My Arrival Seminar in Warsaw... new people,new experience and new perspectives

My last week before Christmas was actually really crazy and busy and I had to travel a lot. The main reason about that was because my Arrival Seminar situated in Warsaw from the dates of 14-th of December till 20-th.

The Arrival Seminar is the obligatory part of every EVS project that you must do and go.This is a one week meeting and living with other volunteers like you who are also doing an EVS projects in Poland.

In my seminar we were twenty people from all of Europe and not only. There were people from France, UK, Spain, Portugal, Cabo Verde, Italy, Ukraine and etc., actually I was the only volunteer from Bulgaria there. I don`t want to lie that the beginning of the week there was really hard for me because I was alone from my country and without my friend and colleague Fani and all of the other people were together and at some point already know each other because a lot of the other projects are really big and include sometimes even five or more people who are living and working together in the same city of Poland. My case was a little bit different but honestly now I really don`t regret about that. Because like always happen you are finding your kind of people and in my case they were from Spain and not only. We had great time together and after this meeting I found out the best and lowest points of our project and work here in Zamosc,Poland.

The structure of the seminar is every day to do something different and to explore more about Poland, others and of course about your project and work here. We had timetable for day with different activities and tasks and of course we had a lot of free time also to enjoy Warsaw and to getting to know each other. We started with tasks to present our first impressions from Poland and the way we felt when we arrived here. Activities to present our countries and languages and also activities to help us getting better with our skills about Polish language and the Polish culture and manners.

My most favourite part and task was the one to choose a topic and do a small research about it in a group with others. We had to ask Polish people on the streets about their opinion and also to find our own way to discover more info. Mine group`s topic was about the homophobia in Poland - LGBT rights and the role of the man and women in the Polish society. As you can imagine the topic is taboo and also something that is not easy to ask others so I can say that our research it was hard but in the same time fun and useful.We have met great people and we visit two organisations in Warsaw, one about the women rights and one about transgender rights and protection.

For the end of all I can say that for sure my arrival seminar wasn`t what I expected. It was full of surprices and I had to go out for another time from my comfort zone here in Poland, but definitely it deserves it because I have met great people, had fun and found so much new things about Poland, people and the life here. :)  

The Gala of The Centrum Wolontariatu or the most important day for our local organization in Zamosc!

This week took place one of the most important events in the year for our hosting organization – The Gala day or the day of the volunteer. The place where all happened was our main office in the town – Okraglak.

• Our work about Gala

About this event we worked really hard and prepared certain things to present the idea of our project and also the thing to be a volunteer. We made lucky papers or in other words small papers with quotes of worldwide popular persons connected with the idea of being and doing a voluntary service. Also we made a funny and very cute picture place (a big picture with wholes for the faces representing a simple conversation between boy and a girl about volunteering), but honestly our idea didn`t work like we thought in the beginning, because people there were too shy and didn`t understand the English lines on it. So not many of them took a picture with it - it was a pity at some point!

The other big part of our work and preparation about the Gala were the flyers that we made about our activities here (The Language Coffee and The Tandem of Languages). Honestly people looked interested about them but also like with the picture place the fact that they were on English didn`t help a lot. 

After all we had our reserved place in the whole Gala event with our things and it was nice. People stopped there to congratulated us and we had the chance to present our job.

•  The Gala or the work of our local organization

In general the whole official part was around one hour or a little bit more. Ewa and Christina (the chefs of Centrum Wolontariatu) presented all of the projects and things that they did in the last year. Ewa made a presentation and explained about all of the small and big projects that they realized through the year with the local schools and the voluntary clubs in Zamosc. Later it followed another presentation from another woman of our organization about their part of theater and art activities with the students and seniors.

Before everything to finish Ewa and Christina recognize the work of all of the local volunteers through the year (which was really nice and fully deserved), the local school clubs, teachers and to the persons who helped them.

Actually we were impressed from the fact how many people here do a voluntary service and from the fact how many of them are young people and students, which is a great fact for the community of Zamosc!  

In the end of course of the event there was some scheduled time for food and drinks. We enjoy it a lot and spent good time with the students that we met and the people that we know from Okraglak. In general for us it was a little bit difficult because everything was only in Polish and almost all of the people spoke only in Polish but we enjoy the event and the time spent with the people there! ;) 

  

WORLD OF EVS. You want to find out about our project in Zamosc or to see us in your school... See how you can meet with us!

Language activities - Zamosc

Volunteering and its Surprising Benefits

The benefits of volunteering are enormous to you, your family and your community. The right match can help you to find friends, reach out to the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career. Volunteering can also help protect your mental and physical health. Find out the many benefits of volunteering and also tips on getting started as a volunteer. 

Benefits of volunteering #1: Volunteering connects you to others 

One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people, animals, and organizations in need. And volunteering is a two-way street: It can benefit you and your family as much as the cause you choose to help. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, expand your network, and boost your social skills.

• Volunteering helps you make new friends and contacts 

One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new to an area. Volunteering also strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, exposing you to people with common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and fulfilling activities. 

• Volunteering increases your social and relationship skills 

While some people are naturally outgoing, others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests. Once you have momentum, it’s easier to branch out and make more friends and contacts. 

Benefits of volunteering #2: Volunteering is good for your mind and body 

• Volunteering increases self-confidence. Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity. And the better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals.
• Volunteering provides a sense of purpose. Older adults, especially those who have retired or lost a spouse, can find new meaning and purpose in their lives by helping others. Whatever your age or life situation, volunteering can help take your mind off your own worries,  keep you mentally stimulated, and add more zest to your life.
• Volunteering combats depression. A key risk factor for depression is social isolation. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against stress and depression when you’re going through challenging times. Working with pets and other animals has also been shown to improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety.
• Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy. The physical activity involved in certain forms of volunteering—such as environmental projects in parks, nature reserves, or beaches—can be good for your health at any age, but it’s especially beneficial in older adults. Studies have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not, even when considering factors like the health of the participants. Volunteering has also been shown to lessen symptoms of chronic pain or heart disease. 

Benefits of volunteering #3: Volunteering can advance your career 

Volunteering can provide career experience

Volunteering offers you the chance to try out a new career without making a long-term commitment. It is also a great way to gain experience in a new field. In some fields, you can volunteer directly at an organization that does the kind of work you’re interested in.

Volunteering can teach you valuable job skills

Just because volunteer work is unpaid does not mean the skills you learn are basic. Many volunteering opportunities provide extensive training. 

Volunteering can also help you build upon skills you already have and use them to benefit the greater community. For instance, if you hold a successful sales position, you raise awareness for your favorite cause as a volunteer advocate, while further developing and improving your public speaking, communication, and marketing skills. 

Benefits of volunteering #4: Volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to your life

Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Doing volunteer work you find meaningful and interesting can be a relaxing, energizing escape from your day-to-day routine of work, school, or family commitments. Volunteering also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation, and vision that can carry over into your personal and professional life.

• Consider your goals and interests when volunteering 

You will have a richer and more enjoyable volunteering experience if you first take some time to identify your goals and interests. Start by thinking about why you want to volunteer. Also think about what you would enjoy doing. Volunteer opportunities that match both your goals and your interests are most likely to be fun and fulfilling for you. 

•  Consider several volunteer possibilities 

In your search for the right volunteer opportunity, don’t limit yourself to just one organization or one specific type of job. Sometimes an opportunity looks great on paper, but the reality is quite different. Try to visit different organizations and get a feel for what they are like and if you click with other staff and volunteers. The more satisfaction you have as a volunteer, the better your contributions and the more likely you’ll continue.  

Source and full article at:http://bit.ly/1yEeN7b

On arrival training in Warsaw

The last week I was in Warsaw because I had my arrival training. The objective of this week is understand better the meaning of our work here and the structure of the Project, moreover it’s an opportunity to share the different points of view with other volunteers and know the impressions and feeling of people than are making the same activities like me.

In the beginning I was nervous because I had to go to Warsaw alone, without my friend Igi... And I didn’t know anyone. But finally the whole week was amazing and I enjoyed a lot my stay there. I met really nice people from many countries (Turkey, Georgia, Italy, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, France, and Spain). We share a lot of things about our countries and our culture, we participate in nice conversations about many topics and everyone had their point of view and everyone made this meeting more and more interesting.

                I want to write a little summary of the activities that I liked:

•           Improve the Polish language: We did games to practice the polish language together. I think that we learned in the funny way. One activity was in groups put a word that starts with each letter of the alphabet in polish. Other activity was manufacture cards with different topics, in one card we had to put a word and in other card we had to draw. After we had to play with the cards and find the word connected with the drawing.

•         Culture exchange: We shared many things about our culture; like dances, language games to see the difference, gastronomy, curious things and traditional games. I liked the idea to compare cultures with an iceberg, because first when you go abroad you only can see the top; and this is the food, the language, the clothes style and habits... but there are more things that defined the culture. So we did other activities to work the intercultural awareness. We did groups with people from different countries and we choose interesting topic to discuss; for example, the most controversial topics in our countries, the different humour and habits, the education’s system, the economy, the religion, the relationships, the taboo topics, etc. Talking about this you can go deeper and realise more how the different cultures are. 

•    Knowledge about Poland:  And like with other cultures, we were interested too in learning more about Poland, so we choose different topics and prepare interviews to ask polish people their opinion in many places of Warsaw, and in this way, know more the city. The topic of my group was little bit controversial here in Poland, the homosexuality, but it was really interesting. We went to the association LAMBA, who support the LGBTI collective and they explain us their point of view and their work. They help people that is excluding because they are homosexuals, bisexuals, transgender or intersexuals; they give psychological support and there are lawyers who work here too. They explain us that with the new government here the situation is more difficult for this collective, because the government doesn’t help to changing the mentality and accept them, unlike. So, they are searching help and support abroad, in other countries. About the interviews, we realised that this is a hot topic here and people didn’t feel comfortable when we ask them, regrettably, here there is quite homophobia...People say that it is connected with the traditions and the religion and it’s difficult to change, but there are a lot of people too that think that the homosexuality is not bad and they have the same rights that the rest. After our work we made a presentation to share the information about our topics with our partners, and they spoke about the education here, the nationalism, the refugees, the homeless, how people spend their free time, etc.

•           Play games and creative staff: In the breaks and to start the day we played a lot of games and it was very funny and moreover, I think we collected many ideas to do with children. Games with chairs, witty games, traditional games like for example “el pañuelito”, that is a traditional game in Spain, etc. On the other hand, we shared different ideas about crafts, like origami or make an advent calendar, original from Germany. I liked the dance of the penguins too XD

•           Knowledge about EVS: We talked about our feeling here, when you are living abroad, the adaptation’s process. I think that this is really good because you realize that you are not the only one that has these feelings, because sometimes you can feel bad or not comfortable, but it’s normal, it’s a part of the project and it’s a part of the process of evolution. The coordinators give us some tools to work the emotions and the situations that we can find. Mainly I liked a lot one called “3 steps” or something similar. First you have the explain the facts, after how you feel with these facts, the emotions and to end, find a solutions and make a proposition to change the problem. Moreover, we spoke “what is for me EVS”, “what I want improves and get”, “what I can give”...Many reflexions together. To finish, we spoke about the rules of the EVS and the projects and ask any questions we had and the coordinators explain a lot of things about this.

                           

And of course, we had time to know the city and go to party. We enjoyed our stay in Warsaw. In conclusion, it was a very productive week and the experience was amazing, I have good memories of the nice people that I met J

Diary Fani - Chapter 1: Wrzesien i Pazdziernik

Hi! I’m Fani and I want to share my first emotions and feelings here. Two months ago I came to Poland. In this time I have experienced many emotions, everyday is new to me. I remembered that in the beginning living here was not easy, because a lot of things are different. For example, the communication was hard, we didn’t understand the polish language (now not yet, but we understand more wordsJ) and I had to practice my English. Now the communication is more fluent. Other different things to me were the weather and the food. In Spain the weather is warmer, and in this season we still have high temperatures, this change was a little shock for me. Moreover, the food is different too, but I’m getting used. I like the soups! I think that are really healthy and nutritious because they have a lot of ingredients.

Otherwise, people were very kind and hospitable and they helped us a lot when we arrived. People take care of us, seriously. We are trying to know more and more the polish culture and live in this context.

For example, this weekend we went to a concert of Lao Che, it was amazing, they are really good musicians and the show was very well. I think that in Poland there are good musicians, especially there are a lot of rappers, for me it is really curious, because, you know the polish language have many sounds and I think the pronunciation is so difficult. I like so much this combination, this language with rap, but honestly, for me it is very difficult to understand the lyrics!  We are still adapting to new situations, but now I feel better.

About Zamosc, what most impresses me about this city is the history, especially the history of the Second War, it is really hard. When we went to Rotunda, I was very impressed because I’ve never been in a place like this. But think that is interesting and important know the history of the countries and cities, because the history is part of the people’s life and you can understand better more situations.  One day the seniors who go to the activities in Okraglak explain how was the life in this age and they told their personal histories. It must be hard having lived all that.

I’m happy because I have known Poland in autumn and it’s so nice! The fusion of the colours, green, red and yellow in the forest is amazing! But, now I’m worried because the trees start to lose their leaves and...The winter is coming!

About our work in the project, we everyday have more activities. I enjoy our work. The workshops with seniors now are better because we interact more, and the workshops are creative, we made “kurczaks” with fabrics, collage...

The workshops with children are very good too, Igi and me enjoy a lot these activities and we spent really good time with these girls.  Other thing that for us is really good is the tandem of languages, because we know many people and can improve our skills together.

Moreover, we are doing presentations in many high schools to explain our project. In the beginning we were so nervous, because it was new for us, but now we are doing this more relaxed. And we are will do other activities with “doctor clown”. J

Diary of Igi – Part l : First impressions, feelings and thoughts about Poland, Zamosc and our project here…

So our first 2 months of living and working here in Zamosc are almost over. The truth is that things are moving so fast every day and every week that it's not possible to gather and summarize all which is happening just in a single post. It's kind of difficult to talk in details about all the experiences and impressions we had in these two months. But I'll do my best to do it and to present my thoughts and feelings about the situation and how things are going on here. J 

·      

    Our pretty and quiet town – Zamosc!

So as you already know, the town where we are with my friend, colleague and roommate Fani (from Spain) is Zamosc.

Zamosc is a small polish town situated in the south-east part of Poland, very close to the border of Poland with Ukraine. What can I say about it…hmm first this is a small town mainly full of students (I mean high-school) or old people (seniors). There aren`t so many people in the middle age here, because of the difficult economic situation of the region. So this is the biggest reason why someone may start asking questions like - “why there aren`t so many places for going out at the evening?” or “why nothing is happening here?”. Honestly if you decide to live here or to stay a little bit longer these are going to be the first questions in your head, but after all Zamosc has its benefits too. Life here is simple, quiet and  well-arranged. For a person like me who is a fan of craziness of the big cities and crowded places, especially about night life, probably a town like that is not going to be so exciting and easy living. And yes, it is true in the beginning of our settlement here it wasn`t easy at all for me but over time and of course with some patience from my side things started to work and I start finding out the positives and the beautiful parts of this place. Mainly these are the people in it, the marvelous Old Town (Stare Miasto) and the architecture in it, the greatest parks ever, especially about a small town areas - seriously Zamosc has the best green areas that I ever saw, and the nature and national parks around it. By the way if you need and want something from the big city living like a huge shopping mall, or night life and crazy polish parties you always can choose to go for a weekend to Lublin. This is the closest big city that you have near to Zamosc and its only one hour travelling with a bus or BlaBlaCar.

·        About our project… “Voluntary service in a local community”

The main idea and purpose of our EVS project is to help and open the local community here for more international experience, visitors and most of all to help the young people with learning and practicing foreign languages.  

Our work here covers all major spheres of social work and activities. We are participating in different kind of workshops (about painting, sewing, theatre, music and etc.), meetings, trainings and etc. The two main groups of people that we are working with are seniors and children. But the most important ones, and mainly our own ones, are the language activities that we are organizing for the youngsters in Zamosc. These are called “Tandem of languages” and “The Language Cafe". The main idea of them is to help the young people (students mainly) to practice more and not be scared of speaking and practicing foreign languages. We already have two main groups of polish students with whom we work every week during these activities. I can proudly say that I am so happy to see them getting better and advancing with every following week and every other meeting with us. This is the best feeling and success till now for us, when you see that your work is meaningful to somebody`s life and future!

In the beginning of course nothing was so easy or great. This is the first international EVS project of our polish local NGO – Centrum Wolontariatu and like you can guess anything at the start was little bit messy and nervous for both sides in the first month. My personal opinion and feeling about the project so far is that – “The project just started to work and everything is still in its early beginning… we have so much more in front of us!”. But YES the best part is that I found the right way to enjoy it and to put all of me and my previous experience in it! So I keep going and keep growing… J 

·       The people here… and country of Poland

My impression and feeling about Polish people till now in general, if I have to use only one word, is  “Good People”. 

I was thinking and observing a lot in the last two months living here and in the end I came to the following conclusions about what defines the culture and behavior of the people here : the historical heritage of Poland, the religion, the weather and the fact that they are slavs. For the record my nation and my country are also part of the Slavic ones, so because of this I am feeling close to them at some point and I can understand a big part of their behavior, language and etc.  

About the history of Poland I think every one of us who is quite educated about the new part of the world history knows how much Polish people suffer and lost in The Second World War. So you can imagine what kind of past they had and what they’ve been through. And trust me this is still an important part of their present in nowadays. Religion is one of the strongest factors in the country and in the way of living of Polish people. For me sometimes it’s hard to understand it , but for sure I respect their belief and the fact how much it’s important to them. About the weather here I will share you my thoughts later in this post. But yes the weather and climate here are not easy at all so this is an important part of their habits and way of living, too.

For me Polish are friendly, smart and hardworking nation. Till now all my impressions in general from the talks that I had with the people here are really good, especially their education and culture. Yes, probably they are little bit more closed at some point than us (I mean the Bulgarians) and you definitely have to be patient if you want to get closer with them. But trust me the best way to have fun and getting to know them well is just to go out and drink with them J 

About Poland what can I say… this is a huge country with a lot of benefits. They have great nature and land (may be not so much mountains, especially in this region, but yes they HAVE mountains for the record!), a lot of history and traditions, well doing economy (because from all EU member states Poland did the best during the crisis years from 2008 to 2015). Polish people are hard workers and they truly love and appreciate their country and nation!

·       About the weather and living here…

Defining the weather here with one word - the weather in Poland is just “crazy”. When you talk about Poland and the climate everybody is expecting just cold, but honestly since we are here we experience all kind of weather and also a lot of sun (especially in September when we arrived). The weather is crazy because it is changes fast from one extreme to the other and sometimes in only one day, but one thing is for sure - when it’s cold it can be really, really cold!

About the food and the cuisine of Poland – this is not my kind of food for sure! My experience with the food here is not very “successful” till now, but generally you can find everything that you need about your taste ( I mean if you have to cook and prepare food yourself at home) in the stores and supermarkets. One of the most popular and cheap supermarkets in the country are Biedronka and Stokrotka (our favorite one with Fani and the closest one to home). Actually shopping in Poland  is a huge and exciting thing for us (especially it was so in the beginning of our living here). It was the only thing that we can do even if we don`t speak Polish and the only way to explore the new country and  environment. We still love to do that I think! J

For a conclusion to this first part of my diary I would like to say that I will never regret that I choose this project and the fact to become a European volunteer and also that I choose Poland and this project in Zamosc. Yes, it is hard and I knew that nothing is going to be easy, because trust me going abroad and trying to fit in to a new society and to a new culture is always not an easy task. But the things that you can find out about yourself, your perspective about the rest of the world and the things that you can experience doing that are going to be the most precious and meaningful ones in my life till now!

P.S. Keep dreaming… working and growing! Step by step everything is possible no matter where you are (dedicated to my new Spanish bestie – Fani J )! 

The first week here - arriving and getting to know Zamosc

After a really hard morning in Warsaw, (we missed our bus, got lost, being totally stressed and wet because of the really hard weather that day and etc.) we finally arrived in Zamość. Mentor of Fani- Daga and her brother were waiting for us at the station to welcome us. They were really kind and happy to see us finally there after all these obstacles that we had that day. We really looked horrible and so lost and dirty after all, but the nice coffee and welcoming lunch at Daga`s home did miracles and made us feel a lot more better and heated. Later that day we went to eat at a local Polish restaurant (which we must admit that was another shock to us… because it was our first meeting with the Polish cuisine ever) again with Daga and our coordinator here from the organisation- Kasia. Along the way to the restaurant Daga explain us briefly about the town. The structure of Zamość is really especific, we had never seen a city like this. In addition, the town is divided into two parts - the old part is called Stare Miasto and it is historic center of World Heritage of Unesco and of course the new part of the town that was built later and where is our apartment here.             

On the next day we visited the main office of the Zamojskie Centrum Wolontariatu which is called Okronglak (because of the circle place and the building where is situated in the new part of the town). We met the president and second president of the organisation and they explained us everything about the story and the beginning of that how they got here and why they made that. We met also that day seniors who participate in their workshops and activities there. It was really fun and surprising for us because they had a Zumba class and they invited us to dance with them. 

On Friday we met with Kasia in the Galycia Café (a very good coffee shop and the best cappuccino in the town). In the afternoon, we met with Daga and her brother again. We visited the forest in Zwierzyniec. Zwierzyniec is the northernmost town of the Roztocze National Park. The park Comprises some of the last remaining sections of the primordial forest of Central Europe. We walked through the forest and went to Lake Echo, a fairly characteristic place, because the voice hides in the dense forest and produces echo! Later, we went to the town`s brewery  and we tried the craft beer here.

In our first weekend here we got few beers in the main square of the town with Kasia and some of her friends. Later we went to the local disco club with them. There we heard for the first time the most typical and popular polish kind of music, called “disco polo”. It was fun for us, because it was something completely different than the music and dances of our countries… J

Who are we ?

Hello people! :) 

We are Fani (Estefania,Spain) and Igi (Iglika,Bulgaria) and we are volunteers in the local NGO - Zamojskie Centrum Wolontariatu which is situated in the small Polish town – Zamosc. We created this blog to share our experiences, thoughts and feelings from our life and work here in Zamosc and in Poland generally. We came here thankfully and by the program Erasmus+ for which you could find a lot of info here in our blog or of course in the net, social networks and etc. If you are curious about us and want to know more about the fact who we are and where we are coming from – don`t worry from now on you will have that chance of course here in our blog. But for now I think we should start our Polish adventure story with a short summary in the first posts about our already almost two months here and the things that we have done till now. Enjoy It ..See Ya !!! :)