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[escboras]

I can’t belive how time flies...

So here we are, in the middle of our project (almost to the day). We came in September despite the pandemic and we try to do our best. It can be challenging at times. Youth centres in which we work are having less and less opportunities to organise activities since autumn and currently we mostly work online or outdoor. I think the hardest part is the uncertainty. You often don’t know when you schedule a meeting with you coworkers or start planing your own project if it’s gonna be possible next week or a month from now. BUT I also feel that this challenges in a way made our project maybe even more full of opportunities to grow, because we constantly adapt, change priorities and overcome the circumstances. And we have fun while at it! We share our cultures with each other in volunteers house, we get to meet wonderful Swedes, we learn the language and other new skills.

I feel that the most important thing I learnt so far is to always try to do what’s right for you. I think acceptance for different needs, abilities and therefore decisions is what keeps us all still sane, productive and relatively happy. For example when my centre closed for a period of time I focused on my private projects and learning the language while another person decided to leave the project and start new and exciting job. Different example might be everyday activities that we do in the house: everyone is always welcomed, but it’s always okay to say no, do something slightly different or decide to leave earlier. I really appreciate it and think this is what makes this community so great. :) Let’s continue that way and we will all finish the project a bit wiser, more experienced and with a bunch of amazing memories.

[escboras]

The Swedish way..

Can be really hard to understand sometimes. For me and my co-volunteers that arrived in September it was sometimes (.. okey maybe often) a struggle. To get used to the swedish culture, the behavior and in general to the way of living wasn’t always easy. You wanna meet a swedish friend for a coffee? No problem, they will just take their calender out and give you an appointment in around two weeks! You have a very emotional time in front of your swedish coworkers? Again, no problem! They will give you all the privacy you need, in fact, they won’t even ask what’s happening. Now think when you come to a country on your own, far away from home and what you were used to.. these tiny little things can add up to something more bigger and can give you a hard time. I think the outcome is quite easy: You either love it, or you hate it. To us it turned out to be the first one. All this ”lack of empathy” as one would assume, all this strict schedules, all the positive (and only positive, there is no space for negative!) feedback culture,.. all of these made us love the country, it’s people and it’s culture. Now many of our families are experiencing probably the worst times in their lives, considering the ongoing CoVid-19 situation. We are volunteers from countries like Austria, Italy, Spain,.. Countries that took very restrictrive steps against the virus. Countries that basically stopped ”working” for almost two months now. So it felt, and still feels, a bit strange to more or less carry on with our normal lives as we had it before. On top of that we also have to explain our friends and families why Sweden acts the way it does. In the beginning it was very hard for us, as Continental Europeans, to understand why Sweden decided to go with this approach, but I think now we do understand it a bit better. Let me try to explain it a bit: The most important measure countries took was / is the so called ”social distancing”. The golden rule of keeping distance to each other, be it now indoors or outdoors. In parks, public transports, stores and so on. This is in fact a thing, Swedes have been doing their entire life. We do not really need a regulation for this. We do not like to get too close to each other anyhow, there is not really a necessity of a virus to make us act in that way. Another thing is the trust, you can build a lot on. Swedens government went with recommondations instead of laws. They recommend you to stay home if you are in the risk group, or feel like you show some or any of the symptoms. As strange as it might sound, Swedes do really do that. The slighest rinning nose is for them nowadays a reason to not go out and ”socialize”. People do really believe and act according to the rule ”everyone of us is responsible”. Even though I feel a bit sad that I never experienced the pandemic as my family back in Austria did, I am super happy about it somehow as well. I was feeling not safe at all in the beginnings when I was leaving the house, but now I can see how cautious every citizen is acting, so I can say it feels more comfortable to be outside. Oh, and: being outside is the best thing to do in Sweden! The nature you can discover and explore is unique. Trust me, it would be really sad to be locked down during this beautiful spring days, in which all the beauty around us awakens again. So keep it the Swedish way friends: håll avstånd och ta hand om er! A warm hej då from the north! Stay safe <3

[escboras]

Dags för tzatziki- Time for tzatziki

The days have become longer and sunnier so many of you have been  probably started enjoying spring barbecues…so it’s time for tzatziki sauce to become one of  ‘your best friend’.  Tzatziki is a refreshing  greek  sauce  based on yogurt that can be made in no time at home. It can be enjoyed  with meat, a dip for  veggies or as a spread on crackers etc. It doesn’t require any special equipment so all you need to have are some simple ingredients.  

Ingredients:

300 g  strained yogurt

1 cucumber 1/3 clove(s) of garlic

3  tablespoon(s) vinegar, of white wine

1/4 bunch dill, finely chopped (optional)

2  tablespoon(s) olive oil

1 pinch salt    

pepper

  Directions

Peel the cucumber and grate with a cheese grater, using the large blades

Put in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of white wine    vinegar.Toss and set aside to release its liquid.

In the meantime, combine the yogurt, 1/3 of a garlic clove (minced), 2     tablespoons white wine vinegar and  3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Mix until  combined. Mix until it is combined and creamy.

Squeeze  the cucumber with your hands to release any remaining liquid. Discard the  liquid and add the cucumber to the yogurt mixture.  

Stir into mixture. Add pepper and adjust salt according to taste. 

Add some finely chopped dill and your sauce is ready.

Refrigerate until needed.  

[escboras]

podcast with Heloise!

New sun, new week, new podcast, new volunteer ;) Becoming an artist, dealing with fire and falling out of the bed... Heloise from France will share her secrets with you about life and work in Borås.

https://soundcloud.com/evs-boras/podcast-with-heloise

Stay tuned!

[escboras]

Podcast with Nata!

New week, new podcast, new volunteer ;) if you can't resist the urge to know what swedish "Lagom" is about, what a Mentor is doing and where do go in Borås listen to our former volunteer Nata from Serbia.

https://soundcloud.com/evs-boras/podcast-with-nata/s-jdm8i

Stay tuned!

[escboras]

Podcast with Quentin!

New week, new podcast, new volunteer ;) Quentin from France talks about finding a new home here in Borås and how to celebrate the famous Midsommar!

https://soundcloud.com/evs-boras/podcast-with-quentin

Stay tuned!

[escboras]

Podcast with Irfan!

New week, new podcast, new volunteer ;) In this episode you can listen to our volunteer Irfan, from Austria, how he's dealing with learning Swedish and his trip to the dark and cold "North"!

https://soundcloud.com/evs-boras/podcast-with-irfan

Stay tuned!

[escboras]

Podcast

A podcast with Sebastiano from Italy about his experience as an ESC volunteer in Borås. Hear more about his life and work here in Sweden and how he met his first moose!!

https://soundcloud.com/evs-boras/podcast-with-sebastiano 

Stay tuned!

The Podcast Gang

[escboras]

Hi guys, are there any available positions for EVS volunteers in your organization?? Thank you!! Andria Adamou (Cyprus )

Hello Andria! Yes, we are looking for volunteers for a project starting in February. Here’s the link to the vacancy and info on how to apply: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EVS.vacancy/permalink/3080020052025906/

Looking forward to receiving your application!

[escboras]

Hello, please I would like to know if it's possible to engage in your projects. I'm living in Sweden , but with expired Schegan visa.

Hello! This round we have projects only for participants from EU countries unfortunately. Good luck in finding a suitable project for you!

[escboras]

Borås is Borås

Borås is Borås. 

Borås is not Sweden and Sweden is not Borås.

It usually takes a bus or two to discover the different faces of Sweden. After a while this faces get boring but luckily Borås is also not that far from the other two Scandinavian countires. I fell in LOVE with Denmark long ago, they feel more continetal and way less scared of human interaction (yes, strangers will talk to you there). 

So ... while the days are wet, cold and gray in Borås, the Sun shines in other places not so far away and rainbows conquer the skies.

A. 

(Double rainbow in Malmö)

[escboras]

Time for swedish lesson!

Hilarious swedish idioms. Idioms are useful and tend to be hilarious, especially for those of us who are new to a language. Here are some examples: 

1. Ingen fara på taket (No danger on the roof). A swedish way of saying ‘no worries’.

2.  Lägg ägg!  (Lay eggs) = no way!

3. Du har satt din sista potatis (you have planted your last potato). An intresting way of saying that i had enough of you.

4. Har inte alla hästar hemma (someone hasn’t all their horses at home) = someone is not  very smart.

5. Skogstokig ( forest-crazy) = crazy, furious. To be continued...

[escboras]

10 little things

Here is a list of ten little things that are making my stay here worth it. 

And no, none of those has to do with the weather.

Cut to a gif of the current  weather situation. WE ARE IN AUGUST, OK?

So, we were saying, ten little things:

1. A perfectly well made kanelbulle, that tastes neither too much like butter, cinnamon nor flour.

2. Free coffee refills at the cafés. And I just realized they might not be free, but I will keep refilling my coffee anyway.

3. The way the bus drivers wave at each other while driving. Keep doing it, guys, you really warm my heart.

4. CLEAN PUBLIC RESTROOMS. How on earth they manage to do so is mindblowing.

5. Swedes trust towards society. All those bikes with no chains would not last five minutes in Torino.

6. The new graffiti art in Sjöbo.

7. M.’s cheesy quotes on a gloomy day.

8. Hosting Nana and Nila, and if you don’t know who they are, the joke is on you.

9. Seeing one of my plants grow a new leaf.

10. Unexpected acts of kindness from strangers, co-workers or, even, flatmates!

G.

[escboras]

Våren är här!

Hej hej, 

Swedes love to talk about Swedish weather, so this post is dedicated to my favorite season, Spring!! 

Finally, the long and cold winter came to an end. A few weeks ago we said farewell to sub-zero temperatures and we welcomed the daytime summer temperatures. Unbelievable but the days feel warmer with 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. Woop woop! Don't get me wrong, I like snow, I just recognized that bright, sunny days make me feel more happy and energized.

I crave for new experiences and spring offers me the chance of renewal that I need after the dark and long Swedish winter. 

I do not want to say more, I will let my pictures talk instead. I will come back to you with more photos from the beautiful open landscapes of Sweden on a later post. 

Stora pussar och kramar,

Maria 

[escboras]

A week in Norrbyhuset

Have you ever thought about what does a volunteer actually DO at their workplace? I can’t answer for everyone, but I can give you a peek how a volunteer’s life can look like in Norrbyhuset - a meeting place with youth activities:

Mondays are for staff meetings - like in a lot of youth centres. It is a good way to start a week, when everyone's gathered around and we go through the questions that have popped up among the group. (Not of course forgetting the fika! You can’t write a blog post without fika!) After the meeting, we still have time to open the house for visitors, even though it is a shorter day for them.

Tuesdays can start off with studying Swedish and coming to Norrbyhuset afterwards. At the house, there’s homework help, language café, helping in the library, playing cards with the kids or table tennis with the youngsters... You might have a certain room/place in the schedule, where you need to be in - for example in the "reception” welcoming everyone - or you could be going around helping, where needed. 

On a Wednesday you can start your day in the office checking emails and planning for your activities - maybe even writing an evs blog post ;) When the visitors start coming in, it's good to move in to the “verksamhet” (= activities/functions) to help out there. There might even be an event that needs preparations. We have had author visits, theatres for children, NorrbyDagen, Finland Day, party for women (on women's day) and many more...

On Thursdays you might work an evening shift. There is also the meeting with the youth workers about youth activities and how youth work is organized in the house. After that you might have your own activity for the visitors. I have done handcrafts with kids, arranged a table tennis tournament with staff and had reading for dogs, for example.

And Fridays we close earlier (at 16 o'clock), so they are usually a bit more quieter days. There's some more time to finish your things in the office, catch up with colleagues and help those visitors who find their way in. Or maybe you want to even use one of your vacation days to have a longer weekend.

(And every Saturday is a family day in Norrbyhuset, and you can find yourself working every fourth one. Doing your own activities or helping other staff members - maybe you even have a visitor who wants to create their own thing.)

Every day of the week starts with either a morning meeting (for day shift) or a “handover” meeting (for evening shift), where we go through, how we feel and what is going on in the house that day. Every evening we end with “logging" the day - going through if there has been something special happening and how did we deal with it / how could we improve.

Some other weeks there might be trainings about violence prevention or meetings with other EVS volunteers. You probably will do other projects, as well, outside of your youth centre.

Every week looks always a bit different and that is what keeps it interesting!

- Katja

[escboras]

Of cinnamon buns and other things

Hej hej!

I am Giuliana, one of the "newbies" and you are probably wondering "Is this going to be another of those settling in/I miss home posts?", well, in a way yes, and in a way no. 

As the title says this post should be about cinnamon buns, or kanelbulle, which were the main reason why I came to Sweden, but we are getting out of topic...

Anyway, cinnamon buns. You may remember me from that very awkward video that I hope nobody saw, the super short one where I said "Hi" and I added that my goal was to find THE BEST kanelbulle in Borås. I am proud to say that I started my quest to find the very best, like no cinnamon bun ever was. I tried many: I went to Viskan and ordered one, I went to Balthazar, I tried one at Espresso House as well, and get a few frozen ones. Ok, maybe not that many, but I have been living here for two months only! Alas, none of those cinnamon bun brought me to Cinnamon Buns Heaven. The closest ones were the ones I baked with one of my mentors during a busy evening at the Fritidsgård.

And although it was an immense improvement compared to the disastrous attempt of the week before (me, C. and V. didn't quite manage to pass the cinnamon buns basic test), they weren't the best I have ever tried. Did they spark joy? Yes, but not enough, so the quest must continue.

While looking for kanelbulle I started following dreary paths, like any knight-errant , and ended up in a wonderful place. Yes, I am suddenly changing topic to start talking about my favourite place in Bor ås! I didn't even know it existed until last week. It restored me and finally made me feel at home. 

I am actually considering moving my room to the woods, but I don't think it will be smart if it rains, and I am pretty sure it will rain at some point, we have been having too many sunny days already. I will attach a couple of demonstrative, not amazing, pics from my discovery and say “Hej då!”

G.

Bonus:

1. How many time did I write cinnamon buns?

2. What is the name of the place?

3. Can you spot the intruders among the cinnamon buns?

[escboras]

Oh, the things you will do...

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the [one] who’ll decide where to go”.

©  Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

Hej allihoppa!

Jag heter Phil och jag är från Armenien. Jag har börjat mitt frivilliga projekt på Viskafors och Ridhuset Fritidsgårdar i Borås Stad 6 månader sedan, and here is a little story from my life.

You may be wondering why I started this post with a quote from a famous Dr. Seuss book and here it is: volunteering is a place of experiments and adventures. It is the ultimate mechanism of soul searching and finding new wonderful experiences.

Out of so many different experiences that this project has granted me, the most recent one is the creation of hobby horses at Ridhuset. I have never even thought of starting sewing as a hobby, yet here we are:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by EVS i Borås (@evsboras) on Mar 14, 2019 at 2:58am PDT

“You should definitely include this in your Youthpass“, says our mentor, and I agree because: have we learnt something new? definitely! have we had fun? oh, yes!

I guess what I am trying to say is that volunteering project (EVS or ESC) is not that much about employability or preparation for the labour market, as the programme describes it. It is so much more: it is finding new hobbies, new friends, new networks, learning new skills and cultures. But ultimately: enjoying the life while we’re young!

“ So… be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, You’re off the Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way! ”