Eter Gorgiladze
FIRST DAYS IN CRAIOVA
I have been in Craiova already twenty days. It is not a long time period but it was enough for a positive outlook on the future. It is my first EVS and I am really lucky to be here. It all started so; I was at home and searching for something on facebook when suddenly I saw post about this project. I was interested in it and applied. I can say that it was lucky strike. If I did not see this information, I could not have chance to known ether volunteers who are very interesting persons, I could not meet stuff of my organization, who doing very important and necessary work for people and environment, I could see children from The Beethoven school, who made me happy by their love and positive, I could not be in Ancaar , I think it is one big family and now I have chance to be member of their and care people who it’s needs so hard. By the day I feel myself more necessary person, it is most important for me and not only for me , for every human…
By the time of our arrival I felt that we would be safe in this city, because we have big support from organization. They trying makes our EVS life more comfortable and interesting.
I live in my apartment with three guys and it is so big challenge for me, but now day everything is clean and okJ.
At the first week we had teambuilding activities, it was good way to know ether volunteers better. It’s showed us meaning of group working, showed that we are all different , from different countries and culture, but we have same goal, this is the most important and should be remember every time, even during conflict. This kind of training helps us to be more tolerant.
I have graduated psychology and am going to do master. This project helps me to show my theoretical knowledge and use it in practical work. Working with typical children and in the autistic centre is big experience which will be good preparation for master and then find a god job in the future. Beside this argument, working with children makes me happy, I think, I am useful for them, I can do something for others and exactly this feeling is so great for me.
I like EVS life, I can learn many thing about different culture from volunteers in this small city. I am expecting Romanian language lessons to make contact with local people easier , I want to find out more about Romanian culture and lifestyle.
I think this is the start of a beautiful experience. These six months will be big challenge and a big chance to improve my life.
First holidays in a foreign country
It was my first New Year and Christmas away from my country and family, without Georgian traditional food and a Christmas tree. Holidays in Craiova had both differences and similarities. For example, I didn’t buy presents for anyone. Frankly speaking, it’s comfortable from a financial point of view, but everything has less charm without the process of buying presents, feeling afraid if they will be liked, trying to find out your present under the Christmas tree and waiting impatiently for 12 hours.
The other difference was New Year’s dinner, if I compare it to Georgian dishes, it was minimalistic, but I can't say that I did not like it, because usually, in Georgia, I spend several days cooking our traditional food. It is said the number of dishes shouldn’t be under ten!
I will never forget how beautiful the sky was when I was watching the New year's fireworks above Craiova's streets. I was watching the show with some very positive Romanian people, which was really wonderful. I truly felt all this magical atmosphere of a New Year’s night. I remember my wish that I had last year. I had wished to spend next New Year’s night in a foreign country. Everything is possible if you believe, so now I have a new desire, that’s why I’m looking forward to next New year’s Eve.
Craiova gets better with age, or warm weather. I don't know really, but I like eating ice-cream once week. That’s why I eat it only twice a week, life shouldn’t be so enjoyable, one should throw some suffering into the mix. As Mick Jagger once said : “You don’t always get what you want”, he said it but I think someone else wrote it down. I don’t like Mick Jagger, I’m more of a Beatles fan. My spelling is wrong, but I can’t do no wrong when it comes to this personal article. It’s my personal article and I can cry if I want to cry if I want to, you would cry to if this (article) happened to you.
I like tango & flamingo, and I like going to the beach, and psychological thrillers and I cry during movies. But, what is it with people who never do? If you can’t shed a tear during any movie whatsoever, you are repressed, or just a straight male (in which case, very repressed).
I imagine I will write a better personal article one day. But that is not this day, this day I fight back against the tyranny of the leather-headed man and all his lunatic children. The buck stops with you reader, the lunacy ends here, you hear me, right here!
And now a sweet lullaby…
Page Title
‘’EVS’S ENERGIZERS’’
This games are a mixture of energizers, icebreakers and warming up activities that we found useful and entertaining in the past.
While conducting a training you can experience yourselves the power of a good icebreaker which can liven up cold and boring situation, an energizer that motivates the participants even more, or a funny game full of good humor. The trick is just to choose it well for the right moment.
The princess and the perv
à for to relax and have fun: HILARIOUS!
Players are around the room and squatting 2 players – one as the perv and other as the princess – are standing. The perv has to run after the princess and make scary noises in a low voice. The princess screams and waves her hands and runs funnily through them who are squatting. As the princess jumps over one of them, she has to squat and the person who was squatting is now the perv. The perv then become the next princess.
This game might be a bit confusing but lots of fun! The voices are very important
Changes
Everyone sits in a circle. One player is sent out of the room. Now a change will be made in the circle.
Example: 2 players exchange jackets or places, or 1 player changes his T-shirt so he is wearing it backwards. The player who was out of the room comes in and must guess the changes made to the circle.
Murder
Who is the murderer?
Every player receives a card, looks at it and doesn’t tell the others what card he got. The player who receives the king of hearts is the murderer. The murderer blinks at another player who is then out. When a player thinks he knows who the murderer is, he calls out “ I know who the murderer is”. If another player calls out at the same time, both players must say who the murderer is at the same time. If it is the same name, the suspect must say if he really is the murderer or not. If they guess correct, the murderer is out. If even one player guesses wrong, both are out.
Animal scramble
à understanding each other without words: different levels of communications (non-verbal language, etc)
There is some preparation for this activity. On a slip of paper, write the name of an animal that makes an obvious noise. Create five to ten slips for each animal.
A - Give each participant a slip of paper, but tell them to keep their animal a secret. The participants are to find the rest of their kind, but there is no talking. So how do they find the others? They have to make the noise of the animal. Once two of the same kind have found each other, they stay together to find more. Continue until all of the like animals have created one big group.
B - Use Animal Scramble, but add a hint of danger by planting a couple of danger animals who if incorrectly approached can take you out of the game (snake, lion, tiger, etc). The last survivor of non-dangerous animals is winner (Non-dangerous animals need to gather say 4 of a kind to be safe in a pack; they can even fake being a dangerous animal but cannot take out anyone - someone catches onto this and the fun begins!)
What happened in Bucharest?!
After these last months it came time to go for travel in Bucharest with big expectations. When I came down from the train and saw so many people I realized how much I have missed city life with its crazy lifestyle. After this was our first meeting with taxi drivers. I paid 3-4 times more for taxi service just because my Romanian is not so good and they recognized that I am a foreigner. If you ask me what the biggest stereotype in this country is, my answer will be this- EVERY FOREIGN PERSON IS RICH! That’s why the taxi drivers are liars, also people who work in bazaars, or in the food shops.
I walked the whole city by foot (you already know why) and searching for some interesting architectural buildings, but it’s too difficult to find something amazing in this city. Maybe 2 days is not enough, but anyway. There you have only two options: see churches, which mostly are from the same period, and second, walk in the park. The last one is a really nice option. I have not seen before such a green city with so many parks. I liked the parks, with small lakes and not beautiful, but ok bridges.
I can not say how surprised I was when women who worked in the shop smiled at me and gave such nice service. It happened in every Bucharest shop and its quite different from my home city-Craiova. Nobody argues with me with an angry face because I can’t speak Romanian.
I had a feeling that in the whole city was only one Xerox shop. When I needed it, I was searching during 1 our and most funny is that I paid 15 lei for 10 pages of copies. But it’s Romania, as my project managers tell me sometimes to encourage me in some situations.
I was walking during some hours to see the building of parliament and you can see difference between expectation and real life by yourself.
It’s a perfect city if you want to see nothing.
It’s a perfect city if you want to be lied to.
It’s a perfect city for good service.
It’s perfect if you want to rest in a park.
Last Goodbye
This is my last goodbye, and I think I might go somewhere else.
I’ve come to like Craiova. Not like I like ice-cream or barbecue, more like fresh fish, it’s good for me, but once a week is enough. I can’t say I enjoyed all of my time here, but I can say that all of my time here was definitely not wasted. I experienced a multitude of new cultures, learned a handful of useful life skills, and managed to help some nice people along the way. I think that’s not a bad return for a 6-month long volunteering project. I have become more optimistic about my future after this rich and rewarding experience.
Good luck everybody, see you next time.