Hatsi in the European Capital of Culture 2012

Dear readers,

Today I visited a city with a great cultural and historical background – Maribor – as I found out from the presentation held in the morning by the organizing committee of European Capital of Culture. Later on, we had a guided tour of the city so we could explore it by foot and see the wonders it offers.

After sightseeing, we had lunch in a traditional restaurant, where we had the chance to taste some good food, the famous green beer and ice cream with pumpkin oil and seeds.

In the afternoon we had to complete the assignment we were given which consisted in applying questionnaires to tourists and local residents regarding the changes that resulted from Maribor being an European Capital of Culture. We had some great encounters with some really nice and interesting people, that were willing to answer the questions. My team also had a chance to get involved in a local project for a few minutes on the “Flowers’ street”!

At 6 o’clock we took the bus home and I can definitely say that the way back was very sweet because of the doughnut and fun like a rollercoaster!

Ne vedem dimineaţă!

Hatsi

Workshop-aholic Hatsi

Hello dears,

Today was the last day of lectures and another example that volunteering is a very fulfilling experience, especially when working with children.

After this we had a great lunch in Burin and an afternoon full of hard work and a little bit of sun and sea. Everybody was working with their planet to finish the assignment and to be innovative regarding the video.

In the evening, after a traditional dinner, we decided to try something more international like ice-cream therefor we went to Cacao. In meantime, my popularity increased since I made some pictures with my fans. This made me very happy so I invited them for a Romanian drink on the balcony.

I don’t have time for any more details because tomorrow I have to wake up really early in the morning, in order to meet my fans and friends in Maribor.

Keep in touch!

Ne auzim în curând!

Hatsi

Studious Hatsi

Hello dear readers,

Long time without writing to you because I had a free day and I decided to make a city-break in Trieste, Italy. And what a great day it was!

The first stop was at Miramar Castle, my future residence, a must-see in each travellers bucket list. Another item on the list could be the magnificent panorama from the top of Trieste, from where you can see Italy, Slovenia and Croatia at the same time.  Coming back, we also stopped in Koper for a coffee and a great handball match from the Olympics.

With my batteries fully charged, this morning I attended the lecture from the Portuguese professors, realizing the importance of the social network when one wants to be entrepreneurial.

After a delicious lunch, the planets regrouped for the workshops where everybody was creative and productive.

Unfortunately, the Portuguese professors have to leave in the morning so tonight we had a good bye “Caipirinha” party for them and a nocturnal bath for us J.

Off to bed now cuz tomorrow it’s gonna be a full day!

Pupici,

Hatsi

Hatsi on a heritage trail

Hello dear friends,

Today I found out that volunteering can be fun and creative when you are working with dedicated people like Natasha. She is the number one volunteer in Piran and she led us today on our road to a historical trail of the beautiful city of Piran. Using some paper boats that we had to fold beforehand, we had to do some tasks regarding Piran’s cultural background. Through this exercise I learned a lot of interesting facts about this location and its history, but also that sometimes body language its worth more than 1000 words.

Because we did such a good job with the boat folding, Natasha rewarded us with lollipops and some bags of lavender which will always remember me about this amazing day!

After the volunteer work, we had some time to spare before lunch so I just went to explore the city some more, going through the narrow streets that were leading to the beach. I also spent some time in the fair from the central square in Piran and well… you can imagine a girl doing shopping!

The lunch was very plentiful so all I could do afterwards was to take a bath in the Adriatic Sea and a really good sleep. It seems like I overslept because in the meantime my colleagues went dancing and they just left me at home. The good part is that I’m going to be the one fresh for the road trip to Trieste tomorrow.

Have a lovely day tomorrow and see you on Monday!

Duminică frumoasă,

Hatsi

Hatsi the explorer

Hello everybody,

Today I had an amazing day! It all started at 8:15 in the morning, when I’ve met with all the voluntourists in the bus station, anxiously waiting to see what the organizers had in store for us. And they never let me down! What can be better than a picturesque view over Portoroz, where you cannot see the line between the sea and the sky or a boat trip to the most special farm I’ve ever seen?

Fishes are really unique in their nature and the Fonda fish farm manager takes very good care of them. She also thought us how to recognize a fresh and healthy fish and how to build a successful brand through a complex marketing strategy. She also pampered us with a fish and wine tasting, which gave me enough energy to make a trip to the salt-pans nearby.

Being used to the Romanian salt mines, this was a really interesting and cultural experience for me, observing that the process of collecting the salt implies a lot of hard work and some very specific support activities.

I couldn’t leave the place without some first quality salt, which will make my meals special from now on, always reminding me of Slovenia.

I took the afternoon off, just to relax and recharge my batteries, in order to be able to be a good volunteer tomorrow.

Vise plăcute,

Htasi

Inventive Hatsi

Dear readers,

I started my day slowly because I was a bit sleepy in the morning, but I managed to be in shape for agreeing to disagree in regard to volunteering. An interesting highlight of the morning was that Spanish people are often discriminated nowadaysJ.

The lunch in Burin had an Austrian taste today, as it consisted in Viennese Schnitzel with potatoes salad.

At one point in the afternoon we were all James Bonds, Marilyn Monroes, toasters and mixers, trying to revigorate ourselves which proved to be very helpful because my creativity was put to a test when I had to ecodesign a jar, with the goal of reusing glass and find new purposes for it.

After such an intensive creative process I needed some fresh air so I went to the beach, enjoying a beautiful sun and water.

Even while bathing all I could think of was the Pizza party which gave me a chance to taste some pizza with a local flavour!

On my way home, I made a little detour through Casino Bernardin to take a mental picture of the beautiful sunset scenery.

Off to bed now, cause I have to be awake and in shape at 8:15 tomorrow for the fish farm experience.

Un somn liniştit,

Hatsi

Inspired Hatsi

Hello dears,

I had a really inspiring morning because of the great lecturers we had today. Strong motivation and the desire to change the world can actually make a difference and fulfill you.This is why I decided to enlist for being a volunteer and help restore old castles in my country, with the help of mister Ed Bentham. Any volunteers?!

After a delightful lunch and a bonding session among planets, I examined all the workshops that took place in the afternoon, where lots of great projects started.

Noticing that I’m a bit white, I decided to get tanned on the Turistica beach. With a brand new look and color I went for dinner and afterwards for a walk in Piran with my colleagues and other friends. I was simply blown away by the beauty of this city and I am really looking forward to visit it again!

On our way back, we stopped at the beach to have a nice talk and play some  games with the rest of the voluntourists, drinking some “non-alcoholic” beverages :P.

I’m off to bed now, trying to relive all the great moments of today, feeling lucky to be part of this amazing experience!

Noapte bună,

Hatsi

International Hatsi

Hello friends,

Today was a very educational day. At the lectures I found out what it means to be a real voluntourist and that this sometimes might involve couchsurfing and it always implies being a responsible tourist. 

I’ve also had a joyful lunch, among the planets, counting how many girls are on Venus :P.

When I came back to the faculty, I was amazed by the dedication with which the people were working and preparing the classrooms in order to represent their country as accurate as possible.

I had a lot of fun while learning new facts about the participant countries through creative games and quizzes.  I was very happy to teach everybody a popular dance from Romania –  Braşoveanca –  and the public was learning the steps very fast!

The international event ended perfectly with a dinner on the beach, tasting some of the most amazing dishes and drinks in the world! :P

After all the eating and drinking I’m a bit sleepy now so I’m going to bed, in order to be fresh tomorrow!

Somn uşor,

Hatsi

P.S I’ve made a new flying Slovenian friend today coming back from lunch. His name is Jojo

Hatsi in Slovenia

Hello volunturists,

My name is Hatsi and I am a travelling hat born in Sibiu, Romania. 

I was accepted at the amazing SWT Summer School and that's why I made a 13-hour trip to Portoroz, Slovenia with my team: Dumitru, Lia, Anca, Andreea and Alex.

I started the day with lots of energy, due to the beautiful view from the balcony 

and my day kept getting better and better after meeting you guys because now I am sure I'll have a wonderful time here!

After enjoying a rich meal I felt the need to take a sunbath and swim in the turquoise Adriatic Sea, where Lia, Andreea and Alex helped me float :). 

The Polish girls where next to me, prepared to jump in and save me at any time.

Now I am resting a bit because I want to be able to scream for ice-cream loudly tonight at the party!

See you soon!

Cu drag,

Hatsi