Post from Macedonia

I didn't had time earlier to write here at all. And now I'm just sitting on the airport in Skopje - in about 1 h I have my plane to Budapest. And then from Budapest to Berlin. At 8 PM I should be on the Tegel Airport and about 1-1,5 h later in Jonathan's flat. And it seems that in my home tomorrow late afternoon.

Concerning Macedonia - I just felt in love with Ohrid and surroundings. There is no other possibility ;) Just wonderful nature, ancient city with so many interesting places, nice people... Well - see by yourself! I must write that those photos are not from any selection - people around just observe what I'm doing and that makes my crazy ;)

So... With such a nice celebrations of my birthday...

...with such a great views from my room...

... with such nature all over around...

... with such a great art and places which has 1000-2000 years...

... how I could not love this place?

I just love it and I want to come back in future for sure more than once. And besides all those things this is just a great place for holidays - both, during the winter and during the summer! And also cheaper than Poland.

But about all those things - in the future. At this moment just will wait for the plane.

Again on the way

In 15 minutes I'm starting my travel to Berlin. I'll stay there until tomorrow morning and then I'll fly to Skopje via Budapest. I'll co-lead a seminar about youth projects in European municipalities in Ohrid. I'll stay there until 26th. On 9 PM I should be in Jonathans' flat again - but only for one night. Then he is going to Erfurt and I'm going to Frankfurt /Main to meet the president of Polish Youth Council. At the afternoon on 27th I'll catch a EuroNight train to Poznań. So, on midday on 28th of November I should be home if nothing will change.

Sorry for such a short and not nice post, but I don't have a time at all :( I shouldn't even write any posts... Hugs!

Buuuuu

A lot to do during those days, but very strong feeling of laziness and emptiness, want only to sleep or to relax. Just to do nothing important - listen to the music, watching movies, reading books, even play in stupid games on the computer. And sleeeeeep.......

And instead of that I should finish the report from the EM 4 in Cardiff as soon as possible. Until now I just sent a first part to the team, to give them possibility to send me their remarks. But this part was the easiest one and the shortest one.
Besides that I need to prepare my part of the program for the seminar about youth projects in European municipalities, which will be held soon in Ohrid, Macedonia. I have only 2 days more and not even full days, because I still need to go and pick results of my medical tests tomorrow, visit a doctor after it, then also arrange my tickets to Berlin, pack my luggage and many other things. Besides that my mother is going to the sanatorium for 3 weeks, so there is a lot of things to arrange. It's a pity that I can't go with her during the first day, to help her to arrange everything and to see the place as well. And the bad thing is that my dad will be alone almost for the whole week and he shouldn't because he has problems with heart and he may to faint or even worse and then what? Even with ordinary falling down it can be dangerous - his bones are very soft and they are easly breaking.

But during last days I've made quite many 'technical' changes in my life. I started with a new headphone + mic to talk with my friends online. Next thing - after 2 years I might to change my mobile phone for a new one. So, I did it ;) Now, I'm an owner of Samsung SGH-X680 in lovely dark red color ;)

In reality it's much nicer than on this photo, especially color ;) On this photo it doesn't look as a nice dark red.

After some not nice surprises and a lot of waiting now I'm also an owner of multifunctional machine of HP - printer, scanner, fax and copier in one. Nice thing ;)

And - what is most important - I'm finally the owner of brand new, shiny laptop - first in my life! It's cool - HP Pavilion dv6149EA Windows Media Center.

It's a very cool beaut :) And in relation to it I bought a very interesting bag for it which looks like a bigger woman bag, not a bag for a laptop (which could be useful!) and a 1 GB flash drive in a cool dark red color ;) Trendy lady :p

Now, my laziness won - I'm just chatting, watching "Matrix" and writing updates for my blog. But I have a bad feelings about the level of my preparation for the seminar :/ Cross your fingers for me!

Life is... Goodbye

Since few days my mood is going down and down... I feel meaningless, hollow, like a substitue of the human...

I'm listen a lot of the music... There are so many songs, which I would like to mention here... But it would be boring for you... So, only two of them.

First - it would be nice to believe it's like that... 'life goes full circle', 'life is wonderful... meaningful'... Then you may always believe that better time will come... but in the same time, that after good time there will be a bad time... So, maybe not so much optimistic then...

"Life Is Wonderful"

It takes a crane to build a crane

It takes two floors to make a story

It takes an egg to make a hen

It takes a hen to make an egg

There is no end to what I'm saying

It takes a thought to make a word

And it takes some words to make an action

It takes some work to make it work

It takes some good to make it hurt

It takes some bad for satisfaction

La la la la la la la life is wonderful

Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle

Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful

Al la la la la

It takes a night to make it dawn

And it takes a day to make you yawn brother

And it takes some old to make you young

It takes some cold to know the sun

It takes the one to have the other

And it takes no time to fall in love

But it takes you years to know what love is

It takes some fears to make you trust

It takes those tears to make it rust

It takes the dust to have it polished

La la la la la la la life is wonderful
Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle
Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful
Al la la la la

It takes some silence to make sound

It takes a loss before you found it

And it takes a road to go nowhere

It takes a toll to make you care

It takes a hole to make a mountain

Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful

Ah la la la la la la life goes full circle

Ha la la la la la life is wonderful

Ha la la la la la life is meaningful

Ha la la la la la life is wonderful

Ha la la la la la life it is...so... wonderful

It is so meaningful

It is so wonderful

It is meaningful

It is wonderful

It is meaningful

It goes full circle

Wonderful

Meaningful

Full circle

Wonderful

Jason Mraz

Second one it's just so beautiful and sometimes true... I like it a lot...

"Goodbye My Lover"

Did I disappoint you or let you down?

Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?

'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,

Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.

So I took what's mine by eternal right.

Took your soul out into the night.

It may be over but it won't stop there,

I am here for you if you'd only care.

You touched my heart you touched my soul.

You changed my life and all my goals.

And love is blind and that I knew when,

My heart was blinded by you.

I've kissed your lips and held your hand.

Shared your dreams and shared your bed.

I know you well, I know your smell.

I've been addicted to you.

Goodbye my lover.

Goodbye my friend.

You have been the one.

You have been the one for me.

I am a dreamer and when i wake,

You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.

And as you move on, remember me,

Remember us and all we used to be

I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile.

I've watched you sleeping for a while.

I'd be the father of your child.

I'd spend a lifetime with you.

I know your fears and you know mine.

We've had our doubts but now we're fine,

And I love you, I swear that's true.

I cannot live without you.

Goodbye my lover.

Goodbye my friend.

You have been the one.

You have been the one for me.

And I still hold your hand in mine.

In mine when I'm asleep.

And I will bare my soul in time,

When I'm kneeling at your feet.

Goodbye my lover.

Goodbye my friend.

You have been the one.

You have been the one for me.

I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.

I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow.

I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.

I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow.

James Blunt

That's all for tonight.

Pictures as usual ;)

Resisting to publishing photos on my blog is not in my style at all ;) So, here we go...

Not so clear vision during the pizza party ;)

Interesting wall around the squat :)

Island of "East" Berlin in "West" Berlin

During the walk around Kreutzberg

Everything you need for a revolution you may buy here :p

There are many cool graffities in Berlin
In the cool pub on the boat...Isn't it lovely?

'Cardiff four' - Zane, Jonathan, Sylwia and me. Three participants and the documentalist ;)

There are really cool and sweet (some) pictures from Berlin - HERE. I really enjoy them and strongly recommend seeing them ;) Enjoy as well :)

Then Berlin

...I've started my travel to Berlin. I must admitt that I love German InterCity Express. They are great! Speed more than 200 km/h, but you don't feel this inside, very comfortable, nice, good design, clean toilets, nice staff etc. I love to travel by them and I recommend it to all of you :p So, in such conditions my travel was nice and fast. In the meantime I was exchanging SMSes with Polish flatmate of Jonathan - Wojtek.

After coming to the train station I was waiting for Jonathan about 20 minutes - he was on the way back from his Polish lessons :D It's his first semester, but he is treating it seriously and it sounds quite ok already. And he has lovely German accent ;) And of course doing some nice funny mistakes :p But seeing how much he is trying to learn it I think that after few more months it will be much better and we may already talk a bit more than basic. Especially if he will develop such a nice contacts with Polish friends and he will visit Poland. So, after coming home I could discover 'reality' of Jona. 3 guys are living in one flat with 3 rooms: Jona (Germany), Wojtek (Poland) and Henry (New Zeland). They have (which is not so obvious when there are living 3 guys) very nice flat, order, clean. Maybe even better than me lately ;) And what more - they are cooking quite good! And they don't need for that any help of girls ;) During eating a good pasta I get to know that there is one friend - Sean (USA/New Zeland) visiting Henry for 4 weeks, and Jona has a visit of our friend Zane with her boyfriend (Latvia) and since next evening our Polish friend - Sylwia will join us as well. All of us were planning to stay until 5th November. So, it was quite funny and interesting - all of us were sleeping in his room. Zane with her guy on one mattress, and Jona, me and later also Sylwia on the second - bigger - one. Actually, it was even cool ;) After the dinner we're smoking my favourite water pipe, drinking zubrowka with juice, and at the end we went for a uni party. During the party Jona was trying to dance with me in this crowd (he just love dancing and also has talent to do it), but after 5 minutes someone hit me in my glasses, thanks to what I had broken (good that not totally!) glasses and my eye also remembered this hit until half of next day. So, I escaped for some minutes from the dance floor and then one guy was trying to flirt with me in a funny mixture of German-English-French ;) But luckly guys decided that they don't like this party also, so after 15 minutes we went home. Then we were frolic around and relaxing before going to sleep - still in this a little more comfortable 'configuration' - two of us on one bed. We're still frolic even after going to bed, like kids :p

Next day we slept long... I think it was 11 when we get up ;) After easy breakfast we went with guys to the big Turkish market. Because guys are living in a ghetto, migrant quarter of the city, but so incredibly colorfull and intercultural. And it's not so 'bad' and dangerous there, at least from my experience. And close to your home you may find great Turksih market with everything what you would like to buy inside ;) We did a huge shopping for homemade pizza - at the evening there was planned a pizza party. After shopping we had an opportunity to listen to the part of the concert of the Balkan band, it was cool. Then Jona went back home to work for some time, and rest of us went to the Martin-Gropius-Bau for an exhibition of photos made by Martin Munkacsi - "Budapest - Berlin - New York". Very interesting photos. Then we had a nice coffee with Sean - still in the museum (where I bought such a nice POSTCARD for Jona ;) we're teasing each other all the time) and rest went to some meeting with friend. After coffee it was time to go home - I was sent for shopping (of course we forgot about few things), guys take care about preparing pizzzas and after coming back I was welcoming and taking care about not my guests ;) This evening to our intercultural company joined few Germans, one girl from France and once from Argentina. Pizza was great, alcohol good as well, in the meantime Sylwia managed to join us finally, so it was cool time. And at the end we went to - so called - Roma Theater (mixture of NGO, theater, pub, meeting place - Jona is working there actively). It was very nice place, with cool music, intereseting people - even one couple more joined us (Germany & Estonia) and wild dances of Jona and Sylwia on the stage ;)

Next morning Zane and Iamonas decided that they are tourist, so get up earlier to visit some places. And Sylwia, Jona and me again slept long and had a nice breakfast about 12. Then we started our tour around "intercultural Berlin + WALL", what means that we're discovering their quarter - Kreutzberg and surroundings. Very interesting, long walk. We had a nice break for espresso and warm croissants in a nice coffee. And then we're continuing walking around. Jonathan was our guide, describing everything, telling stories etc. We saw also few squats and interesting park. We went also to see a still exsisting part of the wall, which was changed for a graffiti gallery, where Sylwia made a lot of photos ;) There we found cool place - youth hostel on the boat, together with nice pub. It's not expensive - 14 Euro. We went there "for few minutes, for tea" and we've stayed there for about 3 hours, sitting near the fireplace, drinking hot wine and eating lasagne. It was cool time. Then there was no sense to visit the 'touristic' centre, so we went home to prepare a dinner for all. After the dinner rest of people went for 2 concerts - jazz and Henrys' (flatmate) and Sylwia, Jona and me were too lazy to go anywhere. So, we were only smoking the waterpipe, drinking zubrowka, tequilla, doing massages and talking - 100 questions to each ;) It was so great time :D

Last morning we had only time for burning a CD with photos and music for me, taking showers, eating breakfast and already there was time to go to the train station. We spoked a little more on the train station during waiting for the train and that's all - end of this lovely time :(
EuroCity train was totally crowded. In Poznan I had 3 hours of waiting, but it was not bad, because Milosz (collegue-trainer, whom I've met in Bonn) took me for a coffee and cookie in a nice place. And then going by train home. About 10 PM I was in my room... tired, but happy!

I need to repeat such a nice relaxing days with friends more often ;) Let's see if it'll be possible!

First Bonn

Shortly about stay in Bonn. After 12 hours of travelling (in which I've spent about 2,5 h waiting for trains in Pila, Poznan and Berlin) I arrived to Bonn. I was picked up from the train station by Serhan, who was there for a training course until 31st of October. On the way to the youth center we've met Erzsi - course director of EM 4 in Cardiff :) After check in and unpacking my clothes we went to the pub in the building - to welcome friends and get to knew new people. It was an evaluation seminar of all 6 European Modules 2006 and also for trainers working on - so called - networking trainings of National Agencies of YOUTH Programme (Tic-Tac, SOHO, BiTriMulti, ToM, ToT), so there were about 60 trainers from whole Europe. It was a very good opportunity to meet trainers and also people working for NAs, Partnership and SALTO. It was a good time with interesting and funny people. And also during the first evening Serhan also was developing his network :) We also finished a programme for our next project application.
During the first day there was two parts: Youth in Action Programme (in which Serhan could still participate before going back to Turkey) and YouthPass. It was quite interesting, even if this YouthPass means quite much more work for organizers and trainers, as well as for participants. In my opinion to do it properly it should be one day more in each training... Who will pay for that? And at the evening we had 'Bye Bye YOUHT, welcome Youth in Action Party', which was very nice. Especially Twilight Zone - misterious place, where each of us has a lot of fun... Outcomes - photos should be send by Udo soon to us.
Second day was first for evaluations in teams of each Module. Then also discussions about choosen outstanding questions or good practices related with European Modules in groups of interests. After lunch there was a general input and discussion about European Citizenship and working groups on choosen issues.
Third day was about the future development and improvments of next generations of European Modules. Changes seems to be quite big, but many of them are not agreed finally still, so it's better not to write about it now. There was a lot of disucssions and a bit of confusion. Let's see what will be a final curriculum made by the curriculum development group. Final decission should be made in December.

During this seminar Voki (trainer with whom I've worked in Cardiff) proposed me to co-lead with her a seminar about youth projects in municipalities, which will be held in Macedonia, between 19th and 25th of November. It's very soon (they had problems with trainer), but it seems that I'll get tickets - organizers are working to pay them now. It's good that they will do it now, because it'll be about 2000 PLN, what is more than 500 Euro.

I was in Bonn since 30th October until 2nd November until 4:16 PM. And at this hour I started my travel to Berlin...