LINK #126 by NGO K.A.NE.

FEBRUARY 2019

Editor: Marine Kafer

Designers: Ivan Doer Petya Stoyanova

New Brand Edition

Special thanks to Petya Stoyanova for all her help with design, her patience and an endless optimism!

CONTENT Contact About us Youth Center program

5 6 12

WELCOME TO KALAMATA The Art of Sleeping Well Kitchen Life Hacks Life Hacks of Reducing Plastic

14 16 18

LIFE HACKS Anna Klghatyan Niek Den Boer Marie Damond Petya Stoyanova Maiwen Cham Julien Debusschere Marine Kafer Elodie Fremaut Neda Mijovic Ivan Doer

22 Spontanious Situation 23 How to put ou Kitchen Fire 24 What to Do with Fruit and Vegetable Peeling 26 Food Hacks to Make Your Life Easier 28 Buy Bulk 30 Simple Life Hacks From Julien 31 Travel Life Hacks 36 Emmaus 38 For the Fashionistas out there 40 Life Hacks for a Succesful Horror Movie

AND SOME MORE... The Handyman's Tale A Glimpse Inside on Volunteer's Life There Will Be Oil! Back to Future

44 46 48 49

K.A.NE. Our Volunteers: Agnes Durda Alexandra Morin Anna Khighatyan Elodie Fremaut Ivan Doer Julien Debusschere Maiwen Cham Marie Damond Marine Kafer Neda Mijovic Niek Den Boer Ozgur Yuksel Petya Stoyanova

Staff members of K.A.NE.: Filaretos Vourkos Jelena Scepanovic Nancy Kanellopoulou Nantiana Koutiva Antonia Vrioni Georgia Griva

@kane.kalamata

volunteers

maiwen

elodie

niek

My name is Maiwen, I’m 22 years old and I work in the farm. I’m from france and I already experiment work in a farm there.

Bonjour ! My name is Elodie. I come from France. I’m social worker educator since 2014. I’m in Kalamata for 6 months. I’m volunteer in a dog shelter and also, in a therapeutic horse-riding. I’ve decided to do this SVE for discover a new country and news cultures, acquire news skills, share my knowledges, to improve my english, meet other volunteers from other countries.

I am Niek, I'm 30 years old. From a small town in the Netherlands called Lunteren. I will be a volunteer for 12 months here, in Kalamata. In my freetime, I like to create, read good book or scientific article (psychology, philosophy, history etc), or watch good art-house movie. Sometimes I like to make photographs.

neda

julien

MARIE

Hi, I’m Neda and I come from Montenegro. Activism has been my passion since high school days so I’m thrilled because of the idea of working at the K.A.NE’s office and help to create more opportunities for young people. Some of my other passions are traveling, dancing and good music and I hope I’ll get the chance to nurture all of them in the following 9 months. Can’t wait to discover the Greek way of life and get to know the country!

My name is Julien, I am from France near to Lille. I am 24 years old. I love the nature and the permaculture that’s why i have a garden in my city in permaculture since 2 years already. I stay in Kalamata for 10 months and i’m working in the farm. It’s my second mission of volunteering after Armenia. I love meet a new peoples and learn a new languages. I hope after my mission i will speak greek well and I will have like a second family.

Hello! My name is Marie, I’m 23 years old and coming from France. After one year of study arts, I realized a civic service in Romania in a school with children and I traveled. I will now stay in Kalamata for 7 month, I working at the urban farm, I chose this project to discover the permaculture. During my free times I like to be outside walk discover places reading, sewing.

ivan

anna

marine

Who am I? A human being, or, an evolved animal? It's really hard to give an explanation by using only words. So, I'll prefer to let my actions speak louder than my words. But you know what? I'm Passionate about Life and Nature. I spend a lot of time studying human behavior, what is a sort of a hobby for me. My biggest motivation is to learn from life and make my eyes see wider. I decided to quit my full-time job, so I could catch the opportunity to experience something unique in Greece.

Barev! I am Anna from Armenia. Honestly, in 28 years of life, this is my first time abroad in Europe. I am going to stay 8 months here in Kalamata and it is a long time for me to discover everything in Greece: live, love, experience new emotions, meet new people, create new stories, explore new streets. This is a great way and opportunity to get to know me, myself, to discover something new in and outside. After this project, I am going to make a short movie or a video about my story, my EVS, my vision, dreams and goals. Bonjour! My name is Marine, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m 28 years old and coming from France. After studying Business Administration, working in Marketing and travelling the world, I will now stay in Kalamata for 10 months, working at the office of K.A.NE. I decided to volunteer here to get to know the functioning of an non-profit organisation and to set up my own European Projects! During my free time I like to play volleyball, go diving or read fiction books. This year, you also gonna find me at the German language workshop.

petya

ozgur

Hi, I am Petya. I come from Gabrovo, Bulgaria. I will be staying in Kalamata for 2 months on a short-term EVS, helping in the dog shelter as a paet of my gap year after high school. Next year I will be studying International Business in the Netherlands. During my stay in Greece I old love to understand better the culture and the langage!

My name is Ozgur Yuksel. I'm 26 years old. I'm from Turkey where I've been studying Master Degree in Sociology at the Abant Izzet Baysal University. Currently I'm working on my thesis. At the same time I'm doing my EVS project where I'm working in Youth Center. I like reading history, philosophy and literature books. My favorite sport is basketball and I have been playing it for 18 years. For the rest of my free time, I enjoy to spend on nature and going for a hike.

K.A.NE.

FILARETOS

jelena

NANTIANA

Hello, I am Filaretos Vourkos. For the last 10 years I am working in the field of Non-formal education as a volunteer, youth worker and youth trainer. 6 years ago,I decided to create the Youth Centre of Kalamata, in order to initiate youth work in Kalamata and promote active citizenship as factor for change.

Hi, I’m Jelena Scepanovic,an EVS coordinator in K.A.NE. and a volunteer of the Youth center. I came from Montenegro in 2012 as an EVS volunteer. I really liked the idea of the youth center and the work that K.A.NE. does, so I decided to stay and be part of it.

My name is Nantiana! I’m 25 years old. I live in Kalamata! I was living for 5 years in Patras! I was studying there greek philology and now I’m teaching greek to the youth center in Kalamata.

Nancy

antonia

georgia

Hello World! I’m Nancy and I’m doing my internship in K.A.NE as a Project Manager. I am really excited to be here because I was always admiring their work especially the Youth Center and Street Festival. I’m passionate about meeting people and exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas. I love the fact that many young people visit every year my hometown Kalamata and contribute in our society.

Hello! I’m Antonia and I’m 23 years old. I studied business administration in Athens and now I’ve been working in K.A.NE. as administrative officer. I’m really enthusiastic to be a part of this team and work together so that young people have more opportunities to meet different people and cultures, exchange ideas, travel the world and open their hearts to new adventures!

Hello, my name is Georgia Griva. For the past 5 years I am a youth worker and project manager. This journey in youth field started in 2014 with my first youth exchange and my EVS in Istanbul. I am proud to be member of K.A.NE. which represents my vision and my values as human and as active citizen.

LITTLE TRICKS FOR STAYING ALIVE

The Art of Sleeping Well ELODIE

Since summer 2017, I discovered another way to sleep well. To sleep with earplugs! I didn’t think I would support them but yes, I do. With this, I hear the beat of my heart, which allows me to calm down, to be relaxed. When I wake up, I take the time to stretch for a while.

NIEK This is a skill that I still need to master .The solution for waking up is in the time when to go sleep.To wake up It is always better to wake up with some music / company ,And never forget the smell of coffee .It is not about the quantity but the quality.

IVAN My secret of staying young and fresh is simple. I try to sleep around 7-8 hours per night. And I like to be an early bird. Waking up at 8, or 9, gives me enough time to enjoy the whole day. Yes, I mostly go asleep around midnight or even 1 a.m.. But what can I do… I’m enjoying my life too much to get in bed too early.

ANNA Most important things that you are using in the Art it is light and shadow. So guess, what is my art of sleeping well and waking up in a good mood! Definitely! For well sleeping my room should be very dark like shadow and I should wake up from warm lights of the Sun.

NEDA Calm, gentle music is what helps me fall asleep easily. For waking up in a good mood - again music! Upbeat rhythm and happy tunes are a way to set me in the right mood for the rest of the day.

MARINE To sleep well, I try to avoid the blue light of screens like smartphones or computer before going to sleep. Reading a book is much better in the evening for me to fall asleep. In the morning, I can easily wake up if I had enough sleep and if I put groovy music on.

PETYA It is very simple, just use the 90 minute rule. When you sleep your brain cycles through stages, each lasting about 90 minutes. Waking up in the end of the cycle you will feel the most refreshed. For instance if you want to wake up at 7am the best time to go to bed is about 11:30 pm or 10 pm.

MAIWEN To fall asleep quickly, you may avoid to watch screen (as computer, mobile phone and TV screen) one or two hours before go to bed. Cause screen light excite your eyes and brain so it's more difficult to fall asleep quickly and sleep well when you excite yours eyes and brain.

MARIE For me the best way to start my night is to read a book and when my eyes start to close, turn off the light and I can start making sweet dreams. For waking up in a good mood nothing more pleasant than a ray of sunshine and happy music.

LITTLE TRICKS FOR STAYING ALIVE

KITCHEN LIFE HACKS ELODIE In my fridge, I put some lemon (open). they capture the bad odors that come from to the others things. It’s very effective. Moreover, the lemon scents the fridge.

NIEK Guacamole is delicious, but it can be a bit tricky to preserve. It goes brown and also changes flavor when it is exposed to oxygen. If you want to prevent this, you can put your leftover guacamole in a container, and then add a thin layer of water to the top. The water acts as a protective barrier, and prevents the guacamole from reacting with the oxygen in the air. Pour the water out of the container when you are ready to eat it. The guacamole will stay green and delicious.

IVAN You’re hungry? Want a fried egg but the oven is not working… pff… take the iron, plug it in and fry your egg on the steel surface! Don’t forget to put a drop of oil before you cook, otherwise it’ll burn! And yeah, you can boil some sausages in tea kettle. But warning, don’t use the same water for tea after!

ANNA If you are crying because of cutting a lot of onions for your meal, just look one of the elements of Earth: water (by the way my favourite drink). Put some water on your cutting board and knife. This kitchen lifehack is from my lovely mam.

NEDA If you have a loaf of bread that is getting stale you can make it fresh again. You only have to run it through some water and put it in the oven for 5 minutes. It 16

will get crunchy and look fresh like it was just baked.

MARINE Your mashed potatoes tastes bland? Pin some cloves in the potatoes before boiling them and add ground nutmeg in the water. Take off the cloves from the studded potatoes before mashing them.

PETYA Are you tired of washing this endless load of dirty dishes? I know I amâ&#x20AC;Ś So here is the perfect solution to the problem. Take your plate, wrap it up in some stretch foil, put the food on the top of it and when you are done eating you simply peel the foil off, throw it in the trash bin and there you have it, a clean plate!

MAIWEN When you burn your finger or hand during cooking, you may apply piece of potatoes on the scorch to diminue the pain and heal it.

MARIE To stop using full of household chemicals. You can clean your kitchen with white vinegar, it shines and disinfect. You can even wash your windows with it!

LITTLE TRICKS FOR STAYING ALIVE

Life Hacks ofHACKS reducing plastic KITCHEN LIFE ELODIE To reduce plastic, I try to buy as little plastic as possible. To this end, I go to the grocery store with glass bottles. I put inside pasta, rice, peanut… and I use them again and again. It’s ecological.

NIEK Everything that we put in the bin doesn't disappear!! it is not only plastic that we need to reduce, but every kind of trash! In Kalamata, there is a general problem with waste recycling, orchestrated by the municipality of Kalamata itself. They simply discharge all the wastes in the illegal landfill in Maratholakka. My approach to this is to minimise all trash and to be aware of what is to be recycled and WILL be recycled! So please at least bring your own shopping bags and don't buy single use products if you don't need to!

IVAN FLIP-FLOPS FROM PLASTIC BOTTLES!!! Cheap to create, easy to maintain and you will never worry to damage them! Probably, a pair of these will not serve you too long, but every time you’ll finish a bottle of water, you can go into creating some shoes to wear!

ANNA From my armenian friend (Tamara) I was starting to use: fabric bags for shopping, birthdays’ parties just ceramic plates, if we are drinking coffee on the street with plastic , after to wash it and use again and again. Buuuut last times we started to bring our ceramic cups on the street, looks fashionable :d Less plastic, more clean and fresh nature!

NEDA Going grocery shopping with my own bags. This way there is no need to use the plastic bags from the market so I make my small contribution towards preserving the planet. 18

MARINE Stop using plastic straws! We do not need to drink with a straw. If this is a real pleasure, there are reusable straws in metal, cardboard or bambou that you can wash.

MAIWEN Stop to buy plastic, you may found other way to take your product why not try bulk?

MARIE Stop using plastic straws ! We do not need to drink with a straw if this is a real pleasure there are straw in metal that is washed or cardboard that recycles.

PETYA Nowadays anywhere you look you are surrounded by plastic. It is everywhere food containers in grocery stores, utensils, furniture even in fashion. A simple trick to reduce plastic waste is to buy natural substitutes of the ones mentioned above. Glass containers, cleaning brushes with wooden handles, rice based bags and so on. Just look around for the alternatives, they are out there.

LIFE HACKS

Spontanious situation When you are searching #lifehack on websites, you can find more than you wonder. For me, life hacks are like the energizers we do in training courses: you are doing them, but the next time you forget them. If I want to remember some of them, I do some screenshots for next time. But honestly I never tried to find a website, a video or to remember what was the life hack for this or that problem. The only video that I remember till now, it is how to clean off sneakers and other shoes with an eraser. I don't know how it happened, but this is the one and only video that I know and it is very helpful. Maybe I am lazy to clean sneakers everyday. By the way, I like quick and productive problem solving. Imagine you are in some situation and you can remember of all the videos and the websites, like me. You have to take a decision in the right moment. I have my own resolution for it. My life hack is to be spontaneous, because of situation. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember all videos that you search on the internet, just find specific solution for that specific moment and it will be more productive. You can solve every situation with an urgent decision and it will be your best life hack. Moreover, you can have a lot of different solutions for one issue. This is the great way to make your brain work very fast. I like to use this way of my life hack. Try yourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. How fast is your brain? ANNA KLGHATYAN

LIFE HACKS

How to put out kitchen fires If you have a fire in the oven or the microwave, close the door or keep it closed, and turn off the oven. Don’t open the door! The lack of oxygen will suffocate the flames. If your oven continues to smoke, like a fire is still going on in there, call the fire department. And unplug the device! If you have a fire in a cooking pan, use an oven mitt to clap on the lid, then move the pan off the burner, and turn off the stove. The lack of oxygen will stop the flames in a pot. Slide the lid on the pan straight in a 5 degrees angle so your wrist is protected from the flames! If you can’t safely put the lid on a flaming pan or if you don’t have a lid for the pan, use your fire extinguisher. Aim towards the base of the fire — not the flames. Never use water to put out grease fires! Water repels grease and will spread the fire by splattering the grease. Instead, try one of these methods: 1) If the fire is small, cover the pan with a lid and turn off the burner. 2) Throw lots of baking soda or salt on it. Never use flour, which can explode or make the fire worse. 3) Smother the fire with a wet towel or other large wet cloth. 4) Use a fire extinguisher. Category B (co2 / foam / powder ) 5) Don’t swat at a fire with a towel, apron, or other clothing. You’re likely to fan the flames and spread the fire. If the fire is spreading and you can’t control it, get everyone out of the house. Close the doors behind you to partmentilise the fire. This way you keep the temperature in this room and prevents the fire from spreading out. Then call the fire department! Make sure everybody in your family knows how to get out of the house safely in case of a fire. Practice your fire escape route. Fire blanket, how to use it? Pull it out the case and hold it high! Take the handles in the corners, twist your hands inwards so that the blanket covers your hands and wrists. Than cover the fire source. Never pull back the blanket, this will spread the fire! NIEK DEN BOER

LIFE HACKS

W hat to do with the fruit and vegetable peelings After cutting, peeling, stripping... do not throw away your peelings of fruits and vegetables! There are plenty of possibilities to use them whether cooking or decorating there are not directly waste.

HERBAL TEAS, INFUSIONS: Do you like to drink tea? instead of buying a multitude of flavors and forget them at the bottom of the cupboard nothing is easier than to put your peelings (apples, pears, oranges, lemons in the water of your tea or to mix them with herbs like mint, thyme... You can even dry them and keep them directly in the tea boxes. COOKING: Our first reflexes after peeling potatoes and carrots is throw in the trash. This is a very simple and economical solution. You can make some chips! For this, mix the peels with a little powdered sugar, cinnamon, spread on a plate covered with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 150 degrees for forty minutes.

OTHER SOLUTIONS: If you do not want to drink or eat the peelings of your fruits and vegetables, I propose you other solutions: You can use your peelings of tangerines or oranges to spread a sweet scent of citrus in your home. For that, it is enough to cook them a few minutes in the microwave and to put them in a small plate. You can also put them in your fridge for bad smells. If you are lucky you have a bath it is possible to eat your orange in your bath and let the peelings float around you! Of course, all this applies only with peelings of fruits and vegetables BIO! MARIE DAMOND

LIFE HACKS

Foodhack hacks make your life easier life ofto succesful horror movie Are you sick of crying while cutting onions or having your bread all dry and as hard as a rock? Then that is the perfect article for you! Stick around and soon enough you will be a true guru in the kitchen! FRUITS HACKS We all love bananas but did you know that if you wrap the top part, where they are all connected, with plastic or foil, they can last up to 4-5 days more? Are you planning to make some cherry jam any time soon? Yum-yum! But all those seeds… No one wants to spend hours cutting them up and taking the seeds out… Worry no more, all you need is a glass bottle or any type of bottle for that matter and a straw. Then you just put the cherry on the top of the bottle wit the cherry stem going inside of the bottle and you pierce through it with the straw and voilà! Similarly to the cherries, a great way to get rid of the green top and the core of this fruit is to pierce through it with a straw. By doing so you considerably reduce the waste and create less mess in the process. SUNNY SIDE UP OR SCRAMBLED Peeling an egg… Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they came shell less like watermelon with no seeds… Small tip I can give you: a teaspoon of baking soda in the boiling water and the second you take the pot off the oven, pour out the boiling water and substitute it with a cold one. The shell practically slides off of it on its own! Hard boiled or raw? Spin them around! Hard boiled eggs spin good; raw, not really. Fresh or spoiled? Put them in a cup full of water. If it floats… well… I suggest you simply throw it out. 26

COLD BEER ON A HOT SUMMER DAY OR GLASS OF WINE AROUND THE FIRE A fast way to cool a beer down is to put a wet towel around it and put it in the fridge. In about 15 min you are good to go! Grapes with wine goes like peanut and jelly. You can freeze some grapes and then put them in a cup of wine so that you keep it cool but it doesn’t get watery. Also it is the perfect snack when you are done with your drink! ONIONS AND GARLIC The easiest way is to put the cutting board on the top of the burners of your oven and turn the hood fan on. Simple but extremely effective. If you don’t have one you can try to chew some bubblegum while preparing the onions. You have a vampire in your house and you have to peel some garlic really fast? Get the nearest two bowls, put it in between and shake it up! BREAD You forgot to close the packaging after you last used it and it has gotten hard enough to hammer a nail with it?! No worries! All you need to do is break it in a half and put it in the oven with a bowl full of water. As soon as the water evaporates your bread will be nice and soft again! These are all the food hacks I have for you and I hope they will be useful to you, but before the article ends I have an extra tip for free. You need your cookbook but you don’t want to get it dirty? You can just run up to the closet and get a trousers hanger, clip the book on the page you need and hang it on the kitchen cabinet’s hanger. All set to cook now! Enjoy!

PETYA STOYANOVA 27

LIFE HACKS

Buy Bulk What is bulk? Actually it's when products are without packaging in shops. So you may found some shops with self-service. Where and when did it appear as a consumption possibility? In fact it were one of the first way to exchange or to buy products.

For example one person who products cereals, proposed it in huge container and each one could serve itself. So it was a normal way to exchange, lost by market transformations. With supermarkets, most of the specific shops closed the doors and products with a lot of packaging became standard. Nowadays, to buy bulk is promoted with ecological arguments. So in some supermarkets in Europe, you may found bulk stand for breakfast cereals or other things.

Bulk shops can be in different forms. The most spreaded presentation is in big bags, with a big spoon in it or in boxes. This way, you may choose the quantity and put it in your bag. So the cashier needs to weight your articles. In fact you'll just pay what you need and what you will consume. Prices are marked, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usually kilogram price. So it's helpful if you just want to test some new product and take a small quantity. Moreover you can just take what you need in term of quantity and in this way, you avoid waste. Furthermore, it's often better products than in classic supermarkets. It's sometimes biological or local food. So if there are ecologic, local or both and you buy it, you choose a more earth respectful way to feed yourself. You may also avoid to consume plastic so you may reduce your plastic consommation. In fact you may bring your own container as glass jars or fabric bag. If you choose fabric bag you may use glass jars in your home to maintain foods. So actually when you buy and use products without packaging, you act for the environment and for yourself. Moreover your kitchen may look more natural than before with all your glass jars! MAIWEN CHAM

LIFE HACKS

life a series hackof of Life succesful Hacks horror From Julien movie WHY SHOULD WE USE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF PLASTIC IN OUR LIFE? - Oil extraction is extremely polluting - The plastic ages very badly and quickly - It is, most of the time, not recyclable - Its incineration or the landfill of wastes enormously pollutes MY TIPS FOR GETTING THE PLASTIC OUT OF LIFE Do not discard jars of glass of jam (and others: olives, etc.), wash them and use them to store leftover food, food purchased in bulk or to take your meal. Add to your bag a few bags of fabric like tote bags: very light and bulky, they are always useful and avoid plastic bags. Do not use disposable plastic tableware during your holidays: adopt recyclable cardboard dishes, or even better, use your usual washable dishes. Use a wooden toothbrush ... and compost it when damaged. MY TIPS TO USE LESS ENERGY Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eat meat but eat seasonal fruits and vegetables Buy only clothes from Second Hand shop Use a bike, not the car Consume local products Wash with solid soap Perform selective sorting Gardening and composting Put a "stop pub" on the mailbox Use tea and coffee grounds in your garden

JULIEN DEBUSSCHERE

LIFE HACKS

Travel Life Hacks "Tested and approved during my race around the world." - Marine HOW TO TRAVEL PLASTIC FREE There are many small steps you can take to reduce your environmental footprint while traveling. You can use solid soap instead of shower gel. You can drink tap water from reusable canteen with water cleaning tablets instead of buying plastic water bottles. You can replace the traditional toothbrush, cotton-buds and hairbrush by wool ones. Go shopping with your own cloth tote bags. Have a proper look at the plastic wastes you will (unfortunately but surely) find on the beach, and think about a way to replace it in your daily life. HOW TO SAVE YOUR IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS Before departure, scan all your important documents like passport, credit card, ID card, international driving licence, health insurance card etc. and upload it on a Cloud (eg. Google Drive or DropBox). In case you lose it, it will help to prove your identity and get you safe back home. HOW TO FIND YOUR CLOTHES (QUICKLY) Put them in separate bags: one for the tops, one for the pants, one for the underwears. When all your belongings have to fit in 65L, effective packing is the trick! HOW TO AVOID A SEPTICEMIA IN ASIA Disinfect every single scratches you might have. Even if it doesn’t look serious. Even if it’s just a mosquito bite. Even if you wouldn’t do it back home. Especially if you scratch yourself on sea rocks or coral. With a water temperature of 30°C, 31

it’s a paradise for bacteria! If you don’t have a proper disinfectant on hand, use lemon juice, alcohol or vinegar. This one also also provides relief for jellyfish stings. HOW TO SURVIVE TO THE SANDFLIES IN NEW ZEALAND Use tea tree oil as repellent. After being literally devoured by sandflies and after having tested every possible repellent, we were advised by Maori people to try tea tree essential oil. This has proven to be the most effective one by far. Always trust the locals. HOW TO STAY CLEAN IN THE AUSTRALIAN DESERT On long roadtrips, you may not have access to a proper shower during a whole week. How to deal with that? If you can find a water source on your way (river, lake, sea, waterfall, canyon…) go have a swim and use an environment-friendly ecological soap. You should never use traditional shower gel or shampoo in natural water source, because it contains many environmentally harmful chemicals. If you don’t have access to a water source, you can try the make a homemade shower with a bottle of water hanging from a tree. If you’re running out of water, baby wipes will save your life! For the hair, I highly recommend to use dry shampoo, or baby powder. HOW TO STAY WARM IN A TENT BY 0 DEGREES Spread out a survival blanket under your mattress, on the tent floor. It will isolate your mattress and therefore your sleeping bag from the humidity coming out of the soil. HOW TO AVOID MOUNTAIN SICKNESS IN PERU 32

Mountain sickness can cause dizziness, fatigue, headache, loss of appetite, nausea and other funny side effects. But the most stunning hikes in Peru lie at an altitude of more than 4.000 m. Don’t rush there straight after landing in Cusco! Your body needs some days to adapt to the altitude. Only after a couple of chill days with light meals (avoid bread and meat, and I emphasise this point) you can try to go for a high-mountain hike. Still feeling bad? Chew coca leaves while walking or drink coca leaves tea! Local people say it helps. HOW TO AVOID THIRD-DEGREES BURNS IN A SCOOTER ACCIDENT IN BALI It’s warm and sunny, you come back from the beach, you just have light clothes and flip-flops on. Wrong! Scooter accidents can happen very quickly in South-East Asia. There are several reasons for this: bad conditions of the roads, lack of public lighting, any kind of animals crossing the road, poor maintenance of the rental vehicles… And if you fall off the bike with just a short and t-shirt on, you will be seriously burned. Always put on some long sleeves shirt and pants if you’re gonna take the bike. I know it’s hot outside, but safety first. HOW TO FINISH A HIKE ALIVE You should bring with you: water, a mobile phone and a power bank, some snacks, a frontlight and some change clothes or warm coat / gloves depending on the 33

weather. Check the weather forecast before you go. The weather can change a lot in altitude for example, going from 30 degrees in the plaine, to 0 degrees at the top of the mountain within a couple of hours! Depart early, in case you get lost, you still have time before it gets dark. You should always prevent someone about the time when you return, so he/her can inform the police if you don’t show up. Also, don’t take any risk, take a paper map with you if you can and don’t overestimate your physical condition. Hiking is a sport! HOW TO AVOID DEADLY SPIDER BITES IN AUSTRALIA Shake your clothes before getting dressed and clap your shoes before putting them on. In case a spider is hiding in them, it will go away by itself. They just bite when they feel attacked. HOW TO HAULING CARS OUT OF THE SAND OR MUD If you’re driving in the outback in Australia, most of the roads are gravel roads, and if you get off the beaten tourist tracks, you will quickly end up driving in sand dunes, muddy paths, or dry lakes, which can be very misleading. I these conditions, it’s very common to silt up. First, you should always carry a recovery board, a shovel, a pull cable and a walkie-talkie in your 4-wheel drive car. Second, you should always be at least two cars driving together, in case one get stuck, the other one can help. If the other one can’t help, deflate all your tires, dig a bit with the shovel behind the rear wheels, put the recovery boards behind them and drive backwards. HOW TO BAKE BREAD WITH (ALMOST) NOTHING You are driving in the outback in your van, the next supermarket is still 500 km ahead and you’re hungry? Make your own bread! All you need is 400g of flour, one package of baking powder, 25 cl of water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix everything together, forms flat balls and cook it in a pan with some oil. That’s it! HOW TO TRAVEL LIGHT WHILE REMAINING FEMININE At home, you might have 20 different cosmetic products. On a roadtrip, you’re limited by weight and room in your backpack. So the trick is to find a multifunctional product, which replace many others. I discovered for example in Bali the coconut oil. It’s magical. You can use is as body lotion, sunburn release, hair oil or even toothpaste or cooking oil! 34

HOW TO EAT FOR FREE Did you know that supermarkets generate a large amount of wasted food that is still perfectly edible? So, why don’t we eat that food? All you have to do is go dumpster diving! It sounds weird the first time, but I that’s the best way to travel cheap and do a good action for the environment at the same time. I had really nice surprises sometimes, like that time when we came across around 40 boxes of Ferrero Rocher!

HOW TO AVOID A TURISTA IN ASIA Yes, this type of illness can literally ruin an entire vacation and keep you confined to your room for days. But follow these easy tips and you should be fine. Never drink tap water without using water cleaning tabs, avoid to eat raw fruits or vegetables salads. Before eating, wash your hands with a waterless alcohol-based antiseptic and, if possible, soak your cutlery or chopsticks in boiling water. In general, trust your instincts: if the place doesn’t inspire you, move on. MARINE KAFER

LIFE HACKS

life hack of succesful horror movie EMMAUS Emmaüs is an association which fights against poverty, social difficulty and exclusion for the freedom and the dignity of the people. It was created in 1954 by Abbé Pierre, a french priest. Emmaüs international was created in 1971. The association welcomes different individuals called ”companions”. These persons can be migrants, people coming out of prison and any other person in need. They are in precarious situations. Emmaüs is a way to reintegrate these people into the society through work. They are hosted, receive food and benefit from psychological counseling. In return, companions works in different workshops. They refurbish things come from people for example old fridge, table, bike, furniture, clothes, shoes, books, toys etc. After that, Emmaüs sells these objects at low prices. Also, they participate for the recycling. It’s a very good thing for the society and the environment. The story of a companion called Joe “In November 2000, the "managers" entrusted me to Joe, a companion, "solid pillar". He was assigned to the appliance repair shop, where, if possible, appliances were put back into service like freezers, refrigerators, ovens and other cooking robots. If this is no longer possible, we retrieve parts that can be useful in troubleshooting future devices, before putting the rest to the specialized dump (to a possible recycling?). Very quickly, while monitoring me closely, Joe tests my electrical knowledge, entrusting me with a microwave whose labels specify "dangerous: forbidden to open" (their magnetron works with high voltage). Quickly reassured, he will then set them 36

aside for me. Over the months and then years, in the community I became "the old microwaves" girl. Now I’m thinking about teaching and training young people about electricity. I discovered it with Joe, a companion who knows everything about troubleshoot (freezer, refrigerator, clock, watch, television, radio, Hifi, motor car or motorcycles, ...) and whom I often asked for advice!” In 2012, I worked on a common project with a group of students at my university. We went to Dunkirk for three days (300 km to Paris) in an Emmaüs center in order to discover and get to know this association. It was very interesting. With this NGO, there is a win-win situation for everybody. I noticed that there was a strong spirit of solidarity. I met some companions.They explained to me that this association allows them to find a meaning in their lives. A reason to get up in the morning and have a goal.

Thanks to their work, the companions find again the self-esteem they had lost before. ELODIE FREMAUT

LIFE HACKS

for the fashionistas out there Looking fashionable may seem challenging and a time consuming task, but believe me, it is not. You only need to know some tricks, and you will become a style icon in no time! (Ok, not really, but your life will be a lot easier) CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSET If you think your closet is overcrowded but you are not sure what to throw away, use this simple trick. Hang all of your clothes hangers backwards. After you've worn an item, place it back, but with the hanger facing the other way. After a while, some of the hangers will still remain backwards. That means that you should get rid of the clothes hanging on them.

FOLD AND ORGANIZE YOUR T-SHIRTS Here is a simple way to organize your t-shirts in order to have more space and better visibility in your closet. REMOVE SWEAT STAINS FROM YOUR WHITE SHIRTS If you want to make your old white shirts sparkly white again and remove sweat stains from them, just spray some lemon juice on the stains, and throw them into washing machine. The stains will be gone and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be able to wear your favourite white shirt with no shame again.

STRETCH YOUR TIGHT SHOES You saw the most beautiful shoes ever that you simply had to buy, but they are a bit tight? All you need to do is fill plastic bags with water, seal them and put into your shoes. Then, you should put everything in the freezer and wait until the water freezes completely. When water freezes, it expands slightly, which will soften your shoes a bit and it will be more comfortable for you to wear them. IRON YOUR CLOTHES THE EASY WAY If you need to iron your shirt but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have time to do it, there is a solution. Hang it in the shower, and while you are showering, the steam will take care of the wrinkles, and you are good to go. NEDA MIJOVIC

LIFE HACKS

life hack of succesful horror movie I will not ignore the fact that horror movies are quite famous among the potential customers. They are stunning, they terrify, they make us feel worried… well, that’s how I’d describe the perfect horror film. Something stinks! Basically, the horror movie genre is outdated. Throughout the decades we were watching movies based off the same template. Nothing new was implemented. If the comedy is based on a humor and it doesn’t really require deep character development, the horror movie is the complete opposite. The horror movie is based on playing with audience’s emotions and empathy to the main character(s). But when the main hero is just another empty shell, and you simply see the actor play out the script, you are not going to fall for that. Besides, the real character is the transformation of the actor, not playing on the surface. And even if the actor by him/herself is very talented, sometimes the poor script doesn’t give them the chance to portray it. And the problem with the genre is not mainly characters. The core of it lays way deeper. But let’s try to be constructive. I’ll present you a few “life hacks”, that will might your horror story look work. Time to dig a bit deeper. So, say your prays, here we go.

LIFE HACK #1: DEVELOP YOUR CHARACTER(S) In character-on-based horror movie, you need a deep character(s) in order to create an empathy. Without an empathy and mental appeal, the key thing will be gone – to make the viewers to share the feelings with the protagonist(s). How does it work? 40

A deep character is the one with a clear background, logic behind the actions, and a reasonable drama. And what is even more important, we will see the hero struggling during the film on their way of achieving something. It is the quintessence of creating the character the audience would likely empathize with. Make the chemistry between the audience and characters, so the former ones want to cheer up for their protagonists. LIFE HACK #2: BREAK LOOSE WITH THE CLICHÉS Another thing that you should know when you’ll start working on your horror movie story is to be as creative as it is imaginable. The corner stone issue with the genre now is the lack of freshness. All the hints and turns that were making an effect in past now are easily predictable by any of the viewers. Because everybody experienced it already hundred times. This disjuncture is impossible to forget while watching the film. Plot contrivances that can be predicted to the moment. Add typical jump scares that ruins all the atmosphere. Even if the deep down beats the heart of the great horror movie, it might get lost in cheap jump scares, supported by bad CGI (what always rubs our eyes), and heavy cribbing other horror movie models of success. LIFE HACK #3: RELEASE THE POTENTIAL Let’s say that horror movies should be like sex. You don’t want the audience to blow their load too early. Now bear with me on this one. If your audience begins to associate everything frightening in the film with loud noises and sound effects, then your film will build to nothing. The climax of the movie won’t be effective in the least because the audience has already had all the tension released too early by countless jumps cares making laughable what supposed to be frightening near the end. Jump scare is the cheapest tactics used in horror films today. At the end, bear in mind that everybody got their own level of frightening. Sometimes, what makes “scary as sh*t” one person, will invisibly pass throughout another one. But every viewer likes a good story with logic inside, and characters, to whom you could give your preference. P.S. I would like to thank Chris Stuckmann, as well as many other film critics and reviewers, for inspiring me for writing this article. IVAN DOER

BEHIND THE SCENES

life handyman's the hack of succesful tale horror movie In this issue of LINK magazine, you'll get to know more about Niek Den Boer, a technical doctor for everythng that is broken. A LITTLE INTRODUCTION OF YOURSELF, PLEASE. My name is Niek den Boer. I'm 30 years and I came straight from the Netherlands. For more than 11 years I am specialized in gearboxes and powertrains for light cars. On the moment I am finding ways to expand my horizons as a long-term EVS volunteer in Kalamata, Greece.

TELL US PLEASE WHAT YOU FEEL WHEN YOU ARE GIVING THINGS A SECOND LIFE? I like to be able to make something funtion

and it’s

always a good thing to see a

satisfied

friend/costumer

when they receive there rebuild product. It is a fullfiling feeling that makes be happier.

DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOOD AT WHAT YOU’RE DOING? Too hard to say. There are plenty of way to improve yourself, and It's always important to give a try. As Michelangelo once said, "I'm seventy, and I'm still learning".

HOW DID YOU GAIN ALL YOUR SKILLS? The most of my skills I gained by having my intrest in those directions, and I ended up spending a great deal of time trying and improving them. DO YOU BELIEVE IT’S A NATURE BORN TALENT, OR EVERYONE CAN LEARN IT? I think you have to have a interest in it! It helps if you have perfectionist trades even when you are not satisfied the majority of the people thinks you do a great job. HOW TO HAMMER A NAIL WITHOUT A HAMMER? There is always a heavy object that can temporarily function like a hammer. HOW TO TIGHTEN THE SCREW WITHOUT A SCREWDRIVER? For instance, you can use a knife or what ever works in the moment, if you don’t have any other options. WHAT WAS THE MOST UNUSUAL LIFEHACK YOU EVER USED IN LIFE? I was driving around with pantyhose like a belt for my alternator from Hungary till Romania 950 km. The fun part is that I asked this pantyhose from a complete stranger. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST LIFE HACK YOU USE? Mindset! I always think in solutions. Never travel without zip ties! And a pocket knife. IS THERE SOMETHING IN THIS WORLD YOU CAN’T FIX? There are things that I don’t like to fix... WHICH FIXING TOOL IS YOUR FAVORITE? Magnet on telescope! Those things are lifesavers. But ducktape is a good 2nd place. I know it’s not tool but you can build a lot out of regular ducktape. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR FUTURE? I know I am in my place on the moment I can make myself useful. So, it will be a combination of fire department and mechanics that’s the direction I like to take. A SHORT ADVICE FOR BEGINNING HANDYMAN’S? Never dismiss a logical advice even if you don’t have the means to work that way and YouTube is always there to show you how it is done or how not to. 45

THE INTERVIEW

A glimpse inside oN volunteer's life life hack of succesful horror movie A spotlight on Marine Kafer, a long-term EVS volunteer, from the land of croisants and cheese. CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO KNOW YOU BETTER? Hello, my name is Marine, I am 29 years old, I am French from Normandy in the North of France. I studied economics and worked in digital marketing. I was playing volleyball in France and now I am a player in Kalamata. CAN YOU PRESENT US YOUR PROJECT? I work at the K.A.NE’s office for a period of 10 months. I participate in the development of the different european projects. I’m learning how an NGO works with projects, EVS and Erasmus+. HOW DID YOU COME TO GREECE? DID YOU CHOOSE IT OR DID YOU PROPOSE IT TO YOURSELF? This project was offered to me by others. What interested me most was the fact that this project is a long term. This allows you to learn a language and to have a deeper knowledge of your work field. For me it was like an alternative to an extra year of study, with the international experience on top of that. IS IT SOMETHING YOU PARTICULARLY LIKE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING, IS IT THE FIRST TIME? Yes, this is my first volunteering position. I have never worked in association but I wanted to work differently. I always wanted to do it but I did not have the time or I did not feel able to. After working 3 years in marketing, I wanted some changement and to step into a new work environment. WHAT WILL THIS PROJECT BRING YOU FOR THE FUTURE? WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU BRING TO K.A.NE? This EVS will bring me an understanding of the functioning of NGOs & associations and also new contacts. In terms of working habits, it brings me some flexibility and suitability. I hope to meet my expectations for my professional and personal 46

orientation. I work now with a good conscience every day. With my expertise in marketing, I bring new ideas with a different way of working, maybe ‘the french touch’. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER FINISHING YOUR PROJECT? I’m not sure yet, but I think I would like to work again for an NGO. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY TO SOMEONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT GOING ON EVS? Above all, do not hesitate, even if everything does not meet your expectations. In any case it will be a positive experience. Not to put barriers and just do it.

PAST EVENTS

There will oil! life hack ofbe succesful horror movie OLIVE OIL TASTING Last week we had a special event, typical of the area, namely an olive oil tasting! It took place at the Youth Center (Κέντρο Νέων Καλαμάτα). For the EVS, it was a good opportunity to get familiar with the famous local product! A local producer introduced the 3 main types of olive oil: extra-virgin, virgin and pure olive oil. She then explained us how is it made, comparing it with orange juice. In total, we could try eight different types of oil with bread. Mmmm, tasty!

FUTURE EVENTS

BACk Future lifeto hack of succesful horror movie 6th of February 2019, from 19:00 PRESENTATION OF NEW WORKSHOPS Feel free to come and take a look in Kentro Neon, alias the Youth Center! Everyone is welcome. Parents can bring their kids also. On the 6th of February, the new workshopsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; schedule for the second semester will be presented! Application process is still the same, you register on a list for the workshop(s) you would like to attend. First come, first served! You get 2 free lessons to try your new course, and then you decide if you want to continue. From the 3rd lesson, the small contribution of 10â&#x201A;Ź will be charged. The teachers are all volunteers, the financial participation is only enough to make these lessons posible.

The volunteers responsible for this publication are hosted in Greece in the framework of the European Erasmus+ programme, KA1/youth - European Voluntary Service. This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.