Minu Portugali kogemus
Okei.
Eksamid tehtud, keskkool lõpetatud – mis nüüd edasi? Ülikool? Töö? Vabatahtlik
teenistus? Välismaale lapsehoidjaks?
Niimoodi
kõiki oma võimalikke valikuid vaadates ja viimaks ka otsustades, olingi juba
lennukiga teel Portugali, et veeta seal oma järgmised 10 kuud vabatahtlikku
tööd tehes. Muidugi ei olnud see nii lihtne, sest minu jaoks käis sellega
kaasas ka mure igasuguste väikeste asjade pärast. Hiljem mõistsin, et see mure
oli kõik asjatu.
Enne
Lissaboni jõudmist ei osanud ma ette kujutadagi, kuidas kõik olema hakkab.
Teadsin vaid seda, et elaksin ühes korteris koos teiste vabatahtlikega ning et
töötaksin lastega. Ja nii oligi – elasin samas korteris koos teiste noortega
nii Poolast, Hispaaniast, Türgist kui ka Bulgaariast. Kuna mu töö oli ühes
koolis, siis arvasin, et hakkan tegelema vanemate lastega, kuid tegelikult
suunati mind tööle hoopis lasteaeda, mis mulle väga meeldis. Mu tööülesandeks
oli lihtsalt aidata ja toetada kasvatajaid kõiges, milles sain.
Alguses
oli kindlasti raske, sest kuna ma keelt ei osanud, siis ei saanud ma ka lastega
suhelda. Ja mitte ainult lastega, vaid ka teiste kasvatajatega, kuna ka nemad
inglise keelt väga hästi ei osanud. Kuid õnneks on mingid väga targad inimesed
leiutanud google translate, mis oli mulle need esimesed kuud Portugalis
kui parima sõbra eest. Siiski, mida paremaks läks mu Portugali keele oskus,
seda paremaks läksid mu suhted nii lastega kui ka teiste kasvatajatega.
Kuid
kindlasti ei olnud need 10 kuud, mis ma seal veetsin, ainult töö, töö ja töö.
Mul oli tegelikult väga palju vaba aega, mille ma sain veeta sõpradega, kas
niisama chillides või siis Portugali avastades.
Need 10
kuud Portugalis olid tõesti imelised. Ma siiani ei suuda uskuda, kui palju
muutis see väike otsus, Portugali vabatahtlikuks minna, mu elu. Kõik need
inimesed, keda ma kohtusin. Kõik need imelised mälestused, mis mul sellest
ajast seal on. Portugal tõesti võitis mu südame täielikult ja ma olen 100%
kindel, et ma satun sinna veel tagasi. Seda aga, kui kauaks ma sinna plaanin
jääda..seda veel vaatame :)
Okay.. I've done my exams,
finished highschool – now what? University? Job? Voluntary service? Au pair?
Just
like that, thinking about all the options I had and finally deciding, I was
already on a plane, flying to Portugal, to spend my next 10 months there, doing
voluntary service.
Of course it wasn't as simple as that, since I was worrying about every little detail. Later I discovered that there was no reason to be worrying at all.
Before
I arrived to Lisbon, I couldn't even imagine how it all would be. The only
thing I knew, was that I will be living in the same apartment with other
volunteers and I would be working with children. And that's how it was – I was
living in the same apartment with youth from Poland, Spain, Turkey and also
from Bulgaria. As for the job, I thought I would be working with older
children, since it was a school. But actually I was assigned to work in a
kindergarten. I have to say, I loved it. It was my responsibility to assist and
help the teachers with everything I could.
In the
beginning, it was certainly tough. Since I didn't speak the language, I
couldn't talk with the children. And not only the children, but also the other
teachers, since their English wasn't so good either. But thank God for the
smart people who invented Google translate. The first months, Google translate
was like my best friend. But as my Portuguese improved, so did my relationship
with the children and other teachers.
But
of course these 10 months that I spent in Portugal, wasn't only about work. I'm
surprised how much free time I actually had. Free time, that I could spend with
my friends, either just chilling or discovering Portugal.
These
10 months in Portugal were really amazing. I still can't believe that such a
small decision, to do volunteer work in Portugal, changed my life so much. All
those people I met. All those memories I now have. Portugal won my heart
completely and I'm 100% sure that I will one day return. But for how long...
that we'll see ;)
Editor note. This project was funded under Erasmus + programme of European Commission.
Editor note. This project was funded under Erasmus + programme of European Commission.