Final Meeting of Comenius in Mittweida - my point of view
It's been a long time since I published my last post so I decided to write here something more... and I got the idea that I could write about final meeting of Comenius in Mittweida (Germany).
Comenius was a program which started on 19.11.2003 and ended on 27.3.2006 - it's motto was "A democratic school for a new Europe" and it's sence was to improve the cooperation between schools and to make it possible for students to be respected when trying to change something in school.
Thanks to Comenius, also the students' council in our school was formed.
There were six school representing six countries altogether:
In every school, there was a meeting of Comenius, in Mittweida were two meetings - the first, and the final...
The final meeting was from 23.3.-27.3.2006. There were 3 people going to Comenius meeting and 5 people going to students' councils meeting which was organised for our students' council and for students' council from Mittweida. And there were 3 teachers going with us. I was going to the students' councils meeting.
We were leaving Česká Lípa on Thursday 23.3. at about 15:30. We went by a train to Děčín, then by an eurocity train to Dresden, then by an intercity train to Chemnitz and finally by a train to Mittweida - when we were going by the last train, to Mittweida, we went by a train which has two floors what was something so unknown for us - you can guess which floor we chose to sit. I also remember that - I have to note that nobody from us could speak German excellently - we heard "Mittweida" so we went down to the first floor and when the train stopped, we got off. ... But it seemed strange to us. It seemed so little, so abandoned - just so strange that it should be a train station in a city with about 60 000 people. So one boy from our group went to see the writing on the station - and he screamed at us "Alt Mittweida (note: Alt Mittweida = Old Mittweida)!" So all 11 people who got off the train almost like by an order got very quickly back... I have to say that when we told our German friends about that, they seemed to have fun...
So finally, we got to Mittweida - honestly, it wasn't bad to know we are there... There, it was so confusing... All people hugging, shaking hands, everyone speaking at the very same time... and this all in a foreign language (and after we still spoke Czech in the train...) But it got better very soon. When someone called "Karolina" (ok, don't ask about their pronouncation of our names - but it was the lowest important problem), I immediately came to him. Then I realised that there was a girl who told him my name and that she was my host... Before we went to Mittweida, I got a letter from girl called Ewelina telling me that I will live by her - so I wasn't suprised. The girl looked very nice, was quite small with long brown hair and had piercings in her face. She asked me if we would go. I agreed, quickly said "Bye" to my friends and left the train station with her. We went to her car and drove 'home' - Ewelina wrote me she was 18 so I knew it was possible that she would drive a car. She also wrote me she lived about 5 mins (I supposed it means minutes) from school and that she is the only child. Everything seemed OK - the girl said me it would take about 15 minutes to get home so I though she did a little mistake in the letter.
We didn't live in Mittweida but in Burgstadt which is a little bit more than 15 km from Mittweida - I don't know exactly. The way took us about 20 minutes. We were speaking almost all the way. My experiences with Germans speaking English weren't very good but the girl spoke English very well. Then we came home and I met her tom-cat, Numa. Then, she introduced me to her mum. Her mum couldn't speak an English word so we "communicated" by mime (but we understood each other) - or if it was possible, the girl was translating for us - but she was very nice. The girl showed me my room - she apologized for the room being messy but the room seemed beautiful to me. It was very small, just 'bed', a little table and some decorations - but I liked it very much. I ate pizza for dinner and then we went to meet the girl's friends.
We met the girl's friends in one club. We spoke to them and it was a very nice surprise for me that they tried to speak English - either to me or between themselves. They were interested in my opinions about Germany and about the Czech Republic and we talked and talked... After some time, we went home and went to sleep soon.
Next day, we got up, I ate my breakfast, we both got us ready and then my host girl took me to school. We both supposed that I am going to Dresden in the afternoon.
Well, we got to school. There, I got to know that only people who are in Comenius Project may go to Dresden - really great begging of the day. Our students' councils had a special program - firt, they showed us their school and then, in the morning, we spoke about what changed in our schools from Comenius meeting in Česká Lípa (which took place on 24.11.-28.11.2005) and about free time activities which are at our schools during school years. When we finished, it was almost time to eat - and they prepared really great lunch. There were lots of different cakes, sweets, pies etc. It was really fine.
In the afternoon, we went to play bowling. It was fine... but don't even ask about my score... OK, it could be worse... We mainly talked there - about some interesting topics - maybe, it will be better if I say only this... But when I was talking to Marie and another girl - I don't remember her name, two German girls... there was one big surprise for me: I got to know that I wasn't living by Ewelina but by Livia. From that time, I am going to introduce to everyone who I don't know also if I think I know who the person is...
After bowling, we were free - it was 5 p.m. already. I wanted to call Livia to tell her we had just finished - but my telephone didn't want to work... Great, this always cheers up... So I had to lend a telephone and then I waited. Livia arrived after almost three quarters of hour but I wasn't agry as I usually am. Not only because I didn't want to be, I simply wasn't... We went to meet some Livia's friends near Mittweida. Livia told me we had to wait for her friend and her guest (who was in Dresden) and then we all would go to Chemnitz where we were supposed to meet with others. After some time, it could be about hour and a half, Livia's friend called so we went to pick them up. I was introduced to Dietlind and her guest, Polish girl Pasza. Then, we all went to our home and then to Chemnitz.
In Chemnitz, Dietlind took Pasza to the club while we - I and Livia - were looking for a parking place. It was full everywhere but after about ten minutes we found one free place. Livia was joking - she said "We got a park place. We won a lottery." Then we met Dietlind and we three went to a little walk and to McDonald's. We came to the club later but I didn't mind it. I enjoyed the time I spent by talking to Livia and Dietlind - we spoke mainly about schools in Germany and in the Czech Republic and I have found out many interesting things. In the club, there were many people but I talked to two German girls, Marie and another one - unfortunatelly, I already forgot her name. We spoke about everything and had a really great time. We left the club after midnight and went home. Normally, I don't have problems with going to bed late - but this day, I was sooo tired I wanted to go to sleep.
On Saturday, we went to school... to find out that I shouldn't be at school... or better, that I should come in the afternoon. Oh, how I love things like this... So Livia took me to their shopping-center near Chemnitz. It was big but great in there. We again spent a lot of time talking until it was the noon and Livia had to take me to school.
In the school, we tried to think out how our students' councils could continue our cooperations - because Comenius Project ended but we wouldn't like also the cooperation between students' councils to end.
Then, there were some presentations from every school and all teachers talked about what they think about the project and if it helped etc. Our students' councils also had one special presentation about our cooperation. Between presentations, there were people singing songs or playing the piano etc.
After all presentations, we were free and I went with Livia to her friends again. It never stopped to be fun for me. In the evening, Livia took me to a "disco" where I was supposed to meet with others but she disclaimed to go with me. She only promised she would come later. Almost all the evening, I chatted with Betty, who was another German girl - we spoke about everything and I - again - enjoyed it very much. Livia came after about two hours and we went home - we took Betty and her guest - Honza (who was also from our school) to Alt Mittweida and then went home.
On Sunday, I was again free. Livia showed me Burgstadt, we chatted a little more - and then, it was time to leave. We could - like others - stay in Mittweida till Monday but some students from our school had some important exams on Monday so our teachers decided to leave on Sunday. Livia took me to the train station. Almost everybody else was already there and we were there much sooner than we had to be... We talked and talked for so long time and then everyone was hugging everyone, still saying "Bye!" that we nearly missed the train...
And then we went by train from Mittweida to Chemnitz... then we went by train to Dresden... then we went by train to Děčín... then we went by train to - I think - Bakov nad Jizerou... then we went by train to Česká Lípa... and then we were at home.
The adventure has ended.
Many time was spent by chatting which never stopped to be fun... Many new friends have met... Sometimes, there were funny moments - mistakes, poeple speaking to wrong people by wrong language... There were many surprises... There were many things to learn... There isn't word which would be enough for that meeting - but you may try to choose one... For example: Excellent, Amazing, Wonderful, Breathtaking, ...
I liked it all very much. I met great people, could do something useful, learnt a lot, practised my English, ... I wrote so much but it is nothing if I think about everything what happened in Mittweida or on the way there and back...
If I had a chance, I would surely go there again. And if I will get a chance go get into another project like this, I will surely accept it. My first "exam" will be our Greek friends coming on Tuesday... and then? Who can know...?
posted by Karryanna at
20.4.06
1 Comments:
Thank you Karolina for your article. it is very interesting and I am glad that my colleagues can read it as well. You are enriching our weblog and I am glad that you are my student.
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Naďa Kadlecová, at 11:02 odp.
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