On arrival training - october 2007

From monday till saturday I had to attend an on arrival seminar located in Metaxourgio (centre of Athens).


4 star hotel in Greece was not really what I had in mind, because some of us had to sleep in a militairy bed. I slept well most of the time because I was exhausted but my back and neck are telling me something different right now.


60 EVS volunteers attended this seminar. The group was split up in group E and group K (why K and E; I don't know).

I got to know a lot of really nice people this week. There were a lot of games, energizers... in the seminar to improve teamwork, to get to know eachother and to illustrate some usefull tools in future situations. I learned greek dances (okay I remember some moves) and one very nice dance 'TUNAK'.




One day we had to make a little movie, about 5 minutes, considering following demands:

• Participation of everybody in the group/team.


• Make some locals participate in the movie.


• Use at least two means of transportation.


• Speak greek. (or try to)


• Implement greek culture...
  

My group came up with the idea of the volunteers being superheroes linked to 'saving the environment'. In the end it is was a nice activity. I took the role as camera-woman.

At first the 5 superheroes are filmed in a typical greek situation, then the phone rings and they become 'a superheroe' on their way to Exarchia (where a dirty dirty square is located, but also a home for homeless people). We bought gloves and garbagebags... I had a little trouble filming... because the square is also a location with drugdealers who were a little angry because the tought I was going to give my movie to the police. We asked some people if the wanted to help and they did, (I was amazed by that, because I hadn't expected that at all). And because the speak greek they could explain the aim of our intentions and that it had nothing to do with the police. A lot of garbage was taken away =). We ended the day drinking something in a local bar (because we were still looking for some local people willing to participate in our movie). We wanted to film the greek habbit of drinking coffee very slowly *siga siga* (it's obvious i'm never going to have the same habits, i'm a little addicted to coffee).

I could order for all of the 'filmcast' in greek, a man in the bar really tought I was greek. I'm happy for that and take it as a compliment ;-) They took also part in our movie and gave us some 'retsina' a typical greek wine. It reminds me of normal wine with a lemon taste. I prefer the normal wine. (I'm deffinatly in the wrong country for beer or wine I really like - I hope I'm wrong).

We visited the archeological museum, had a great meal in a 'taverna' and after that a great party located in an Erasmus/ EVS bar in Exarchia. (yes our movie location in the centre of Athens).


... the end of the training > followed by another (birthday) party in a flat from other volunteers who live in the centre. I'm a little tired now =) *Kalinichta*

Week schedule. (temporary)

What am I doing here?

The mornings are free, because the children are in school. Maybe later this time will be spent to prepare activities.

On tuesday and thursday I have 2 hours of greek lesson. (It's going very well)

As a volunteer I eat with the children, lunch at 13:30 and dinner at 19:30. So at 13:30 the working day starts...

After lunch the children have to make their homework, this is a difficult activity for me to help with, becaus I cannot understand what the actual asseignment is. Maths on the other hand, I can help but the explaining -again- can be difficult.

It is also quite difficult to motivate them, a lot of them really hate homework and complain a lot about the amount they have to write. Once I tried making it a competition and they seemed to like it.

At 16:00, time for a snack and around this time there are a lot of fixed activities. For example: music, theater, gymnastics, breakdance... (and a cleaning competition in the bedrooms).

For now I'm participating more in the fixed activities than making other activities. There are some problems with the main organisation of activities, classes... so untill then it is not so easy to implement new activities, I'll have to be patient for a while and the programme will eventually include other activities, made by the EVS -volunteers.

Other occupations: The library, a.k.a. 'book chaos'. The library inside the institution would be an excellent place for activities to take place. But until now it doesn't look very attractive. The walls have some old paintings or framed puzzles, and the books: 1 a lot of the books aren't very child -proof (for example a book about heroïne with a lot of pictures about how to do it and the consequenses). Okay children should be informed but we're not trying to traumatise them.
Also a lot of ancient encyclopedia. Second the books are thrown in the cupboards, there is absolutely no system of categorisation.

So we are trying to get rid of the old books and the books that are not on child level and make some theme divisions like: story's, fairy tales, animals, technologie, picturebooks and so on.
We'll make some decorations with the children for the walls, so the place looks more attractive for them. Also rearrange the cupboards and we're using for example only the shelves on the height of the children.

Saturday we'll go with some older boys to a breakdance battle outside the institution and next week I'll be participating in the 'On-arrival'-training in a 5 star hotel =). I will be meeting lots of EVS -volunteers then. I'm looking forward to that...