Dance like a Portuguese

Are you afraid of physical contact?

Are you 2 left feet?

You don't know how to speak Portuguese?

But in the end...do you like to move?

Welcome to the Portuguese Traditional Dances!

You don't need to be afraid of being 2 left feet, physical contact and even understanding Portuguese.

We have traditional dances for every styles so everyone can enter and join the party.

The traditional dance is easily found on countryside or in places with very strong origins.

Capital and big cities, somehow are losing the tradition and getting more difficult to transmit to future generations.

If you fun of creativity and high risk, here you have a dance from the region "Trás-os-Montes", which is on the northeast of Portugal:

If you are fan of vocals, you can go to "Alentejo", which is on almost the south of Portugal:

Something more mixed, o "Regadinho", which can be found alonge the north of Portugal and the seaside. I hope you enjoy:

Are you ready for it?

"Lectura pentru educatie" goes on!

Have you ever recolected more that one thousand books?

That is the question what Daniel and me wondered when we finally finished with the Second Hand Books Campaign. Because although the event for collecting money was in December, our work were not. Thank to the help of all the workers of the Philology Library of the University Complutense of Madrid, we were able to have more books for our campaign. It meant extended the place which bringing more books, more knowledge for the children. It was a very big donation that came from Spain in six full boxes.

“The knowledge” was written in English, Spanish, Romanian, Greek, even in Russian. At the beggining we tooke a look to the books and shared them by languages. We decided to devide up on different schools as Nicolae Balcescu, Dimitrie Tichindeal-Scoala Preparandia, Liceul de Arta-Sabin Dragoi-, and Mihail Eminescu school.

Venues which needed books, education in words. In addition the schools hadn´t enough material for the children, so their libraries were old and useless.

In other hand, Nicolae Balcescu school was the most grateful. They were who helped us to recolect the books in Arad, making a great event with music, songs, choir etc. For all that reasons we made the decision to gove the favour back, giving them the books.

Finally, thank to the help of Violeta, history teacher at Nicolae Balcescu, our ideas has been valued, throught an article in a Romanian Newspaper written by herself (here)

http://stirialert.ro/stiri-alert/donatie-inedita-carti-romanesti-donate-de-o-universitate-din-spania/

Macedonian folklore

Macedonia has a long history and it is a country with rich tradition and culture. The traditional folk dances together with the costumes, folk instruments and music represent the life of Macedonians many years ago when we struggled with wars, poverty and hardship but are also witnesses of the perseverance and courage of our small nation. The traditional folk dances have been passed on with centuries from one generation to another. Most of Macedonia's folklore consists of folktales, aphorisms, traditional folk dances, folk embroidery, colourful costumes, folklore music and pottery.

One of the best forms through which you can discover the Macedonian culture and tradition is traditional folk dances performed with passion by people of all ages. There are many traditional folk dances in Macedonia with different styles, choreographies and customs that they express and all are beautiful in their own way. 

The last month, we tried to teach the students from the General school No.1 “Mihai Eminescu” some of our traditional folk dances. Although it may seem a small thing at first, one of the most difficult things to do was to get all the students moving at the same time or moving the same leg. We slowed the tempo, demonstrated the steps in various ways so all students had an equal chance to learn the dance.

Adriana - recent activities

It is already mid-February, time flies. So far I have been in OLE project since November, and the activities I have participated in have been very diverse: from helping packing presents to playing with children.

My main activity is going to General 1, a school for children aged 7 to 12, where I and another volunteer help the teacher to orientate the class. We do stretches, warm-ups, help the teacher when he needs help in coordinating some specific activity or most importantly: to present games for children to play. These games can be both brain and physically stimulating, but the most important is having the kids to enjoy them and put them smiling, no matter how tiresome it is! It is also good for me, as it is the time of the week that I have to get in shape together with them.

More recently, me and André also went to a centre where they manage after-school activities, where we used the games with the children at schools with them and they loved it. I think for them were different activities than the ones they are used to.

What is more, this last month we have also started to work on OLE magazine, where we explain some of the games we use, information on ERASMUS+ program, and parents and teachers’ interviews.

Peace and Non-Violence Campaign

1. The “School Day of Non-violence and Peace” (DENIP), founded in 1964 and also known as World or International Day of Non-violence and Peace, is a pioneering, non-state, non-governmental, non-official, independent, free and voluntary initiative of Non-violent and Pacifying Education, which is now practised in schools all over the world and in which centres of education, teachers and students of all levels and from all countries are invited to take part. Because of I studied Human Rights in Spain, I thought that the campaign could be a chance of sharing different cultural points, and show to the children that It doesn´t matter the skin, nation, or country, if all of us fight for the Peace. I give them examples like Gandhi (religious man), Martin Luther King (politic), John Lennon (singer and activist), Malala (activist), different behaviours contending with violence. The campaign was done in Nicolae Balcescu school, German school, and Mihail Eminescu school

2. It advocates a permanent education in and for harmony, tolerance, solidarity, respect for human rights, non-violence and peace.

3. It is observed on January 30 or thereabouts every year, on the anniversary of the death of Mahatma Gandhi. In countries with a Southern Hemisphere school calendar, it can be observed on March 30 or thereabouts.

4. Its basic message is: “Universal Love, Non-violence and Peace. Universal Love is better than egoism, Non-violence is better than violence, amd Peace is better than war”.

5. The method of teaching this activity of education in values should be one of experiences and it can be freely applied in each centre of education according to its own teaching style.

OLE or ILE new ideas

       The New Year stands before us like a fresh chapter in a book. The beginning of the year is a time of new ideas, of fresh starts.

My project is called OLE (Outdoor leisure education), but my colleagues and I have changed the project name into ILE (Indoor leisure education) since is more suitable name during the winter. J In fact, there are not many outdoor winter activities, unless there is a snow so we can have a snowman building competition, we can build an igloo or a snow fort, or we can have a snowball fight. But, I have to admit I hate being cold and it’s really hard to drag me outside for fresh air and exercises. So, I prefer my ILE project during these cold months, even when the school gym is too small for two classes at the same time. Sometimes, I think I might end up deaf. J

      Since you already know, the goal of the project is to promote healthy life style through sports. Besides that, we- the OLE/ILE volunteers have other ideas for our children in the schools. We are willing to change something, not only to improve their life style, but to make them accept differences, to be respectful towards others, to learn something new, and to become better persons.

We are offering non-formal education, free Spanish and English classes, free traditional dances, culture awareness... We have prepared a list of activities, games, events and campaigns, and we are eager to start working.

      We will start a campaign about environmental care, together with the children from the schools. We will prepare creative signs for the Lunca Muresului natural park, in order to increase the awareness of environmental protection.

     We are going to organize a spring carnival, and the aim is to spread a lot of important messages such as: child protection, child rights, social messages, healthy messages, disabilities, and etc. The school groups participating can enjoy games, face-painting, arts and crafts workshops and corporal expressions. There will also be plays and shows in English and Romanian.

Hopefully this year will be different for us and everyone involved in our project!  Time flies fast, so we have to cherish every moment!

SECOND HAND BOOKS CAMPAIGN 

This is an article about a project that was conducted during the months of November and December in Arad. Daniel and Ana, two volunteers are performing an EVS in Arad, Romania, on Leisure. A part of it, and on our own and in our spare time we Spanish classes, lectures on art and film forum in Arad art school.

Even with all that, thanks to long journeys by tram (public transport and some old) in Arad, and thanks to the chance to meet several times with two Uruguayan voluntarees, Luciana and Lorena, it was created the idea of prepare, make and organize a Second Hand Books Campaign, which would translate in Romanian then as "Campania strangem carti vechi"

Under the name of 'Lectura Pentru Viata' campaign was created by volunteers OTI Arad - ERASMUS +, emerged with the concern to be part of the daily lives of children and adults reading. With this motivation, we believe that a good way to generate this approach is creating among all small libraries in Curcubeu, Vis Copiil and Hospital. Curcubeu is a center where children with disabilities are Vis and Copiil a welcoming place people at risk of exclusion such as gypsies, homeless, where they provide recreational space, a meal and support people through voluntarios. The main idea of ​​the campaign was that all the people of Arad, collaborate not only with us but with their own community directly donating books, leaving them in the boxes marked with our logo in different locations of the city such as libraries, shopping malls and centers school.

The first was to make a slogan Lectura Pentru Viata, then that slogan should be placed on a poster with a suggestive and direct image. A poster with the name of Second Hand books Campaign in English, then in Romanian, then the direct image and the slogan beneath it. These posters were placed as part of the decoration of the boxes that were distributed where people could donate books. In addition, I had to make a cover letter explaining what the project and objectives, and a name for the group formed by Dani and me, Spanish and Luciana and Lorena, from Uruguay, called "Mundos Posibles" was created.

The poster was designed by a student of the art school where Dani and I impart different activities mentioned above. Also worth mentioning the great work, support and collaboration of the Violet ...... A teacher that we met through Vis de copiil worker, Philip. She was the key to the German School in Arad, and the school collaborate with us Mihail Eminescu, involving each child donate a book. To do this, Dani and I had to make several conferences explaining the campaign in these two mentioned schools. In all, at school Nicolae Balcescu small party was organized in honor of St. Nicolae, to which we were invited, each child left their bit.

In addition, the Uruguayan voluntary work at Curcubeu made numerous bookmarks and other crafts which were sold at an event celebrating the 4th of December in Palatul Copilor for raising money with more books are bought.

With all these books collected more boxes deposited in the mall, a library thereof and private donations, the collection reached more than 20 boxes. This is not the final number as there will be in late January another 5 boxes more arrivals from the Faculty of Philology at the Complutense University of Madrid university where Dani and I studied and we sent the letter of motivation for the project to collaborate with us.Those first 20 boxes were distributed to various places mentioned above. It has been, and until they reach the missing boxes, is a campaign that has been extremely successful thanks to the collaboration of volunteers, teachers, workers Vis de Copiil, students, people of different ages and characteristics together with the same purpose, bring education to those places through books.