Once upon a time I

In the 22nd of March we had an activity in the library about the Storytelling Day which is called Once Upon a Time.

In the activity,students from grades of 4th,5th and 6th grades of primary school participated in different sessions each of which took one hour.

After a small game of name introduction which is also for energizing we both the volunteers and the students all started to read our stories to each other which we had prepared before in both English and Romanian languages and comment on them.These include many stories in different subjects whether in a teaching way or in a legend way.

These sessions of workshops have given chance students to learn about the storytelling method as well as about the importance of it regarding to share information in this method.By doing some parts of reading in our own native languages as international volunteers we also got the opportunity to raise more awareness towards different cultures.Apart from that by doing activities such as the one which is called ‘magical microphone’ which is sort of a game in which one person starts to create a story and the others one by one continues that each one in a specific amount of time the students improved their capacity of creativity.

Photography exhibition in the museum

Last Wednesday we went to the museum where we work for a photographic exhibition about the traditions and places in Oltenia.

One of the photos which made me feel curious was this one. When I saw, I only wanted to know what I was seeing. In this photo, the women are making Easter eggs. They are putting the eggs inside the socks with some leaves and then introducing in water colors to have pretty designs.

Also, we had an interview for TV, speaking about the cultural differences in our countries and how we live here.

After that, we joined a lunch with the museum's workers and some other people.
We were talking and enjoying some hours.

Centrul Maciuca

In 14th of March,we,as the volunteers took part in a visit to the Neurological and Psychotherapy Center of Maciuca in a project called ‘’Love of Neighbour (Iubirea de Aproapele Meu)’’organized by Zenovia Zamfir.

Visitors including folk music  and joyful moments.Visitors were Marinela Neagu,from the Women League of Orthodox Christian Valcea(Liga Femeilor Creştin-Ortodoxe Valcea,the professor Nicolae Dinescu,Tatiana Marcoianu,folk singer,Patricia Apostolescu,a volunteer in the Association of Colourded Smiles and Paul Stanisor,writer.

Apart from them also Luminita Tanase,the principal of Maciuca High School,Nicolae Vaduva,the mayor of Maciuca,and Viorel Rafaria,the deputy have participated.

The center’s director Gabriel Smarandoui thanked the guests for gifts and for having offered those beautiful moments together with the employees of the institution.

Forum Theatre Training

In 8th,9th and 10th of March we started another activity together with the other EVS volunteers in Dragasani.We made several trainings for three days for the forum theatre activity that we will prepare.

In 8th of March we started the day in the second floor of the office all together in the morning.After some energizing activities we made several workshops about the ways to improve communication with more understanding for a more effective theatre during the day.At the end of the day we made a feedback activity in which each of us explained his ideas about the day and how we can improve.

In 9th of March,the second day we gathered all together in the second floor of office and started the day with energizing activities.In this day we made more detailed activities about communication and ways to send ideas and messages to the audience or the target.

In 10th of March,the third day of the training we all gathered in the second floor of the office and started the day with energizing activities as usual,In that day we started applying the details we had learned in the previous days and doing more practical activities.Those include creating our own small screenplays about social problems and exhibit our plays.At the end we made a feedback session of the whole training and we expressed our impressions,new knowledges and ideas as well as improvement of creativity.

Traditions which announcing the spring

As you probably know on 14th Febrary it's the St. Valentine's day, a celebration of love in which you give a present like chocolate or flowers to the person or people you love. This celebration is internacional, but do you know that in Romania they have another day to celebrate the love? Yes, there is.

On 24th Febrary in Romania people celebrate "Dragobete", the love's day. This tradition is related with the Roman Empire and the dacians.

According to myth, Dragobete was the son of Baba Dochia, a woman who stands for the main character in the pagan myth related to spring arrival and the end of the harsh winter.

The day is also known as “the time when birds are betrothed” because during this time of year, birds generally build their nests and mattes.

On this day, considered locally the first day of spring, boys and girls gather vernal flowers and sing together.

This day annonced the arrival of spring but the oficial day that the spring begin is on 1st March, knowed like Mărțișor.

In the history, this celebration ir related with the Roman Empire too, but also it's considered with Daco-Thracian origin.

Mărțișor is the diminutive of marț, the old folk name for March. (Martie, in modern Romanian), and this literally mean "little March". It is also the folk name for this month.

Mărțișor, marț and mărțiguș are all names for the red and white string from which a small decoration is tied, and which is offered by people on the 1st day of March.

Giving this talisman to people is an old custom, and it is believed that the one who wears the red and white string will be strong and healthy for the year to come. It is also a symbol of the coming spring. 

Usually it wears close to the heart, until the last day of March.

After this introduction about the Romanian traditions in the beginning of Spring I will speak about my experiences with them.

Last Saturday I made mărțișor with smaller childrens in a kindergarten, in company of a Romanian girl called Diana, who was also volunteer like me.

This day was amazing and we learned new things about the culture of Romania.

This week we put in practice the things we learned.
In the  Colonia´s school, a school outside the city, we made mărțișor with the children and we use paper to make flowers.

Also we went to Ionescu school, a school in the city center and we were really welcome for teachers and students.

This is the summary of these intenses weeks in which we discovered new beautiful traditions about Romania that they continue alive like the spring each year.