When I first heard that our arrival training will be held in Sicily, I got more excited for my EVS experience. The logistics were arranged for us by TDM2000 so we had nothing to do but learn and just enjoy the moment.
We left Cagliari at five in the morning last Wednesday, May 17, and took two flights to Sicily, the largest of Italian Islands. Fate was wise enough that when we arrived in Catania we already met some of the EVS participants from Palermo (no more chance of getting lost). The bus was filled with young people who were eager to get to know each other. You can feel the energy. The session started after we walked our way from Nicolosi to our hotel and had a sumptuous lunch. It felt like attending a training that I facilitate with youth volunteers in the Philippines so I know it’s fun and comfortable. The activities brought us closer to Italian Culture, from language to music, religion, making our own tiramisu and practicing hand gestures. We even made a role play of it. It’s still amaze me that Italian hands communicate very well. Our trainers were very patient and accommodating and we were respected based on our learning styles. At the end of every training session, reflection time is observed. I think that both are very important.
We were about 30 participants so memorizing the names was a bit of a challenge. Different individuals, from different parts of the world, with different kinds of perspective. How interesting! In situation like this, it is essential to identify yourself with the group of people who shares the same passion as you, given that you will only be spending time in the training for a limited number of days. Although I have opened myself to being friends with everyone, I was happy to bump with individuals whose ideas are productive. Marijah who aims to do something for the youth immigrants, with a fantastic goal of human library (I hope to adapt and create a version in Boracay), Duchan who put himself well in equilibrium of life (he is serious and funny and you will like both sides), Veronica who defines a strong willed graceful woman, Ye who is always cheerful, Solvita who conquers the challenges within her, Paula with strong leadership skills and Remi whose gestures are so gentle that it compliments his face like Jesus. I am grateful for every moment I had with them. I get to be reminded to where to focus on, to never give up and to always find meaning in everything.
Of the seven days intensive training, we were given free time on Saturday afternoon so we decided to go to Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe. We did not book a tour since it would cost us 50-60 Euros. We decided to walk. Our facilitator said if you are lucky, you can get free ride from hitchhiking. After almost 2 hours of walking, we finally got our free ride! Thanks to Cristina Sanfilippo she was kind enough to bring us to the crater; she also showed us remains of an old house that was covered when Mt. Etna erupted a long time ago. Standing in the crater was euphoric! I never thought this would ever happen to me in a lifetime. We were so lucky! Talking about luck, we also got a free ride going down and a free admission in a beautiful Nature park where we were offered with wines and the most delicious chocolate in the world! My thought that people are generally good was proven was more.
Rona, Filipino EVS in TDM 2000 Italy