24 hours running Day!

   Last week Green Sun Association organized one of the latest healthiest events at Kézdivásárhely (Târgu Secuiesc) - Romania!

   From 9am till next morning 9am all the time someone was running around the stadium circle. No no, its not like that - one person is running 24 hours (its would be too crazy), but peoples was coming all day one by one, parents with child's, school class or friends together to run some circles around to the stadium. But with rule that all the time someone needs to be on way!

   Also during the night people was coming and running and it was great way how to spend healthy some part of day! All participants in the end got a diploma for participation in this event!

   I enjoy wery much this event like part from Green Sun staff and this is good idea what to bring back to Latvia and i also suggest it to the other organizations organized in all over the cities and countries promoting healthy lifestyle!

Summer season!

   From time when whether in Romania become more warmer and a lot of out door events was opened for participants, also Green Sun Association is moved from Office to outside!

   One of the nicest things what we do in a lo of local events is playing/working with childs in Green Sun - Green Tent! It's the place where child can come and spend the time - make some gift cards, learn origami, make pictures from natural materials, answer to quiz questions about Green life and so on and so on!

  

   Its the way how we teach to child's new things and let them to be more creative! And it's also way how we can learn new from child's and their lively characters!

Magic in Perkő Mountain!

   One of mine favorite place around the Kézdivásárhely (Târgu Secuiesc) is Perkő Mountain. Not easy to reach but it is worth it - as mountains for me still are like miracle! By bicycle 7 km from our home including travel up to steep hill!

   And I suppose one of the things what make this place so magical is little church right on top of the mountain! I every time left there some coins for me my family and friends and returning back to this dreamy place!

As more you see as wide is your world!

   EVS (European Voluntary Service) project (Support by Youth in Action) is something new for all peoples around here what we meet in Kézdivásárhely (Târgu Secuiesc) - Romania! Also most of them dont now where is Latvia (country from where i am) and a lot of cultures is new and unknown.

   Its why Green Sun Association are organizing different - National Cultural Evenings! Great chance for local people and all interested to come and see more about cultures, countries, hear the English language, taste some new traditional food and even dance together new traditional dances from other parts of world!

   During there more than 4 month what i had spend here we had organized 4 National evenings!

LATVIAN - Ieva

ARMENIAN - Gayane

TURKISH - Ahmet.

GERMAN - Caroline.

   Events always are rich attended and we are happy about people's willingness to explore the world and meet people from different countries!

Three Green Learning Month! :)

        After some days will pass first three month while I arrive in Romania to see more, to learn more and to understand more - during the Learning By Doing project in Green Sun Association! Already can say that this is one of my life biggest and unique experience!

    And thanks to all involved who make's my staying here more productive! Work in non governmental organization is something totally different than i had ever experienced in the other jobs! Each day bring new things and new changes. Its never stays the same and that is the most exited part of this volunteering project day by day!

Green Actions!

    As a part of Green Sun Association work is to learn and teach more about various aspects of environmental protection!

    In project Learning By doing its started with "Winter oil and paper gathering" action! People could bring the used household oil, papers, dry batteries, CD’s and DVD’s for recycling! Its the way how we all togehter step by step sorting things could help to save the world from too much trash.

    One of the year biggest and important event what organize Green Sun Association is "Spring Green Days". It is three days long measures with various educational lectures, round table discussion, green organization meetings and other actions what are focused to educate more and more people in local area on enviromental protection and green thinking!

    "Earth hour" was also new and inexperienced action during these month. It is a worldwide event annually, encouraging households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour to raise awareness about the need to take action on climate change. Green Sun Association organize event for all local peoples come together with candles, make number 60 and get to know more about this worldwide action! Event more special make girl who sing Hungarian folk music and guitar player.

    And spring is not spring without "Spring cleaning day". Where Green Sun members come together to clean some theritorie of Kézdivásárhely (Târgu Secuiesc) town!

Visiting the schools!

    Work with child's is usually a bit challenge. Even more in different country where mostly with childs at school is not so easy to communicate in english! Then we use other senses and learn from each other! Child's are clever, active and like to explore the world more than other generations. And what is very important - they are honest!

    During these three month we had visiting several Schools for different activities together with child's!

    National level contest called “Give me soldier, king!” at Nagyborosnyó (Boroşneu Mare) school. 

It was competitions for pupils from 4th to 8th grade. The mentioned age group (10-15) forms the layer which is on the threashold of adolescece, their approach of life and world view still can be shaped, formed. For me it was first chance to see school in small village and to get deeper understanding and view of life in Transylvania.

    As in all Romania was the week - school without the books, representatives from Green Sun Association  visited Petőfi Sándor school in Kézdivásárhely (Târgu Secuiesc) to prezent for  5th grade students Green Nemere Trail.

    Nemere Trail have a good influence on the developing of the society in our region by helping and spreading the news about easily attainable healthy ways of living, and it also might contribute to the development of the local tourism. The complete route goes through around fifty settlements, touching at least 30 different mineral water sources and 187 mansions. It reveals the unique natural and cultural treasures.

    After presentation and quiz child's had the chance to ask questions for me and another EVS volunteer!

    During these month we has evolved good cooperation with one of the Green Sun Association member english teacher from Turoczi Mozes School in Kézdivásárhely (Târgu Secuiesc). Within the Week without books we visited 5th grade - taking part in Poetry Contest and learning together to make quilling Cards. And as well presented Latvian and Armenian cultures to students. It was nice to see so big interest from child's during these day and answer to a lot of questions!

    Pupils are so different in each of school and we also had a chance to work with smallest one's from Felsőlemhény village primary school. This was the biggest challenge becose I and my EVS friend Gayane needed to teach childs make origami without possibility to comunicate in one language with them. But as i mentioned before - they are very clever and this was nice day together learning a lot of new things inclooding new paper making from already used one!

Practicing new skills!

    One of the famous thing what i had learned in Green Sun Association is working with program Adobe Photoshop. As we have a lot events it is good way how to practice and make posters about them to inform people and invite to enjoy! It is just beginning of knowledge, but I keep practicing and enjoy the working process!

Easter in Latvian style!

    After my two months life in Romania (Transylvania) become first serious celebration where i can start even more to feel big differences between countries and cultures!

    Till this moment all Latvian Easter traditions for me seems very simple and self-evident, but now i must say - Nem Nem Nem! So let's take a look what Latvians are doing during this celebration!

    One of the important thing what i realize - Latvians don't follow a lot to Church traditions, we have a lot more funny things what we do in these days! :) And Easter is celebration for Spring who is coming and Sun who is rising more than before!

    So everything starts with "Palm Sunday" (last sunday before Easter - in this year 1st of April and in Latvia its not called really Palm Sunday... but day the same). One of the oldest traditions are carried on this sunday is beating each other with pussy-willow branches!

    

    You need to be the first one in morning who run into the room and beat others with saying in that time: "illness out health in!" (and a lot of other sayings what is hard to translate in English)! Remember this very good from my childhood when we was afraid to sleep long in that day, because mother brought Easter health in early morning!

    In Easter we are painting eggs in onion leaves - then it's become beautiful brown. But its not just putting eggs in water and boil it.. there are very complicated process before!

    

    We put on eggs natural materials like little leaves, wood sticks, flowers, pieces of coniferous trees also can be used rice, pearl barley and anything else what you can even imagine! Cover all that with peace of textile or thread and just then put in water with onion leaves and boil! :) 

    

    All this process the most excited part is when can took off all materials and see what left on eggs. Its always a little piece of miracle!

    And after that we are fighting with eggs to find out who have the strongest one and eat it with a lot salt - then we are not telling lies all year! And we have also competition with eggs who rolls it to the longest way! Like in following picture!

   

    And one more very important tradition ar swinging in Easter! Everybody are searching for some swings during the celebration! Strange why? Were simple... If  you are swinging at Easter mosquitos dont bite you at the summer!

    And in City centres are big celebrations with concerts, souvenir markets, swings, songs and dances and egg competition! The people come together to celebrate Spring solstice when the day become longer that the night! And summer is not as far away any more!

    Ah and i remember that eggs are bringing Easter Rabbit! And parents (but meant rabbit) for child's usually hide eggs in garden or house and they go out and search for them!

    It's a small review how i see and feel my Easter and how Latvians are celebrating it from long past ago! A bit strange in this year to be in Romania and don't find so usual things! But it's good chance to see more and to aware how different cultures are all over the world!

Ieva

The 15th March!

    One of the famous question from local people are - Did you knew before that there are living Hungarians, how did you feel when you get to know it, how it is for you to live here between Hungarians in Romania... etc.?!

    Yes, I will not deny before arriving I didn't know a lot about Romania and it was a big surprise got to know fact that actually I am going to live in county where are mostly Hungarians and also learning Hungarian language during this year!

    I am here already 40 days and there are a lot of people who teach for us history and we had some very great chances to see local culture!

    One of the brightest culturas celebration was 15th March! Shortly - The Hungarian Revolution of 1848! Its big celebration in Hungary but also Hungarians in Romania come together and remember this important date of history!

    For me it was great cultural awareness!

    So day was starting with nice ceremony in Lisznyó (Lisnău). Priest and mayor of village in church was saying speach and childrens from local school presented historical facts! Even when i didn't understand what they are speaking about, there was good feeling  - like at important celebration also for me!
     Followed by wreath laying at the monument!

   And as we are at Romania of course there are a lot of horses! And i would be strange girl if i didn't use the chance!  For horses in this day is important meaning and from villages people are going with them also to towns.

    My dear friend Gayane stop the carriage and we continue our way by it! And don't matter how cold it was, we enjoy the moment! 

    And as it was cultural learning day and we was at village... Visited also local mini farm! And like real tourists took some nice pictures with animals!

 
    It was one more day when had a chance to meet a lot of new local people and get to know deeply this amazing country! I don't feel here like stranger... it's feeling that people even dont know what this word means. They are very open and kind and don't afraid to be friends from first moment!
    Its something what I would like to bring back in to my country after this year!

Köszönöm!