ERASMUS+ KA2 Strategic Partnership
Hands in Hands
PORTUGUESE PARTNERS
Short-term exchange with groups of pupils, Satu Mare, 05-09th March 2018
The Erasmus + “Hands in Hands” project has the potential to be wildly fulfilling. It creates opportunities that expose you to new cultures, different perspectives, unique experiences and different teaching/learning methodologies. The more we partake in mobilities, the more we’re pushed out of our comfort zone. The more we’re pushed out of our comfort zone, the more we learn about ourselves and the world around us.
1st day (03/03/2018)
Sátão, 3:30 a.m. Blurry-eyed from lack of sleep, we head for Francisco Sá Carneino Airport, excited to catch a plane headed towards the capital of Hungry,- Budapest, but not before a small layover in Madrid. Arriving in Budapest, we make our way to the homebase for our overnight stay, Maple Tree Apartments. Even though we were tired, excitement got the bet of us. Naturally, we hit the streets! Strolling through the downtown streets of the capital, we made our way to the Hard Rock – Budapest. So chic! Appetites satisfied we made our way back to the apartment, settling down for the night.
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2nd day (04/03/2018)
Maple Tree Apartments, 09:00 a.m. A knock on my door signals it’s time to head out. With big sunglasses to hide my lack of sleep, a warm winter coat, gloves and boots, I’m out the door. First stop is the Golden Arches (McDonald’s) for breakfast. We bought a group transport ticket, the previous day, so it was easy to take a tram or the metro to various areas of the city. With the excellent tram network, it was easy to get around. So, let’s see, Budapest is the capital and the largest city in Hungary. This quaint European town certainly has charm. The city has the Danube River running through. The monuments are many and include the Hungarian Parliament, the Shoes on the Danube Bank, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and Buda Castle, to name a few. Known as the "Little Paris of Middle Europe", the city reflects 1,000 years of history. There are actually two cities: Pest side on one side and is noted with the largest parliament building in Europe, riverside promenades, flea markets, bookstores, antique stores and café houses. Buda sits on the other side and has the famous Buda Castle. First stop, the Parliament Building. What can I say? It’s worth the visit, for its grandeur and architectural wealth. In addition to being able to visit the monument "The Shoes on the Banks of the Danube", where at the end of the II world war some Jews were forced to jump into the icy river without their shoes. In a freezing winter, many died, few survived this atrocity. Reaching the Chain Bridge, we can see that the people walking its span want to be there; they’re not being coaxed along by a tour guide. Views are breath-taking: on one side, the Buda Castle, on the other, Parliament. We were impressed with the architecture; although, much had been destroyed during the War, the stone lions that decorate the Chain Bridge survived. Once across the river, very close to the Castle Hill Funicular we catch a bus to Buda Castle. The ride up takes very little time, before we know it, the ride is over. We exit not too far from Buda Castle, which dwarfs everything else on the hillside. An old beautiful castle settled among the numerous buildings, this incredible 200-room palace is a spectacular scenario, unfornately we only saw the outside of it, due to time restrains. From here, we begin to explore our surroundings, the views of the city, at midday, are stunning! I can only imagine the sunsets. Time being of the essence, we have a quick lunch and make our way back to the apartment, to gather our things. Time to head to Romania. Catching our ride at 4.30 pm, accompanied by the Croatian partners, we settle in for a four-hour bus drive across the border to a little city called Satu Mare. Two quick pit stops and a border check later. We are greeted, at Melody Hotel, by the Romanian project coordinator and by host family members.
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3rd day (05/03/2018)
Next day, at 9.00 am, we arrived at Școala Gimnazială Lucian Blaga, the Romanian school. Where students and teachers, were received with a warm reception from our Romanian hosts. We also had the honor of hearing a few words of welcome from the school headmaster Ioan Gozar. Later, that morning, we headed towards Satu Mare City Hall, where the mayor of the town and a few representatives of the local municipality. Awaited our arrival. After lunch at the Melody Hotel our hosts invited us to visit the secondary school. Here, children with dance and song greeted us. Which I found very enlightening. So after, we were off again. This time we all took a trip to the WAWI World of Chocolate. Having the unique opportunity to indulge our sweet tooth and experience close up what makes their handcrafted chocolate specialties so irresistible. We then returned to the hotel for a nice dinner with all the guest partners and a goodnight’s rest.
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4th day (06/03/2018)
We started off the day with a special class. Sharing teaching methods - content and language learning - in social studies presented by our colleague Camelia Dumitru, a history and social studies teacher. Partaking in the workshop: “The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child”. After the workshop and a small break, teachers involved in the project HIH held a meeting, to exchange – “sharing experiences” of previous projects. . As well as being entitled to acquaint themselves with the Romanian, school system. All the while, guest pupils are attending a school lesson. Before lunch, Ms. Raluca Kiss, Physical Education teacher awaited everyone in the school gym. Time for a Physical Education class everyone! Back to the Melody restaurant, for a hardy lunch. The rest of the afternoon, the guest teachers were privy to some free time. Roaming the streets of down town Satu Mare, before returning to the hotel for dinner.
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5th day (07/03/2018)
We got up early enough to make it for the Sightseeing tour. Setting off at 7:45 am, our first stops were a historical museum (depicting the costumes of the region) and a “Live” museum of pottery. Here, we were given the opportunity of see first-hand, ceramic pottery being moulded from pieces of clay. Next stop, the Merry Cemetery in the village of Săpânța, Maramureş county. Famous for the colourfully painted wooden crosses that adorn the tombstones in the village graveyard. Story goes, that in the 1930’s, the local wood carver Stan Ioan Patras had the idea to make a different kind of cemetery, unique in Romania and in the world, to reflect the life and personality of the deceased in a cheerful way. We loved it - its a cemetery that tells a story of every person sleeping there. From there we drove to Sighetu Marmatei, to see the Sighet Prison, which is now a Memorial to the Victims of Communism and to the Resistance. The concept of communism, suppression and oppression that people suffered because of it, is not easily explained to young people. After a short drive, we stopped at Pastravaria Alex located close to the beautiful Desesti village, this restaurant offered a unique and very pleasant experience. It was cosy, with beautiful snowy surroundings and tasty local food. Soon we were on our way again. Driving to the Baia Mare Shopping Mall, where the kids roamed around the various shops buying souvenirs for their loved ones and simply getting to know one another. We ended the day by arriving at or hotel in Satu Mare.
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7th day (09/03/2018)
Our last morning at Școala Gimnazială Lucian Blaga takes off at 9:00 am with Ms. Monica Ciontoș, English teacher sharing some of her teaching methods. Followed by Ms. Carmen Man, Romanian language teacher beginning her class with a short play “The Legend of Martisor” performed by her students. The Martisor is one of the most representative of Romania's traditions. The Martisor is a tiny adornment tied with a red and white entwined cord presented on March 1st, celebrating the arrival of spring. Women, dear to us, are gifted with these spring tokens. It is believed to bring joy and good luck. The workshop that followed gave the students the opportunity to create their own Martisor, Activity that was enjoyed by all. After the lunch break, the teachers withdrew to their hotel rooms to pack their bags and prepare for their departures. The evening festivities began at 5:00 pm with a farewell party for the Erasmus+ participants that lasted late into the night.
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8th day (10/03/2018)
Early morning, the day of departure begins with a hearty breakfast. Soon host families began arriving with the guest students in tow. The farewell, in front of the hotel, involved tears from several students. Resigned our students entered the bus. We faced once again a four-hour bus trip, over the border back to Budapest. A four hour, plane ride to Porto and another hour and a half bus ride to Sátão. Although there is no doubt that the past few days were tiresome, when all is said and done, it was worth it.
6th day (08/03/2018)
The morning starts with teachers meeting to discuss and evaluate the activities that took place in the pasted week, as well as, outlining the tasks to be distributed and the activities to take place in the next exchange. By 11:00 am, everyone (pupils and teachers) is ready to participate in the workshop “Learning through Games” presented by the English teacher Sorana Bojuc–Teodorescu. We then attended the school festivities. The Lucian Blaga pupils preformed in a talent show. There were special moments dedicated to each of the partners and the handing out, of the certificates of attendance. After lunch, the teachers and students participated in an interactive sport games, at the Crossfit Club.
Gabriela's opinion on this intercultural experience
The trip to Romania was an incredible experience, I really enjoyed the days I spent there, both with my partner's family and my new Romanian friends. The activities we did during the week were fun; with them we learn to work as a team, to get to know each other better, to communicate with one another in one language, English, and to mix / share cultures from different countries. I also enjoyed the meals, especially those that my partner's father Theodora cooked. It gave me to try out several traditional dishes / appetizers from Romania. The people of this country are very friendly, they helped me whenever I needed them, they made our visit an unforgettable moment!
Francisco Silva's opinion
"I really enjoyed participating in this exchange because I could practice more English and also enjoyed meeting other students with different cultures and customs. I had the opportunity to make new friends that despite being far away will accompany me to life and I know I can count on them. Last but not least, I loved getting to know the capital of Hungary, Budapest! "