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Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Magdalena Kusa. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Magdalena Kusa. Mostrar todas las entradas

viernes, 17 de junio de 2016

Giants, reggeaton and corrida or … Corpus Christi in Granada

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It is said, that in Granada the biggest holidays is Corpus Christi. Because it is an important christian holidays and it is also the time, when it take place here feria de primavera. 

In our center we started to celebrate Corpus one week earlier. During all May, we had kind of Masses in the school's chapel, because it was a special Virgin's month. But, one day, I walked into the chapel and I could see, that the Virgin Mary is ready to get out. Seriously. She was standing on a special platform, using during the Semana Santa... but, come on – we've already celebrated Easter two months ago. What's going on? 


There is a famous event called Romeria, which is trip or peregrination which ends at a sanctuary or hermitage, during this celebration, there are dancing, singing, eating and drinking and, of course, people usually dress in famenco dresses. So, we prepared Romeria also here, with a „trip” around the school. Few older boys took the Mary outside the school and our little girls, wearing orange flamenco dresses, (mandatory in dots) and one boy were dancing for her. 


Next, it was Wednesday – one day before the Corpus. It was impossible to walked by Gran Via. Why? Because people was waiting for La Tarasca. It is a parade of giants.


First, we can see catholics and arabic kings, then, more or less ordinary people with enormous heads, orchestra and, the most important - pretty doll in flamenco dress, riding dragon. It's connected with a legend about Saint Martha, who defeated the dragon in Tarasque kingdom in France just by prayers.


Finally we have the day of the Corpus. It seemed to be similar to the polish one. There were beautiful altars situated around the church and procesion with the Holy Sacrament.


There was even a material's roof through all the procesion way to protected decorations. So, we were waiting in front of the cathedral for procesion. Waiting...and waiting... and we couldn't believe how many people, who just carried the flags, could be inside the cathedral. And they were leaving and leaving, without any song or prayer, more than half on hour... we almost felt asleep. Finally, there left priests with a Holy Sacrament. So, like in our country, we quickly ran behind the priests, to follow the procesion, to be the first people and could see and hear everything, but... in a few minute we realized, that we were not just the first one – we were the only one who did it... Next time i'll read some savour vivre guidebook before ;) 


The same week there were started two other things. First one was the feria. It is tipical for all Andalusia that during a week, more or less, in the city there are concerts, dances and fiestas inside the tents, with the sangria and flamenco and/or reggaeton music. The most well know feria take part in Sevilla in April, but in Granada it's open for everybody. And the last thing – do you know what kind of event starts in a day of Corpus? It's also tipical for Andalusia. We have flamenco, sangria, so... yes, it is corrida... When I had spanish lessons in Poland, years ago, we learned one word which is really usefull for me to describe sometimes some spanish customs – que barbaridad! ;)

sábado, 28 de mayo de 2016

How to make a frog?

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Have you ever thought how to make a frog? DO it now. There are no rules except: do not talk about it with anyone. No more limits. Have you got it? So now, I'll show you the frog you have to do – your task is to INVENT HOW TO DO exactly this frog. Is that more or less easy for you? So now, I'll SHOW YOU HOW to do it. Which way do you prefer, as the best for you?

The frog is just an example of activity, which can let realized ourselves our expectations, style of thinking and learning, because our EVS, as a part of our life long learning proces, is the main topic of mid term evaluation. 

We met in Malaga: the city of cathedral, alcazar, plaza de toros – like in the most of andalusian cities, and famous from Picasso. You can enjoy or miss it all, but, for sure, you can not miss almost hundred of EVS volunteers waiting for their new adventure. We went to Mollina. Sorry – where? Again? Town in the middle of nowhere? It seems like quite huge campus, where we were living in, is the only thing in this place. It have this advantages, that you can focus on yourself, training subjects and people, who you are with now, trying to do mission impossible – get to know everybody. The good thing of beeing with 100 people in that kind of place is connected with the farewell party... but it is a secret – you will see.




OK, so what all this mid term is about? As the arrival was about more general things like: Erasmus, EVS and some working techniques, now you have impression that this is your own coaching training. Why? Because you have time to think about your project, expectations, style of learning, style of relaxing, style of solving the problems and share it and compare with the other people from your group to discovering, inspiring, supporting. You can realised where you are, what for, why here and what to do with that. You can also realised, that not just you have problems or sometimes worse mood, not just you still haven't spoke spanish perfectly, miss your home or have no idea, what are you doing here, instead of creating a „normal life” somewhere else.

As I remember, my motto after arrival was: there is always a light in the end of the tunnel. So now, after mid term, it is: think and think pink ( kisses for Pink Panter group, if you read it), let your dreams fly all over the sky and just love life, with all the surprises it brings. There are different frogs and many ways of how to do them, just do your.


viernes, 6 de mayo de 2016

Constitution in the rythm of flamenco

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When in Poland we hang our white-red flags, put the flowers on the statue, listen politics speach and, ewentualy, dancing polonaise because of celebrating first in Europe 3rd May constitution. In Andalusia wear flamenco dress and go dancing under the flowery cross to celebrate Dia de la Cruz. 

It is said that the byzantine emperor – Constantine the Great had a dream where he can see a cross on the sky with the description: under this sign is your victory. The emperor took the cross to set a battle and he really won it. Then Constantine sent his mother – Helen to Jerusalem to find the Jesus cross and she did. She also divided it into 3 part and each of it left in each christian city: Rome, Jerusalem and Constantinopole. The emperor declared christianity the state religion. Follow this tradition the 3rd of May is the Day of the Cross.


In Granada the celebrations of this day started in1625 it became a cross of alabaster in the district of San Lazaro and all locals celebrated by singing and dancing with it. Then they continued the tradition in the most typical neighborhoods of the Albayzín and Realejo, and children began to build small altars decorated with shawls, pottery and copper.






Today, many of these traditions are preserved, including put a pair of scissors stabbed into a pero (in Granada they called that the apples) but it means also – but. It mean to not criticize the cross decorations (It is pretty, but...). It is also tradition that the children ask for chavico (little money) for the cross.









During The Day of the Cross in Granada we can see crosses decorated on all over the city – in public and private places, where the people set the table and invite for the vine, tapas, singing and dancing to celebrate this day. There is also a contest for the best decorated cross. And I regret that I do not have a horse and flamenco dress to look more local than the fascinated giri could not decided where and what make the photo first. 


viernes, 1 de abril de 2016

Don't you paint the eggs? Ku Klux Klan, guapa and potatoes on the street – Semana Santa in Andalusia

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I really wanted to spend Easter in Andalusia because I heard it is so spectacular. And it's true, but it is also really strange for poles.


The most well know thing connected with Easter here are street processions. When you first time go to see it and you can see it from the beggining, you are a little bit scared – why? When you see tens of hooded figures just with the holes for the eyes, with the candels in their hands, first impression is: madre mia, ku klux klan – run away! Then you calm down a little and realise that: c'mon – it's Spain XXI century, not America in XIX. In fact, this hooded persons called here penitentes or as a joke penitontos (tonto means stupid) have old tradition. In the middle ages there were people called – flagellants who talked about the end of the world, took on themselves the sufferings of the world and gave themselves up to repentance. When the pope forbade public scourging, they began to hide under the hoods, which become their symbol. Next this penitents began to form themselves into groups and as one of the objectives chosen to remind people of the Passion. From the fifteenth century, the brotherhood (hermandades) organized processions.

lunes, 28 de marzo de 2016

To be a woman

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Flower and pantyhose – that's stereotype from comunisme age of how in Poland we celebrate International Women's Day. In Spain as a gift man should give woman a book. But what is the most important here – during this day, women remaind all world about their rights during public debats, on the street. Feministic? Not at all. It's true that women walking on the street for sure can hear from most of the men she meet: hola guapa! But, if she wants something more, often she needs to hit the man. On the other hand, in Andalucia still exist „macho” style: women earn less money than men, freuqently is also violence in home. 

So, I enjoy when I can see in the school posters like this:





And how looks this day in Granada?




miércoles, 23 de marzo de 2016

sábado, 19 de marzo de 2016

Let me touch the piano

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My tutor was faster in explain what the Andalucia day is:





So i' ve just add a little how we celebrated it: from classical concert during which we can heared and even touched the piano on which was compose the national song of Andalucia, throw spanish guitar and passioned flameco in Alhambra on snow ending, but...it's impossible to describe it even for me, so just take a look: 






sábado, 27 de febrero de 2016

Ten cuidado, podrías estar en el próximo carnaval

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There is a legend that: when the last muslim king of Granada - Sultan Muhammad, after he lost his kingdom, was exiled, and on his way out of Granada, he stopped at a mountain pass to look back at Granada and began to cry. His mother was unimpressed with his sudden remorse and scolded him, “Cry like a woman for that which you could not defend as a man.”. We passed by this same road like the king but we wasn't cry, we was exciting because we went to celebrate the end of the carnaval in Alhama – small, but amazing town near the Granada.




It was Valentine's day. Few days before in the Ciudad de los ninos there were a party because of that day and i've got so cute valentine from my kids.




But, let's back to the main subject. It was a Valentine's day and we went to celebrate the end of carnaval, but... wait a minute... in Poland the carnaval ended on Wednesday which we called Ash Wednesday. From this time till the Easter there is no party in Poland. But, in Andalusia it seems that the carnaval never ending ;)





[photo from: http://alhama.com/digital/fiestas/carnaval]

The carnaval in Alhama is special and has long tradition. People dress some special clothes which some of them keep in their wardrobes especially for that day. Some others wear what they have in a hand: clothes, paper, rubbish bag and in this outfit they walk on the street. There is also a tradition that a group of people wear this same clothes. The most traditional part of the dress is some kind of mask on the face made of white material with holes for the eyes and mouth.


When you wear it you have to also change your voice to do not let no one to recognise you. The next and an important thing is that there is also sing contest. But not ordinary songs. There are groups of people and each group write one song about what happened during last year: it can be connected with politics, sport, anything and it is like a parody. The purpose is similar like in Poland before when we had: Szopki noworoczne. So, there is a sentence in Spain:" Ten cuidado, podrías estar en el próximo carnaval", which mean than if you do something stupid or fun or spectacular you can be in someone song during next carnaval party. There are also people who make their own show.There is a lot of fun to see how big distance have Spanish people to themselves and how can they have fun even if the weather this year was not spanish: it was raining and snowing but the peple did not care about the weather, come on, it is a carnaval, bad weather? - no pasa nada ;)


After this party on the street we went on the party in our coordinator- Carmen friend's home. We met amazing people working with immigrants, youths, disabled people, who painted our face in indian style, singing and dancing to the songs from our 4 different countries: Spain, Itally, Maroco and Poland.





You think that is the end? No way. When we came back to the Ciudad de los ninos it is turned out that on the end of the week there will be the end of the carnaval in the centre :) All the week all our huge home was full of paper, serpentine, origami cranes... because we made a decor. Each group of children prepared their own show. They also dressed in some costumes and sing about Ciudad, teachers and so on. So, it is possible that we really can be in their next carnaval ;)


martes, 9 de febrero de 2016

There is a light on the end of the tunnel

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Imagine, that you are walking up on the stones, the road is narrow and you can not almost see nothing more than a bushes. Suddenly, you can see an old tracks which you start to follow, but then is even worse, because you get into dark tunnel. And now you can see just the darknes. Hapily, you realize, that you are not alone: someone take your hand, other start singing. You stop think about darknes and just go straight on together. And then you notice a bright ray on the end of the tunnel.

I walked this road last week with other EVS volunteers during our arrival training to realize that this tunnel is like ours projects, like ours lifes.



What is EVS?


Few days ago my friend wrote to me: I want to go for EVS but I have no idea what is going on. So, the arrival training is for get to know it. I will try to describe it in as short way as possible: EVS is for people from 18 till 30 years old who wants to get new experience in other country. To go for EVS you have to find organisation who can send and host you or apply for project (which you can find for example here:http://www.youthnetworks.eu/SearchVacancy.aspx ). During your EVS you have to have minimum you need to live like: accomodation, food (you can get money for it or home and food), bus tickets if you live far from organisation you work and some pocket money. You have to have 2 days off every week and work no longer than 38 hours per week. You can not also doing a job like workers in this place who get money for their job. You are here to help, share and get experience, learn new language, develop yourself, learn and find yourself. All this things you learn you should put in kind of certificat – Youthpass. More details about it you can read on my tutor's blog: http://learneplus-evs.blogspot.com.es/2016/02/on-arrival-training.html.


But the thing which I remember the most is: do not come for help somebody, come for find yourself and then someone will be follow you. 


The most important thing


I learned during this training is maybe simple and obviously right that always and everywhere you can meet people who have similar or this same experiences, problems, who can understand you even if don't understand your language or can not agree with your ideas or behaviour and support you, if you'll give them a chance to do it. And you realize that it is like in this gospel song: „you'll never walk alone”.



Welcome home



I had not noticed when I started call Granada – home. What's new in home? New volunteer join to us and there is a fiesta on Sacramonte. It is gypsy's neighbourhood of Granada. Amazing and unique place situated on hills and mountains where some people are living in the caves. Inside the caves are also some churches, pubs, museum. And they celebrate their patron's day – St. Cecilio. This day you have to take salty bread and asparagus and make a picnic watching flamenco show.


Unusually? For me for sure, but there was another thing which suprised me most that day. We were in autobus which stoped on second stop and went back. There was police on the streets and crowd of people on the both side of one of the main street. What happened? Accident? King is comming? Did they give something for free? No. Real Madryt team was in hotel. And all those people were waiting almost all day for one moment when the team goes out, gets into their bus and departs from the city to make some photos running for the bus. That was incredible. Well...bienvenido en Andalucia ;)

domingo, 31 de enero de 2016

Life in soap opera?

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Monika and I came to our new house in the middle of the night and first what we thought about it was: wow, we will be living in soap opera. Why? Because our home seems like hacienda from brasilian telenovelas. Just salon is bigger than my flat in Poland. There are also problems connected with that: it is colder outside than inside because there is no central heating. But, it is still so amazing sitting on terrace on January drinking afternoon coffe.



Hermanos









We are working in Ciudad de los ninos. It is a foundation Hermanos Obreros de María estabilished by Hno. Carlos Fernandez Dorador O. in 1950. More about history and place you can read on their website: http://www.cnmalaga.com/php/es/index.phpoption=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=69 

It is really like city in city. On few hectars there are: school, dormitory, dining rooms, pools, fields, zoo and the best in region mechanical school.

It is a place where living together: priests and ordinary teachers, kids from many different countries: Spain, Maroko, Romania, Russia, Brasil, Peru,...; different religions; different ages, because there are childrens who are 4, teenagers, but also few adult boys, who are living here but working outside in the city. Each group has their teachers, psychologist, house, workshops and so on. What do they have in common with each other? Each of them have difficult situation in their family because of poverty, alcohol or other things. Some of them don't have family at all. This centre is the only opportunity for them to support them and to give them a chance to live better. 

So, I came here because I fall in love in idea of this place. Because I think, that each person should have this same posibility to dream and to believe, that everything can happen, no matter from where they are, who are they parents, how much money they have, how smart or beautiful they are and so on. 


Our work and problems


For now, we've just mostly try to get to know kids, teachers, their duty, their needs. We accompany them during their lessons, try to help with their homework, watch their free time. It is not easy for us, because in Poland we get used to lead lessons, workshops, animating and so on, here we begining from zero. 


During working with kids and teenagers from problematic homes it obviously that they have to check you to get know you. And that in this kind of job the most important thing they need was love – to feel, that they are important, that someone care about them and is able to help them. And, the next thing is faith in their own power, that they can achieve more than they can imagine. But it is not so easy to do that. 




Because there are kids who have probems with their emotions, behaviours, learning, daily duties... kids who avoid you or on the other hand who do totally everything to attract your attention. It is really difficult to get and save their attention and their trust. Often we even can't undertand everything what they tell us, because we know basic or medium spanish and they are afraid of using english even if they know it, because they afraid of make a mistake, so it is easier for them when we made mistakes in spanish. So, sometimes it is really hard and you can heard and saw really bad things. 


But, there are always even small things which don't let you give up. For example, when one kid come to you to sing you something just for you, say that love you, hold you... There are also inspired teachers, who last weekend gave a great rock concert here. And, because of that moments, you still know why and what for you are here. 


lunes, 25 de enero de 2016

Cold fish in the oranges city

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The first impression about Polish people is, that we are cold and distanced and need some time to become more open and then, when we start to love you, it will be last for ever;) I usually thought, that I am not really typical Polish. My friends called to me: come to swing the party, but... in Granada, sometimes, I start to feel like a cold fish.


Kiss, kiss


In Poland, when we see somebody we know or meet new person, we used to shake his hand, we have to really like somebody to hold him. It is quite huge shock for people here. Sometimes, when you give your hand for someone, people don't know what to do with it because, what was a little shock for me, here, people kiss twice in their cheeks and no matter that you first time see somebody. Actually, in Poland we kiss three times, but just family.


Mañana


The next point is that I used to have timetable, actually many timetables; planned each activity, every minute of my day in advance. It was almoust impossible to just called me and said: hey, we'll go to the pub now, are you going with us? - of course not, I have strike timetable, planned weeks ago. Here is like: let's go tapas now – ok, where? - we will see... My first respond was like: whaaaaaaat?! I will kill you if it is not a joke :P But, you can hear just: c'mon, be positive, enjoy your time. Ok, I try to get used to do it ;)



Tapas


Everyone, who come to Spain read or hear about tapas. But mostly just that exist something like that, that it is a food, food for free? So, we participated in a training for people from south-east of Europe and, one evening, we went tapas. We found tapas pub, went inside, took menu and... there was no tapas in menu... What? Where are tapas, we want tapas, screamed everyone. It was better that the waiter couldn't understand english because, in other way, he can thought that we are totally stupid, because: first, you should order some drink (which is also sometimes not in menu) and then, as a gift, they give you some food: it can be sandwich, pasta, potatoes with sauce – it depends of a pub, sometimes it is someting small, sometimes one dish for few persons, sometimes it is so huge that you don't need to eat dinner at all and sometimes you can choose the tapas, sometimes it is a surprise. What is interesting also, here, pubs are mostly small and when there are many people, you just drink standing and go to next pub. Impossible for Polish who go to one pub, order someting and sitting as long as someone close the pub. What is more, when there is many rubish on a floor it means that it is really good pub ;)






Lunch, siesta, diner, fiesta


There are two more things what i still couldn't get used to: food and siesta. So, generally i adore breakfast here because it is small and sweet, no sandwich, eggs, sousage, just coffe and some cookies, donuts. Then, around 3 p.m. there is a lunch: two dish and dessert, but then, the dinner is afrter 8 or even later and thre is also 2 dish like on lunch... I try not to think how can I look after 2 months beeing on this diet and what can say about that people who eat their last dish at 6 which is just a fruit or yogurt.And the dish here are quite heavy: potatoes, beans and bread to everything and it is especially bread for me, which in Poland we called baguette or parisian bread. It is also difficult to be a vegetarian here because it is unique and it is difficult to explain what does actually mean and what you can not eat and why if it is not religion or illness so, why don't you eat meat? Ridiculous.


And siesta, time for rest in the middle of a day. Many Spanish people finish work after 9 p.m. And it not mean that they always working 12 hours. They just have about 3 hours break from 14-17 when they go for lunch and rest and then, they come back to work. So, when I first time went to the city about 15, many institutions and shops are closed. What I also still try to understand is: finish work at 9 more or less, then go home for diner, then tapas with fiends around midnight, then clubing till 4 a.m., work starts at 9... when do they sleep?



Crazy weather



When my friends from Poland write to me, they usually ask: are you taking sunbath? Because here, it is – 20 degrees and snowing – you know, it is someting cold and white on the ground, if you won't remember what is it :P So, of course, we had a plan to post on fb photos in bikini with snowy Sierra Nevada mountains in the background but... it is much complicated. Avradge temperature here is about 15 and people say that it is quite cold winter now and talk that I am totally crazy that I am walking just in T-shirt. But... during the evening I also start to feel like Spanish and shaking and I don't care that in Poland is snowwing now, it is also cold here, just in one moment and what is unrealiable temperature is just a little lower...






So, Andalusia is for me totally different world than I used to live. That is also one of reason why I chose it. What can you expect of the city of oranges trees, which are on all streets, just take and try it (be carefull, some of them taste like a lemon), that when we saw it first time it was: aaachhh ;)? Totally everything. Just come and see!


martes, 19 de enero de 2016

Are you crazy? First step to adventure

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When I was a student I regret, that I wasn't be on Erasmus to look and feel, how young people from other countries live, study, have fun and so on. When I was ending my studies I heard about EVS. That it is possible to come to the other country, get to know new people, culture, learn language, working, get some experience and wonderfull adventure as well. But, when I finally graduated my studies I heard from everywhere: you have to find a job, start make your career, get married, born a child and live like a NORMAL person, like responsible adult. Your time for learning, play, dreaming, adventure is over now, you should grow up. I thought – ok, but what will be next? If I will find a job, get married, born a child – what could be my next step? Noone could answered me. And when one of my friend after graduated went on EVS to Romania I asked her: are you totally crazy? She was and still is.


I really tried to get used to live like a normal, responsible adult person. It least me two years, when I realized that there is no just one way which people should step by. Even if we think, that we exactly know what we want and plan very carefully each our step, there will be always something unexpectable. And then we asked: what? Why did it happen? I had not planing this. And then, every moment of my life, return this same question to my mind: is that really this, what you want to do and is that really life, which you want to live for ever? FOR EVER! Can you imagine this? So, my answer was: no. 


And then, it comes totally mess in your mind. If not this, so what? And then, you start to focus on this, what you really care about. What it is: money, career, fame, family, adventure...? And you start to think: what if. What if I will quit my job, leave my city, loose my friend... What will happen? First answer is: I will surelly die – but you won't. When you realized, that you are still alive, you start to let yourself to be a dreamer with cheerfull, childish hope, that everything is possible.






My EVS started by accident. One day, I've just reading advertisement and I red that there is a fundation for children in Granada which is exactly children city, which is their home, where they can learn, play, eat, sleep, where somebody take care about them. And I was really keen on this idea and thought that it is important: to create real home for person, who have problems in their own, to give them care, love, hope and possibility of better life. And, what is more, it is Granada – beautiful historical,multicultural place, situated inside Sierra Nevada mountains. About which it is said that: if you didn't see Granada, you didn't see nothing; where you can skiing on snowy mountains and go down on sunny beach Costa del Sol. A miracle. And Spain, Andalusia, flamenco, tapas, corrida – totally different life that i used to live. So, I applied.

Then, everything happened so quickly. I had a birthday – it was good moment to change something. So, one day I've just quited my few jobs and went on trip to Barcelona, which looks like a city from fairy tail. And, when I came back to freeze Poland, where I already had no job, no plans, almost each day less friends, because they left abroad looking for better job and life condition I thought – here, it is totally not a fairy tail, it is a horror. But, when I was finally at home, checking my e-mail, I saw a massage – 'we would like to confirm, that you can start your EVS in Granada, congratulations!' It was one week before Christmas. Three weeks after I am here - in Granada, starting my new life.


martes, 12 de enero de 2016

Acogiendo EVS en Granada.

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" Los viajes son en la juventud una parte de educación y, en la vejez, una parte de experiencia." 

Sir Francis Bacon



Bienvenidos al punto de encuentro para compartir experiencias SVE de voluntarios cuyo hogar será Granada durante una temporada.

Basándome en mi experiencia anterior, y lo caótico que puede ser "comenzar un nuevo proyecto" en las redes sociales, decidí tomar algo de tiempo para crear un lugar donde expresar lo que cada uno de vosotros vais experimentando durante vuestra estancia en Granada, con el fin de motivar a futuros voluntarios y difundir cada uno de vuestros proyectos.





Os animo a que toméis esta oportunidad como una forma sencilla de salvaguardar vuestras experiencias y que sea una plataforma de visibilidad del programa Erasmus + y más específicamente, del SVE.

Os saluda: Nadia.



"Viajar es como flirtear con la vida. Es como decir, -Me quedaría y te querría, pero me tengo que ir: esta es mi estación"

Lisa St. Aubin de Teran