Editor: Petya Stoyanova
Designers: Ivan Doer
Time
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Content Contact About us Youth Center program
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60 SECONDS... Time Management Life Hacks 14 My Favorite Historical Time Period 16 My Favorite Time of Day 18 TIME Agnes Durda Anna Khlghatyan Catarine Silva Enzo Petit Ivan Doer Julien Debusschere Maiwen Cham Marie Damond Marine Kafer Neda Mijovic Niek Den Boer Ozgur Yuksel Petya Stoyanova
FIND OUT MORE My Project My Sending Organisation Future Events Interview with an EVS Volunteer Interview with a Local Volunteer
Time Difference Don't Lose Yourself on Balcony The Circadian Rhythm Interstellar About Time Times An Essay About the Time Dreamtime Among Aborigines Time. Times. New York Times That 70's Show How to Use Time Time: The History and Future of Everything 43 Man vs. Earth
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K.a.ne. Our Volunteers: Agnes Durda Alexandra Morin Anna Khighatyan Catarina Silva Enzo Petit 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
maiwenenzo
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catarina
niek
My name is Enzo, I’m 24 years old and I come from a little town named La Chapelle d’Armentières in the very North of France. I will stay in Kalamata for 2 months, doing an EVS at the Kefiab Center. It is a therapeutic center that works to improve the quality of life of adolescents and adults with mental and physical disabilities.
Olá! My name is Catarina and I'm from Porto, Portugal. My background is in International Relations, so being a volunteer for a NGO is a useful way of gaining experience and developing valuable skills! I left my 5 cats and dog in order to embrace this project for 11 months. In my project I’m assisting in the day care center for the kids with autism.
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.
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ivan
anna
marine
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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, I’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
Agnes
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.
Hi, my name is Agnes and I’m 25 years old. I am originally from Poland but I lived in Liverpool for 6 years, that’s where I have chosen to apply for the short-term dog shelter project. I expect this project to be both rewarding and challenging at the same time, also a good way for me to see if I will like to continue a career path of working with dogs. I am a sport enthusiast - I mostly enjoy winter sports such as ice skating and skiing. I also enjoy reading crime and fiction books before bed. 9
K.A.NE.
FILARETOS
jelena
NANTIANA
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Hello, I am Filaretos Vourkos. For the last 15 years I am working in the field of Non-formal education as a volunteer, youth worker and youth trainer. 10 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 Koutiva and I am working in KANE as project manager. I have studied greek philology and I am teacher of greek language as well. I love travelling and organizing festivals.
Nancy
antonia
georgia
Hello World! I’m Nancy and I’m working in K.A.NE since 2017 as a Project Manager and EVS/ESC coordinator. I’m passionate about meeting new people and exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas. I love the fact that many young people visit every year my hometown Kalamata and contribute to 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.
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TIME MANAGEMENT LIFE HACKS AGNES I follow my to do list. If I don’t keep up with it, I then prioritise activities starting from the most important one. ANNA It is all about planning. To be on time, I suggest sticking to your schedule. Just keep some stickers, notes with you or set an alarm. After this you can manage your time, week, life! CATARINA I’m so good at procrastinating, so I need discipline. I plan my day in the morning or sometimes the night before. This is the best way for me to do what is most important. Also, I gather my things and I choose my outfit before bed for the day before. ENZO When I have to go somewhere it’s really important to be exactly on time for me, this is probably the only thing I care about, I mean I don’t have a to-do-list because if there’s something important to do I will remember, if it’s not I will forgetabout it. MAIWEN Make a small to do list and write what you want to do within 1 or 2 hours, not more because it could put pressure on you. With that you will be sure that you will not forget important things. And please take time for yourself, you’ll be more concentrated and productive. JULIEN I'm dedicated to doing the most important things in the as fast as possible, even if the deadline is far away so that I am free to do whatever I want afterwards. IVAN Respect the time, and the time will serve for you well. Keep a watch with you, so you can always check the time. Punctuality is a habit of wise people. MARIE I'm not a very organized person I do not make to-do-lists and often I do things at the 14
last possible moment as I leave room for the unexpected awates! MARINE Time management is my weak point. Since I am no good when it comes to selfdiscipline. To achieve something, I need appointments, pressure and commitment. So I write to-do-lists, I set up meetings & deadlines, and I establish short-term objectives.
NEDA A good plan of your activities is half of the job done. You should make a plan that is not too strict, if you are just starting to work on your time management skills. For the more advanced ‘time managers’ - be realistic and don’t try to fit more things in a day than it is possible to achieve. NIEK Plan and organise. When it comes to time, management preparation is the key! Make sure you and the people around you understand when and what you want to see finished. This approach is good for work. Communicate; set deadlines. OZGUR I was not a very organised person so I can't give you many suggestions but I usually guess the time required for the work to be done and I adjust my works arrange. 15
MY FAVOURITE HISTORICAL TIME PERIOD ANNA To me every historical period was interesting for a specific reason. I can not choose one, but I do have a favourite period of time that is present in all of them. It is the moment when we change the time and from seven to nine the sky is covered with purple, pink, and yellow colours, the sun is still shining in the sky even though it is evening. Just like a crazy person I like this time period that I have never seen before. One beautiful view from nature! This is a historical time period in nature for me! CATARINA European Renaissance a.k.a “the age of enlightenment”. It was marked by a revival of Classical learning and wisdom. The Renaissance witnessed a number of discoveries in many fields: new scientific laws, new forms of art and architecture, new religious and political ideas, and new lands like America! It was also the rediscovery of classical Greek philosophy, such as Protagoras, who said that "Man is the measure of all things." IVAN Present… I’m absolutely satisfied with the bullshit that happens all around. I learn from past, but I don’t leave in it. I think about my future, but without losing the sense of present. Every moment counts, and the best way to enjoy it is to be in now. JULIEN Just after the war. People don’t appreciate peace when there is no war happening. People are happy with nothing, there is work in all areas. MAIWEN I don’t know because I like history and I believe all the time periods could be very interesting if we take time to discover them. If I need to choose one, I will say time period between 100 years old war and world war one or may be the antiquity, or the middle age.. I don’t know! MARIE My favorite historical period in the history of art is the beginning of the 20th century because it is the beginning of surrealism, for me it is a very interesting artistic movement because it has the concept of freeing oneself of the interest control of the reason and is fighting the values received.
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MARINE Each time period had its advantages and disadvantages. I think that we have a tendency to glorify the past, leaving the less glowing aspects unsaid. So to me, the best time period to live in is the current modern period. NEDA Personally, I find 70s a very interesting period. There are more factors that contribute to this, but they are all characterized by revolution - in music, fashion, mindsets of people... NIEK Sometimes I think I wanted to live or be born in the 50’s .But when see how easy and convenient live is in 2019, the charm of the 50’s fades away. So I will have to say that my favourite historical period is the present, or the 50’s !! It depends on the what we want out of life. OZGUR I wanted to live in a lot of different historical periods but my favorite period is between 1945 - 1980 because Second World War was over and social states were on the rise. Although limited, a part of the world had reached peace and prosperity. But unfortunately all of this lived under the shadow of The Cold War. PETYA Personally I believe that every historical time period has it’s strong and weak points and life varies greatly depending on them. But I believe we should just enjoy the present and not worry about the past and the future too much. With that being said… The present is my favourite time period. AGNES I’m interested in ancient times, I mostly enjoy visiting museums and historical landmarks to further my knowledge.
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MY FAVOURITE TIME OF DAY AGNES My favourite time of the day is definitely evening when you can either relax after a productive day or go out and have a drink. ANNA If I am in the mood, every second of the day is my favourite. So what do I need to be in a good mood: sunny weather, sweets and music. My favorite time, I can create by myself. CATARINA Morning, afternoon, evening or night are the same to me. My favorite time of the day is when I'm eating, sleeping or having a good time with friends at any time. But one of my favorite moments is also watching the sunset, preferably on the beach!
IVAN I don’t have “a favorite” time of the day. I like the whole day itself. Both morning and evening can have their positive impact on me. I believe the only difference is me and only me and nobody else. 18
ENZO Whenever it’s time to eat! Food is more than a way to survive to me, it’s a hobby! I also like it when I have to go somewhere walking, I can listen to some music while thinking about life, and about food... JULIEN It’s when I get up in good health.The first 5 minutes that I dedicate to think about what I will do today, while still lying in the bed. MAIWEN I enjoy reading before I go to sleep and waking up the next morning with my book next to me. I also like to take time and drink a coffee before my day begins. MARIE My favorite time of the day is at 5pm when the sun is low and the evening begins. It's like the day is starting again!
MARINE I like this moment, at the end of the day, when you dive into a hot bath. Or when you read a good book in your bed before going to sleep. To me, the best time of the day is the relaxing and quiet moments. NEDA Sunsets, definitely! And in order to make it perfect, I’d imagine them in summer, on the beach, surrounded with good friends, good vibes and music I love. Looking forward to them in Kalamata! NIEK I like every moment that includes food or coffee especially now that I am in Greece, where the food is fantastic. And in the international community I am living in provides some tasty surprises! OZGUR I don't have a favorite time of day. It depends on my mood but towards evening are especially beautiful in my opinion. I love the sky orange. PETYA My favourite time of the day is it’s very beginning; the break of dawn. There is something special about those few seconds that change the sinerary completely.
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TIME DIFFERENCE Time zones came about due to the earth's rotation that causes day and night. Not all of planet earth can be facing the sun at the same time, thus while one part of the earth is experiencing night, the other side is experiencing day. The local time within a time zone is defined by its offset (difference) from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the world's time standard. Time zones are as much about politics, diplomacy and rebellion as they are about ... the time.
UTC time changes 1 hour forward and backward corresponding to a 1 hour difference in mean solar time for every 15 degrees east or west of the prime meridian (0° longitude) in Greenwich, London, United Kingdom. The offset is expressed as either UTC- or UTC+ and the number of hours and minutes. Geography does sometimes play a huge part, as in the case of Nepal. While nearly all countries have hourly time zones - some are half-hourly. Nepal is one of only two places in the world that has a quarter hourly time zone, the other being the Chatham Islands (although Eucla in Western Australia unofficially uses GMT+8:45). Nepal is 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of GMT, because it sets the meridian of Nepal Standard Time at Gaurishankar, a mountain east of Kathmandu. The odd time difference between Nepal and India has resulted in a 20
national joke that Nepalis are always 15 minutes late (or, Indians are 15 minutes early). It gets trickier in the North and South Poles, where all the longitude lines converge and thus the poles don't officially have time zones. In the North, several countries have set up scientific research stations which follow their respective countries' times. The South Pole only has one research station, owned by the US - but they use New Zealand time because researchers fly into the station from Christchurch.
Time zone differences will vary during the year, as different countries observe DST during different periods. Therefore, you should usually use The World Clock instead.
AGNES DURDA
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DON'T LOSE YOURSELF ON THE BALCONY
Numbers, arrows or a circle, something special that you can not see, touch, to turn back or forward it to the future, but it is always with you. This is a dangerous subject everywhere and you have to be very careful with it, because no matter what you do, how many regrets or what-ifs you have, no matter how many excuses you make time is irreversible. When we children we want it to go faster, to become grown-ups, we have all the time in the world,we waste it, we go at our own pace. But when we grow, we spend every second, minute, hour trying to be as productive as possible. We the humankind have lost ourselves in the neverending spiral of time. Sometimes don’t do anything special throughout the whole day. I simply spend some leisure time on the balcony and enjoy the sun. Or for instance just hang out at the bar and listen to some music. If the weather is nice I like to take a walk around surrounded by the blossoming trees and flowers. And sometimes simply watch a movie. Is there something to gained spending your time doing the activities listed above? Hmmmmm…. maybe no, maybe yes. Let’s see! Taking a break is good, but after that you have to work even harder. But imagine that you are on the balcony, enjoying the sun, at the same time you can take your sketchbook and draw, or read a nice book, take your software with you to the bar and finish the project for which the deadline is approaching. You can’t socialize with people, that is true, but you will have your work within the deadline. Naturally you can always take a break and speak with people around and then get back to your laptop. During the walk you could organize your future plans, breathe some fresh air and take some time to appreciate the things that you have. Movies? A friend of mine say they are waste of time, but I harshly disagree. There is a lot to learn and be gained from biographical or documentary movies and of course they help to gather a little bit of motivation for the next step but you have to choose the right movie. What else??? Humans are simply humans. We need to waste some time just chilling on the couch and tapping 22
along to the music beat, but never forget about the fact that at the end Of the day we are still responsible of the way we spend our time. Just enjoy life taking it one day at a time and don’t forget to spend some time with kids, because it can never be called wasted. Whatever you're doing, whether it is having fun or working, just don't lose yourself!
ANNA KHLGHATYAN 23
THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM Did you know that you have an 24 hour internal clock running in the background of your brain? That is the Circadian Rhythm, also known as the sleep/wake cycle and It’s important in determining the sleeping and feeding patterns. Most of us have very little knowledge about the human body’s inner clock. External and internal clocks control our physical, mental and emotional functions without the need for us to interfere. Chronobiology, a young science in Europe, refers to the day-night cycle that affects the human organism when the earth rotates. Human history has been shaped by light and darkness.The lightdarkness factor continuously adjusts our everyday functions to a 24-hour rhythm. For example, when it’s dark at night, your eyes send a signal to the hypothalamus that it’s time to feel tired. Hypothalamus is a portion of our brain which controls the circadian rhythm. Our brain, in turn, sends a signal to our body to release melatonin, which makes our body tired. Inside our body, this information is converted into a signaling hormone called melatonin. Melatonin already completes a multitude of tasks by daylight. According to Chronobiology, that has been gaining importance over the past 30 years, there are three basic cycles: Infradian Rhythms, Ultradian Rhythms and Circadian Rhythms. The Infradian are rhythms that last more than 24 hours. These are repeated only every few days, weeks, months, or once a year. Good examples are seasonal rhythms such as bird migration or lunar rhythms, or even woman’s menstrual cycle. The Ultradian are biological rhythms that are shorter than 24 hours. There are many physiological functions, for example ingestion of food, circulation of blood and the control of breathing. These rhythms regulate physical, emotional and spiritual functions. Finally, the Circadian Rhythms which take approximately 24 hours. Examples are the human sleep/ wake cycle or the leaf movements of plants. Yes, C.R is found not only in humans, but in most living beings, including animals, plants, and many tiny microbes (fungi and cyanobacteria). Many effects of circadian rhythms directly and immediately affect humans, therefore, they are the most extensively researched. For most adults, the biggest dip in energy happens in the middle of the night (somewhere between 2:00am and 4:00am, when they're usually fast asleep) and just after lunchtime (around 1:00pm to 3:00pm, when they tend to crave a post-lunch nap). But it also depends on whether you are naturally a night owl or a morning person. The more intelligently we attune our life to these rhythms, the greater the benefit. C.R works best when you have regular sleep habits, like going to bed at night 24
and waking up in the morning around the same times from day to day (including weekends). Irregular rhythms have been linked to various chronic health conditions, such as sleep disorders, obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder. On the other hand, maintaining consistent and healthy circadian rhythms may help improve overall health and prevent chronic diseases. Also, when things get in the way, like jet lag, staying up late, working on our computers or smartphones, rarely getting outdoors or exercising, eating processed foods, and going out for drinking or food binges in the early morning hours, and then drinking large volumes of caffeine to stay awake you can disrupt your circadian rhythm, which makes you feel out of sorts and can make it harder to pay attention.
CATARINA SILVA
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INTERSTELLAR WARNING ! Some things you will read on this article are based on theories and speculations. Also the article mainly talks about how time works and is perceived in the movie, this is not a science class! Now, let’s get started!
Brief introduction of the movie: In the near future, the people realize that their life here is coming to an end as food begins to run out. Cooper, an ex-science engineer and pilot, who is works as a farmer, asks NASA to go on a daring mission with other scientists into a wormhole, which conducts to another galaxy, to find another livable planet. Some definitions: Before we start talking about how time works in Interstellar, you need to know what Wormhole and Black Hole are. Wormhole : A wormhole is a speculative structure linking points in spacetime. A wormhole can be visualized as a tunnel with two ends, each at separate point in spacetime, it can connect extremely long distances such as a billion light years, short distances, different universes or different point in time. They are consistent with the general theory of relativity, but whether wormholes actually exist remains a mystery. Black Hole : A black hole is a region of spacetime exhibiting such a strong gravitational effects that nothing can escape from inside it, not even light. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass can deform spacetime to form a black hole. The boundary of the region from which no escape is possible is called the event horizon. We say “Black” because nothing can escape from it and “Hole” because we can “fall” in it. Wormhole is repulsive and Black Hole is attractive. What’s Cooper’s plan ? Cooper decides to ask NASA to help him find another livable planet, and together they find out that around Saturn, there is a wormhole that leads to another system, with livable stars like Earth. With his team, Cooper enters this wormhole and finds 3 planets called Miller (water planet), Mann (ice planet) and Edmund (desert planet) that spin around a black hole (called Gargantua). How time works in Interstellar? Gravity’s effect on time is a major component of the plot of the movie, there are two major instances of gravitational time dilation: First on Miller’s planet and second in and around the black hole.
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In the first scenario, Cooper and his team lose approximately 23 Earth years due to the time dilation on the Miller’s planet. This time dilation was created because of the proximity to Gargantua. The black hole itself creates a huge stretching of spacetime due to its mass. General Relativity states that gravity itself is this distortion of spacetime. The spacetime curvature around the black hole, thus resulted in the formation of a “gravity well”, which is precisely what it sounds like. The planet is portrayed as being nearly on the brink of Gargantua. Thus, it is in the gravity well of the black hole, which explains why the effect of time dilation is so drastic. In the second scenario, Cooper and his team set off in the Endurance (their ship) to try to use the gravity of the black hole to slingshot themselves on a course towards Edmund’s planet, due to a lack of fuel. In this case, Cooper and his team were even closer to the black hole than they were when on Miller’s planet and are hence even more inside its gravity well. At this point, the time dilation is at its peak because the gravity of the black hole dilated their time to a very large extent. So they end up losing 51 Earth years in what appeared to them to be an hour. Conclusion : This is just an example from a movie, with some misinterpretation, but as I said I talk about the movie, not science, movies are made to entertain that’s why there’s mis interpretations that science can reveal and correct. Maybe the example of “one hour on this planet equal to 7 days on Earth seems to be disproportionate, but in some cases, it is reality. We haven’t discovered the entire universe so we don’t know what is beyond what we can see. Maybe, somewhere in the universe, a heartbeat for us equals a lifetime for someone.
ENZO PETIT 27
ABOUT TIME Here’s the riddle: You can have it all. Just not all at once. What it that? If you answered with “time”, then good. Because time is exactly what we going to speak about. Time is such an elastic phenomenon that even nowadays scientists continue their debates about its power and possibilities. But one fact stays still – time has its limitation. Therefore, let’s say that time is the only currency we can’t exchange, return or gain back. All it can do is to return in appearance of knowledge, experience or memories. For most people, I suspect, that time is considered to be something what “flows” relentlessly and continuously, which you might be able to slow down if only you could move fast enough. Our lives are not like belletristic novels you can buy in best-selling book store. Books have a unique way of stopping time, giving you an opportunity to extend the time dimension. But in reality, every single moment you inhale, or give a thought on something, stays in one same time lapse. No rewinds, no options to go to a previous page. The moment right now, is unique, and priceless. I think it is correct to say that people should think more before wasting their time. However, the time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.
IVAN DOER 28
TIMES As you read this sentence, you probably think that the present moment, now, is what is happening. You feel that the present moment has something special. It is real. You can remember the past or anticipate the future, but you live in the present. Of course, the moment you read that first sentence is gone. The moment you read it replaced it. In other words, we have the feeling of a passage of time. Our deep intuition is that the future is open until it becomes the present, and the past is fixed. As time goes by, this structure of fixed past, immediate present, and open future shifts in one direction, always the same. This structure is written in our language, our thoughts and our behavior. Enough time, it's time to give my opinion on time, more precisely on the passing of time. For this I took the time to return to the actors my parents watched when they were young. One of them talks about it from time to time, I absolutely wanted you to discover it as long as there is still time. He is French and is called Raymon Devis (1922-2006). "I chat with someone like that, just to talk, to spend a little while. After 10 minutes, this person tells me: - Sir, what you tell me is totally uninteresting. You made me waste my time, ten minutes lost, lost by your fault. And then he leaves the camp. But, you see, I do not like being blamed when I think they are unjustified. Finally, by what right this person said that? So, I pull myself together, I run, I catch up with my man and I tell him: "Sir, I made you lost ten minutes," you say. Well, I just lost ten to catch you. I have the honor to inform you that we are quits. Excuse me, I'm a little out of breath! I just crossed a city where everyone was running... I can not tell you which one... I ran through it.
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When I entered, I walked normally. But when I saw that everyone was running ... I started running like everyone else for no reason! At one point, I was running neck and neck with a gentleman... I tell him: Tell me... why are all these people running like crazy? He tells me: Because they are! He tells me: You are in a crazy city here ... You are not aware? I tell him: If, noises ran! He tells me: They are still running! I tell him: What makes all these madmen run? He tells me: All! All! There are some who run to the hurry. Others who run after the honors... This one runs for glory... This one is running to ruin! I tell him: But why are they running so fast? He tells me: To save time! Since time is money ... the faster they run, the more they earn! I tell him: Where are they running? He tells me: At the bank! The time to deposit their money on a current account... and they always leave current, to win more! I tell him: And the rest of the time? He tells me: They run to do their shopping... at the market! I tell him: Why do they run their errands? He tells me: I told you... because they are crazy! I tell him: They could as well make it to the market by walking... while remaining crazy!
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He tells me: We can see that you do not know them! First, the madman does not like walking... I tell him: Why? He tells me: Because he misses it! I tell him: Yet, I see one that works!? He tells me: Yes, he's a protester! He was fed up with always running like crazy. So he organized a protest march! I tell him: It does not seem to be followed? He tells me: Yes! But as all those who follow him run, he is overwhelmed! I tell him: And you, can we know what you are doing in this city? He tells me: Yes! Me, I dispatch current affairs. Because even here, business does not work! I tell him: Where are you running? He tells me: I run to the bank! I tell him: Ah!... to deposit your money? He tells me: No! To remove it! Me, I'm not crazy! I tell him: If you are not crazy, why do you stay in a city where everyone is? He tells me: Because I make a lot of money!... I'm the banker. Thank you for taking the time to read this article!
JULIEN DEBUSSCHERE
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AN ESSAY ABOUT THE TIME
What can I say about this topic TIME? It’s one of the most relevant question we ask ourselves in our lives. In fact here are some of the most common ones: “What can I do with my time?”; “How can I manage my time?”; “Am I wasting my time?” etc… Some of the questions I ask myself most often are: “What can I do during my gap year?”; “Why does time pass by so fast?”; “Wooow! Yesterday I was so young and tomorrow I am this old already.” So time flies and that’s what I realised on this trip. Indeed two weeks ago we went on an excursion with six other EVS (stands for European Voluntary Service but defines also the people who participate in the program) direction - Olympia! I had an amazing time with my new friends. Moreover the destination we were headed to was such a historical place... We had the opportunity to see some amazing antiquity in the museum and the rebuilt ancient temples, stadium, and other buildings from the ancient city. Standing there I was thinking about what had happened centuries ago in this place. Right at this place, where I was standing at that moment, centuries ago could have been a man/woman who was sitting and thinking about his/her life and the people he/she met just like me. I hope I will take in this day slowly. I hope I can savour each and every moment and appreciate them to the fullest because they all pass by so fast. I was thinking about the time I spent on EVS, because in a few weeks I will leave Kalamata and the other volunteers. And this is even more so a reason to enjoy each moment, each second I spend with them so that I have no regrets later. It’s also a huge question, similar to “Did I waste my time?” or “Did I spend my time correctly?”. No regrets... That’s an expression closely related to time! You don’t really understand? I will explain it. To have no regrets is always something related to an event that already happened, something past, so it has a lot to do with time. Moreover when we ask ourselves about our regrets or if maybe we could have managed our time in different way than the one we did. With maybe comes a lot of could’ve, would’ve, should’ve. That’s what we think about, but if you consider the time you think about regrets you realize that you don’t really have the luxury to do so, because it will simply fly away. Why? Because while you are in this state of mind you will end up regretting the time you’ve spent 32
thinking about your regrets. It’s a never ending loop! Anyway, before went to Olympia we were in the mountains and on a hidden away small beach so I took some time for myself in order to think in silence. At one point of this trip I tried to simply sit on a rock, with the seawaves underneath my feet and get lost in my own thoughts. Nice moment to think about my gap year, the choices I’ve made, the way I’ve walked my path. At the end of the day I’m here in Greece and I am thinking, crying and laughing because it is such a good and pure moment, while thinking, in a few minutes it will not exist anymore.
So time is the only life measure, without time nothing can grow, nothing can change and etc.. Time is also a thing to fear, it can not be caught or seen, even though it’s always here. The only way to see it is when we think about the past, the person we were, the things we did and etc. Time can’t be observed at the moment but it could be seen when we think about the past events. Now I realise that I am leaving in few days and I never saw the time passing but when I thought about what I have done and about the people I have met I can see how the time passed by. The reason it makes me uncomfortable is that I remembered I have been here for nearly two months now and especially since I feel like I arrived here a few days ago. Wonderful time power! It’s in each moment in life and you can observe it when it’s done, you can imagine it for the future and while you think about present the present it’s already a past time. I will stop my line of thought here because I don’t want to spend more time to write about my perception of time. Thank you for reading my article until the end and for the time you spent doing that!
MAIWEN CHAM
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DREAMTIME AMONG ABORIGINES Dreamtime is the foundation of Aboriginal religion and culture. It's been around 65,000 years ago. It's the story of events that happened, how the universe was born, how human beings were created. The dreamtime is a never ending beginning, a period on a continuum of past, present and future. The Tjukurrpa Dreamtime in Anangu is the central theme of Australian Aboriginal culture. The "dreamtime" explains the origins of their world, Australia and its people. Dreamtime refers to the era that precedes the creation of the Earth, a time when everything was spiritual and immaterial. According to the aborigines the Dreamtime still exists and can be reached for spiritual needs. Through the time of the dream, it would be possible to communicate with the spirits and decipher the meaning of bad omens, diseases and other misfortunes. Traces of the dream: For the aborigines each event leaves a trace on earth and everything in nature is in relation with metaphysical beings who created the world. Most aboriginal tribes believe that all forms of life, plants, animals, and humans are part of a vast and complex set of interactions whose origins go back to the great spirits of the ancestors of the Dreamtime. for some is a very realistic design and even avant garde of the world and life. The episodes of the time of dreams have been transmitted from generation to generation orally but also by painting.
MARIE DAMOND 34
TIME. TIMES. NEW YOUR TIMES. NYT That’s the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the word “time”. The New York Times is an American newspaper based in New York City with worldwide influence and readership. Founded in 1851, the paper has won 125 Pulitzer Prizes, more than any other newspaper. The Times is ranked 17th in the world by circulation and 2nd in the U.S. The paper is owned by The New York Times Company, which is publicly traded and is controlled by the Sulzberger family through a dual-class share structure. It has been owned by the family since 1896. A.G. Sulzberger, the paper's publisher, and his father, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., the company's chairman, are the fourth and fifth generation of the family to helm the paper. Nicknamed "The Gray Lady", the Times has long been regarded within the industry as a national "newspaper of record". The paper's motto, "All the News That's Fit to Print", appears in the upper left-hand corner of the front page.
Since the mid-1970s, The New York Times has greatly expanded its layout and organization, adding special weekly sections on various topics supplementing the regular news, editorials, sports, and features. Since 2008, the Times has been organized into the following sections: News, Editorials/ 35
Opinions-Columns/Op-Ed, New York (metropolitan), Business, Sports of The Times, Arts, Science, Styles, Home, Travel, and other features. On Sunday, the Times is supplemented by the Sunday Review (formerly the Week in Review), The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times Magazine and T: The New York Times Style Magazine. The Times stayed with the broadsheet fullpage set-up and an eight-column format for several years after most papers switched to six, and was
one of the last newspapers to adopt color photography, especially on the front page. The New York Times was founded as the New-York Daily Times on September 18, 1851. Founded by journalist and politician Henry Jarvis Raymond and former banker George Jones, the Times was initially published by Raymond, Jones & Company. Sold for a penny (equivalent to 30 cents today), the inaugural edition attempted to address various speculations on its purpose and positions that preceded its release: “We shall be Conservative, in all cases where we think Conservatism essential to the public good;— and we shall be Radical in everything which may seem to us to require radical treatment and radical reform. We do not believe that everything in society is either exactly right or exactly wrong; —what is good we desire to preserve and improve; —what is evil, to exterminate, or reform.” Nowadays, The Times continues to utilize technology to expand its circulation, launching an online edition in 1995 and employing colour photography in its print edition in 1997. In 2006 the Times launched an electronic version, the Times Reader, which allowed subscribers to download the current print edition. Soon thereafter it began to struggle to redefine its role in the face of free Internet content. In 2011 the Times instituted a subscription plan for its digital edition that limited free access to content.
MARINE KAFER
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THAT 70'S SHOW When we talk about decades of the last century, we can attribute them some characteristics or associate them with significant events. I was trying to do so with the 70s. Intriguing? Unusual? Revolutionary? I couldn’t really decide. But my brainstorming process was accompanied by an interesting soundtrack. This is when I realised I could write about 70s music. All of us associate songs and music with events in our life. Many of them are related to some special memories - some songs were played on our first dates, others during our relationships, at our favourite places, every day on TV during breakfast, on the radio on our way to school... The music of the 1970‘s is probably the most impressive and most recognized of any era. The artists of the 1970‘s provided us with numerous songs we loved to dance to and sing along with. Vinyl records were the most popular way to listen to music in 70s. Besides them, people enjoyed listening to radio, depending on the type of music they loved. favorite music. Funk, Soul, R&B, Pop, Hard Rock, Soft Rock and Disco all carved out their place in the music world in the 1970s. The late 70s also witness the birth of another music style: hip-hop. You must know about soft rock by Barry Manilow, the great dance tunes of the Bee Gees and the Commodores, rock of Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin, the brass band sounds of Chicago, or the disco beat of Chic and Donna Summers. The nostalgia of the 1970‘s music lives on today. Vinyls have become increasingly popular and people buy them on vintage markets, compete for first editions of their favourite albums and create whole collections of them. There is a range of online radio stations dedicated to only this decade in music, so you can indulge in 70s music as much as you’d love to when you need to relive those nostalgic days of the 1970‘s. Believe it or not - some bands are still performing after more than 30 years. And the feeling of seeing your favourite band from the seventies performing the hits that you grew up with LIVE is priceless. The music of the 1970‘s is still popular with people of all ages; not just those who grew up with it. It never grows old. It only gets better with each passing decade.
NEDA MIJOVIC
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HOW TO USE TIME Everyone tells you to prioritize, but it’s not that easy to decide what exactly to prioritize. The following self-inventory should help. There are 168 hours in a week, so for example, if you sleep 8 hours a night, you’re awake for 112 hours a week. How many hours would your wisest self allocate to each of the following activities? Write your estimate amount in the space next to each item. Paid work. Only count the hours you'd want to actually be working or doing work-related studying. So don’t count water-cooler chatting, lunch, playing on the net during the workday, etc. As you’re deciding how many hours, keep in mind that different people value work differently. Some do the least they can get away with and still are self-supporting. While on the other end of the spectrum, some people work as much as feasible, believing that the life well-led is primarily defined by the amount of their contribution, even if it’s to a small sphere of influence.
Volunteer work. In addition to standard volunteer work, for example at the youth center or at fire department, don’t forget about time you'd want to spend volunteering to help a neighbor or family member. Also include domestic activities for your family, for instance cooking or cleaning. Relationships .How much time in a typical week would you want to spend with, or in search of a romantic partner and/or with a platonic friend(s) or relatives? Creative outlets. Many of my friends , (me included) receive a great amount of satisfaction from 38
creative outlets. Yet life’s exigencies often push creative activity to the back corner. How many hours in a typical week would the wise you allocate to one or more creative activities, for example, writing, performing art, or visual art? Other recreation. These could include sports, crafts, video games, TV, reading for fun, etc. Personal maintenance. This would include exercise, daily hair and makeup, clothes shopping, meeting medical needs, etc. Spirituality: Although a study in Scientific American finds "No religion" the fastest growing religion, many people want more spirituality and community than secular humanism provides. Other. Other than what’s covered above, in a typical week, is there something else on which your wise self would spend significant amount of time? If so what, and how many hours?
The end result : As you review the hours you’ve allocated in your target week, do you want to make any changes now? Or if this isn’t the right time, when?
NIEK DEN BOER 39
TIME: THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF EVERYTHING Time‌ makes sense in small pieces. But when you look at huge stretches of time, it's almost impossible to wrap your head around things. So, let's start small with minutes, hours, days. You probably spent the last 24 hours mostly sleeping and working, and you probably wasted a good chunk of yesterday on the Internet. Days become weeks, weeks become months, and then we have a year. Let's look at 2017. France started to train eagles to hunt terrorist drones, A Czech nuclear power plant held a bikini contest to pick their new intern, and people on the Internet made a challenge out of eating bleach. You know, the usual stuff. Let's go back even more. A kid born in the first year of the 21st Century is 18 years old now. But the century is still young, even if you're not. It was largely shaped by the attacks on 9/11, which led to the war in Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq. In March 2011, the Syrian Civil War began, and is still ongoing after seven years. Most of us were born in the 20th century, which had the two most devastating wars in human history, and the Cold War. For the first time ever, we could destroy ourselves with the nuclear weapons, and we almost did, but we also had a space race and left Earth for the first time. The Internet was also invented, which led to memes, but also to Facebook and Twitter, so all in all, we're not sure if this was a GOOD development. The average human lives about 79 years, which covers a good chunk of recent history. The oldest living person on Earth is currently Celino Jaramillo, who was born in 1896, which means that his birth was closer to Napoleon ruling Europe than to the current day. Only 250 years ago, the Industrial Revolution turned the world into a progress machine. Farmers became workers, and knowledge became easier to distribute. Around this time, we started the progress that is causing climate change today. Not that long ago, actually. The Theory of Evolution changed how we saw ourselves and the world we live in. Newton wrote down his theory of gravity. We discovered distant stars and very 40
close bacteria. The 15th century was very eventful. Columbus's "discovery" of America and the fall of Constantinople marked the end of the Middle Ages. War was all the rage in the Middle Ages, but the number one killer was disease. The Black Plague killed every third European in just six years. Around 2,000 years ago, we set the arbitrary Year 1 of our calendar that most of the world follows today. But to a Roman, the world was already ancient. The Great Pyramids were constructed 4,500 years ago. So, to a Roman, the pyramids were older than the Romans are to us today. So long ago, that there were still living mammoths on Earth. A lot of history happened before that, even. Around 7,000 years ago, humans began writing things down. About 12,000 years ago, human organization exploded. We built our first temple, and around the world, mankind began farming, which enabled the rise of larger communities. Our dominance over planet Earth really begins here. Homo sapiens sapiens, the modern human, evolved at least 200,000 years ago. 50,000 years ago, the Cognitive Revolution expanded our minds and innovation. Back then, we shared Earth with at least five other human species that either died out or were killed by us. At least 2 million years ago, our ancestors already had control over fire and constructed tools from wood and stone. And six million years ago, the last common ancestors of chimpanzees and humans existed. So this graph is all of human history. Our close relative, Homo erectus, survived 10 times longer than we have existed. This tiny part is the human era. We have to zoom in a lot to even see your lifetime. Still, all of human history is not that long. 65 million years ago, the age of the dinosaurs ended in an enormous explosion. The dinosaurs ruled the Earth for over 165 million years. 27 longer than all the humans. That's so long ago, that it means a T-rex that lived at 65 million years ago is closer to us today than to a live Stegosaurus. Dinosaurs in the form of mighty chickens are still around today. Animal life on this planet started 600 million years ago. The earliest animals were fish and other small simple sea creatures, then came insects, then reptiles and finally, around 200 million years ago, mammals joined the party. Life itself began much further back.
There is evidence that it appeared up to 4.1 BILLION years ago. For at least 3.5 billion years, life 41
consisted only of single-celled organisms. 4.5 billion years ago, the Sun was born from a gigantic imploding gas cloud. 60 million years later, Earth formed. In those early years, frequent bombardment by comets and asteroids supplied the Earth with large oceans. But as far as the whole universe goes, our solar system is pretty new. 13.75 billion years ago, the universe was born. And about half a billion years later, our own galaxy formed from billions of stars. But what came before the Big Bang? The truth is‌ we don't know, and maybe we never will. And there you have it‌ The past. Now let's take a look at what we know about the future. In roughly 1 billion years, the Sun will be so hot that life on Earth becomes impossible. The death of the Sun 4 billion years later marks the end of life in the solar system. If we want to have a chance to survive, we need to have ventured to the stars. And what happens after that? In the next 100 billion years, most of the biggest stars around will die. The universe becomes dimmer and dimmer, illuminated only by smaller red and white dwarfs. But they too will eventually burn out and one day the last star in the universe will die. The universe will turn dark, and at some point, even black holes will evaporate and die. When they do our, universe will reach its final stage: Heat death. Nothing changes anymore; the universe is dead. Forever. Now, you're feeling some pretty weird feelings, aren't you? I am, too. It's only natural. The good news is this is all far, far away. The only time that actually matters is now. That cute girl or boy you like, Time is precious. Make it count!
OZGUR YUKSEL
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MAN VS. EARTH “Fun fact: planet Earth is 4.5 billion years old. Mankind? About 140,000 years old. Let me put that in perspective: If you condense the Earth's lifespan into 24 hours, that's one full day, then we have been here on this planet for... drumroll please... ...THREE SECONDS. Three seconds, and look what we've done. We have modestly named ourselves "homo sapiens" meaning "wise man", but is man really so wise? Smart, yes, and it's good to be smart, but not too smart for your own good. Yes, we have split the atom. Yes, we build clever machines that navigate the universe in search of new homes. But at the same time, those atoms we split created nuclear warfare. In our quest to explore the galaxy, rejects and neglects the home that we have here now. So no, that can not be wisdom. Wisdom is different. While intelligence speaks, wisdom listens. And we willingly covered our ears to mother natures screams... and closed our eyes to all her "Help Wanted" signs. Wisdom knows that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. So if we were wise, we would not be shocked when we see storms stronger than ever before. Or more drought, hurricanes, wildfire than ever before. Because there's more pollution than ever before. More carbon, more trees cut down than ever before at a record pace. We have increased the extinction of animals 43
by 1000 times the normal rate. What a feat. In the next 10 to 100 years, every beloved animal character in every children's book is predicted to go extinct. Lions? Gone. Rhinos? Gone. Tiger? Gorilla? Elephant? Polar bear? Gone. In three seconds. Species that have been here longer than us will be gone because of us in this three seconds. In an existence shorter than a Vine video, we turned the circle of life into our own personal conveyor belt. Somebody, anybody, help! We were given so much. The only planet in the solar system with life. I mean, we are one in a million. No, actually, scientifically, we are one in a billion trillion trillion. That's a one followed by 33 zeros. And I don't wanna get too spiritual, but how are we not a miracle? We are perfectly positioned to the sun so we don't burn, but not too distant so we don't turn to ice. Goldilocks said it best: we are just right. This paradise. Where we are given medicine from trees, not coincidentally. But because like the song says: We are family. Literally. Everything. Every species is connected genetically, from the sunflower to the sunfish. This is what we must recognize before it's too late. Because the real crisis is not global warming, environmental destruction, or animal agriculture. It is us. These problems are symptoms of us. Byproducts of us. Our inner reflection, 44
loss of connection has created this misdirection. We have forgot that everything contributes to the perfection of Mother Nature. Corporations keep us unaware and disconnected, but they have underestimated our strength. Contrary to popular belief, millions are waking up out of their sleep. Seeing our home being taken right up from under our feet. We can not allow our history to be written by the wicked, greedy, and loony. It is our duty to protect Mother Nature from those who refuse to see her beauty. Call me crazy, but I believe we should have the right to eat food that's safe. With ingredients we can pronounce. Drink water that is clean. Marvel at trees. Breathe air free of toxins. These are natural rights. Not things that can be bargained for in Congress. See they want you to feel powerless. But it has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing can cause a typhoon halfway around the world. Well, when enough people come together, we too will make waves. And wash the world into a new era filled with love and connection. Freedom for all without oppression. But it is up to you. Yes, you watching this behind this screen to make the effort. Because time is of the essence. And only together can we make it‌ to the FOURTH SECOND.� Prince Ea, YouTube video Man vs Earth
PETYA STOYANOVA 45
MY PROJECT I’m Maiwen from France. Last year I studied sociology and geography at the university. I was also a volunteer in different associations like a garden sharing association, a repair bike association etc. I’m interested in environment promotion, ecology and the principle of producing your own food. I wanted to have experiences in it after studied the theory at the university. So I took a year off. I began my year being a grape harvest in september. I continue with a farm traineeship in october. Indeed it was in the Montpellier’s urban farm. I learnt a lot of things about natural farming, biological agriculture and other staff in nursery, actually seed nursery. I heard about E.V.S in the institute for young people without current job or study, called the “local mission”. I saw the farm project in Kalamata and I applied for it. Around ten days after I received a positive answer, and after another three weeks I took a plane to Greece. I arrived on the 10th of January and started my job at the farm on the 14th of january. My project is basically to work in the farm. I will make different tasks in it. Actually we are three volunteers there. I do the same task everyday, our work consist in checking all the plants to see what could be harved, which one needs water or just to take care of them. I continue the day planting seeds or little vegetables. For example last wednesday we planted little different cabbages and rocket seeds, as you can see on the picture. I also discuss with my colleagues to decide what we’re going to plant, when, and how we are going to do this. It’s called permaculture, the fact of thinking at complementary plants to put them together and keep a rich soil. To take of the ground is one of the tasks too. In fact, we use vegetable compost mixed to the soil, to help plants to grow up in a good way and not pesticide or chemical product. One part of the project is to collect seeds as well. In fact there is a seedbank at the farm. It’s one of the most important place because we take all seeds we need from it. We also collect seeds like basilic. We cut branches and we detach seed from the each other. Then we put the seeds in cans with sticker on it. I actually began this week so I don’t experiment yet the weekend with guests and children. But our project is also to support the farm working people when they host children’s activities. We may prepare rooms, glasses or stuff like that. At the end of the working day we need to clean up and tidy our tools. We also water all the plants, if needed. We do that at the end of the day to avoid plants to burn. Because the sun evaporates water and it creates a lens around the plant, which magnifies the sun effect.
There is a lot of activities and things to discover in the farm near to Kalamata. Some days it’s public 46
open, keep inform and you will enjoy your time spent in the farm.
MAIWEN CHAM 47
"OPPORTUNITY" My sending organisation is OpportUNITY which is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation based in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK with an aim to inspire, support and empower young people by providing them with voluntary activities, trainings and networking opportunities on a local and international level. OpportUNITY delivers programmes in Youth Development, Youth Leadership, Active Citizenship and Youth Education promoting learning through diversionary and non-formal activities such as sport, media and creative or performing arts. Volunteers can get involved in the following projects: Local projects - NEWoman - girls group for women to increase their potential. - Microsoft Youth Hub to improve IT skills through a series of interactive workshops and creative activities. - Blog upon Tyne to inform people about free or low cost places and activities in Newcastle and its surrounding areas. - Alternative map of Geordieland to promote an eco-friendly and responsible lifestyle. - Foreign language classes - Soft skills development workshops - The money for life challenge International projects and European Voluntary Service Since 2011, OpportUNITY has successfully hosted over 20 international training courses under Youth in Action and Erasmus+ Programme and has many more planned. OpportUNITY also offers work experience for local and international volunteers over 18 years old. AGNES DURDA
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FUTURE EVENTS On the 13th of March between 20:00 and 22:00 at Kentro Neon Kalamata. there will be a screening of a very intriguing documentary, Burkinabè Rising. Burkinabè Rising is a new documentary from Cultures of Resistance Films that showcases creative nonviolent resistance in Burkina Faso. A small, landlocked country in West Africa, Burkina Faso is home to a vibrant community of artists and engaged citizens, who provide an example of the type of political change that can be achieved when people come together. It is an inspiration, not only to the rest of Africa but also to the rest of the world.
Burkina FasoThrough music, film, ecology, visual art, and architecture, the people featured in this film are carrying on the revolutionary spirit of Thomas Sankara. After assuming the presidency in 1983, Sankara was killed in a 1987 coup d'état led by his friend and close advisor Blaise Compaoré, who subsequently ruled the country as an autocrat for twenty-seven years. In October 2014, a massive popular insurrection led to his removal. Today, the spirit of resistance is mightier than ever in Burkina Faso. We will be expecting you!
PETYA STOYANOVA
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INTERVIEW WITH A ... VOLUNTEER The interview by "Lil’Doer" & "OG Yuksel" In this issue you will have an extraordinary opportunity to take a glance of Kalamata and hear its voice. In this interview, the truth behind the curtains will be revealed.
Tell us the briefly about yourself? Well, my name is Kalamata and I’m the second most populated city on the Peloponnese peninsula, Patra is the first, of course. Well, that doesn’t really make me happy, however, second place is also good! Well-deserved silver medal let’s say. Plus, I’m a coastal town, which is very well-known among the tourists. Speaking about that, the summer is coming. What it feels like to host Erasmus+ volunteers? It’s amazing. Each of the volunteers is bringing something extraordinary and unique to me. I truly enjoy being a part of Erasmus+ program. There are not that many cities in Peloponnese that are hosting young people and volunteers. I like to think that I’m a part of all of this. Is it hard to have a beach? I’d say both “yes” and “no”. When you have a beach, people like you. They think you’re cool and pretty. They come to visit and spend time with you. Besides, it really helps with tourism, if you know what I mean. However, being a coastal town means a higher humidity that makes the weather sometimes colder than it supposed to be. But none of the citizens freeze to death, as far as I know. What is the best pita place? Well, I’d say Tah all the places have their own good points. But “Pita Factory” has a special charm, with exclusive menu, and kind service. I often see volunteers going to eat exactly at this place. But when it’s siesta time, they go to “Tzimis” what is, probably, the oldest pita place in the neighborhood. What is the most visited place? To be honest, the seaside and the center are the most popular. Among tourists and locals both. But it is fair to mention that the reasons of the visits mostly are bars and restaurants. If you want to find the people, just look for the party. 50
Are you an early bird or a night owl? Kalamata never sleeps! Seriously, every time of the day is special. From the glorious sunset till the endlessly beautiful sundown. I believe I’m somewhere in between. When it’s raining, are you using an umbrella? You know, some of us enjoy the rain, while the others just get wet. I consider myself to be among the former ones. Anyways, it’s easier to hide the tears when you’re under the rain. And another life hack – rain makes the dust settle down!
Have you ever dreamed about becoming a megapolis? I believe it’s not about the size. Everybody has their own role in this world. I’m Kalamata and I think my size is perfect. Not too big, not too small. Anyways, between these mountains and the local logistics system I can claim that it would be a lot harder to exit if I would be a megapolis. Do you have tattoos (graffiti)? Of course, I do. I love art and I like to let people express themselves. If you take a look from bird’s view you will notice the paintings in lot of different places. And yes, don’t forget about the birth marks. Some wishes for future visitors? Live in peace and come to Kalamata. Good weather, tasty food and kind people are included. By the way, did I ever mentioned that I’m also a translator and that I have an office?
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INTERVIEW WITH A LOCAL VOLUNTEER In this issue of LINK magazine, you'll get to know Nancy, a local volunteer and member of K.A.N.E’s staff. 1. Can you please introduce yourself with a few words? My name is Nancy Kanelopoulou, I’m 30 years old. I was born and raised in Kalamata until the age of 17, when I went to study Cultural Management with New Technologies at the University of Agrinio. But I was still coming back to Kalamata every Christmas, Easter and summer while studying. 2. Where do you volunteer? How long have you been doing that? I have been a volunteer for the Messiniakos Athletic Club ever since I was a kid for. I used to help during the events and competitions. I was doing some small tasks like taking care of the cloths of the athletes, bringing water, giving flowers, measuring time or length etc. Later I volunteered for a company organising the cultural management of the Agrinio region. During my studies I was also volunteering for festivals and concerts organized at the university. We created the festival with music bands and different kind of arts. When I came back to Kalamata after finishing my studies, I was volunteering at the Youth Center for a year. Then I became a volunteer at the Kalamata Street Festival. 3. Can you tell us more about your project in the Kalamata Festival? Why did you choose to volunteer there? When I was younger, I always really enjoyed the festival but because of my work in a hotel, my schedule didn’t match with a volunteering position there, so I was only in the audience. When I started to work for K.A.NE, I had more free time so I could participate as a volunteer. The Street Festival of Kalamata aims to offer opportunities to youth to express themselves through street art, in order to foster social inclusion and respect of diversity. The Kalamata Street Festival has become international and hosts over 10.000 visitors and artists in it’s 3 days. I was in the head’s management of the festival. In the organising committee, I was a supervisor for all the cleaning, and taking care of the park. But I was also responsible to find the bands who are going to play, since I Was in contact with musicians. 52
4. What is the best part of volunteering? Do you have a story you would like to share? The best part is when other people become happy because of what you did, then you become happy as well. You can actually see the reward of your efforts. The smiles in the audience, the little chats they have after a concert etc. That’s what fulfils my heart and this is how I understand that it is worth it. I am glad that I decided to dedicate some of my free time. 5. What is the hardest for you, personally, as a volunteer? When other people can’t understand the value of what you did for them, or the value of the volunteering job in general. Some people don’t respect the fact that you’re just a volunteer there. They underestimate your time dedication. In fact you’re here to help, you’re not obligated to do so.
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6. What skills did you acquire during your volunteering project? A learned to be part of a group, to cooperate together as a team and to manage events. Through my volunteering activities, I also got used to taking leadership or coordinating roles. I could broaden my knowledge in other sectors apart of my study field. 7. Since this issue's topic is "Time" would you like to share your favorite time of the day? My favorite time of the day has always been this moment in the afternoon, just before sunset. After having a nap, I’m relax, drinking my coffee and doing nothing. At this time of the day, the rocks are coloured in pink color from the sky. I love to see the pink mountain from my house. 8. Do you have any time management life hacks / tricks? I’m scheduling a lot and if possible, I split my tasks over the week, so I have an overview of what I have to achieve. I also set specific times in the day for specific tasks: when I’m going to run, to work, to do shopping, to cook… This way I don’t waste time.
9. What is your favorite historical time period? The time period I would like to live in are the 70’s (but not in Greece). This period was maybe the best time for music and art, all people were very open minded or at least trying to be. After this decade, everything changed. But I also love the decade in which I was raised, the 90’s. There is a lot in common between these two periods of time: we didn’t have that much technology. I mean, technology is good but it’s destroying the communication between people. I think it was more pure, romantic, real, in a positive way.
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10. What would you like to say to a person who is interested in volunteering? I would advise him/her to volunteer in something that they really like. Therefore you can put yourself in the shoes of your target group. For instance if you like to participate in festivals as part of the audience, you will understand the point of view of the customer. You know the audience’s expectations, so you know the best way to satisfy them. Also find something that is important for other people. As a volunteer, you put yourself in a position that can affect other people. The result of the volunteering job can be visible through the joy of the participants, or invisible, like for example to open people’s mind and thoughts. That’s the good part of volunteering; maybe you’re volunteering in the environment sector, but at the same time it impacts the culture, the economy, the society etc. You can have an impact on a lot of things. 11. Is there anything else you would like to share? In volunteerism, in general we have to think what is good for the people. It’s not about what I’m going to earn, it’s about what I’m going to give. By volunteering we are giving more than in a regular job. We have to realize what we are going to give, how and to whom. We shouldn’t focus on ourselves, but on other people.
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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.
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