On Arrival Training 

From the 16th to the 19th October I went to the On arrival Training organized by the Nacional Agency of Ireland (Leargas). There were all the European volunteers who are working around Ireland doing a European Volunteer Service.

We did lots of activities to get to know each other, meet the other EVS projects. We shared fears and dreams, expectations and frustrations, and the most important, we created a net of Volunteers in Ireland.

It was a great experience because I could meet lots of people around Europe and I could know the people who are in Dublin like me. We arranged some visits and meetings with other volunteers in Cork, Galway, etc.

Child Protection Awareness Programme

On the 14th oct 2009 I did the Child Protection Awareness Programme. It was an interesting and necessary training for those who are involved in the youth work. A part from the laws, rules and regulations that every volunteer and worker must know and apply when working with young people, for me it was also a way to get into the standards, policies and guidelines that are applicable in Ireland & Youth Work. It was interesting as well to know some rates and dates about child abuse, violence or law abuse that has been happening not just in Ireland but at European level. We were well trained about the consciousness of this problems, the way to deal with young people and under 18's in our centres.

Ireland, first week

Ireland Ireland Ireland…

Buah!

Friday, 10th October, I've spent 5 days in Ireland, and after the first two days, it seems that it'll be a great experience!

Let's see.... I arrived at the airport and Michelle was waiting for me with a poster in her hands with my name and my mother's name, Manel Prades (!). I realized that in Ireland they only have the name and a family name from the father, so probably they thought that my name was Manel Solé, a compoud name, and my surname Prades.

Michelle gave me a lift by car, so for the first time after 30 minutes in Ireland I wanted to get in the car through the driver's door. We went to dinner and she explained me lots of things about the organisation, how it would be in my first days in Dublin and we had a kind dialague, sometimes broken because I couldn't understand all she told me because of my low level of English.

She gave me a lift to the hotel in Ballymun, the area where I'll be working (this week has been quiet for me). Once in the hotel, she showed me my room and she left. I started organising all my stuff...

Ballymun is a suburb in the North of Dublin. The beginings of BRYR (Ballymun Regional Youth Resource) was in 1998, after a consultation process for the youth Ballymun Development plan, which is part of the National Anti-Drugs Strategy.

The main part of my work will be in The Reco, a big and confortable space, a youth facility. However, it's being reformed and we are in another building. I am looking forward to seeing The Reco, for me, for first time.

Ballymun is known for the blocks and big buildings with lots of flats built in the 60's. It's a very dynamic area and I'm looking forward to know more and understand it.

These days I started looking for a room in a shared house... It has been hard because I've visited 7 or 8 rooms in just two days, another one tomorrow and another on Sunday.

I've visited a house that I liked. It's in a quiet area, not so far from Ballymun. The room is small. In the house there are living 3 boys and a girl, all of them Irish. It seems clean and they said me that they are watching the Champions League evrytime that there is a match, that's good for me!
The problem is that they don't have Internet at home, they have an individual Broadband mobile, so I shuold buy one if I move there...

Here in Dublin the rooms are very expensive, between €350 and €450 is the normal price. I saw a really good one but I think it´s too expensive...
So yesterday I spent the whole afternoon visitng rooms. I left one and I had to run to the other one because I arranged two meetings too much close in time to each other... However it was funny. A Polish girl, who saw me stressed and checking a map trying to find out which direction I had to follow, helped me and gave me a lift to the next house I had to go. At the end of the day I came back to the hotel, I bought a Burger and Chips and I fell asleep in 5 minutes while watching an episode of the Young Ones.

In the Reco, the place where I work I feel good. They are looking after me and whhen I don't know what to do or where to go I ask 15 times until I understand what I have to do.

One of the most amazing things for me is the Restaurant they have in the centre. The Restaurant is for the young people and the youth workers. The young people can go to the Restaurant and eat healthy food for really economic prices. However, when the young people are with their group, they always spend 30 minutes in the Restaurant to have their dinner for free. It's a really good idea thinking about the whole needs of the young people, something that I've still never seen nor in Spain neither in Catalunya.

Curiosities:

All the bus drivers help me to find the places and the adresses I look for. Yesterday I was looking for 214 Collins Avenue and I said to the bus driver that I was looking for the two thousand and fourteen, this question surprised the driver, who put his glasses on, stopped the bus in the next bus stop and started looking at my map and saying: "I think Collins Avenue doesn't have 2000 numbers..." And I said: "Yes yes, sure, I'm looking for the two thousand and fourteen!". At the end he asked me if he could see the adress I had written and he saw 214 in my notebook, and he just said: "Two thousand?!! It's two hundred!!" So, both started laughing without stopping, while he was driving and going everytime far and far away of my destiny.

Next weekend I will meet a friend of mine who is living in Belfast, she will come to Dublin. I'm really looking forward to seeing her. At the moment I don't have anyone to go out with at the weekend and I need someone to explain this amazing first week!

They are driving in the left lane... It's crazy. When I want to cross the street I've to look both directions.
I always want to enter the cars for the driver door...
The weather is strange, but not so bad, we will see. For the moment I've had 3 sunny days and two rainy days... Now is raining...

Cheers!