Volontärerna

Bonjour Motala!!

The sun is coming back and with Anita, we are living our last months here in Sweden. The time is running so fast and we are already in March!

We travelled to Kiruna and I can't believe we went through this long and amazing trip! Ice hotel was so inspiring : the heart in ice caught my eye..because everybody sometimes keeps hidding his wishes and dreams deeply inside like this heart stuck in the ice. This masterpiece is going to melt soon, this is incredible when you think about it!

I tried dogsleding and I had a warmhearted contact with these dogs! I was impressed to hear them barking together like wolves, impatient to go for a ride!

We waited for the northern lights to appear but unfortunately, we did not catch them, despite of hours spent in the moutain at night watching at the sky....Still we had a great time, looking et the stars and we concluded with Anita that northern lights are like love! It is here everywhere but the more you wait for it, the more it doesn't show up!! I must say we are fond of these kinds of metaphors with Anita!

In any case, the best moments I spent were with Anita laughing during this trip!Especially when the train was stuck in a storm for hours to the way back home! We spent 30 hours and we felt so alive when we walked on the ground of Motala, like heroes coming back home from the jungle!

 After the travelling part, let's now talk a bit more about our work in Ung Resurs!

We are working on this video about this giant Ant which will certainly scare a lot of via ekenäs people!! We worked on the story board and on this model. I had an idea about filming the youngsters and interview them like real stars of a movie : actors, film-maker, technician and producer. We had a lot of fun and I hope the result will be more funny for you!

 At the same time, we are thinking of our own video with Anita. We are going to prepare a little film about our adventure here in Motala : the people we met, the places where we got lost and most of all the comic situations we lived!

 To finish, I must say we are used to the swedish language with Anita and your verbal tics like : « vad sa du ? » , « juste », « tyvarr », « harhaaa!! » and even more!! Like children who discover a new language we keep repeating your sentences! It sounds like a new music style for our ears!

 I must leave you by now but I am going to write more about the ending part of the story...and maybe I will be back with our Motala's adventure movie soon!!

 Hej da!!!

 Elvire, the frengelsvenska speaker :)

Elvire med hund  Fotograf: Elvire

Hundspann  Fotograf: Elvire

Hej Motala !

First of all I wish you all gott nytt år 2012 !! May all your wish and dreams come true :).

I came back from France and shared a lot of swedish memories with my relatives and friends!!

Here is a picture of one of the famoust place in my city ”la Place Grenette”. As you can see, in the middle of february the weather was warm and I spent a marvelous afternoon sitting with friends outside, chilling and talking in the sunshine at a ”terrasse”...A typical french activity :).

And I did not lie, you can really see the mountains from the city center!!Alp moutains are all around us!

Place Grenette, Grenoble  Fotograf: Elvire

Grenoble, France  Fotograf: Elvire

I spent also a typical swedish christmas and with Anita, we were amazed by the variety of your dishes. ”Julbord” is litteraly a huge table full of food!! In Sweden, I discovered you have a lot of traditions!! ”Jul” is a magical time in this country : Santa Lucia, good food, lights everywhere and a huge christmas tree in stora torget!!

Typical swedish christmas candles!!  Fotograf: Elvire

Delicious dessert from ”julbord”  Fotograf: Elvire

Right now, I am working in so different places!!In ”Ung Resurs” we work with a group of youngsters on a architectal project! Yes yes, we are ambitious ;) and we are trying to build a miniature of via ekenäs!!

Plans from ”Ung Resurs” project  Fotograf: Elvire

Calculate, imagine, cut, paste, paint...a lot to do!  Fotograf: Elvire

I also work with Hallen to promote EVS! If you want to meet us and ask us questions about it, Matilda and I will be glad to answer to all your questions!! Matilda travelled a lot (USA, France, England) and knows absolutely what she is talking about! And me I am a concrete example of what is happening during a voluntary service! What I can tell is this kind of experience changes your point of view about life....You start a new life far away with no references and habits but it's the best way to know yourself better!!!

Flyers for EVS promotion and for the ”fransk kväll” we did (cheese and good music  Fotograf: Elvire

STEP BY STEP CLOSER TO SPRING

Time is running very fast. By walking and sometimes even by running near Gota kanalen I can see big buds of chestnut trees (kastanjer). Yeah, spring is coming.

The time in the Event Group in Ung Resurs is full of laughters and cultural exchange. There is en myra – hand made model in the air – the main role in media project for showing other buildings in Motala. Working in verkstad with one of the youngsters and preparing all pieces of the ant was a lot of fun. Especially listening to rock music on his mobile phone and choosing red pearl eyes for the ant at the same time made a great atmosphere. We felt as a great carpenters and creators. The ant was born with the chosen name „Rotky" to be a star in Ung Resurs home made movie.

When Stacey came – the third short term volunteer from Scotland - we spent amazing moments together. Together with Elvire we loved her accent, especially when she made masterpieces of food in the kitchen as a cook. For laying table and peparing for dinner she asked us to „take chairs" but for us it sounded like „Cheers", so we laughted a lot. I have still one sentence in my mind from Stacey's presentation of what she is doing in Scotland with outdoor activities for youngsters with different backgrounds. „As one journey ends, another one begins". And „Do the same old things, get the same results; do something differently, get different results".

Now I am in love with arctic circle and Swedish Lappland. Me and Elvire – we made it!!! We decided to go to Kiruna despite of other scepticism. We went by night train and after 23 hours we toutched the ground of Kiruna. Coming back from Lappland was a reality show of surviving. Night train stopped in the middle of nowhere for 8 hours – we could see only trees full of snow, white rabbits and deers. Ice Hotel in Jukkasjarvi was amazing – everything made of ice and can be used in practice. I bought mittens especially for this cold climate. We skied in the night in Kiruna and tried to catch the Northernlights but instead of that we caught an Australian who was excited about seing snow as much as us. Going down for 540 meters underground with Kiruna's bus was crazy 2,5 hours long trip. I took almost one kilogram of stones with me from the mine.

Motala is a city full of surprises and cultural differences because of the large number of immigrants. And still we are connected with Sweden – everybody in their own way. It's amazing to cook together one day with a girl from Chine (delicious omlett), the other day – with the girl from Brazil (national food - risoles) and after share our taste in music using youtube and speakers. I have made a lot of interesting conversations with a man from Irak and a woman from Chechenya. The whole world comes closer in Motala. You have to listen and to walk with eyes wide open. There is much more to explore in Motala. I like this culture mix and counsciousness that we come from different countries but we have the same home – Motala. For some of us – for longer time or even forever; some of us – limited time. Anyhow, Motala writes sign in our hearts, undeleted tattoo.

I wish you amazing start of spring and let's meet near Gota kanalen. I am going to be there tonight running again.

Cooking night at home – cultural exchange with girls from SFI Clicia from Brazil and Cathy from China  Fotograf: --	Me in Kiruna (Jukkasjarvi) Ice Hotel. Let’s take this iceberg with me to Motala!  Fotograf: --
Skiing in night in Kiruna. Every start exactly like EVS includs courage and courious point of view to the world.  Fotograf: --	Welcome to the kingddom of Ice Hotel. Lappland, Kiruna  Fotograf: --

Let’s take gold from Kiruna’s mine to Motala!  Fotograf: --	We found our own „EVS” project train in Kiruna.   Fotograf: --
Happy but exhausted Lappland’s pricesses from Motala in Kiruna’s trainstation on a way back home.  Fotograf: --

Några ord från Sandra Poelman som ska åka till Schin op Geul i södra Holland via Europeisk Volontärsamverkan.

Jag heter Sandra och bor i Motala. Men snart ska jag åka härifrån!
Efter att jag tog studenten 2010 visste jag verkligen inte vad jag egentligen ville göra. Men under hösten kom jag i kontakt med Ung Resurs och fick då reda på att det fanns möjlighet att ta sig utomlands via Europeisk Volontärtjänst, förkortat EVS (Europeisk Volontärsamverkan.). Jag blev genast intresserad och började söka lite projekt i Spanien genom att skicka in ett CV och ett brev om mig själv till organisationer som jag tyckte verkade ha intressanta projekt. Men trots att jag sökte höst och vinter så fick jag inte något positivt svar tillbaka, så jag gav upp lite grann för tillfället och trodde inte att det skulle bli någonting av det.  Så jag tänkte om och funderade på att börja studera istället, så på våren jag sökte till en sjuksköterskeutbildning istället och kom in. Jag hoppade av efter ungefär en vecka och befann mig i samma jobbiga situation med ingenting att göra igen. En vecka efter att jag hoppat av så satte jag mig ner och funderade på vad jag egentligen ville. Då kom jag på det här med EVS och innerst inne så var det ju något som jag ville delta i, så jag började söka en massa projekt igen, denna gång inom hela EU och inte bara i Spanien. Och denna gång gick det bättre, fick ganska snabbt svar från Holland om att de gärna ville ta emot mig och ansökan till projektet gick bra. Så på så sätt gick det till och nu ska jag snart ge mig iväg till staden Schin op Geul i södra Holland där jag ska vara volontär under ett år. Jag hoppas och tror att detta kommer att ge mig mycket goda erfarenheter och så kommer det framför allt att bli riktigt roligt att åka iväg så här.

Hejsan Motala!

The EVS story continues in Motala for me with some fresh news and adventures!!
I have been here for 2 months now and I think I am becoming more and more swedish : I always wear my "mossa" , eat "potatis" almost every day and as you can see I am speaking "svengelska" now!!
The last few weeks, fog seemed to settle down in Motala and now the forest looks scary but magical too...it looks like some trolls are going to jump out of these trees (picture 1).

Disigt Motala  Fotograf: Elvire

I had the opportunity to see this amazing theatre play in Vimmerby too : the famous swedish story..."Ronia rovadotter" of course!! (picture 2) I felt like a child for a couple of hours!

Mattisborgen - Vimmerby  Fotograf: Elvire

It was also time to meet other volunteers in Stockholm for the EVS arrival meeting. A wonderful week where we shared so many various cultures : Estonia, Germany, France, Italy, Georgia, Serbia, Czech republic! So different but so close at the same time because we all have the chance to live this tremendous adventure of EVS. A moment to share our fears and expectations too because our brains are full of questions : are we going to change after this experience ? Are we going to succeed in this challenge ? (picture 3)

Vägg med notisar  Fotograf: Elvire

After a nice sunday walking and staring wonderful views from Skansen (picture 4), Anita and I ran to Sala to participate to a network meeting of Young organisations in Sweden! We compared our ideas about our EVS experience : for me EVS is about sharing our knowledge. (picture 5)

Höstlandskap  Fotograf: Elvire

2 föreläsare  Fotograf: Elvire

Now after this perfect "working girl" week here we are again in Motala! I realise now that I have 2 homes : Grenoble my city in France and Motala, what a strange but nice feeling :):)!
To be continued.......Vi ses snart!!

Elvire 

Between yellow leaves in Ekenas and warm gloves on my hands

Time is running very fast. Trees what I can see from my balkony have becoming nakid, only enthusiastic Swedish birds still sit there. October was full of surprises and traveling. During one week on arrival training in Stockholm I’ve changed place to sleep for five times. Luggage was ready and even salami „smårgasar” were still there taken out from our volunteer flat in Motala. On arrival training in Stockholm in Karsogarden brought me into international mix of people. It was such a fun to laught together with volunteers from Georgia, Germany, France and Poland. Even the way how we cleaned our rooms was cultural exchange – Janek from Germany was pedantic about every dust in a conference room, but somebody from southern Europe took it more slowly

halloween lyktor  Fotograf: Anita Brokane

Tavla  Fotograf: Anita Brokane

I had an opportunity to visit Sala (Navigatorkonference, 25 – 26 October) with Ung Resurs and participated there presenting my country. I ate mussels for the first time and me with Elvire were with „stora magar”. I was impressed by „älg” on a plate as much as seeing them in Skansen djurparken. In SFI we have learned (not only „foster i magen”, „inte stressa”, „äta mer gronsaker” on the theme of medicine and first aid in Sweden) but also „nackdelar” and „fördelar” of living in centrum and på landet”.I already now my favourite one benefit by living in Motala – „fin natur och fågelsång” every morning. And if I am very thirsty I can drink directly from sink (good quality of water), it’s something unique comparison to Latvia.

I made a lot of fun with youngsters in Ung Resurs: we create our own stylish pumpkins; draw using only tools we have – our hands and colours on the ground about our impressions of the day. Cooking always brings „bra atmosfär” and tasty laughters to each others. Everybody are doing something „för att koka något gott i en kastrull” in the kitchen in Ung Resurs. I love watching how patiant might be youngsters cutting tomatoes into small delicious pieces.  Sitting together with them near the table or in media room I realised you are masterpiece of your own life.
Anita Brokane

Anita Brokane

Hey! Jag ar Anita – en stor svenska fan, a 25 year old girl from amber land Latvia, from capital city – Riga, where I can see „Tallink” cruise liner. Friends call me „tornado hunter” for my big activity and interest in other cultures. This European voluntary service project attracted to me because this project is creative and related to people who have different backgrounds thus I could learn a lot of things of this project and motivate them to change their lives in the way of sharing their talents to each other. I want to create a smile and hope. I have an opinion that „Alla har sin grej”.  I want to evaluate every person’s individuality helping them to choose the right thing to do and be able to smile agan. Everybody has his own skills and I agree with an aspect „alska mig for den jag ar”.

 I also come from family with economical difficulties and in daily life I have learned to economize on aspects which are not primary. I am thankful to my family who has gave me a lot of love and smile so these things I feel I want to give further to youngsters who has not used to smile every day. I am interested in showing others the real joy to do something creative on their own. Now we also have a high unemployement here in Latvia so I can understand these people better with similar problems.

 I decided to participate in EVS because I realized I want to do something which could bring me the fulfillment of  that I could help others to trust in theirselves again focusing on their talents. I’ve been studying philology and public relations which includes such aspects as media and journalism, intercultural communication and sociology so I am happy that some of these things I can share with people in Ung Resurs. Last year I had opportunity to participate in the international journalism school here in Riga in the project „Youth in the 21st century: Debating and Producing Media” with experienced lectors abroad developing such skills as news video and documentary production in a way of Social Media Strategy.

My vision is that I could help to make this project’s members daily life more remarkable and precious willing others including myself to take a risk outside the comforte zone. I’m sure I don’t know everything so I can learn also from others. I am person who is open to the new ideas in creative way. I expect also that I  could gain a new experience to work with other nation’s inhabitants and how to create ideas and activities which could be interesting and useful or others. I want to put my energy to others so they can feel comfortable and welcome.

 I hope in this project I will have a possibility of aquisition of complete picture for the Swedish society and for young people which I am interested in, also important elements of the cultural heritage.

My first days in Motala and in “Ung Resurs”

Hej, hej! Between SFI papers, new Swedish verbs on my mind and French cooking mystery in kitchen, I feel more Scandinavian like before. Trees are embarrassed and in red colour and It makes my daily walk to Ung Resurs more remarkable. Three weeks are passed before arriving and leaving home country Latvia and I still feel like at home here in Charlottensborg because of possibility to buy big amount of potatoes. J Now I feel more like Ronja Röverdotter because I boiled a big amount of Swedish mushrooms – kantareller in en kastrull. Thanks to Christine who is my mentor for gummy boots for being a typical and professional mushrooms picker in the Swedish woods. We picked only Kantareller, but I tried to find my Latvian royal mushroom “baravika” what you call “Carl Johan” and found out that Swedish prefer only Kantareller on their stekpanna.  Now I have Swedish famous köttbullar in my fridge and I  hope to try them with Elvire tonight with potatoes. It is quite funny to hear children laughs – skratt through my window at home instead of Latvian. Now I try to get used to it. Daily tradition is watching TV and “Swedish Idol” to improve my Swedish skills. This is how we learn language. J
Youngsters in Ung Resurs are individualities and It’s interesting for me to find different keys to open them for activities on their own. I’m curious about their discussions because I can see their energy through it.

Några ord från Elvire

Hej !
Almost 3 weeks that I have been here in Motala for my EVS project!
Let me share with you some of my impressions about Sweden and Motala!
First of all, I hope you know that you are living in a very beautiful town, it seems that “Snövit och de sju dvärgarna” are living in these red houses.
I went near the Göta kanal by bike by a sunshiny day and had a fika, such a serenity feeling in front of this beautiful and real “painting”…
Of course, my brain is also “boiling” everyday, try to mix French, English and Swedish and you will understand what I mean! But the strongest part is the way you can get closer to other foreign people when you are not anymore in your own country. Finally, all human beings speak this universal language thanks to the laugh and the smile, we all have this sixth sense! I realised what it is to take a step in the other side, I am like any other immigrant now!
3 things I learned and that I won´t forget: ”Fika”, ”Kram” och ”jag talar lite svenska”.
Hej då !

Den 7 september 2011 kommer två nya volontärer till Motala.

Nu är det dags att hälsa två nya volontärer välkomna - Anita från Lettland och Elvire från Frankrike.

Anita är 24 år och har studerat språk och marknadsföring och har ett stort intresse för kommunikation och media.

Elvireär 28 år, har också studerat språk och turism. Hon är intresserad av musik, teater och utomhusaktiviteter.

Så här skriver Elvire om sina förväntningar:

Hej !
My name is Elvire, I am a 28 year old french girl from Grenoble, a city in the french Alps. I am going to live with you in Motala for 9 months and I am coming soon, in
September!
I am very excited to discover Sweden and the region of Motala, with these amazing landscapes. Now, I am trying to learn a bite of Swedish to prepare myself : be nice please because I am an absolute beginner! I neve had the chance to discover Sweden, but I am very attracted to the lifestyle, which seems very different from our own.

In France, I used to work in various environments and I learned to adapt. So, I think I could use my own experience to help you by giving you advice about the labour market. Also, I am a fond of Music, Rock especially and Motala seems fond of Music too with all these festivals!

My project ? Create a radio program where you could express yourselves and where we could talk about the different events in Motala (culture, sport, music, society).

The most important ? To share our cultures, to cultivate and improve our open-mind. Ses snart ! See you soon ! A très bientôt ! Hej !

Vi hälsar Aita och Elivre välkomna till Motala och Ung Resurs!

Några ord från Sara Andersson som är i Oldenburg, Tyskland som volontär.

"Förra året gick jag på Bonas teaterlinje och visste inte vad jag skulle göra efter det, men så kom en lärare med förslaget om Europeisk Volontärtjänst (EVS).

Jag hade flera gånger hört talas om det här, första gången var på radio om en tjej som jobbat på en teater i Italien ett år. Jag visste att det var gratis och att det fanns många olika organisationer (inte bara teater) man kunde jobba hos, både inom och utanför EUs gränser.

Jag hade tidigare inte orkat ta tag i det och leta upp en sändande organisation, men nu kom jag genom den här läraren i kontakt med Ung Resurs.

Genom en databas på Internet tog jag sedan kontakt med en rad tyska organisationer som hade teaterverksamhet för barn, och fick ganska snabbt svar från Jugendkulturarbeit i Oldenburg nära Bremen.

Det gick sen väldigt smidigt med ansökan, och nu ska jag snart iväg. I Oldenburg ska jag bo och jobba med andra volontärer, från olika länder i Europa.

Jag kommer att leda grupper med barn mellan 8-18 år, men också få spela lite själv, och hjälpa till med lite husrenovering. Jag kan knappt någon tyska, men det ska jag lära mig!

Sara