Others-side

#1 / 12.2013—English/French version

OTHERS|Side

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life” Jack Kerouac

Others|side This e-bilten Others|side is the result of the implementation of the EVS project “Be Informed, Get Active!�

In April 2013, Coalition of youth organizations SEGA hosted two EVS volunteers from France for a 12month individual EVS activity. The volunteers Gwenn and Elodie, are actively involved in daily work in Youth Information and Counselling Centre INFO SEGA in Prilep, Macedonia which is the first and unique information centre in Macedonia of this kind which is working by the principles of ERIYCA and also in the offices of SEGA working on different tasks, activities and projects.

The objectives of the project are set for the volunteers to feel the cultural and social differences, to familiarize them with the field of youth work, youth policy and youth information in Macedonia and exchange experience in order to increase their meaning among local youth and to make the centre and its services more helpful and user-friendly.

There are many types of activities in which the volunteers are involved such as running workshops and educations for local young people, promotions of EVS, French lessons, French radio shows, public events and all of that is linked with the local community development.

Most of the activities and projects in which the volunteers are implicated are related with youth information, education, human and civil rights and leisure.

There is a lot of freedom for the volunteers to implement their ideas to improve the quality of the project and encourage more and more youngsters to be active in the events delivered by volunteers. During these experiences the volunteers as well as the youngsters continuously have intercultural learning in order to have a better understanding in each other culture.

Writers Gwenn Joly Elodie Babu

More information Youth Information Centre SEGA Coalition of Youth Organisation SEGA EVS Info SEGA - Facebook Page Youth in Action Programme

EDITO What is the meaning of autonomy ?

We arrived in Macedonia six month ago. It’s enough to be able to look back and reflect on what we learnt since then, what we did. And what we can do. It was in the middle of spring. The summer past, and today we can see the colour of autumn outside. The smell of ajvar in the streets is fading away. We can look behind.

But the reality of the coming back home is more and more present in our minds. I remembered the first sunny morning in Prilep, on the balcony, I told Elodie “I’m not aware of the time. February is far away. I still cannot imagine how the EVS is going to be. I can only say we will see once we start”. No expectations. I was just sure that there were a lot of people and things totally unknown out of the flat. We met people who are friends now, we are familiar with Prilep, and if sometimes we are lost, we are familiar with the dealing process in unknown field. That is the main thing I learnt.

When I decided to do my EVS, I got my idea, I got the project. But I couldn’t stop to think about whether I was able to go through it. I was focused on these questions: do I have skills, would I be able to do it, should I know the language before? I was thinking about how to be someone accomplished before going to Macedonia, to know everything beforehand. I thought that in order to be ready, I had to know a maximum of things. Of course, I didn’t have time and resources in France to prepare myself to go to Macedonia. And I know now that thinking like that is a big and stressful mistake.

We repeat it again and again: “Don’t worry, the EVS is a learning process”. But when I read some of the projects’ descriptions on the EVS database, I was scared about the repeated necessity to be autonomous, to be able to learn, to be responsible.

Not because I wasn’t, and maybe I’m not. But because I first had to deal with myself, question myself, with

the spectre of error and failure.

And some days before my departure, when I met one former French volunteer who did an EVS in Prilep 2 years ago, I misunderstood her words again. “Don’t worry, at the beginning you will understand nothing.

But they will help you. After, you will be able to take care of yourself”. I misunderstood because it’s exactly this thing, this main thing we can learn only on the spot. Because you cannot do by yourself what you don’t really know, you have to trust the others to help you. The others, another unknown element. Which is central during the learning process.

And I thought again of the words of the database.

Autonomy. Responsibility. And I thought that maybe these personal skills weren’t personal at all. More and more I can evaluate the meaning of these words. More and more I realize also that if I’m able to deal with strange, unknown, or uncomfortable situations now, it’s not because I’m autonomous or responsible, me, on my own. But because I am thankful for the others’ help.

For this reason, you can be ready before leaving your country. You can be ready, but you cannot be sure of yourself. You don’t have the choice but feeling like an ignorant child, ready to learn, ready to grow up. Ready to listen and to be open. Ready, eventually, to stop thinking only through the prism of your own culture and be able to build another prism just next to the first one. And who else than the people who already have this prism can teach you how to get it ? It’s something really motivating and precious.

WHO WE ARE Elodie Babu

Hi! My name is Elodie and I come from Nantes in France.

Back home, I passed my Master’s degree, last September, in European projects development and management. I also studied Foreign Languages: English, Spanish and Russian.

This last one has been very useful when arriving here; at least I could read Macedonian though I could not understand a word of it!

I feel very lucky to be volunteering in Prilep; it gives me the opportunity to meet people I would never have met and to discover a completely different culture to mine.

My sending organisation: Association Gwennili

Gwenn Joly

Hello! I’m Gwenn and I come from Caen, Lower-Normandy in France. I’m 21 and I studied Human Sciences. Now, I’m writing these words from Prilep, Macedonia, where I’m volunteering in the Info Centre SEGA for 10 months. Very far from home, but I’m not worried because I can speak a mix of English-Macedonian-French. However, I speak very good French! I love listening and playing music, and walking again and again, everywhere, all the time. What else?

I’m always happy to meet new faces, so, see you in the Info Centre SEGA! My sending organisation: Association Senoïs

.6 YOUTH AROUND THE WORLD .6

Introduction

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The European Voluntary Service .10 INTERVIEW: Delphine Delacre .12 INTERVIEW: Mile Dimkoski

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The EVS at INFO SEGA .17 The EVS activities

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Exploration balkanique .18 Septembre en attendant .20 Sarajevo ljubavi moja

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Prilep’s Youth around the World .22 INTERVIEW: Teodora Nedelkoska

.19 THE FRENCH CORNER .26

CAEN - During the Rain .26 English version .28 French version

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NANTES .30 English version .32 French version

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How to survive in France

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Le mot de la fin

YOUTH AROUND THE WORLD Movement. One step, surprising, that is resulting in the Le initiation of disorder in the brevity of our existence.

Anthropologists said and continue to say that the movement is unique to humans. We are running to meet, past the first hill, the Other who stops us and symbolizes the difference. Who stops us. This is a welcome timeout for understanding. This Other shouldn’t be crushed, after all.

During the sixteenth century, began in Europe what history named the Humanist Movement. This was the development of European communication, the intellectual ancestor of the Union which left its mark today in the titles of the exchange programmes such as Erasmus or Leonardo. Letters crossing borders, the emergence in literature of the so-called initiation stories, creating a talkative and thriving intellectual community, who led the Old Continent into an unprecedented upheaval. Added to this is, of course, the discovery of the New World, which then left the West to ponder on its narcissism. Erasmus and Leonardo da Vinci were two great figures of the freedom of movement, allegories of Europe’s motto “United in diversity” - a critical and progressive movement, caused by the shock of the confrontation to the other.

The movement is an initiation and the journey in the long run one of the most fabulous. To abandon one’s daily uncertainty of the other. It's a small step, the one of the decision making, which is a great deal. Not great in the sense of difficult to accomplish. Great in the sense of the following step is the one of a grown man.

Thus we will never stop sharing our experience of travelling and departure, this separation that implies the encounter. And despite all that remains indescribable. I came across those lines in an old email written after my first encounter with the unknown. I wrote those when I was in the mountains of Southern France, and I introduced my story to one of my friends by saying: "Here, when we talk about distance, landscape, altitude or time, we know what we are talking about and it is easy to understand. Back home, what seemed extraordinary to us will vaguely be acknowledged and usually misunderstood. In the end, we will be the only ones happy with our experience, since it cannot be shared without being lived."

mouvement. D’un pas, surprenant, qui entraîne la mise en branle du désordre dans la brièveté de notre existence. L’anthropologie disait et continue de dire que le mouvement est le propre de l’Homme. Que nous courrons pour rencontrer, passé la première colline, un Autre qui nous stoppe et marque la différence. Qui nous stoppe. Temps mort de compréhension bienvenu. Il ne faudrait pas l’écraser cet Autre, tout de même.

Au XVIème siècle en Europe commence ce que l’Histoire nomma le Mouvement Humaniste. Essor des communications européennes, ancêtre intellectuel de l’Union qui laisse ses marques aujourd’hui dans les noms des programmes d’échanges tels qu’Erasmus ou Leonardo. Les lettres franchissant les frontières, l’émergence dans la littérature des récits dits initiatiques, la création d’une communauté intellectuelle bavarde et prospère, entraînèrent le Vieux Continent dans un bouleversement sans précédent. A cela s’ajoute, bien sûr, la découverte du Nouveau-Monde, qui laissera l’Occident d’alors réfléchir son narcissisme. Erasme et Leonard de Vinci, ces grandes figures de l’échange sans frontières, allégories de l’actuelle devise de l’Europe « Unie dans la diversité ». Un mouvement critique et progressiste, provoqué par le choc de la confrontation à l’autre.

Le mouvement est une initiation et le voyage sur le long terme l’une des plus fabuleuses. Abandonner son quotidien pour l’incertitude d’un autre. C’est un petit pas, celui de la décision, qui suppose un grand. Non pas grand dans le sens difficile à accomplir. Grand dans le sens où le suivant est celui d’un Homme grandit.

Aussi nous ne cesserons jamais de partager notre expérience du voyage, du départ, cette séparation qui suppose la rencontre. Et qui demeure malgré tout indescriptible. J’ai retrouvé quelques lignes d’un vieux mail écrit après ma première rencontre seul avec l’inconnu. C’était dans les montagnes du sud de la France, et j’avais introduit le récit pour l’un de mes amis par ceci : « Ici, quand nous parlons de distance, de paysage, de dénivelé ou de temps, nous savons de quoi nous parlons et nous nous comprenons. Au retour, ce qui nous aura paru extraordinaire sera vaguement acquiescé et ordinairement incompris. Alors nous serons seuls à être heureux de notre expérience, puisqu’elle ne peut pas être partagée sans être vécue. »

A défaut de pouvoir vous convaincre, nous vous y inviAs it is hard to convince you, we invite you to give it a tons. try.

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« Mais les vrais voyageurs sont ceux-là seuls qui partent Pour partir ; cœurs légers, semblables aux ballons, De leur fatalité jamais ils ne s’écartent, Et sans savoir pourquoi, disent toujours : Allons !

Ceux-là, dont les désirs ont la forme des nues, Et qui rêvent, ainsi qu’un conscrit le canon, De vastes voluptés, changeantes, inconnues, Et dont l’esprit humain n’a jamais su le nom ! » Charles Baudelaire, Le Voyage. .

“But the true voyagers are only those who leave Just to be leaving; hearts light, like balloons, They never turn aside from their fatality And without knowing why they always say: "Let's go!"

Those whose desires have the form of the clouds, And who, as a raw recruit dreams of the cannon, Dream of vast voluptuousness, changing and strange, Whose name the human mind has never known!”

Charles Baudelaire, The Voyage.

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The

European Voluntary Service What is EVS?

How does it work?

The European Voluntary Service is an opportunity open to European and Macedonian young people from 18 to 30 years old to get socially involved doing international volunteering abroad in Europe. An EVS can last few weeks up to 3 months for “short-term” projects and from 6 months up to a year for “longterm” projects.

I am going to share with you how I started the procedure for my EVS and finally went to Macedonia.

People interested in this programme can apply with the help of an organisation, foundation, NGO or association which is active within a specific social matter or a cause. The themes are numerous: disability, education, gender equality, health, European awareness, environment, animal warfare, active role of women in the society, civil protection, cooperation development, or projects of inclusion among many others.

The European Voluntary Service is a very good way to discover a different culture, learn a new language, and meet many interesting persons. But it is also a great opportunity to gain new skills through non-formal and informal learning and to grow as a person.

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The main starting point is there, at this link: EVS database. In order to get more information about the EVS and to start the procedure, first you have to contact a “sending organization”. The database is very helpful at this point because you can find in it the sending organizations close to where you live. On the EVS database page, select the name of your country and in “type of accreditation”, choose “sending organization” and you will get the list.

Back to my own story, I found a sending organization and I contacted them to arrange an appointment. This meeting was the occasion for me to clearly understand what the EVS is and see if it could meet my expectations.

My part of the job was to look for projects in the database that I would be interested in. So I checked, this time selecting “hosting organization” instead of “sending organization”, plus the “theme”. In doing this I found a number of projects. I was also advised to update my CV and write an email that I would send to the organizations hosting to projects I wanted to apply to.

waiting is not the same for every project and it may be longer or shorter. You just have to be patient and keep in mind that from the day you choose to do an EVS to the moment you actually leave your country many months can pass by. But the waiting time was worth it!

After contacting these organizations I received either positive or negative replies. Then it was time for me to select from the positive replies the project that interested me the most and start the procedure. At this point, the two organizations, sending and hosting, contact each other.

Eventually, the application for the EVS project was sent by the hosting organization to be approved by the European authority in charge of the European Voluntary Service.

This is when the waiting time starts. In my case, the application was sent October, 1st. And finally I was told in January that the project was approved. This period of

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Now you might start picturing what the European Voluntary Service is: a great opportunity given to the young adults to travel, meet new people, get involved, learn about new cultures and grow as a person…

But for sure the best way to understand it is to actually hear it from the people who have already experienced it. In the following interviews you will read about the experience of two former volunteers.

First, Delphine Delacre, a French girl who did her EVS in Kumanovo this year. And then, Mile Dimkoski, from Prilep, who did his EVS in Bulgaria, in 2009.

Delphine Delacre Who I am…

My name is Delphine Delacre, I am 24, and I come from the North of France. I did my EVS in Kumanovo in the organisation Multi Kulti, Centre of Intercultural Dialogue, during 6 months (from March to August 2013). There I was in charge of the travel arrangements for young Macedonian willing to participate in work camps abroad. I was also giving informal French lessons; I helped with the communication of the NGO. And I took part in the organisation of a work camp in Kumanovo.

I was 23 when arriving in Macedonia. I was very excited and worried at the same time, as everyone would be when going for the first time abroad for a long-term stay. I did not have any specific expectations, I was considering this as a good opportunity for me, that I had to make the most of it and would see what was to happen.

Before the project…

First contacts…

I was doing a national civil service in Dunkerque (North of France) in the organisation Unis-Cité for 9 months. The project was a work camp focusing on nature and it took place in an eco-friendly holiday cottage. It consisted in providing the inhabitants of the neighbourhood with the capacity of adapting ecofriendly acts while saving money; and also visiting and collecting memories from old people in “La Cité des Cheminots” (Saint Pol-sur-Mer).

I met my supervisor who I found very friendly and my flatmate from Bulgaria. As I arrived at the beginning of a weekend, I had the occasion to visit. Then, the following Monday, I participated in a treasure hunt in order to discover the city and make first contact with the population. I also had to write down my objectives, my expectations and my fears. By the end of the week I was already training on the programme of online travel arrangements for the work camps.

I was already willing to do an EVS when finishing high -school. I was informed about the programme by my German teacher. After that I participated in an information meeting presenting ADICE (my future sending organisation) and the EVS.

The main difficulties I faced were to express myself in English and go over my shyness.

I was really motivated to discover a new culture and try to link my experience of the French civil service to international volunteering. I also wanted to improve my English.

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The project of Multi Kulti interested me very much and the field in which they are working: improving the dialogue between the different communities in Kumanovo by organising common activities, trainings, events…

Three times I had to change apartment: as I said, I was first sharing a flat with a Bulgarian girl, a Polish girl and finally two German girls.

Gradually through my stay in Macedonia…

And now…

Of course, I have learnt a lot about myself (what I was able to do, to handle and my limits) and of course, about the others too (humanly and in working conditions).

I went back to France in at the end of August and I am currently living in Paris where I started a Bachelor’s degree in Social Intervention specialised in Coordination and management of territorial projects.

My worst memory was the very first day of my arrival in Macedonia. The bus dropped me off by the roadside… at night! At that moment I was wondering what was I thinking about coming to this place!

My advice to the readers is…

My best memory is more of a general thing. It is all the people I had the chance to meet, all along my EVS, the importance of human relationship and the bonds of friendship there was between me and them.

Dare the experience!

Either you would go abroad for the short or the long term; it will be an important experience in your life which can only be beneficial for you.

I will go back there one day, for sure.

“I have learnt a lot about myself”

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Mile Dimkoski

Can you present yourself?

My name is Mile Dimkoski, I am 24 and I come from Prilep, Macedonia. I was a volunteer in Varna, Bulgaria for 10 months in a Youth Information and Voluntary Centre.

What were you doing before going abroad?

I was a volunteer for 3 years in Youth Council Prilep and also I became coordinator of volunteering sector in that period. I also finished high school and I decided to go abroad and use the opportunity that the EVS offers.

How did you get information to get support to go abroad?

I had the pleasure to be informed about the opportunities for the youngsters because I was part of an NGO working in this field. I had a lot of information about programs, seminars, opportunities on the national and also European level so I applied and found a project.

What were your motivations? Why going abroad?

In that period I was at a crossroad, I didn’t know what to do, what would be the future, should I continue and spent my time in NGOs sector or should I start learning something else at the faculty? I didn’t know what my desire was so I use the option to try to learn more in the NGO sector and to be a volunteer.

And after my EVS I continued working in an NGO, I started to work as coordinator of the Youth Council Prilep.

How old were you at that time?

I was 19 when I left Macedonia to do my EVS. Do you remember in what state-of-mind you were before leaving your hometown?

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I already had experience like going on seminars or youth exchanges previously but only for short times, maximum 2 weeks, so EVS was another way to leave my hometown and my country.

You leave your friends and your home so, of course, you are feeling a little bit nostalgic at the beginning but after that you forget everything, because of the opportunity that you have and the new surroundings and the things you learn.

Do you remember your first moments in your hosting country?

We are neighbour countries and also very similar. But not completely similar, so I had to face some funny situations… The language for example, they use some words that we are using for different things.I had some interesting moments with the word “бара”, in Macedonian it means “searching” but in Bulgarian it’s “touching”, so I had some awkward moments with that kind of words. Also Bulgarian people are using “мастика” for schnaps but in Macedonian we are using it for chewing-gums. In the morning when I was asking for “мастика”, they thought I wanted to drink something at 8 am!

I must mention the thing with gesticulation because Bulgarians gesticulate in the opposite way when they say “no” and “yes”. It was very confusing. I was informed before going there but I didn’t think that it was so obvious and it was very funny.

What were the main difficulties you had?

The first two weeks are very crucial in the EVS. At this moment I cannot say that I had some big or large difficulties that I still remember but for sure the first weeks were crucial. And it’s happening with each difficulties that I still remember but for sure the first weeks were the crucial. And it’s happening with each EVS volunteers.

And those two weeks can also become two months it depends on how you adapt but it was easier thanks to the language as they are so similar.

Were you living alone or sharing a flat, etc.?

I was living in a flat with another Macedonian who was also my schoolmate and friend. That helped me a lot to adapt there and share my problems and my opinions.

And we had a French roommate, also EVS volunteer. But due to some problems back home, he had to leave the project.

How would you describe your integration to the local community? How did you get used to it?

I had the chance to have good colleagues who tried to integrate me, during working time and during the nonformal time. I had also friends from other NGOs, also EVS volunteers. I had the pleasure to meet a lot of people from different countries, so I can describe the atmosphere as multicultural. I could learn a lot about myself, and other people. This makes you more tolerant. You try to understand and put yourself in the others’ shoes, it was very interesting.

I can describe the EVS as an opportunity to get experience about life itself. In the time you can do an EVS, young people sometimes don’t really know what they want, where they want to go, what will be their future.

The EVS gives you the time to realise what would be your choice and what you want to become.

you take your bag. But you are taking your bag full with your background, with your family’s values, with your friends’ values, with your love values. But at the end when you finish your project in the other country you must come back with the same bag but with different kind of stuff inside. Then you must take out something and put something else inside. I learnt a lot, but probably I also lost a lot of things because when you are on EVS you think the world is spinning around, you think that everyone is waiting for you back home but that’s not the case.

Do you have two striking memories to share with us, the worst one and the best one?

My best memory is the time spent on the summer camp.

It was good, living for one month without internet, without phone.

And the worst one would probably be the misunderstanding with similar words and the problem with the gesticulation, as I said earlier. Another example, at the beginning when I asked for a place in the train, people would say “yes” in the Bulgarian way, so I understood “no”. Maybe it’s not the worst but it was something really frustrating.

What about your future plans?

I don’t know. Living in Macedonia is not giving so many options to think about the future, so I cannot say. I am still thinking about the different options.

What would be your advice to the people who will read this interview?

Don’t hesitate just go, and use the opportunity to live abroad, to meet other people, have fun, and take the opportunity to learn a lot about yourself.

Did this experience help you / change you?

Yes I can say that it changed me a lot. I changed my opinion about a lot of things I became more independent, I started washing my clothes myself… It was a joyful time.

What do you think you have learnt from it?

It is a very hard question because you learn a lot of stuff.

Let’s present it like that: you are going on a journey and

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The

EVS at

Let’s celebrate Europe!

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Info day

On May 9th, INFO SEGA and Youth Council Prilep held an Info Day for the Day of Europe.

The purpose of this event was to inform the local population through promotional material about the importance on the 9th May, Europe Day, the enlargement of the EU and its meaning. It was also to present the future activities of the project "Let's celebrate Europe" and the coming musical event. The project aims to raise awareness and to promote European culture and values among the youth.

Music Event

INFO SEGA and Youth Council Prilep organized a musical event "Let's celebrate Europe", supported by the EU Info Centre in Skopje.

The event was held in Prilep, at the square of Alexandria on the stone stage. It featured number of local youth bands, dancers, and young singers from Prilep, students from elementary and secondary local schools. The public was also given the opportunity to be informed about the EU through promotional material.

INFO SEGA

Let’s learn about Europe!

From May 13th to 15th, five worshops “Let's learn about the EU” were held in the High Schools Gorce Petrov, Kuzman Josifoski Pitu, Orde Copela, Riste Risteski Ricko and Mirce Acev, in Prilep.

These workshops were part of the project “Let's celebrate Europe” supported and endorsed by the EU Info Centre in Skopje. They were held in an informal and interactive way and the themes were the EU cultural values, what the EU represents and the EU citizenship. It was also the occasion to share the EVS experience in Prilep and talk about European citizenship and its meaning for EU citizens such as the ability to study, live and work anywhere in the EU. These project activities promoted the European values of young people and help them realize that they are also an important part of Europe.

Career portfolio On May 27th and 28th a two-day workshop was held at the offices of Youth Information and Counselling Centre INFO SEGA for making online career portfolio. The training was organized by the Youth Council Prilep, with the support of USAID YES Network. The workshop was aimed at young unemployed adults who attended the training for preparation for employment and work.

The participants were presented the foundation and importance of online career portfolio as a new trend in job search. The career portfolios will help the participants to increase the value of their experience among other applicants when applying to a university or job.

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International Youth Day On August 12th was the International Youth Day, several activities were organized in cooperation with SEGA, Youth Information and Counselling Centre INFO SEGA, Youth Council Prilep and Harvest Knowledge (NGO).

At the offices of the Youth Information and Counselling Centre INFO SEGA was the workshop “Youth migration and international experience of the youth of Prilep”. The workshop focused on the topic of youth migration, the reasons for the migration of young people in other countries, what challenges and difficulties are facing young migrants, etc. Young people from Prilep who lived some time abroad shared their international experience. We also talked about the EVS programme and shared our experiences abroad with the participants.

Educations and EVS promotion The first education was held in the Secondary School Kuzman Josifoski with students from first year on the topic “Protection of personal data on the Internet, with special emphasis on the protection of personal data on social networks“.

These educations are part of the project “Get informed, be active” which includes the EVS activities. Our role is to promote the European Voluntary Service among young people from Prilep. Though the public from high schools is still too young to participate in that programme, it is important for us to share our experience with the local youth and to promote our EVS activities.

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EVS activities Learning French

“Време за интернационална средба” International meeting

On August 15th and 22nd, two “International meetings” were organised in Mogila. This was the occasion to meet informally young people in Prilep and promote the European Voluntary service.

Thursday and Saturday at 12:00, French Conversation Hour At the Information and Counselling Centre INFO SEGA.

Guitar lessons Contact Gwenn on our Facebook Page: EVS Info SEGA or fill in this application form.

Pardon My French !

On Pulse Radio, every Tuesday at 14:00 Pulse radio webpage The player Facebook Page

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Exploration balkanique When we do an EVS, we have to attend meetings out of our organization with the other EVS volunteers who work in the same hosting country. The first one is called on-arrival training, and takes place at the beginning of the volunteering. The second one is called mid-term training and as named, it usually takes place in the middle of the volunteering period. These trainings are opportunities to reflect on our experience in a neutral context with professional trainers. The volunteers in the Balkans are pretty lucky because the two trainings take place normally in Sarajevo and Belgrade. Two perfect occasions to visit two capitals of two countries of the region. Therefore, it’s common to use these trainings to meet people, to travel and to discover the area of the former Yugoslavia. Here we decided to write our personal impressions of these trips and of these towns.

Waiting for September Belgrade It is always an interesting experience we have with the city of Belgrade The first one was at the airport, we were separated from it by the window glass of the airport terminal and the typical Serbian lowland while waiting for our plane to Skopje. We spent six hours in the airport. The memory of the Danube when we flew over it is still present in our minds. I recall to see Belgrade at that time only as a small hill under the Balkan sun. This was in April, the 17th exactly. We remember it because it was the day we left France.

The second time, it was on the road back to France to get our visas. We crossed all Serbia from Prilep by night, and we arrived there while the town was waking up. It was grey and wet panorama, with empty streets. We had difficulties to understand people and to be understandable because no one we met could speak either English or French. We wandered in the old town, looking for a café. Once again we were waiting for a plane. From that moment Belgrade started to be the neuralgic point between France and Macedonia. It started to be printed in my mind as a sad, grey ghost town. Once again, what a

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mistake. The city just needed to be tamed.

Because now I’m sure of one thing, Belgrade is a wild and honest city.

Without the fake of tourism which hides more and more many places in the world. One must spend some time in the city to feel all the incredible potential it has.

The third time, on the 7th of August, we left by bus an unusually cold and rainy Paris, and cross Europe. Two days and a half later, we arrived in the Serbian capital, chocked by the contrast between the conditioned air from the bus and the suffocating warm weather outside. It was 39 degrees. The building fronts and streets didn’t seem grey to me anymore but orange tainted and the city seemed much more crowded. The nice atmosphere of a hype bar we went to announced the colour of one of the main qualities of the town: its sympathy for culture and art. I also explored the area around the bus station and it made me change my opinion about Belgrade. I started to understand and I started to really appreciate this ambient which sounded to me so particular. I wanted to stay and I was impatient to come back again.

And we did back. For the mid-term training which took place at the end of September.

Twenty seven volunteers gathered for two days and a half of training.

We finally had the possibility to visit more thoroughly the town. First, we lost twenty degrees between Macedonia and Serbia. As I am obsessed with the weather, and because I forgot appropriate clothes, I noted it. But even if it was very gloomy outside, we received a very warm welcoming from the nice local people who wanted to speak with us in French, Spanish, English and Serbian, who were curious and happy to meet foreigners. And everything started to envelop us, and I said to Silvia, the Spanish volunteer who was with me when we walked on the riverside of the Danube: “I want to live for a while here, it seems like I could be surprised every day.”. We looked at the lights of one of the bridges, listening to the distant sounds of the town. We looked one last time at the calm movement of the water in the night. Last, but not least. We left Belgrade the day after, with the impression that we will see each other again.

Sept Septembre en attendant Belgrade C’est toujours une rencontre intéressante que nous avons avec Belgrade. La première, la ville en face de nous. Nous en étions séparés par la vitre du terminal de l'aéroport et de cette plaine typiquement serbe, en attendant l'avion pour Skopje. Six heures dans l'aéroport. Souvenirs du Danube quand nous avons l’avons survolé. Souvenirs de Belgrade comme d’une petite colline sous le soleil des Balkans. C'était en Avril, le 17 exactement. Nous ne pouvons pas oublier ce moment car c'était le jour où nous avons quitté la France.

La deuxième fois, sur le chemin de retour vers la France pour obtenir notre visa. Nous avons traversé toute la Serbie au départ de Prilep de nuit, et et nous sommes arrivés dans le réveil de la ville. Panorama gris et humide, les rues vides, des difficultés à comprendre et à être compréhensible car les gens que nous avons rencontrés ne parlaient ni anglais ni français. Nous nous sommes promenés dans la vieille ville, à la recherche d’un café. Dans l’attente à nouveau pour un autre avion. Cette fois-ci pour aller en France. Belgrade commençait à être le point névralgique entre la France et la Macédoine. La ville commençait à s’imprimer dans ma tête comme une ville fantôme triste et grise. Quelle erreur, encore une fois. Elle avait juste besoin d’être apprivoisée.

attendant le bus pour Prilep, marchant dans la zone autour de la gare routière. Et mon sentiment changea.

Et je commençais à comprendre. Et je commençais à vraiment apprécier cette ambiance qui sonnait pour moi si particulière. Je voulais rester et j'étais impatient de revenir.

Nous l'avons fait. Comme pour Sarajevo, la formation de mi-parcours est arrivée à la fin Septembre. Et elle avait lieu à Belgrade. Vingt-sept volontaires réunis pendant deux jours et demi et la possibilité de visiter de manière plus approfondie la ville. Tout d'abord, nous avons perdu vingt degrés entre la Macédoine et la Serbie. Parce que je suis obsédé par le temps, et parce que je n’avais emmené avec moi des vêtements appropriés, je l'ai remarqué. Même si la météo était vraiment peu agréable, nous avons reçu un accueil chaleureux de personnes tout à fait sympathiques qui voulaient nous parler en français, espagnol, anglais et serbe, curieux et heureux de rencontrer des étrangers. Et tout a commencé à nous envelopper, et j'ai dit à Silvia, la volontaire espagnole qui était avec moi alors que nous marchions le long du Danube : « Je veux vivre quelque temps ici, j’ai l’impression que je pourrais y être surpris chaque jour. ». Nous avons regardé une dernière fois les lumières de l'un des nombreux ponts, bercés par les bruits lointains de la ville. Nous avons regardé une dernière fois le mouvement calme de l'eau dans la nuit.

Une dernière fois pour le moment. Nous avons quitté Belgrade le lendemain, avec cette impression que nous allions nous revoir.

Car maintenant je suis sûr d'une chose, Belgrade est une ville sauvage et honnête.

Sans le faux-semblant du tourisme qui cache de plus en plus tous les endroits du monde. Il faut y passer un certain temps pour sentir tout le potentiel incroyable qu’elle possède.

La troisième fois, après avoir laissé un Paris étrangement froid et pluvieux, le 7 août, pour traverser toute l'Europe en bus. Deux jours et demi plus tard, nous sommes arrivés au coucher du soleil dans la capitale serbe, étouffés par le contraste entre l'air conditionnée du bus et le temps chaud et suffocant à l’extérieur. Il était inscrit 39 degrés et les façades des bâtiments et des rues n’étaient plus grises du tout. Colorées d’orange et bondées. L’atmosphère agréable d'un bar moderne qui annonçait la couleur de la principale qualité de la ville : sa sympathie pour la culture et l'art. Nous avons pris un verre, et profité du temps que nous avions en

19

Sarajevo

ljubavi moja!

From May, 20th to 25th May, Gwenn and I went to Sarajevo to attend the on-arrival training organized for EVS volunteers at the beginning of their service(?) in the Balkans.

Last year I went to Sarajevo for the first time, I heard the song “Sarajevo ljubavi moja” performed by a string quartet, in a restaurant located up one of the hills surrounding the town. I was already getting a little fond of this city, but the song just made me completely fall in love with it! Knowing that, you will imagine how lucky and happy I felt when discovering that I was going to spend five days in Sarajevo for my on-arrival training.

On May 19th, full of motivation and energy, we took the bus going to the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, I must say

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that after travelling eighteen hours, enduring two endless border controls and no more than three hours of sleep, my love for the beautiful Sarajevo was slightly fading away, but only for a brief moment... We finally arrived there on Monday morning and were welcome by a promising sunny sky.

This was the beginning of five unforgettable days.

We were a group of twenty volunteers from Spain, Italy, Denmark, Germany, England, Portugal, Belgium, Turkey, Netherlands, Poland and France. All of us doing an EVS in the Balkans.

Though our first day in Sarajevo was sunny and warm, the following ones were more similar to the rainy “Breton” weather I get back home.

Anyway this misfortune didn't prevent me from having a very

good time and making interesting encounters.

very

These five days were the occasion for all of us to share our first moments of volunteering and learn more about what is EVS, how to volunteer in an intercultural environment, how to face and manage challenges, etc. The week has been full of energizers, moments of reflection, teamworking, discussions about each one's own culture. We were lucky to spend this time with so many interesting people.

Our heads full of these wonderful moments, of the beautiful colors of Sarajevo, of all the weird foreign words we learned during this week, Gwenn and I agreed on one thing: this training was such a fountain of inspiration and motivation!

Sarajevo

Le 19 mai, plein de motivation et d’énergie, nous avons pris le bus qui allait nous conduire jusqu’à la capitale de la BosnieHerzégovine. Cependant, je dois dire qu’après dix-huit heures de bus, deux interminables contrôles aux frontières et pas plus de trois heures de sommeil, mon amour pour la belle Sarajevo commençait à disparaitre un peu, mais seulement pour un court instant... Nous sommes finalement arrivés le lundi matin, accueillis par un ciel ensoleillé prometteur. Ce fut le début de cinq jours inoubliables.

ljubavi moja!

Du

20 au 25 mai, Gwenn et moi sommes allés à Sarajevo pour participer à la formation d'arrivée organisée pour les volontaires SVE au début de leur service dans les Balkans.

L'année dernière, quand je suis allée à Sarajevo pour la première fois, j'ai entendu la chanson " Sarajevo ljubavi Moja “, interprété par un quatuor à cordes, dans un restaurant situé en haut d’une des collines qui entourent la ville. Si je commençais déjà à être très attachée à cette ville, j’en suis complètement tombée amoureuse grâce à cette chanson ! Sachant cela, vous imaginez à quel point je me sentais chanceuse et heureuse en apprenant que j'allais passer cinq jours à Sarajevo pour ma formation d’arrivée.

Nous étions un groupe de vingt volontaires originaires d’Espagne, Italie, Danemark, Allemagne, Angleterre, Portugal, Belgique, Turquie, Pays-Bas, Pologne et France. Chacun d'entre nous faisant un SVE dans les Balkans. Bien que notre première journée à Sarajevo était ensoleillée et chaude, les jours suivants étaient plus semblables au temps pluvieux breton que j’ai l’habitude d’avoir chez moi. Quoi qu'il en soit ce malheur ne m'a pas empêché de passer un très bon

moment et de faire des rencontres très intéressantes.

Ces cinq jours ont été l'occasion pour nous tous de partager nos premiers moments de volontariat et en apprendre davantage sur ce qu’est le SVE, ce qu’implique d’être volontaire dans un environnement interculturel, comment faire face et gérer les conflits, etc. La semaine était pleine d’energizers, de moments de réflexion, de travail en équipe, de discussions sur chacune de nos propres cultures. C'était une chance de passer ce moment avec tant de gens intéressants.

La tête pleine de ces moments merveilleux, des belles couleurs de Sarajevo, de ces mots en langues étrangères que nous avons appris au cours de cette semaine, Gwenn et moi sommes d'accord sur une chose: cette formation était un puits d'inspiration et de motivation !

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Prilep’s Youth around

the

World There are many ways to go abroad and many programmes are offering grants to help young people travel. It can be for many different purposes: simply travelling and meeting new people or volunteering, working and even studying. Here is the interview of Teodora Nedelkoska, a teenage girl from Prilep who is now living in Maribor, Slovenia where she is going to live and study for two years.

“don’t be discouraged if you fail at something, everyone does” What are you doing abroad and for how long?

I am currently enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Programme, in II Gimnazija Maribor in Maribor, Slovenia. The program is 2 years long, the third and fourth year of high school. This is my first year, and I will be staying here until June 2015.

What were you doing before going abroad?

Before leaving Macedonia I was a second year student in SOU “Gorce Petrov” in Prilep, and I studied medicine. I was active in my

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community, I volunteered at the local Youth Council Radio Station, Pulse Rock. I attended MMUN (Macedonia Model United Nations) meetings, CLIPS (Civic Leadership In Prilep Scholars) meetings, ACES (Academy of Central European Schools) meetings… I also planned on starting a club GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) but I just never got around to it.

How did you get information on financial support to go abroad?

A friend of mine sent me the application online. He applied last year but unfortunately did not get

in. I got a full scholarship to study the program and to live in a dorm here in Maribor.

What were your motivations? Why going abroad?

I have always wanted a better education than the one provided for me in Macedonia and that’s one of the main reasons why I decided to accept the scholarship. Finishing high school here will give me opportunities to get into better universities and get an even better education than the one I would have in a Macedonian university.

What was the procedure?

I started out by filling an application where I had to answer a couple of questions about myself and different sorts of activities and projects I’ve been a part of. I also had to write an essay on a certain topic. After that they called me in for an interview, asked me all sorts of different questions, and after a month informed me that I was accepted.

How would you describe your integration to the local community?

Do you remember in what state-of-mind were you before leaving Prilep?

I remember being really excited and full of adrenaline.

But I guess I was also a little sad for leaving my family and friends behind. But they understood it’s for the best.

I only know for sure that I will be studying something related to medicine. I don’t know where, I will try to apply to as many universities as possible and hopefully get a full scholarship.

What were the main difficulties you had when arriving in Slovenia?

The main difficulty I had was understanding the language, but that’s not a problem anymore.

But the program is in English, so I have no problem with my studies.

Are you living alone or sharing a flat, etc.?

I live in a dorm with a roommate who is also from Macedonia, from Gevgelija.

The city is amazing, it is literally the city of my dreams.

The people are nice, but not as open and friendly as Macedonians, but I guess it just needs some getting used to.

What about your future plans, after your experience abroad?

Finally, what would be your advice to the people who will read this interview?

My advice to everyone, especially youth in Macedonia, is to get out there, always be on the lookout for new information, new opportunities, and scholarships. And don’t be discouraged if you fail at something, everyone does. Just get back on your feet and keep on going.

The IB Diploma Programme (DP) is an academically challenging and balanced programme of education with final examinations that prepares students, aged 16 to 19, for success at university and life beyond. It has been designed to address the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of students. The programme, has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities. (Source: The IB Diploma Programme’s website) For more information: The IB Diploma Programme at II Gimnazija Maribor (in Macedonian language) – the application form is released in spring.

The IB Diploma Programme website

23

The

French Corner

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During the rain Caen is a medium-sized town in the North-West of France. Capital of the region LowerNormandy, 17km from the sea, the city faces the British coast and shares many connections and historical events with England.

Called “La ville aux cent clochers”, the town with one hundred steeples, the Catholic’s heritage is still visible despite it was almost destroyed during World War II. Apart from Norman food and churches, Caen is famous in France for two main historical events. Firstly, it is the hometown of William the Conqueror, who conquerred England in 1066 after the Battle of Hastings. You cannot miss the castle in the centre of the town - a cultural centre and social meeting point for people used to cross it as a road and sit on the grass to have a break. You can also visit the shrine of William into one of the two impressive abbeys that he built, the Abbey of Saint-Etienne, commonly known as the Men’s Abbey.

The second event is the 6th June 1944, the Normandy Landings, starting point of Europe’s liberation during the World War II, which memory continues to survive in the mind of the inhabitants and the landscape of the region.

I don’t really come from Caen, I lived in a smaller town one hundred kilometres in the south, but as many young who end high school in Normandy, I moved from “the town to the City” to go to University. I spent enough time in to say I come from Caen. The streets in the centre are bigger and homogeneous than usual for an old French town, because beyond the date of the foundation during the 10th century, the city was born again after the war. More than 60% of the town was totally rebuilt with the white/beige characteristic stone of the region, and almost all the cultural orientation is turned towards the memory of the war. The symbol of my university, one of the first universities in France, is the phoenix, reborn from its ashes, in a metaphoric but true way and it has the particularity to look like a typical American campus.

You can find the Museum of Peace and the War Memorial (Mémorial de Caen), the landing’s beaches, the ruins of the church Saint-Etienne-le-Vieux. Or some bullet’s marks printed on the few walls which stayed stood up after the shelling.

From the porch of the church Saint-Pierre starts the Saint-Pierre Street, the main one in the centre, where people are used to meet or have a walk. Immediately past the Bouchard Square, behind the old and dark church on the right, there is a small street called Rue Froide, or Cold Street, old and narrow, which open on the bookseller’s neighborhood. But you can also decide not to take this street and continue straight, in the middle of clothes shops and bakeries, to go directly to the famous street for students: La Rue l’Ecuyère. It’s traditional to have in each students town one street with a lot of bars, animated and crowded every Thursday, the day when all students are used to go out and have a drink. The most famous in France is La Rue de la Soif (The Street of Thirst, officially called Rue Saint Michel) in Rennes, Brittany. In Caen, in the evening or by night, ask for an embuscade, or ambush, and be surprised. At the end of this street is located the amazing building of the local municipality, and a bit further, after the musical school, you will find the calm of La Prairie with the hippodrome, the place for running or finding one piece of countryside in the middle of the town.

It is one stroll among the thousand you can do in Caen. Of course I was used to do that, when the colour of winter’s sunset started to disappear in the shadow of the night. I could also have sent you in the Colline aux Oiseaux (Hill of Birds) or in the Jardin des Plantes (Plants’ Garden) at the end of the colourful spring. Or we could also have gone to the seaside by bike, starting from the marina in the centre of the town, along the canal that connects Caen to Ouistreham.

Or have spent an afternoon on the beach of Merville-Francille, as I used to do when I was a child. Or…

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Caen

est une ville moyenne du Nord-Ouest de la France. Capitale de la région Basse-Normandie, à 17km de la mer, la ville fait face aux côtes anglaises et partagent de nombreuses connexions et événements historiques avec l'Angleterre.

Appelée « La ville aux cent clochers », le patrimoine catholique est encore visible malgré sa destruction quasi complète pendant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale. Excepté la nourriture et les églises normandes, Caen est célèbre en France pour deux grands événements historiques. Tout d'abord, elle est la ville de Guillaume le Conquérant, qui conquit l’Angleterre en 1066 après la bataille de Hastings. Vous ne pouvez pas manquer le château au milieu de la ville, centre culturel et point de rencontre pour les gens qui ont l’habitude de le traverser ou de s'asseoir sur l'herbe pour faire une pause. Vous pouvez aussi visiter le tombeau de Guillaume dans l'une des deux impressionnantes abbayes qu'il fit

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bâtir, l'abbaye Saint-Etienne, plus connu sous le nom de l'Abbaye aux Hommes.

Le deuxième événement est le 6 juin 1944, le débarquement de Normandie, le point de départ de la libération de l’Europe pendant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale, dont la mémoire continue de survivre dans l'esprit des habitants et le paysage de la région.

Je ne viens pas vraiment de Caen, je vis dans une ville plus petite à une centaine de kilomètres au sud.

Mais comme beaucoup de jeunes qui finissent leurs études secondaires en Normandie, je suis passé du «village à la ville» pour aller à l’université. Mais j'ai passé assez de temps à Caen pour me l’approprier. Les rues du centre sont plus grandes et plus homogènes que d'ordinaire pour une vieille ville française, car audelà de la date de la fondation au Xème siècle, elle vit le jour de nouveau après la guerre. Plus de 60% de la ville a été reconstruit avec les pierres blanches/beiges caractéristiques de la région, et l'orientation culturelle est presque

complètement tournée vers la mémoire de la guerre. Le symbole de mon université, l'une des plus anciennes universités de France, est le phœnix renaissant de ses cendres, de façon métaphorique mais bien réelle. Elle a aussi la particularité de ressembler à un campus typiquement américain.

Vous pouvez trouver le Musée de la Paix et le Mémorial de Caen, les plages du débarquement, les ruines de l'église Saint-Etienne-leVieux. Ou des traces d’impacts de balles sur les quelques murs qui sont restés debout après les bombardements.

Depuis le porche de l'église Saint-Pierre commence la rue Saint-Pierre, la principale du centre-ville, où les gens ont l’habitude de se promener.

Immédiatement après la Place Bouchard, derrière l’ancienne et sombre église sur la droite, se trouve une petite rue appelée Rue Froide, vieille et étroite, qui donne sur le quartier des libraires.

Mais vous pouvez aussi décider de ne pas prendre cette rue et continuer tout droit, au milieu des boutiques de vêtements et des boulangeries, pour rejoindre directement la rue la plus connue des étudiants: La Rue L'écuyère. Pour chaque ville étudiante, il est traditionnel d’avoir une rue dans laquelle se concentrent les bars, ani-

mée et bondée chaque jeudi soir, le jour des soirées étudiantes. La plus célèbre en France est La Rue de la Soif (officiellement appelée Rue Saint Michel) à Rennes, en Bretagne. A Caen, en fin de journée ou le soir, commandez une embuscade, et vous serez surpris. Au bout de cette rue se trouve l’incroyable bâtiment de la municipalité, et un peu plus loin, après l'école de musique, vous trouverez le calme de La Prairie et son hippodrome, lieu idéal pour courir ou trouver un coin de campagne au milieu de la ville.

l'habitude d’en faire, lorsque les couleurs du coucher du soleil d'hiver commencent à disparaître dans les ombres de la nuit. J’aurai pu vous envoyer dans la Colline aux Oiseaux ou au Jardin des Plantes, à la fin du printemps coloré. Nous aurions pu aller à la mer à vélo, depuis le port de plaisance partant du centre-ville, le long du canal qui relie Caen à Ouistreham.

Ou passer un après-midi sur la plage de MervilleFranceville, comme lorsque j'étais enfant. Ou ...

C'est une promenade parmi des milliers que vous pouvez faire à Caen. Bien sûr, j'avais

During the rain

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Nantes The first thing that comes to mind when I think of Nantes is what is making its reputation: its famous characters, its history, its cultural dynamism and of course its famous football team! I have to be honest with you, technically I don’t come from this city. I'm actually from a region south of Nantes, a "département" called Vendée.

Nantes has over 870,000 inhabitants and is located on the banks of the Loire river, a few kilometres before its estuary where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. This makes the city one of the biggest in the country.

And for me, who come from the

30

countryside, this is the “big city”. I still remember the first time I visited Nantes and the sense of excitement that I felt getting off the train that had brought my classmates and me to the big city.

I spoke, a little before in the article, of its famous characters, the first that comes to mind is of course Jules Verne. This writer of the 19th century was one of the pioneers of the literary genre of science fiction.

Even if it is a bit anachronistic to speak of science fiction for his books.

Jules Verne is known for its adventure novels, which transport us to imaginary worlds filled with

futuristic machines, strange to the 19th century science. Among his best known novels we find Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Twenty-Four Days. His world is a great source of inspiration, especially in Nantes where he influenced the creation of one of the most famous cultural sites of the city: Les Machines de l' Ile (The Isle’s Machines).

I could also speak about other famous places in Nantes and take you to l’Ile de Versailles (The Island of Versailles), visit the Japanese garden or stroll through the Quartier

Bouffay with its cobblestoned streets and half-timbered houses.

But I prefer to dwell on the Machines de l'Ile. This place opened in 2007 in the former shipyards of the city, now called the Nefs (the Naves). Nantes has a very important maritime industrial past. This is partly what made it so rich and brought economic and demographic growth.

To this I must add that Nantes is unfortunately also known for being one of the largest slave ports of France at the time of the triangular trade.

The Machines de l'Ile include three main attractions. Firstly the automated Great Elephant, 12 meters high, 8 meters wide and 21 meters long which walks around the Naves and used to water the passers-by who came to admire this impressive machine. Then there is the Machines Gallery where you can find, among others, a particular heron 8 meters wide. And finally, the machine that will always make me dream and that is to me the most impressive of all, the Marine Worlds Carousel. It is impossible not to find one’s inner child when facing with this three-floor machine! It plunges us into the world of Jules

Verne and his gigantic marine animals. I think it will be easier to imagine it through the video you'll find on this page.

I sincerely hope I made you want to visit the magnificent city of Nantes.

I still have hundreds of things to tell you but this was just a taste.

More information : Short film presenting Nantes Les Machines de l'Ile

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Nantes La première chose qui me vient à l’esprit quand je pense à Nantes est tout ce qui en fait sa réputation : ses personnages célèbres, son histoire, son dynamisme culturel et bien-sûr sa célèbre équipe de foot ! Je dois être honnête avec vous, techniquement je ne suis pas originaire de cette ville. Je viens en fait d’une région située au sud de Nantes, un « département » appelé Vendée.

Nantes compte plus de 870000 habitants et se situe au bord de La Loire, quelques kilomètres avant son estuaire où elle se déverse dans l’Océan Atlantique. Cela en fait une des villes les plus importantes du pays. Et pour moi, qui viens de la campagne, c’est « la grande ville ». Je me souviens encore la première fois où je suis allée visiter Nantes et du sentiment d’excitation que j’ai éprouvé en descendant du train qui nous avaient conduits, mes camarades de classe et moi, jusqu’à la grande ville.

Je parlais un peu plus haut de ses personnages célèbres, le premier qui me vient en tête est bien-sûr Jules Verne.

Cet écrivain du XIXe siècle a été l’un des précurseurs du genre littéraire de science-fiction. Même s’il est un peu anachronique de parler de science-fiction pour ses livres.

Jules Verne est connu pour ces romans d’aventure, qui nous transportent dans des univers imaginaires remplis de machines futuristes et étranges pour la science du XIXe siècle. Parmi ses romans les plus connus nous retrouvons Voyage au Centre de la Terre, Vingt Mille Lieues sous les Mers, et Le Tour du Monde en Quatre-Vingt Jours. Son univers est une grande source d’inspiration et plus particulièrement à Nantes où il a influencé la création d’un des lieux culturels les plus connus de la ville : Les Machines de l’Ile. Je pourrais également vous parler d’autres endroits connus de Nantes et vous emmener sur l’Ile de Versailles, visiter son jardin japonais ou flâner dans le quartier Bouffay avec ses rues pavées et ses maisons en colombage. Mais je préfère m’attarder sur Les Machines de l’Ile.

Ce lieu a ouvert ses portes en 2007 dans les anciens chantiers navals de la ville, appelés aujourd’hui les « Nefs ». Nantes a un passé industriel maritime très important. C’est en partie ce qui a fait sa richesse et a permis son développement économique et démographique. A cela il me faut ajouter que Nantes est malheureusement aussi connue pour avoir été un des plus grands ports négriers de France au temps du commerce triangulaire.

Les Machines de l’Ile comptent trois principales attractions.

Tout d’abord son Grand Eléphant automatisé de 12 mètres de haut, 8 mètres de large et 21 mètres de long qui déambule autour des Nefs et en profite pour arroser les passants venus admirer cette impressionnante machine. Ensuite il y a la Galerie des Machines ou l’on peut notamment trouver un héron de 8 mètres d’envergure. Et enfin, la Machine qui me fera toujours rêver et qui est à mon sens est la plus impressionnante de toutes, le Carrousel des Mondes Marins. Il est impossible de ne pas retrouver son âme d’enfant lorsque l’on se trouve devant cette machine à trois étages ! Elle nous plonge dans l’univers de Jules Verne et de ses bêtes marines gigantesques. Je pense qu’il vous sera plus aisé de vous imaginer cela grâce à la vidéo que vous trouverez sur cette page.

J’espère très sincèrement vous avoir donné envie de visiter cette magnifique ville qu’est Nantes. J’aurais encore des centaines de choses à vous raconter mais cela n’était qu’un avant-goût. Et si vous êtes intéressés pour en savoir plus, vous pouvez toujours cliquer sur les liens en bas de l’article.

More information : Short film presenting Nantes Les Machines de l'Ile

How to survive in France

BASICS Hello Bonjour How are you? Comment allez-vous? / Ca va?

Hi! Salut!

Please S’il vous plaît S’il te plaît (with friends) Thank you Merci You are welcome De rien Yes / No Oui / Non Maybe Peut-être I don't know Je ne sais pas

Where? Où?

When? Quand?

What? Quoi?

Who? Qui? How? Comment?

What is your name? Quel est ton nom?

My name is Niko Je m’appelle Jean How old are you? Quel âge as-tu?

I am 20 J’ai 20 ans Where do you come from? D’où viens-tu?

I am from Prilep Je viens de Prilep I am Macedonian Je suis macédonien / macédonienne

I don’t speak French Je ne parle pas français I don’t understand French Je ne comprends pas le français

Could you help me ? Pouvez-vous m’aider?

Today Aujourd’hui Tomorrow Demain Yesterday Hier Morning Le matin Afternoon L’après-midi Evening Le soir

Goodbye Au revoir Good night Bonsoir

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FOOD Where can I find … Où puis-je trouver … … a bar … un bar / un café … a (good) restaurant … un (bon) restaurant ASK DIRECTIONS

Where can I have a Où puis-je boire un verre? drink?

I would like to go to … Je voudrais aller à …

Could you tell me how Pourriez-vous me dire comment to go to … ? aller à … ?

Breakfast Le petit-déjeuner Lunch Le déjeuner Dinner Le diner Meal Repas

Is it the right direction Est-ce la bonne direction pour to go to … ? aller à … ?

Is it far from here? Est-ce loin d’ici?

Could you show me Pourriez-vous me montrer sur la on the map? carte?

I would like … Je voudrais … … French fries … des frites … a salad … une salade … a croissant … un croissant

Where are we on the Où sommes-nous sur la carte? map?

Where is the Tourist Où est l’Office de Tourisme?

Office?

The bill L’addition To tip somebody Laisser un pourboire

HEALTH Where can I find … Où puis-je trouver …

TRANSPORTS Bus Bus Train Train

… a doctor … un docteur … a pharmacy … une pharmacie … a hospital … un hôpital

Car Voiture Bus stop Arrêt (de bus) Is it the bus for … ? Est-ce le bus pour … ?

How many bus stops Combien y-a-t’il d’arrêts jusqu’à are they to … ? … ?

I have a headache J’ai mal à la tête My throat is hurting J’ai mal à la gorge me I have a stomach ache J’ai mal au ventre I have fever J’ai de la fièvre

WEATHER It’s raining Il pleut The sun is shining Le soleil brille It’s snowing Il neige The weather is nice Il fait beau It’s cloudy Le temps est couvert / nuageux

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Le mot de la fin We wanted to share with you, from our eyes and the eyes of the interviewees, which kind of experience it is to be abroad for a long time. To make the choice and to do it, to go and to deal with it. It’s also one more way for us to reflect on our own experience. We are in Prilep, we are in Macedonia. But it’s a part of something bigger. When we meet other volunteers from different countries and when we feel linked by being in the same situation. When we face the curiosity of local people, we feel a bit proud of where we come from, and proud also to be part of something full of diversity. It sounds like being de facto integrated in a huge community united by differences, in a good way.

Often as foreigners, we have to answer to one question first: “Do you like Macedonia?” This question is followed by another kind of observation: “It’s different”, insinuating it is better in France. For many reasons, yes, it would have been dishonest to say the inverse. But we choose also Macedonia to discover another way of life. We moved for the difference and the differences, because we are learning a lot from it. And you cannot imagine how many things we want to keep in our mind to bring with us back to France. We are reflecting on our experiences, we are reflecting on our own culture. The dream of the West, we want to relativize it, for instance.

And we are not complaining about the crazy traffic or focus on the negative things that we can listen.

We are not blind, aware of what is happening here where we are living right now, and even if we are foreigners we are not totally out. If sometime people tell us that we are lucky to be French, we would say we feel more like spoiled children. Our mind is changing every second. And on some points, the cultural choc switches. When we are looking back to France, we find ourselves to be shocked also. Probably it’s because we don’t have other choice but compare. The “French perspective” looking to the Macedonian way of life at the beginning. But the “French perspective” has is influenced by the Macedonian one now, after 6 months, and it is looking on the French way of life also.

We feel lucky to personally integrate all these things, not only to feel “so French” in another country. Even if we are, of course, in a way, going to be a bit Macedonian inside. A bit Macedonian in France.

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Meanwhile at the offices of INFO SEGA…

… new volunteers!

The Youth Council is hosting new EVS volunteers from France. You will hear more from them in the future but in the meantime here is a little about Antoine and Maud.

Antoine Coulon My name is Antoine, I'm 23, I want to conquer the world but for now I'm interested in the French hip-hop and beyond. I chose to volunteer here to share this passion. I chose Macedonia because it is one of the cultures I know the least. I was curious about the local hip-hop movement, its influences, its main themes and techniques of musical productions.

Maud Ceillier My name is Maud and I am one of the new volunteer in Youth Council Prilep. I will soon be working on a project called Style Outside Pulse Inside, which is a web radio project directed toward youth in the city. Now, a bit more about myself, I come from a city called Angers in Northern Western part of France. I am 22 years old and I studied English at University, moreover, during the past year I volunteered in an association and worked mainly with elderly people. This is the first time I come to Macedonia, I am very excited about this project and I can’t wait to meet you!

… and jokes!

Nick: "A red precious stone, starting with an 'R'?"

Gwenn: "Rubbish?"

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Youth Information and Counselling Centre INFO SEGA Pitu Guli, 6 7500 PRILEP

Contact: infosega@infosega.org.mk

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