Yea, we are famous!!! * Είμαστε πλέον διάσημοι!!!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are famous!!! The whole Koszalin is talking about us. What do I mean? Oh, it's simple, too simple: we had our first Press Conference!!!

Well, for telling the real truth, the Press Conference was mainly Amanda's and Alejandra's, but we (Meltem & me) were there to support them. And I think everything was fine!!!

For the history, everything started some days ago, when our "dad" Marcin (that, as I've written before, is a journalist here in Koszalin) arranged a public presentation to local media about EVS and the girls' project.

So, yesterday afternoon we went to their Hosting Association, where a lot of journalists, cameras and of course questions were waiting for us. Amanda and Alejandra made a short but in deep presentation about themselves, their families and their lifes in their countries.

Moreover, they talked about EVS, their desicion to realise EVS, why they choosed to participate in this project, why Poland, e.t.c. ...

After that, we went to the local radio station, "Radio Koszalin", where a journalist took an interview from all of us and from Iwona. Now, you can ask who is Iwona. Well, she's a Polish ex EVS Volunteer in United Kingdom.

Conclusion: today, three local Newspapers have articles about us, one local Radio Station is broadcasting about us, two local TV Channels broadcast on News about us!!!

In the queue for the autographs, please!!!

Polish Language Courses * Μαθήματα Πολωνικών

How does Polish sounds??? Like a radio, while searching for stations!!!

That short joke, told to me by Poles, shows how difficult can be to learn Polish, a language full of "close" sounds, such as "z", "ż", "ź", "rz", "s", "ś", "sz", "cz" e.t.c. .

Moreover, with a quite complicated declination of nouns and adjectives (7 causes!!!) and many rules for orthography, the scene becomes even darker...

On the hand, even if it is to early to have a complete image, Polish seems to be a language that gives to its user a wide number of ways to express his/herself and due its rich vocabulary creates a framework for both concrete and analytical expression.

Why am I writing all this??? Because today we had our first Polish Language Lesson!!!

It's an obligation for the EVS Hosting or Coordinating Organisations to provide language courses to their Volunteers and of course a Volunteers' obligation to participate in them. So, last week "our Polish family" had a meeting with our teachers, Kasia and Magda, we arranged the timetable and today we started.

What can you wish us??? Good Luck!!!

Finally, snow!!! * Επιτέλους, χιόνι!!!

It's been one week that I'm in Poland, but I've seen no snow. Neither the weather was particular cold during this week. All here we started to be desperate:

"We came to Poland during the winter to see snow, but there's no snow!!! Where's the snow???"

Et voila!!! Yesterday evening started to snow!!! I'm posting some pictures, just to see how it looks!!!

Έχει πια μια βδομάδα που είμε στην Πολωνία, αλλά χιόνι δεν είχα δει. Ούτε ο καιρός ήταν ιδιαίτερα κρύος αυτήν την μια εβδομάδα. Όλοι εδώ αρχίσαμε να 'μαστε σε απόγνωσι:

"Ήρθαμε στην Πολωνία μέσα στο καταχείμωνο για να δούμε χιόνι, μα δεν έχει χιόνι!!! Πού 'ναι το χιόνι;;;"

Και ιδού!!! Οψάργας, που λέμε στην Κρήτη (εχθές το βράδυ, δηλά δη), άρχισε να χιονίζει!!! Αναρτώ, λοιπόν, μερικές φωτογραφίες, απλώς και μόνο για να δείτε πώς μοιάζει!!!

(Polish) Home, Sweet Home... * (Πολωνικό) Σπίτι μου, Σπιτάκι μου...

Now, let me share with you some information about our house, that is ABSOLUTELY GREAT!!!

It's a big, two-floors house, with a small garden. Each one of the four of us has his/ her own bedroom. Moreover, we have a kitchen, a big living room, three toilets and a bathroom.

But I think is better to leave photos to speak about:

My Mentor * Η Μέντωρ μου

Now, I think I should write some things about an other important person in my life here in Poland: my EVS Mentor, Kasia.

Kasia is an therapist/ instructor in my Hosting Organisation, responsible for the Workshops of Art & Pottery. She's now realising a weekend Master's on Artistic Education (spesialised on Mental Disabled People) at the Academy of Fine Arts of Poznań, where she has also studied Design.

She's the only real English-speaker in our Hosting Organisation and that's the reason she's been chosen to be our Mentor.

But, speaking English is not the main reason that makes her precious for our Project: Kasia is a really supportive person, both in professional and personal levels. Always available to share experiences, exchange opinions and give solutions makes her more than a Mentor a Friend. And when I write Friend, I do mean Friend...

My EVS family * Η EVS οικογένειά μου

Well, I think it is the moment to present you my EVS "family", my "family" here in Poland. So, let's start:

Anna, the "mother": President of the "EUROPA Młodych" ("EUROPE of the Youth") Association, that is co-ordinating our EVS Projects here in Koszalin, Anna is working in a Municipal Cultural Institute.

She's quite smart and she loves complaining (as a lot of Poles do) about things, even if she already knows (or supposes) that they be better really soon.

She's really the "head" of the Association and the "heart" of our Project. Friends (that means also us) call her Annia.

Marcin, the "father": Annia's husband, Marcin is the Vice-President and responsible for the Economics of the "EUROPA Młodych" Association. Working as a journalist, he's our "media networking" person.

He's quite silent but makes really funny jokes. He always asks me about my life with the girls and still wonders how I succeed to live with three girls in the same house.

Meltem, the first "sister": Coming from Antalyia, Turkey, this 24 years old girl is my project partner. She describes herself as a feminist and she REALLY is!!! That makes things sometimes difficult for me, but I think there's always space for improvement.

Amanda, the second "sister": Amanda, 19 years old, is Swedish, from Oland. She's a quite silent girl, but she's also a great dancer. We're not worning in the same project, but her project is in a day-room for children coming from problematic families (alcoholic parents e.t.c.).

Alejandra, the third "sister": Coming from Murcia, Spain, this 18 years old girl is the youngest (but sometimes mature enough) member of our family. She's working together with Amanda and there's only one comment I can make about her: she feels the rhythm! No, she LIVES the rhythm. Whatever she does has a rhythm, a great rhythm...

Marek, the "big brother": Marek is a Polish ex-EVS Volunteer in France that lives in Koszalin. He studies in the local University of Technology and he also works in a real estate office. He is really our "big brother", as he takes care of us, shows us Koszalin night and student life (well, the one that exists :) ) and is always available for parties!!!