A Great Start to a Wonderful Journey!

14 April 2010

Written by Maria

Message for the Day: Life isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey.


Today started off very rushed as I quickly tried to get ready for school. Ann and I headed out to the middle school and fortunately found our way quite easily, getting home however was a different story. We had a variety of students at different levels and had a great experience. During one of our break, we explored the Beja Castle and tried to imagine what it would’ve been like to live there. We then returned to the school to watch some students practice the dance they will perform at a celebration next month.

The kids were shy at first, looking at Ann and I as we watched them, but it was so fun to see them slowly warm up. After school, Joaquim took us on a walking tour which ended with a torrential downpour but while our clothes were soaked, our spirits were definitely not dampened as we made our way to Salada de Fruitas, an Italian restaurant. We indulged ourselves in banana pizza, pasta and of course red wine.

As I reflect on our time here thus far, I think about the days that led up to this trip. When I first made plans to join Global Volunteers in Portugal, I was excited at the prospect of challenging myself to travel alone and to teach, as I dread any sort of public speaking. But a few days before I left Maryland, I was filled with fear, anxiety and apprehension. Questions such as “What if no one likes me?” “What if I get lonely?” and “What if I am awful at teaching?” were pervasive and my excitement began to fade.

Fast forward to 5 days later and those thoughts and fears no longer exist. It has been a true joy getting to know this motley crew, all of us with different backgrounds and personalities yet bonded by our eagerness to learn about and explore Portugal and share our knowledge of English with our students. We’ve laughed at our attempts to speak the language, we’ve explored and gotten lost in the town, we’ve shared stories about ourselves and our teaching experiences and we’ve enjoyed delicious food and wine every day.

It has been a great start to a wonderful experience.

It Was Destiny

11 April 2010

Written by Joe Testa

Message of the Day: "Do not overlook tiny good actions, thinking they are of no benefit; even tiny drops of water, in the end, will fill a large vessel." - Anonymous

I truly believe that it was destiny that Beja and Global Volunteers discovered one another. After all, legend has Beja recognized as a peace center dating back to the Romans and Global Volunteers is all about promoting peace through mutual understanding – a “perfect match.”

Today was about coming together as a team, learning about our mission here and the beginning of formulating many new friendships.

It began with a scenic, peaceful journey through the countryside of Portugal. Along the way we discovered orchards of cork and olive trees, grape vineyards and beautiful storks nesting on the poles above.

We arrived and quickly settled into our new home for the next two weeks – Residencial Bejense.

After lunch we gathered for orientation. We discussed the dos and don’ts to remain safe and healthy, reviewed the Global Volunteers manual and what to expect in our new culture. The group settled on six team goals to focus on. We concluded by agreeing on 12 characteristics that are essential for us to become a cohesive and effective team.

Dinner at the Tem Avondo; a favorite of previous teams, ended the arduous but productive day. We dined on a feast of traditional foods accompanied by local wines.

So what have I discovered about this eclectic group in one short day? I learned that one volunteer is honored to be on anyone’s list for whatever reason. That another volunteer is oblivious to the traditional greeting and is going right for the lips. That one has differences with a neighbor over what is considered a political statement and the other assumes is “trash.”

That still another who admits to be shy about kissing when greeting someone demonstrated no inhibitions jumping into the arms of a gentleman that she had met on a previous trip. She claims that she was pushed but I surmise that it was voluntary and spontaneous.

My intuition tells me that this group, although small in numbers will accomplish much and make a real difference.

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.