It has been a month now that we have been living here in Metlika, Slovenia. And as the four weeks came by, our experiences only got better and better. Every week, we met more and more people from the town like from the organization, the local boys, the ice-cream man, the parents who bring their kids to the park, the guy who makes Ghee (butter). They all showed the same warmth and welcoming spirit toward us. There were just smiles everywhere. We were invited several times for a drink or a dinner or a visit to their homes and vineyards. They are also very accommodating and generous. As they say in this region, “you ask for directions (on the road) and they will invite you over for wine, and then for lunch, then you end up staying the night, and three more after that”. We found that this was typical among the Balkans and we were just really loving their company and they made our first month such a great experience.
Also on this first month, we have been shown around by the locals to different sights around Metlika. We visited some camps along the river Kolpa, to a spring, a historical sight nearby, tower with a breathtaking view of the mountains and to nearby towns. The spring to me, was especially beautiful, it was almost magical. We also visited a church situated on top of a mountain, in the middle of the forest. I was especially amazed by this as it is a very old church and it is still visited by pilgrims every year. We were also able to set one foot on Croatia by the borders and for a minute there, we were in 2 countries at the same time. This was really awesome! There really were a lot of firsts for us in this first month. We also experienced snow for the first time. When we knew it was snowing, we both ran outside to watch it fall. And the next day, one of the local boys, upon knowing that we were so excited to see snow, offered to bring us up to the mountains to see even more. When we went there, I could still see the snow on top of the leaves of the trees and on the roofs of the houses as we drove along the road. To me, to see snow like that was a dream-come-true, I was like in a dreamland!
One of the highlights of our first month here on our first week also, when we went to the International Food Day in Velenje, which is a few towns from Metlika. This was an event organized by the volunteers there. It was a two-day event where the first day was the preparation of the food, in which volunteers from different parts of Slovenia of different nationalities gathered in the Youth Center. The second day would be the actual event where the food will be shared with the locals in the main square. We Filipinos were not participating in the actual event but got the chance to attend anyway. So while the participants were preparing, we had the chance to go around and see the city of Velenje. One of the things that I saw in the city that really captivated me was the ruins of the castle as it really gave me the feeling of being in a different time. It was really beautiful. In the evening, we had a dinner with the rest of the volunteers. I was, at first very excited about it, but somehow disappointed as during the dinner, I felt that we Asians were a bit left out. But on the next day, things got better as everybody was inviting us more to join them and it really got my spirits up, especially that I was really excited for the event. Our booths were right at the center of the square which made me feel even more hyped about how big the event actually was, considering that it was just organized by volunteers. More and more people came as the hours went by, and there was so much going on, like a march of people in traditional costumes, a band playing and some kids dancing. We also went around to taste the food cooked by the volunteers of different nationalities and all of them were really good. Then, out of curiosity, I also went to the handicrafts booths where some elderly persons taught me how to make some crafts out of paper. And being with them reminded me of my grandmother and I felt really grateful to be in their company even just for a little while.
When the food was all finished, we started to pack up and the volunteers gathered around to play some games. By the time we had to go home, I felt that everybody has really bonded and nobody wanted to part. I felt that there was really a genuine connection between all of us even if it was just a two-day event.
Jance, Filipino EVS in KUD PLAC; Slovenia