Presenting the mentors for the Slovenian (September) volunteers

Here we are Riina and Irene. We are back at work after a refresing summer holiday and ready to start the preparations for the upcoming EVS activities.
We will be the mentors for two Slovenian volunteers that will arrive in September for their one month EVS activity in Lahti.

Riina is working at Ohjaamo Lahti, the one stop guidance center for youth in Lahti. I am helping young people to get a job or getting into studies. The aim is that there will be less bureaucracy and create functional networks.

 

 

Irene is working as a youth worker at the multicultural center of Lahti, which is a meeting point and free time activity center for people living in the Lahti area. And you can also find me working at the youth space Tripla in the city center shopping mall.  

 

 

Here are a short video from Lahti so you will have an idea about where you are coming.

We will together with Vesa and Lauri (work coaches) meet the volunteers when they arrive to Lahti and we will also take care of the on-arrival training. And during the time in Lahti we will have regular meetings with the volunteers and of course helping out with the Youthpass.

If you have any questions don´t hesitate to contact us

riina.pulli@lahti.fi

irene.luders@lahti.fi

Allu's 3rd week

Monday
On Monday we went to Roscrea with kids to swim. Well, just kids swam, we just sited and waited for them.
After that we went on a little picnic in some kind of play park.

Tuesday
On Thuesday we didn't like anything. Just sitted on computers and listened kids rapping. There were some guy who makes music, rap music. They were rapping something about their hometown, Thurles, I think.
On evening the Spanish students were there again, So we had a reeeeally long day, like 11 hours.

Wednesday
On Wednesday we went to Athlon. There we did some bay sports, like a kayaking and stand-up-paddling. Also we learned how to fire a campfire. It was really easy for me, but looked like it wasn't that easy to kids.

At first I didn't event want to go, because my swimsuit is "broken" and I was afraid that they gonna fall from me, But then I learned that they give us a wet suits, so I tough that why not to go, because wet suit  cover whole body, so my broken swimsuit wont fall off.

Thursday 
On Thursday we went to work only at 5 pm. We went to Templemore to watch a billiard competition, where kids played against each others.

Friday
Friday was a day off.

Allu's 2nd week

Okay so week had a lot to do, and everyday we were going somewhere. But it was wonderful and I had a lot of fun!

Monday
On Monday were National Play Day at Rugby Club. I painted that board, what I mentioned in the last post, in this event. Kids didn't took photos with it, but adults seemed to be happy of that board.
Kids were playing like all the time. Also we had a a little picnic after 12.
There where a little competitions like jumping in a sack and potato and spoon running.

Tuesday
On Tuesday were trip to Limerick again, to bowling. That little bowling center was at arcade hall. We didn't play with Juuso, but I watched kids playing.

At evening we went to some college to listen lecture of mental health, gambling, alcohol etc. It was very good lecture and it made me to think about stuff.

Wednesday
On Wednesday we went to  Lahinch beach to surf. I didn't bring my swimsuit with me and weather were so cold, so I didn't want to go surfing. But when I went to water just walk, it wasn't so cold as I tough it will be. Water was actually pretty warm.
The scenery in Lahinch was very beautiful and I really loved the sea.

Thursday
On Thursday we went to Dublin in X-HALE event. It was a campaign against smoking. Kids from different Youth Center's did amazing 2 minute - videos against smoking. I liked to watch them, kids did a wonderful job.
Also there was some dance group, and their performance was really amazing!

Friday
I have nothing to write about Friday, because we did nothing.

Saturday
On Saturday we went to bucket collecting for Youth Center. We've collected only for 1,5 hours, but I got in my bucket a lot. Youth worker joked that I got that much money because I'm young and beautiful. I don't think the same, but I laughed :)

Juuso's second week!

Ayooo, Juuso here with a new blog posterino!

Second week is done and third one is starting! The weeks are just flying..
It was a really fun week and we did so much, here is a little peak:

Monday:
We had a big play day event going on. Lots of kids showed up to play plenty of different games.
There was board games, face painting, tug-o-war and funny old games like egg & spoon.
I really liked the event and it looked like all the kids had super fun. We also gave some goodie bags for them when the event was over. Good stuff!

Tuesday:
After an one hour bus drive we have arrived at Limerick, which is pretty much Ireland's thirds biggest city. Here we went bowling with the kids and played some arcade games as well.

Wednesday:
I must say, the most interesting day of the week. After a pretty long bus drive we arrive at Lahinic
a big surfing city here in Ireland and it shows! The kids even got a surfing lesson from couple of Australian guys. I took some photos that day, and I will put them somewhere in this blog post!

Thursday:
This time we traveled to the biggest city in Ireland, Dublin! We went to see some short films that people had made for the X-HALE 2016 short film competition. This was a big event, lots of kids from around Ireland showing their films. As a film student myself, I really enjoyed this day and it was super fun to watch those films.

Friday:
On Friday we talked about the upcoming fundraising for Thurles Youth Project, that was happening at Saturday. But after that, it was pretty much a free day. I myself, spent the whole day just editing some the photos that I took and just listening to music. I also visited a local pub in the evening, which was super fun!

THE WEEKEND! Yay!
Saturday, I slept late and then visited the local shopping mall.
Then later in the afternoon, we went for the fundraising / bucket collecting. The bucket collecting took place near the Semple Stadium, and lots of people came from the towns to watch Hurling and Football. I hope we got some money for the Thurles Youth Project!

Sunday, again.. I just slept late and pretty much read some books I bought from the shopping mall.
Just a very chill day overall.

Welp! That does it, second week done! And onto the next one! Cheers :)

Allu's first week

Okay, so it's already a whole week behind! That week there was so exiting.

On Monday we were Karting, like I already told in my previous post.

On Wednesday Laura told me that I have a little project. I had to paint soldiers in 1916 clothing on board with holes to faces.

On Thursday we had air soft. Juuso went air softing but I waited in tent, because I wasn't in play mood and didn't want to wet my clothes. It was a bit rainy and very cold day, so maybe because of that I felt a little sick.

I've been doing a whole Friday that hole face board thing. It turned up pretty good. It was the biggest painting project what I ever have done, so it was kinda hard. But Laura and others are happy with that, so am I.
In the end of the day we went to see a Sport Festival's opening. There were a bagpipers, horses and kids, who plays national Irish sport, Hurling.

There's so cold like all the time, even tough there are warm moments in weather. It feels like weather is changing every hour, from rainy to sunny.
We don't have a internet connection at our house, so keeping a connect to home country is a bit hard.

It have been a very nice week and I'm exited what 3 next weeks going to have!

Juuso's first week!

Kids hurling game

Heyo, Juuso here with a new blog post.

Last week was crazy. Well, not really super crazy, but still.. Crazy.
From Monday to Friday, every single day has been different and a lotsa has been happening.
We have been Go Karting, Airsofting, doing office work and meeting a lots of new people.
And of coz, most importantly getting to know our host city.

Monday, we went Go Karting and we met some people who work for the Youth Services.
Go Karting is always fun, and not to brag or anything, but I came first (at least from my group)
So take that 12 year olds!

Tuesday we chatted about our upcoming month here in Ireland and goodbye to Vesa and Susanna who left back to Finland.

Wednesday was a full 8 hour office work day.. I designed posters for some local events and Allu painted a nice cutout for the 1916 playday event.

Thursday we went airosfting and it was super fun! have been airsofting for quite some time now, and I really like it as a hobby. And now, I got the chance go shoot some bbs here in Ireland! Even that the ground was soaking wet and it was raining pretty much the whole day, I had a very nice day!

Thurles is a pretty small city, but its an very active city.. At least from my perspective.
Friday was the start of a Sport Festival and boy did it show! Bagpipe players, horses, hurling teams and lots of people just marching towards the stadium! What a sight. Haven't seen anything like that back in Finland. The hurling game that took place on Friday was pretty weird looking.. Weird looking curvy wooden bats, helmets, soccer goals.. What is going on? Nevertheless it was fun to watch and a very interesting looking game. And it seems that hurling is a very respected and a big sport over here in Ireland.

Weekend went pretty fast. At Saturday I explored the city with Allu, found an old stone church, visited the local library and got some food. Sunday, was a pretty chill day for me. I slept late, finished reading my book and then I did a little evening jogging around the city. Overall pretty fun weekend.


Thanks for reading! Here are some pics that I took!