Mois : novembre 2015

Another point of view

It’s really strange. Imagine that you have ever seen youself in front of only one mirror. All the time the same one. And once, you don’t really know why, you are suddenly in front of another mirror. Or maybe the same but, something has change. You, and the world around you is not anymore the same. That’s how we come back form an experience such as an EVS.

One month ago, I was in Poland, country in peace where all people look like each other : same history, same heritage, same religion, same language, let’s say … the same look. Now, I am back in Belgium, and have to cross Brussels every day to go to work.

Brussels. It suddenly appears strange to me how very different people are living there, all together, without knowing each other. Media says it’s cosmopolitan city. Actually, we are far away from a « living together ». Of course, we share the same city, the same streets, the same train, tram, metro and buses. But.

But I can feel that everybody has got his/her own bubble. People don’t really live together. Don’t know each other. They don’t speak together. Or really few. Citizen are all anonymous. Together alone.

And, suddenly, Brussels is not the same as before my trip in Poland. Every morning, I can see soldiers. Even if it’s not (yet?) war. Does it mean that war is coming? I guess, but I hope I am wrong. War is not far away from here. It’s our neighbor. It lives inside us, among us. Government act. We all would like to believe in them. We all would like to avoid a war (1).

Every year, we remember first and second world war… We wanna show that we have won the wars,… We finally forgot about everything we have lost. Individually. I wonder why to do such a commemoration, if we just don’t learn and repeat the worst part of history? Why do people want to fight again? What kind of people desire war, fears, sadness, darkness, destruction, death? What’s wrong with them?

I have been nine month in Poland, building Europe, building a brand new world where people from every part of the globe can live together, in peace, really, and try to do steps one to the others, try to understand other’s point of view. Open their minds to different way of living together.

And suddenly, I come back home, and people around me are speaking about war. (2)

Does it make sense to send young people abroad, speaking them about brotherhood of man, and then, suddenly ask them to fight together again another enemy? Do we build peace in order to be stronger if an other war appears?

Unfortunatey, Yes. That’s actually exactly why European Union has been created (3). Such a pitty.

I still would like to build peace here. But you cannot build peace with someone close-minded, that cannot imagine another point of view as a good one. That doesn’t want to open his/her mind.

Yes. Government should continue to send young people abroad. All of them. All of us should have one year of Erasmus, far away form his own culture, to think about what is « good » or « bad » by himself. To consider wearing another pair of glasses to see the world.

 

Cath.

 

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLQs0OrHiPY
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhHwdFeyt_A
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union#History

 

I got a temporary job

Hello Tymienieckiego gang,

😀   I have got great news for you:  😀
Roger : I founded back my USB pen-drive. Thanks. 🙂

Tayfun : few days ago, my sister told me about a temporary job, I applied and fortunately, I got the job!  😀 I will start this Monday till February. As far as I understood, I will have to help people to understand their new intranet program. So, I will first learn very fast how it works, then, I will have to be ready to help them 🙂 It’s a challenge for me because it will be mostly Dutch-speaking, and I have not practice since soooo long…

Saši : I have past the last few days with my family, friends, and I have met some of my scouts-friends as well. Nothing as change. They are all exactly the same. Is it good news? For some of them, yes, … some others, I just would like to send them far away to open their mind. I guess some people just don’t dare, don’t want to try changing. According to me, it’s a pitty. But at the same time, some people just don’t care. I have to admit that we don’t all need this change in our lives. (I still have my Nokia’s when a smartphone would have helped me so many times in Łódź ^^)

Margaux: I have got the feeling that I have lived something really great in Łódź, something that everybody told me 9 month before : you’re so lucky. And now, that I have so many things to speak about, there is really few people who cares and want to listen to me about it. I am a bit sad, but I guess this is life.

Guigui : I know, my dear brother : you cared about my EVS. 🙂 😉

Fanny : As you can see, I try now to write in English in order to keep my level of language. I have also just done a language test on wallangues.be (You know, this website I had been at the beginning of my EVS to remember English vocabulary) I have improved my language level quite well : in march 2014, I was B1, and now, I am C1 (I am so proud! )

Francesca : I miss my personal hair dresser 😉 I realize now how kind you are. You helped me a lot to be more self-confident, but also to believe in people’s kindness. And I need you today. I have got the feeling that criticize people is so easy around me here :/ I don’t feel comfortable with this. You know, something like « It’s not a judgement, but… » It suddenly appears to me like something I used to do, but which is in fact really uncomfortable to keep good relationship with relatives. And I am afraid to be quickly that kind of person back. 🙁 I would like some advices, some discussion with you about this topic. I really miss our discussions. 🙂 When can we met on skype? 😀

Oh! And I was going to forgot about it : I was afraid to drive the car after 9 months without driving… finally, I could drive without stall 🙂 I remembered many gestures. Of course, if my guide is stressed, I can feel the stress as well (just like during fotofestiwal), and it’s harder to drive in a good way, but I have to manage with this anyway, this is learning.

I hope you all feel good my friends. I will continue to learn how to cook many cakes, and dishes in order to welcome you the best way 😉

Bisous,

 

Catherine.