EVS CLUJ-NAPOCA 2015

After one year since my first visit to Romania, I came back. This time I came to Cluj and I must confess I was very excited to visit this city and begin my activities. Although at first the language was a barrier for me, in time I got used with the language and now everything’s quite OK. I realized that I learned Romanian without giving it too much thought, while working and hanging out with my Romanian friends. It was a faster way of learning and this method, namely learning while having fun, works best for me!

But, apart from that, I keep a notebook for English and Romanian words for whenever I need help. Plus, when I learn a new word, I try to write it down in my notebook. I find this to be a very good reminder method. I realize that I’m making a progress when people talk to me in Romanian and I can understand the questions and I am able to answer or speak more easily. But I think I like it best when someone else tells me about my progress. It is such a nice thing to hear! During the last 7 months, I worked in a psychiatric hospital with children and teenagers. Together with my colleague, I prepared various activities for them, such as drawing, painting and different games. Each moment I get to spend with them is perfect and I’m very happy to help them and share my happiness. I love it!

I also got to work with children with disabilities in a very nice day care center. I did several activities with them and they are very nice! The children are so patient and they are very motivated and happy! I love to work with them for my personal project and I find all this to be quite perfect for me!

Sinaia! I went to Sinaia for my first training. We were 60 volunteers from 12 different countries who met there. It was such a big group! Nonetheless, everyone was talking to everyone, there were no small groups because all those present wanted to talk and get to know the other volunteers. This was a really interesting experience for me. 

Everything during that training was so nice! The trainers, all the volunteers, the party, the discussions…! For the training have been divided into two groups because it was easier for the trainers and for the volunteers to learn was needed. But, during the breaks it was like in school: the bell rang and you got to go and meet with your friends. We were sixty friends with something to say all the time. There were a lot of jokes! During the 1^st week, I met some amazing people, I had an amazing time and everything was in fact amazing! 

The 1^st week after that training there was the UNTOLD festival in Cluj, so I decided to go together with some friends whom I met in Sinaia. I went with four of my friends. We were five friends from three different nationalities enjoying the long nights of this big festival! It was a crazy weekend. So of course I decided I will come back next year for the UNTOLD! How I can miss it?

The conclusion is that my work here was nice. I'm so happy about my personal project, Rubicklub (the activities at the psychiatric hospital), the unforgettable encounters with children, and all the other amazing moments that I got to enjoy while doing my work here! It's a shame SEV volunteering is not a full time job! 2015 is almost at an end and we are in December and I saw snow only once! What are you doing snow? I’m waiting for you!

   

                                                                                                                                                       CASSY