Maitotilalla lypsyapulaisina!

Työleiri autteli lypsykarjatilalla nuorisokeskuksen naapurissa.

Tuesday 9th july

Yesterday evening we went to sauna for the second time. It was as good as the first one. We spent many time into the sauna but also in the living room where we had an interesting social and politic debate which ended because we were too tired to go on fighting. No one got hurt, we are still friends so it was a good evening.

Today’s plan was to visit two farms, so after the daily breakfast we split in two groups. The first one was: Monika, Ali, Adriana, Veronica, Minseop, Marwin, Arrrrttu and Noémie. We went to the caw’s farm where we had the chance the feed the caws, milk them, and tried to catch them in the field. We also helped with cleaning the milking machines and the stables, using our favourite tool: the kotticarry.

The second group was: Laura, Gorkem, Eliska, Nuria, Alex, Romina and Hanna. We went to the horses farm where we saw 3 horses. In the morning, we carried outside some beds and everyone had a “déjà-vu”. After lunch, we painted a house in pink so now Barbie and Ken can live happily ever after in Anjala.

Emma, the owner of the farm backed some delicious blueberry and chocolate cackes. We are starting to get use to good food.

Now, everybody is quite tired after this long day at the farm and we don’t know yet how we’ll spend this evening.

 

Adriana and Romina

Cleaning the milking machines, what an experience!

 

Jokimelontaa suurkanooteilla työn lomassa

Uudet suurkanootit pääsivät neitsytmatkalle Kymijoelle.

Monday, 8.7.2013

Today was Monday. Everyone knows that Mondays are the worst day in the week, we know that in Spain, in Deutschland and they also know that in Turkey. But we are positive people and, although there is just one week left, we woke up this morning with loads of energy, and as always, we started eating. After breakfast Hannah and Arrrrttu and KAI joined us and explained that we had to change the beds for some new ones, so we started the morning with the beautiful task of carrying with the old beds in our shoulders. So we built the new beds inside the rooms and after that, Hannah told us to bring inside the old beds we had put outside!!! To sum up, girls have a bed in their living room.

Then we had lunch, and the menu was: violently smashed potatoes, and small sausages. We have to admit we miss the carrot cake more than we miss our moms.

After lunch, it was nap time before going to ride the canoes.

We went to the Kymi river and we divided the group in two, group 1 and group 2. In group one was Pia on the front and in group 2 one of our Turkish volunteers, Ali. It was all done, the only thing was that group 2 had some special ideas about how to ride the canoe. This was why group 1 had sometimes to wait a bit. But at least we are all saved. No one died. So it was a good day.

Then we went back to the rooms and we soon had lunch. It seemed we were at the international night, because we had Mexican Tacos for dinner!! Gorkem is doing a great job tagging the volunteers on facebook one by one, so we actually recognize his work. Dinner sometimes turns into intense Turkish lessons. We want to thank Professor Ali and Doctor Gorkiam for their hard work at the dinning hall.

At eight we will go to Sauna, so… yes, we can say it was a very stressful Monday!!

Vero and Marwin, Spain and Deutschland

To river Kymi with new canoes.

Vapaalla pesäpalloa ja puistoretkiä!

Finnish weekend, baseball and blueberrypie!

Sunday 7th of July

Last night after dinner, we played some games and then half of the group decided that it was the perfect time to go fishing. At first we were digging the worms up and then we put the worms to the hooks and started fishing. Minseop was really lucky with choosing the right spot where to fish on, so he got fife fishes (after throwing two of them to the ground).  After fishing some of the girls went to boys apartment to play Twister and to listen to some music. Then somebody (the Turkish guys) had a crazy idea of going to the lake at 2 in the night.

Today most of us skipped the breakfast and slept in. But by lunch, everyone of us had gotten up from the bed and was at the lunch. After the lunch Noemie introduced us the plans for next week and then we went by train to Kouvola. Thanks to Laura¸ we had free tickets to the baseball game. After the baseball game, we went to Laura’s place to eat blueberry pie and korvapuusti. Then we came back to Anjala.

Monika and Adriana

Viikonloppuna työleiriläiset nauttivat pesäpallosta ja mustikkapiirakasta.

 

Saturday 6th July

How it was said in the last report, we had barbecue in Kota yesterday evening. When we successfully made fire, we baked some sausages, but also marshmallows and bananas with chocolate. And of course we can’t forget on beef for Turkish boys. We got into the beds after midnight, which wasn’t really good for our trip on Saturday morning. But everyone was ready on the time and we caught the train to Kotka at 9. Kotka is town by Baltic Sea. It’s small but beautiful town. We tested the temperature of sea and we decided to stay on the edge. We chose the beach for lunch place. We shared our meal with ducklings and seabirds. Like in everywhere else ducks were hungry. It was big fight between mother of ducklings, what she was trying to protect them, and seabirds. But everyone survived. Then Gorkem became the leader for 15 minutes. After that we realised, that he didn’t know where we were going and had no idea where we were. So Laura and Monika, our Finnish girls, took control of the group. We didn’t miss our coffee break, which was in a café, where they have water with strawberries. We had also some time to make some shop in the mall. In 14 o’clock we caught our train back to Anjala. So we won’t miss dinner! Although this nice journey, it wasn’t so good day, because Alex could be arrested. He wanted to try to climb on stairs, which lead from windows of Finnish houses. But fortunately he is still with us. Maybe next time man!

Eliska and Ali Ekin

Työviikko huipentui Havumetsien Tarzaniin

Friday 5th July

"Last night most of the group cycled to a local lake in order to go swimming. This was an undeniably new experience for the majority of the group; none of whom had gone swimming in a Scandinavian lake before.

Friday was a special day in the camp as it offered an opportunity for us to wash our well worn and decidedly smelly clothes.

Unsurprisingly to those of you reading this, we woke at 7 30 and had breakfast. During the day, the use of the phrase “Work Camp” was questioned.  After carrying chairs out of the gymnasium in order to prepare for a “family meeting” (the meaning of which may have been lost in translation) we continued work on both the orchard and flower boxes for two hours. This was difficult work but incredibly short for a group who volunteered to “work” on a camp.

After work and a typical Anjala lunch we went to the “Tarzan” area. This area is a semi suicidal swing from a 10 metres high tree. Our fortunes were summed up by Noemie very simply: “today was a good day; no-one died”.

Following the afternoon’s fun we took advantage of the unpredictably hot weather and returned to the lake. Nuria introduced the group to a Spanish ball game with potentially violent outcomes. Noemie’s swimming abilities were impressive and her ability to travel distances under filthy water were unrivalled. Whilst laying on the “beach” we began to plan a group trip to Helsinki on the 13^th of July; details of which will be provided on this blog next week!

Over dinner, Ali Ekim’s interpretations of Turkish “culture” became ever more comic. His decision to eat with an oversized serving spoon because “this is what we do in Turkey, man” left the group giggling uncontrollably. 

This evening we have a barbecue planned, for which a shopping trip is required. A full report will be given tomorrow."

Alex and Nuria

Helteellä heinätöissä ja mustikassakin!

Torstaina kansainvälisellä työleirillä tehtiin heinätöitä. Working in the applegarden.

Thursday 4^th July

Torstai neljas heinakuuta

"Today we woke up at 7:40 and had a nice breakfast. After breakfast we divided into two groups.

One group continued to make a flower box and the other group worked at the apple garden cutting

Then we switched each places and kept continue to our work. Then we had great lunch as usual and took some rest in a pure nature.

After coffee break, we carried some parts of bed to Katarina and we checked our party place.

We went to forest to pick some blueberries and strawberries. "

Villit luonnonmarjat lumosivat leiriläiset...Wild berries were a hit!



Työleiriläisten viikko on jatkunut vilkkaana:

Wednesday 3rd July

Keskiviikko kolmas heinakuuta



Keskiviikkona päästiin tositoimiin! Working hard!



"Today was the first day of work. We got up at 8, we had a big breakfast and we met at 9 for work. In the morning we split in two groups: Gorkem, Naomi, Laura, Adriana, Nuria, Monika and Eliska carried some sand to the “adventure trail” and Ali Ekin, Veronica, Minsoep, Alex, Marwin and Romina started to make the flowerboxes. We cut the wood, drill and screwed the wood. At the end on the morning we almost have had done one box, the sand was spread and we even could try the “adventure trail”.

At 11:30 we had lunch. The salmon was really delicious.

After lunch, a journalist came to interview us about the organisation, the work camp, volunteering and our expectations in general. Tomorrow the article will be in the local newspaper.

In the afternoon we switched the teams and continued the job. During the box making, we lost a pin of the drill and spent some time looking for it in the gravel. Luckily, Nuria found it.

At 2 we had a sunny coffee break. After that, another box was ready and both are painted. This time we spread the sand in the wood and behind the sauna.

The mosquitoes and flies followed and bite us all day long. 

It was quite warm all the day even if there were some clouds."

Romina and Gorkem

Matalaharjoiterataa kokeilemassa. On adventure trail.

Kulttuurit kylään Anjalaan!

Kansainvälinen työleiri toi 10 nuorta maailmalta vapaaehtoistyöhön Anjalaan heinäkuun alussa. Nuorisokeskus Anjala isännöi työleiriä ensimmäistä kertaa yhteistyössä Suomen Nuorisoyhteistyö Allianssi ry:n kanssa. Nuoret työskentelevät viitenä päivänä viikossa noin 7,5 tunnin ajan ja vastineeksi  nuorisokeskus tarjoaa majoituksen täysihoidolla. Iältään 17-24 –vuotiaat  työleiriläiset pääsevät myös kokeilemaan Anjalan ohjelmia, kuten melontaa Kymijokimaisemissa ja Anjalan Tarzania,  liitoa köysien havupuiden oksistossa, tutustumaan maatilan töihin sekä tietenkin suomalaiseen saunaan. Seuraamme leiriläisten kuulumisia, tänään heitä haastatellaan paikallislehteen ja radioon!

Tervetuloa Meille!



Työleiri tutustui Anjalaan pyöräillen!



Multicultural work camp in Anjala

International work camp brought 10 young people from all over the world to Anjala in the beginning of July. Youth Centre Anjala is proud to host the international work camp for the first time in co-operation with Finnish Youth Cooperation – Allianssi. The young volunteers will work aproximately 7,5 hours per day and for that they will receive board and lodging. The visitors age from  17 to 24 will be able to  try out the adventurous programs of Youth Centre Anjala, such as canoe trip by the river and Anjala’s Tarzan with hanging ropes by the treetops.  They will also get to work at a farm and ofcourse visit finnish sauna.

We will keep track what happens with the campers, today they will be intervued by local press and radio!

Welcome to Anjala!

Tässä ensimmäisten päivien tunnelmia/ Here is what happened the first days in Anjala:

  Tuesday 2nd July

"Today was the first day of activities : we woke up at seven o’ clock, and we had breakfast at the canteen. Later we got to know the place, with the guidance of Hannah and Noémie.

Hannah showed us a presentation about their work in the camp how they are organized and who are the beneficiaries of the projects they work on.

Hannah continued showing us the places around the camp, and also where we are going to work the following days. Not much later we had lunch at the canteen.

Soon we played a volleyball match, and basketball too. Later we had the opportunity of taking the bicycles and Hannah and other members of the staff guided us around Anjala and Inkeroinen. After that we rode to some shops around Anjala and we also to a nice lake where we are going to swim the next days.

Then a man asked us to carry down with some canoes, the same that we are going to use the next days and we ate some strawberries.

We went to cafeteria to drink a coffee and had a nice conversation.

Then Noemie had planned for us some activities and games to get to know each other. We are thirteen people from different countries: Turkey, France, Germany, South Korea, Spain, Czech Republic, Belgium, England and Finland too.

At five we have dinner. And later we are going to enjoy the sauna that belongs to the camp zone; and that would be the end of this first day in Anjala Workcamp…it has started quite good isn’t it?"

Marwin and Veronica from Germany and Spain