Adventurous April 2016

Week 14 of April was scheduled for youth work. On Monday I visited Tervakosken yhteiskoulu and presented some interesting information about the traffic safety, transportation and driving license procedure in Bulgaria and USA. I repeated the information from posters I had made in advance but also added some more new things- some teachers asked me to say few things about Bulgaria and me. Then I also used the chance to "advertise" voluntary work (EVS, European Voluntary Service/ #EVS20) at schools, for any cultural events and society in general. Then Three girls met me on my way out of the classroom and asked about my name. They spoke excellent English. I understood that one of them is going to work with us for the summer camps in Mallinkainen. After the school I went to the local youth center for my evening shift. 

I think The youngsters there know me already and maybe feel at least little little bit comfortable with me. The next day I just had my Finnish language course. I got awesome feedback: on my written assignment the teacher stated that I'm ready and well prepared for the next level- Suomi 2. However, I'm not going to continue, because that course has already started in January and I had a problem when I wanted to sign up for it:(

(1st: problem with paper work - receiving the course bill too late that I had to give up attending the course at all. 2nd: Consequently: sad, disappointed a lil'bit, reality). 

For the rest of the week I was in the youth center and done some office work- I transferred part of the campers' paper information on the computer. I stayed alone for a while in the office. Two people came totally unaware of my unsophisticated Finnish language skills and sooo randomly asked me in Finnish, but I sooo surprisingly understood them and answered!!! That was awesome:)

On Friday in the youth center the youngsters sat around me at the table I often stay and talked random things. I didn't do what I planned for Friday evening because I saw that the teenagers wanted to talk, to be listened which is more more important than any other activities. So, I'm glad that they just unconditionally finally broke the ice themselves and stayed sooo close to me! That's great!

Week 15- my great holy holiday in Istanbul, Turkey where I met distant relatives of my grandpa and they saw my parents for the very first time on skype. They cried and laughed laughed a lot. It was very unique unbelievable touching moment for all of us. 

Later I departed to Spain and visited Bilbao, Pamplona, Roncesvalles (places, part of El Camino de Santiago), Perdon, and San Sebastián in the company of a very good friend of mine from my childhood, Veselina:) 

Weeks 16 and 17 were dedicated to youth work, educational games, and Mallinkainen camps refreshing and cleaning. I talked with some youngsters in English (week 16,Friday, meaningful conversation, explaining some rules, small talk about behavior). On that week I also let the kids in the youth center eat the sweets I got from Turkey. 

Week 18 - A trip around Scandinavian countries with Lili (university colleague who studies now in Oslo and will arrange the board and accommodation; and Veselina, who is going to join me directly from Pamplona in Helsinki!!! I can't can wait for it! Yes!!! Helsinki-Turku-Stockholm-Gothenburg -Oslo +back (*** + a small ferry adventure Oslo-Copenhagen-Oslo:):):))) And then in week 19 back Unbelievable!!! I'm on the road now!!! 

Peace;)

Week 12&13 Virala&Tanttala :)

Week 12 Viralan koulu

It was a little bit surprising to me that they were not aware of my visit to the school or they'd forgotten?! Nevertheless, I was quickly welcomed and accepted by the three teachers and their students. 

I told them about me, my country and its nature, and my personal interests. So, right away on the next day we wrote some "blackout poems". I presented my alphabet and wrote some names in Bulgarian as a sign of the cultural and linguistic difference. I left them few children's books in Bulgarian (as souvenirs). 

I felt there like I was a teacher assistant because I was checking homework, monitoring the class for any difficulties in maths, and assisting them in finding solutions. At the same time the head teacher was able to teach a new lesson. On the contrary I can't imagine that just one of the teachers is having 4 classes (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th) simultaneously, teaches the 3rd graders maths and 6th graders history! Well, in Viralan koulu that's possible but as the teacher confirmed:"It's tough." So I think they really need some additional school help. I'm ready to be that worker just to know. 

Additionally, I'm inspired by a freelance contemporary artist I met in Virala. She integrates dancing moves into educational experience and gave me some ideas for teaching numbers, letters, or literature and how to practice all that with students of different ages and learning abilities. Yes!

On the whole, it's definitely somewhat an unusual, very interesting, and important school. I'm glad I had the chance to spend some time there and honestly I look forward for any further meeting. I'm available for that school. I liked it from the first day. 

For Easter here I baked traditional Bulgarian sweet Easter bread called "kozunak" (well, I put also some Finnish fruit jam- puolukkahilo:))

Week 13 Tanttalan koulu 

I spent 4 school days in Tanttalan koulu, a very small unique place for its number of students and educational building. 

On Tuesday in the morning classes I presented Bulgaria and played traditional bag-pipe folk music for the students (4-6th grade). Later they decorated the classroom with lots of "color paper spring flowers" under my tutorial from the document camera (pictures above).

On Wednesday the school had a sport day. I showed  a game to the kids until the hall was ready for floorball and gymnastics. The game is called "kralju portalju" (king at the gates"). It's a very common and traditional game in Bulgaria:

On Thursday I helped in English classes when I played board games and used the school iPads for one vocabulary game with the students. I stayed until noon, because the head teacher was sick, so we all left school earlier. 

On Friday those wonderful kids (4-6th grade, about 18 pupils together) wrote "blackout poems"! in Finnish!! (I copied Hans C. Andersen's book of fairly tales I found in the old school library!!!) 

Overall, good week we all practiced and cooperated. Here are some of the results:

 What's next? In April: More exciting moments- traveling, lots of lots of traveling!!!!!!!!!!!!