Moderation

Hi guys! Some moderation were implemented lately on the blog. We have to clear up a misunderstanding. For us, volunteers, it wasn't perfectly clear, where we exactly belong to. Apparently there are two organisations running at the same time, No Excuse Slovenia, and United Games of Slovenia! A matter of choice decides which expression we use, cause United Games of Slovenia is part of No Excuse job. But we just made a mistake with it. As long as officially the two organisations are not merged together, this arbitrary use of the names was not a good idea from Ingunn and me. So here let us apologize for this mistake and clear it up, that we are working for United Games of Slovenia, but still doing the saaaame job. :)

Hugs from Juli

The office

Time has finally come to an update on how things are going in Slovenia. Since last time, we have been kind of busy. We are getting a new office in Celovska 185, 1000 Ljubljana!

It's a old, but nice, quite big office with three rooms and restrooms. It's definetly made under socialist time, and has an awful rug plus a "kitchen" inside one of the closets. But except from this, the office is great. And it will be even better.

Juli and I started with cleaning the whole office. We thought we needed to wash just a little bit before painting it, but it turned out to the a few days of cleaning. With domestos, rubber-glows, music and a smile on our faces we started cleaning. C-cl-cle-clea-clean-cleaning! It was very motivating, 'cause you could see all the dirt coming off. When Juli washed to windows, we actually had more light inside. When I cleaned the "kitchen", I found a new colour - white!

The office looks good now. It's clean, and we have started to get some things there too. Last Friday we went to IKEA in Udine to buy funiture and plants. Can't wait to get it all in there, so we can start using it!

-Ingunn:-)

StreetAction - Project plan

Hey guys! Reporting quite late, I know, but there are lots of things going on, but we promise we will catch up soon. :)

Soooo, some news, we just made up a new project plan :) that is still just a draft and not yet in the process of implementation, but you can read about it on this side: StreetAction -Project plan. You can also find the link on the left side, under the "Pages" title. We will update the blog with our project plans ;). Keep on reading, and tell us your opinions, ideas and help our work!

Hugs from Juli

V Ljubljani - by Ingunn

Finally also I have time to update the blog. So far, what we are doing is to get to know Slovenia, Ljubljana and well, slovene. Now we have soon finished the first language course that lasted two weeks. We had the exam today, and we are quite sure we both passed it:-)

Next language course starts in October, and we just cannot wait to get on with the next cases of the nouns;-)

Besides the language course, Juli and I have been sightseeing in Ljubljana, and we also went to the coast last weekend. It's very nice to meet the members of the organization, and they are all being very nice to us - meeting us for lunch, inviting us to parties, taking us out, taking us grocery shopping etc. We appreciate it guys!

Tomorrow we will start with the first step of making the office - washing it! Juli and I already met there last week to make some ideas for our project and also some ideas for the office. And we can't wait to get started.

As we redecorate the office we will show you some before, during and after photos as well:-)

Se vidimo!

Finally, the first report from Lj - by Juli

Hi guys! Long time, heh? Sorry for this lateness with the report, but things were getting hectic slowly, and well, if you don't have your laptop with you, life just stops.

Soooo, the great news: I'm resident in Ljubljana!!!! ;) hurrray! And this means something great started! A marvellous year, definetly.

But get back to home for a moment. Well, you know what? I managed to pack, almost everything! ;) Isn't it great? Still... the last days were tough... saying goodbye to your friends, to your dogs, to your house, to your room, bed, but especially to your family... really energy and motivation consuming period... Then two days went with packing... and I really mean it!!! I was doing just the packing stuff... ok I had quite a lot of space to fill up in the car, cause my parents managed to take me here to Ljubljana by car, so I'm quite lucky, though. :P but still.... packing is my enemy now. :P I'll not pack for a while, surely! ;)

But then I got here, and this is an amaizing place! ;) The flat, the city, the people, my sweet EVS mate, Ingunn ;)... it's just great! ;) I guess, you guys should be jelaous.

Sooo, more about the project stuff. As it is planned, this first month is about acclimatisation, to get used to the surrounding, and to start with the slovene course. It sounds a bit light program, but the slovene learning takes a lot of time from our day, and we still don't know entirely the surrounding and where we can find things, so it's pretty useful for the whole year. Plus, there is one, small project to be done. There is a new office, that should be redesigned... what could be better, than working on an office like this, when you know that you creat it for yourself?! I just love this idea!!!

Today, with Ingunn we just visited the place, and had a deeper look around, and started to brainstorm. Ideas were just coming and coming and coming! I guess that's why I'm not sleeping now, at this time, I got highly motivated now. :P And it feels great!

So we just made up a new subproject, talked about the connections and the things we should do, plus already imagined the place we will spend our working time, :D, I'm even jelaous to myself. ;o)

Let's call it a day for now. There are a lot more to be told, but we have time ;) soo keep an eye on us!

Hugs from Ljubljana

Juli

Moving to Slovenia - by Ingunn

In less than two weeks, I'm moving to Slovenia. For one year I will work as a volunteer for United Games Slovenia, together with Juli from Hungary. And I'm really excited!

But believe me - there's a lot to think about before leaving too: telling Norway you're leaving (through many forms and paperwork), telling Norway you will be coming back, telling your university that you are leaving and coming back, telling EU you're going to be a volunteer, telling Norwegian embassy in Ljubljana that you are coming, buying tickets, saying good-bye to friends and family and well, packing for one year... The list gets longer every day!

First, I wanted to pack, well, pretty much everything I have. But after living out of a backpack for 6 weeks this summer and not missing a thing, I see that packing might not be that hard. Still, I'm not quite sure what to bring - what will I need one year in Slovenia? More than I can fit into one suitcase - that's for sure. So the plan is: I'll bring most things now, and my parents the rest when they are visiting me later this fall:-)

As I said, there's a lot of preparations. But there's also so much to be excited about! A new language, a new city, new people, new (and old) friends, coffee in Ljubljana, be able to focus on only volunteering without being interrupted of studies, fall in Slovenia... This list is even longer!:-D

Today, I helped my granddad put up skype on his computer so that we can stay in touch when I'm there and he's here. And I would encourage everyone else to do the same. And let's face it - we will stay in touch through facebook, skype, msn and mail. And don't forget to visit me either;-)

Sooo, this is it for now people. I still have some forms to fill out and people to say good-bye to. The adventure starts in less than two weeks. Wish me luck;-)

-Ingunn:-)

Let's get started by Juli - The Preparations

I have a really-really great question that is in focus right now: how to prepare for a one-year-long volunteer-ship??? Anyone with an answer?

Well, as I thought, no one. Me neither... I mean, even though I'm standing right at the door that opens to a new world, I just don't have a clue, how I could properly prepare myself for such a complex year. I guess I'll be more wise when I come home, and tell everyone, oh this and that would have been useful, and oh, even that would have done some help over there. But right now, I'm just asking around people for advices and ideas to fulfill my what-to-bring list (that is quite empty right now).

The biggest problem with this to keep everything in mind. I mean, do you really know what kind of things and gadgets you use just on one day? And can you imagine how much longer is the list when you consider a whole year? I guess the packing will take at least a week like this. ;)

But... let's take it more officially. As it is said, the voluntary work doesn't start on the arrival day and doesn't finish on the departure day, but the whole thing is a bit more complex. This EVS complexity consists of 4 major parts: preparation, implementation, evaluation and the follow-up.

The current situation is the preparation (just to have some rhythms over here ;) ), that is... surprisingly again a complex part (as all of them :D ). The preparation as a part of the project includes not only the volunteer but the sending and the host organisation, too. All of them has different tasks to do, as it's predictable. :) Let's have some words about them.

The tasks of the host organisation: In my case the host organisation is United Games of Slovenia (on the top you can find a link to the website of the umbrella organisation.) This organisation (in close contact with the organisation of No Excuse Slovenia) is responsible for all the preparations that should be done abroad. This includes the accommodation, food, workplace, language course and whatever is required for your stay and voluntary work abroad.

The tasks of the sending organisation: In my case HelloEuropa Association (not yet with homepage, but I'll add it asap). Their task is to arrange insurance, vacations, a preparatory working weekend, to help to arrange the travel abroad and to help the preparation of the volunteer.

The tasks of the volunteer: Yeah, that's me. :) My role is less significant in arranging stuffs, but more essential in the future of the project. I have to prepare mentally and physically to the project. As you can read the project's basics on the right side, I'll not list all those things here again, but my preparation is built on those project plans. So considering those, my project-work here, at home is the following:

I made some research on methods, mainly on the page of SALTO Toolbox. I found it really useful and gathered several beneficial energizers, team-builders and other methods for my peer-to-peer work and group-leading. I have also tried to widen my knowledge on the field of arts, with visiting libraries and gaining some new information. And I guess the most important (and least measurable) part, I was brainstorming on my own and with some friends and mates, about what else can I do later on, there in Slovenia, or after coming home, here in Hungary. I've gathered several ideas for the street-art project, and now I'm thinking about a monthly "Street-action" project.

And, finally, something that I was thinking about... I don't like the title... Come on, it's about talking to children and this is the 21st century, we need a nicer title. So I'll need to talk to my boss, but I have an idea. I was thinking about a provocative question: So, what if I care? With this I think we could somehow pique those children around, and with showing what will happen if they care, they would really care.

I could go on for ages and ages, I have so many things to tell, but let's keep it for later. I don't want you all to get bored of me already, though I haven't even started :D. So see you around, and please, care! ;)

Ps: And yeah, I almost forgot, please feedback me, and comment and ask, that would be really nice! :)
Hugs (still) from Hungary

About the structure of the blog

Hi everybody, welcome, welcome! As long as the structure of the blog might be complicated, let me describe it.

As long as we have two authors, we had to find a way how to differenciate us. So to be bright, we will use colours! Yupppy ;)

Me Juli, as long as I prefer the orange colour, I'll use this orange, I hope you won't have problem with it. (If so, tell me and we can make some changes.)

And Ingunn, will write in blue, and hopfully that will be visible too:-)

Hope you can follow the stories like this. We will even post the name in the titles ;).

Follow us guys!