your majesty Quarantine

Is it still 2020? Yes, it is. But feels like +10 years more. Seems as this year since January drops a monthly surprise for us… many people lost their lives, many people became unemployed, economy is going down, but… the Earth 🌏 ,our home, our planet is healing. After this, you might be thinking – who is really virus here? Maybe us – humans? 🤷 (P.S. ‘memes’ are found on the Internet © and photos are mine)

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Well, we are living in the XXI century – thanks to our smart phones and computers some of us are able to be working from home and do video calls with our beloved ones. If someone was ignoring you or telling you that they are really busy, don’t have any free time and etc. – it’s a good chance to reach them out again, muahahhah *evil laugh*.

Anyway, I believe that many of us started to do some reconstruction or decoration works, cleaning our closets, trying on many different clothes, spending waaaaay too much time on Instagram or TikTok (new trend of 2020… there are any people out here who doesn’t have an TikTok account yet? 😆 )… well, if you will ever hear one of these songs around you – someone is dancing for TikTok: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNU_AA0aALM ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHI8X4OXluQ ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0gFA08-9xM . You’re welcome or I’m sorry, if these sounds will stuck in your head. 🎶 🎶 🎶

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Well, I have natural hair and nails, so I don’t feel a huge need to run to the ‘beauty saloons’ as soon, as they opened (but I feel a desire to cut my own bangs like in teenage years… 👱 ), also there is another side of my situation – during the lockdown I came back to my native country and I’m in isolation in a countryside with my parents – there is no shops or other amusement place next to us… But I can take a long walk with our dog around the village 🐕 . Furthermore, I started to destroy my own decoration in my room (which I made while being in a middle school), re-painting windows in the house, working in a garden (so happy to see that my sunflowers 🌻 started to grow up!) and of course – scrolling through my gallery, because I miss travelling so much. I found picture from Venice with a carnival mask on 🎭 and at that time I thought – I have never done a shopping with a mask – well, now we have to wear medical mask in a public place. 😷

I just wanted to share with you guys a few shots 📷 from Venice and Sardinia, in February of 2020. ☺️ and here are greetings from my village (last week we woke up with a “surprise snow” for one day ❄️ ) and from our puppy! 😍
Best wishes, Greta from Lithuania! 🇱🇹 🇱🇹 🇱🇹

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My first teaching experience in Italian school

Ciao 🇮🇹 / hello 🇬🇧 / labas 🇱🇹 ! I haven’t share any new experiences for a while here… my colleague Ángel Jesús Jiménez de los Santos are more active in news reporting than me… 🔥 oh well 🤠 due to #covid-19 outbreak in many countries, all the world is under the lockdown (close enough to Springfield town from the “Simpsons movie”) and we are suspended from our normal daily activities too… But I am not going to talk about this “crowned virus” here – he is taken a looooot of attention for a few months already… everywhere. For this article I will go back couple months ago, to February, when I went to one of public schools in Faenza to teach kids about Baltic States 🇪🇪 🇱🇻 🇱🇹 .

Illustration was found on the Internet.

Actually, I had to have these lessons even earlier, but some kids from the class went to the mountains, next week I went on a short holidays, so I finally – I was the teacher on the romantic Friday 14th and ordinary Monday 17th of February (no, I wasn’t looking for an Italian Valentine in a middle school…). If you remember well, in November I was observing English lessons for two days in the same school – so, I would be able to know their level (even tho, my native language isn’t English too, probably, you have notice it). I prepared all the material for the 3 lessons: PowerPoint presentation about 3 countries (with many pictures, so it would be more easy for kids to understand), a list with keywords translated to Italian, classwork’ exercises and homework. I have to mention, that the kids were from “scuola media 2nd grade”. Unfortunately, from my own experience I can say that many people doesn’t know these countries (no matter in which part of the world I was asked the question: where you from?) … It hurts even more when someone says “oh, it’s Russia!”. NO, it’s not Russia. Let me ask you – in which century are you living? 🤦‍♀️ Anyway, I really hope that those kids from my lessons are going to remember something, at least some specific meals or where we are located.

Even though, I showed two different maps from the beginning and later another map with each country and I started my lessons from the North (Estonia) going to the South (Lithuania) – half of the kids couldn’t identify all 3 Baltic States correctly in the empty map… 🙍 at least, all of them chose the right area, near the Baltic Sea. 😁 No matter how you are trying, how much effort you are putting, it’s quiet hard to keep almost 30 kids’ attention, yes? There is always one or two little “bad asses” who will distracting the whole class, probably – this is the reason number.1 which is keeping me away from the teachers job. But I was really happy that some kids were asking various questions and looked really interested 🙋 – my work paid off anyway. 🤗 In total, I showed more than 70 slides of “a little bit of everything”: location, language, currency, landscape & nature, climate, touristic & UNESCO objects, typical food and etc. For some other things – they have the geography book 😏.

Overall, it was funny experience from the first minutes: I came to the school and I told one lady (who works there) that I have an appointment with geography teacher Mrs. X (privacy thing 😶 ). She asked me: “are you someone’s mother?” … Well… Not yet… ahhahaha. Probably, if you are not one of the parents – there is no point for you to go to the school… 🤣 Anyway, I told her: “no, we will be working together in the lessons” , but deep inside I was a little bit confused about the fact that I might looked as a mother … I am still a kid (in my heart, at least…)! 😨 another funny thing happened the next lesson: teacher uploaded all my lessons’ material for the students into their e.system, but she didn’t press the “share” button, so… the kids had a theoretical reason why they didn’t do their homework… 🤷🏻 ok, let it be. Also, it’s quiet funny how the kids are running to the front just to see the answer! At one moment I said: “ragazzi, in this slide you can find the answer to the question number 10.” One girl asked me if it’s allowed to come closer to the blackboard? Of course, please. So… half of the class like a puppies started to run 🏃 🏃‍♀️ In the end, I quiet enjoyed all this experience, I am glad if I am able to teach anything to anyone and I would repeat it again 🏫 📖 💻

A presto! 🤗 Greta, Lithuania. 🇱🇹

The adventures continue 2

Ciao, ragazzi! I haven’t been here for the last ~2 weeks, so I have many things what to talk about with you, people! As usually, all my weeks starts the same now: office, school/doposcuola, casa… As a person with unpredictable minds and wishes I wanted to find activity for challenging myself more, sooo…. I found rock climbing! (bonus with that – a big colorful as a Galaxy bruise on my leg) I was thinking about more „girly“ courses (for example, dances), but later I thought – I can‘t lie to myself, since childhood I liked to do various, sometimes weird, stuff. It is amazing way to feel as a spider-woman and the best kick to speak in my broken Italian (because, people in Italy doesn‘t speak English so much, and if someone in a gym tries to speak with me in this language, our amazing coach man starts to scream: no no no, no Inglese, lei parla bene italiano! ). Well, that‘s how I am improving my speaking in Italian: trying to survive on the wall, trying to explain what kind of food I want to order, trying to understand which way to go and many other options. Oh oh oh, and singing „nel blu dipinto di blu“ during the lessons too! 😉

„I will never be a teacher“ – one Lithuanian girl said once. But sometimes life turns upside down and surprises you. Last week, two days in a row, I went to the primary school as the observer (because in a few months, when I will be able to speak Italian more fluently I will have few projects there). I was accompanied by English teacher and participated in 6 lessons (of the 1st-3rd classes). Kids were interested in me: who is she? Does she speaks Italian? Is she a British? Is she your daughter? And not only the kids, the colleagues of my supervisor were asking her: who is that beautiful blonde with you??… Well, probably, as long as I am a very light skin blond with blue eyes, I will continue to answering to the question „where are you from?“  That‘s why I was happy to find some Italian kids with light hair during the lessons – I am  not the only one, hahah!

Doposcuola, doposcuola, doposcuola…  Another kick for me to improve my Italian language and get to know about Italian education better (for example, how to explain math in lines without using „x“, equation or other figures…).

While we are in another country, we want to explore it, get to know the culture and meet new people or international friends from a long time ago, yes? That‘s how one weekend with other volunteers I went to explore Rimini, get lost in the markets and taste amazing pizzas! Yes yes yes, „food“ can be my second name. 🍕 🍕 🍕

And the next, a little bit longer, weekend I went to Assisi! 😍 A small town on the mountains in Umbria region. 😍 It was around ~5hours trip by trains with two transfers. It wasn‘t very comfortable option, but if I want to meet my friends (especially, after few years) I will walk that distance too. After spending couple of days in the mountains, olive fields, in various churches, walking around, tasting delicious food and etc., on Sunday I had to come back to Faenza. With some snacks in my hand from Italian grandma‘s (aww, that sweet nonna) I was taken to the train station. Thanks to the some technical issues in the train, I completed just 2/5 my return trip. After 25 minutes of delay and 1 hour of sleeping in the train – I woke up. The #trenitalia train stopped in the middle of nowhere – outside is already dark and internet sometimes doesn‘t work so well – google maps don‘t wanna show my location. After some time of not moving we were informed (in Italian, of course) that the train‘s engine broke down and we will come back in the previous station. Train was full of passengers (most of them as me, had connections), luggages and worriness. When I finally got out of the train – I was able to know where I was, but… Due all of this delay, I missed my connection to Faenza and after few hours I saw my friend again. I didn‘t expect to see Assisi so soon! Well, not all the bad things are the worst, yes? The destiny gave me another night in Assisi and opportunity to send couple of postcards to my family in Lithuania. 🍂 🇱🇹

And… A short break in Firenze while coming back from Assisi to Faenza ☺️☺️☺️

😊 Greta, Lithuania. 🇱🇹

The adventures continue

So… three weeks passed since my arrival in Faenza. This time – no pumpkin. I got a roommate and she cut my pumpkin… That’s what happens when in one house are living 3 girls from different countries. But oh well, we baked a pie from it.
I am still getting a daily surprise from this little town. For example, no ice cream for Monday??? 😲 😲 😲 I wanted to start the new week in a sweet way… There is a little and cozy gelateria in front of our apartment, but seems like that place doesn’t like Mondays. Well, who does?

Since all the volunteers from both organizations (PiGreco & SE.M.I) are here, we are getting more involved into our tasks and Italian living way. Last week all of us started Italian language lessons in the school (it’s interesting feeling when you are graduated from university and you have to back to the school. But if we want to teach the kids we have to learn something too, aren’t we? No one is perfect). I even bought a book, written in Italian… Good luck for me.

1^st time in the doposcuola (after school) … A little bit nervous, because of the language’s barrier. Here comes help from Google Translate and other foreigners’ people. But it’s okay, soon I will be able to speak more fluently in Italian. 😉 😜 😉 Before jumping into homework and other studying stuff, in doposcuola we are starting the day with a little game (every day is a different one), which helps kids to improve their English. That time we tried “Guess who?” with various superheroes and other characters from the cartoons (kids had to make various questions with answers no & yes which will describe their character and then try to guess).

Maybe we look angry, but the truth is… The right side of the face doesn’t like the camera.

How to finish a week in Faenza? I mean, does this town ever sleep?! Last weekend we attended the “MEI festival” – probably, I haven’t seen so many people in Faenza before! Various music all day long… Don’t get me wrong – I am not complaining, I am still feeling like living in some kind of fairy tale here: the park with animals (chickens, ducks, peacocks…), a lot of bicycles, many many many puppies here too! If you are looking for a nanny for your dog in Faenza – please contact me, I will be happy to host him/her for a day, week, month or for the whole year! 😍 ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎

Sometimes it’s too hard to stay in one place, you know that feeling? That’s why this weekend few members of “PiGreco & SE.M.I” family went to Bologna! We got a little bit lost in the “never ending market”, in the crowd of people, but at 8PM in the evening we managed to catch the train  💪 😂 .

See you in a week or two, I will learn more words from Italian menu 😉. A presto!

Greta, Lithuania.

 

New pumpkin in the town!

Just a small town girl decided to start the new adventure in her life. To earn 2 degrees wasn’t enough – she wanted something more. For example, to move to another country. Volunteering is a quiet good opportunity to do that, isn’t it? After being selected to the “Everybody is learning” project she took a midday connecting flight from Vilnius to Bologna. Just before landing she noticed that there are a lot of fields in this region – just like in her native Lithuania. Maybe she won’t be homesick there.

Just like home.

2019/09/24. Welcome to the land, where the morning starts with a cup of espresso. It’s quiet funny when this una ragazza lituana doesn’t like coffee (yes yes yes, everyone is thinking that soon she will start to like it, but believe me it’s not the first time when she tried to fight with herself). “Io non parlo italiano” – probably, the most used her sentence so far. But if you are really hungry – nothing will stop you from ordering a pizza.

From the first sight this little town, called Faenza, looked a little bit as from the Medieval ages – huge doors, cobblestone and narrow streets.. No, witches doesn‘t fly here with brooms either. But that is charming. It’s like a time travelling. You know when parents are saying to their kids: “be careful in the street!”? Here is similar. But probably, in this town is a bigger possibility to be hit by a bicycle, not the car.

Benvenuti in Italia.

So, the exploration starts. Feeling a little bit lost in the new place, this Lithuanian pumpkin took the map in her hands and started to walk. Somewhere. Through and around the city.

Which way to go?

One way or another…

Just like that she reached even another town, called Ravenna, full of various Basilicas and mausoleums.

Piazza del Popolo.

Dante’s Tomb.

Although Faenza isn‘t a big city (around 60k inhabitants), it doesn‘t mean that here there is nothing what to do and that silence prevails all along the town as in the oldschool Western movies. Unless in the afternoon, around ~12:00 – 15:00… At this time most of the shops and other places are closed. These working hours makes you to learn to use your time wisely. Or makes you a little bit angry. Or suggest you to take a power nap after the lunch – it‘s up to you. But… How can this little girl be mad when she found the ice cream, named after her? Okay, maybe not after her, but the name is the same…  And when musicians are playing right under the window until the midnight..? Smile won‘t be leaving the face for a long time…

Buskers festival.

I am telling you – this is the time machine!

A presto!  

Greta, Lithuania.