getting ready to set the tempo

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It is 10 in the morning. My teammate Arus takes the key out of the padlock on the door and opens the youth center in Aradului. I open the door on the other side, as wide as possible. We come in and throw our backpacks on the sofa, which is close to the entrance. We sit down and discuss our work plan for today. After that, Arus is going to get tools for today’s work and puts the gloves on. Meanwhile, I am turning on the huge speaker and connecting my phone to it. After it is connected, I am looking for the playlist on Spotify, which I made for parties long time ago. The music is filling the room fast and gets both of us into the mood for work. Dancing along with the rhythm of the song, we are starting to work.

Today we have decided to fix the way the windows look. At first, we get some things necessary for cleaning to remove layers of dust and pieces of old paint. Full of energy, we are working while singing and dancing. The area around stops being quite and empty. We notice that people are passing by and looking in the direction of our center with a lot of curiosity. It is not a surprise, they have been probably taking the same road often and nothing was happening around here for more than half a year. It is absolutely clear that loud music and open doors attract most of the attention.

Most of the people nearby randomly throw a glance and keep going. Meanwhile, Arus is taking a can of paint and moving a small ladder closer to the window. I am coming to help her keep the balance. A song, which was popular in our childhood, starts to play. We are singing together, and I am trying not to forget about the ladder I am holding.

We see a few kids running in front of the center and trying to find out what is inside. The bravest ones are coming inside and fighting the invisible monsters with their toy weapons. We are looking at them and laughing, while a mother of one of them is shouting “Davide, haide!”

I have decided to go and tell mothers about our project. Fortunately, one of them speaks English and expresses her interest in our activities. I am telling her about our plans for the center and invite her to follow our page on Facebook (which she did!).

During the day other people come in and ask what is going on. Some of them even offer their help. Some say that they will visit us, when they hear loud music all around the street again. This kind of meetings give us even more energy and motivation than the music we are listening to.

We are making just the first steps in changing the everyday tempo of the place. The whole story is yet to come. Aradului, get ready!

Katsia

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Streets that seem alone

I am here for more than 3 months. Also before coming here I was trying to know something about the country, especially about Timisoara city. Everyone was telling me :

-«You know it’s always full of people.»
_ «You can’t find to move in streets. »
_ «Buses and transportation is always full. »And a lot of this kind of sentence.
When first I came it was only passed two or three weeks, I was sure that they were correct. Because I and the others were going to some places, we were enjoying time, communicating with a lot of people, everywhere you could find people, speaking, laughing, smiling. But this was a small nightmare for me. Maybe now you will ask me why? Let me answer. Because something changed. Yes, and not only in România, Timisoara but also all over the world. Let’s compare it with one love story. That the couple was so warm, they were together, they were loving each other, taking care, but at some point when something was tiring for them, they just divorced and stayed alone, each of them in their place. I think this situation is so similar to this comparing. Because in some point streets were in love with the warm, and lovely environment, but now, when you are walking in the streets the only thing you feel it’s cold, not even love. Again you will ask me why. Because the streets stayed alone, yes, the same streets that had a lot of lovers, but now, you are walking and nothing. Everything is pretty quiet, there are no people, children who are making noise, stores that are full of people, there are no people who are just hurrying even you will not know why you will find also buses with only full off five or six people. This is the new Streets, they are now alone, sad but at the same time relax, warm and amazing …..
Never forget to enjoy moments that you already given to you, never know what will happen next second…

The Secret of PURPLE ?

Painting, cleaning and moping .. we spent our week in our purple Youth center ..

me and my partner Katsia ?✨
Our cozy space

We all need a place where one can be truly feel ourself without bothering to keep up appearances. Our youth center is a peacfull haven to me ,it’s a spot where all of your emotions can come out, where you can sit down in silence and make a decision for life.

This place is giving me motivation and happiness,

Dust, Dirt and Happiness

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This week that just passed was the first week in two months that we finally had some more freedom, since we changed from state of emergency to state of alert.

For our project, this means that we could finally go to our youth centers and start working on them hand on! After so long of being here without being able to directly do what we came here for, the time finally came!

Our youth center at Calea Martirilor before I started cleaning.

So what is the result of this? Dust, dirt and happiness!
(and lots of new friendships with spiders!)
The feeling of being content after you have done a difficult job (or at least part of it!) after a long time of not being able to, is purely indescribable! How dirty you end up returning home, or how much your body hurts from all the work are aspects that have very little value in such cases. Because after all, it feels like you are having a weight off of you after a long time of carrying it, and you can at last walk with more confidence.

After two full days of cleaning, repairing and rearranging things in my youth center at Calea Martirilor, it is finally taking its form.
Slowly but steadily, it is transforming into the butterfly it was meant to be from the start. Cliche, I know! But if you see all the colors that pop up now that it is clean, and the feeling of coziness and beauty it emits more and more after every time I leave the place having worked on making it shine, you will understand what I mean!

In the process of cleaning and rearranging! The progress is already much more obvious!

I am fortunate that I had, during these two days, the help of two different locals, Stefan and David. Without their help, I would not have progressed so far. Sometimes, even receiving the will of someone wanting to help, is enough and can make one’s life much less complicated and more beautiful. In my case, those two persons did more than just giving me moral support and showing me that they truly want to help me. And for this I am extremely glad and consequently filled with more courage and hope to put my best self into this endeavour.

No matter how hard the work is, once you start reaping what you sowed, it is all worth it.

I am eager to finish this first stage of preparing it to receive the public, and creating all those activities that is meant to have! Hopefully, the corona situation will soon calm down even more, and this dream will become a reality for me and everyone that can benefit from this youth center!

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enjoying a thaw

Hello everyone!
Last week was actually the first real week of our project.

On March, 15th the state of emergency in Romania got cancelled and successfully transitioned into the state of alert. Until now, the curve is still flattening, which might be viewed as a sign of positive changes. I am finally able to hang out with other members of our team in the Youth House as well as around the town. I was extremely happy to meet people in real life and also (re-)meet Timisoara, which is not anymore limited by the nearest supermarket.

After a few months of isolation and waiting, we got to work at our youth centers, which have not really been touched by anyone for about half a year. That fact brought us (me and my teammate Arus) to meet some (not at all) unexpected inhabitants of our place, such as spiders, which are peacefully doing their spider business, and grapevines, which are trying to break into the building through half-open windows.

say “buna ziua!” to this cute păianjen

Besides, we met some people from the neighborhood who have already offered some donations. We got to know people who administrate thermal stuff and I have even made an attempt to have a small talk in Romanian (which is quite big achievement for me). Next week we are planning to make our youth center look ready for upcoming events, even though in the nearest future all activities with young people around have to be conducted online.

The week ended with a workshop on conflict management where we met some guys from the local theatre group. We discussed some plans for the future work and maybe it will work out (together with young people from the community) after this whole covid thing passes.

Looking forward to (more) new people, places and experiences,
Katsia

To new beginnings

This week started great, being the first week that I started working in my youth center since we started the project. A lot of things are missing still from my youth center a floor, light, the windows need to change and some other small things here and there and it will become the perfect place for the people in the neighborhood to enjoy and a safe space for young and old alike.

I have been thinking of my youth center as a story it has beginning middle and ending with hundreds of challenges and solutions you never know when something will turn bad and you never know if what you are doing at any particular moment will bring good results. Hopefully, the end result will be a positive change in that particular neighborhood.

And although I am still alone in the youth center which means the person that was supposed to work with me did not manage to arrive before the whole Corona situation started, I am hopeful that I will manage to create a wonderful experience for the young people in my area when we will be able to open officially.

To end this week’s post I have a plant growing inside my youth center and I have no idea what to do with it, and also about 5 million spiders floating around, so that is fun as well. See you next week, stay tuned and safe!!

Two months later……

After a month or two months later, corona in other countries becomes a common epidemic that appears here, there and there, but its large outbreak can be reduced if discovered in time.
This talk does not reduce the risk of the virus, but on the contrary, it pays to take maximum thoughtful and scientific caution. From now on and for years, all personal, family, community, and professional steps as well as all life facilities are connected to and pass through the corona.
Possible scenarios later are:
1. The virus gradually fades and disappears either by external variables that affect it (which is unlikely) or because of a genetic mutation in its composition, it changes its properties to become impenetrable to the human cell (this is possible).
2. To become a seasonal virus such as flu (this takes a period of time, during which it comes and wander) and gradual mass immunity is progressive, in this case, it is reduced and less dangerous, but remains threatened with weak immune and diseases Respiratory and other chronic illnesses.
3. If a new breed is created, the COVID 19 will join the list of stars, anchors and their sisters from the family of corona and a new corona comes (this is dangerous and unfortunately). New breeds usually take years and sometimes for decades.
4. Discover a drug that eliminates the virus COVID 19 (which is possible in the future), or a drug that limits its vulnerability (which is likely within months).
5. Discover a vaccine against the virus COVID 19 (which is possible in less than a year), but any genetic modification of the virus makes the vaccine useless or useless.
The pandemic happened, killed, and destroyed. The remaining months continue to war but with less intensity, the condition of quitting the usual habits such as kissing and hugging on social occasions, reducing minimum mixing, overcrowding, and crowd, while putting the mask on the mouth and nose, and keeping clean Hands.
It should be noted that an early heatwave we are witnessing these days can be a helpful element in the virus and reducing its spread because it is deprived of the wet environment in which it stays active for hours and days, and dry its whereabouts Also, exposure to relatively high heat would weaken him, albeit not enough to kill him. This may play a role in changing its mean composition.
Next winter will be exceptional due to the confusion between seasonal flu and corona if things stay the same.
The coming winter is hard in every way, so we must prepare for all possibilities because health remains the most precious capital.

One love one Timisoara

Frida said ; Take a lover who looks at you like you are magic .

Arus said ; Get a city where you can get your spring .

Here I am , with my spring and energy , with my love and emotions . Let’s discover the secret of my city together ..

Timisoara is one of the largest cities in Romania and it is by far the largest city in the western part of the country. The area has been settled for a long time with the first record of the city of Timisoara dating back to 1212 and mentioning that it is built on the site of an ancient Roman fortress, Castrum Regium Themes.

During this trip we will discover extraordinary squares like Victoriei Square .

Ormerly Opera Square , is one of the central squares of Timișoara , the place where Timișoara was proclaimed on December 20, 1989 the first free city in Romania . At the opposite poles of the square are the Opera to the north and the Metropolitan Cathedral to the south . From the Opera to the Cathedral the promenade on the right is called “Corso” and the one on the left is called “Surrogate”. 

Around the square there are cultural institutions – the Romanian Opera , the National Theater , the Hungarian State Theater , the German State Theater , the Metropolitan Cathedral , the Timiș cinemas, the Capitol and the Studio, the Banat Museum , art galleries and many shops.

Our next station is Liberty Square ..

In 1848 , with the outbreak of the Hungarian revolution , the name of the square changed to Liberty Square. After the Austrian army recaptured the city, the square was renamed Prince Eugene Square . The square is also colloquially referred to as the “Old City Hall Square”. The building was built in Baroque style between 1731 and 1734 .

Located in the center of Liberty Square, this statue is the work of two Viennese sculptors, Blim and Wasserburger. On the three sides of the monument are depicted scenes from the last period of the life of St. John Nepomuk . In its center is St. Nepomuk and in the upper part is St. Mary with a crown of stars around her head and holding lily flowers, the symbol of purity.

Let’s walk more 5 miunte and to read about Unirii Square

Unirii Square is the oldest historical square in Timisoara , decorated in Baroque style.

Throughout its history the square was also called Hauptplatz (Main Square), Domplatz (Dome Square) and Losonczy Square (after the name of Count Stefan Losonczy, killed in 1552 when the fortress was conquered by the Turks). It was given the name Piata Unirii in 1919 , because the Romanian troops that entered Timișoara stopped here.

The site is home to important tourist attractions, such as the Roman Catholic Dome , the Baroque Palace , the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral , the Brück House , the Holy Trinity Monument , the mineral water fountain and other architectural monuments. It has a large surface, the dimensions being 150 x 110 m.

arusvenera

Why Romania??

Timisoara city center, Romania

Hello!! I am Ali from Tunisia, and now I am doing an ESC in Romania as a youth worker. let’s go back to the start. I have been volunteering now for more than 4 years as a youth worker in my local community since I graduated in 2016 and the last year I decided to start looking for international volunteering experiences as EVS or ESC. After a long long while, I had the chance to be a part of “Set the Tempo!” project with FITT in Timisoara, Romania.

But “Why Romania??” This is the first question that comes to my mind. So, before I confirm my participation, I started searching for information about Romania and Timisoara specifically and even joined too many Facebook groups as Arabs in Romania before being there just to make sure that my decision is right. After I finished, the information that I come out with except that the Romanian women are extremely beautiful, and that’s more than true, Timisoara is one of the biggest cultural and historical cities in Romania and it has beautiful places to discover and to take selfies in. But the most important thing that made me uncomfortable in the beginning is my background. Will I fit as an Arabic Muslim in Timisoara’s community or not? Luckily, I have found a big Muslim and Arabic community and even I discovered that there are a mosque and places that sell Halal food. Eventually, I have confirmed my participation without any doubts.

And after I have been officially part of the project, the same question
“Why Romania??” comes to me again, but this time from my entourage as family, friends, and even from the people that just heard about me going to Romania. Each time I was explaining that it is an amazing place and that things are not at all as they are presented in social media. What was most interesting for me was exactly that similarity and connection with my community.

I have been nowhere in Timisoara for more than two and a half months and so far I could see it is a wonderful city and each corner of it has a story to tell, and the people here are amazing as much as the city. In the end, I want to say never ever ask “Why Romania??” if you have not been in Romania before.

Hello everyone,

My name is Rachad,

All the way from Baakline, Lebanon to Timisoara, Romania holding my bags, dreams, positive vibes, experiences, skills, knowledge, culture and tradition backgrounds in order to share with Romanian society by being an effective volunteer, a mentor in ESC with FITT Timisoara, In addition spending quality time in learning and growing together.

It has only taken me a few days to realize that what I thought was a devastating blow to our plans has turned into a huge opportunity to rethink how we do things and have the potential to reach even more people digitally. Doors continue to open because our creative God has forced us to use our imagination. We can’t do everything we hoped to do during these months, but we can still do a lot – just differently. Also, I believe during this time of crisis, it is important to be frugal but we can’t forget to be generous. Now is the time that our communities will need us. Now is the time for them to get to meet us, get to know who we are, and trust us. The seeds we sow today will be the fruit we see on the other side of this crisis.