Partakers’ experiences and opinions in Finland

Partakers’ experiences and opinions of the project European Approach

Gathered at the meeting 20 September, 2011

The partakers (24 persons) were divided into six small groups (3 – 5 members) to discuss the project European Approach. Each group wrote short comments on their common experiences, with regard to the studies of partner countries in the study group in Kuusankoski and the visits to partner countries.  

What has been good about the project?

Group A thought that the good atmosphere and continuing enthusiasm in the study group show that the project has been successful. Language studies, music from partner countries, cultural studies and discussions as well as visitors (from Greece, Poland and Turkey and the coordinator of Kouvola EU information centre) were interesting and informative.  

In Group B’s opinion, they have got a lot of information from the good presentations in the study group. At the same time, they have met new interesting people.

Group C had also experienced the good atmosphere; getting acquainted with the culture of other countries has been rewarding.

Group D had also found enthusiasm in the study group. Common knowledge, cultural and language studies have been useful. Two members had made a tour of Italy on their own and had been able to use their knowledge in practice. The EU information coordinator’s presentation was also good.

Group E paid attention to both working in the study group and the journeys, on which it has been possible to learn more about the country’s history, culture and language by meeting people. One important form of everyday culture for them was traditional food. This group also mentioned the EU information coordinator’s visit.

Group F mentioned that getting more knowledge of the partner countries has widened horizons and given impetus to finding out more about the countries. Readiness to travel has increased. Those who have taken part in the partnership meetings have dedicated a lot of time and energy to the assignments given. Enthusiasm in the study group has prevailed and the visitors have been interesting.

What could have been done better/ otherwise?

Group A thought that a longer summer pause would have been ok (the writer’s comment: it was now six weeks), and the programme could have been less tight (the writer’s comment: there were on an average two meetings a month during each three-month study period).

Group F thought that the tasks in the study group could have been allocated to more people. (The writer’s comment: Each study period has been led by a different voluntary tutor.)

The members of Group B thought that they missed a lot of what was told in the study group, thus handouts of the contents would have been useful and a summary of the lessons could have been put in the net. (The writer’s comment: a number of handouts have been dealt to the participants and the material has mostly been taken from the net). They would prefer shorter language studies. The group would also like to have more contact with the partners before and after the journeys.

Both Group C and Group D would have liked the study period of the country where the next meeting was held to be immediately before the journey (the writer’s comment: because studies were planned to go on with the partners in pairs, it was not always possible to have the ”right” partner).   Keeping to the timetables on the journeys did not always succeed and, on the other hand, tight timetables were a weakness, thought Group C. There should be more interpretation during the visits to partners, otherwise those who don’t understand the language miss a lot.

Group E’s wish was to have more visits to people’s homes.

Group F suggested more versatile activities in the study group to enliven the lessons.

What has been done wrong?

Group C and Group E mentioned that the study timetable had been too tight (the writer’s comment: carrying out the project needed this timetable, with six partners a period of about three months had to be reserved for each of them).

Other ideas

Groups B and C thanked the tutors of the study group. Group E wished some kind of continuation to this activity.
Group F said that the project has been well planned and managed. Travelling arrangements have been reliable.

The groups:

A: Helvi, Jaana, Miikka and Ulla

B: Arja, Eira, Marja and Terttu

C: Irma, Maire, Risto and Teuvo

D: Eero, Meeri, Mervi and Pirkko

E: Marjatta, Sirpa, Tauno, Tuulikki I. and Tuulikki S.

F: Maini, Pirjo and Sirkka-Liisa

Comments: Seppo

Experiences in Estonia

I had the possibility to take part in an EU-project meeting “European Approach” in Estonia 27.-31.7.2011. The meeting was a part of Grundtvig learning partnership project. We were nine participants together from Finland. The main theme of the meeting was this time dance culture. The other participants in this meeting, which was held in Palamuse, were from Greece, Turkey, Italy, Estonia, Poland and Portugal, 30 persons altogether.

The beautiful Estonian landscape and people who in spite of the different cultures and inadequate language skills were able to communicate and cooperate so well together made a big impression on me. The most important aim of the EU is to create contacts at grass roots level between people living in different circumstances and in this way promote the understanding of different cultures.

Especially rewarding were the verbal and illustrated presentations of the participants on the culture, life, political situation and particularly on the perspectives of each country. The international get-together with product exhibitions, dance performances and entertainment programme gave a god opportunity to discussions between the participants.  

 Because of my inadequate language skills I got help from my kind English speaking fellow travellers, when we drove around in Palamuse, Tartu and Tallinn and their sights which in many ways were related to traditional landscape, past and culture of Estonia which the Estonians want to cherish and sustain.

To sum up all the participants got pleasant memories from the seminar. Our special thanks go to the Estonian project coordinator Ivar Vinkmann for his efforts for our comfort and entertainment.

Teuvo Nurmi

3rd Partnership Meeting - Bialystok, Poland

Friday May 20th, 2011

We all meet at 9.00 a.m. at the Cristal Hotel entrance. After, we go by bus to Tykocin where we visit the catholic church, the synagogue and the Jewish Culture Museum. Then we go for lunch in Folwark Nadawki, where we learn how to make “pierogi”. In the afternoon, we to visit the Orthodox Icons Museum in Suprasl. In the evening, we have an international dinner where we taste typical meals from partner countries – Italy, Estonia, Turkey, Portugal, Finland and Poland. We sing, we dance and we have a good fun! Now we become friends!

Saturday May 21st, 2011

Today we meet at CKU to see presentations of participant’s countries. At the end of the meeting we also watch the presentation of Podlasie region. Later we go for lunch at noon in Esperanto Café. After lunch we visit Bialystok with a tourist guide. We see a lot of cultural events around the city. Bialystok is a real cultural melting pot! In the evening we have dinner in Tokaj restaurant where we taste Hungarian cuisine.

Sunday May 22nd, 2011

At 8.00 a.m. we leave for Bialowieza. We visit bison’s reserve. We buy souvenirs from Podlasie region – “Zubrowka” grass, honey, wooden rural utensils, herbs. We have a nice cold glass of beer in “Car’s Restaurant”. Around noon we go for lunch in Siolo Budy. There, after lunch, we have an international how-to-make-a-butter course. Of course we all taste it. It is delicious! After the visit a typical XIX-century farm. There we see how hard was the work of our grandparents. After the visit we walk along “King’s Oaks Alley” in the primeval forest. In the evening we go back to Bialystok – tired but happy. We say goodbye and we hope to meet again soon!

Text by Polish Team

2nd Partnership Meeting in Greece - Photostory by Portuguese Team

Meeting in Athens, Feb 2011 by the Greek Team

Although many months have passed we still remember this meeting. End of 2010 beginning of 2011 Athens was on demonstration and strikes almost every day.  We were very stressed because we didn’t know if the participants could arrive to the venue because of the situation. Finally everybody was there although there were strikes and demonstrations the arrival day as well.

Our first meeting started with nice view from the tenth floor of the hotel. In front of us all the beautiful and historical monuments of Athens, Acropolis, Lycabetus hill,  Philopapou, Piraeus port. After our welcome/introduction meeting and the practical arrangement s we started our walking tour in Athens. Through Omonoia square we passed from the central food market and reached Monastiraki square under Acropolis, next to the roman bibliotheque, and to ancient agora.

After our traditional meal in a cultural centre we went back to the hotel to prepare our international fair. The fair was visited apart from some Greeks members of NGOs many young international volunteers who had their midterm evaluation meeting in the same hotel. So the meeting was very alive and it was nice to meet two generations there and learn the one from the other. One of the most impressive moments was the presentation of our Turkish colleagues who showed us their unique painting technique.

The next day in the morning we presented the portfolios and in the afternoon we visited Acropolis museum and the site around. Our guide’s description was very alive and we got a very good idea of the festivities in honour to Athena Goddess. Our coordinator’s meeting was held in the cafe of the museum.

Next day we visited some other cities near Athens as the archaeological site of Mycenae, Nafplion and the ancient theatre of Epidaurus. During this visit we had the opportunity to learn how many different tribes passed from Greece and the influences of each one.

On our way back to Athens we stopped for coffee over new Epidaurus village and there, enjoying the beautiful view of the forest over the sea and the small village hidden in the green environment we discover each ones’ secret friend.

The meeting for the greek participants it was a very nice break from the everyday hard reality which we live the last two years and we still remember it with happy and love.

Thanks to all the participants, thanks to the partners we have nice memories and enrich our knowledge and experience. 

MOSQUES ARE SAD IN ATHENS.

There aren’t any people to perform  their praying and The mosques are closed.

Athens,the capital city of our neighbour Greece,used to be a small city like Ankara, it became a modern, cultural and developed city after the Republic.

We arrived in Venizelos Airport.(Venizelos is an important person for Greek people.) The airport is about 30 kms.far away from the city center and we had three choices to go to the center ;taxi,bus and tram and we decided to try the bus.It took about an hour.After we got off the bus we arrived at our hotel.The hotel is on the main street and very near to the Parliment buildin and other important buildings.

The hotel is very large and it had a lot of facilities for the guests;cafeteria,meeting rooms.The top storey is very impressive,you can see the whole city from the top floor.

If  I were in Konya today.I would participate an anniversary meeting but as I am in Athens ,it is not possible but my soul is in Konya.I send my best wishes to my friends.

I wanted to perform my praying but I din’t know which direction I should face for Mecce.I tried to guess the approximate direction and I performed my praying.

The next morning I understood that my direction was correct  when  the sun rose.In the morning we had our breakfast with our team.And we decided to see the city .

It was a different day for the native people,because there was a strike.All the officers,workers and police were in the streets.And most of the shops were closed and the main roads were blocked for traffic.

As far as we could observe the people were accustomed to such activities and they closed their shops and the poice were waiting at the corners of the streets.In democracy it is their one of their natural rights to protest and demand a better life for themselves.

We preferred to go to the touristic area.The shops were open here and the shop owners were waiting for their customers.The streets looked very clean and quiet.They kept the old buildings as it is,and they restored some of the buildings too.

While we were having a rest in a cafeteria, we saw a couple and we thought they are Muslim.Soon they started to talk to an old man sitting and reading books.As I am a curious person I approached them and introduced myself They saluted us.The couple came from Palestine .As the old man learnt that we are from Konya-Turkey he began to talk about Mevlana ,Konya,Islam,Prophets.and angels.After having a small talk we said good-bye and left them.

We decided to return to our hotel to perform our praying.When we approached the main street,everywhere was in a mess.There was a strange scent,it was very affective we tried to close our noses and eyes and hurried to the hotel.

As our host had warned us about the strike,we brought some food with us,in the hotel we met our friends in one of the rooms and had our lunch together.

In the evening we went outside and saw that everything was quiet.The workers were cleaning the streets.

The next morning we met our partners while we were having breakfast.After the breakfast we had a city-tour on foot and we had a chance to see the old part of the city.On the way we saw a music group performing a traditional music and some of our friends danced with the music.

As far as I can observe we have a lot of common cultures,products and habits with Greek people.

In the evening we had an international fair and a lot of people joined it.As Turkish group our participants performed a water marbling paint (Ebru) and I hope everybody liked it.

The next morning every country had a presentation about their parners’countries ,we liked it too.

We had our lunch in an old restaurant which looked like a museum,we had a chance to talk with the owner of the restaurant.He mentioned about himself and his family.As far as I understood he is an old member of  Athens Municipality.He loved music and painting.

We went to visit Acropolis in the afternoon.The building looks very impressive on the hill.The guide gave us a lot of information about it and the area,we went inside the museum and saw alot of impressive monumets and statues.

The guide told us that in ancient times they used to sacrifice animals for the new-born baby and this custom  is not only in Greece but also in Turkey,Italy and some Arabic countries too.

The next day we went to Troy to see some remains ,it was very amazing.

I left Athens with very good impressions.I hope the countries will have better relations in the future.

By Kasım Yazıcı

Turkish Study Group started to learn about their partners

The Project was approved in July,2010 and our contact person participated to the kick-off meeting that held in Poland in August 2010.We started to work to carry out the Project according to the application form.

First we announced that we are carrying out a EU Project:A local Tv Channel saw our announcement and we gave a speech to them, it was broadcast on the local Tv.After this programme a lot of candidates applied for the Project and we had to choose 20 of them as the first study group.

In September we had a meeting with them and we gave information about the Project.They were all volunteers to participate the Project.

Our first group started to learn about Italy and Italian.But unfortunately we couldn’t have a good contact with them.But our learners continued learning about the subject.They learned about the daily life in Italy,culture,food language and many other subjects.

And some of our members prepared Powerpoint shows about the subject and they showed them in one of the meetings.

The learners said that they understood that they hadn’t known much about Italy and the course helped them to gain a lot of information about Italy and Italians.

Our friends learned many things about Portugal and Portugese during the Project meeting in Lisbon.

As soon as we returned to Turkey,we had a meeting with our learners and gave them information about the meeting and showed them the photos that we had taken during our stay in Lisbon.,

In this period we are studying about Estonia and Estonians.We searched on the net and we get information from our Estonian partners.

Estonia is a far country to Turkey and there are a lot of things that we have to learn about,such as; culture,history,geography,food,literature and etc.

But our study group are very eager  to learn about our partners.

It is one of the targets of our Project.

We are going to have the next Project Meeting in Greece and we are getting ready for the meeting.We hope it will be a fantastic meeting.

I must tell you that there are many Turkish learners who want to participate the meetings but as it is known ,we have a limited number, but we are sure that when this Project ends ,we are going to prepare other projects.

By Tahir Demircioğlu, Turkey