Projekti „Vabatahtlikud Valgamaa noorsootöös“ toetab SA Archimedese noorteagentuur Euroopa Solidaarsuskorpuse programmist.
This month featured the tales of the travelling soap merchant (saippuakauppias), although I do not in fact sell soap.
But I did travel! Even if ever so slightly. And only within the confines of work.
Enough of this delightful word salad of meaninglessness!
So, this month I spent two weeks at another youth centre. Specifically I spent two weeks at the Tõlliste ANK in Tsirguliina, which is also where Ronja works. Ronja, if you have not paid attention to the other volunteers, is a fellow volunteer from Austria.
This stuff turns into a candle.
During my visitation I took great pleasure in the impressive stock of board games. I'm very much into board games, so it was fun to have access to a slightly larger supply of them. Also, some of the kids did parkour, which I have to say is a wonderful way to get them to tire themselves out.
I love this table
However, it's important to note that my visiting ways were by far and away not the only source of excitement and wonder during the month.
Now, some of you readers may know that it gets quite dark up in the cold dark north during the winter months. And if you didn't, I'm not sure what to tell you, frankly. So, to combat the dark time of the month, and the dangers that it brings, it is required both here in Estonia and indeed in Finland as well that you wear a reflector on your clothes during the hours of darkness. The placement should be on the right side at around the height of an adult's knee. It should also be visible from all sides.
See? Knee height!
You've been told now, so there's no excuse for not wearing one.
However, this is where things get interesting. In Finland it tends to be a norm that we may have a police officer come talk briefly at the school, maybe we get some reflectors to wear. So far so dull. However, here we actually held a reflector workshop where kids got to come and make their own reflectors with guidance and education from the police, and we also created a reflector tree where people who need a reflector can just come and take one.
Frankly, I feel like my country needs to step up and appropriate this. It seems so much more effective than what we do.
Hiding stuff in preparation for a birthday party
We also had a birthday at the youth centre again, which was a source of great merriment among the kids. Or so I hope at least. Siret stepped into her role as the great dictator (Charlie Chaplin, heartily recommend the movie) and led the kids through a number of very interesting party games. A personal favourite was the kids laying down in a fish bone and trying to dislodge each other with their stomachs without laughing.
Good thing we swept the floors
Laughter ensued.
As it was November, and as we had access to an actual authentic American, we volunteers came together to celebrate thanksgiving. Not entirely traditional when it came to the food, but the whole point of the thing was to come together and spend time and be thankful. So in that aspect I think it was a great success.
We also had an honest to goodness photo shoot with Vova as the photographer! Which was very nice, because I've haven't had nice pictures taken of me since the school pictures, and I never felt those were particularly nice in all honesty. However, Vova's pictures were very nice, and I now have updated my LinkedIn picture as well.
Christmas is also undeniably creeping closer and closer, as it is wont to do. Now, don't tell anyone, which I realise doesn't make sense since this a blog, but I got to meet Santa. The actual proper Santa, and not the man that is trapped on a Coke bottle. And I should know. Because Santa lives in Lapland, which is also where I........have gone a few times during school holidays back in the day. It makes perfect sense if you don't think about it too much.
Time to pack up the month, and the blog.
Marraskuu tuli jälleen, ja lunta on tullut välillä ja välillä maailma on ollut niin harmaa että se muistuttaa Makkaratalon seinää. Silti, kaikenlaista kuussa on tapahtunut, ja nyt keittiön lattia kimaltelee vaikka olen sen pariin kertaan mopannut. Askartelu on selkeesti jonkinlainen salaliitto siisteyttä vastaan. Kun tämä blogi julkaistaan, on 4. Joulukuuta. Tämä tarkoittaapi sitä että kuudes on aivan nurkan takana. Näinollen, toivotan koko Suomelle hyvää Itsenäisyyspäivää!
