May a dream come true? My EVS in Croatia

Finally my conclusions!

2008-08-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Back to the blog! I was supposed to end my story a long time ago but..everything has gone so fast that I really didn't have time (and will!) to sit here and write. But now it's definitely the right time.

So..after we left Croatia we spent some 5 beautiful days at Magdalena's, in Austria, where we have moved to Graz, Regensburg and Vienna. We really enjoyed our "last days" together, and we enjoyed it so much that we have already planned the next stage :-)

Then, once back in my city, I started soon an internship which took me in the countryside between Padova and Vicenza so that I was away five days per week, many many hours per day! (That's the reason why I have been so lazy with the blog!)

Well, as for considering and giving my final opinion about the whole experience I must agree with my colleagues. If I knew everything we got to know step by step during our EVS I surely wouldn't have chosen that project because we were told to get the YouthPass but it turned out in the last weeks it's not possible for centralized projects like ours. Then because we had plenty of bureaucratic problems with our host organization and that affected a lot our work there.

But all in all I cannot say I have a bad memory of it. On the contrary all these problems have bound myself with Madara and Magdalena a lot, a beautiful friendship was born and has been growing little by little sometimes and very quickly during hard times!

I really loved living in Croatia as it's a beautiful country, we got to know very nice people both in the Youth Center and outside, I learnt a lot about Balkan culture(s) and stereotypes. It's been a real valuable experience and I am very happy and proud to have done it.

So, my suggestion to all the people who would like to do it or who don't know a lot about it I would say that it's really worth experiencing life in another country and getting involved in another culture. But it's necessary to get informed as much as possible, checking everything carefully and asking support to their own sending organization as lots of things are not clear enough and you can have bad surprises while you are abroad.

That's it! This is my final response and if sombody has not got it I will be more straighforward: it's an experience which must be done for ourselves as human beings since it's definitely a kind of life's school!

So goodbye everybody..I might let you know my next adventures so..keep on checking my blog every now and then! ;-)

last days of EVS..

2008-06-27T04:05:00.000-07:00

So..the time is literally running out..2 days left and our EVS will be over..

Probably the impression somebody may have reading the first sentence is that I am quite happy to leave..well, those who have had this feeling are not totally wrong!

But let's start from the beginning..of course not the very beginning, come on!! I have been writing a lot in my blog I think! :-P

In this last week we have prepared a photo exibition with 99 pictures we have taken in all those places we have been in these 6 months! so everybody can have an idea of this experience..
At first Osijek, the first days, getting to know the city, the Youth Center and the people; then our first activities for Cnc, researches and CMS; Sarajevo, Stip..
then the big break due to resident permit's issue which didn't come alone but with lots of other little friends..called problems!

But, as everybody has seen, we didn't lose our strength, we got other ideas in order to be productive while waiting for going back to Osijek!
So we have pictures from TC in Albania, Macedonia, other activities in Austria, UK, Ukraine, Lithuania, Italy!!
I really think it's very nice to watch at all those pictures hanging in the billiard room in Cnc!
We pasted each of them on grey sheets and then each sheet bound to the next one with rope.

Finally we have done a nice PP presentation on whole our EVS which we are showing tonight at our good-bye party at Cnc.

So, as I said at the beginning, there's a reason why I feel I am quite happy to leave..and the reason is very simple. I think we have done our job here, there's nothing else at the moment we can do, just let the people think and improve for next times.

The same for us..these 6 months have been amazing! I think I cannot definitely compared them with any other experience I had until now, and likely I will have in the future.
So it's time also for us to reflect on them (even though I have already been talking on how lucky we have been as the bad luck brought us in beautiful places, let us working to different projects and get to know some special..but very special persons!).

So..should I answer now to the title of my blog?!! Probably not yet..as there is still something left here and cuz I think it's worth to let some time go by before giving the final and personal opinion.
Anyway I can say I am happy with this experience (which does not mean I fulfilled my expectations about my EVS and my staying in Croatia..)
I got to know Madara and Magdalena who I have been always feeling close to, even though we were far away from each other for some time.

I am sure we will keep in touch, as all our adventures bound us even more than if we spent 6 months only in Osijek. And I also hope we will be able to fulfill our "personal project"..which is actually starting on Sunday..when we will leave altogether in order to visit Austria!!!
Which country will be the next?!! ;-)

Last weekend

2008-06-24T03:46:00.000-07:00

Today I have been in Osijek for one week and even though it's quite a short time we have been doing a lot altogether!

As I said in my last post we planned to go to Plitvice to visit the National Park and we did it! We left on Friday morning to go to Zagreb first in order to catch a bus for the lakes!
It was totally an adventure as we were not sure about the timetables for Plitvice and second we didn't know where to sleep..of course we checked in internet and it seemed there were lots of private accomodations but leaving Osijek without knowing where we were going to spend the night was a little bit scaring..anyway we do like adventures and we felt full of energy when we left Osijek..although it was only 8 o'clock!!!

The travel was ok and Plitvice definitely amazing!!

On the arrival day we just found accomodation, thanks to a nice and kind boy who was working at the parking reception of the National Park and then went for a walk in the little village where we were staying.
We have been very positively surprised by this young man called Mirko cuz he was very helpful with us from the very first time he saw us or, as I usually say when we travel, when he saw three foreign little chickens!!
He took us in a nice house where we found a very cosy room with a double and a single bed with very pink blankets!!

He would have been our mentor for the following hours but we hadn't still realized it!
He offerd some drinks and talked to us about his adventures as he was ones a deminer in Congo and Afghanistan. So we also had bizarre conversations in our trip to the lakes!

The day after we were ready to explore Plitvička Jezera and..what a paradise! what a sight! That is a place which really deserves to be visited! I have known about it and I have been wishing to go there for a long time as I was told it was beautiful!
So I felt so glad Madara had that great idea to spend the weekend traveling in order to visit at least one of the most popular Croatian places!

We have walked for several hours..from 9.30am to 3pm under the hot summery sun of Croatia..oh my days! it was definitely very very hot! I think I didn't touch any food as I was too busy with water, juices and coll tea!

All in all it was a great day even though half of it was then spent on the bus on the way back..:-(
We reached once again Zagreb and then we took the train for Osijek where at 1am on Sunday we were delighted with some "beautiful" Croatian music..of course we were not delighted and of course it was not beautiful..I was getting crazy with that horrible "Selma"!! Anyhow in half an hour almost I was finally lying in my bed, really really exhausted!

But the weekend was not finished yet! On Sunday we had a relaxing day at home and in the evening we went out to watch the football match..Italy vs Spain! Unfortunately everybody knows how it ended but we had a good time at the cafe' where we watch it.

And then Monday came! it was Mid-Summer day in Latvia so we tried to have a sort of Mid-Summer party for Madara here..

we bought some meat, she took from Latvia the traditional cheese with cummin and finally Magdalena and I went to the shop in order to have some candels and flowers as it is meant to be a celebration of Nature.

It was a really tasting party! Madara cooked very well and I think that even though she was a little bit homesick, she had a good time! And by the way we are planning to do it properly once we will be in Austria, in the mountains!

back in Croatia

2008-06-19T06:10:00.000-07:00

Finally, after long queues at the bank and post office I collected all my documents for Uni and on Tuesday I was ready to come back to Osijek!

I went first to Trieste to take my visa and then to Opatija where I was supposed to meet Nenad and his Dad to go back together by car.

It was a really nice travel, more comfortable then the one I should have done if they weren't in Istria for Nenad's operation to his knee! So many thanks to my friends who let me travel during the day! (If I was alone I should have taken the night-train to Zagreb and I would have arrived around 5.30am in Osijek..).

So, after a long travel (cuz it was very long just the same!) I reached Madara and Magdalena again in our original house in Strossmayera! It was so great to see them again! It's been something like 2 months since we said goodbye in Belgrade that horrible day I couldn't go with them to Albania..

We had a long long talk! I was very tired but I felt I need so much to talk with them..about everything! What I have been doing in these months, our travel around the Balkans and my stay in England and Lithuania..and of course our situation here in Osijek..

This time is quite different from the previous ones..last times when I went away and then I was back I felt like I had never been away but this time my feeling was completely different..I think it was because of plenty of reasons..first it's summer and the city looks more colorful and lively then in winter, second the house has changed, we miss a lot of things now cuz landlord's old parents took them for their "new" house..and third cuz lots of feelings have changed so..it's easy to perceive differences..

By the way I am glad to be back, we are planning to go to Plitvice lakes this weekend to enjoy our last days in Croatia ;-)

Pay dirt...Lithuania!

2008-06-14T01:21:00.000-07:00

I didn't expect not writing for such long time but after Lithuania I had plenty of things to do once back in Italy..

First of all..how was Lithuania?! Beautiful! Amazing! I knew I would have liked it cuz I knew it was characterized by long and huge green fields, lots of trees and forests and I love mountainous landscapes but.. it was definitely even better than my expectations!

As soon as I landed in Kaunas I was surprised by the light! It was later then 10pm and it was still so light!!! I couldn't believe that! Of course I had studied that in the Northern countries during Summer the day lasts for more hours than in the South because of latitude but when you can see it with your own eyes it's amazing!!!

The reason why I went to Lithuania, to Vilnius mainly, was cuz MoE asked me to visit one of its new partner organizations. We got to know this organization at our last training in Macedonia, its name is Babilonas and it deals both with children and adults.

I went to Babilonas, I saw the rooms they use for their workshops and some of those they had already done in the past..

It was really intersting as they are very well-organized, with plenty of ideas and workshops.

For example they have been leading an initiative for kids in order to make them more motivated in going to school, so they invited some classes to have school lessons in their organization..and the kids loved it!!!

Well, but let's talk about this great experience my dear Max gave me! It was him to suggest me to go to Lithuania before I went back to Italy to collect my visa for Croatia..and I must say he offered me a very special present ;-)

As soon as I arrived, a friend of mine, actually the boy we got to know from Babilonas in Stip (whose name is Domas), came with a friend of his to pick me up at the airport and we strictly went to the forest where they were having a party. It was saturday night and it was very nice to participate to a typical party in the countryside with typical food and drinks! It was very similar to other parties I had in Croatia, but of course food and drinks were different and also people's humour..Lithuanians have a strange sense of humour..it took me a couple of days to understand it!! and actually there are still some people I don't completely understand..but never mind! this is part of intercultural learning! :-)

During the next days I visited Vilnius and another beautiful place called Trakai where we rent out a little rowboat to enjoy the lake and the nature all around!

I was positively impressed by the green! Vilnius is really very green even though it boasts a lot of history and monumental buildings.

I have been so lucky with the weather as I was told it had been horrible during the whole spring, raining almost everyday..but those days I have been there it was summer, around 25-27 C, sunny and windy enough not to be hot! so really really great! I also sunbathed!!

As always I cannot avoid mentioning what I have eaten!!!

As everybody knows this is one of the things I really appreciate a lot when I travel!!! hihihi! so here we go with some tasting homemade pancakes with creme and jam! It was Audrius, Domas' friend, who kindly hosted me in his house, who cooked those delicious pancakes for all of us for breakfast!!

Unfortunately, after 4 beautiful days I had to leave, to fly back to London in order to take another flight for Italy..as usual I spent the night around Europe!

This time I was at Stansted Airport..very busy in repacking my luggages in order to fit with the 15Kg Ryanair allows for check-in luggage and 10Kg for hand luggage..it was such a tough task but..I won!!! My luggage was 15.50 Kg and my hand-luggage was 9.90Kg!!!

Maybe you need me to make a premise: I was travelling with lots of stuff as I had gone to England directly from Croatia with winter clothes too, as I had been staying in Croatia since the end of January!!

Do not ask where my stuff has gone..most of it was on me!!! I was wearing something like 4 jumpers, 2 jackets, heavy earings and necklesses!! I think I looked quite ridiculous but..at least I didn't overpay!!

So here I am, updating my blog in my brother's room..

I was supposed to go back to Osijek, where Madara and Magdalena have already arrived, last Thursday but I had some problems with some documents for University..what a news!!! I am so lucky with bureaucracy I realized!!!

Anyhow, next week I ll be back for sure, so other a few days to fix these pin-pricks and I will finally see again my dear house-mates and colleagues and of course everybody over there!

2008-05-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Two days to go.

The Conference is over and now it's time for me to get ready to leave Coventry.

First of all, the Conference was good, interesting presentations took place. The participants from the six countries involved in the project presented a sort of summary of the workshops they have done in their countries in the previous months. I really liked the one from the Estonian guys, very well done, clear and with interesting outcomes. Actually the workshops were mainly focused on how the interviewed people perceived EU, if they feel to be European citizens, what it means for them, and so on in order to have a picture from different parts of Europe about how people feel European citizenship, if they really do feel part of Europe or it is just something abstract and detached from them and their routine.

As I was writing above, I paid particular attention to the Estonian outcomes. It seems that Estonians are suspicious about EU as they feel they are moving from a union, U.S.S.R. which they have belonged to until a few years ago to a new one. Even though they are curious about EU and everything related to it, economic, political, social issues, they feel Estonian citizens more than Europeans.

Moreover, we had a good time in the evening. We went to the restaurants I mentioned some posts ago. Tonight we will go to Nando's.

All in all everything has gone really well, I am satisfied with my job here in Coventry.

I spent a very good time with Andrijana. This week gave us the chance to spend a lot of time together; even though she had to work a lot because she is writing 6 projects for the deadline of 1st June, we had time to go around and..shopping!!;-)

Tomorrow she is leaving with Jarek, they will be staying in London at Jarek's. Then my turn will come! On Saturday morning I will leave for Lithuania!!!

I am very very excited about that! A new short adventure is going to start! ;-)

2008-05-26T04:41:00.000-07:00

Last week in Coventry.
Today is Bank Holiday Monday so..I shouldn' be here, in the office but..I have to check something, like the right time when the first participants at the Conference are supposed to arrive in Coventry today!

So here I am to report my last weekend in Coventry (for the moment!!!).

On Friday night we had a small party to say goodbye to Max..we had a BBQ in Asha House's garden! Actually it is not a proper garden as there is no grass, but I am sure that in the future it could turn in a nice garden!

The BBQ was also not a real BBQ as we didn't have all the necessary but we tried just the same and, as long as it took too much time for the meat to be ready we started cooking in the oven and on the cook too!! All in all everything was really tasting so we had a good dinner!

Then we went out for a drink but at 1am we were already back as Max was leaving at 3.30am..

So on Saturday I was alone, I had a quiet day, doing some house-works.

I had relaxing time as I knew the day after I was going to London..the whole day! And for me, being around in a busy city like London is quite stressful..

I got up at 7 o'clock to catch the bus at 8.15, the weather was awful, really horrible, very rainy but not like usual for England, it was literally pouring!!

So I was very upset as I was thinking what to do around London on my own like that!

Actually I had planned to meet one of my best friends I got to know last year while I was Erasmus student in Reading but when I saw the weather I was not sure anymore he came!!!

Luckily as soon as I arrived at Victoria bus station it got better and better and finally, after some misunderstanding about the place where Emanuele and I were supposed to meet, I foud him out!!!

We spent a really nice day together! We had not been meeting for almost a year as we came back from England in June 2007 and then, when he came to Padova to visit another Erasmus friend of ours in November I was in Budapest..:-(

We had a lot to talk about! Of course we have been updating each other in these months, but when you have the chance to meet somebody and talk face to face, it's easy to tell the whole story again, more detailed and with some funny story! :-P

Now I am waiting for Andrijana and Jarek to come to Coventry..and tomorrow the conference will start!!!

Busy and "sexy" times!

2008-05-23T02:01:00.000-07:00

Here Friday came..and another week has almost come to an end..

Yesterday has been a very busy day! I prepared the folders for the Conference for every participant. I put in the Conference's programme, one Coventry's map, some leaflets about MoE, the list and description of restaurants where we are going to have our dinners at, and so on!

Actually I am very happy with those folders as they look really really nice! Sanil had a brilliant idea, he suggested to me to print a cover for each folder so that every participant has their personal folder, with their names on the top!

The cover looks very sexy (another funny word which is very common here in England..or maybe only at MoE!!) as there is the Conference's logo on the top in the middle, then on the left side the logos of the partner organizations with MoE and finally, at the bottom of the paper, a box with the participant's name and Education and Culture's Agency and YiA logos!

I think I will upload a picture of it later, so everything will be clear enough!

Moreover, at 2.30 pm I had an appointment at the Corporate Training Centre at Elm Bank, Coventry of course, where MoE made a reservation for a room where we will have our Conference. Jarek asked me to go and check the place and talk with the organizer so I went.

It was very interesting!! The place looked really good; our room is quite small, but we are not a lot of people so it will be perfect! The tables are very big so everybody will be very comfortable for sure and there is also a huge and modern projector.

Then the lady in charge of arranging the room and the meals, Nancy, took me to the restaurant where our guests will have their breakfast in the morning and where everybody will have lunch. Again it seemed to me very nice and cosy!

I really liked to go there, it was very interesting, Nancy was very helpful and kind and I felt like I had some responsibilities in that (although I told her that it's Jarek the one who will have the last word about the placement for tables and chairs!).

On the way back from Elm Bank, I stopped in the city centre as I wanted to check out if I could find a little present for a couple of friends but unfortunately there was nothing interesting and worth to buy..:-(

So I came back to MoE office and I finish what I missed. All in all I went back home around 7.30 pm but just for an hour as at 8.30 we had planned to go to the cinema to watch the preview of Indiana Jones!

Honestly that kind of movies is not my favourite, even though I like adventure and action movies, cuz they are more likely science fiction sometimes.

As I expected Indiana Jones was full of special effects, people were fighting all the times and nobody got hit or wounded almost never!! But I really enjoyed the time at the cinema anyhow!

We were five of us: Sanil, Mark, Cyprian, Max and I. We bought something to eat (something I don't usually do in Italy, but whenever I am abroad I easily get used to the most typical habits of the country where I am or of the pepole whom I am staying with!!!) and took a comfortable sit and then enjoyed Professor Jones' new adventure!

Moving to today..I am very sad!!!!! Max will leave tomorrow morning..actually I could say tonight as he is taking the bus for Heathrow Airport at 3.30 am..

He is leaving to go back for a couple of months to Poland as he is working on his final dissertation for PhD and he has some work in Poland..

I feel really sad cuz I love "working" with him! I put the word working in quotation marks as we have not been really working together in these weeks as I was helping Jarek and he was doing his own job, but, what I was meaning is that it was nice to be working in the same place! having him around, talking also some Italian sometimes!!!

So it's not a very good day today..:-(

Anyway I must last the weekend and then finally Andrijana and Jarek will arrive, the Conference will take place and I am sure I will have once again a good time! ;-)

But..but..my post today isn't done yet cuz..cuz..there's another amazing news!!!!

Soon after the end of the Conference I am leaving for Lithuania for a few days!!! I am very excited!! I was really looking forward to going and visiting Baltic countries and I didn't expect I would have had the chance right at the end of my voluntary experience here in Coventry!

Finally back from Lithuania I will fly to Italy hoping that Croatia will send me good news in the meantime.. ;-)

Working on the Conference..and eating!

2008-05-20T02:25:00.000-07:00

Second week at MoE.

Yesterday the second week at Moe started and actually half of my staying here has almost already gone. Next week the Conference about European Citizenship will take place and then my experience in Coventry will be done..so next week will be the last :-(

I am still working with Jarek on the Conference I mentioned thousand times! I am now waiting for the last confirmations then I will print the names of all the participants and prepare the tags for everybody!

I also have to call three restaurants to make reservations..it sounds lovely!! (This is a typical English expression..I think it's so funny! Lovely! anyhow..)

We will be eating in three different places where we will have the chance to taste very different kinds of food.

We are supposed to go to Nando's which is Portuguese, Weatherspoon's which is English and finally to MYO which is Asian.

I have already been to the last one here in Coventry that Friday evening I came to England just for a few hours before I left for Macedonia..It was amazing!

I was really tired and starving as I was travelling since 8 o'clock in the morning and eating just a few things like fruit or bread, so when Max came at the bus station to pick me up and take me to the restaurant where everybody from MoE was, I got a very "delicious and tasting" surprise!!!

I cannot say I love Asian food as most of the times it's very hot and spicy. But sometimes it's really interesting to taste things you don't know at all or you cannot have very often as you don't know how to cook them or there are no places where to find them..

For example yesterday for lunch I ate Indian as Sanil decided to cook for Max and I. He cooked a delicious dish. It was made out of vegetables such as mashrooms, peppers, tomatoes, onions and something else I guess, altogether with eggs and lots of spices!!

If my Mum read what I have just written she would call me to ask me if I am fine or I am on drugs cuz I really hate onions usually and I don't even like very much eggs!! But, as people can easily understand, why not trying if it is cooked by a real Indian man?!! And actually I really loved it!! I couldn't eat something like that every day as my stomach would be burnt but..every once in a while!!!

Moving to more serious things then food :-D, I am very looking forward for the Conference to happening. On Thursday I am also supposed to go to the place where we will have the workshops and lunches to check the rooms as Jarek will not be able to come to Coventry as he is busy in London..so I will go on his behalf! :-P

Working at MoE..

2008-05-15T02:52:00.000-07:00

Sixth day in Coventry.

It's been almost a week since I moved to UK.

After a very quiet weekend during which I tried to recharge myself (as I had been awake for several hours on my way back from Macedonia..let's say 2 days in a row again!), Monday came and I started enjoying MoE!

First of all..where am I staying at the moment? I am living with two nice young men, Cyprian from Kenya, and Mark from a lovely place not too far from Coventry whose name I cannot remember..actually I could try but I think I would be wrong with its spelling so..never mind, I will ask him later!

Cyprian is a student of Maths at Coventry University and he's having his last exam for this academic year right tomorrow; Mark is employed at MoE, he deals with interreligious dialogue since he has studied something I found really interesting: theology!

I have already asked him something about his studies as I think they are really really interesting. I do think so as I am having the chance, whenever I join a TC, to get to know people who have different religious belief and little by little I am discovering some aspects related to other religions I didn't expect! Like when I got to know my room-mate from Kosovo at my first TC in Stip..she is muslim and thanks to her I got a very instructive insight on her religion.

Moreover, we are sharing a flat, everybody has their own single room and then we share kitchen, living room and bathroom.

Asha House (that's how everybody calls it here) is just next door with MoE office so..I can get up calm and quiet every morning since I do not have to hurry cuz of the traffic or anything else!

In the office there are several people working..the ones whom I am mainly in touch with are Kath, who deals with administrative and financial issues of the organization and Sanil, who is just next to me in the office and deals with some local and international projects for MoE.

My role at the moment is to help Jarek and Max with their projects, so for instance, I am following the confirmations for the participation at the "Europe for Citizens" Conference due at the end of the month here in Coventry, or taking care of the evaluations about a PBA held in Armenia last month.

I like being here, I am experiencing something totally different from Croatia. This is a real office while at Cnc I was in a Youth Club.

Whenever I stop and I start reflecting about these last months, actually since I left Italy and all these experiences I have been doing, I am so glad I am having such a great chance to get to know so many things! And even though we have been quite unlucky with our EVS, I feel it's ok like this as..who thought I would have had the possibility to spend a month in England while I was volunteering in Croatia??? and what about the beautiful and so useful TCs I participated in in Stip?!!

Whatever happens from now further I think it won't be more surprising than what has already occured! Anyway there's always something interesting to learn, anywhere at anytime! That's my philosophy! ;-)

And that's why I have not given up yet! ;-)

Of course I must thank some people..first of all my trainers from my first TC in Stip, Andrijana let me participated once again to her training; Max and Jarek who helped me at the beginning and also right now while I am staying in Coventry; in general lots of people I got to know in these months as I had many deep talks with some new friends, which gave me enough obstinacy to go on even though I was facing lots of problems with my EVS..and of course the person who is actually responsible for all our "EVS troubles"!! Honestly I am not truly thank him as he has put our motivation very low, but at the same time because of that I found some alternatives and I got other chances..so all in all..a little and different "thanks" to him too!! ;-)

Today it's cloudy, but it's the first time since I have been in England..I also got some tan on Sunday!

What else would I ask for? There's also a nice weather in the most rainy country of Europe!!!

I am only waiting for Andrijana to join me in Coventry and then the cherry will be on the top of the cake!!! :-P

II TC in Stip..report from Coventry

2008-05-12T03:23:00.000-07:00

I am officially in England! To be more precise I am writing from Coventry where MoE has its main office.

After a beautiful week spent once again in Stip, Macedonia for a TC, I have set in Coventry in order to help Jarek, one of my trainers I got to know at the first TC I have been to in Stip, in organizing a Conference about European Citizenship which is taking place in Coventry at the end of the month.

So..I will try to explain what happened as much clearly as I can..

After my documents from Italy arrived in Osijek I sent them to Brussels and then I was ready to leave for Macedonia, in order to join a training about Intercultural learning.

First I left Osijek to reach Zagreb where I took a flight for London..it sounds quite funny but I spent only Friday night in Coventry to meet Max, another of my trainers, get to know some people whom I would work with back from Macedonia and then, at 3.30 am on Saturday I went back to London to take another flight for Skopje!

Finally, after 2 days around Europe, I reached Stip and a beautiful week working on intercultural learning started!

At first I was a little bit worried cuz people looked quite shy and unexperienced but after a couple of days, even though the group was not like the one I found in April, we started having a very good time!

It's been an interesting chance to debunk some stereotypes..for example I got to know two interesting guys from Lithuania..we in Italy usually have the stereotype for people from the northern countries to be very cold and detached..but they weren't! I really had a great time with them and I felt like being with some of my closest Italian friends!

But the best thing in Stip, what really made the TC different was my favourite trainer ever..Max!!!! he is such a great person! he is from Poland but works and study in England. I got to know him last time I was in Macedonia and we soon got along very well! I have already talked about him some posts ago, but I cannot avoid adding some other nice things!

It was him who helped me in finding this place while I am waiting for my new resident permit for Croatia, so that I won't waste my time in Italy but I will have the chance to see how MoE works, to experience life in Coventry and help Jarek with this interesting Conference about Europe for Citizens.

So..thank you very much Max!!!!

As regards the training on a whole, as I said at the beginning, even though people were less creative and active than at the previous TC, we had interesting activities.

Starting from the Intercultural evening as usual, where anybody has the chance to get to know some unknown aspects of any country which participates in the TC but above all to taste some food! And this time I was representing Italy with some sopressa and grana cheese from Padova!

It was really nice! Although my table was still poor compared to others I was happy to have taken with me something from Italy..just in case I thought..and it worked!!!

Moreover moving to the real activities related with our TC , I really enjoyed once again going around Stip in order to fulfill some tasks while getting to know the town and its population, or when we did an interesting game called "Step forward".

In this game we got a small piece of paper where it was written who we were (for instance I was an homosexual teacher who was teaching in a Primary School). We were altogether standing in a line and we had to make a "step forward" whenever we could answer "yes" to some questions our facilitators made to us. In this way we had the chance both to experience how other people feel in our society, cuz of some formal and informal rules, prejudices and stereotypes, and also discuss this experience in two small groups at the end of the game.

I really liked it!

So all in all I had a good time. I always love to participate to this kind of activities cuz it's a way to study and get information about topics and problems we face in our life and in our society at the present time and also cuz it's a fantastic way to get to know new people and their cultures! And, believe me, it's never enough! I have been only to 4 TC and everytime they were different from one another.

I also do like to participate as I would like to become a trainer in the future..I think it's a role which could be suitable for me! (Even though when we had the chance to organize our own workshop in small groups we were quite ridiculous..ops! ok, ok, I still have a lot and a lot to learn!!!).

How things can change so suddenly...

2008-04-29T03:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a week and something more since I came back from Padova to Osijek..
I was very happy and full of energy as I had traveled with a friend of mine who stayed at me for some days, then I knew that in a few days I was meeting Magdalena and Madara in Belgrade to take a flight for Albania and go to a TC..so all in all, I was very enthusiastic despite of our problems with the resident permit!

But as soon as I went to Cnc I got very bad news again! The resident permit was not enough maybe..Danijela informed me that Bruxelles had never received my part III and project agreement so..they still didn't know who I was!!!
great, fantastic! I was really going to cry..
Thanks to somebody's lack of responsibility I couldn't join the TC in Albania cuz I had to wait in Osijek for those documents from Italy in order to sign and send them to Bruxelles.

I am having really horrible days..a lot of stress cuz we have to wait for the Embassies to give us the new resident permit, I am still worried about my position as EVS for Bruxelles and also we don't know if we can stay in the house where we have been living since the beginning cuz the owner's old parents are moving back there..

So the situation right now is as follows: Madara and Magdalena are still in Albania..they are leaving tomorrow very early in the morning; then Madara will fly back to Latvia and Magdalena will probably go home to Austria, even though she wanted to find another solution while waiting for being allowed to come back to Osijek.
At first we thought to go to Bulgaria for a sort of join project in partnership with Cnc, but then I found another chance for myself so Magdalena was not sure with going to Bulgaria anymore.
Finally as regard myself, I succeeded in having a place for May in another partner organization with Cnc in London!
As soon as I realized we were going to stay away from Croatia for the whole May I tried to find another option instead of going back to Italy so I asked Danijela if I could apply for going to work with that organization in order to get to know something more about youth works and especially minorities, as it's the main topic people deal with in that organization (MoE - Minorities of Europe). She said ok and luckily in MoE they accepted me so..in three days I am leaving for London!!!

I hope I won't have any other bad news for the next three months at least..I cannot bear them anymore!!!

I also hope everything will be ok cuz we were so motivated with this project and now our feelings and mood are so low..

Anyway I want to be positive once again (although it's such a difficult role to play right now) and enjoy the next experiences I am going to have!

still waiting..

2008-04-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

I am still at home..nothing new about our resident permit..
I am really anxious to know if Brussels succeded in contacting Croatian Embassies and Consolate in our countries so that they will understand the situation..

We want to come back and finish our EVS!!!

At the moment Magdalena is in Serbia, Fruska Gora, for a TC. Next week Madara and I will go to Belgrade and altogether we will fly to Tirana for another TC due in Durres..
I cannot wait for that, as I have very good memories of my last TC in Stip! But I really hope we will get to know something about our future..after Albania..what next if we cannot still enter Croatia?!

Training in Stip: what we have done

2008-04-13T02:05:00.000-07:00

On 3rd April, at 10 o'clock in the morning, the TC about "Minorities, Integration, Inclusion - Promoting Minority Youth Empowerment in Europe" started.

As usual, the first day was mainly focused on those activities which allow participants to get to know each other and to create the right confidence to share experiences and reflections.

We made some games I had already done in Sarajevo at the on-arrival training for EVS.

One of my favourites is the one where you put all the chairs in two circles, one in the middle and the other one around the first. The chairs look at each other and every people have the chance to talk to one of the participants for a couple of minutes about a specific topic which has been decided by the trainers.

Then everybody must change sit, moving at his/her left or right side, so that everybody meets someone else. In this way you can learn something about almost everybody and it can be the right input to get curious about someone and to get to know him/her better later on, at the coffee break for example!

In the afternoon we went around the city for a sort of "treasure hunt", we were divided into groups and we had to fulfill some tasks..like to take a picture with 6 Macedonians or to do something helpful for the local community!!!

After dinner we had the Intercultural Evening, we presented our countries thanks to some traditional drinks and food.

As I was representing the CnC, I had to present Croatia!! But unluckily I didn't have a lot for people to taste since part of the food and materials remained in Magdalena's luggage when we left at the bus station..

:-(

But never mind! There was so much food (and drinks!) that people didn't miss too much the Croatian one I bet!

The next days we had the NGO fair, where we presented our organization..I was happy with my presentation of Cnc..I wrote a nice flipchart about it and then I explained everything!

Of course during the second day the real activities started! We had a PPP on migration, then some social works, other PPPs, workshops, swapping cultures initiative as a mean of social inclusion and finally projects development.

The presentation I liked more was the one about Macedonia and its minorities as it's been very clear and I had the chance to get an insight in that issue. For instance, I really didn't know about the tough and critic issue Macedonians had with Albanians..it was very interesting. We also watched a Macedonian movie in the night about that, called "Before the rain". It was quite cruel but I liked it cuz we could see how people lived in the countryside, how much they feel the differences between Muslims and Orthodoxes, and so on.

I would like to describe the whole TC in details but I really guess it's going to be too much for the readers so I think to move to the emotional side of it!

Once again this experience gave me the opportunity to get to know interesting people..but it's not only about it! I really felt the group was great! we got close to each other very easily and very quickly! It was in a way similar to the atmosphere at the CMS (and definitely the opposite of the on-arrival training in Sarajevo..) but as long as the group was even more omogeneous I felt the harmony was even stronger!

We spent lots of time (out of the TC hours) talking about our experiences in the youth field, for example I got to know an ex volunteer from Turkey, who participated in the EVS in Portugal..we shared our feelings about it and I really appreciated his advice!

I had a great time, I cannot find the right words to explain that (this is the limit of English..as it's not my mother tongue of course!)

I also met two guys form Sardinia..at first I wasn't very excited..it's always risky to meet other Italians abroad..so many times it happened that I found they were very spoiled and posh..

But this time I got a nice surprise..actually the surprise was for both sides! Mine and theirs..as they had the same fear about me!

We spent a great time together, at the traditional dinner and the night after!

I want to mention also the trainers..Andrijana from Macedonia and two crazy Polish guys from England..Max and Jarek! well done everybody!
Thanks for these beautiful days and thanks for all those funny, useful, interesting activities we did altogether!

Training in Stip: the travel

2008-04-12T03:13:00.000-07:00

On 2nd April Magdalena and I were finally leaving Osijek to join the training about "Minorities" in Stip, Macedonia, held by P.E.L. and MoE (Macedonian and English NGOs).

After lots of changes we had decided to go by bus, first from Osijek to Belgrade, then from Belgrade to Skopje and finally to Stip.

Magdalena had come back from Austria with a big big cold, she couldn't almost speak cuz she had very low voice, anyway at 5.30 in the morning we got up to catch the bus at 7 o'clock.

But as soon as we arrived at the bus station she changed her mind.

She felt very very bad and even though she didn't want to let me go by my own, as the time was running out, I reassured her about me, being alone around the Balkans, and wished her to get well soon, finally I jumped on the bus cuz it was almost leaving!

So a new adventure was starting..actually I must admit I was a little bit worried cuz in Belgrade I knew I had to change bus station to take the second bus, but above all, I knew I had only 20 minutes to change place, money and buy the ticket in order to catch that bus which would have let me be in Skopje on time to take the last bus for Stip.

I really had to fight against time..and, as everybody knows, most of times the winner is it!

So on the way from Osijek to Belgrade I was feeling like a storm in my soul, full of different emotions: fear not to be on time, curiousity about new places I was going to pass through, excitement for the training but also suspiciousness as you can never know, before you start it, if you will find a nice working group and you will have a good time; moreover I felt angry with Magdalena's cold which didn't enable her to come with me, happy to see again some people I had already met to the CMS in Osijek, and so on!

During the first part of my travel I could pass through Vukovar, which is very closed to the border with Serbia. I was talking about it with a friend of mine in Osijek..I knew it was destroyed during the war and Magdalena, Madara and I really wanted to visit it.

I think this kind of feeling is quite strange but very common among people..why should anybody like to visit a very damaged place? There's something which takes you there, to see with your own eyes and to feel or try to feel something..

So I had the chance to see it and I really thought that I won't go there anymore, only by force when travelling to Belgrade, cuz there's nothing to see..I mean, it was very painful to see still lots of debris and destroyed buildings..I don't want to imagine the situation during the war. It was very shocking.

Then I crossed the border..now I was travelling through Serbia!

At the beginning nothing had changed, the landscape was almost the same: lots of fields all around, sometime little villages and nothing else..but when I reached the first town I realised I was not in Croatia anymore.

We stopped for a ten minute-break in Sid. What a sad place! I was really impressed. Very old and ruined houses and shops and the people were so poor. I couldn't imagine such a difference with Croatia.

I felt like being in the '40s or around there.

I went to the toilet at the bus station..I skip what I found there cuz it wouldn't be very nice..but trust me, I am very adaptable, I don't usually care about toilets, meaning that if I need it I just don't look around and go! But this time I was very surprised for the lack of infrastructures..Of course I didn't expect to find the toilets you can have at the service areas on the high-way! But I didn't even think they had neither a sort of rope to flush the toilet (and this is the maximum I can tell you about it!)

Anyhow, I was very sorry for them, for people who live in such horrible conditions..(even though the worst had still to come).

Finally, after almost 4 hours, I reached Belgrade and, as I explained above, I had to start my race against time!

Luckily everything has gone fine! I met a nice young man who worked for the security at the bus station. He was very happy to help me (and he was the only one I met who could speak English!) so I took the chance!

At 11.20 the second part of my long long travel started.

This time the bus was very old and the sits were so narrow and close to each other! But I had a lot to do for distracting myself!! I took with me lots of magazines and a book, and of course I had my mp3 to listen to some music..

I decided to take the book..it's an Italian writer's..actually he is not a writer, he is an Italian vj, Fabio Volo. The book is about a reflection the protagonist makes on himself. He is almost 30 years old and he is the typical "Peter Pan", he doesn't want to grow up, become responsible, make strong choices such as to accept a new job, which would compell him to be busier and more responsible, to start a serious relationship in order to make a family and so on. It's written in a very funny way and all the things he says are really true, typical from these new generations of youngsters or young people who don't want to set, who feel chronically searching for something..

I almost read the whole book on my way to Skopje and I finished it on the way back, in Belgrade, while waiting for the bus for Osijek..

During the long journey to Skopje I also had the chance to practice my Croatian as I got to know a boy from Serbia who couldn't speak a lot of English so I mixed English with all I knew in Croatian/Serbian.

It took nearly 8 hours to arrive at the border with Macedonia. Actually all the things I took with me in order not to be bored wouldn't been enough but for Serbia really gripped my attention when we went through some towns/villages..

As I said before I was very impressed about the poverty all around..I didn't expect it was such a poor country. I had the impression it's even poorer than Bosnia..

I have been very glad to have this opportunity, to go across the Balkans cuz it's been very interesting. I thought these countries were more or less the same..but I can definitely say that that was a sterotype I had in my mind! Croatia is different from Serbia and Serbia from Bosnia and Macedonia!

I think it would have been a big pity to miss all of that for going by plane..

In fact, soon after we crossed the border with Macedonia, the lanscape changed once again. I felt like being in Greece this time..ok, buildings in Greece are different but the flora and the general landscape really reminded me of Greece, the Peloponnesus part.

The time was going fast and in the afternoon I realized I wouldn't be on time in Skopje for the last bus to Stip..sooooooooo..what could I do? I wrote an sms to Andrijana, one of the trainers, asking for someone to pick me up cuz I would arrive around 20-20.30.

Luckily she managed for me to call a taxi, so once in Skopje I found a nice and kind driver who took me to Stip.

The last part of the journey was the most comfortable one, I must admit it! I was finally relaxed in the car, the driver even offered me a cigarette and we also had a nice talk, again in English mixed to Croatian/Serbian/Macedonian as, just for you to know, they are almost the same!!!

It took 1 hour to arrive in Stip, but again I had a good chance to see the interland. It was dark of course, but I could see we were on the mountains, the sky was black but full of bright stars..what a magic! I must say that in the Balkans I am enjoying beautiful skies in the night! It's so dark that you can easily watch the stars and of course they look bigger and closer than in the sky above a city like Padova..

Around 21.30 I was finally at the Hotel Izgrev, I left my luggages in my room and went to get to know some of the participants at the training..

I was very tired, travelling since 7 in the morning with just a few and fast breaks, so I decided to go for a shower and then to bed..unaware of the beautiful days I was going to spend at the training in the beautiful country of Macedonia!

unexpected..

2008-04-12T02:26:00.001-07:00

Twelfth week.
I have just checked the calendar to see how many weeks I have not been updating the blog for..actually 2 weeks..not too bad, even though now it's time to put it right.
I need to make a brief intro before I start telling people what is going on at the present time, but also what happened last week!

First of all I want to surprise you..I am in Italy again! but this time I am not as happy as last time when I came back for Easter.
Unluckily we are having huge problems with some bureaucratic issues..namely our resident permit in Croatia. Everything has happened so fast that in two days, since I was back from Macedonia, the three of us had already gone back to our own countries to try to fix this problem, which is really jeopardizing our EVS!

So now I'm sitting in my room, at home, and going to write about these two past weeks from a workspace I would never imagine..it's quite sad somehow..even though I cannot hide I am glad to see my family and some friends once again. But I really miss Madara and Magdalena and it's such a strong feeling as I didn't know when I would have met them again until yesterday afternoon when I got some positive news from Osijek, from Damjan and Danijela at CnC.

So now that everybody can have an idea of the situation which we are in, I will start my job.
The training in Macedonia, due in Stip, really deserves an accurate description for plenty of reasons..starting from the travel I made to reach the place and ending to the final evaluation and the "instantaneous" follow up the training is having!

Monday, 31st

2008-03-31T04:18:00.000-07:00

Eleventh week.
The last weekend of March has been really amazing! The weather was really good, warm and sunny, so that I had the chance to enjoy a lot a nice walk along Drava on Saturday and a typical Croatian party in the countryside yesterday.

I have been near Valpovo, at one of my friends' house, for his birthday. We had a great time drinking lots of "bijelo vino" and "crno vino" and eating top round pig like people usually do in this kind of reunions in the Balkans!
The weather was great as I said, so that we played volleyball in Danijel's garden and I got a good tan at the end of the day! ;-)

Unluckily I had some troubles during the day in order to fix and finish to arrange the travel to Macedonia..I had to call Jelena, then Damjan and finally Magdalena, then again Damjan and Magdalena..finally at 4pm I decided to take a break and wait for "Charlie" to give me the solution of all this mess!
I didn't expect such a problem with this travel even though I would bet something was going wrong..actually I prefer to arrange and finish everything at least a week before I have to travel cuz I am very anxious and this kind of situations are very uncomfortable for me!!! But it was not possible for some reasons so here it came: search for the right timetables in order to satisfy everybody's needs..
But now everything's ok, I have already thanked and said sorry to my "Saint"..

I am very looking forward to going to Macedonia now..to see if we are really able to reach it!!!!

2008-03-28T05:12:00.001-07:00

Tenth week.
This week has been shorter than the previous ones cuz of Easter Monday and then cuz I spent time with my parents, so Friday came as quickly as to shut and open your eyes!

Next week Magadalena and I are leaving for Stip, Macedonia, for a training course about "Migration, Integration, Inclusion promoting minority youth empowerment in Europe". We are very enthusiastic but in these last few days we had some problems in arranging our travel. We were supposed to go by plane from Belgrade but it seems English National Agency doesn't want to allow us to travel that way..Magdalena doesn't give up cuz she has problems with her back and it's not comfortable for her to travel more than 4 hours by bus and I support her as it's also an issue of principle..they have a certain amount of money from Brussels for us..why do they not want us to use all of them? But mainly, why do they avoid to explain what the matter is?
So we are keeping on working on that..;-)

Yesterday we experienced something totally new for all of us..something quite scary..
It happened at first late in the morning..I had already gone to the Cnc while Magdalena was still at home, finishing the photo album for her nephew, whose baptism will be this Sunday, and Madara was at the swimming pool with her boyfriend. I was talking with Damjan and we heard a strong noise, like plonk. The very first time I didn't pay attention to that..then the second one came and I thought somebody had shut vigorously a gate or the door of a garage..
Then another one..what the hell was happening?? Finally Magdalena arrived and she said she heard the same noise but it was not only noise, there were also vibrations..like when there is an heartquake somewhere not too far from were you are and you feel something is moving..
and so Damjan told us that maybe operators were detonating mines not too far from Osijek.
He explained to us that they clean up areas where mines had been left during the war, they collect those mines they find and finally they get rid of them by making them detonating in a huge hole on the ground..what an impressive sound has been!

We were also walking to the supermarket when we heard that..I jumped on Magdalena's shoulders as I didn't expect that so loud! and then again at home..windows were shaking so much and then I went to the bathroom and also the towels were moving whenever the detonation occured.
I thought about how horrible it was during the war when people heard that every day, more than those of yesterday and louder.
It's something that really impresses me as I was used to listen to some speeches about wars from my grandad and granma and I cannot immagine that people of my same age had experienced that too. And of course I didn't have any idea of the sound of a bomb or granate and yesterday we heard something similar to that (as we cannot compare it to what our friends heard 15 years ago here).

After Easter..

2008-03-27T04:43:00.000-07:00

Here I am!!! back from Italy for Easter..
I went to Padova to visit my family and my friends last week and I came back on Tuesday. I stayed at home only five days but I felt like I have never been there as soon as I was here in Osijek again..strange feelings..
I think it's due to the fact that I was in Padova during holidays..so many people around, lots of things to do, so the time has gone really quickly and I didn't realize that! But on the other side I had the chance to spend some time with my parents and my brother, whom I really miss now..and some of my dearest friends! Of course I had a great time...but I was happy to come back here too, as I feel my home now is here as I have something to do here and not in Padova! it's quite strange but I felt like going on holiday to my real home! :-)

I left on Wednesday afternoon from Osijek to be in Zagreb in the evening and take the night train for Venice. I was a little bit worried cuz I was going to travel on my own the whole night, form 23.30 to 7 in the morning of the next day..I don't know why I felt worried..I am usually not chicken for these kind of adventures, I usually walk around in my city in the evening on my own even though it's quite well known it's not the best thing a girl could do, as we have a lot of problems with criminals and lawbreakers, and I also travelled a lot by myself to other countries even in the night, sleeping at the airports and so on..anyway I guess it was cuz I talked with wrong people..actually my parents!!! of course parents are always more worried than "normal" people!!!

Anyhow, the travel was great! I had the chance first to relax for a couple of hours in Zagreb with Matija, a boy we met at CMS, as he took me to a nice pub where we had a very interesting talk about my very near future..namely what I would like to do after EVS is over..
then I took the train and luckily there were only a few people, I found a nice sit and I tried to sleep..of course I couldn't for plenty of reasons! first of all sometimes I cannot sleep even in my bed..let's say sleep has never been one of my best friend; second at first it was quite cold, but I had a blanket with me so it was no problem! but at 3 am the temperature went up to, I guess, 30 degrees, and everybody on the train was going to melt! but that was I good chance to get to know some people!! you know, when people are in the same bad conditions, or they find each other in the same difficult situation, they try to help each other..in Italian we say: "union makes strenght"..ok it's literally translated but I think you can understand what I mean!!!
So all in all, even though I didn't sleep a lot (only one hour and a half out of seven by travelling!) I enjoyed that!

On the way back the travel was defenitely more relaxing.. as my parents went with me by car and they also spend two days here! I really appreciated it, I was so happy they were able to see what I am doing, where I am living, who my new friends are and so on! and I saw they were happy too, although they looked quite sad this morning when we said goodbye..don't woory my dear "old boys", I will be back!

We had a great time in Osijek! I took them to Tvrđa and Drava..my dad really loved Drava like I do! he took a lot and a lot of pictures!! he behaved like a child who is enthusiastic to see something for the first time! but nothing new for me! I knew he has a child-heart!
and they ha also the chance to go to Valpovo and meet again my friends Ivan and Nenad and this time even Nenad's family!!!
it was really amazing! we youngsters were speaking in English and translating for our parents! I cannot explain how funny it was!! Nenad's parents couldn't speak English while my parents could a little bit..I was trying to speak Croatian too with Nenad's mum and dad so a very funny atmosphere came up! But the most interesting thing was when our two dads wetn watvhing football match together.. even though we were not there translating for them they were able to communicate while talking their mother tongue..ahahah!! really great!

I really want to thank my parents cuz I know they had fun but I also understand this crazy mix of cultures is demanding somehow when you are not used to that! so..thank you for taking me to Osijek and sharing with me something of this beautiful experience I am having at this time of my life!

2008-03-17T02:30:00.000-07:00

Eight week.
Today I am in a very good mood as I had a very nice weekend so I feel very positive and active!
Last week has ended in a great way! We got a surprising Karaoke party here at the Youth Center!!!
Before we left for Sarajevo we expressed the wish for having a party when we were back and..on Friday we got it!
It's been a real fun, we have sang for hours both in Croatian and in English!
I apologize by now for how we sang..oh my God, I really had the impression we were so out-of-tune!!! Actually I bet we are..:-P

But it's been nice cuz we all created I good atmosphere, on one side very relaxed, as everybody felt comfortable (although at the beginning some of us were embarrassed of singing through the microphone!) but also very festive on the other, as we were so loud and laughing all the time at our voice's sound!

Then saturday came and we got up very very early in the morning cuz Madara had to leave for Copenhagen. We wanted to go with her to the bus station to say goodbye as this month we won't see each other for some days..in fact she is coming back to Osijek on 20th this week and I am leaving for Italy the day before so I will see her again next week. Then Magadalena will leave first for Novi Sad and then for Austria..

Saturday afternoon was so sunny and warm that we went out for a walk along Drava and around the center, we also had a rest on the benches just in front of the river..what a peacefulness!

Finally sunday..and we have started missing our dear housemate Madara!
I had a big headache so I have been almost the all day long lying in bed or hanging around the flat, trying to forget about it..

But today is another story!
"the sun is shining and the weather is sweet.." (Bob Marley)
And another reason why I feel so good today is also because in 3 days I will be back in Padova!!! It's so exciting as I am looking forward to meet my family and my friends again! :-D

Like a real "Osiječka"!

2008-03-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

Finally I sit down! Today I can say I kept fit :-)
Starting in the morning with cleaning the Youth Center, before I wrote an article about CMS for Templar Networks Magazine and following with a "round trip" here in Osijek! Luckily I ate a lot at lunch!! :-P
My long walk trough the city wasn't meaningless actually..my parents are coming to Osijek to visit me after Easter for a couple of days so I am seeking a nice place for them where to sleep!
I asked for some suggestions to Damjan and Danijela and then my search has started..first I went to the farest hotel they told me, which is not really far, something like 20 minutes walking. It has been an interesting experience for me cuz I visited another part of the city, I think it was the east side..but I am not sure..

I went through the periphery of Osijek, I saw lots of houses, like single houses and also apartment buildings, small shops like newsstand and minimarket, but not really minimarket..actually they looked like old fashion shops were you could buy only some kind of foodstuff (milk, bread, eggs, flour..let's say basic foodstuff!)..it's been like being in a book!
Then I spoke some Croatian!! I really like to try even though I don't know a lot..actually I know some basic grammar rules but..just a very few words so..it's definitely ridiculous to have a conversation but..I keep on trying!
So, I was searching for the street where my first target was and I asked some information to a man, he would be around 60 so he couldn't speak English my dears!!! That's the proof we communicated in another language!!!

Then on the way back I decided to test myself again and I went to a couple of hairdresser's shops..crazy choice you might think but..not at all!! I am planning to go to the hairdresser so I am checking the average price..and it's really unbelievable..for a haircut here they charge you around 40-50 Kn!!!!! Which is something like 5-7 euros!! So I really want to try!!!
Everybody laughs when I say I want to go to the hairdresser cuz they guess there's a reason why it's so cheap..how will I look like after the haircut?! But come on people! let's try! Hair can be longer again so..I book my haircut! Next week on Tuesday at 3 pm!!! I am very excited..it's gonna be a lot of fun as soon as I will have to explain to the girl how I would like her to cut my hair..:-D

Finally I went back to the center to check other hotels and I found out the one which makes my case! It's very close to my apartment and to the center too..actually it's in between these two places. I went in, I asked for information and the owner seemed very helpful and nice..he also tried to speak some Italian!

Finally here I am now..ready for my parents to call me..I hope..and for the weekend to begin! ;-)

Thoughts...

2008-03-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

Another week has almost come to the end and of course I have other interesting news to add!
On Tuesday we had our meeting with Danijela, we spoke about the On-arrival training and our future activities. And it's just about those that I really have to say something!

Some friends of mine usually tell me: "Federica, you are always around, we cannot bet where you are cuz you cannot stay in the same place for more than a month..almost!!!"..it seems to be like something I cannot avoid..travels follow me..that's not me who seek for them..:-P
Why? well, if some people said we had a busy February or a very hasty March..I would like to know how they are going to define our next April...

We got to know that... we can go to Macedonia and Albania for sure!
We will have at first a training in Macedonia from 2-8 April, than we will probably move to Serbia, Fruška Gora, and finally to Albania.
I guess we will be fed up with travelling after this EVS, even though it's something I would never say! But never mind, the stake is too high to think about stress!
This is defenitely a great opportunity for us to broaden our knowledge (for our future job..finger crossed!) on interesting topics such as multiculturalism, intercultural environments, integration, migration and moreover European awareness, democratic citizenship and so on! But also a great chance to experience different methods of teaching and learning.

Although my experience in such trainings is still very little, now I can say something more than last month, when I wrote while I was waiting for the CMS to start and for me to participate to my first training.
What is amazing for me is the philosophy of non-formal education. The methods used by the trainers to let participants learn lots of things in a few days. Everybody has the chance to speak, express himself, put on the table his own ideas and on the other side listen to other peers or people with more experience.
At the CMS I felt completely bombed by thousands of information and what I did was to put them on one side..I couldn't think about them during those days..too many new things at the same time!! My concern was to miss this chance, not to be able to take advantage of all those precious information cuz I was not sure to be able to keep up with the training programme.
But I was wrong! Soon after the end of the training I revised everything and I realized that I had added new pieces to my "puzzle".
And this is the incredible power of non-formal education: you act bodily, by speaking, drawing, listening to, sharing opinions and experience and at the end you have really absorbed all of that! But not only in your brain! Something you have truly and deeply lived is something you will hold for your whole life as your "personal cultural knowledge"..and that's the huge difference with standard methods!

So many many thanks to those people who are giving us these valuable chances and allowing us to make these unique experiences! :-)

SARAJEVO and EVS on-arrival training

2008-03-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

Seventh week.
And now we are back again, but this time we are back from Bosnia.
We had our On-Arrival Training last week in Sarajevo. My cold is still with me (as I bet before we left!) but now I got used to it..and the most important thing is that it didn't jeopardize my training!

Well, it's been a very full week: left on Monday afternoon, after almost 7 hours travelling by train, we reached Sarajevo. We thought we would take tram n.4 as we were told but..no tram for Illidža after 6 pm so..we had to take the taxi, but luckily it was very cheap and the driver has been very nice with us! Once we arrived at the hotel we really had an incredible and wonderful surprise..the hotel had unbelievable rooms!! huge beds, marvellous bathroom and very good meals!!!!
I have never been in such a hotel in my life!!! I was really happy..I felt like a business woman..:-)

Then on Tuesday the training really started. We have done lots of activities, but everything was focused on our feelings, motivation and expectations on EVS.
The group of people was quite big, we were 43 people with the trainers.. We got to know people from lots of countries such as France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Slovenia, Germany, Belgium and so on..and with my pleasure there were other 3 Italians so I had the chance to speak in Italian this time!!! Sometimes I missed speaking my mother tongue as here I only hear from my family twice a week!

Those people were nice and friendly but I soon noticed a huge difference with the people I met at the CMS, making friendships and getting to know each other has been much demanding. At first I was very upset but after a couple of days the things changed and I explained by myself the main reason: I think people from CMS are really used to this kind of events and they have really much experience and self-confidence in introducing themselves so it's very easy to get to know each other. On the contrary the boys and the girls we met were like us, people who like to travel, get to know other people and other cultures but who have still a lot to learn.. But the trainers were really great! They suggested lots of activities which compelled all of us to come into contact with each other!
I really appreciated it and actually I am very happy with myself cuz I saw that this time it's been easier "to break the ice" at the beginning!
We had to do lots of activities in which we had to open ourselves to the others, talking about our first days in our host-organizations, how we are feeling, how leaving with other people (from other countries) is, and then to assess, evaluate every single sensation.
Sometimes it's been ripetitive but surely very useful to understand ourselves and how to deal with future challanges or difficulties.

We have worked from Tuesday to Friday and even if it's really impossible to write everything we did I cannot avoid to refer some tasks. My favourite activities were when we drew an "alien" were we had to put our feelings at work, our fears, how we feel at home (in our hosting countries of course!), our future expectations. I liked writing these things and then compare them with other people.
Then another interesting situation was when we had to choose three people whom we hadn't have the chance to talk with yet. One of those three people was a Portuguese girl from Madeira, Mafalda. I had a nice talk with her and we found out we are very similar!
I would write for hours about what we did but I aknowledge it's impossible and when I am very satisfied my good feelings and emotions don't really help me..I feel like a flood: too many things to say and all of them coming out at the same time, so I get confused!!! But it's a positive thing on another point of view..it means the things went really well!

Finally I need to talk about the city! What a wonderful city is Sarajevo!! I really want to come back as soon as possible! The snow, which started pouring on Tuesday (and never stopped!), didn't let us enjoy too much the city but never mind, we were really stuck in the hotel and we had only Thursday afternoon and evening for visit it. Luckily it didn't snow that time and we had the chance to have a glimpse of its beautiful historic center. But everything went perfectly cuz Jelena was with us, she has been a perfect touristc guide!

And then Saturday morning came..we had to get up at 5.30 am to take the train at 07.14. We called our reliable taxi, the same driver we had when we arrived on Monday, really nice guy (I guess I have a crush with him..ehm..ehm..!!!) and we waited about half an hour at the train station. Then we left..but I hope not for a long time!!

2008-02-29T02:29:00.001-08:00

Friday.
Today I don't feel like writing a lot as I don't feel very well..
Yesterday I got a huge cold and it's been for 2 days I have been trying to breath but it's almost a mission impossible.. I have been eating oranges, lemons, whatever fruit to increase vitamin C but I guess I will take the cold with me back home on Easter..what a bother!

Yesterday we had a meeting with Danijela regarding our on-arrival training in Sarajevo! we are leaving on Monday afternoon to be there almost at 10 pm..
She explained to us what kind of activities we will do probably, gave us some useful tips to be safer when we go around the city on our own and some interesting suggestions about where to have some meals..very delicious meals!!
We are very excited as everybody can imagine, but I really hope to get well by Monday cuz it's horrible to have to work or travel when you feel your head and your eyes being so heavy..:-(

Anyway..other nice things we got to know yesterday are our future challanges!!! If everything is going to be fine we will go to Macedonia, Albania and (maybe) Serbia for some trainings in order to represent the CnC and of course to broaden our knowledge about YiA Programme (other topics, workshops, discussion groups!!).
I hope there will be the chance for the three of us to go at least to two of those trainings as I had a great time at the CMS last week.
As I wrote in my posts I have learnt lots of interesting things only in 5 days and I cannot wait to repeat this wonderful experience!

Now I think I will have some rest..I have to save my energies for this afternoon and tonight..first we are having our Croatian class with Luka and we are going to do a sort of "test" to check our improvements in Croatian!! and second the Smoking presentation based on the research we did some weeks ago..so it's going to be a busy evening!!

Back to work

2008-02-27T02:59:00.000-08:00

Here we are, back to work all of us!
But just for a few days, actually for this last three days of the week cuz..next week we will be in Sarajevo!!!
Yes my dears! We were supposed to go to the on-arrival training for EVS volunteers to Belgrade but, due to the Serbian demonstrations against ambassies and public places because of Kosovo's declaration of independence, SALTO, which coordinates this programme in the Balkans, moved it to Sarajevo.
I was very happy when Madara informed us we got an email about that! Although I was really looking forward for going to Belgrade I am definitely eager for the on-arrival t. to be in Sarajevo as it was in the list of my top destinations in the Balkans.
So now we must finish our job with the smoking research, as we left it aside because of the CMS, and then we will be ready to go!!!

I thought Sarajevo was nearer to Osijek, but I was wrong..we will spend almost 7 hours on the train to reach the heart of BiH. But never mind..we are three funny girls, full of ideas to entertain ourselves..ihihi!! For instance we found out a way to have big belly laughes!!
Well, I feel quite embarassed to talk about that..but..I really do think it's an interesting and incisive example to let people understand how nice is to share daily moments with foreign peers! and how useful it is!!

It started during the CMS, actually during our "siesta" after lunch..we usually laid on Danijela's bed (as I have already told you..;-) and as we didn't have enough time to sleep we just had a rest..and how horrible is to lay down, doing nothing and being aware that you cannot fall asleep because in 15-30 minutes you have to go?! very much! but the "Charlie's Angels" of Osijek (sometimes we use this stupid nickname for us!) knew how to enjoy that time: speaking to each other in our own mother tongue!!
Believe me people that it's really funny! We spoke with the right intonation and even if we coudn't understand each other (cuz, of course, we don't know Latvian, German and Italian at the same time!) it seemed we were talking properly!! and sometimes we could catch some words and understand what we were talking about..
By the way, we really burst into a big big laugh and when Damjan came in the room he really wanted to know "what we ate for lunch" cuz we were having so much fun!!
Hence..I am not worried for 7 hours on the train with my dear housemates-colleagues-adventures fellows!!!

Ok, let's turn to something more serious..
Last night we had a meeting with Danijela, Damjan and all the people who participated to the CMS from the CnC. Danijela wanted each of us to say what he/she would change and improve both on a personal level and on a group level.
I thought it was an interesting and useful idea cuz assessing an experience, as soon as it's done, helps anyone to find mistakes and avoid them next time!
The meeting went fine all in all, even though I think that some people took too seriously some advice or suggestions others gave them..

I personally think that the seminar has gone really really fine, I have no doubt in giving a totally positive evaluation of that so I also think it was wrong to concentrate ourselves on the negative aspects.
Why am I saying that? Well, mainly because it's true that it's useful to analyze the faults but as soon as people lose the main point, or the main aim, of the analysis it's better to suspend the discussions.
I was a bit sorry last night cuz I know almost everyone did big efforts for everything to be nice and perfect and I really think that any comment should be taken too seriously..I mean, we were considering what could be improved for the next training but definitely there was no reason for any serious criticism!
I would like people to reconsider their points last night cuz there was really no point for getting angry or very annoyed!
You have all done a great job people!
Look at the good comments which come from your EVS volunteers who really had a great time last week!

The CMS experience

2008-02-26T03:24:00.000-08:00

Fifth week.
The CMS is over. The time has literally flown away.
I feel like I have been in a blender..I really got so many informations last week that I need to put all of them in order, find a "folder" in my head where I will save them forever..
ok just kidding my dears! Of course I won't keep them only in my mind!!! (I bet somebody had already thought something like: "great idea Fede!") well, for those of them who do not rely on my memory I ensure them I have written a lot on my block-notes so..do not worry!!!

First: comments.
I could actually write out the evaluation we found in the CMS's folder, so that I will be quick and clear!
First impression of this training: really positive, astounding! Why? It's easy to say.. It's been something totally new for me and I have been very impressed as regards the activities, the people who participated and how the whole seminar has been organized. Everything very well-groomed in every single detail.

I knew what the non-formal education was but through this training I have experienced it in person! it was amazing to see how quick you can assimilate new tips when you are involved in a project!
Then people! I didn't imagine I found such nice and friendly people. I guess it depends on the fact that most of them had already been to some trainings like this so they knew how to socialize so easily and fastly, or simply because they work in this field! Well, what really surprised me was how friendly and open they were and also very sensitive to all the participants. That's why in fact we got closer to each other very quickly and after only 2 days I felt like I knew some of them for years!

The CMS has started Wednesday evening and that was the first chance for the participants to get to know something about each other by playing a game based on a sort of questionnaire. I think it has been really useful cuz we just got to know very basic information on our "colleagus" such as "who likes chinese food, who can speak French, who has been in another continent and so on". The best one was: "who was born in March?", somebody might wonder what is wrong or special with this question and actually he would be right..but for nobody was born in March and people went mad going around the room asking to everybody if he/she was born in March!!! and sometimes asking if they were really sure of being born in another month!!!!! it's been very funny!

Then during the next days we have attended some conferences from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (Croatia), from the Croatian Youth Network and another one from the National Agency for Youth in Austria.
I liked them, in particular the one with the National Agency from Austria as they gave us some interesting news and tips about the YouthNet Programme and how to get info about or get in contact with other NGOs.

But the part of the seminar I loved has been the one of working on a project! After the "brainstorming" and after we put out some ideas for future projects we really had the chance to try to write down that.
I personally joined the project thought by Jelena, a girl from Sarajevo, whom I really got close to.
I liked her project as it's about media (radio, tv and internet) and specifically on how media can influence youngsters. I have been immediately caught by her idea as it's near to one of the courses I would have attended in Italy if I enrolled University for the Master degree this year.

To be more precise the main aim of the project is to give youth workers and youth leaders some knowledge about how to create and work with media so that they can spread in the local communities what they will learn form this training. All in all, the main point is to help people to be critical when they listen to, watch or read something because unluckily we are very bad informed at the present days.

I am very proud of our work at the training because, even though my knowledge about this things is very little, I gave my contribution and I saw that people who have worked with me appreciated it a lot. Moreover it has been a great, huge, amazing opportunity to learn something very useful for my future and also to come into touch with very "on the ball" people! lots of them were younger then me but..believe me: much more expert and mature! I really do think it has been very useful from a human point of you too for myself.But the CMS has not been only work!! even though it was such a"tour de force" as we (Magdalena, Madara and I and the boys and the girls from the CnC) had to get up at 7 o'clock approximately to be at the hotel at 9 (at the latest!!!!), we had fun and rest too!
Actually, the staff (Danijela, Damjan and all of us from the CnC) had a huge room in the hotel, a sort of apartment, where we could put our stuff and have a rest during the breaks..and after lunch Magdalena and I really enjoyed Danijela's bed in the apartment..more than once!!! :-P Thank you very much Danijela for your open heart! (she couldn't move us actually!! I don't want to think about how many Kg are the two of us together!!)

And then the fun! We had great time when we went to Ruža, a typical restaurant in Tvrđa where they cook traditional Croatian food. We had already been there the first sunday I was here and I had been very happy with the meal so..I was definitely enthusiastic to go there again! And once again we ate lots of delicious things! Then we move to Bastion for "digesting" our dinner!
Fun n.2 was the last night at the hotel, Sunday night.
First we have been awarded by Danijela who gave us the certificates attesting our participation at the training and then..we danced and had karaoke and it was really really funny, everybody sang something and we had a great time together!

In conclusion this CMS has been a beautiful experience! stressing and demanding somehow but really useful for a person like me who have always heard about "projects for youth", "exchanges", "NGOs", and so on and so on, but who had never had the chance before now to live them!

waiting for the CMS!!

2008-02-19T05:37:00.000-08:00

Fourth week:
we are all almost ready to start our new experience! Actually it's not totally new for everybody but for some of us it is! I am talking about the CMS which will begin tomorrow evening with some interesting activities to let the participants get to know each other..
We have talked a lot about how the seminar will go through, in order to be helpful and ensure that everyone could participate in the best way it's possible!

Yesterday we had even two meetings. One with our mentor Danijela and one with our coordinator Damjan. In the former we had been taught about almost each activity of the CMS, it has been really helpful as I can definitely say I have a clear idea about what my role will be in the very next days, which is the main aim of it, and so on..and even if we know( as Danijela highlighted this aspect more than once!!) we will have very busy and stressful days (in a positive sense of course!) I feel very happy and excited!!

In the latter meeting we talked about another important topic..our EVS! After almost a month here in Osijek we are drawing the first conclusions I would say..and I am very glad to inform you people that from both sides, us as volunteers and them as hosting organization, are very satisfied about the work we are doing here, about the people we have met, how we get along among each other and how much we are looking forward for the next challenges!!
It's such an important thing to find a comfortable environment at work, not only abroad but even when you are in your own country as you feel you can speak honestly to the people whom you are working with and whom you are spending the most of the time with.
Damjan also asked us for what we would like to deepen, so for instance I would like to broaden my knowledge about political and cultural aspects of Croatia and in general of the Balkans because of my studies.
I have studied Politics and International Relations in Padova and I have always been very interested in the Balkans because of its past, its varied culture, so I am trying to be en expert (little by little!) of this beautiful peninsula! Magdalena, on the opposite, expressed her wish for doing more practical activities such as the dogs-asy one; finally Madara talked about her main interests too.
So everything seems to be perfect for now and when I think about just a couple of months ago, when I was informed I could come to Osijek and I tried to imagine how it would be, I still cannot believe that it's going on so fine!!!! Sometimes I guess there will be somehow the other side of the coin cuz I really feel everything fits and this world is not heaven so nothing is perfect..but for the moment I just want to be positive and keep on getting all the good things this EVS is giving me!

But let's turn to the weeekend!! I cannot skip the Austrian National Evening of course!
Friday night was Magdalena's night as she presented her country and let us taste some of Austrian dishes!
It has been another interesting and very pleasant night together, like the past ones. Her friends were there too so it was a proper Austrian party as they also played the violin and guitar while singing some traditional funny songs! I say funny only cuz I've known the rhythm since I was a child as we have something similar in Veneto and Trentino Alto-Adige so it was really nice to hear them!

Well, I must add another good story! I know some of you will appreciate that! ;-)
While the party was having place, a boy who works for an internet portal which is a sort of blog about Osijek and in particular for youth in this city (I am not sure I am saying right about it so I'll leave you the link for checking: http://mojosijek.hr/) came for interviewing the three of us.. Of course, I found the reason to be nervous that night too!!! He wanted us to answer some questions about how Croatia is known and seen in our three countries, what people think about Croatians and stuff like that, and as I had to be recorded I felt really in a state (namely agitated)!!!! So I stressed for a while Damjan and Danijela, who were actually looking forward for me to being jumping all around the Youth Center (of course because of my anxiety!) and moving my hands faster and faster!! (As you know, gesticulate is tipically Italian, but when I am very nervous I do it in a faster and funnier way). How did it go? Very very well! I liked talking to him, I found the conversation we had very interesting cuz I explained to him lots of things about what the main idea which Italians have about the Balkans is and specifically about Croatia, then we compared our views and feelings so I really enjoyed the interview! Hence, once again: why do I have to stress myself before I know how something is indeed??? I would punch myself!
Anyway..this is me..I keep on trusting that I will make myself better by getting older (what a ridiculous hope!!!!) ;-)

But let's go back to the weekend..as you know Magdalena's friends stayed at us until Monday afternoon so we spent the weekend with them. I really had a great time with them, they reminded me to my Italian friends as they were very extroverted and loud!!! I love people who are good-fellowship and that is what we had! Even though we were too many for fitting in our flat, we did not have any kind of problem (also the toilet survived, although in these last days it has been very very very busy!!! ahahah!!!).
In conclusion it's something we can handle (for a few days plain-spoken!!!) so......Italian friends??? I am waiting for you visiting your dear friend Federica!!!!! :-D

Austrian invasion and..smoking research

2008-02-15T02:17:00.000-08:00

And so..here they are! Austrian invasion in Strossmayera 78!!!
Last night, after the three of us had a huge big pizza feed, Magdalena's friends arrived from Austria and I really feel like in the soap opera "Family Matters" as we are 8 people now at home (in Italy it's translated "8 sotto un tetto" - 8 under the same roof -, that's why this situation reminds me to that series tv!).
They have brought with them so many food-stuff!! really, we were totally surprised abouth the quantity of food and drinks they have given us for our hospitality!! I guess we will survive until our next EVS!!! :-P
And..and..I couldn't belive..they gave Madara and I two personal presents..Madara got two long chocolate sticks (as she loves chocolate!) and I got a bottle of Aperol!!!! ok ok, hold on people!! I am not an alcohol-lover, you need an explanation now! the point is that everytime I go abroad I would like people to taste the traditional aperitif of the regiong where I come from (Veneto), which is made out of white wine, carbonated water and Aperol. But, whenever I cross the border nobody knows what Aperol is and there's no chance at all to find it in the supermarket..that happened last year in England too..
Actually I have been speaking about "spritz" (this is the aperitif's name) since I arrived, I guess!!! I wanted to prepare it for my Italian National Evening too but, as I have already said, no way for finding Aperol out! So, can you imagine my face last night when they put a bottle of Aperol in my hands??!!! look at the picture we took!

So now I will be able to let my house-mates try this great drink at least!
In Italy we usually have it before dinner..people go to the centre of our cities in Veneto (such as Padova, Treviso, Verona, Mestre..although you can now find it in other regions of Italy..but the best are in Veneto where it was originally born!) and match a glass of spritz with some chips, salted peanuts and sometimes other kind of salty food such as small pieces of pizza, cold cut and bread an so on!
Hence you can have a talk with some friends during the week (after a stressful day at work) while sipping spritz in one of our medieval squares, or during the weekends before you start your Friday or Saturday night!
Ok, I know, I shouldn't have been so specific..I think you are willing to try it now..;-)

The first night altogether has gone really fine, maybe we were all very tired, but everything seems ok right now. People were sleeping everywhere..one in Magdalena's room, me and two friends of her in my room; Madara, Magdalena and her boyfriend in Madara's room and other two people on the couch in the kitchen..well, somebody may think we are living in a sort of manor house or in a huge modern flat but..those who are having these thoughts are completely wrong!!! our small house is perfect for the three of us..for 4 people would be great too but not for 8 people!!! and we are sharing one toilet and one bath!! but never mind! I am really glad they are here!! it's funny to experience this kind of situations!!! you really get close to those persons, although you don't know them because you are sharing everything! I love to get to know new people and first of all if they are from other countries as they always have something new to teach me and if this is the "price" to pay, I mean leaving for a few days like in a refugee camp, I definitely agree!
Actually I am used to that as I had the chance to do other experiences where lots of people shared small spaces and one toilet!!! when I went to Bosnia, we were 30 people leaving (=sleeping+eating+playing activities+so on) in one room and sharing one toilet (I let you imagine what was the toilet's destiny after only the second day we were there..well I hope this won't happen again at home now..!!!). But we had a great fun and we felt like brothers and sisters after only a few days!
And I was so glad for Magdalena last night, when she saw them on the other side of the road she went running to them! I can understand perfectly her feelings as it happened to me too. It's so good when you hug someone whom you really love and are close to after lots of time! You feel like a huge wave of emotions as soon as you see that/those person/s for the first time after some weeks or months..and it's such a nice climate!

Now it's time to go back to work..bring to a conclusion our research on smoking!! Yes, Federica! it's time to make some comparisons between Italian and Croatian smokers!!
Actually yesterday I was checking the questionnaires and I found out some interesting differences concerning the average of age or amount of money people usually spend for cigarettes in both countries..Croatian people seems to start smoking earlier than Italians and also the former spend more than the latter..I guess it's a matter of rules. I really do believe the smoking ban, Italy put into force in January 2005, has been very useful. Now your hair and clothes don't smell when you come back home from a pub, restaurant or a club and the air inside is good, you don't feel breathless.
Although I am an occasional smoker, I don't like breathing others' smoke and I don't like smoking inside.
So all in all I think Croatia should comply with this ban. It has been useful for Italy and other countries in order to reduce cigarettes' consumption.
Even if the smokers' number is still high, it's getting smaller among youngsters, this means we are getting a positive response. Moreover the law makes people aware to be more respectful of non-smokers, children, people with health problems and so on. It might sound obvious but it's not. If once I thought that non-smokers had to move if someone wanted to lighten a cigarette up because everywhere you could smoke and feeling this way "I am a non-smoker, I cannot ask for the smoker to move because it's not polite and I do not want to bother him/her"; now people know that if you are a smoker you have to be respectful of a non-smoker and understand how much he/she hates smoking.
In conclusion I am happy with the smoking ban and I hope other countries will soon follow this ban in public places.
And conclusion n.2...I must resume the research!!!!!!!!

2008-02-14T01:38:00.000-08:00

Thursday
Today I am quite excited..I know there are some interesting events coming on!
First of all next week's CMS! last night we finished arranging the last things..it has gone fine. Finally I understood all those little aspects which were still blur some days ago.
We talked about the Treasure Hunt, how to manage it, who is going to lead the 4 groups of participants and so on! Now I cannot wait to see how everything will be!
Second, yesterday we got an email from SALTO in Ljubiljana and we got another news! we are not going to Slovenija for our On-Arrival Training but...to Belgrade! when I came back from the Youth Center for lunch yesterday, I informed my dear house-mates and they got excited as well as I did when I first read the email!
We have never been to Serbia so we are really happy to have this chance! Moreover, I was told that Belgrade is a very nice and lively city, full of youth! So we are very looking forward to going there in two weeks more or less!
And third..we are waiting for Magdalena's friends who are arriving here in Osijek tonight! We have already planned where they will sleep and what to cook!
So this weekend, but also the next two weeks, are going to be very very busy..and crowded!!

2008-02-13T04:20:00.000-08:00

Wednesday: I had a very nice and quiet morning, I think we deserved it after we stayed until 22.30 last night at the Youth Center.
We had a meeting on the Contact Making Seminar which is due next week from 20th to 25th.
At first we thought it was only a clarification about the activities we will play, but after half an hour we realized that there still were quite a lot of little things to arrange and decide.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to participate to the discussion as I didn't understand a lot about what they wanted to do..there will be a sort of Treasure Hunt and a visit of the city, or maybe it's the same thing..the treasure hunt is a funny way to discover the city..well..I will see tonight as we will have another meeting to finish what we weren't able to bring to an end last night!

I am a bit worried for the CMS as I hope to be able to interact properly with the people who are coming..what I am saying is that sometimes I feel like I cannot be completely involved because I don't know enough about the activities, maybe because I missed something or because my English is not as good as others'. But I am really looking forward for this new experience and I really hope to get the most of it and to get to know new friends.

I was thinking about making new friendships when you are abroad some days ago (of course for enough time to build something deeper than a summer acquaintance) and I was thinking about my past experiences in other countries..I really do think to be very lucky.
I had the chance to go to lots of places and to spend some months of my life in other countries like England, Spain and now Croatia. So I had the chance to get to know many many people, boys and girls from other countries, and somebody may agree that I have been so lucky. But I was also considering that you may meet hundreds of people but a few of them only will be really important for the rest of your life..
I like reflecting on these aspects of my life because it makes me realise how unpredictable life can be, sometimes in a really wonderful way..
For example I have been 9 months in England and I can affirm that those persons who are still in my mind and heart are only 5 out of all the people I met. Maybe it might appear a bit frustrating as someone may think that almost a year should be enough time to build a strong relationship with most of them, but actually it doesn't work like this..
But there's something more important to add: those who I am still in contact with are real friends, people with whom I have built something really strong and I am sure, because I feel it, that I have a deeper and stronger link with them than with friends I have known since I was born!

On the opposite, there's the other side of the coin! maybe people pop into your life just for a few weeks or even days and you get along so well with him/her that although you didn't have enough time to get to know each other so deeply you feel he/she is really a good friend, a person who can understand you completely or nearly completely! and you cannot give yourself an answer to that but you just feel great! you are so eager!
I don't know what this experience will offer me..I am very curious about it cuz I know how good you feel when you perfectly match with somebody whom you would have never expected!
At present I will try to enjoy every single day and encounter..even the briefest or the least meaningful cuz..who knows?! maybe behind that there's another true friend!

2008-02-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

Here we are! back from Tvrđa..and really glad about how our survey has gone!
I was quite unsure about the outcomes this morning as I was worried for the cold weather and for stopping people around, but I must admit that it wasn't so bad!
On the opposite I enjoyed this experience! We were able to catch even 10 people in the main square and then very easily we found out other 25 people going towards Tvrđa and up there too.
Actually I was surprised cuz of the shyness of the majority of the people we stopped. It seemed to me that they were quite embarassed of speaking to us and fulfilling the questionnaires we gave them..I thought it would have been a nice chance to get to know new people but on the contrary both boys and girls have been reserved..only a small group of young boys talked to us more, asking about this research and about us, where we are from and so on..actually..as soon as I told them I was from Italy they started saying "oh Italija, mafia, spaghetti.."..I do not care about that of course but..I don't like when in other countries people cite "mafia"!!! There are so many good things to remember about Italy..why do they talk about that?! and.."mafia" is not actually only in Italy!!! Why isn't the Russian or Chinese mafia mentioned as often as the Italian one? sometimes I guess people watched too much tv and American movies about gangsters in New York..
by the way..they have been nice with us so I don't want to complain too much! I also took a picture of them and, as I promised, I will add it here. They tried to have our email or msn addresses but..too easy guys! I said them to check the CnC's website where they will be able to reach our blogs..eh eh..;-)

Then back home where we have found our lovely Magdalena, grappled with a very good smelling and (first of all!!) hot soup for her two dear house-mates, been out for about 2 hours at 6 degrees!!! I would have said they were less than 3 but..my "Italian measurement" maybe is not the most reliable one!!!!

So, all in all, this experience has been once again a good and funny one! Next time I really hope the temperature will be more lenient so I will enjoy being outside as much as doing our research!

Not in the mood

2008-02-12T03:03:00.000-08:00

Today is the "Tvrđa day"! it means that in about 15 minutes I will go to Tvrđa, in the old part of Osijek catching youngsters with Madara for our smoking research..actually I am not really looking forward to walking around the city..it's cold and I would prefer to sit here with a hot cup of tea in my hands..but I know we have to go today, we have tried to wait for a nicer and warmer day but the weather doesn't want to be helpful with us, it doen't really like us I would say..but never mind! I took my hat and my gloves this time with me, so I hope not to freeze like on Sunday morning..

Sometimes when I hear from my friends and my family that in Italy they are having very warm and sunny days, I feel angry..uff!!!!! I want sun and warm here too!!!!! I thought to find the snow, so the cold could have been acceptable, but no snow and this bloody freezing air..grrrrrrr!!!

I am asleep today..I have slept like a baby for almost 8 hours last night (as soon as I put my head down on the pillow I just fell asleep! what a miracle!) so I should be very relaxed and full of energy but..ehm..I do not look like this, at all!!! maybe I am still trying to digest Madara's delicious meat-balls and souce..
We ate them last night, back from the Youth Center. What a far out dinner for me and Magdalena! Actually, I am not used to that kind of food, well, I mean the souce in paticular and I really had too much of it last night..shame on me! :-P
And as my bloody stomach doesn't work properly (it's like an old man's one...) later on I always have problems if I don't pay attention on what I devour!!! :-(
So this morning I am paying my dues..feeling a bit sick and sleepmissing..

The time is going by..other a few minutes and we will be on the streets..
I hope we will find lots and lots of people, quickly and easily! Magdalena wishes us good luck! Thank you my dear..

Italian and Croatian National Evening

2008-02-11T01:08:00.000-08:00

Third week in Osijek has just started and another weekend has already gone..I would say a really busy but rewarding weekend!
Actually Friday arrived and I had to present my country at the Italian National Evening at the club..I had been quite nervous the all week long. It's been first of all a matter of character and second cuz it was my first presentation.. and of course the first time is always the most worrying!!!
But everything has gone really fine! People liked the presentation, I showed them lots of pictures of Italy, about Rome, about mountains and seaside, also an interesting one about Etna's eruption. I think they appreciated it. And I was really happy when I launched the funny video about the differences between Italy and other European countries because they laughed a lot and I felt really happy to make them so amused!
Then I let them taste what I had cooked, namely eggs with tuna, mayonese and capers filling, pasta (they were "penne rigate"!! as I showed them plenty of kinds of pasta!) with black and green olives, tuna (in the blue bowl) and cherry-tomatoes.
And finally the "salame di cioccolato" cake. I think it's one of the best thing someone can eat in this world!!! it's a chocolate salami with biscuits and nuts inside! We usually make it for children parties but I have never found yet adults refusing a slice of it!!!
In conclusion we spent a great time together! I really should thank lots of people. First of all my colleagues, Magdalena and Madara who helped me serving the people at the Youth Center, Damjan for his patience, telling me a lot and a lot of times to be calm! and of course to the boys and the girls all for being so nice that night! So thank you everybody!!!!
I went to bed definitely worn-out that night..but really glad for myself and the support I got!

But the weekend had just started and on Saturday we kept on celebrating ours countries with the Croatian National Evening!
Another beautiful night together, getting to know interesting aspects of the country. I think it's really a brilliant idea to present our countries in this way. You can learn some interesting tips you couldn't get to know at school or by reading a book, as it's always better to be taught by natives!

Of course there was food..and Rakija!!! A very very very strong alcoholic drink, traditionally producted in Croatia but, not simply in Croatia!!! Actually it was made by Ivan's granfather! Look how proud he was! ;-)
I just had one shot of Rakija and it has been enough for me!!! my stomach was going to burn and I needed to go on eating something else..what a pity!!! ahaah!! of course it was an excuse!!! I really liked the bread, the black and white rolled cake and the croissants Marko's mum had made..
guys, I will really get fat if I keep on eating this way!!! and next Friday there will be Magdlena's night..and her friends are coming on thursday, bringing with them lots of food-stuff for us!!! help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-P

Then Sunday came..someone may guess we have been in bed the all day long..but wrong guys! We are very iperactive girls!!! Magdalena went (as usual now) to the dogs and Madara and I went to a huge open-air market for searching bicycles.. actually not by our own but kindly escorted by Ivan! poor boy..he went to bed at 4 in the morning and then woke up at 8 o'clock for us! thank you, thank you! :-D
So at 9 we were almost all outside, in the freezing wind of Sunday morning..how cold it has been for me! you really cannot imagine! I was going to die! and the funny thing was that Ivan and Madara were not feeling so much cold! so I didn't want to complain too much..:-(
We spent a couple of hours there, there were too many things, but old one too and I was really impressed by such a market! never seen something like that! there were pets, cars, clothes, tools for repairing anything..and much more!

Then on the way back I suggested to stop for a coffee or a tea..I wanted to return Ivan's favour to us!!!! and they agreed immediately..so I guess they were feeling cold too!!!!

The rest of the day was quiet. We watched some tv, ate the ham and cheese-cake I cooked on Saturday afternoon and then (as I was not satisfied with the cold I got in the morning!!) I went out for a walk along Drava! How much I like Drava! I have been out for an hour, looking around, leaving my eyes free to range around.
And I also saw the fireworks coming back! I was crossing the bridge, I was on my way back and it had already got dark when I saw a nice green fountain in the sky..
So I stopped there for a while.. The wind was getting sharper and sharper but I was really relaxed in that moment: at the highest point of the bridge, with a cigarette in my hand, sorrounded by the dark and the lights from the city, in front of the big river Drava, watching those warm red, green, yellow drawings in the blu of the night...carried by my thoughts and emotions..

2008-02-07T07:56:00.000-08:00

Despite the weather, today is definitely a good day! I feel better and happy as the things are going like I wanted them to be!
I guess this sounds quite crazy..by the way..I AM HAPPY!!!

This morning I've been to the supermarket with Damjan and Magdalena to buy the food stuff I need fot tomorrow night..I bought a lot and as soon as I was back home I started making the cake I want people to taste at the Italian National Evening!
I am almost happy with that..actually I do not make it very often that's why I guess there might be some problems in cutting it..mmm..let's wait for tomorrow and just leave it alone for now!

Other interesting things..well! Our next planning!!!
I'm so excited about thinking we are having 5 days of Contact Meeting Seminar here in Osijek, from 20 to 25 this month and..another super event! The On-Arrival Meeting in Ljubljana next month, from 3 to 8 March! I cannot wait for that, really! I love going around, meeting new people, making new contacts! sississi!!! :-D

OK..now it's time to go back to my presentation..I will check it again..does it sound strange?! ihihih!!!

2008-02-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

After the weekend and the first busy busy days of my second week in Osijek, it's time to come back and add something to my adventure story!
Actually I should update my blog with thousands of events.
Let's try to handle it!

First: Friday Evening or Madara's evening, as she presented her country: Latvia.
I really enjoyed the night as she showed us her brilliant presentation, talking about Latvia's history and giving us some hints on Latvians' attitude towards Russians..quite funny hints, like latvian favourite play consisting in shooting Russians with a shot only..or something like that!!
Then we also tried some delicious food stuff, which I really appreciated...Madara? If you feel bored at home you may know what to cook..ops..do!!!

Then the weekend was great! I went swimming with my dear house-mates and Prada, one of the guy from the Youth Club. We swam first and then we had a really relaxing half an hour..one hour..one and a half..well a lot of time in the warm water. Actually it was piping hot! but there were bubbles too so really really relaxing!
Than I thought to invigorate and toughen my body going straight to the cold pool..final outcome? I think it's easy to catch..I got an annoying cold! well done Federica! but never mind, I'm used to it..last year I got it at the beginning of October, then I took it with me, caring and loving it, until May..grrrrr!

By the way..Saturday night we have been once again to Bastion! I guess some of my Italian friends really like it! and once again we had fun with some of our super new friends!
I really appreciate how much they care about us, as being abroad is usually difficult at the beginning cuz you don't know exactly where to go to and where to spend the night at and you often feel homesick..but not here! definitely!
Then Sunday we thought to go out for lunch, after Magdalena had been at the dog-asy. And the choice was..a Pizzeria! Great choice guys and I can really affirm I promoted the pizza I ate! ;-)

Coming back, although ours stomaches couldn't afford something else, Magdalena and I were strongly tempted by some cakes from a shop's window so..we stopped and she kindly bought three of them to have a break later...here we are with those delicious creamy cakes!!!

Finally let's come to the beginning of the week and now "the pains start" (it's the very translation of an italian way of saying..meaning that this part of the story won't be so funny!)
Actually I was very concerned with my Italian presentation due next Friday..and I got panic! I think I made my friends go mad too..sorry about that..
It's my bloody character! I am very nervous person and the human personification of anxiety..:-P
But now everything has been sort out..I feel more serene..almost ready for my first public PP presentation!

Today I also went for a walk along Drava river during my lunch break..it's amazing! it's huge! I am not use to such a river in my city! And it's the right place to go running! I am undoubtedly glad about that cuz I like running and the landscape on the opposite side of the city is very relaxing! hope to be able to go sooooooooon!!!

first night out

2008-02-01T03:22:00.000-08:00

It's almost a week that I have been here and last night my house-mates and I, with some guys from the Youth Center, went out together! It has been a great night really! Hvala lijepa prijatelji :-D
But let's tell how yesterday has passed..
after we cleaned almost the whole house we went to Cnc for working..for trying to fix what we had written for the project we will send right today to Brussels!
Then I started searching something interesting to say next week for the Italian national evening..I have some nice ideas, but they are basically related to food..(cough cough!) somebody might be wondering why!!! :-P yes, I know I should avoid speaking only about pasta and pizza but..they are so delicious!! how cannot I talk about that?!! and I think people will agree!! by the way I am thinking about something else, related to italian history of course and..well..I am not saying anything else..I don't want people to know too much! ;-)

After that, Damjan had a great idea, a really smart one! He was quite hungry and he suggested to buy some burek! it was totally new for us! he bought some with meat and some with cheese!
Actually we had thought to eat it all but, guys, it's really heavy! we weren't able to finish it all and after half of that we looked at each others like that: "if we stand up right now, we are going to start rolling on the floor!!"
but what a yummy break it was!
I think I liked the meat-burek much more..and Magdalena and Madara too I guess!

Have a look at our "little and healthy" snack!! ;-)

So we have stayed over at the Club until night. We watched a movie, "Pulp Fiction" and went out. Actually I was really looking forward to watching it as I have been hearing positive comments about it for years but..I did not understand it very much..I think it was a matter of language..well, as you know guys, my English is not as good as someone else's here so, it might be due to this reason..I did not catch every speech they had..poor me! :-(
Never mind, I think this experience will surely help me to improve my linguistic skills!

But let's move to the night! I wanna show you some pictures we took at Pivnica and Bastion!!!
We went to the former to have a beer..(well someone had only one beer, others had more than one!!).
I really liked Pivnica as it looked very typical, with traditional music too, maybe not really traditional but absolutely croatian!

Finally we finished our amazing night at Bastion!! we had a great dance together!
I think everybody needed to let their body loose so dancing has been the right choice!

So..let's wait for our next dance!

like housewives

2008-01-31T05:12:00.000-08:00

here we are again! this morning has been quite busy..this time there has been house-cleaning, but a real big one!
after we have had a nice and quiet breakfast altogether, I first cleaned the toilet..(it actually deserved it! ;-)) then the nightmare started..I was in the mood actually for moving and rearranging the stuff in my room..Magdalena too!! so we have cleaned the all morning long, put the curtains in the washing-machine and kicked it sometimes to help her doing her job!!! :-D and again, taking out the carpet from my room and bang it on the wall outside!! (but I don't think I will bring it again in the room..I don't really like it much..anywhere!)
now we are sit in front of this nice computer..after a heavy morning of cleaning I don't mind staying like this for the next 7 hours! ;-)

2008-01-30T05:45:00.000-08:00

Fourth day in Osijek.
Yesterday me and my house-mates, who are actually the two other volunteers who I am working with at the Youth Club, had a quite demanding day..we started a real work on a new project we have to send to Bruxelles within February, 1.

I must be honest..at first we were quite panicked!! well, not the three of us as Madara already knows something about how these projects work..but Magdalena and I were absolutely confused at first!
(Look at our concern!)

Then the things have started to be clearer thanks to Danijela's help, who is our mentor. She really explained to us what we had to write and what we should focus on for this project, which will be a training for youth leaders and youngsters. Now we are working on it..I am quite worried for the response I will get from Danijela about what I wrote this morning..:-P

But let's talk about the other side of my life here in Osijek! I have so much to say about that too!
First of all I live in a old house pretty near to the club! it's quite old as I have just written, but it's really comfortable and the three of us are definitely happy with that!
See how Magdalena is at ease on the sofa in our kitchen!! ;-)

I arrived later than them but I soon felt at home there! I think we will get along very well as we do have the same ideas about how to keep the house cleaned and I really think it's very important! :-D

We have been to a nice traditional restaurant the first day I was here and I really had an unforgettable lunch..it might have been a matter of hunger.. :-P!!! ahahah! No, I'm just kidding I swear! the dish I ate was delicious! I've got the proofs!!!!

Finally there's a nice detail I absolutely cannot avoid to talk about..not at all..hear ye!!!
After very 7 years I have had the chance to meet again two beloved Croatian friends! I do not still believe (and neither do they!!) that we have seen each other again but above all that I came here for spending 6 months of my life!!!
It's so unbelievable how life can be so out of the blue!

I should explain why we are so shocked (positively of course!) about my staying here..
well, it's gonna be another boring intro for who don't like happy-ending stories but..I am too excited for not writing it!!!
We got to know each other in Summer 2001 in Lošini, we spent one of the best vacation in our lives ever. That Summer could not be over for us and my friends and I invited them to spend Xmas holiday in Padova, where I usually live. That vacation was the proper sequel of the previous Summer..we really thought we would have met again but it was not possible for plenty of reasons, which are not nice to talk about here..so that 7 years went by..and then I am here just a few Km from their town, here by accident as this place for the EVS was not vacancy at all and I was already enrolled University!
here we go..the reunion in Croatia!

Intro

2008-01-29T01:09:00.001-08:00

Ok guys, here we are! the EVS experience has started!
Actually this is not the first day I am in the nice city of Osijek, north-east Croatia.
How did it happen? well..let's start with an amazing tale! I will try to be brief enough not to bother you guys!
First of all I must say that I have been waiting for such an experience like this since I was 17, the first time I went abroad on my own. That time was in England, London.
I will be honest..it's quite hard to explain my sensations right now, I would like to describe every single moment I have been feeling since I arrived in Osijek but I realize it's gonna be a nightmare for the readers!!!!!!

I read for the first time about the EVS in internet, I was looking for a job or an exchange in Europe and I hit on an interesting web-page where I found out lots of informations about working abroad as a volunteer in different projects, regarding environment, human rights, health, racism, xenophobia and much more. I was soon captured by that program and I started getting the most of it!
I have been searching and waiting for a project that really reflected my ideas and my dreams on this experience whilst I was going to University. Finally last October after my graduation and after I had already enrolled a Master, just by accident, I got an email from the Italian organization which I addressed to for volunteering within "Youth in Action" Program. I was informed there was a vacancy just where I had wanted to go for ages so...I was too excited about going to Croatia!!!
I was like: can you really believe that Federica?!!!!

This adventure started on 26/01/08. I have been here only for 2 days actually but so many things have already happened!
Now I need to calm down and start enjoying properly this incredible experience serendipity offered to me! ;-)