Thursday 28 April 2016

Poi balls, flyers and contact juggling: one hour in Porto career fair.


Picture it. First sunny and warm day in almost a month. Blue sky, birds tweeting, and grass calling you to lay down over it and sunbathe. It was a perfect spring day, to enjoy. And I don't have any better idea than go "working". But it was worthy: you already know that 'working', here, equals to 'fun'.

A couple of weeks ago, our association attended to a career fair, Qualifica, which took place at Porto Exhibition Center. We went there to promote our activities and, especially, our work as sending organization for the European Volunteer Service.

Attending to this event had three great advantages: first, learning some handmade and DIY crafts; second, knowing some places of Porto we never have been before (as, for example, the port; you never know if it can be useful some day); and third, we wouldn't need to pay for our trip back to Arcos (Agnes, Emile and me were traveling around Portugal during that weekend, and it was something important for our economy).


All three of us, Agnes, Emile and me, were there, plus Hélder, our coordinator friend, and Anita, a collegue & friend from the Youth Center. Our work was easy: just do something within the IPDJ -Portuguese Institute for Youth and Sport- stand, during one hour (or so). This had sense, because IPDJ takes care about volunteering in Portugal, as well of the EVS program.

What we planned for that "something" we had to do? To give away some homemade 'poi' balls, out of bird food, baloons, crepe paper and strings. We were making them 'live', there, on the space they gave us. Everyone could learn how to do it, but they mostly prefer to come and choose their favourite colors for their ball.

Also, we were delivering some flyers with information about EVS, which, if you didn't know yet, it's a great way to improve your career and, above all, broad your live. That's why we were in a career fair: EVS is a great experience in every way, and it's good for them to know they have this chance when they need it.

Emile and me were handling the flyers to the people, and explaining them how are we doing as European volunteers in Portugal. I've never done this kind of work before and, being the first time, I think I did it quite good. At least, some of the people seemed to be interested in do EVS too.


Besides, Emile brought his contact juggling apparel and he perform some tricks for all the presents. Everybody who passed by the corridor stared there to look him perform, enchanted, while discussing whether he was touching the ball or he had an invisible string between his hands.

I have to say that our spot maybe wasn't the best, but our will it was! People were seeing our smiles, despite, we didn't had much energy after the weekend. And we gave to all of them the best of us, in order to contagiate them with our spirit, during the hour and a half we were there.

Lately, and especially since Agnes published this video, some people is telling me how pleased and happy we seem to be here in Arcos. And I can tell you it's exactly like that (and not a video effect): I feel happy, glad, pleased, lucky, and still excited with this adventure. That's the spirit; it's that strong that you can feel it.


If you are jeleous of how fun look Hélder and Anita in the pictures, I have good news for you: it's really easy to do! Do you remember the materials you need? I remind you: bird seeds, baloons, crepe paper, strings/thread, scissor and tape.
  1.  Fill a balloon with bird seeds until you have something slightly smaller than a tennis ball, then tie it. 
  2. Cut another ballon, and cover the ball with it. 
  3. Prepare three ribbons of crepe paper, with the colors you want, and stick them to the knot of the ball with tape. 
  4. Cut a piece of string, tie one end to the knot, and do a loop in the other end, so you can hold the 'poi' with your fingers. Knot it to the string and you are done!

Thursday 14 April 2016

Inclusive Communication - Sing Language Is Fun!



There are different kinds of Saturdays. The ones you spend all in your PJ's stepping out of the bed just to walk to the fridge and bathroom. The ones you go on adventure and conquer the world, or just explore it. There are Saturdays you spend with your friends or at work. Saturdays sunny and rainy, warm and cold, happy and nostalgic. 

And there are important Saturdays when you learn something new. 

That was our last Saturday, when our coordinators, Diana and Helder took us and some other people from our Association to Viana do Castelo for a training called Inclusive Communication. It was all about how to be more open and sensitive  for needs of deaf and blind people. In Portuguese so you need to forgive that I will not try to repeat what we learned exactly. Maybe Jorge would like to add something from himself? Jorge, are you here? ^^

We do talk a lot how people with disabilities are exactly the same people as anyone else, but it still may feel a bit awkward when we face one. Honestly, I do feel awkward, even though there was lots of years of education as a psychologist in my life, and two years of experience working with autistic children. Sometimes I just do not know how much or how little do. But as in any other situation in your life - feeling awkward and uncomfortable is absolutely fine You do not need to run away from those feelings, cover them with jokes or be scared. You can just sit with them, accept them, and sooner or later they will be gone.


So we learned how to help a blind person to move around. We took turns putting swimming googles which imitated some problems with seeing, like just peripheral sight or seeing just light (being blind does not mean seeing just black!) How much trust do you need to someone who guides you! But it is simpler than it seems. It is more or less all about right grid on your arm. Yes, I walked Helder into a door while guiding him... Yes, I need more practice...


The writing system for blind people is called Braille. It is made out of dots which you read with your fingertips. While looking at the letters you can learn the system in 3 months, but to do it just by touch you would need 18! I have tried to feel with my fingertips those tiny dots and all what it was, was a big confusion. The only thing I could sens was that there were some dots on the paper, but how many and in which line... no clue. The keyboard for writing with Braille on computer costs 10K Euro (as much as my dreamed VW T1 xD) and Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets rewritten with the alphabet takes four volumes with A4 size pages written both sides! 



With sing language the thing is not any less complicated. Every country has its own version, even though there is something like international sign language. It is easy to understand why - language is a part of expressing your cultural identity, and diversity is beautiful! There is alphabet you can write with your hands, and signs for numbers, and as concepts/things are represented by spoken words there are hand gestures in sign language! 

Do you know what Viana do Castelo is famous with? Bola de Berlim! It's something like a doughnut cut in half, stuffed with vanilla pudding and covered with sugar and cinnamon. Heaven in your mouth. The organization were kind to treat us with some. 

Huh. I think I am done with talking. Enjoy the photos, and the video. 




   





Friday 1 April 2016

Celebrating Father's Day at Juventude Vila Fonche


There is always something different to do every week in our Youth Centre. No week is similar to the previous one: different activities, different games, different people in the workshops... I like it; it really keeps you awake and thoughtful of what is going on.

But I have to say that the best days for me are those ones when we celebrate some party or event, for the children or for everybody. The kids, but especially their instructors at the Youth Centre, have been preparing it since the beginning of the week. And sometimes, one month ago! The days before, the atmosphere you breathe is a mixture of expectation, amusement, love and happiness. And in the very same day, everyone is kind of nervous: jumping, running, preparing the last details...


Last celebration we held was on March 18th, for Fathers' Day. Actually, this celebration is the day after (at least here in Portugal), but as it was Saturday, we move the celebration to Friday afternoon. It was also a special day for a different reason: school holidays had just started that afternoon. So we all, children, supervisors, workers and volunteers, were in a party mood.

The children had been working at their presents since long time ago. Almost since we finished with Saint Valentine's celebrations. We needed that much time, because there was a lot of things to do: drawings, crafts, photo frames... Even they wrote how much they love their daddies, and what makes them so special.


Then, on Friday morning, everything was settled up. The drawings were hanged up on the walls, creating a game where the fathers will have to find the creation of his children. We rearrange all the place, to make space for the people and the large table filled with present bags. And, of course, what would be a party without some snack to eat...

When the children came back from school, the parents started to drop by the Youth Centre. The children came running to them, smiling, holding hands with them, and showing them what they had prepared. All the kids were really proud of its creations, so their moms and dads too! Even I also was (and still be) really proud of them!


Fathers were talking between each others, or with their children, or with us. Some of them read some of the tales we have here. Others sit down and played some games with then. Or simply took some pictures of everything...

You could feel the love during all the evening. The unconditional love the parents feel for their sons and daughters. No matter what, no matter why. Smiles, hands, kisses, playing, laughs, endearments, and big hugs... Everything made me smile, light up a little flame in my heart, and made me miss home. Yes, my heart is not made ouf of ice, although sometimes it may seem so.

It was lucky to be present in such a lovely evening, once again, here in Juventude Vila Fonche.