About Fine

Hi, I‘m Fine [Fina]. I‘m 19 years old and come from Berlin, Germany. I just finished high school and decided to do an EVS before starting to study at university.

In my free time I like to do a lot of sports, especially dancing and running. I also play the piano and like to read, sew, and make other crafts. My biggest interest is in environmentally-friendly living and how to motivate more people to do so.

In 11th grade I spent 10 months in the USA where I lived at a host family and went to high school. There, I got to know the US-American way of life at first hand and gained many great experiences that I never want to miss: I was treated as a new member of my host family and am still in contact with them today, I participated in various athletics offered by the school, like Cross Country, Basketball cheerleading, and track, made many new friends, experienced the US-American school spirit, and improved my English. During my year abroad I also got to know more about myself, and returned more self-confident and independent. My exchange year is one of the reasons why I wanted to go abroad again.

My motivation to do the EVS:

• Take the chance to go abroad before starting to study and work
• Get to know the culture, traditions, life-style, and mentality of the people in another country
• Meet other people (from Lithuania and abroad) to exchange ideas and culture
• Contributing my own ideas and initiative to society through volunteering
• Become sure about what to study
• Learn to deal with unforeseen situations or conflicts
• Get an insight into a for me new field of work
• Learn a new language

About Monika

Labas everybody.

My name is Monika and I‘ve been here in Panevėžys since the 3^rd of September. I come from the small country of Austria – for some the beautiful country of nature and mountains. It is for some part but I come from the city of Linz, the so-called „steel city“, mostly famous for the big steel company that‘s working there. And maybe you’ve heard of the Ars Electronica Center? It’s definitely worth a visit.

I‘ve been living in Linz until I finished my high school degree, after that it got time for some new surroundings. The first year after my degree I spent in the small town of Axams in Austria’s more famous province of Tyrol as a volunteer at a school and dormitory for children with special needs. That was my first experience with working as a volunteer and it’s definitely one that I wouldn’t want to miss. Actually I liked it so much that I decided to stay in the social area for my future working life. The future came fast and I ended up studying social education, keeping my workplace where I volunteered at as an employee and moving to Tyrol’s capital Innsbruck for all of that. I spent three interesting, exciting and funny years in this picturesque city and besides everything I learned during my studies I also learned to appreciate and love all the nature and especially the mountains around. I know it sounds quite stereotypical as an Austrian but I really got into hiking and to be honest, that’s one of the things I miss here in super flat Lithuania.

Well, after those three years and finishing my diploma I didn’t really have a plan for my future – as always. I just knew it was time for something new again so I quit my job and flat and decided to figure out something to do for after the summer. It was in my last week of work that I happened to get to know about the EVS project here at the “Panevėžio ‘Šviesos’ Specialiojo Ugdymo Centras” and I decided to give it a try and apply for it. That was in July, a few weeks later I was told that I was chosen as a volunteer for the project and I got the happiest person in the world about that. And the most stressed-out because there wasn’t much time left until my departure and there was loads of things to do at home before.

So that’s how I ended up here and I’m really glad that things went for me the way they did. I couldn’t have chosen a better project to work at, so far I really had a good time and also a very good start. Now you have a short overview about who I am and in case you’re missing some hard facts: I’m 22 years old (my birthday is the 5^th of January), I’ve got an older brother, besides hiking I like reading, movies and spending my time outside when the weather is fine. And of course I like to go out and dance and to meet my friends (who I really miss by the way!) in general.

Now that’s really all about me :D

Viso gero,

                                                                                                                                                       Monika

Emily's presentation

Laba diena everybody!
I am Emily, from France. This year, my new challenge is the EVS challenge. EVS means "European Voluntary Service". And I do my voluntary service in Lithuania, in the 5^th biggest city called Panevezys.Maybe some information about me! I am 21 years old French girl, living in Poitiers.

 

I finished my licence of English and Japanese Foreign Language Application. I wanted a break after my licence and before my master, and heard about the EVS during my final year. I also worked 2 summers with an organization providing holidays for mentally affected people. I wanted to work in culture and art area or with disabled people.
In this article, I will explain my arrival. I arrived on 1^st October and I'm going to work until 1^st July, that is to say I'm staying there for 9 months. 9 months could be too long or too short I think, yet the time goes fast and I just realized the 1^st month passed.
More about my travel. I took the train on 1^st October to go to Paris at 8:19 am, and I arrived at 9:58 at Montaparnasse train station. Afterwards I took the metro to Porte Maillot and the bus to Paris Beauvais airport, reached at 12:15. My plane took off at 15:45 so I had a lot of time behind me. Finally, I arrived at 19:25 (it is +1h jetlag) in Vilnius airport. I waited Laia, the Catalunya volunteer, who arrived at 20:40. Our driver picked us up at the airport and we took his car to go to Panevezys, where Rasa (our mentor), Krisitina (our tutor) and Arturas (the sport teacher who's speak English very well) were waiting for us.
To be honest, the first impression I had is the lituanian people drive very fast haha!!!
We arrived to the school around 23:00. I was very happy that someone welcomed us even it was really late. Moreover, Monika (volunteer from Austria) and Fine (volunteer from Germany) were waiting and cooked some German and Austrian foods (known as Kreppel in Austria and as Pfannkuchen or Berliner in Germany).
 
Everything was very fast for me. I sent my applications for the EVS challenge in July and received in 25^th August a reply from Kristina, who was still looking for one and a last volunteer for the project. At that time I was really busy with personal stuffs, and can't realized that I will have one month left to prepare this challenge. But I don't regret my decision. It is the first time that I am in a foreign country for so long time.
Lithuania is different from France. Nevertheless, it's not such poor country as everybody think.
I am really happy to be here. This is my 1^st (real) adventure of my life and I intend to enjoy it as possible as I can.




Emily