Our trip to Poland

Poland 2014

Live Life

Κωνσταντινα Κοντογιαννη

Hello everybody!

I felt like recalling some of the things I experienced and learnt in this unique project

'LIVE LIFE' and share them with you !!!

Being in the group of journalism, which for me was the most interesting and suitable group, I experienced an excellent cooperation with the rest of the participants on many occasions, which was reflected upon our work and outcome of course.

But, because this project was not the first I participated, I was able to gain experience on other levels, even more important according to my opinion. Some types of non-formal education, that seem to me maybe the most important outcomes of this project.

One of the most important things i gained, is the ability to control my feelings and be more flexible and creative in cases of stress and conflicts. When you live with so many different types of people, of different cultures and civilizations, 24 hours a day, it is possible, if not sure, that there will be some conflicts and disagreements. In these cases you have to learn to control yourself and feelings, and therefore try to be creative, collaborative, and encourage an esprit de corps.

I feel really lucky to have met you all, and even luckier to have created some friends for life!!!!

Kisses from Greece!!! 

Θεώνη Μάμμου

The previous week our trip to Poland ended. It was a wonderful experience and I would definitely like to try it again as many times as it is possible. We actually had a great time, we came closer with each other, got to know new cultures and new people from different countries and ages which was the most interesting part. That was because we had the chance to talk with them, of course create new friendships, even though it was a shot trip, also get motivated and inspired by other people's interests. During the project I chose to be part of the stencils group. We had a lot of fun while working and learning at the same time. We learned how to make stencils and paint them, we saw a lot of videos and talked a lot about them. In general the project was fascinating and I would glaaadly do it again and again. 

 

 Αλεξανδρος Κατσικας

The trip to Poland was a very nice experience. We met people from a lot of countries and as a result we learned a lot about their cultures and habits. We also organized a successful event in a central square of Lublin about stencils. Eight absolutely magnificent days!

Ελένη Δούρου

Τελικά τι ακριβώς είναι ένα πρόγραμμα ανταλλαγής νέων; Στην αρχή είδα μια ευκαιρία για να επισκεφθώ μια χώρα στην οποία δεν είχα ξαναπάει αλλά στο τέλος του ταξιδιού κατάλαβα ότι οι εμπειρίες που είχα πάρει και όλα αυτά που έμαθα κατά την διάρκεια, ήταν πολύ πιο σημαντικά. Σε ένα τέτοιο ταξίδι έχεις την ευκαιρία να γνωρίσεις νέους ανθρώπους, να δημιουργήσεις φιλίες επισκεφθείς έναν τόπο, να γνωρίσεις τους ανθρώπους που μένουν σε αυτόν και να νιώσεις τον σφυγμό της καθημερινής τους ζωής. Το ταξίδι μας ξεκίνησε στην Βαρσοβία, όπου μείναμε για μια ημέρα Εκεί επισκεφτήκαμε την παλιά πόλη, το Μέγαρο Πολιτισμού Επιστημών και περπατήσαμε μέσα από πανέμορφα και καταπράσινα πάρκα. Την επόμενη μέρα έπρεπε να αφήσουμε την Βαρσοβία και να ταξιδέψουμε μέχρι το Λιούμπλιν. Στο Λιούμπλιν, μέσα σε λίγες μέρες ήρθα αντιμέτωπη με ταλαντούχους νέους, πρόθυμους να δουλέψουν σκληρά, εμπνευσμένοι από την ίδια την ζωή, με ελπίδες και βλέψεις για το μέλλον. Η εμπειρία της γνωριμίας με την πόλη, την τοπική κουζίνα και τους κατοίκους της (Λιούμπλιν)και η ευκαιρία να επικοινωνήσω με νέους ανθρώπους άλλων χωρών που πήραν μέρος και αυτοί στο πρόγραμμα (Ελλάδα, Ρουμανία, Ιταλία, Πολωνία) με άφησαν άφωνη και με άλλαξαν προς το καλύτερο δίνοντας μου και μένα την δυνατότητα να εξελιχθώ πνευματικά και κοινωνικά. Επίσης, μέσα από το πρόγραμμα ήρθα σε επαφή με την τέχνη των stencils, η οποία σαν νέα μορφή τέχνης σιγά σιγά παίρνει και αυτή αξιωματικά την θέση της στον ευρύ χώρο των τεχνών. Πραγματικά είναι αξιοθαύμαστο το γεγονός ότι όλοι οι άνθρωποι ανεξαρτήτως χώρας, μπορούν να επικοινωνήσουν με μια κοινή γλώσσα, αυτή της δημιουργίας. Είναι τόσα πολλά αυτά που θα θυμάμαι από αυτό το ταξίδι, όλες αυτές οι πολύτιμες αναμνήσεις. Ένα πράγμα όμως παραμένει σίγουρο και σταθερό: θα το ξαναέκανα χωρίς δεύτερη σκέψη.

What's a youth exchange program? In the beginning I saw an opportunity to visit a country but by the end of the trip I realized that I saw and learnt much more than this. In a trip like that you meet new people, you have the chance to form new friendships and visit a foreign country where you can truly feel the heart-beat of its everyday life. Our trip began in Warsaw, where we stayed for a day and visited the old town, the Palace of Culture and Science and walked through magnificent parks. The next day was our trip to Lublin. In Lublin I saw what I can only describe as magic. We met young people filled with willingness to work, with hopes and a vision. People motivated and inspired by life. The experience of getting to know the locals, taste the Polish delicacies and communicating with people from Poland, Italy and Romania was amazing. Also, we got to learn about the art of making stencils and expressing yourself through them in one common language, the language of creating. Unique, original and life-changing. So many things to remember from this trip, so many valuable experiences that changed me, made me work harder. One thing is for sure: I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Νικος Θεοχαροπουλος

Since I’ve been asked how my days were in Poland I should mention that they were really wonderful. It was a unique experience and opportunity to see a magical country. What makes it special is the cooperation between people and living with so many different characters. Certainly there were problems between people but I think it is something normal as we're talking about over 20 people. Waking up and saying “good morning” to so many people can help you start your day wonderfully. At the end of the week after a personal review I could see that the tiredness from all the work was forgotten and all that was left was the fun we had. I can say that all the activities we did and the games we played were something that helped us to cooperate, to come closer and to get to know each other better. I hope to see many of the children who participated and I'm sure that the friendships we made in Poland will always remind us of this amazing experience which might be unique for some of us.