link N°93
APRIL 19th 2017
N°93
easter : chocolate time !! Our first Easter in Greece has passed. We tried to see all the rituals and participated as much as we could. Some were interesting, others slightly worrying. We saw the light coming from Jerusalem in the church and emptied a dozen plates on Sunday topping it off with some traditional τσουρέκι. Now that this brief holidays are over, it's time for a new issue of Link! If you look more closely at the authors, you will notice that we're missing one of our regular writers – our dear Oskar has left Kalamata and returned to his home in (maybe-soon-to-be-snowy) Austria. In the next issue we'll have a special last article from him. Meanwhile, feast your eyes upon the following pages in which Rosa shows you how to make adorable Easter bunnies (no bunnies were harm during the process). You can also read about the earthquake in Kalamata and the research Molly will conducting soon. Moreover, Aroa wrote about our EVS seminar in Athens and Joana interviewed our local volunteer Andreas! Speaking of local things, Yana presents the iinitiative „Plastic free Kalamata“. Moving to more international topics, Anna introduced her sending organization and Sofiene keeps us up to date with news from Tunisia. If mentioning foreign countries made you want to travel and you don't want to exclude your other half, read Mariam's article first to find out what should you be mindful of. Happy reading!
Editor : Tea Križanec
Designer : Laura Gimenez
link
#LINKEXPLORE
Content Contact
5
About us
6
EVS, K.A.NE.
Youth Center - program 14 Anna Szlendak 16 Joana Ganilho Marques 18 Aroa Liébana Rellán 22 Molly O’Doherty 24 Mariam Sassi 26 Martyna Czypicka 29 Molly O’Doherty 32 Rosa Vernooij 35 Sofiene Lahdheri 37 Yana Volkova 39 Yana Volkova 41
Sending organisation Interview with Andreas Mid-term seminar Earthquake of Kalamata Traveling as a couple Glory of Beauty Sending organisation Easter Bunny News from Tunisia Easter Cake Let’s do it, Kalamata !
K.A.NE. Staff members of KANE: Filaretos Vourkos Fotini Arapi Jelena Scepanovic Nantiana Koutiva Vyron Giannakopoulos EVS: Anna Szlendak Aroa Liébana Rellán Arthur Gallagher Joana Ganilho Marques Laura Gimenez Mariam Sassi Martyna Czypicka Mehdi Jaffar Molly O’Doherty Óscar Villarraso López Renée Hoogenboom Rosa Vernooij Rüya Hazar Sara Amghar Sofiene Lahdheri Tea Križanec Yana Volkova
K.A.N.E Social Youth Development Youth Center of Kalamata Plateia Othonos 10 Kalamata, 24100, Greece info@ngokane.org +30 272 111 0740 kentroneon.wordpress.com ngokane.org/index.php
f
@kentroneon
WHO ARE WE ?
ANNA
Kalimera! I am Ania and I come from Poland. I will be working for KANE and running Photography and Ukulele workshops. I studied photography in the Institute of Journalism of the University of Warsaw and worked for press photo agencies when I lived in my country. I enjoy every form of photography, I use both digital and
film camera, I also create my own pinhole cameras. Besides, I am totally addicted to travel.
AROA
ARTHUR
6
Hi ! My name is Aroa, I’m from Madrid in Spain but I live in Màlaga, the south of Spain. In Spain I’m working in a secondary school for dance, I’m the teacher for hip-hop, funks, break dance and classic for teens. I have 18 years and I love dance, photography and watch movies with my friends.
Hello, my name is Arthur, I’m coming from France. I will stay in Kalamata for a 12 months EVS, working at K.A.N.E office. I will animate some workshops here and participate in media communication. I’m glad to be here and experiment the greek way of life.
MOLLY
Hello everyone! My name is Molly and I come from the UK. I’ve moved here from a city called Bristol in England. I am going to be working in K.A.N.E.’s office. I’ll be helping with the programming, development and evaluation of activities. I’ll also be helping out in the Youth Centre and running an English Conversation workshop. I love cooking, watching films and doing yoga. I also really enjoy helping people to connect with their local history. Before I came here I was working in
museums and archives for many years. I am really excited to be in Kalamata and I feel very lucky to be here working as an EVS volunteer.
LAURA
MARTYNA
Hi! My name is Laura and I’m 24 years old. I come from a small town in France called Le Thor (yeah like the north god), it’s around Marseille. I have a bachelor degree but I wanted to do something else this year, something that will give me life and work experiences: I wanted to be useful. I’ll work in KANE’s office as the webdesigner of the team and I’ll stay in Kalamata for 1 year; I’m really looking forward to it! I have quite a lot of hobbies; I love to draw, write, read, play videogames, watching movies and tv show and so on.
Hey guys! My name in Martyna and I’m new volunteer from Poland! I’ve grown up in Poznan (west side of the country). I’m 26 this year and I try to enjoy every minute of my life! I’m crazy about Greece, this is my favourite place in Europe – however I love to travel and I take every opportunity to see the world. In my free time I like to read and spend time outside of the house. I love to eat, this is my biggest passion! I’m totally a beauty freak.
7
MARIAM
Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things is the best way to grow, and this is what EVS is all about. My name is Mariam, I am 24 and I come from Tunisia. Passionate by traveling, arts, adventures as well as meeting new people and discovering new traditions, places and cultures. I decided to leave all of my normal steady life in Tunisia to come seek inspiration and and explore a new way of living in Greece, in the beautiful city of Kalamàta. I would use all of my
knowledge and dig even deeper to give the best of me, but also try to learn everything I can from other volunteers, from locals and daily life experience, either languages, dancing, music instrument, sports etc.
JOANNA
OSCAR
8
Hello ! My name is Joana, I’m 29 years old and I’m from Lisbon, Portugal. I studied fine arts, art education and museology and I just arrived Kalamata for a 12 months EVS project. I’ve worked for a lot of time in bookshops and I love to read. I like quiet places where I can be in touch with nature. I’m a curious person and I’m always
Hi ! I’m Oscar, I’m from Spain, I live in Màlaga, so close to Africa. I love the fashion world and I worked as organiser and teacher of modeling in lot of fashion shows. I’m an animal lover, I have a tiny dog called Fredy. Music is very important in my life, I’m listening music every time. I like traveling every time I can, I think exploring the world is the most interestng in your life.
ROSA
Hi everyone! My name is Rosa and I am 17 years old. I come from a small town called Woerden in the Netherlands. I just graduated from high school, so now I am taking a gap year before I will go to university. I like hanging out with friends, watching a movie, going for a hike and cooking. I will stay in Kalamata for 9 months to work in the Day care centre for autistic children. We visited Kalamata in the beginning of August for one weekend, so we got to see a little bit of Kalamata
already. The people here have been really nice, but it is so different from the Netherlands. I hope to become more independent here and meet new friends. I am also looking forward very much to learning about autistic children and how to approach them.
RUYA
RENEE
Hi, This is RĂźya from Istanbul,Turkey. I am 28 years old. I have studied Maritime Transportation and Management Engineering in Istanbul Technical University. Then, i started working on tanker ships as an officer. So, i was once an old mariner, than after leaving ships become a full time traveller and now i am a volunteer in Kalamata until next middle of May:). I am into sports, cultural activities and travel.
Hi there, my name is Renee, I am seventeen years old and I am from the Netherlands. I arrived last monday and I will stay here for ten months. My work will be therapeutic horseriding and in the keviab. I just finished highschool and I didn’t wanted to study immediately, then I came across EVS and it turned out to be the perfect thing to do this year. Because I am doing something good and I will learn a lot from it. I hope that when I come back I will have new friends and have a lot more life experience.
9
SOFIENE
Taking a decision to leave everything what you have and take a deep plunge into something unknown is never an easy one. I took such a decision, left my job and decided to take one-in-a- lifetime opportunity to do my EVS in Greece. My name is Sofiene, I’ am 26 and I am from a tiny country in North Africa called Tunisia. I am a photographer, videographer, graphic designer and I am here to share my experience and knowledge as well as expand it and acquire new skills. I’m social, open minded and always curious about different cultures and meeting beautiful people.
TEA
Greece, the final frontier. This will be the voyage of a young volunteer. Her continuing mission - to explore strange new places, to seek out new skills and new forms of art, to boldly go where no volunteer has gone before... Greetings dear readers! Tea in my name and art is my game. I will be working for KANE and leading the Creative Arts workshop in the youth center as well as teaching croatian. Please don’t let my fragile looks trick you, as I am a level 6 elven ranger of the Vanyar
clan, my patronumes.s is an Eevee and I am aivailable for tea parties and board game.
MEHDI
There are at least as many things to know as there are humans and countries. EVS enables the possibility to know much more about our World. Καλημερα, Hello, my name is Mehdi, I am 24 and I come from France. Passionate about Life and Nature, my biggest motivation is to learn from other cultures, from people, from life. I decided to quit my job there too, so I could catch the opportunity to experience something unique in Greece, in Kalamata, and all the
Greek cities I will have the chance to see. I will bring you all I have, and I will learn from everyone all I can. 10
SARA
Kalimera to all of you, I am Sara, I am french and I am 21 years old. Since yesterday, I am a new volunteer in Kalamata and will stay here for a year (maybe more ...?) in order to give some help to the horse riding center of kalamata and the Kefiap as well. More over, I will give french lessons at the Youth Center of the city. I met people I will work with and I am really excited to start being part of the project. Horse riding center is a real peacefull place for anybody who needs to connect his
mind with his body. The couple of therapist working there are sensitive and receptive people, so if you have any physycal pain, just go to the horse riding center :)
YANA
I am Yana from Ukraine. For 5 years I was studying architecture in university and I fond of everything about it as well as about natural building. Before coming here I was working as a project coordinator of the workcamps and as freelance graphic designer for different social festivals and non-governmental organizations. The last 4 years I’ve been travelling to different places in Europe such as eco-villages and rural areas helping people and promoting volunteering for
peace. All kind of arts, nature, voluntarism, and travel -- my biggest passions in life.
11
K.A.NE.
FILARETOS
jelena
NANTIANA
12
Hello, I am Filaretos Vourkos. For the last 10 years I am working in the field of Non-formal education as avolunteer, youth worker and youth trainer. 6 years ago,I decided to create the Youth Centre of Kalamata, in orderto initiate youth work in Kalamata and promote active citizenship as factor for change.
Hi, I’m Jelena Scepanovic, an EVS coordinator in KANE and the volunteer of the Youth center. I came from Montenegro 2012 as an EVS volunteer. I really liked the idea of the Youth center and the work that KANE does, so I decided to stay and be part of it.
My name is Nantiana! I’m 23 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.
fotini
f
Hi my name is Fotini Arapi and I am project manager in K.A.NE. organization and responsible, among other things, for all sending motilities (sending EVS volunteers, participants in training courses, interns, etc). Apart from my work in K.A.NE., I also volunteer in the Youth Centre of Kalamata, a volunteer initiative managed by a team of local volunteers. I am very proud of and I love the Youth Centre, its dynamic atmosphere, and most of all, its natural inclusiveness that allows everybody to feel
“at home” there. See you around :-D
VYRON
would describe Vyron as an imaginative fast learning and inventive generalist with a passion for remarkable food and the great outdoors. That’s enough talking about myself in third person. Hello, I am Vyron Giannakopoulos, I consider myself a curious and open-minded person. I have studied the science of Geography and as the newest member of KANE I am here to help by managing the creative projects of EVS volunteers, planning events, creating new projects and
doing anything that will add value to our organisation. In my free time I like exploring new places and learning new things. But feel free to contact me on any issue if you need help. Namaste
13
14
15
My sending organisation
My sending organization is FRSP – Foundation of Enterprise Social Development. IIt was established in 2014 to assist society in enterprising development and creating new employment opportunities. Actions of the organization involve both people from public administration as well as the private sector and non-governmental organizations. FRSP provides advisory service, career counseling and career guidance. The focus of the Foundation is generally on issues such as career exploration, career change, personal and social development and other issues related with enterprise development. Among other things FRSP helps students, unemployed and entrepreneur to find their place in the polish job market. The foundation also supports non-governmental organizations. The main aim of the organization is helping to obtain financial aid and subsidies. In the foundation you can get information about how to change a job, get an internship, get money to establish and develop your own business or a non-governmental organization. Another thing that FRSP does is giving legal advice, image consultancy and public relations. That means that you can get help from a legal adviser who specializes in your problem, how to fill official documents or how to deal with public administration’s procedures. FRSP can also guide you in presenting yourself to your best advantage and in expressing your highest potential. Also, the organization will help you find the best bank offer or Accountancy Bureau or with creating a web site to promote your business. My sending organization tries to improve the employment field both in The Silesian Voivodeship as in whole country. In Poland units dedicated to that field are Public Employment Services, but they are very ineffective, which means they are practically not working at all. There is a big chasm between the support offered by Public Employment 16
Services and the needs of the unemployed and employers. It is clearly visible that the public services are not aware of the necessities of the job market. FRSP was established to fill this hole between the unemployed and employers. The organization also tries to improve work of the public services by detection of incorrectness and offering advisory service.
17
Interview with a local volunteer INTERVIEW WITH Andreas Hello! What do you want to tell us about yourself? I'm Andreas, I'm 25 years old, I work with sailboats and horses. I love the sun, I hate the cold, and I like to spend my time in a productive and inspiring environment. What do you do at your work? I work at the therapeutic center for people with special needs. What do I do? I train the horses, which means that we do a setup of exercises that helps the horse to develop a better personality and makes the horse want to work with other people because when you work with people with special needs you need a horse that cooperates with you. Except of training the horse, I work with people with special needs. Actually I guide the horse and we have some people who focus on the child or the person. Except that, we do many walks and we spend productive time with horses: maybe playing games, maybe chasing them to kill them, even if you love them a lot. Because when you work with a horse it's like working with a very strange person. Why did you decide to be a volunteer? Generally I volunteer for many things, so I need a kind cause, a cause that I would like, and luckily for me my job gives me enough time to be able to volunteer during the whole winter, for example. I feel more productive, I give to the society in one way or I help someone to achieve their goals or maybe their life dreams. What have you learnt as a volunteer? That is a difficult question. When you work as a volunteer you have the chance to develop different kind of skills: you learn new things, especially when you volunteer 18
somewhere out of your comfort zone. For example, volunteering at the horse center made me learn more things about horses, how to really work with them and develop my skills and my abilities in these matters. Every time I do it I have the chance to learn something new or to develop new skills or just to make new friends and meet new people, because it's also part of volunteering. Yes, it is. What makes you feel passionate about horses? Someone said that horses make me hold the bad boy I hide inside me. While I work with them, besides the fact that I discipline them, I also discipline myself. And this is something that I really enjoy. And what about life in general? What makes you passionate about life? I like to be free. I l like to be able to do whatever I want, whenever I want. That's why I’m a skipper on sail boats, because I really love to be able to go wherever I want. People talk about freedom, but are we free enough to do what we want? Are we? Yes. Well, you talked a little bit about what you do, but I know that the sea has a special place in your heart. Do you want to share something about that? Seaman say that the sea is like a woman: it's vast, deep, and when you think that you can really handle the situation it has the ability to change what you think. Personally, I just enjoy the calmness after the storm. Ok. What do you like to do in your free time? I like to spend time with horses or by the sea. I like to do sports, to read books, to think, even if I think too much. I like to spend time in nature, and all of those things make me feel really free. What inspires you? People can inspire me but usually I'm the one who inspires myself. I like to be motivated and focus on what I do. I think it's important, and I don't look for inspiration. I would appreciate something amazing but I prefer to inspire myself. What are you afraid of?
19
I'm afraid of losing the people that I love, I'm afraid of failling. OK, when you fail you learn, through your failings. But still I like to avoid these kinds of situations. Do you have a motto in life? Yes: a word without substance is a dead word. What people say it has to have a meaning. I don't like meaningless things. What is you favourite place in Kalamata? My favorite place in Kalamata is somewhere in the middle of the mountain, where you can actually enjoy the view of Kalamata, but I prefer it during the night. It's maybe the main reason why I'm here in Kalamata. Every time I think about Kalamata I have this picture in my mind where the city looks perfect and beautiful, a place where you can enjoy the view of the sea, the mountains or Kalamata. Tell me five things you would like to do or places you would like to go before you die. I would like to sail around the world. Ok, sailing across the Atlantic is ok also, I don't have to ask for a lot. I would like to visit many countries, I can't be specific on that - but preferably cultures that are not really related to my culture, so I can observe things, and learn things through culture and maybe if I like something I’ll adapt to it. I would like to go to the Caribbean, to see how it is. I like sailing so it's normal that I've been affected by movies like “The pirates of the Caribbean� or stuff like that. And in the end it's like they have 30 degrees every day, which is quite amazing, it's like having summer all year. I would like to go to the North or the South Pole. If I could go to the end of the world, I would. It would be interesting to see what is there. The last thing that I would like is to be free enough to travel around the universe. Where would you live if you could choose any place? Greece. I love the country, I like the environment, we have good weather, beautiful sites, so I don't see any place that is ideal enough for me to decide to live there when I retire, for example. I want to go everywhere else and when I finish with everything else I'll get back to Greece, and have my own house, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, and most probably sail and play with horses. If you could change one thing, anything, what would you change? 20
I would change nothing. Because I can't and even if I could I don't see any reason to do it. I'm the kind of person who believes that everything happens for a reason. If I change something that happened then I would not be on the path I’m now, a path which I really like. What makes you happy? Simple things make me happy: enjoying a place, a moment, and the company of a being. For you, to be a volunteer is… …an experience in which you can learn new things, do new things, and flourish in your own way. Thank you. You’re welcome.
21
Mid-term seminar
During the last week of March the EVS volunteers from Greece had a seminar in a hotel in Athens for the second time, something that many of us were looking forward to so we could spend some time together again. Many of those we met at the first seminar could not come, but we also met many new people. The first night as in the first seminar we organized a party in one of the hotel rooms. There was 70 of us so not all of us were there, but even if we were few we had a good time talking, laughing and getting to know each other a bit more.
22
During the days of the seminar, we were getting up very early to go to breakfast as kings – there was a buffet, and at 10 am the activities began. One of the activities that I liked the most was when we had to divide into groups and go out to the streets to promote European volunteering among the young people of Athens. Some of them were not interested, but many of them stopped and started to ask us about who we were, where we came from, and what were we doing in Greece. Every day we got up early and went to bed late, we wanted to spend as much time as possible together.
We went out at night to dance to the pubs, to have a drink, to go for a walk‌ It was always a very big group of people. Going out together at night was also a challenge since we were 70 people and had to move the whole group of people to the same place and at the same time. It is because of this and because of fatigue that at the end of the night only 4 or 5 people were left standing. But the important thing is that every night we went out together and every day in the seminar we were always together, we gained and learned a lot and we were like a great European family. The moment of farewell was full of hugs, kisses, exchanging phone numbers, facebook names and many emotions since a lot of us won’t see each other ever again. But that is something that I do not think. I can at least meet someone every time I visit a country where I know that there is someone from this great family. We will try to do our best to see each other, because I believe that the friends you make during EVS seminars are forever and I plan to keep them. For me this seminar has been the best, since almost all of us knew each other from the on-arrival seminar. It has been an intense week full of moments that I will always remember. Every second, minute, hour and day that we have all spent together is an important part of my life now.
23
September 1986, Greece Earthquake Hits KalaMAta “Chasm of quake bringing forth flowers that tremor in the air.” This is a line written by the Greek national poet Dionysios Solomos in his famous poem The Free Besieged. With these words Solomos conjures up the image of flowers growing out of the crack in the earth caused by an earthquake. These words have become intrinsically connected to Kalamáta in my mind. This is because they were recently quoted by a former mayor of the city, used to describe the outcome of a powerful event that literally shook Kalamáta to its core. On September 13 1986, at 20:24 in the evening an earthquake that measured 6.2 points on the Richter scale hit Kalamáta and towns and villages nearby. The effect was devastating. 20 people died as a result and more than 300 people were injured. Of all the buildings in the city approximately 80% of them collapsed completely or were no longer usable. Other towns near to the city were also seriously damaged. In the village of Eleochori 117 out of the 120 houses were destroyed. As you can imagine, aside from the immediate effects there were further complications and disruptions to the lives of local people that continued for months and years after the event (beginning with a 5.4 aftershock two days later, which caused more destruction). To start with 10,000 people became homeless after the quake. Many people left the city to stay in towns outside, others moved into temporary housing. The forms of temporary housing varied from buildings to tents to ships! Yes, some people lived in ships that were docked in the port. A great number lived in this way throughout the winter. Schools were disrupted and some children attended school in tents. In order to deal with the aftermath people in the city and further afield worked together. Volunteers toiled to provide rescue, medical and practical help. Camps were 24
set up and food and warm clothing were dispensed. The story of what happened spread around the world and money and aid poured in from many countries. Later efforts were made to help the city rebuild. Buildings were categorised in terms of their level of safety and potential for repair. A plan was made for the reconstruction of Kalamáta. The aforementioned mayor (Stavros Benos) along with town planners and national politicians earmarked historic buildings in the city that needed to be preserved. The government gave people who had lost their homes interest free loans so that they could buy new houses. While clearly a natural disaster there are various views about the impact that the earthquake had on the town and why so many people lost their homes. It’s a complicated story and not surprisingly so, when the cost to the city was 40 billion Drachmas. Some argue that several of the buildings that collapsed were poorly constructed and that this jeopardised the safety of those living inside further. It has also been claimed that those who allowed this construction to happen were not duly punished. Others argue that after the event itself the earthquake brought many positive changes to Kalamáta. The first and foremost being the kindess and humanity witnessed from those who rushed to help. In addition many feel that a lot can be said for the ‘quake’s role in triggering the physical redevelopment to the city and for the spotlight that it placed on Kalamáta within the country. This is where the quote comes at the beginning comes from. Stavros Benos argues that there are many good things that come out of the earthquake, and he sees them like flowers that grow from its cracks. I will soon be starting an oral history project about the impact that the events of September 1986 had on the city. I want to collect people’s stories about what happened, what the experience was like for them and how they see it now, 30 years later. Do you remember the earthquake? Were you or someone you know affected by its events? Do you have some memories from this time that you would like to share? If you do I’d love to hear from you. I am looking for people of all ages who would be willing to take part in an informal interview about the earthquake and its aftermath. If you are interested in participating, or know someone who may be, please e-mail me at odoherty.molly@gmail.com. where I can give more information and answer questions.
25
Traveling as a couple: The Manual Do you work or study in the same place? You spend all your days and evenings together? Or more than that, you live together? But you need so much time to discover certain details about your partner when you’re in your comfort zone, in your home, in your country, around your friends and family. Getting out of that zone and getting into an adventure abroad, taking some risks and finding yourselves in some delicate and awkward situations, can contribute into getting you closer one each other or in some other cases, makes you discover that you’re really not meant for each other.
NEVER blame each other ! Generally, we put ourselves under a lot of pressure to have the perfect trip, but there’s always a risk that things might go wrong or that someone makes a mistake. If things don’t go as expected, you have to carry on respecting each other. It’s very important not to point fingers or blame each other. It’s really far from being the solution to your problems. If anything goes wrong, give each other a warm hug, for example. That will contribute to lessen the bad temper. Don’t worry, whatever the situation is, no one will refuse a hug, on the contrary, you will realize that you’re making a big thing out of nothing and that everything will be better if you relax and stress less.
Don't forget that you're a couple, not friends ! Making time for your significant other is very important too. A lot of couples literally forget that they are actually one when they travel. Even if they are madly in love with each other, on the road, in a discovering mode, they look more like « best friends » than lovers. And this, is really not something to be proud of, even if said that way, it looks cool. The worst thing that could happen to a traveling couple is to start acting like friends. Never forget, that even if traveling is sometimes difficult and that you’re busy sightseeing and running around to see everything and photographing all that comes 26
your way, you always have to spend time together, just the two of you. Of course you’re tired and you always have to move, but just like the everyday life, relationships need some work.
A little romance is a MUST ! The romantic moments are way better far from home. A dîner aux chandelles in a little restaurant in Paris, a picnic in a park in Munich or a night walk by the sea in Sicily, a rose here, a kiss there, every tiny moment counts. It’s true that spending nights in hostels or guest houses can be quite a great experience, but a couple also needs some romance. Even if you cannot pay yourself a 3 forks dinner by the Eiffel Tower or a night in a luxurious hotel, you always have to find a way to spice up your trip. In our case, as bloggers, after a long day of sightseeing, the night is the moment of photo selection, editing and writing articles. But anyway we have time to take off everything from our sides, and give ourselves some time together. Everything takes its times, it’s the quote to always take in consideration.
Communicate ! We also found out that, while traveling, we need to learn to communicate more than when we are home. Back home, when something annoys us, it’s easy, we can go to the other room, read a book, watch TV, put on some music, make a cup of tea or go meet some friends etc. When you’re traveling, you’re much more vulnerable, and everything can annoy you, you’re going to notice every detail your partner does. The solution: Express yourself! Don’t hide things, talk about it! The more you talk, the less the problems, and the more you’re happy.
Compromise ! Compromise, is our biggest advice. Sometimes you like sport events but your partner prefers museums or musical shows. You’re not going to want to spend time separately, so if you only have the time to do one thing or you have the budget for only one event or attraction, you have to make some compromises, and who knows, maybe you’ll like it and then you’ll have a new common thing with your partner. 27
Arguments can have a reaaally happy ending ! Finally, don’t be afraid to argue. Bickering, raising voices, or even crying, can turn into a real catastrophe if you let yourselves go into the negative sides. But you have to know that if you find a way to make things up in those hardest moments, you can be absolutely confident that nothing could ever break your couple. Respect and care about each other, be attentive, communicate, compromise and especially love each other, is the recipe of happiness for a perfect trip. Actually, it’s the recipe of happiness in short :)
28
Tattoo Today I don’t want to talk about skin care or make-up. I’m going to make a new tattoo in a few days and I want to share with you my knowledge and experience in this matter. I will try to dispel any apprehension you may have and give you some inspiration! I hope it will be interesting for you! 1.
Does it hurt?
OF COURSE. Someone is putting ink under your skin. With needles. It is painful and you have to be ready for this. People say that one place is more sensitive than another, which is true, BUT, I would never choose a place only because it’s not that painful as another. It will hurt you anyway! For me the most painful were always bone parts. If you’re planning to make a big or colorful tattoo you should think about two or more sessions. I know, from my own experience, that one session was a huge and painful mistake. Remember that with every minute and hour your skin will be more and more sensitive and swollen. Let your skin rest, before you start torturing it again. I’m very impatient, but I would never do this mistake again! 2.
How to take care about your skin before and after getting a tattoo?
Before: It’s not necessary, but your skin will be grateful, if you moisturize it for few days before making a tattoo! Your skin will be soft, plumper and healthy, which helps your tattoo heal faster. Also, you shouldn’t drink alcohol (1-2 days before), because alcohol thins out the blood and the ink won’t stay on your skin as well as it could. After: Rules are almost the same, but this time they are obligatory! After you make a tattoo, a tattoo artist will put cream on it (usually with panthenol and aloes, to control the swelling and ease the pain) and cover it with foil. With smaller tattoos you have to
29
keep the foil for 1 hour (blood, plasma and ink will go out of the wound), with bigger tattoos you have to keep it longer, sometimes even for 1 or 2 days (you have to change it regularly). You definitely have to buy a cream – I recommend Bepanthol, it costs less than 5 euro and it’s very good for tattoo recovery. In every tattoo studio they will ask you to buy “special cream”, which is “the best for your skin”, “the best for tattoo recovery”, “anti-allergies”, etc. All of this is true, but ingredients are the same in Bepanthol and a “special cream”, which will cost around 20 euro! Don’t buy it, it’s not worth it! You have to wash your tattoo with warm water and soap every 3-4 hours and put cream on it. Your tattoo can’t be dry! This is the first and very important rule! Don’t forget to moisturize it often! You have to do it at least 3-4 days, when your tattoo is still a bit painful and red. After a few days your skin will start to peel off, with is absolutely normal! Don’t freak out, just gently wash it. After this process your tattoo won’t be “3D” anymore Don’t scrub it, don’t pinch it, don’t use body scrubs! All unnecessary skin will come off only with water and soup. After this you have to put cream often for around 1 month, but you don’t have to wash your tattoo. You will see (and feel) if everything is going well.
DO NOT: • • • • •
drink alcohol for at least 3 days, take a sunbath, work out very intensively, put any other lotion (except of the recommended one), touch your tattoo with dirty hands and don’t let other people touch it.
If anything is going wrong and you don’t feel right, or something is simply bothering you – go to your/closest tattoo studio. Don’t look for the answers on the Internet! 30
3. Price, is it expensive? Yes it is! Many times tattoo studios have a “minimal price” - it doesn’t matter how small your tattoo is, you have to pay the minimal price. Usually it’s around 40-50 euro. Then the cost can only be higher. To give you an idea of how pricy in can be, I will show you my example.
31
sENDING ORGANISATION Who are OpportUNITY? OpportUNITY are an organisation focused on international volunteering. They undertake international projects - sending young people for volunteering, training and events in other countries and they also organise local projects and activities too. Where are they based? They are based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, a city in the North of England, UK. Newcastle is famous for the unique “Geordie” accent, friendly local people and girls who go clubbing in tiny dresses in the cold winter. Who are their team? OpportUNITY was founded by Shumon (Chief Executive Officer and leader of the training team) and Mohammed (Chief Financial Officer). The staff working there include: Travis, my lovely EVS Coordinator . Matea, the Office Coordinator. Taz, the Volunteer Coordinator. Anisa, the Marketing Manager. Alexandra, the Youth Worker. …and a host of volunteers including their language teacher and EVS volunteer. 32
What is their purpose? Their mission is to, “Inspire, support and empower young people.� What do they do? EVS They send young people from the UK on European Voluntary Service all over Europe. Like me, I have travelled from my home in Bristol, England to volunteer here in Kalamata, Greece. Recent volunteers have gone to Hungary and Macedonia. They also host EVS volunteers who work directly with them in the organisation. In the past they have had volunteers from Croatia, Romania, Italy, Estonia and Austria. Youth Exchanges Young people from the UK can travel to other countries with OpportUNITY to participate in exchanges where they can share knowledge, experiences and ideas. One example is the upcoming Peace to Breathe exchange in Estonia which will work to fight xenophobia, discrimination and promote peace through intercultural understanding and non-formal learning.
33
On top of that people from other countries can come to the UK to take part in youth exchanges with OpportUNITY. Training courses They organise international training courses abroad and in the UK, like Europimpact. Euroimpact is a training course happening soon designed for youth leaders, coordinators and volunteers who want to develop project management skills in the youth field.
Tati Westbrook / Wayne Goss
Local projects OpportUNITY also carry out various initiatives and projects in the local area. These have a wide variety of topics and purposes: A girls group “NEWomen” Providing opportunities and activities to empower women. Free language exchanges and language lessons. Information Technology Developing knowledge about social media, practical computer skills and encouraging thought and questions around issues like cyberbulling. Guides to exploring the local area A blog promoting places to see and things to do in Newcastle. Where can I find out more? If you’re interested in learning more about OpportUNITY head over to their website: http://www.opportunityuk.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OpportUNITYNewcastle/ Twitter: @OpportunityUK Or watch out their video to find out all about them and what they do: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7-jnHNuiak
34 34
Easter bunny bread rolls In our family Easter is not celebrated very big, but we do love a good Easter brunch. I remember that my mom always used to buy butter and bread in the shape of a bunny. When I was thinking of a nice Easter recipe, I thought why not try to make my own Easter bunny bread rolls. The bunnies turned out cute, so today I will be sharing the recipe with you.
What you will need: Dough: 250 mL milk 3 bags (around 20 grams) of yeast 3 tbsp sugar A pinch of salt 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 1 small container of vanilla powder 1 tbsp vinegar 100 mL oil 2 eggs 700 g (whole wheat) all-purpose flower Topping: Raisins 1 whisked egg Some powdered sugar or marmalade Directions 1. Preheat the oven on 180C 2. Start by dissolving the yeast in the milk. You can speed up this process by putting it on the stove on low heat, but watch out that the milk doesn’t start boiling. 35
3. Now put the milk mixture in a big bowl and add all the ingredients for the dough in the order that is given in the ingredients. When you start adding the flour, it is better to do it little by little to avoid clumps. 4. At some point the dough becomes thicker and you can start to form a ball out of it. Knead the dough thoroughly to activate the yeast. The dough should look somewhat like the picture on the right. 5. Now it’s time for moulding the bunnies. Create the 3 parts of dough that you see on the picture below and put them together to create a bunny.
6. Add a raisin for the eye and give the ears a 3D-effect by using a knife. You can coat the bread rolls with some egg to make them shiny. 7. Put the bunnies in the oven until they turn golden brown. Let them cool down and top it off with some powdered sugar or marmalade. Enjoy!
36
News from tunisia Tunisian authorities have shut down a nightclub after the footage of a DJ playing a dance track remix of the Adhan – the Muslim call to prayer went viral.
A video shared on Sunday from the Orbit Festival in the town of Nabeul sparked outrage and controversy on social media platforms. The governor of Nabeul said that the club would “remain closed” until further notice. An official investigation into the incident has been launched. The video footage shows clubbers at a party last Friday dancing to music played by two European DJs near the seaside resort of Hammamet. The music included a dance version of the Adhan which is the Muslim call to prayer. The governor said: “After confirming the facts, we decided to close this nightclub.” He said that the club’s manager had been arrested and held in custody “for violation against good morals and public DJ Dax J who played the offensive track
37
outrage against modesty,” adding that an investigation was ongoing. “We will not allow attacks against religious feelings and the sacred,” The governor added. On Monday, the organizers of the Orbit Festival apologized in a Facebook events page post, but said that they did not accept responsibility for the playing of any offensive music. The post stated (in French) that the DJ “did not realize it might offend an audience from a Muslim country like ours”. DJ Dax J, who played the “adhan remix”, later offered his “sincere apologies to anyone who may have been offended by music that I played at the Orbit Festival in Tunisia on Friday”. “It was never my intention to upset or offend anybody,” he said. It has been reported that DJ Dax J has been sentenced to 12 months in prison in absentia after fleeing Tunisia.
38
easter cake Easter cake is a traditional Ukrainian dish that formerly was cooked only for great holidays. Today this rich leavened bread is baked only for Easter, and from here derives its name. The Easter cake's distinctive feature is that it consists of many eggs and fats. The dough is rather heavy, and therefore, it should be kneaded for a long time. Kneading saturates it with oxygen and the dough becomes airy. It is also very important to make the Easter cake in warm draft-free room, for yeast dough may never rise at air current. The Easter cake is traditionally made with raisins, each housewife, however, adds something personal to the recipe. For instance, some add walnuts or almonds, dried and candied fruits. You will need : Flour 1 kg Yeast 10 g Milk 300 ml Sugar 220 g Egg whites 6 pieces Egg yolks 6 pieces Salt 0.75 tsp Dairy butter 300 g Vanilla powder 2 tsp Dried cherries 70 g Dried apricots 70 g Lemon zest 2 tsp Light-coloured raisins 70 g 1. Sift 500g of flour, and then add the yeast. 2. Then add the warm milk and stir carefully to avoid clots. 3. Put the soft pastry in a warm place for 1.5-2 hrs. It should double in size. 39 39
4. Whip 5 egg yolks with sugar until they become white. 5. Whip 6 egg whites until they become a thick white paste. 6. Mix carefully the egg yolks with egg whites until they are completely combined. 7. Add the remaining flour, vanilla powder, softened butter and salt into the pastry. Knead carefully until it’s completely combined. The pastry shouldn’t be very thick and sticky. 8. Put the pastry aside in the warm place for 1.5-2 hrs. 9. Add the dried fruit and lemon zest to the leavened pastry. 10. Put the balls of pastry into the cake tins and let them ferment and grow in size. 11. Heat oven to 160-170C, and then brush the pastry with egg yolk. Bake for one hour. Coat the finished Easter cakes with whipped egg white and sugar.
40
Let's do it !!
2nd of April citizens of Kalamata joined a global movement “Let’s do it!”* Together with the citizens of Kalamata, local volunteers of Kentro Neon, K.A.NE (Social Youth Development) and initiative group -- “Plastic Free Kalamata" gathered together at one of the most plastic polluted areas of Kalamata. More than 30 bags were collected. 18 of them with trash that can be recycled. The main idea of the event was to raise awareness about the sea and ocean polluted with plastic and to gather the local community together to have fun and give “food for thoughts” about a global issue. *Let’s Do It! World is a civic-led mass movement that began in Estonia in 2008 when 50,000 people united together to clean up the entire country in just five hours. Since then, Let’s Do It! has spread this model—one country in one day—around the world. To date, 113 countries and over 16 million people have joined us to clean up illegal waste. 41 http://letsdoitgreece.org
LINK
N°92
A PR I L 5 th 2017
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.