thursday, or as we foreigners called it, the National Pączki Day, when everyone eats lots of tasty Polish Pączki. Before the event I was a bit worried if anybody would show up, but my worries proved unnecessary as a nice bunch of people eventually strolled in.

Pedro's Game

There were three tables, each of them hosted by a volunteer leading the discussion. We had some truly pleasant conversations, and the topics varied from our homelands to disco polo, trains and pączeks. After having talked for about an hour, we united the tables and played some games in order to encourage also the shyer people to use English. Everyone got a sticky note with a name of a renowned person on their foreheads. Then they had to figure out their identity by asking questions that can be answered with a yes or no only. The game was a lot of fun and everyone got a chance to speak. Time flew, and suddenly the clock was already 6 pm and it was time for the linguistic after-party.




What's more, next week it's happening again, so don't miss it!

Yours,

Petja

The arrival of the new volunteers

Dear people,

On the first of February 2016, three new faces appeared in the beautiful medieval town of Pułtusk, when me, Petja, and other two new volunteers, Pedro and Vassia, arrived for seven-month EVS projects here. Other volunteers and organization staff welcomed us in Warsaw, after which we headed for the final destination, Pułtusk, 'The Venice of Masovia'. There a bunch of lovely local young people had organized a small welcome party, and it was indeed great to wind down a bit after a long trip.

We spent the first days in Pułtusk getting acquainted with each other and the town, as well as familiarizing ourselves with the projects. We visited the office, where I’ll be working, and Pedro's and Vassia's workplaces, two local nursery schools. Dawid, a local young man going to Serbia for EVS, spent some time with us before his departure. 

When it comes to every day life, our new residence is nice and well located. Moreover, I have already fallen in love with this cute little town and its inhabitants, as well as with cozy cukiernias and other small shops. Thus, based on the first days here in Pułtusk, I am quite convinced that this is the start of something beautiful.

The new volunteers from left to right: Vassia from Greece, Dawid from Pułtusk, Pedro from Spain, and me, Petja, from Finland

Pedro and Vassia getting to know their workplace

Stay tuned for some more experiences of the first weeks! :)

Yours, 

Petja

Warsztaty kulinarne kuchni rosyjskiej

Cześć ! W piątek 14 sierpnia odbyły się warsztaty kulinarne w ramach projektu "Skosztuj świata", które poprowadziła Elena. W menu zagościła m.in. sałatka Winegret, Solyanka, Ikra kabaczkowa i Oladi.
Pełną relację z tego spotkania możecie przeczytać na www.skosztujswiata.blogspot.com.  Miłej lektury! :)

V Przegląd Twórczości Abstynenckiej ŚWIT

 
                                      August was announced the month of sobriety in Pultusk.
     On Saturday, the 1-st of August, we participated in retrospective of creation organized by the Association of Pułtusk Sobriety "Dawn". Some of our local volunteers - Sylwia and Alicja -  were helping me to orgаnize space for children. 

     From 14 p.m. to 18 p.m. Sylwia was painting faces, cats, dogs, butterflies, spiderman and zombi were the most popular among children. Elena was making dogs, giraffes, rabbits, swans from baloons and Russian dools from napkins. 
     During the afternoon every child had a chance to participate in painting competition, in the end everybody have got their prizes. 

      The atmosphere was a picnic, the territory near landing stage was full of people. There were a lot of attractions for children and adults. During whole day we were listening a live music, have got free soup and sausages and were swiming in the gandolla :-)

Take care and remember, that August is the month of sobriety,

Elena.

Vacation in library

     This July we were actively cooperating with the library im. Joachima Lelewela, which works with little readers every summer, organizing different activities and special plastic workshop.

   
      Sunny Saturday 27-th of June we were celebrating The Day of Smurfs. Around 70 children with their parents took part in this holiday. There were a lot of interesting attractions and activities waiting for them. The place covered by carpet of grass behind the library was divided in some parts, where every Smurf can to play with children or to share their own talent. For example, Elena was Painter who tried somehow to paint different animals faces. Every Smurf even had their own white hat :-)
Everybody have got tasty ice cream, had a possibility to make a photo with Smurf photo buds.

     Except that our workcamp volunteers  spent one day with our little readers. They have prepared for this day presentations about their countries, coloring books and songs. Mariana from Ukraine gave us a dance class (very similar to Polish kaczuszki).  Jo from Korea also got lessons in dance, but this time to the well-known song "Gangnam Style".

     And our EVS volunteer Elena spent two weeks working with children too. Vacation in library lasted only two hours every day. In general librarian in children sector Justyna hold different interesting workshops somehow connected with reading and books. We colored  scenes from famous books or tried to paint by our own, made different animals from paper. Children took part in a lesson about Russia with making paper matryoshki and dolls from napkins. 

     Hope library will continue to work with our organization and even will invite EVS volunteers :-)


Have a nice day and protect children,

Elena.

Workcamp "Na Przedwiośniu"

     The hardest and the best experience during my EVS and may be whole life I've got as a leader of workcamp in Warsaw. Only one week before the girl who was responsible for translation changed her plans because of some personal reasons and I was invited to this place. Actually I didn't have any experience in the field of working with disable people and my Polish (as English :-)) are not the best, but I agreed, because it seemed like a beginning of something new, of new adventure.

     On 1-st of July my coordinator  Sylwia organized a short preparatory meeting for future camp leaders in Pultusk and Warsaw, where we've known about workcamps in general, about different typical problems and ways of solution, methods of cohesion people and so on. We even had a task to build a tower from long spaghetti, 1 metr of duct tape and thread and one peace of marshmallow on the top. The main aim of this exercise was to see how we will work in a team and evaluate the results.

     On 3-rd of July me and my friend and another camp leader Giorgia (our EVS volunteer in Warsaw, who work with disable people in Odrebno) visited social care center "Na Przedwiośniu".
This center is situated near forest and consists from one big rehabilitation building fo laying and sitting wards, two hostels for more independent people and one workshop building. The staff take care of  wards from their childhood and provide them different workshops where they can improve their professional skills as sewing, working with wood, plastic things, ceramic. Exept this they have a music, computer and cooking classes.
     On 5-th of June  we tried to organize our living place while we were waiting for our volunteers. We made a colorful peace of paper with our working timetable, with Polish (most important) words, with examples how to spend good our free time and big poster with word "Welcome" in many languages.
   

  
     Our workcamp consisted from volunteers from 7 countries: me from Russia, Giorgia and Francesco from Italy, Encarna, Rafa and Ruben from Spain, Maria from Belarus, Heesoo from South Korea, Beste and Ezgi from Turkey and Claudia from Honduras. During two weeks we were building a good team and friendly relation with the staff and wards of this center. The main part of our work was to spend time with patients during different workshops and to help them. But, as you know, you can't do anything without initiative. So every day after lunch we were organizing typical dances from Spain, Italy, Turkey and Russia.

 

     On Friday, 3-th of July, the staff with wards were showing us Polish dances - Polonez and kaczuszki, the band "Będzie głośno" was singing some songs of their own, also we were playing some traditional Polish games all together. To make this day intercultural volunteers were singing songs in Spanish, Italian, Turkish and English.

     Except that we hold two cooking workshops: our Spanish team were cooking tortilla and Turkish - rice pudding.

     During that two weeks we were walking a lot in the forest, visiting cinema together, singing and talking about life. This workcamp gave a lot of things not only to us, but to our wards too. They needed our company, our energy, our friendship I can say that we made a good job in this direction, we are good friends. 
     In the end of our workcamp was very hard to say good buy. Our wards have gave us the address of social care center to send each other letters and postcards. We organized one big party with games and dances. For example, game with water balloons. Our wards had to take one flag and to throw water balloon to the volunteer from the country which this flag is representing. 

     
     During that two weeks we were walking a lot in the forest, visiting cinema together, singing and talking about life. This workcamp gave a lot of things not only to us, but to our wards too. They needed our company, our energy, our friendship. I can say that we made a good job in this direction, we are good friends. 

 

Take care,

Elena.