Just around the corner

Hi there fellows!

From the last time I wrote it's been only a week but still feels like a lot more. These days I had a lot of experiences with great new people, and I glad to call friends to some of them. But let's look closer.

Last Friday I was starting in INEX training for leaders in a small center in the village of Moravsky Svaty Jan.
Since only 4 people out of around 28 didn't speak Slovak the training was mainly in English but there was always people willing to help and translate us, and then again some trainers showed us their sessions in English -unfortunately for those Slovak speakers but fortunately for me! I learnt a lot and I really enjoyed, especially the simulation exercises when we would perform as if we were running an NGO or arranging a workcamp agenda.

This place is in the outskirts of the village, only within 1 km from the border with Austria. There is a long straight line that could take us to the village and since the first day I was told there were only 5 minutes walking to the bar I joined a big group of people looking forward to drinking some Kofola and then walked for around 40 minutes to reached the bar that was, 'just around the corner' -which was no lie, it was just in the first intersection of roads, around 5 km from our residence.

I'm putting an image because for me it was a real pleasure to walk this line in the night, with absolutely no light which means, in addition, a marvelous view from the sky and the stars. Anytime I car appeared it meant a strong beam of light getting closer each time, it made me think about when in the movies people struggling to survive are given the tip of 'not going to the light' -it's totally reliable, light meant car that meant death, so it's a wise saying.

In this training I learnt a lot about practicalities for making a workcamp and also that there's a lot of work behind each of them. I felt very welcomed by Slovak people and I had a confirmation about a call about words: sometimes they are not necessary :)

Just for finishing I would like to mention Will, a korean guy that even when he is not a full-time volunteer he is quite interested in workcamps and had attended some other INEX training before. He lives in Zilina and he was extremely kind taking Matiss and me in his car not to Zilina -that was our first thought- but directly to Terchova (20 minutes by car from Zilina), where our next training was just starting on Sunday afternoon.

For this other training I'll made a brand new post, because it's totally worth it.