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martes, 21 de junio de 2016

Wishes for you and for all children around the World.

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Try to remind yourself you as a child. Think about your dreams that you had. This big one and small one. Dreams that you were making when you were alone and these which you were sharing with people that you loved. Now think - what would you wish for the children who lives close to you? What would you wish for all children around the world? 

With “Węgajty” Association we decided to make small project, activity with children in Spain and Poland. Węgajty Association is making “Summer in Theatre” project, and they will make with children performance called “Halo, can you hear me?” based on children’s rights, dreams, wishes and desires. We decided to use opportunity that I’m making my EVS in Ciudad de Los Niños and we created common activity that was conducted more or less at the same time in Spain and in Poland. We were collaborating with Beata Późniak, one very motivated and open for new ideas teacher from Primary School in Jonkowo village.

Children were writing letters to each others. In the first part they were describing and presenting their cultures. With children in Ciudad de Los Niños we were trying to find answers for a few questions: What is the culture? What makes Spain/Andalucia special and different from other parts of the world? Who are we? What define us? What would surprise person from other culture (people from Poland) here, in Granada? What will impress them? We were looking for the answers, children were drawing their ideas. It was also important moment for me, because I could share with them few things that surprised me when I came here. We were trying to define Spanish culture. At the end I collected their pictures and ideas and made big circle full of their pictures.

In the second part, we were making wishes for each other’s and for all children in the world. I left this topic very open, I just gave one sheet of paper for each child and I asked them to draw wish for other children. Not every child know how to write so when they were giving me back their pictures I was writing their wishes on the other side (then I added them on the computer). That what I get back surprised and touched me very much. Some children are very small, they are just few years old, but with such a big passion they were making wishes for other children. 


Here are some of their dreams:





Some of these dreams are very simple and because of that they are so powerful. I remember small girl drawing the fridge, she was saying to me every product that she was putting inside [“teacher, there will be eggs, a lot of eggs and milk and apples and (…)”]. Or the boy who were drawing a bed – he just came and gave me his picture and said: “I wish that every child will have a bed and sleep well”. I was really touched, but for them I was just saying “Thank you, It’s a beautiful wish”. This what happened during this simple activity reminded me what I’m doing here. I believe that every dream reflects lack of something in our life. I saw this children dreaming about such a simple, basic things. Again I felt that I want to share with them my affection and love - simple things that every of us need to live and to be happy. 



Monika






viernes, 17 de junio de 2016

Giants, reggeaton and corrida or … Corpus Christi in Granada

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It is said, that in Granada the biggest holidays is Corpus Christi. Because it is an important christian holidays and it is also the time, when it take place here feria de primavera. 

In our center we started to celebrate Corpus one week earlier. During all May, we had kind of Masses in the school's chapel, because it was a special Virgin's month. But, one day, I walked into the chapel and I could see, that the Virgin Mary is ready to get out. Seriously. She was standing on a special platform, using during the Semana Santa... but, come on – we've already celebrated Easter two months ago. What's going on? 


There is a famous event called Romeria, which is trip or peregrination which ends at a sanctuary or hermitage, during this celebration, there are dancing, singing, eating and drinking and, of course, people usually dress in famenco dresses. So, we prepared Romeria also here, with a „trip” around the school. Few older boys took the Mary outside the school and our little girls, wearing orange flamenco dresses, (mandatory in dots) and one boy were dancing for her. 


Next, it was Wednesday – one day before the Corpus. It was impossible to walked by Gran Via. Why? Because people was waiting for La Tarasca. It is a parade of giants.


First, we can see catholics and arabic kings, then, more or less ordinary people with enormous heads, orchestra and, the most important - pretty doll in flamenco dress, riding dragon. It's connected with a legend about Saint Martha, who defeated the dragon in Tarasque kingdom in France just by prayers.


Finally we have the day of the Corpus. It seemed to be similar to the polish one. There were beautiful altars situated around the church and procesion with the Holy Sacrament.


There was even a material's roof through all the procesion way to protected decorations. So, we were waiting in front of the cathedral for procesion. Waiting...and waiting... and we couldn't believe how many people, who just carried the flags, could be inside the cathedral. And they were leaving and leaving, without any song or prayer, more than half on hour... we almost felt asleep. Finally, there left priests with a Holy Sacrament. So, like in our country, we quickly ran behind the priests, to follow the procesion, to be the first people and could see and hear everything, but... in a few minute we realized, that we were not just the first one – we were the only one who did it... Next time i'll read some savour vivre guidebook before ;) 


The same week there were started two other things. First one was the feria. It is tipical for all Andalusia that during a week, more or less, in the city there are concerts, dances and fiestas inside the tents, with the sangria and flamenco and/or reggaeton music. The most well know feria take part in Sevilla in April, but in Granada it's open for everybody. And the last thing – do you know what kind of event starts in a day of Corpus? It's also tipical for Andalusia. We have flamenco, sangria, so... yes, it is corrida... When I had spanish lessons in Poland, years ago, we learned one word which is really usefull for me to describe sometimes some spanish customs – que barbaridad! ;)

sábado, 28 de mayo de 2016

How to make a frog?

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Have you ever thought how to make a frog? DO it now. There are no rules except: do not talk about it with anyone. No more limits. Have you got it? So now, I'll show you the frog you have to do – your task is to INVENT HOW TO DO exactly this frog. Is that more or less easy for you? So now, I'll SHOW YOU HOW to do it. Which way do you prefer, as the best for you?

The frog is just an example of activity, which can let realized ourselves our expectations, style of thinking and learning, because our EVS, as a part of our life long learning proces, is the main topic of mid term evaluation. 

We met in Malaga: the city of cathedral, alcazar, plaza de toros – like in the most of andalusian cities, and famous from Picasso. You can enjoy or miss it all, but, for sure, you can not miss almost hundred of EVS volunteers waiting for their new adventure. We went to Mollina. Sorry – where? Again? Town in the middle of nowhere? It seems like quite huge campus, where we were living in, is the only thing in this place. It have this advantages, that you can focus on yourself, training subjects and people, who you are with now, trying to do mission impossible – get to know everybody. The good thing of beeing with 100 people in that kind of place is connected with the farewell party... but it is a secret – you will see.




OK, so what all this mid term is about? As the arrival was about more general things like: Erasmus, EVS and some working techniques, now you have impression that this is your own coaching training. Why? Because you have time to think about your project, expectations, style of learning, style of relaxing, style of solving the problems and share it and compare with the other people from your group to discovering, inspiring, supporting. You can realised where you are, what for, why here and what to do with that. You can also realised, that not just you have problems or sometimes worse mood, not just you still haven't spoke spanish perfectly, miss your home or have no idea, what are you doing here, instead of creating a „normal life” somewhere else.

As I remember, my motto after arrival was: there is always a light in the end of the tunnel. So now, after mid term, it is: think and think pink ( kisses for Pink Panter group, if you read it), let your dreams fly all over the sky and just love life, with all the surprises it brings. There are different frogs and many ways of how to do them, just do your.


viernes, 6 de mayo de 2016

Constitution in the rythm of flamenco

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When in Poland we hang our white-red flags, put the flowers on the statue, listen politics speach and, ewentualy, dancing polonaise because of celebrating first in Europe 3rd May constitution. In Andalusia wear flamenco dress and go dancing under the flowery cross to celebrate Dia de la Cruz. 

It is said that the byzantine emperor – Constantine the Great had a dream where he can see a cross on the sky with the description: under this sign is your victory. The emperor took the cross to set a battle and he really won it. Then Constantine sent his mother – Helen to Jerusalem to find the Jesus cross and she did. She also divided it into 3 part and each of it left in each christian city: Rome, Jerusalem and Constantinopole. The emperor declared christianity the state religion. Follow this tradition the 3rd of May is the Day of the Cross.


In Granada the celebrations of this day started in1625 it became a cross of alabaster in the district of San Lazaro and all locals celebrated by singing and dancing with it. Then they continued the tradition in the most typical neighborhoods of the Albayzín and Realejo, and children began to build small altars decorated with shawls, pottery and copper.






Today, many of these traditions are preserved, including put a pair of scissors stabbed into a pero (in Granada they called that the apples) but it means also – but. It mean to not criticize the cross decorations (It is pretty, but...). It is also tradition that the children ask for chavico (little money) for the cross.









During The Day of the Cross in Granada we can see crosses decorated on all over the city – in public and private places, where the people set the table and invite for the vine, tapas, singing and dancing to celebrate this day. There is also a contest for the best decorated cross. And I regret that I do not have a horse and flamenco dress to look more local than the fascinated giri could not decided where and what make the photo first. 


viernes, 1 de abril de 2016

Don't you paint the eggs? Ku Klux Klan, guapa and potatoes on the street – Semana Santa in Andalusia

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I really wanted to spend Easter in Andalusia because I heard it is so spectacular. And it's true, but it is also really strange for poles.


The most well know thing connected with Easter here are street processions. When you first time go to see it and you can see it from the beggining, you are a little bit scared – why? When you see tens of hooded figures just with the holes for the eyes, with the candels in their hands, first impression is: madre mia, ku klux klan – run away! Then you calm down a little and realise that: c'mon – it's Spain XXI century, not America in XIX. In fact, this hooded persons called here penitentes or as a joke penitontos (tonto means stupid) have old tradition. In the middle ages there were people called – flagellants who talked about the end of the world, took on themselves the sufferings of the world and gave themselves up to repentance. When the pope forbade public scourging, they began to hide under the hoods, which become their symbol. Next this penitents began to form themselves into groups and as one of the objectives chosen to remind people of the Passion. From the fifteenth century, the brotherhood (hermandades) organized processions.

lunes, 28 de marzo de 2016

To be a woman

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Flower and pantyhose – that's stereotype from comunisme age of how in Poland we celebrate International Women's Day. In Spain as a gift man should give woman a book. But what is the most important here – during this day, women remaind all world about their rights during public debats, on the street. Feministic? Not at all. It's true that women walking on the street for sure can hear from most of the men she meet: hola guapa! But, if she wants something more, often she needs to hit the man. On the other hand, in Andalucia still exist „macho” style: women earn less money than men, freuqently is also violence in home. 

So, I enjoy when I can see in the school posters like this:





And how looks this day in Granada?




miércoles, 23 de marzo de 2016

sábado, 19 de marzo de 2016

Let me touch the piano

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My tutor was faster in explain what the Andalucia day is:





So i' ve just add a little how we celebrated it: from classical concert during which we can heared and even touched the piano on which was compose the national song of Andalucia, throw spanish guitar and passioned flameco in Alhambra on snow ending, but...it's impossible to describe it even for me, so just take a look: 






sábado, 27 de febrero de 2016

Ten cuidado, podrías estar en el próximo carnaval

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There is a legend that: when the last muslim king of Granada - Sultan Muhammad, after he lost his kingdom, was exiled, and on his way out of Granada, he stopped at a mountain pass to look back at Granada and began to cry. His mother was unimpressed with his sudden remorse and scolded him, “Cry like a woman for that which you could not defend as a man.”. We passed by this same road like the king but we wasn't cry, we was exciting because we went to celebrate the end of the carnaval in Alhama – small, but amazing town near the Granada.




It was Valentine's day. Few days before in the Ciudad de los ninos there were a party because of that day and i've got so cute valentine from my kids.




But, let's back to the main subject. It was a Valentine's day and we went to celebrate the end of carnaval, but... wait a minute... in Poland the carnaval ended on Wednesday which we called Ash Wednesday. From this time till the Easter there is no party in Poland. But, in Andalusia it seems that the carnaval never ending ;)





[photo from: http://alhama.com/digital/fiestas/carnaval]

The carnaval in Alhama is special and has long tradition. People dress some special clothes which some of them keep in their wardrobes especially for that day. Some others wear what they have in a hand: clothes, paper, rubbish bag and in this outfit they walk on the street. There is also a tradition that a group of people wear this same clothes. The most traditional part of the dress is some kind of mask on the face made of white material with holes for the eyes and mouth.


When you wear it you have to also change your voice to do not let no one to recognise you. The next and an important thing is that there is also sing contest. But not ordinary songs. There are groups of people and each group write one song about what happened during last year: it can be connected with politics, sport, anything and it is like a parody. The purpose is similar like in Poland before when we had: Szopki noworoczne. So, there is a sentence in Spain:" Ten cuidado, podrías estar en el próximo carnaval", which mean than if you do something stupid or fun or spectacular you can be in someone song during next carnaval party. There are also people who make their own show.There is a lot of fun to see how big distance have Spanish people to themselves and how can they have fun even if the weather this year was not spanish: it was raining and snowing but the peple did not care about the weather, come on, it is a carnaval, bad weather? - no pasa nada ;)


After this party on the street we went on the party in our coordinator- Carmen friend's home. We met amazing people working with immigrants, youths, disabled people, who painted our face in indian style, singing and dancing to the songs from our 4 different countries: Spain, Itally, Maroco and Poland.





You think that is the end? No way. When we came back to the Ciudad de los ninos it is turned out that on the end of the week there will be the end of the carnaval in the centre :) All the week all our huge home was full of paper, serpentine, origami cranes... because we made a decor. Each group of children prepared their own show. They also dressed in some costumes and sing about Ciudad, teachers and so on. So, it is possible that we really can be in their next carnaval ;)


miércoles, 24 de febrero de 2016

1,5 month and 100 surprises.

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One year ago I’ve made a decision that when I’ll get my master degree I want to do something special, go to different place, develop my skills and share my passion, love and knowledge with people and learn from them... The same day when I had defense of my master I’ve started to look for opportunities.

Why I choose Granada? Well, not because of the city… but because of project that I’ve found. European Voluntary Service in Ciudad de Los Ninos. Work with children from different cultures? For me that was great! 


[Photo from website of organization: http://www.ciudaddelosninos.es/ ]


Now after more than month I could say that everyday bring something new. 


PEOPLE


Everything that surprised and touched me a lot was connected to people. During this 1,5 month I met a lot of incredibly open, inspiring and helpful people. 

I remember first time that I’ve met my tutor Nadia – it was my first day in Granada. She came to our house with her little cute daughter Alia and start to show what is around. She explain me a lot of smaller and bigger things that would be very hard for me if I have to explore them alone in new country. She showed me the city, places important for her and other that could be very useful for us. Because of her I’ve started to see possibilities to develop myself in Granada. And also because of her I get a lot of amazing surprises. When I ask her about something, immediately she starts to think “how we can do this?” and later starts to do.




[Our first meeting with Nadia – our tutor and her daughter, Alia.]


Sharing, spreading good vibes.


Since I came here I receive more good things that I’ve ever expected. I would never think that when I’ll be in new place, where don’t know so many people I could have so many surprises. 

I was really missing guitar here. I love to play and I was thinking that I would play and sing with children, but I didn't have an instrument. I told it to Nadia and in few days I get not only guitar, but also the ukulele! I was also thinking that it would be very useful for me if I would have a bike. I could save the money and have some sport activity in the same time. And I have it! Ukulele is from Nadia and guitar and bike I borrow from one girl that I’ve never met before!! If you read this, thank you beautiful angel that you borrow with me your stuff, thanks for your trust and positive attitude!! One boy who live in Ciudad the Los Ninos heard about that and he said that he will borrow drums and we will play together! That’s how dreams come true. And now I really feel the power of sharing and cooperation.






It is only an example, I’ve get much more material (Dark bread that we get from Salva’s aunt… we were missing it so much <3) and immaterial, intangible things: a thousand of smiles and supportive words, acceptance, trust, initiative and much more… Now I see in my mind all faces of these people. I’m very happy and grateful them. I would like to give special thanks for my coordinator Carmen Maria from Las Ninas del Tul. I really appreciate everything that you do. Sharing time, your passion, interests with us. Thanks for all these travels and fantastic things that we did together. 





Being a volunteer is for me all about sharing good things with people. I came here to share and I’ve never expect that in such short time I can get so many good thing from others. When I see how much people do for me and other volunteers I feel empowered. That gives me a lot of power and motivation to give from myself as much as I can. Maybe I cannot do anything for some people that do a lot for me, but I can spread good vibes to people who need it a lot. So today, as almost every day I’m going to meet children in Ciudad de Los Ninos. Give them a hug, kiss and share my love with them.


martes, 9 de febrero de 2016

There is a light on the end of the tunnel

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Imagine, that you are walking up on the stones, the road is narrow and you can not almost see nothing more than a bushes. Suddenly, you can see an old tracks which you start to follow, but then is even worse, because you get into dark tunnel. And now you can see just the darknes. Hapily, you realize, that you are not alone: someone take your hand, other start singing. You stop think about darknes and just go straight on together. And then you notice a bright ray on the end of the tunnel.

I walked this road last week with other EVS volunteers during our arrival training to realize that this tunnel is like ours projects, like ours lifes.



What is EVS?


Few days ago my friend wrote to me: I want to go for EVS but I have no idea what is going on. So, the arrival training is for get to know it. I will try to describe it in as short way as possible: EVS is for people from 18 till 30 years old who wants to get new experience in other country. To go for EVS you have to find organisation who can send and host you or apply for project (which you can find for example here:http://www.youthnetworks.eu/SearchVacancy.aspx ). During your EVS you have to have minimum you need to live like: accomodation, food (you can get money for it or home and food), bus tickets if you live far from organisation you work and some pocket money. You have to have 2 days off every week and work no longer than 38 hours per week. You can not also doing a job like workers in this place who get money for their job. You are here to help, share and get experience, learn new language, develop yourself, learn and find yourself. All this things you learn you should put in kind of certificat – Youthpass. More details about it you can read on my tutor's blog: http://learneplus-evs.blogspot.com.es/2016/02/on-arrival-training.html.


But the thing which I remember the most is: do not come for help somebody, come for find yourself and then someone will be follow you. 


The most important thing


I learned during this training is maybe simple and obviously right that always and everywhere you can meet people who have similar or this same experiences, problems, who can understand you even if don't understand your language or can not agree with your ideas or behaviour and support you, if you'll give them a chance to do it. And you realize that it is like in this gospel song: „you'll never walk alone”.



Welcome home



I had not noticed when I started call Granada – home. What's new in home? New volunteer join to us and there is a fiesta on Sacramonte. It is gypsy's neighbourhood of Granada. Amazing and unique place situated on hills and mountains where some people are living in the caves. Inside the caves are also some churches, pubs, museum. And they celebrate their patron's day – St. Cecilio. This day you have to take salty bread and asparagus and make a picnic watching flamenco show.


Unusually? For me for sure, but there was another thing which suprised me most that day. We were in autobus which stoped on second stop and went back. There was police on the streets and crowd of people on the both side of one of the main street. What happened? Accident? King is comming? Did they give something for free? No. Real Madryt team was in hotel. And all those people were waiting almost all day for one moment when the team goes out, gets into their bus and departs from the city to make some photos running for the bus. That was incredible. Well...bienvenido en Andalucia ;)