So w Polsce

It now seems that my Future Capital is definitely over, at least as to the "official part". I will keep of it so many beautiful and unforgettable memories!

But, inside of me, this experience is not finished. I love Poland and will always love this country. Of course I will go back there. So many things and people that I now miss.

What can I add... do zobaczenia!

Back to France, I wanted to organise a Polish Party in my city, Tours. The aim was to make to know Poland, Polish culture and my Polish experience to the local community. I wanted to share what I learnt in Poland. It is impossible to share everything in one evening by I tried to give to people as musch relevant information as possible and yo give them a good insight into Poland. The objective was to break down primary steretotypes and prejudices, as well as to give people the desire to know more about Poland.

The Party took place on the 17th of February, at my parents' home. I had invited some people I know from the local community and everything went very well.

I wanted to decribe Poland through four main elements:

- food

- music

- pictures

- and discussions of course

With some people, in the afternoon, we had a cooking worshop and prepared some typical Polish dishes. We mainly prepared: golabki (ruskie, z kapusta i grzybami, z miesem) and golabki. From Poland, I had also brought back kabanosy, Plasie Mleczko, krowki and wodka. It was very nices and the dishes, particularly pierogi and golabki were very successful. People were very surprised and liked it a lot.

During the party, I also put some Polish music, the music that I discovered in Poland and like a lot. It gave a very "Polish atmosphere" :-).

Of course, I showed them the pictures I took in Poland, the postcards I bought in Poland as well as a big book about Poland. I bought it before my departure and it gives a big view of the whole coubtries: landscape, momuments, castles, forests, coast, etc.

And finally, through discussions and through my replies to their many questions, I deem that people could learn a lot.

Honestly, I am very delighted about this "Party". I enjoyed it a lot. People also. I tried to transmit as well as possible my love for Poland :-).

Today is the 29th of January and it is my very last full day in Kielce and in Poland. I will leave tomorrow, taking a bus at 9.25am. This bus will bring me directly to my French city, Tours, after a 30-hours trip.

I feel very strange and bad... My stomach is hurting me a lot and I am sad. Leaving this place and these makes me very nostalgic. I will try to be strong tomorrow :-).

Poland will have brought me a lot... It was a great human adventure. I have lived the country intensively during these last 10 months. I have changed a lot my mind about Poland and Poles. Nevertheless I know that I now need a break, to think about stg else.

However at the same time I am also very happy.. I will see my parents, family, friends, spend time in my city (a bit) and will fly in direction of other adventures :-)

And I will soon organise a Polish Party in France!!!

On Saturday 26th January I organised my "Bye Bye Party". I wanted to have something very... "ME", so very French for sure :-). I wanted music, food, lot of people,etc.

Unfortunately I had to come to the evidence that I do not know so many people in Kielce. Moreover many of the people I invited finally did not come :-(. But actually it did not matter as my best friends were there.

It took place at Ola's flat. I spent all afternoon cooking, helped by some people (for another cooking lesson!) very French specialities: of course a "quiche lorraine", a quiche leek-smoked salmon (absolutely gorgeous!), "salade a la grecque" (kind of cooked mushrooms salad), a salad with chicory/endives, walnuts, blue cheese and vinaigrette (dressing), plus cheeses, smoked salmon, etc, and a chocolate cake.

There was French music also and we watched pistures of France and spoke about many things. I trued to give them many informations about France and tried to do it like a typical "French Party" :-). The atmosphere was cool but I think that the people enjoyed too much the food. It finally more looked like a feeding party and after eating some of them felt that it was time to go.. Also some people passed by to say goodbye.

Once again I spent so much time cooking and the food disappeared so quickly. But it was cool, I had time to chat and enjoy it, and a few days after many people asked me for recipes and asked for more quiches :-)

I was satisfied :-)

What would be the discovery of a country without, along with language, food, people, places, traditions, the discovery of its music :-)

It cannot leave without music. One of my very first action when I wake up in the morning is to turn on my radio. Actually, when I go abroad for a long period of time, I usually do not bring a lot of music with me... mainly by lack of space, but also because there are so many CDs that I love that it would be hard to choose which ones to take, and also beacuse I simply like to listen to the local music and discover new songs. So, when I go abroad I still have the same 6/7 CDs following me... With each of them I have some memories linked to a special place.. I remember having listen to this one again and again, alone, in my kitchen in Dublin, this one as cooking crepes during my Erasmus, this one for my birthday party the year before in Brussels, etc. And I have reached a point where I am now travelling with only one French CD. It is a bit a shame. It does not mean that I do not like French music :-(. I just sometimes feel ashamed when people asked me to lend them CDs of French music... "sorry, I don't have!" Besides this only once I have, I almost wanted to throw it to the bin a few weeks ago... when I heard that the singer is the new girlfriend of my not-beloved President!!!

Bref,... so at the beginning in Poland I listened a lot to the radio... But it was hard to avoid the very commercial radios and all their very ****** and same-everywhere music. But amongst these international songs, I began to discover Polish music. Then some friends lended me CDs and I discovered very great singers, bands and songs. And hopefully YouTube was there to help me :-)

I very much like rock, but also different kinds of music that I cannot qualify... I think that at the beginning I did not like Polish music, just because of the language, as I could not understand and was angry for that... Now I love, I manage to catch some words and I love some melodies and rythmes. But I am convinced that not liking the sound of Polish language, you may not like it :-)

Here follows my selection, and do not hesitate to go to listen to these songs:

- Myslowitz: for me, the best Polish band never ever. They wan some international prices and are famous in some foreign countries like Brasil (!). I could spend hours listening to them. My favorite song is: Długość dźwięku samotności http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCIyK3ec4kE&feature=related, also the English version, Sound of Solitude,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTOSSBMvN4&feature=related (but sounds strange for me.. in comparison, the Polish version sounds very much better :-)... my personal opinion). I also love: Dla Ciebie, Chłopcy, Acidland, Alexander, Zmiana, Gdzieś, Bar Mleczny Korowa, Noc, Miłość w czasach popkultury, Kraków, Nienawiść, My, Peggy Sue nie wyszła za mąż, Sprzedawcy marzen, etc. And their video clips are really great!!!!

- Akurat: undoubtedly one of my favorite Polish song: Lubię mówic z Tobą (I like to talk with you) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpteigo3YVg&feature=related , also Fantasmagorie, Droga długa jest, Do prostego człowieka, Wiej ska, etc

- Hurt: quite punk-rock. I love Załoga G http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KJlcuXOkuA if you listen carefully you will hear a reference to two famous "gaulois" :-), also Nowy początek

- Strachy na Lachy: Dzień dobry, Kocham Cię (Hello, I love You / Bonjour, je t'aime:-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOthoN8I82s

- Hey: Moja i Twoja nadzieja http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdsQ-elrc1M, Mimo wszystko http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlZ7L5n1PoI&feature=related, etc

- Happysad: after Myslowitz my second favorite rock band: Miłość, Łydka, Od kiedy ropa, Słońce, etc

- Kayah: who has besides sung with Bregovic: Spij, Kochany, spij; Nie ma, nie ma Ciebie; Prawo do lewego, etc

- Marek Grechuta: beautiful music, with a lot of violins! : Dni których nie znamy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG6pEolAKm8&feature=related, Dni dokazuj, etc

- Elektryczne gitary: To już jest koniec (very meaningful song: That's Already The End), Jestem z miasta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4StLMiTbZQ

- Wilki: Niech mówi serce, Trzy noce z deszczem, etc

- Krzystof Krawczyk: Bo jestes Ty (beautiful voice and music) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAIoKU_hq-g&feature=related, Trudno tak with Edyta Bartosiewicz

- Edyta Bartosiewicz: Sen

- Kombi: Pokolenie I love this song. Symbolic song, means: "generation". I remember to have listened to it during my first trip to Poland... a karaoke version if you want to exercise your Polish http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36KYr13rFgs. Also, Kochać cię za późno

- Lady Pank: Stacja Warszawa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cTA-WXATxU or Znowu Pada Deszcz. I like these songs a lot

- Indios Bravos and Jamal, Policeman: a bit of Polish reggae?!

- Vavamuffin

- and many other else whose I do not remember the names...

And for fun :-), you may have a look, and a ear, at it, but I do not mock as we are very similar specimens in each country :-). I say nothing.. surprise!

- Violetta Villas

- Discopolo

- Mandaryna

AND DO NOT FORGET THAT CHOPIN WAS POLISH AND NOT FRENCH (EVEN IF STG LIKE HALF-FRENCH... HIS FATHER WAS A FRENCH MAN, AND HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH GEORGE SAND... :-)

And there also are some English songs which made my stay in Poland very special :-). When I am listening to them, I just see myself in Poland... It is personal and unexplainable :-). The main one certainly is this one :-); a memoty from Bydgoszcz:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aAza2nwa8Y The Cloud Room, Hey Now Now

On the 18th of January, I organised a French movie evening. The film was showed in a school, on their big screen in the aula. The place was absolutely great.

We watched "Harry, un ami qui vous veut du bien" (Harry, He Is There For You). It was interesting as this movie is not at all known abroad.

Unfortunately there were not so many people and because of that, it was not impossible to held a conversation after the screening. However it was nice and I met there a French teacher with who I had a very interesting conversation about Poland, France, history, etc.

On the 16th and 17th of January I organised two other French cooking lessons. Once again they took place in the same English language school and I had as "pupils" the English learners :-).

It was hard to choose what to cook, as still I did not have an oven which normally si my best allied for cooking :-). But finally I had a great idea... For a few days I was hearing and seing a lot of posters about Karnawał. Moreover Ola told me that on the 31st of Januray would be Tłusty Czwartek which she told is a day when people eat a lot of "fat". After a few researches on Internet I discovered that the "fat" things actually are pączki, a kind of Polish doughnuts and that it simply corresponds to my French Mardi-Gras. All around the world it seems to be celebrated on a Tuesday, but in Poland is on Thursday/Czwartek ?!?! Dlaczego? If you know why, please tell me!

So, why not to cook the French pączki/doughnuts??? I mean beignets!!??

On the afternoon once again I headed to Tesco to buy all the stuff and arrived, with a lot of things, to the language school. On Wednesday, two groups were present, what means about 16 participants!! It was a lot! But more people does not especially means a lot of active people. Once again to my questions: I need a volunteer to... who wants to volunteer? I had little replies and lots of eyes staring the ceiling or the floor. Finally I got some people for making the paste, cutting the fruits and frying the beignets.

This recipe is quite basic. We prepared banana and appels beignets. I think everybody appreciated quite a lot. The only think is that after that it was smeeling oil a lot in the whole building :-(

On the following day, there was only one group, so less people. It was harder for them to avoid participating to the cooking :-). We prepared beignets again and then I prepared some more, so that the other employees of the building could, at least once, also taste the food, and not only smell it :-)

On Friday, the 11st of January, once again I went to a school to present voluntarism to pupils. I was with Ola. We met up at 9am at Kielce private busses station and headed to Radoszyce by bus. I really love taking small buses in Poland :-). And there it was nice as we went through the countryside and there still was snow. Besides it was very funny as, as we were approaching Radoszyce, there was suddenly no more snow at all... We had to know later that there is a "microclimat" on Radoszyce :-).

We were welcomed by the woman in charge of the Gymnasium's Library and, along with another teacher, they stayed with us and the pupils for the whole intervention. They are planning to create a kind of "volunteers centre" within the school, in order to develop some solidarity and citizens' behaviour amongst the pupils. That's a great idea and so they were very interested in our intervention.

Around 25 pupils were there. On the following week-end, all of them would take part to a very famous charity event in Poland: Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy which means: The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. Founded in 1993, it takes place on the first or second Sunday of each year. On this day is the Great Final during which are organised many events with music, parties, etc, all around Poland. And some volunteers collect money of ill children. It is very poular and symbolised by this heart:

So, with these teenagers, we did some activities and had some discussions about what is voluntarism, what are their feeelings, what are their expectations, etc. They were quite very active and a nice group. Around 1pm, we had a break... They all had the choice between going back to their class or staying with us. They of course all chose to stay :-)

During this break, the Library lady served us herbata and an excellent Bigos she had cooked herself, with a lot of mushrooms and plums, and very spicy... It was delicious!! The so-suppoosed 5mn break lasted longer... :-)

After that we proposed to the pupils to write down some questions they wanted to ask me. Of course most of the questions were similar but it was very nice... Questions were in Polish, so I tried to understand them and reply in Polish too... I felt a heavy pressure as each time I was opening my mouth they were of course listenning very carefully.. It was very funny! I was even very perturbed when I had the question: "Czy pani muwi po polsku?" I understood the question which means whether I can speak Polish... but there was a mistake as it shouldn't be muwi but mówi. The sounds is the same but the spelling is different! I was happy to realise that I can even find mistakes in native Poles' writting :-).

Once finished, we came back to Kielce in the late afternoon... and on Sunday I was in Kielce streets for the Chraity event. Streets were packed of people :-)

During the whole time of my Future Capital, I had many occasions to do a lot of presentations about EVS, in schools, associations or other structures, either for people who invited me to do so, or because I proposed them.

In this aim, I had prepared a special PowerPoint presentation. I actually used one I had realised at the time of my EVS in Italy, when I had gone to present EVS to a Rotary club (in exchange, they financed me an Italian language exam I wanted to do). During my FC, I thus updated the presentation (taking into account all the changes occured at the appearance of the Youth in Action programme, compared to the Youth one), and translated it from Italian into English and French.

My presentation was organised into two parts:

- the first one about EVS in general: What i it? For you? For how long? How it works? etc.

- the second one about my own experience of EVS: What my projects was? What I did? etc

And after that I showed them a few pictures and answered their questions.

So, I lead this presentation action a few times:

- for a school in an organisation on the 26th of November, 2007

- in Szkola Kopernika on the 12th of December, 2007

- in a school in Radoszyce on the 11st of January, 2008

etc

Also in the Centre where Ola was working and which allowed me to use the material like computers or printers, etc, they sometimes ask me to do this presentation for groups, and also to speak about my own experience of all EU programmes. I indeed took part in Erasmus, Leonardo and EVS. And thus, in the same way, I prepared a PowerPoint pointing out all these experiences.

It was quite interesting as people didn't understand how it was possible to have taken in so many programmes. I was happy to inform them, to answer their questions and overall to show them that it is possible and that, with the knowledge of the existence of these opportunities, a bit of research and a lot of motivation, they can do the same :-)

I organised another cooking lesson to learn people how to cook the famous French "quiche lorraine" :-). For those who do not know this dish (they stg very important!!), it is a kind of salted tart which can be garnished with different things. The real quiche lorraine is made with ham or bacon and cheese, but other quiches or tartes can be prepared with tomatoes, salmon, onions, and anything the cook want :-).

So, I bought all the ingredients and we prepared the quiche. As to me, quiche is very easy to do. You prepare the pastry with flour, warm water, oil and salt, mixing everything together to form a ball, and then spreading it. I may them be the base of the quiche, garnishing the inside ot the tart plate.

Then you prepare a kind of sauce mixing together fresh cream, eggs, flour and milk. And you garnished the pastry with this sauce as well as with the cheese and bacon. Then cook it in the oven and eat it with a good salad :-)

It was very funny to learn how to cook it, especially because at the beginning it was very hard to make people to understand what it is exactly.. They compared it to pizza, to omelette.... but they liked it :-)