Day 3
8 February 2009
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Tonight is the night!
Hi there in Germany!
We just finished our first very important meeting. All coordinators and managers met to decide which workshop will meet in which cottage. Afterwards the whole group joined us to make a plan for our reception party which will take place in the afternoon. Everybody got a special task for the reception party e.g. welcoming people or inform the guests about our workshops. After this meeting there were special workshops to prepare the reception party in detail. One workshop focussed on producing a welcome chain, another one focused on how to be interviewed by journalist and the third workshop drew posters for the workshop.
Anne Gruender (German group)
What's up, Piotr?
...somewhere in a chatroom...
Piotr: Hey! How r u? Tell me...how do u like it on Achill?
Michał: Hi Piotr. It's nice. I like it.
Piotr: What did u do yesterday?
Michał: We had a reception party. U know, mingle with the islanders, talking about our different habits...we showed them typical food...german, hungarian...
Piotr: Sounds good. :-)
Michał: Yeah. Before the party we met outside and had a little group pratice. It was about small talk. The Language Diversity Manager wanted to check our communication skills. We had to try talking to strangers for 45 seconds...you know...small talk. ;-)
Piotr: Ok....so talk about the weather, hobbies and stuff?
Michał: Exactly. With different partners. It was interesting and a great opportunity to check your own self esteem. ;-)))
Piotr: And then after?
Michał: We met the Achill locals...but wait...sorry, I gotta leave, we're going to have lunch in 15 minutes. CU!
Piotr: Have a nice evening!
Kerstin Neugebauer (German group)
Reception Recipe
Recipe for a perfect reception party
Ingredients:
- hospitable locals providing location;
- students who bring traditional food and items from their country;
- tons of enthusiasm;
- good planning (so that everything goes smoothly)
- courage
- open minds
- tolerance and respect
- willingness to do a good job and to get to know the local culture
- good advertising (the town needs to know about the event)
- guests who helpfully provide information about their life on the island
Mix all well and enjoy.
Szilvia Pruzsina (Hungarian group)
Goooaal!
An amazing crowd of people headed towards the Achill Cliff house to meet the group on the reception party. The Islanders entered the main room and could have a look at the lovely decorated tables with flags of the countries on the walls, and you really were able to smell foreign scents. We soon found ourselves in a deep conversation about life in Ireland, weather and sports. Our aim was to introduce people to the different countries and cultures as well as to attract local people to support our workshops. The Hungarian group, presented typical inventions like Rubik’s Cube and self-made Hungarian Scones. The Lithuanians also presented the results of their previous research on cultures.
The guests were not only able to try the food and see the decorations, but we also listened to some presentations of the nations. Anne Gründer made a short but amusing introduction. The Hungarian group sang folk songs, whereas Assja Tietz presented the booklet of the Germans that was created during the German preparational course. The local guests were so impressed that Sean Cannon could only praise the importance of the BI programme and its wonderful participants.
Even the journalist Anton got very interested in our exiting stories. After working on several interviews he stayed for a long time to enjoy the atmosphere and talk to everyone. The same was true for the other guests. So it was no surprise that many locals were also eager to participate in our workshops.
Finally, everyone was pleased to have had such a nice reception. Afterwards we were all sure that this reception was a real success.
Sabine Rauh (Germany)
Salmon, Spanish & other Dishes!
Hey Germany!
How are you doing? I am doing well on Achill Island and every evening we have a nice meal at the Achill Cliff House. Our Language Diversity Manager introduced a game during the dinner to help us getting socialized with the different languages we have in our group on Achill. Every person of our group with a different language background should name the meal we were eating in their language and it was really impressive to realize that we have 13 different languages in our group. To give you an example; we ate Salmon and now I know that it is called lasisain Lithuania, salmon in Spanish , lohi in Finnish and lazac in Hungary. I am looking forward to learn some new things J.
See you soon!
Marcia Pembele (German group)
Secret Service
Following sequence was recorded by the Irish secret service
on Monday the 9th of February 2009
Case 237/09: „suspicious young people asking questions“
...
Voice 1 (probably Kerstin): „...In fact it was quite funny. There were all these people in the party, having fun, chatting. I was just waiting for Mr. McNulty, the reporter who promised to visit us. I saw there was a young man called Anton...I stopped by because the reporter's name was Anton, too. But he was quite young and did not seem to be working on an article...he seemed to be there more just to have fun...“
Voice 2 (probably Reka): „So...did you find him in the end?“
Voice 1: „Indeed...but first I was asking around....everybody I could find...Making panic...I was disappointed because I thought he just won't come...Then I was talking to Mr. Johnston...a very nice man who broadcast the invitation to our party on his gaelic radio program...and I told him that I am still waiting for the reporter...and he said: Look, Anton is from the Mayo News...so...you should talk to him.“
Voice 2: „Really? So you just didn't get it that he was around all the time?“
Voice 1: „Embarrassig isn't it...? So I came over and asked him...and he was laughing because he had been at the party for 1 ½ hour...I said: Yeah, so you are an undercover reporter?“
Voice 2: „So what did he say?“
Voice 1: „He thought it was funny and he told me that it was a good opportunity to get to know the students without having written „reporter, be polite“ on the forehead.“
Voice 2 is laughing
Voice 2: „Yes, I can imagine that people treat you differently if you are a VIP from the media.“
Voice 1: „Anton is a very nice man...and quite young. I think he liked it around us...and he will come next week to help us in our workshops...you know...press work.“
Voice 2: „Let's just hope he is not coming undercover again and then publishing an investigative report on us and the things we're doing.“
Voice 1 and 2 laugh and then leave the cottage
Kerstin Neugebauer (German group)
