CHANGING

 

A few weeks ago, I turned on my computer after several months without touching it,and what I found surprised me. I had completely forgotten how most of my computer screen was full of miscellaneous university documents, things from tax law II practicalto a variety of drafts of my final thesis. This reminded me of how less than 9 months ago, i.e., less than the length of a pregnancy, I was still a student stressing about my last exams at university while spending countless hours searching for information so that I could finish my thesis in time to move to Budapest. I found this very amusing, and it made me think about how life can change in such a short period of time and how different I am from that stressed-out Irene at university, this is why I would like to reflect a little on this topic in this blog post.

 

I never thought my life could change so much in the last few months, but Budapest has done it. It has been many years since I have read as much as I have in the last few months, quite possibly I have read more books in the last month than I have in the last year. Plus, my usual group of friends is now made up of people of different ages and nationalities, which has proved to be a humbling slap in the face in many situations.

At the same time, with this variety of people I have learned that there is not only one way to live and understand life, and I have discovered with them new activities that are now my favourites, such as having a picnic in the park on a sunny day (because yes, although it may surprise many of you, it was something I didn't do before coming here), meeting my friends in a house to play board games or watch a movie with wine. I'm even starting to get used to meeting up for coffee in Budapest's many wonderful cafes from time to time, which is another thing I rarely did before as I thought I didn't particularly enjoy it, however, now it's something I love doing with my friends and I even had some of my most amazing conversations there. If someone would have told me I would change the libraries and exams for doing these things with my friends, I would have laughed and thought that person was crazy.

 
It is really curious how so many things can change in a few months, how a new environment can shape your habits and ideas even when you are not looking for it. A new adventure, like this volunteer project, would change your life in many surprising and unexpected ways, although you might not be looking for it, because you think you are already comfortable and happy with who you are, and it will show you how the world if full of unannounced events and astonishing people. I can´t help but think about how my life would be if I wouldn´t have decided to come here, Would I be reading this much? Would I have changed this much? I really cannot tell, but what I know for sure it´s that I love all the grow I am experiencing and all the new people that is surrounding me, and I cannot wait to see what else is going to change during my last months in this volunteering project. And I hope I will be able to share it with you. 

See you in the next post,

Irene 

 

Olvass tovább

Tavasz, nyár, Filantrópia

 

Kedves olvasók!

A nyár megérkeztével a mi szociális életünk is kivirágzott, nem csak a Margit sziget:) Ennek tiszteletéül egy fotó montázzsal készültem nektek, a legkedvesebb emlékeimből! 

Akaratom ellenére két szék között találtam magam, mivel választanom kellett nemrég a szentek közül, pontosabban, hogy melyik a legigazibb és legjobb. Egyik oldalon olasz barátnőnk Marta, Szent Ferenccel, a másikon pedig Irene, Szent Antallal. Nekem túl nehéznek bizonyult a döntés, ezért átadtam a teret az Instagram követőimnek egy szavazás formájában. A helyzet az, hogy soha nem fog kiderülni, ki a legigazibb szent, mert a szavazás eredménye egyenlő lett:)

Továbbá láthatóak a növénykéim (a képen csupán kettő, de ennél sokkal több van), pillanatok a boltból és barátaink Európa minden sarkából.

A hónapok teltével kialakult lassan a mindennapi rutinunk a boltban is. Mostmár ismerjük a törzsvásárlókat, megvannak a kedvenc emberkéink is persze:) Már tudjunk nagyjából ki mit keres, amikor bejön hozzánk, kinek mi a stílusa, hogy mennek a mindennapjai, kinek hány gyereke van, stb stb. És persze vannak olyan vásárlóink is, akik gyakran kis kedves gesztusokkal érkeznek be hozzánk, mint például sütemény, gyümölcs vagy csak egy kis ajándék társaságában.

Szeretettel, Móni

Olvass tovább

Women's Day in Spain

                                                                                (Forrás: El PAÍS)

 

Taking advantage of the fact that this month was Women's Day, I would like to talk about how women's day it's been lately celebrated in Spain. However, before I begin, I would like to stress that everything expressed in this post is not intended to   represent all Spaniards

opinions and all Spanish culture on this day, but is much more an approximation of how I perceive women's day and the data offered by the various national media.

Women's day is conceived as a day to celebrate women, where thousands of people receive congratulatory messages. Receiving gifts from men, on the other hand, is a rare practice in Spain, and might even be patronising, as this day is a day to remember the struggle for gender equality. We should not forget that the commemoration of Women's Day milestone came after 129 women died in a fire at the Cotton factory in the USA, after a strike was declared at their workplace due to poor working conditions and the first National Woman's day was designated to honor this protest and all these women. 

Despite the fact that women's day demonstrations have been organized for many years, the way we understand women's day in Spain underwent a drastic change on 8 March 2018. This was due to the fact that on this day there was a record number of participants in the demonstrations, hundreds of thousands of people. The demonstrations spread to more than 120 Spanish cities and the streets were filled with people and banners with messages such as "We are the cries of those who are no longer here" or "You took so much from us that you ended up taking away our fear". 

 

                                                                    (Forrás: El País)

 

This was a turning point, as it highlighted women's widespread anger at gender inequality, increased social awareness of women's rights, and the institutional need to take further steps to achieve formal and material gender equality.  Women openly stated that they were not willing to accept their socially imposed roles, Spanish women were angry and willing to fight. I remember going to the demonstration in my hometown with my friends, I remember singing and shouting along with thousands of other women, I remember how, because of the number of people, I could not see the end or the beginning of the demonstration, and I especially remember feeling powerful and empowered by all the people around me who shared my rage at inequality and injustice.

Demonstrations have continued to be the focal point of women's day in Spain. It is a day to remember that only 8.8% of the largest companies in Spain were headed by women in 2022, that there is still wage parity, that women suffer from higher expectations and burdens at home, and, consequently, it is more common for women to be the ones to give up their careers for housework, how women are often only remembered in the artistic fields when it is feared that the "quota of women" will not be met and that the misogyny of the field will be palpable, among other consequences from this disparity. Although in the last decades much progress has been made in terms of equality between men and women, especially in formal equality, there is still much to fight for, as equality between the sexes is not a reality today.

I would like to end with a famous quote by Simone de Beauvoir: "Never forget that a political, economic or religious crisis will be enough to cast doubt on women's rights,  These rights will never be vested. You will have to stay vigilant throughout your life".

Olvass tovább

 

Hol volt, hol nem volt, egy lány, aki úgy döntött elkezd élni

 

Kedves olvasó, remélem te is örülsz a tavaszias időjárásnak, nem csak miJ Ez a huzamos idejű borús idő kezdett túl depresszív lenni már számunkra. Remélem mindenki kiélvezi és kiszalad egy picit a természetbe, akár egy néhány perces sétára egy parkba vagy, csak a hátsókertbe vagy egy napsütötte teraszon egy kedves kávé és néhány csodálatos ember társasága is elképesztő hatással lehet ránk.

Nagyon gyakran észre sem vesszük, mennyire gyorsan repül az idő. Én ma ébredtem rá, hogy lassan fél éve, hogy Budapesten halmozom a csodálatosabbnál csodálatosabb barátságokat, emlékeket a kis tarisznyámba, amivel útnak indultam szeptemberben, mint a szegény legény a népmesékben. Nem csak az idő múlására nem eszmélünk rá, arra sem, mennyire megváltozunk egy-egy esemény hatására.

Személyesen rengeteget szenvedtem az önbizalom hiányom miatt. Rettegtem közönség előtt beszélni, vagy akár beszélgetésbe elegyedni egy idegen emberrel, nem is beszélve a segítségkérésről. A napokban ráébredtem, hogy ez a félelem eltűnt az életemből. Megtanultam kérdezni. A múltban rengeteg időt képes voltam eltölteni egy üzletben egy adott tárgyat keresve, mert féltem odamenni egy dolgozóhoz és megkérdezni, hogy mégis hol találom meg, amit keresek. Féltem, hogy butának fogok tűnni. Ráébredtem, hogy senki nem néz butának, csupán egy kérdés miatt, mert nem létezik rossz kérdés.

Első komolyabb fellépésem közönség előtt (a prezentációkat leszámítva a liciből)  az adományboltban történt a Hajóláda-műhely alkalmával.  Megtartottam életem első workshopját! Zonikból kiscicákat készítettünkJ Óriási mérföldkövet léptem meg ezáltal. El sem tudom mondani, mennyire büszke voltam magamra a nap végén! Óriásit dobott az önbizalmamon. Elkezdtem belevágni hasonló tevékenységekbe, feszegetve a határaimat, mert a félelmem fokozatosan kezdett alább hagyni minden kis apró sikerem után.

Most itt állok, magabiztosan az önkéntes kalandom közepén vicces vagy akár tanulságos élményekkel, mert úgy döntöttem leküzdöm a félelmeimet.

Olvass tovább

NEW BEGINNINGS

Hello, my name is Irene, and I am one of the "new" volunteers in the Philanthropy Charity Shop. Some months ago, I was still doing the last exam of my degree and trying to finish a final dissertation that seemed to have no end. In between all these last nerves and stress, I was trying to figure out what I would do next year knowing clearly that I wanted to do something that could help other people and that had a social purpose. And that's how I found this beautiful opportunity in this very special shop.

After a fantastic initial interview, I knew that this was the place where I wanted to spend a year, where I would learn, grow and help, however, upon arrival everything exceeded my expectations. When I arrived, I met the people who would become, not only my flatmates, but also fantastic friends with whom I could share dramas, go out partying, laugh and above all always find love and support. To be completely honest, I never thought that in such a short period of time, I would be able to connect so well with two people, loving their presence and lamenting their absence, and although Núria left to embark on her new adventure, she remains a great and loving friend to this day. Moreover, over the months, other beautiful people came into my life, and I learned that friendships have nothing to do with age.

But not only did I meet great flatmates, the shop also turned out to be a great and pleasant surprise. Here I am, meeting people with stories as varied as the products in our shop, with whom I love to talk and get to know their backgrounds. I am also learning how, even the smallest gestures, can mean great joy for some people, and how we are really doing great social work that helps many people. It makes me feel very happy to see how my work can have a very positive effect on everyone's lives. In addition, it allows me to acquire new skills and learn a lot in fields I am interested in.

Besides, my work is always easier with my colleagues and Zsuzsa, with whom, besides working hard, we share a lot of laughs, our problems, and the craziest situations. With them, everything always appears so much easier, and my hardest days don't seem so bad. 

If someone had told me months ago, when I was suffering in front of a Tax Law II book, that I would find so much happiness and love in Budapest, I honestly would have laughed, because it would have seemed impossible. But after a few months of living here, I can say that this is the best decision I have made in years, and that this experience will undoubtedly change my life. I can't wait to continue enjoying the life I have in Budapest.

My first walk in Budapest

 

 My first day with the girls

Olvass tovább

Kalandozásaim Filantrópia szigetén

 

Sziasztok, Mónika vagyok, Erdélyből. Több évvel ezelőtt elhatároztam már, hogy egy évemet önkéntességre szeretném szentelni, mivel hozzátennék valamit a közjóhoz, meg egyben tapasztalatokat is gyűjtenék. Érettségi után meg is kaptam a lehetőséget erre és így kerültem a Filantrópia kis szigetére, az adományboltba.

Vegyes érzelmekkel (őszintén nagyon féltem) vágtam bele az új kalandomba. Az első napon rájöttem, hogy semmi okom nem volt félni, mert egy csodálatos pozitív- és energiabomba önkéntes társ mellett kötöttem ki. Ő lenne Núria. A családomtól távol több száz km-re ő töltötte be számomra a testvér és egyben az anyuka szerepet is. Nagyon sokat tanultam tőle a néhány hét alatt, amit együtt töltöttünk. Rájöttem, hogy az életet élni és élvezni kell, nem végig küzdeni. Minden nap felfedezek valami újat amiért aznap épp hálás és boldog lehetek. Nem sokkal később csatlakozott a kiscsaládunkhoz Irene is, aki egy igazi mókamester. Így éltük tovább napjainkat hárman egy idegen városban, új élményeket és emlékeket gyűjtve. Ó, meg persze megszerettem a reggaeton-t, de hát ez nem egy nehéz feladat, ha az ember lánya spanyolokkal él együtt.

Sajnos Núria-tól búcsút kellett vennünk néhány hét után, mivel lejárt az egy éve. Dugiban, a szobámban megsirattam a távozását, viszont előtte ezt titkoltam, hogy ne könnyes legyen a búcsú, hanem mosolygós perceink legyenek az utolsóak itt együtt.

Itt, Budapesten tanultam meg mit jelent szívből segíteni valakin, aki tényleg rászorul erre. Megtanultam értékelni a családommal töltött néhány perces telefonbeszélgetéseket. Megtanultam főzni. Megtanultam hogyan kell kiismerni egy mosógépet, mert ezek a szerkezetek nagyon gyakran kifognak rajtam. Megtanultam beilleszkedni új környezetekbe és társaságokba. Megtanultam jobban angolul és folyamatban van, de tanulok spanyolul

Hálával tartozom mindenkinek, aki körülvesz engem és segít mindenben, legfőképpen Zsuzsának, aki szerintem titokban boszorkány, mert mindig igaza lesz, hiába nem hiszünk neki a dolgok elején.

Reggeli a lányokkal egy vasárnap délelőtt (a képen épp csak Núria-val)

A budapesti kiscsaládom (Beci, én, Zsuzsa, Núria, Irene)

Kalandozásaim Irene-vel az Ikeán innen és túl

Séta a Margit szigeten Núriával

Olvass tovább

It's not a goodbye yet

This experience is coming to an end and I can only be grateful. What an amazing group of people I have met, each one with their own culture, language, customs, political ideas... sometimes we feel unique, special... and we are. But when you share differences and similarities with other people, you realise that in the end we all have the same values in common: family, love, friendships, work. Then everyone has their hobbies... traveling, meeting people, Netflix, reading...

How many interesting people there are in the world and how difficult it is to get out of your comfort zone to reach them. It's also increasingly difficult to find someone interesting, as many of them look alike and are no longer special. 

Time is money, so there is no need to share it with people we don't feel like sharing it with. But I have been lucky in this volunteering, as I have met wonderful people who have taught me so much and I hope I have taught something too. I am not formally saying goodbye yet, as this is not my last blog, but inwardly I am beginning to do so. I am living things more intensely, I know there is a limit, there is a day when I will take the flight and say goodbye to Budapest. Maybe it's not forever and I'll come back for a new job, maybe I'll come back to visit (visiting of course, it's not a maybe), who knows? 

Three years ago I was living in Prague as an Erasmus student, and I thought I had learned how to say goodbye to a city. But I'm discovering that you never learn how to manage goodbyes. You don't say goodbye to the city, you say goodbye to the experiences, to your favourite bar, to the guests who came to visit you... but above all you say goodbye to the people who made your everyday life wonderful.  

I would recommend volunteering to anyone, I would recommend it to anyone who can spend a year abroad, it fills you with a magic that cannot be explained. You connect with yourself, you discover things about yourself that you didn't know, you forge friendships in a language that is not your own language. And the more you travel, the more people you meet, the more you discover about yourself, the more you realise how much you still have to learn.

So I can only say that I feel gratitude for everything I have learned this year personally and for everything I have learned from the people around me. It has been a great opportunity to meet you.

New volunteer, new workmate, new flatmate! Móni

At Zsuzsa's parents place making Zakuszka. 

It was an incredible family Sunday :) 

An amazing sunset as always

Olvass tovább