Ode to Beja

To the castle, its tower a beacon of help as we loose our way along narrow, winding streets

To the café’ next door with its sweet treats, my lattes each morning, and friendly conversation in the afternoon

To the mandolin concert in Pax Julia and citizen band on the street outside

To the Heritage Center with its local crafts and our euros

To Paula who coordinates our presence in the schools

To Ana Paula and her jewelry—bracelets, necklaces, pins

To Joe our fearless leader guiding us to yet another new restaurant for dinner

To Helder and his photocopies of dictionary pages

To olives, bread, and cheese served at meals

To the metals platters full of meat and fries

To the pitchers of red and white wines that cushion our days

To the food—and lots of it

To all our new students friends

To the teachers who remain behind in the classrooms

To us—retired teachers who still have the spirit and spunk to engage students in learning

To Beja—our home away from home

- Kay Hendrich, volunteer on Beja team #6

Goodbye!

This morning we said our first “goodbye’. I don’t look forward to our final “goodbye” to our last class on Friday afternoon. Just last week we greeted our first class with “hello.” How quickly I became attached to our students.

We are fortunate, I feel that Robin and I have worked with the same teacher and classes throughout our stay in Beja. The students recognize us and greet us in the hallways with smiles, giggles, and proudly voiced “good morning” or “good afternoon."

I don’t remember their names but I do remember who plays the piano, who likes to read Harry Potter and who is the mother of a 2 year old son.

A Typical Day in Beja

The work of Tuesday actually began in earnest at our 6 o’clock meeting on Monday (10-5-09). It’s hard to believe that we have been here a whole week. We took time to look back at the goals we had set when we first arrived (cultural awareness, personal growth, providing educational services, improve the image of Americans, and humor). As a group we are making great progress on each of these goals. In the area of “humor” we scored a 15 out of a possible 10. We laugh a lot.

As in most of our 6 o’clock meeting we discussed the Portuguese educational system. Day-by-day we are getting a better idea of the “larger picture”. We understand what they are trying to accomplish, but we don’t always agree with the methods they are using.

Tonight we have a group meeting at 6 and a language lesson at 7. I’m really making progress on the language front—room number, thank you, beer and good morning.

Day Two in Beja

Feeling more familiar with our school, we started our second day. Now they are ready for us, and we are ready for them. Funny how much they are like our students at home. The smile, the laugh, and so open to anything—that distracts them from their regular day! Nothing like having someone new in your class.

I feel humble when I realize these children know more English than I know Portuguese. I’m not sure who is going to grow the greatest from this experience—the children or me! After lunch we had our library time—thinking that it might be a bit lonely. That didn’t last. Before we know it we were surrounded with students eager to talk, listen and help us with our visitor’s map. We let them circle anything of interest as long as they talked to us. Needles to say, we have a map filled with a lot of circled museums, churches, etc.

Each day has been a bit like unwrapping a surprising package. We ask ourselves will today’s present be a treasured gift or unsatisfactory?

WORDS OF THE DAY: Anna Paula (teacher at Santa Maria) “How wonderful it is to be a teacher and to share knowledge and tenderness.”

Team Six's First Day

With wide open eyes we observed the white washed buildings, the mosaic like cobblestones and the blue tiles on the walls. We settled into our various rooms in the immaculate Residencial Bejense. The afternoon was filled with organizational meetings. Bonding has begun! Several of us went to a catholic church for a real local experience. The day ended with a family style dinner at the Tem Averdios. An evening walk for some of us helped to digest the food and the newness of our locale.

Due to a high dropout rate and relative low achievement of students, Portugal has revised the way teacher are evaluated. In addition, they are required to be more competitive to earn higher ratings and promotions—and one teacher called it the end of cooperation and the beginnings of “cannibalism”. Paula, the representative of our host, said there were many teachers who retired early due to the changes and that out of 150,000 teachers, 120,000 attended an anti government demonstration. More observations, more committee work, more time at school equal a great deal of tension at our schools.

Millennium Development Goal Accomplished:

Goal # 2: Achieve universal primary education:

Hours of English instruction to students by volunteers: 340.5
Number of students taught English by volunteers: 1779

March 13, 2009 - As we say 'Goodbye' to Beja ...

As our Portuguese adventure draws to a close most of us probably have mixed feelings. I know I do. A sense of sadness and melancholy at leaving delightful Beja and especially our new found friends and colleagues. And a certain sense of pride at what we have accomplished in our two short weeks – a furthering of the English skills of our students, a desire to continue their studies and our help in paving the way for future volunteers to continue Global Volunteers' work in Beja.

- Jane Burch

Thought for the day: To teach is to touch the future.

March 11, 2009

Travel is so educational, especially when it’s more than a tour as in “if it’s Tuesday it must be Poland”.

Yesterday I was slightly lost in Beja. A couple from Winnipeg, Canada asked me directions to the castle. I flapped my arm in the general direction and went on. Two hours later we crossed paths again: they found it! They were visiting the Algarve and in Beja for one day. Unimpressed with Portugal, they plan to go to Arizona next winter. As we chatted my students waved, and greeted me by name. That’s why I travel with Global Volunteers: for a while I’m at home in Beja, Portugal.
In the classrooms here I have much better perspective due to continuity. I feel I’m able to help build understanding of my language and culture more as I work with the same teachers and students several times.

Patricia’s interview yesterday gave me another perspective on Portugal’s culture. She says her father shares the point of view of many Portuguese: Don’t volunteer. It’s a waste of time and energy that could be better spent earning income for yourself. Of course he helps his own family and neighbors; I seldom interact with my neighbors, but go around the world at my own expense to help strangers!

- Barbara Corbusier

Thought for the day: Don’t judge someone until you have walked a mile in his/her moccasins.

March 9, 2009

Since I do not interact with many of you during my teaching day I will tell of some of my experiences working in the schools in Vidigueira. There is a Basic and a Professional school. Michelle and I are a team and board the school bus each morning at 8:15 and arrive around 9:00 - Approximately a 45 minute ride, depending on rain or if a tractor is traveling in front of us. We have been trying to create a foundation and structure for future Global Volunteers. Since these schools have not heard of us or have had any type of this program they are excited to learn.

Some of my challenges are converting Military time to standard time. I changed the schedule on paper for me to understand easier but in our hasted both of us overlooked the time and thought we had only 30 minutes for lunch. We ate fast and walked from one school to another. When we arrived to teach we were out of breath. The principal, Elisabeth Santos Rosa, told us we were an hour early. That was not a good lunch day. We finished our lunch at a pastry shop with dessert and coffee. An hour later we were relaxed and ready to teach. The afternoon was very productive and the students were anxious to have us.

Michelle and I are also privileged to be guests of Jorge Salvador, the tourism director for the village. He is so excited to speak to us in English and in exchange shares his culture with us in various ways. We have seen ancient Roman ruins, a traditional bread bakery, eaten at small home town cafés with traditional food, toured the museum when our schedules at school were not yet established. We have had a lot of laughs.

It is a long day for Michelle and me. The rewards are satisfying and I hope our efforts will benefit future teams and that we have planted the seeds for the growth of Global Volunteers in Portugal.

- Idella Schneider

Thought of the day: If today you do your best, nine times out of ten you are doing more than most people.

March 6, 2009

It’s Friday and our first week of teaching is coming to a close. It’s hard for me to believe that is was one week ago today that I boarded the plane in Seattle!

Idella and I had a very busy week with a long bus ride to and from Vidiguiera (30K/45 min away). We spent our days split between two schools – one secondary, one vocational; or site seeing with an employee of the village’s municipal, and then teaching in the afternoon.

We are in great demand at the secondary school, more so than at the vocational school. Word spread quickly throughout the secondary school that two “American teachers” were visiting. It has been so rewarding to see the shyness and timid-ness lift. Confidence is building; students are opening up, asking questions. They are no longer covering up their faces and mouths with their hands or scarves or shirts.

The students enjoy teaching me words and phrases in Portuguese. They giggle when I stumble, but praise heavily when I get it right. We have found common ground.

- Michelle Lindstrom

Thought of the day: By learning you will teach; by teaching you will understand.

March 4, 2009

We assembled in the meeting room between 6:30 and 6:45. As our team came in there were smiles on faces but tired bodies moving to chairs. We had a great Portuguese lesson from Kim.

Our daily reports were upbeat. Everyone had a positive attitude and reported progress with teachers and students. The kinks are really still being worked out.
Mary, Karl and Valerie met with students who for the most part were interested, cooperative and glad that we could share with them. Michelle and Idella reported positive interaction with students on several projects. Connie and Barb helped in the English classes with setting up a website but the highlight of their time was spending time with a teacher who wanted to practice his English and has not had a chance since the last Global Volunteers team was here.

Joanne, Jane and Bernice only had half a day with their teacher because she was teaching at the prison. Teaching that half day was productive and they were pleased with their accomplishments.

Poor Jeanne, she tried for jobs but has not yet connected. There is a really great prospect that the whole thing will jell on Wednesday. Jeanne is just over qualified and too easy to get along with.

- Mary Schlaikjer

Thought of the Day: It is better to try and fail than to have never tried at all because each failure is a learning experience.

March 3, 2009 - Let's experience Portugal!

Let's experience Portugal!

Beja is in Alentejo in southern Portugal. Alentejo is supposedly sun baked (but we’ve seen the unusual rain) and large – one third the size of Portugal. The guide book describes it as having vast rolling plains, golden with wheat (probably in June) or silver with olive trees, with white washed villages made of stucco.

Beja was founded by the Romans – on a hill for security reasons. The Romans valued this land for its wheat fields to grow grain to feed their empire. They introduced irrigation systems to overcome the area’s dryness (one of my friends here told me that the area becomes very brown in late summer).

Enjoy Beja, its varied cobblestone and white stucco buildings. Be wary when walking (slippery) on wet stone in this town with its warren of streets, some labeled and some more challenging.

I view the Portuguese as a friendly, hospitable people with a proud heritage and I’m looking forward to a very rewarding experience here.

- Jeanne Clark Katucki


Thought of the Day: "Success is never final and failure is never fatal."