When Klara, the administrator of our blog, told me to write a text about us living together during the last months, I knew that it would be one of
the most difficult tasks I have done here.
How should I express this experience in words?
Five different people from five different countries and cultural
backgrounds living together for 8-10 months.
Maros and I arrived in the beginning of November here in Kruiningen.
I would live two months alone with him before the other EVSer arrive.
My first thought: Why should they put the youngest girl (20) and the
oldest boy...or better man (his age is a secret) together to live two months
alone? I admit that I was very skeptical in the beginning. It seemed that we
have a lot of differences. And that was true, but we concentrated on our
similarities and after all we were depend on each other.
Until the other EVSer came in January, Maros and I already experienced
a lot together, he cooked his healthy food for me and we started becoming a
very good team.
This team of two people became a strong group when the other EVSer
arrived.
Not only at work we had to function well as a group, it was even more
important to function as a group during the everyday life in the “Vierslag”.
Everyone had his own role in the group.
We cooked together, played games, made music, celebrated birthdays and
had parties, played volleyball and visited different cities. We learned from
each other.
The aspect that we all come from different countries makes it even more
interesting.
In every single situation you learn something about different cultures
and there were not few evenings, where we discussed how one aspect, e.g.
corruption, influences our different countries.
When we played a game called “Dixit”, where you have to know the other
players very well, with a person from outside, this person had no chance to
win.
Of course there were also difficult situations and some arguments.
Of course there were also difficult situations and some arguments.
Who doesn't clean enough? How much money should we spend for shopping?
But this is simply part of it.
After a few weeks, many of us were on vacation, visiting the family and
friends. Most of us
experienced how much we miss the others.
I for my part have after these 10 months a second family.
This is my best way to express it in words.
