On arrival and mid term training

EVS volunteers usually have two training: on arrival at the beginning and mid-term at the end of their volunteering period. It means that all EVS-ers who are in the country at that moment meet to share expectations and learn from each others. I spent 5 unforgettable days in Brussels with people from: Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, France, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Georgia, Macedonia, Croatia, Italy, Canary Islands, Slovakia and Turkey. We celebrated diversity of nations, religions, races and abilities. We exchanged contacts so we can visit each others and travel together. I have plenty of crazy funny photos of us and great tips from mid-term EVS-ers about how to take best from this experience.
Besides many interesting games for motivation or waking up, we had interactive workshops about "burning questions": integration into new society, our rights and duties, expectations, fears...The spontaneous answers came out easy after common international brainstorming. The main project of the training took place outdoor, which means that we had to work in teams on a chosen topic and try to get some answers from local people. After all, I learnt a lot during teams` presentation of projects about: protected nature in Belgium, underground touristic places in Brussels, popularity of cycling in Belgium, interculturalism in Belgian schools...My team met locals interested in the topic and the purpose of our project and they collaborated with us in an enjoyable, funny way and we didn`t have any problem doing it. 

On our last night on training it was my birthday. On midnight my new international friends turned off the lights, entered the room with a lot of tricky candles, gave me a birthday cake and they all sang a birthday song in Serbian language... then in English, Spanish, Turkish, Dutch, Slovak... It was unexpectedly easy to show love and friendship in this intercultural fortune. In the end, we are all the same. Doubtless EVS produces fascinating amount of positive energy in every group. I wish to keep this feeling as long as possible: the time is now, the world is beautiful in all its diversity, learning process is funny, people are open, the planet Earth becomes smaller and simpler... 

Mid term training took place in Den Haag, The Netherlands. There were less volunteers because some were already back home. The enthusiasm and energy were also missing compared to on arrival training. I guess we are all faced with real life now instead of hope and dreams from the beginning. I saw many of us like this reality I am talking about because there were questions about possibility of staying here more. Some of us were very determined to learn Dutch, find a job and continue living in a new interesting country. 

After long conversations about the experience in between two training and our plans for future, they organized a so called "City safari" in Rotterdam. We visited locals and get a chance to know real Rotterdam. It was special: being in a home of Iranian woman who saw her daughter after 20 years, hearing your voice and thoughts in "ether" in radio Barsa... 

The third and the last day of mid term, I cried like a baby. All I could say is "Thank you"...I will never forget this beautiful part of my youth, happy people I met, pace of learning while having adventures, transparent feelings we could almost touch. 

I envy new young EVS-ers and highly recommend this life changing opportunity.