"THE GATHERING OF THE GRAINS"... (6) - Reports About The Trip To Tartu

REPORTS ABOUT THE TRIP TO TARTU

TARTU (ESTONIA) 

 11-17 June 2011

 A trip to Estonia: On the 11th June 2011 we went to Estonia. Our group was of 4 students and 2 teachers. Next day we sailed a ship and we learned how to do knots. On the third day we went to school and we were divided into 4 teams. We started to prepare a dictionary in 5 languages. On the 4th day after breakfast we went to the rope park. It was very nice but also very difficult. In the afternoon we went to the mall. In the evening we went bowling and then we went to eat something. On the 5th day we had to finish dictionaries and 2 people from each country had to cook something traditional, some traditional dish. It was amazing experience for us. The evening was the best. There was a competition for a Comenius  song.  The  Greek   group  was  the  winner.
We were on the second place. Then we danced and sang a lot. On the sixth day we had to go home. 

   The trip to Estonia was very successful. I met many amazing people who I will never forget. I think we should spend much time together by playing some games or something like this. But even if the organization wasn't so good the week in Estonia was my best time in my life.

Agnieszka Chrapa

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 I liked a trip to Estonia very much. I liked the idea of sitting together on the bus with someone from another country   and   the  time   when   we   learned   traditional
dances. The hotel was very nice. I didn't like the organization because somebody changed everything all the time. I also didn't like the variety of age because there were the situations that somebody was drunk. In my opinion drinking and smoking should be prohibited during this kind of project.

Igor Sołtysiak

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   For me flights were the biggest attractions. I liked the hotel very much. It was modern and cool. During a week in Tartu there were many attractions for us. I am very satisfied with the attractions.
   Spending much time outside is a good idea. I met many new people, I think my English is better, I know something new about other cultures and I know many words in foreign languages. The best week in my life. Everything was better than I expected.

Piotr Dobrowolski

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    I spent one week in Estonia with my classmates from June 11 till 17, 2011. We traveled for the Comenius project with other students from Poland, Greece and Turkey. The aim of Comenius is “Europe without Prejudices”. The project has existed since 1955. My prejudices against Estonians were that they are hillbilly, stupid and it is very cold there, but now I want to tell you what I found out during my journey.
    My trip to Estonia began on Saturday June 11. We flew to Riga and from Riga to Estonia. At 22:30 clock we arrived in Tartu, the second largest city in Estonia. At the airport were a lot of mosquitoes and they were annoying, but fortunately we had mosquito spray. We took a bus to the hotel and we checked in at the hotel of the school. The hotel is very nice, each room has its own bathroom, kitchen and TV.  Many students live in the hotel.  We
went to eat something and at midnight we went to sleep.
   On Sunday we woke up and ate a strange breakfast in the hotel. After the breakfast we went 2 hours to a special boat. It was special because it was an old Estonian ship. We took a boat tour and enjoyed the beautiful landscape of Estonia. It was very warm: around 30 degrees, and the prejudice that Estonia is cold are gone.
  After the boat tour we went to a beach. In the afternoon we went to Tartu to eat something. Then we looked around the city. In the evening we went back to the hotel.
  On  Monday  we  woke up at  and ate a breakfast  in the
hotel again. The weather was colder and rainy. So we went to school, which is directly at the hotel. The school is beautiful and very large. Estonia is financing the schools more than Germany. Then we met the Estonian students for the first time. We went together into their hall and the Estonians told something about their schools. The Estonians told us that Estonia developed Skype and now I know that education is of great values in Estonia and they are not stupid. After the presentations of the schools we looked around the school.
 And the teachers split us in groups from all countries so that we together created a small dictionary in five different languages. But the dictionary was a bit boring after a while, and then we could go into the gym. During
the sports I became friends with the other students. In the evening we went to a karaoke bar. It was very funny, we sang a lot and I talked with the exchange students and Estonians.
   On Tuesday we woke up at 6:00 o' clock, because we travelled with a bus to mines. An old miner showed us the mine and he told us something about the mining history in Estonia. At the end of the tour, we ate a soup in the mine, and then we were walking near a small mountain. In the evening we went bowling without the teachers and ate something in the city. One nice thing is that every restaurant in Estonia has its own Wi-Fi connection for the guests. So you are always up  to date
and that is not hillbilly. 
   In the evening, the teachers organized a party at our hotel where we all danced together and had a lot of fun.   
   Wednesday was very funny. We all went to a forest adventure. The tasks were very difficult, we had to jump with a liana or hand over hand from one platform to another. But then it started to rain, so that not everyone could finish all tracks of the forest adventure. In the evening we went without teachers to a bowling center and we ate in the city, but the Estonian students took care. The restaurant was a famous London Pub in Tartu. In the restaurant I talked a lot with the students from other countries and I found the Poles to be very nice. They taught  me some Polish words like  I = ja,  you = ty,
he = on, she = ona, it = ono, we = my, you = wy and they = oni.
   On Thursday we woke up early again and the teachers informed us in two groups. One group cooked German meals that we prepared in advance. The other group had to finish the dictionary that we started on Monday. After cooking we all ate together and my favorite national cuisine is the Polish one. In the evening we organized a party at the hotel where we also chose the best song for the project. The song we had prepared before the trip. The winners were the Greeks.
   On Thursday evening we went to the rooms of other students, where we had our own little party.
   On Friday, we were already standing around at 5:00 o'clock because we had to catch our plane to Riga. From
Riga we flew to Berlin and we arrived at 13.00 o'clock in Berlin. The trip was really nice and I think I found new friends in different countries. I especially liked the evenings at which we had parties or in went we went to the karaoke bar. I learned different dances from different countries and I think my English has improved in general. I hope I will see my new friends again. And, as my report shows, now I know better about Estonia and the Estonians.

Till Friebe

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   Our journey began with our meeting at Tegel airport on 11th June  2011 at  1:50  p.m. The girls  were  carrying
mostly there entire wardrobe and the boys carried halfly-filled bags. Then we said good- bye to our beloved ones and checked in. After waiting for long time we entered the plane together with the Polish students.
   After our arrival in Riga, where we had to switch planes, we met the students and teachers from Turkey. We had to wait again until we were allowed to enter the second plane. The flight took ca. two hours until we reached our determination. The Estonian Teachers were already waiting for us and after getting to know them, we were brought to our hotel by little buses. 
   The hotel rooms were awesome! One could say that there was better furniture than in my room at home, because of the flat- screen TV, nice beds, the kitchen and the bath.

   After that we ate all together and unpacked our bags. Unfortunately, no one told us before our travel that there is a mosquito plague in Estonia, so I got 20 stings on one evening across my whole body.

   On Sunday we made a boat trip. First of all we had breakfast, which was not my taste. I did not like the combination of chicken nuggets, pasta salad and fish sticks, so I mostly ate cornflakes.

   After that we did a 2 hour trip to the boat, which I did not really like, because it was a bit too far away for walking and the girls' shoes rubbed at their heels. The boat trip was interesting and the sailors' knots, which we approached skeptically, were explained really funny. We paused half an hour at a beach before we continued our trip to a restaurant. The restaurant has not expected

such an amount of guests, I think that is why I had to wait two and a half hours until my mixed ice was made. The other food should have tasted averagely after my companions.

    After that we started the city tour and went back to our hotel by bus.

   On Monday we visited the Estonian school. I was overwhelmed! They have everything, you can have, if you are in a school. They have a wellness section, a huge gym, a barber shop, nice class rooms, tailoring rooms and much much more...

   We also started to work on our dictionaries on that day. In my opinion that was a lot of fun, because we got to know all the foreign people. Moreover I noticed that German sounds really plump in comparison to other languages.

   After that we got some leisure time, which I spent in the gym, others played games. In the evening all of us went into a Karaoke bar. I think that it was a lot of fun. We all got to know each other better and in the end I sang with to other persons, which was really embarrassing!

   On Tuesday we visited a mine, which would have been interesting if the tour guide would have been able to speak English clearly. Consequently we did not understand  that  much. Another disadvantage  was  that  it was

really cold inside the mine, even after eating the soup we felt cold.

   On our way home, we stopped at a look- out, which was hard to climb, because I was terribly tired. But the view from the top was fantastic! 

   In the evening we celebrated two birthdays, we sang, danced and had a lot of fun with the Greeks.

   Unfortunately, we all were already tired and had to stay up really long, which was a bit problematic. 

   On Wednesday we went into a climbing park. In my opinion that was the best attraction of all! We had a lot of fun and we reached the last level, even though we had a lot of panic, too. After this attraction we went, with muscle ache, into a shopping center, where we got some hours  to look around. In the evening the  Estonian

pupils took care of us. We bowled and went into the „Big Ben Pub“ .

   On Thursday all countries chose 2-3 people to cook a typical dish of the every particular nation. Sandrina, Mrs. Isenthal and I have cooked for Germany. It was hard work, but our product was really good. After cooking, everybody could taste everything he wanted to. In the evening we planned a goodbye party and at 8pm all the Comenius songs were presented. Greece won and then we spent the evening together.

   Later we had to pack our bags and then, as usual, we went totally tired into our beds. 

   On Friday we had to get up very early, that is why we skipped breakfast, but Mrs. Isenthal had made slices of bread  for everyone,  so  we did  not  have  to starve.  At

1pm we arrived at Tegel airport after a stop in Riga. Our beloved ones were already waiting for us at the gate.

   All in all you can say that the journey was a success and it was definitely worth it, although we could not sleep very much. We got to know each other much better and I got to know many nice people, which I really like. My prejudices, if I ever had them, were not confirmed. It was a nice experience and I would like to do it again. The Estonians were nice hosts!

   Greetings to all the nice people I got to know last week!

Vanessa Hentschel

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    Of 11 June to 17 June 2011 was the Comenius project and it went for Till, Moritz, Philipp, Vanessa, Jan, Ms. Güzel, Ms. Isenthal and I to Estonia. It all started when we arrived at Tegel airport and after two flights with a stopover in Riga we arrived Tartu and were warmly received by the Estonians. As we made our first step outside we immediately fell on the big mosquito problem and the joy was a little bit away. After we handed in a small bus at the hotel, the room was to referring . When we saw the room for the first time our breath was away, because we would have never expected such a beautiful and modern room. Then we were told that Berit had received a marriage proposal on the same day and before we could unpack all, there was a surprise party for her. About 23 o'clock everyone noticed the hungry and we went to a nearby takeaway. At 1 clock we arrived at the hotel, everywhere bitten by the mosquitoes, we fell tired into bed, but satisfied. 

   The next morning, Sunday the 12th of June, we ate breakfast and then we went on a 10-mile walk to the boat-tour. I unfortunately had the wrong shoes on, so my feet were completely bloody early after 3 kilometers, but I tortured myself the whole way. We reached our destination after 3 hours and were guide in the boat to watch a movie about boats and then we take a boat trip on the River. Then we had a break and we were allowed to put us to the beach or swim. It was followed by a city tour and a visit in a restaurant where we waited almost 3 hours for our food, which did not taste very delicious.

   Monday the 13 June, the day began with a guided tour through the school and I was amazed about this wonderful school. Not only that a hotel is connected to the school I was amazed, but also training facilities and the rooms were amazing for me. Particularly interesting was the beauty area, probably because I'm a girl. After the tour we listened to a lecture about the Estonian education system and each one had to introduce themselves and say what he expected from the trip. Then we were divided into groups and we worked at the dictionary, which made a lot of fun. In the afternoon I went to the gym and at night we all went together to a karaoke bar. We ate, drank and had fun. Late in the evening Vanessa, Till and Miss Güzel dared on the stage and sang "Baby" by Britney Spears, which lightened the mood very much and was funny. A little later we started with a taxi the way home, because me and some others were not so well. When we awoke the next morning, after a 4 hour night, Vanessa and I realized that we wanted to go to bed earlier at night and even should. 

   We visited a mine on Tuesday which was pretty interesting, but unfortunately very cold. In addition, we all looked very funny with the big excessive rain jackets and helmets. After the guided tour we got served a typical food which we ate under the ground. Then we drove with bus to climb a high wooden tower and at this time I felt my fear of heights. In the evening there was a surprise party for the two birthday girls from Greece with cake and drinks. I didn't was there all time, because I was ill and spent the night alone in my room. But I know that the Greeks, Turks and Poles presented typical dances from their homes and tried to teach these other nations, which thus managed to mostly good. 

   On Wednesday the 15th June 2011 I was feeling better and I was looking forward to the day. After breakfast, we headed by bus to the climbing park. In the bus we were set so that never people from the same nations sat together, so people could get to know better. When we arrived it started to rain, but that didn't stop us from going to climb. The climbing was great fun and we, the Germans and the Estonians climbed everything what the climbing park offers. In my opinion this was the best trip around the Estonia trip. Once we got on the bus, we drove to Mc Donald's and a located next to shopping center where we could be around 2 hours and went shopping. Unfortunately we had no luck there, but the visit in a pet shop made us happy. In the afternoon we went bowling. I love bowling, so I could prove my own and I was not bad. It has made me in any case much fun. In the evening all the students went together to the "Big Ben Pub" where we ate and came back by 22 o'clock 30 at the hotel and we had the opportunity to go to sleep a little bit earlier. 

   On the last day, Thursday it was time for Vanessa and Miss Isenthal and me to cook!! At the same time as we were busy cooking the rest of the students finish the dictionary. I didn't think, that it would be so stressful, but we overcame it well. Our dishes went very well and many were especially impressed of the "apple strudel" and praised us. So we ate and get to know dishes from other countries and I was surprised, because almost all corresponded to my taste. Then we had free time in which we started to pack our bags. On the evening rose a graduation party, in which each country introduced his song and the winner was determined, which was Greece. Then we heard music. Vanessa and me wanted to dance, but no one else dared, so we leave it. At midnight we decided to walk to our room, because we still had to pack our bags and we said goodbye to the Estonians for a last time. 

   On Friday the 17th June 2011 at 7 o'clock in the morning we drove tired to the airport with a little bus and our plane was flying at 9 o'clock in the direction of Riga. In Riga, we said goodbye to the Turks and the last fly to Berlin Tegel, where we were expected by our families and friends. The trip was for me a very nice experience. I have seen many beautiful things and I got to know Estonia a met the Estonians. I didn't think before, that Estonia is such a beautiful country and that people are so friendly and helpful there. Also with the other nations I have understood me very well and found out that not all prejudices are true, because all of them were nice and open minded and I noticed no one in negative way. I would take such a trip again.

Sandrina Wolske
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   It was my first trip abroad. Like Mihriban and our teachers we were very excited before the trip, we tried to prepare ourselves before the trip. The trip was the longest trip in my life. But Estonia is very beautiful country. I flied for the first time. It was possible to see the some of the parts of the country on the plane. Lot of forests and lakes. The organization was wonderful. Only the meals weren't not so much delicious for me and of course mosquitos ! 

   The boat-trip, visit the mine and climbing activities were very amazing for me. But mostly to meet with students from other countries and live with them in the same hotel and floor :-) was the best experience of my life. We tried with Mihriban to teach some of the girls our regional folkloric dances. But the next meeting is in our country, I am sure they will dance better after the visit in Turkey!!!

Leyla ÇİÇEK
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   I went abroad for the first time. I was very excited, I flied for the first time . I had the opportunity to have some info's before our trip about Estonia. It was a long trip from Turkey to Estonia. We left home early in the morning. We arrived Tartu at 9 pm. To meet with students from Germany, Poland, Greece and Estonia was for me a great experience. The activities especially cooking and "Comenius Song" was unforgettable for me. 

   I think and I am sure I will never forget these wonderful days in Estonia. I can say we have different things but we have also common points together. Only the "meals" was not for me ! We had a kitchen in our hotel room and our teachers cooked for us "Spaghetti".
The teachers from Estonia Kati and Berit were very friendly to us. I would like say thank you for Mr. Olcay Parlak and to the general coordinator Miss Sabile for her helps.

Mihriban BÜTÜNER
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Our trip to Tartu finally came to an end. What a pity!! I still remember the moment I reached Tartu and I was welcomed by Berit and Kati. The accommodation was excellent and the schedule of activities was excellent, too. That's why I really need to congratulate these two professors. I met people from four different countries and I really had a good relationship with all of them. However, I'm a bit disappointed by the general coordinator because I felt that there was a gap in communication between her and the Greek team. 

   Moreover, the boat trip was a good idea despite the sun. I want to thank you that you let me sing karaoke despite the fact that my voice is terrible and I also want to apologize for not attending the karaoke singing of the German team but it was too late for me and my classmates. The mining museum was interesting. As for the international cuisine, I sampled food of almost every country and I have to say that each plate had something tasty and special.

   What's more, I'm really glad that our song won first place in the song contest. Greek team worked hard to write the lyrics and Andreas also did his best in order to compose music for the song. I would like to thank Andriana for singing and Natalie for making the video-clip, too. I am really grateful that I had the chance to meet Estonia and get in touch with other people and other cultures. This trip was one of my favorite  trips abroad. I am looking forward to your coming in Greece!

John Tsimboukis

P.S.: Mosquitoes almost killed me. Don't bring them with you in Greece next year!
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   From the moment I was told, we were going to visit Estonia, I was looking forward to that week. And when that week came I was nervous about what we were going to see. But after the first day I realized that I would have a great time, and I really did. I loved the boat trip in the lake and with the city tour; we came in touch with the sights of the city.

   I also liked the facilities of Tartu Vocational Education Centre. But I firmly believe that the most interesting sight was the mining museum. I had never been to mines before, and I learned a lot of things from this tour under the surface of the earth. And another part of Estonia that was very different and beautiful is the "never-ending" forests and the landscapes that are always green. On the other hand, I hope that there will be more cooperation at the upcoming visits, and the general coordinator will treat all the members of this project with the same way, because I believe we should all be treated as equals. 

    And last but not least, I would like to thank Berit and Kati for their hospitality and their kindness, and also everyone else that was there, because we had a great time together. I hope to see you in Greece.

Lazaros Panagiotidis
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    Our trip in Estonia was a unique experience for me. So, first of all I would like to thank the project for giving me the opportunity to visit this country. I really liked the schedule that the Estonian coordinators have planned, because we learned a lot about the everyday life of Estonian citizens and their history. I especially enjoyed the visit at the mining museum and the adventure park. Also I can't skip how pleasant and helpful both Estonian teachers and students were, and that was an important factor that made this trip successful.

    During last week a met a lot of different people and became friend with some of them, which I think is the most important result of this project. I think Comenius project ''Europe without prejudices'' should remain active and also cooperate with other countries too, until their goal is succeeded. In any case, the overall experience was positive and I got to learn a lot for other European cultures, without any prejudices or national stereotypes.

Konstantinos Ragios
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   The educational journey to Estonia gave me the opportunity to meet kids my age who live in different environments and who have grown up with different principles, standards and mentalities. I also had the opportunity to make new friends and familiarize myself with a short set of vocabulary in four different languages within a short timeframe, still in a very pleasant way. During the period of my stay in the green scenery of Estonia under the unexpected 18-hour daylight, gave me and my group the opportunity to visit a great city where we admired the architecture, the beauty of nature and the kindness of Estonian people, as well as enjoy the company of the other teams!!!

   The closing event was a party attended by students and teachers of all teams to present the songs created and vote for the best! Then, we exchanged email addresses and I sincerely hope that we will all find time to exchange mails in the future. Lastly, I would like to thank all the contributors who helped us make this wonderful trip and especially the teachers who escorted us!

Ioanna Roussi
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During the last week I had a really nice time together with the people from Greece, Turkey, Poland and Estonia. I especially enjoyed the climbing, although this was veeery exhausting.

   I was surprised about how little people live in Estonia and for me the highlight was the school. I really liked about it that it was so big and modern. I also enjoyed the hotel/hostel. The concept of the different possibilities convinced me completely so that I would appreciate if we would have schools like these in Germany as well!

 Tartu I expected to be smaller and a bit older. But I really enjoyed the walk and the river-tour. I was surprised how clean the city was. 

   The evenings in the hotel were really fun! It was great to see how the people, which actually don't know each other, started dancing and spent such a good time together. This was also seen in e.g. the karaoke bar. I also enjoyed that the teachers were involved. It was a nice atmosphere so that everyone just hangs around with people who one liked – never mind from which country they were.

   Another highlight was the multicultural buffet we had the one day. I can't really say which country had the best food but my favorites are the Greek and Turkish ones. This was the only day I felt not hungry at the end. So the food in during the week was definitely not satisfying. 

   As I already said I liked the climbing the most but also the mining museum was very interesting, together with its area around.

   There were another two things – next to the food – I didn't like. Firstly the mosquitos. The first evening I thought I have to die because of my big loss of blood. But thankfully I survived. So that I could try to survive our tight time schedule. Which is the second thing I could have disclaimed of. 

   So all in all one can say that this was a nice week to learn more about the different nations that were part of the Comenius project. It was great to see how the students were interacting even if they sometimes had difficulties to communicate. I really had a nice week. :)

Jan Brück