All amazing things end once

Hello!

One month ago I finished my EVS. I know that I needed to write an article earlier. But I wanted to prolong this moment. Because all this time I have a filing that I have long holiday and very soon I go back to Belgium. But now I’m ready to write a last article about my amazing adventure in Belgium.

From one side it’s so sad that project ended but from another side I am ready to take a part to next adventure of life. For me EVS was invaluable opportunity to broken my stereotypes, challenge myself, get a new experience, friends and unforgettable memories. That was really big challenge lived in another country, spoke English and Dutch. But I did that and I’m proud of myself. EVS time was one of the best time in my life. And I hope that I will have many of those amazing moments of life. 

I want to say again thanks for all. Thank you municipality of Huesden- Zolder, Loca Loca, De Koepel, De Zandloper, De Spelotheek, Meyland kunst academie etc. Belgium now is my second country and my lovely host family – second family. I miss you all :(

So this month was reflection time for me. And I know one thing that I love traveling, love conversations and working with different nationality people. Therefore I will use opportunities to take part in another youth projects. I want to learn and discover more.

 And the last I want to end with this song words…

Bye, bye Belgium

I'm gonna miss you wherever I go

I'm gonna come back to walk these streets again
Remember that we had fun together

Sometimes it happens

This week started very interesting. My two months work is damaged. If you remember I was painting a logo on the windows of the Spelotheek. Half painting I need to make for new because it peeled off from the windows. So you can imagine what I felt when I saw that. Inside I was crying :(. Ok I have little bit time to try to fix that but I don't have motivation do that again. Maybe after a trip to London.

And that’s not all. Also last week I needed to lead workshop about candy bouquets but no one sign in. I thought that it is good idea to make candy bouquets for Valentine day but people thought differently. Yes, not the best starting of week, I know.

Wednesday came TV Limburg to my working place. They wanted to make small reportage about EVS in Limburg. You can guess that all was not so good as I wanted. Of course I spoke English but this also wasn’t grammatically correct. And one sentence I said also in Dutch.:) If that will heard my Dutch teacher he will have a shock, maybe he will fell into a coma. Dad, mom, you don’t see that because TV Limburg isn’t available in online. But I try to get a copy.

Weekend I spent very good. I was skating on the lake in the Zolder. Yes, yes in Belgium. Something inconceivable. Two weeks we had a very cold weather. Also Belgians said that happens once per 20 years. I don’t need to go back to Latvia to enjoy winter activities. Of course that the list should be complete I fall down on my a.... ! But this week was very instructive and I understood that this way I come stronger. And I don’t need so deeply to survive the failures.

  

This weekend I will go to London with another EVSers. I hope that black stripe of the week will end. And of course one week less in my project. So very soon I will go home. :( Back to the cold winter and snow and my fat cat. My family said that he all the time eat and sleeps, sleeps and eat. Like a Garfield. When I come home he will have a diet.:) And me also, to much Belgian’s chocolate.

Welcome in the Year of the Dragon

Hello everybody in this amazing year!

Almost one month I didn’t update my blog. Sorry, but I was to busy and lazy to do that. But I have a new information with which I can share. So I will start with last year. The Christmas holiday I spent with my lovely host family. We went to place near to Brussels. I’m sorry but I don’t remember name of that place. Anyway it is not so important. There I was introduced with Belgium Christmas traditions and I need to say in Latvia we celebrate the same way. Too much eating, eating, eating… But it was nice to celebrate Christmas and New year without my family for first time.

January I started new language module - next level. Now I am very smart in Dutch but I understand more than I can speak. It is not so easy. Together with my host family I visited “90th European Motor Show Brussels”. Oh, that was unimaginable- new, shiny cars, motorcycles, scooter etc. Of course also price of the cars was like a telephone number :) There were lot of very rich and business people. For sure, cause cars were expensive. Very expensive. But there were also cheaper cars. As you can imagine my favorite car was one that I can only dream about. I have to work more than just one life to afford car like that.

 

 

 

The end of January I had Mid Term Training in De Waterman in Brussels for EVS volunteers. I met again 32 volunteers from all Europe and other places. It was very useful to hear experiences of other volunteers. After that i understood that myproject is really good. We spent together 3 funny days. But I was only one which project finish so fast, the other EVS have almost one year projects. The time goes very fast - sometimes to fast :(
Also back way was full of adventures. In Belgium they put together 2 trains and in one place day separated and went every train to different destination. Of course I sat in wrong part. But I was lucky that I understood that and in the right station I switch the train’s :)

 

All EVS volunteers

My project will finish after 1 month – still do not believe that. But I made a list of my EVS activities and I realized that I was really busy all this 5 months but sometimes I was lazy. I could do more but I did my best. Now I have a month to write final report and to make a summary. Of course I will lead some workshops in Loca Loca and do necessaries activities. I hope that I will have a time to reflect that in my blog.

Outside is little bit could ( -10 in night) and all people freezing but I came from Latvia so for me it is normal winter. So interesting to see that. :) This week it was first snow here uhuuu, now I fill like a home. I need in winter snow, only in that way it is a real winter. Otherwise it is very, very long and boring autumn :)

It's look so wonderful. I like snow :) 

 

 

P.S. Today is snowing more. Result - the traffic is paralyzed in Belgium.  :) Good that tomorrow starts  weekend. Maybe I will make a snowman when comes more warmer. :))

Creativity is the opposite of routine

Some people asked me¨ What am I doing in my EVS project? ¨ :)

So I decide to write an article about my work in a toy library ¨Spelotheek¨. Now I am painting a big logo  on the windows. In the beginning I thought that I will make it very fast but now I know that I will need more time.

I need to paint this train with wagons. The big copy of toy library logo. Pity that I can't use copy and paste like in my computer :) 

The photos can express more than letters, so enjoy !!!!!

  

Of course I don't finish yet but I will do that. Only 1 or 2 days more.:)  I hope so :))

Charity never fails

Today the weather brings horrible- high wind and strong rain. Brrrrr. But thanks to them I have a time to write a new article in my blog. The beginning of November was very busy.  Believe me! So many things that I needed to do and I did it and I am proud with myself. 

I participated and helped in “11.11.11.” action. This action focuses on the climate change this year because it is primarily the population in the south that goes through the hardest part of climate change. So I helped in annual breakfast - action  in Eversel and my day started at 6 o’clock in the morning. So early, early…Till 8 am we needed to make 520 breakfast packages. One package consisted of cheese, yoghurt, apple,  egg,  juice, jam, croissant, butter  and bread etc. All this to one person. Njam, njam! I also had one package. :)

From 8 till 10 am we needed to deliver packages  to people who ordered them before. We were divided into several groups. One group had about 50 packages.  The most interesting thing was that some people had forgotten that they ordered breakfast before and  I saw their surprised faces and expressions: ¨ Wow, this is for me, really?! ¨. Some people were just woken up. And you can imagine how people look in the morning in this situation - so funny!:)

I also didn't look very good so early woke up.

Also I helped in an art project "Article 27¨. The project refers to an article of the declaration of human rights "everybody has the right to enjoy art …". The project brought art of local artists and artists of other countries together. The theme for all artists was politics, revolution, crisis etc. One part of the earned money of selling paintings was donated for schools in Bangladesh and Cambodia.

¨Artikel 27¨exhibition place

 

 

The exhibition of arts took 20 days and 4 of them I helped in a cafe. My responsibilities were to service visitors. It wasn’t so easy, because my knowledge of Dutch language are not so good yet. On the first day it was the most difficult for me because of this reason and the people were so many. Anyway, other days were quite peaceful. On the last day I knew everything much better and  also the knowledge of language was better.

In the conclusion of the exhibition was Tango performance. It was very beautiful! 

 

¨ Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.° /Pablo Picasso/

Here you can see what I am doing in my free time. On every Friday and Saturday I am going to art academy  to make my art lessons. Since I started these lessons which is approximately 2 and half months ago, I have painted 3 paintings. 

Complete painting

My working place

My first painting with oil colors

My second painting

The teacher of art said that I have talent. No wonder 'cause for 4 years I was studying in  secondary school of art. So I already knew lot of things and techniques in painting. But anyway this was first time when I was painting with oil colors. It is something new but I like it a lot.:)

I know for sure that I will make more paintings here and I will continue to do it also after I will finish these lessons. Art is not a work, it is a passion.:)

Workshops in Turkish cultural center

This Wednesday I helped in Turkish cultural center or Turkish Selimiye Mosque and leaded a workshop for 8-12 year old children. 

Turkish culture center

In beginning my workshop wasn’t so popular and I had just 3 girls who wanted to make a necklaces from paper crumbs. But some minutes later girls came more and more and I had not a free place on a table. I had together about 8 or more participants. In one moment it looked like in chaos. Because everywhere was glue, glitters, paper balls…… And of course too many questions in one time and naturally I didn’t understand them completely because I learn Dutch just 2 months. But I had 3 girls - assistants who helped to translate and to organize. Thank you girls! Without you I couldn’t organized my workshop so good.

My workshop place

After break children needed to continue their workshop but they didn’t came back. I think they just enjoyed the time with parents and forgot about necklaces. I hope they enjoyed this workshop because I did it. That was so fun, fun…!  :) :)  

And of course I challenge my self and now I know that I can lead a workshops but before that I need to more practice and learn Dutch language because with my current knowledge’s is not enough.

Another workshop

 P.S. First time I ate a Turkish kebab. I don’t know way but I expected a more from that. It is something like hamburger but in Turkish version. And of course I tasted their tradition sweets and cakes - for me little bit to sweet. But I liked it. :)