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EVS Story: All You Can Do is Scroll Your Old Gallery

I give it a break before i started to carve it down. So now, the biggest question after all this EVS journey, the question is, ‘what is EVS done to me?’ Before heads up to answer to those question, let me tell you about what kind of EVS that i did. Okay, like few months ago, no, I think its been a year that I was doing an EVS in braga, Portugal. So, I did an EVS in project named “Youth Network for Social Entrepreneurship”. The project went super nice, and even though, I pictured in my memory sometimes. And what the best thing about having a wonderful journey? Yap, you write it down. So here is my story of my wonderful journey of Braga.

March

I think, I just, I am going to enjoy this city first. But I will drop you one of first picture, when I arrive.

April

I have been a month and a half here, living in my dream. I enjoy being here in one of the finest city in Europe, being out from the boredom of college life, being able to stop the routine to see how another part of the world look like, being a new person maybe, yeah I do believe this experience could be important for me in the future. Because you see, the world is move and we’ve got to have moving. Being here is bring me some modification of how I usually lived my life, like, every meter in Bali I would spent by driving the motorcycle, buy something to mini market get the motorcycle, go to college- get the motorcycle, go to the friend house – get the motorcycle, almost all the activity I have, I get my motorcycle. I mean it is like I am noting without motorcycle. And when I arrive here, everything turn around 180 degree. But I think I am going to use with it. The food is quite different than Indonesia, I tasted franchisena a local Portuguese food, and it is take a few times to swallow and maybe it takes a few time to deal with the local food. Overall, I feel fantastic, because I need to go a while from all my routine back there in Bali, and I am lucky, I have got the opportunity to be in Braga and, I been working in two or three project this month, the first week I was here, I worked with a teacher to help him to do the board games, the project is good, I help the teacher to manage the class and play with kids. Another project was almost the same, I go a school to help a teacher to do her lesson, but the project called ‘get green. The get green project was a project that aiming to teach kids to learn how to use the bicycle. The third project is was the same also but in another school, the project is about teaching the kids about sustainable development goals, and in the future, the host organization provide us to work to with the gipsy community. Beside the collective project, the host organization also give another personal project which is, helping the organization to promote the project, and help them to found another funding like Erasmus, further about working with all the team I have got no problem working with the other volunteers, professionally, they all are very supportive, I mean the first week I start the activity, they help me to cope with all the thing that I should do. In the personal way, I do not have a problem with them at all, I am more like staying in my room all the time, I mean kind of a passive person, so I did not talk if they do not ask me, yet they still invite me to have dinner together, ask me to go to have a coffee, it is not that I did not want to go with them, it just I am in the thrifty mode. But in the middle of this month, we have some trip to Porto, and it was amazing maybe if I can get more travel time together the bonding process will be much easier. I always going to remember, Gabriealla. She pick me up at the bus station, when I arrive. She is going to be my coordinator. Its mean, I am going to work with her. We have a multicultural night this week. It was very fun, we talk and play some games, and in the professional way I have regular Portuguese class every Wednesday and it helps me to improve my Portuguese language, but in the first two week working with this organization, I have got so many free times, I don’t it is because the schedule of the activity which has not fixed yet, but in the next weeks they promise me to get a better schedule and I can get the activity regularly. In this period of month, I have not make a local friend yet, because for sure the language is still a big problem, but I still learning and I hope the next month I have some improvement, yet I say ‘hi’ to the neighbor a few times and also cashier at the supermarket. And about my free time, I use my free time to lay in bed all day, with some music in ear, some book in hand, it is comfortable for me, but sometimes I go to the city center, buy some ice cream, sit for hour and see the people. I also strolling the city, taking picture of some nice architectural buildings, watch a football game at the stadium, riding a bike to the park, I do enjoy all those things. I have some trip indeed, me and the other volunteers went to Porto, and also we have a plan to go to Coimbra and Faro, but it get postpone because we did not have enough time. Generally, I just like to stay at home and in the city to have some football game at the weekend.

May

There is still up and down feelings but rather than complaining I choose to get out thsoe bad feelings and just enjoy my time here, and I realize I just left 98 days to explore this European journey. most of the thing is going well and of course this month of ramadhan makes me little bit miss the ramadhan feels like back in my home town, it just pops up because I feel far away with my parents and family. it is not a big deal of course, I just miss it sometimes. in the end, we can always find a new family where ever you are, I mean you just have to feel at home and there your family are. Same as last month, I have been doing the same project which is Synergia no Recreio and Ativ’art, both project located in the same place, basically this both project is about given an introduction to the kids about the sustainable development goals. the project is held in indoor and outdoor, last week I delivered a session with one of volunteer about ‘reduce inequalities’ it was so much fun, we do the show the kids a video or short story about three friends which contains reduce inequalities problem. the kid shows enthusiastic feelings. also this week, I have involved in speak project, every volunteer speaks or teach one of each other about their culture and language. my session was really fun, i have an external participant, and the speaks project is fun also. collaboration always has its challenge, but these weeks I have been working with a guy from Italia, Alessandro, he has good vibes and helps me to do the project. of course, some of the volunteers are not like the Italian guy, but overall the collaboration in a professional way is great right now. in a personal way also not that bad, since I am alone at the houses, I mean it makes me have less interaction with the other volunteer, but I still invited if there is activity outside. these month is going great, the host organization organizes the volunteers well. we have a weekly schedule, it helps me to manage all these things between enjoying life here and volunteering activity. we also had a regular meeting on Friday to talk about the progress of the weeks. I mean, there is no problem right now. in a personal way, last week they gave us a ticket to watch a football game, it was a very good experience. Anyway, having new friends has always a little bit hard for me, not because of the language problem but maybe because of my introvert behavior. but two weeks ago, I met a local guy, he is very nice, he helps to take pictures of me. i ask him to catch up some time to my house or to drink coffee. beside, my other local friends is the guy from the Islamic center of Braga. because of the ramadhan month, i spent most of the time at my house or go to the mosque. 17 hours of fasting here are different so i think i need to adapt.

June

This month was really good for me, I have a great time. I meet and eat some Indonesian. I have my arrival training in Covilha or Serra da Estrella which was very nice city.

Also this month I have new friend, they are new volunteers that going to stay with me in the house, it was pretty enjoyable but at the same time the old volunteer left and it also made me a little bit sad because I start to feel happy with them, and now I have to bond with this new volunteer but that’s not going to be a huge problem because they are fun. This month also my first time having a Lebaran Away from my house and the family, it little bit makes me melancholy, I miss the Lebaran atmosphere, I miss all the food, I did miss all those things but the great things, I have been through it, and hey I am fine. June is kind of a free time for me, I asked the day off because of the Lebaran and after that I was in my arrival training for a weeks, and it made me have few time to help in this organization but this month was not quite different with the last month, because I still involved in the activity with kids, and a little addition is last week we went to help the organization about the music festival. The new volunteer was arrive and the fact that I have to adapt with them again is one thing but the project and the works was another thing and it all has to go on. So this month of collaboration in profession way was goes nor good or bad, because like I said before, I have a few free times this month but yeah in personal perspective the house sharing was goes good also. This month if I can count the guy at the mosque as a local community then yes, I met them like every evening to have an iftar or braking the fasting together. they were nice and welcome. Ohh and also I like my friend at the arrival training, they were amazing. We just have like a few days together but feels like best friend, I really have a good time with them, and even we still have in contact with some of them and I didn’t have much thing to do this month, but I did like it when I went to porto to have a discussion about environmental lead by an Indonesian friend, other things is I have a great times when I visited Figuea da Foz to attend the open house of Indonesian diaspora, i really enjoy it.

July

I don’t have the exactly word how to describe my feeling right now. I miss my home yet in the other side, I want to stay here longer. But in couple of past few weeks, I have been doing great, I did well my regular activity, I have no problem with anything. Generally, I am feeling okay and also This month I did some other little new stuff, like in the first week of July, I help the dance world cup festival, I do the volunteering activity to help them to manage the audience and help them to check the ticket. In the second week, I went to guimaraes to participate in an exchange program. and in the rest of the month, I did all my regular schedules, with a little addition, I delivered the ‘origami workshop’ for the kids. And im going to tell you this, because I did an EVS for long time, the news is The last group of volunteer is leaving today, and another has come but last month, it was nice to works with the previous volunteer because they are enthusiast and supportive, also we had good bonding session in the house. And now, the new volunteer already live with me in the house, two Rumanian great souls, I hope, they are awesome also. So far, my coordinator did a really good job. She manage me and the other volunteer very well, she informed us what, when, where are we going to do every week. In personal point of view also great because last Thursday, she invite us to have a dinner together but too bad I cant join in because one and two condition. If the locals means the portuguess guy, then yes, I met one at the youth exchange, but any local person in Braga, I think I didn’t have one expect for the waiters of the restaurant near to my house who always say ‘hi’ to me. I have plenty of free times this month, and last week I went to porto to visit some of me friend. I sleep over his house, and we play football together in the next days. He is nice person, he also introduce me to some of his friends. Other things, I spent a lot of time in my room, watch some movie or read some books August This month, I will keep it for me. Because, I do miss home, but in the other hand, I wanna stay. Thats all of it! And I think I dont need to answer, the question above because the story sums it up. It’s funny right, how memory remain in your head while of course you cannot go back in time, and do it all over again, and now, all you can do is scroll your old gallery (in your phone) See you when I see you, Braga.