Home for a while Barcelona #2

Müge Yılmaz
Nov 5 · 4 min read

What is AIESEC?

AIESEC is an organization provided me a life changing experience back in 2015 in Pakistan. I became part of a project in Lahore when I was 19 years old thanks to AIESEC Istanbul Asia. I went way to out of my comfort zone. I discovered Pakistan as well as myself. I have become more solution oriented, self aware person. Now I am doing another 6 week project called “Ignite Your Passiom” in Barcelona. After quitting my job I was planing to go back Pakistan, then I realized that I need another life changing experience, that is why I came here!

Naran Kaghan Valley l Müge Yılmaz

What does AIESEC provide? Where do I stay?

In every project you have different offers. For exanple while I was in Pakistan I was staying in a house rented for volunteers to stay and food was not provided. However, in Barcelona I am staying with a host family and I am having lunch at the school with students.My host family has 4 storey house and they gave me the basement floor. I have my own room, bathroom and study area. ( very lucky ) I am doing this project in their kids’ school, also I am helping their kids to improve their English at home.

Also AIESEC Barcelona assigns you a responsible from your project so if you have problems with school or project they help. Also they match each volunteer with AIESEC member; this person becomes your buddy basically; biggest supporter of your experience here. Just to mention there are other AIESECer in Istanbul Asia office to support you incase you have problems here.

Just as a reminder I bought my ticket, I paid my travel and heath insurance and also I gave fee to AIESEC.

What do I do here?

This is the hardest question to reply. I am pretending that I am a teacher. I prepare activities for them before class and I deliver sessions about SDGs ( Sustainable development goals ) to students 6–12 years. Apart from this I help English teacher and I talk with them in English. I have lunch everyday in different table so I can get to know everyone and help them to practice their English. In addition to all, I share Turkish culture, language and cusine.

SDGs

I go school everyday at 9.00 with my bike or on food. Generally I have 3–4 classes one day and I am free after 16.00. I go out with other volunteers, dicover cool restaurants and museums. Try to make local friends, walk in the Gothic neigborhood. Observe, read and live more.

How is my experinece so far? What are challenging parts?

Being Barcelona is cool if you really get to know city. Escaping from Barcelona for a weekend, joining manifestation with all Catalan people, eating tapas and meeting with new people is so cool. Yet preparing sessions for students who cannot speak English is very challanging. Even it is not my porfessional job I have a lot of responsibilities, to match with expectations and try to do your best is challanging yet I feel that I am going places each day. In normal circumstances you have pair to work wtih but my partner could not come; therefore I am leading solo. There are many disadvantages of this situation however I know the more I have challenge myself the more my experience gets better.

All volunteers l Jai Ca

What going on Barcelona? Am I safe ?

Like other important cities in the world, demonstrations were held in Barcelona. But why? There was an ( illegal ) referandum whether Catalunya will keep staying in Spain or not. Spanish supreme court’s decided 3–13 years in the jail sentence to nine pro-independence leaders. During whole week after work Catalans went to street to join manisfastation. People from all around Catalunya walked to Barcelona and on friday they was an enormous demonstration and strike in whole Barcelona. We can divide protester into two: passive and active. For example; passive ones they go airport to occupy, go to street with silence unlike active ones. They go out to fight with police, harm streets even burn it. I am safe and alive since I am Turkish those things are super normal for me :)

Barcelona l Tsunami Democràtic

Fun fact:

Today I told kids that in Turkey we eat yogurt with everything, they were shocked because for them yogurt is sweet ( in school they have only plain yogurt) and they eat as desert. Then in the lunch time, after they saw me that I was eating yogurt with my soup, they all mixed yogurt with their soup then they loved it so muchh, that moment I felt so lucky to be here with them.

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