5.20.2014

Tasty starters!

Today we start our cook book, my intention is to translate in these articles the different recipes that I learned, and contributed to my colleagues of European Voluntary Services, are international recipes, not only Czech
I want share with you the culinary experiences that I have in Czech Republic
In this first entry I leave two recipes, one of greek toast and  another of salad for winter, two starters very healthy and tasting. I hope you enjoy them!
Greek Toast


INGREDIENTS:

- Feta cheese
- bread
- Tomato
- Salt
- Orégano
- Oil




ELABORATION:

We opened the bread in two parties, you will add a splash of virgin olive oil, place it above tomato slices of a centimeter or more in thickness and add salt. We add above the cheese cut in pieces or properly as we can. We keep the oven about five or seven minutes and ready! easy and so tasty!


ENDIVE AND POMEGRANATE SALAT

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tomato
- 1 pomegranate
- 4 sticks of surimi
- 1 endive
- 1 orange
- Onion to taste (don't overdo, by the breath)
- oil and vinegar



ELABORATION: 


Wash and cut the endive then we split the pomegranate in half and remove the seeds we have to strike from behind. Onion and frozen the crab sticks or called surimi and cut into small pieces. To season the salad and enjoy!

5.14.2014

Curriculum Vitae and Motivational Letter

In this entry I want to explain some advices and benefits of having differents CV for differents job offers or EVS vacancy like we promised in the article about Steps to apply for a European Voluntary Service. Also we will speak a little bit of motivational letters, the way to write it and the more important content.

In the one hand we’re going to focus in Curriculum Vitae, first of all three important benefits:
  • One important thing is the design, you must to looking for one impact and simple model, here you have a link for a web side where you will find models and templates of Curriculums
  • The perfect thing is that you don’t send always the same, you can do it one serious other informal, one basic other specific and, in this way, when you find one vacancy you can be more quick and right send the perfect CV
  • Before start to include all that you studied and worked in your live, you must to think in the vacancy or offer exactly and include only the important and necessary things and never write more than two pages.
In addition you must take into count a few advices, for me it was so useful.
  • Always include a Skype contact for international vacancies will give you a chance to do more interviews. 
  • Add a photograph different, to say something more to it than a simple id photo, even more than one, be creative and show a little more to it that the photo of the DNI
  • Includes information that show your qualities and achievements in an indirect way, such as competitions, contests, etc. 
  • Don't forget to include your references and contacts that can make a transparent image of yourselves and highlight your strengths. 
  • In your telephone number remember put the international prefix, this You will avoid problems. 
  • Always add a letter of introduction and cordial formal, not exceeding twenty lines but in which you can expose specifically because you are interested in the vacant and that you can offer.
Ultimately we want give you some links where you can find creatives and new ways to present and ensure that they will always remember who you are by many resumes they receive:
  • You can make a curriculum in the form of video, in a way that's easy and it strikes more to who is going to receive, here I leave a link: Resumeme.
  • Recently I discovered a great website where you can take a different curriculum or motivation letter, I leave here the link: Aboutme
  • Another option is to export your info from different social networks (if you like this option recalls getting a professional profile away from personal photos, as parties etc. ) and create a personalised CV, this tool is called Comoto
  • Also you have other option, a CV in cg form through tool Kinzaa
  • The last one and also exporting your info from Linkedin and Facebook, you can take the visual option in you can create a very visual CV in the form of temporary line, the page is ResumUP.
In the other hard the motivational letter is a useful tool to aport a specific imagen about oneself when we apply for a job, I mean, if in a CV you include your profesional datas, in the motivational letter (wich never exceeded two pages) you speak about your personal datas.
  • Who are we? 
  • What we do (hobbies, previous work… )? 
  • What are our ambitions and challenges? 
  • And above all, why are we concerned and we are the ideal person for this post?
With regard to the guidelines to follow to write the letter these are my tips:

  • The first step isn’t sit and write, you should inform well about the company, the vacancy or proyect and what is the image that you want to give it better once you know the company and vacancy you can display an image more appropriate to comply with your needs. 
  • The next step is to be clear about the style in which you want to write, that is to say: 
    • be close but never get away from the seriousness. 
    • Be transparent without displaying a personal level too. 
    • Demonstrates security, motivation but not arrogance. 
    • Looking for the mid-point, shows that you are the person they are looking for.
  • When we begin to write
    • Us: name, age and origin. 
    • Explain why you write the letter without passing of three phrases 
    • It highlights strengths and weaknesses (always waterfallâ in positive aspects). 
    • Before you say bye makes abundantly clear in your contact details.
Finally do not hesitate to show you as you are not forgetting to whom you are going, it may be that a small detail you differentiate them from other customize your letter!

5.06.2014

Camp in Chata Hrádek

20140327_094441A group of fifteen children and four educators are directed to spend three days unique, escape from the routine, their troubles and day-to-day activities with the intention to create a deeper bond between them.
It was spring and good weather accompanies them, the journey is short and pleasant, a train wagon full of illusion, candies and two bags of materials.

Once they arrived at Hrádek householder put in the trunk of his car all their belongings so helping to finish the trip with joy and without weights until the cottage called Chata Hrádek where they will stay these days.

The way was lovely, it was a pleasure to bring these children of the city smells and customs of the nature, they had the opportunity to see deers, horses, chickens, rabbits, harriers, heard woodpeckers and owls, it took more or less an hour to reach. see deer, horses, chickens, rabbits, harriers, heard woodpeckers and owls, it took more or less an hour to reach.

The rooms were very cozy,with own bathroom and tv, the beds comfortable and the view was beautiful. They deliciously the typical Czech food before preparing the gymkana that afternoon in the forest. They marked with colored paper and left the tour instructions in each of the tracks (five in total), evidence of all kinds, physical, memorization, cooperatives, etc.

This game was by couples and the children had three minutes before the next group started the gymkana. Repartimos a los niños en parejas y dándoles un margen de tres minutos entre ellos comenzó el juego. It is a enjoyment to see the children excited and thrilled to pass each game, is a unique opportunity to play between them, returning to be children for a few days.
IMAG1152With the convenience of the bathroom inside the room the children were prepared for dinner.
The dining room was lovely the tables had natural flowers in small vases with the image of the house and the attention couldn’t be better, they served lunch and provided tea for the entire day (something that should be typical in Czech Republic because in the training of arrival also offered).
Just move a few tables and place a few posters the dining room became a stage for the evening, a gala of Factor-X. The educators discovered voices very nice, many fun and qualities that were unaware of each of the children.The educators were the jury, interpreted the role of different celebrities.

Conducted three phases, with breaks for advertising and before the final papers were changed, the children sat at the table of jury and the educators offered two performances in couples, spanish against czechs. Of course won the Czech Republic, with a couple of songs from his land had the jury in the pocket while the spanish sing children’s songs such as „soy una taza“ and invited them to dance together La Macarena (they love it).
The second day received a pleasant visit, Marketa, another educator in practices that came to pass the day, with them all
20140326_110952
together began the hike to Filipka. By the way, they made stops to play hide among the pine trees of the forest and eat mandarins who provided them in Chata Hradek hill for mid-morning. Once they arrived at the restaurant, the children were able to take something, buy postcards and enjoy the morning sun.
The following activities were in two groups and while the children played this games a part of the educators have made the journey to prepare the signals of the tracking. That was her activity, after several years working at summer camps she believed that the tracking are some of the activities more fun and useful for children and as she hadn’t prepared one by herself, decided to test. It was a success, the groups came at the end of the activity tired and excited, in the evaluation of the next day all commented that it had been one of their favorite activities!

That evening the activity ran from hand of Marqueta and again in two groups the children played to a small gymkana of three tests: a physical with different games, a drawing and a last to complete a puzzle. The Spanish volunteers could teach a typical game of their country to children, „el pañuelo“ (to which all played at some birthday) while their colleagues were preparing the bonfire to eat some sausages, an activity which always they do it in Střep and that the kids love it.

IMAG1165Once prepared all the children could pierce their sausages and put them to the fire, as if they were fishing rods, is something very fun and delicious to them, accompanied by ketchup and mustard. In the Czech Republic the people don’t eat hot dogs as we do it in Spain, they eat separately the bread and sausage, I will elaborate in future articles the cook habits, customs and most typical Czech recipes.
For that night, the last one, the kids looked forward a pleasant surprise, the cottage had a sauna and they offered them the opportunity to enjoy this steam bath so enjoyable. In groups of four and five children and accompanied at all times of two educators they were able to go to the sauna for a total of twenty minutes each group. It was an experience that people liked and left them completely relaxed after a whole day. At the end of the day made a craft activity and evaluation of the experience.
Friday was only picking up, have breakfast and make their way back to the train station. Once again in Český Těšín some parents came to collect them at the station and with the rest did the way up to the center where they completed the tour.
I personally think that few days were very good, where contact more with children, closer ties, enjoy nature and learn Czech more easily.
hradek

5.02.2014

KOGUCIK MORE SPACE FESTIVAL

A incredible calm has been breathed in Český Těšín since my arrival, a quiet town of workers and teenagers. Maybe you can see in the Polish side (Cieszyn) more tourist movement, but in general, it's a quiet town, one of those in Czech Republic where the bars close at ten and as soon as turn night the people disappears on the street.
Altough, with the arrival of spring, the longer days and warmer weather appear the terraces in the bars, people walk by the river walk.
Suddenly everything are bicycles, roller skates, and people playing tennis and football near the river. In the park there is a small bar but with a very nice terrace, you can order your drink and sit on the lawn and make your own pic-nic. In the final analysis it is as if the city waking up after the lethargy of the winter, even though we have lived a very warm winter in reality.
With all of this activity and this changes comes a film festival that is celebrated in the two parts of the city, it name "kino na hranici" makes honor to this fact beacuase the meaning is: cinema at the border.
I decided not to attend the festival, for reasons of money, such as European Voluntary always have to think very well to what you are going to spend your pocket money, and because, the films are Czechs and Polish and it's so hard for me understand the argument. But looking at the program we discovered that each day of the festival at the end of the viewing the filmsthey offer a concert in the park in Cieszyn where is the Tower of the castle of Piast.
With this information and being a public holiday the next day, one of May, labor day, stayed for a few volunteers who live in Český Těšín although we work in different organizations for a little open-air music.
In our city, Czech Republic and Poland are separated by the river Olza and these days is being a pleasure the amount of people that you can see crossing the Przyjaźni bridge from one movie to another or simply walking.
When we went to the concert, just behind the bridge we could see a small garage with music and young people chatting outside.After, in the park, the organizer told us that we had to pay 24 PLN (6 €) to see the concert, not overly expensive, but taking into account that did not know the group we thought what if we are going to the local that we have just seen?
Great idea, it couldn't be better the change of plan, arriving in the doors have the poster that you can see on the left of these lines, this is a music festival called "More Space Festival", in a small garage, organized by a small club of friends called Kogucik, a music club and philosophers, as you put on their Facebook page.
This being a great festival, intimate, where we are enjoying all kinds of music from Polish artists, with very friendly people with the power to strike up a conversation, always in English, of course. Yesterday, Thursday, we were able to enjoy three very good acoustic concerts, personally the third was my favourite, two young guys with a guitar and cello, they thrilled us with very creative versions.
Without doubt, this festival has been one of my best discoveries since that I'm in the European Voluntary Service, all what you have opportunity I highly recommend to go and all of you that can come, remember it for future editions, It's such a nice festival. To inspire the organizers and make it alive, we still have two days of music!