The End of the Camp, the Begin of the Trip

18 - 19 August 2007

Hello everybody!

I have an hard job today, I'm the last that have to write on the blog!

It's very difficult because it's not easy describe all the excitement of these days, all the funny moments, all the melancholic moments and all the tone of this emotions.

There were some moment in which I really perceive the force of our group, I can't say with precision what is this force, but I percived a great unity around us, our lives melted each other.

We worked hard here and everybody tried to make his best for this project. We leave here part of our spirit and our work and we know that our work is only a part of the life of this place. Much people arrived before us and much other will arrive. The camp is finished, but this project will continue for all the people who belive strongly in it and for everybody who need our work. Now we have to travel again. Other project we have to support, there are choose that wait us, and we have to live our life as best as it possible because is a new day and we have to go...

THANKS EVERYBODY!!!

SEE YOU...I belive in it!

HAVE A NICE TRIP!

Gianluca

Worcamp's highlight

Yesterday morning we prepared it all for the Cultural Night : we built benches, tables, the stage, we made some decoration for the stage (blue pieces of clothes all around) and made sure all will be perfect for the evening ! Carina finished the camp sign : the Åland flag decorates the building's wall now.

When we came back after one free afternoon, we prepared in small groups the sandwiches, coffee, tea, cakes, hotdogs that would be sold by Emmaüs.

At 6 pm, the music program started with young and different groups : some guitar, a rock girls band, some more traditionnal music, country music. Most of these people are starting their career on this stage !

Lots of people were arriving, in a very good mood, and at 9 pm, when the Fashion Show started, it was crowded and very busy ! The Show consisted on ten numbers and we the volunteers, Emmaüs' friends and workers, Britt-Marie, the EVS Miquel from the Peace Institute, etc, were playing the models. Carina was explaining about Emmaüs and discribing the Show while we were walking graciously on the stage.

Immediately after the Show, people began to run to the changing room to buy the clothes !!

Later, the Cultural Night was finished and we had to remove the benches, tables, the stage, etc. But as we are so many and dynamic people, it all went very quick and well.

Then, as we couldn't seen him the next day, we had to say goodbye to Mate... How sad ! He was very pleased about us and our work with him. During that time, we all shared some beer that we deserved completely.

That long day had been heavy but beautiful !

Work´n´fun

thursday, 16 August 2007

Today was such a full-work day: cutting trees, putting together the stage, setting lights, bailing, cleaning... But like every other day in Emmaus it was an amazing day, even if it's a raining day (but I love rain so for me was even better...)

During the morning someone of us cut some branches and a little tree behind Emmaus shop... then Leo found a very funny job: cutting grass... He had so much fun cutting all grass around and if we didn't stop him, probably he will cut all grass in Mariehamn!

(this photo sustains what I'saying...)

Meanwhile Anita and Sofia tidied up a room in Cirkeln, which is necessary for the Fashion Show, the other volunteers were all busy in other works: bailing, cleaning outside, preparing candle, painting...

Then we had lunch under the stage curtain because it'raining... I could see weariness in other volunteers'eyes...that means that we worked a lot... That's good!!!

After a (really neecessary) break, we could start again!!

Bailing, cleaning all the garden (3 time because the wind every half an hour brought new leaves...), bailing, set lights for the Fashion Show, bailing, put together the stage for the Fashion Show, and bailing again (at the end of the day the container was really full of bales!!!)

After a fast dinner, the general rehearsal could start!!!

At first we had a rehearsal without costumes, just for the last advices... Then we could rehearse like the properely Show... I hope it will be a sucess...or rather...I'm sure it's going to be a success!!!

wednesday 15th

Today, it wasn't a very long working day. In fact we worked only the morning! A welcome half day off for everybody after the long day of tuesday ( and I can say longer for someone of us).

So the morning we worked for finishing some task we had began yesterday. For exemple some people like me was arranging the shelves in the "cirkeln" while the other did the traditional work "sorting and balling".

After the lunch which Marco and felix had done, we come back to the uncan. Me and Sebus took this time for sleep all the afternoon, but the other was outside. They was on the beach or to the beachvolley open. Someone said to me when he come back he had seen the french team defeated by cuba's team.grrr

At the evening, we went to Åland's parliament, where Carina work. It was interresting because Åland has a strange statute in the finland'government. After some body came to the concert of rock next to the beachvolley stadium where gaia should one day sing in... but for the moment we wait always, lol.

So it was a soft day but a good day, like every day at the emmaus work camp ;) .

Léo, worker at emmaus

Tuesday 14.08.2007

The day started bright and sunny. It was a new day for us with a very exciting program, which included a visit to the Ålands Peace Institute and the first rehearsal of the Fashion Show !

The very first morning time accomplishment was the group picture. It features all the volunteers, workcamp responsibles at Emmaüs, and light-haired Walter wearing F.C. Barcelona shirt.

We were chatting for a while before dispatching the day's tasks when, incidentally, Carina told us about a couple unusual facts of Ålands. One odd thing is that some of the elderly crows in the world reside here. The oldest denizen crow of Ålands is 30 years old. It is healthy with feather still shinny black all over. Some of you might wonder how one could find out the age of the bird. The answer comes out very simply as ravens are well known to be watchful and inventive. Therefore, our crow had learned enough elements of our language to tell his age.

Then, tasks were assigned to us. Most tasks were the continuation of previous days, like mounting shelves for the cirkeln, painting the sign for the Peace Park, renovating sunk floating candles and making more new for next year's Hiroshima commemoration. Anna, who is specializing on painting, started a new job consisting in repainting parking places. Of course we continued Emmaüs perpetual sorting and baling movement everyone knows so well.

About this endless work everyone knows so well, it reminds me of that ancient story, Jonas and the Great Bale. It tells how Jonas, who dared disobey God commandment, is thrown overboard during a huge storm to calm the seas. Jonas is miraculously sballobed by a large fish, who many believe is a Great Bale. The ageless Bale and his playmate Jonas live by the seas for years, but eventually Jonas grows up and loses interest in adventures. One day Jonas prays to God and asks forgiveness and thanks God for being so forgiving, and, as a result, God commands the Bale to vomit Jonas out. Jonas alands in Ålands. The Great Bale is left alone and depressed. People tell that henceforth the Bale workaholically attempted to drown his sorrow by starting the endless work everyone knows so well now.

After having lunch and some rest, we headed our bikes to the Ålands Peace Institute. After the so warm receptions our Emmaüs group was offered at every place we visited in Ålands, I was secretly expecting of being welcomed by a taking off flight of doves. Nothing in that style happened, indeed the Institute was very peaceful when we arrived. We met the managers, Justina and Miquel, whom we already met before, and the trainee, all working there. We learned about the history of the institute, about its missions, and its links with other organizations both national and international. Miquel (who comes from a catalonian speaking region of Spain as me) told us about the EVS volunteering program in which he is participating.

Later on we all had diner at Emmaüs. Excitation became increasingly visible on everyone eyes when the hour of the first rehearsal for the Fashion show came. The first show rehearsal was an amazing experience for us the workcamp volunteers and the many other enthusiastic models and women who are working a lot to make this great event a reality.

Typical work day at Emmaus

Monday, 13.08.2007

It´s already monday, the beginning of a new week of hard (but satisfactory) work here at the Emmaus Work Camp. Monday´s always an awful day for those who have passed a wonderful weekend as us and want to keep relaxing and having fun ; however, we feel that we are in the middle of our adventure, so we try to live totally, day by day, this life experience.

The first thing I thought when I woke up was: "Oh no! Only a week and then back to Italy...I don´t wanna go home!"

Anyway, at 9,00 am in the morning we were (almost) all outside the kitchen of Emmaus, ready to listen to Carina who was talking about the activities to do that day.

In the morning I tried to help Matte and Marco to mount some new shelves in the Cirkeln, but I´m not an expert as them in this kind of "men´s work" so I decided to help Arianna who was arranging children stuff in other shelves.

The others were doing the traditional emmaus works like bailing and sorting, cooking, emptying the blue container, writing on the blog...

Then finally we heard the ring´s bell calling us for lunch... * __* HUNGER!!!

The two french guys, Leo and Marcos (who´s Spanish but lives in France), had prepared pasta with a souce made of meat, eggplants and I don´t remember what... however, it was deliciousssssss... and if an italian like me says this, well it´s true! :)

In the afternoon Anna and Carina took our places at the Cirkeln...

...so Arianna and I decided to join at the "bailing and sorting" the other italian girls Anita and Sofia (who´s hiding behind a pair of jeans :P)...

This is me, Gaia, weighing some bags to shunt...

And here our two "chefs" in a free moment, repairing broken headphones...mine are broken again! :) ahah...but it doesn´t matter, they´ve made a good job!

In the evening, after dinner we saw the movie "Lilja 4-Ever" talking about a young russian girl who wants to start a better life going in Sweden, but there she´s imprisoned in an appartament and forced to perform sexual acts. The movie ends with her suicide.

This story, which I think is a critic at sexual slavery, reflects the life of many girls that like Lilja, are tricked and exploited as they were objects and not women.

Anyway, I´m having a real good time here in Åland, this is an experience I´ll never forget. So thank you to you all :)

>>-Gaia->

Paper-Pizza!!

That´s finally Sundey... today no work but neither trips, today total relax! The whole group woke up late, around 10.00 am and had a big good breakfast..maybe too big 'cause we run out of all breakfast-foods.. wow...!

Anyway after breakfast the italian group had a great, fantastic, wounderful, incredible idea: make a delitious italian pizza for dinner!!! But to make a good pizza you need good ingredients that you can find at the faboulous Åland's supermarket!
All together we went there to buy something for lunch, for de next day's breakfast and for the pizza, by the way we decided also to make an italian cake for dessert: the Tiramisu' and so we bought all the expensive ingredients for that delitious cake..mmmh! :)

After the good lunch which had been prepared by Claire and Marcos, the italian staff started the hard work for pizza and tiramisu'.. I won't write everything 'cause I probably will spend the whole day..but I'll put some amusing pictures..... :)

WOW!! Unfortunately I haven't got any picture of the tiramisu'..I'm sorry!

Anyway during the afternoon we also had time to go to the beach to swim and sunbathe a little bit after the hard work for the dinner.. :)

Back from the sea we baked the pizza but we forgot to put some oil under!! So after the baking pizza and paper were the same thing..peeling it was very difficult and someone (like me) decided to eat it..! How embarassing!! Anyway the salad was quite good and the tiramisu' was perfect!!!

After dinner we washed the dishes and than layed all together on the sofas, talking or watching TV..Has it really been a relaxin day?? :)

-SoFiA-