Sunday and Monday- experiences underground and up! Farewell party (Day 7 & 8)

The day started ordinary with Pedro saying "Good morning in the morning!" and us all having our usual breakfast. After that we had to catch our bus wich took us to the most exciting museum in the region - The Kohtla Mining Park!(CLICK) We were firstly divided into two groups, had a small intro about the place itself and the history. During the guided tour, we as visitors became miners as we put on helmets and coats and were descended to mining gears up to 8 m under the ground. We had a unique chance to walk in the footsteps of real miners, experience their daily work in moist and dusky conditions, which helped to understand the background and the development of oil shale mining and the functioning of the industry. During the tour we got to see many (still working) underground technical equipment and got to ride the underground train, used back when the mining area was still working! Boy what an exciting trip! When we got back up, we had lunch and and a chance to enjoy the beautiful day.
Since the weather was so hot and sunny, we decided to stop by at the beach and the beautiful Saka Manor(CLICK). It is a place high up on the limestone bank and there's a hiking road leading down to the beach. We also climed up the watchtower where we saw the amazing view over Estonian forests and the blue sea. It was really relaxing to sit on the beach and listen to the waves. Some crazy people even went swimming haha!
When we got back home, the preperations for the farewell party started. The Estonian group had their hands full with preparing the workshop place and printing out Youth Passes. Since others had free time, they decided to do a harlem shake wich turned out hilarious and great thanks to the crazy minds of our youngsters and our camera man Jose! When it was time, everybody gathered to the "party place" where Marilin and Jaanika handed out the youth passes to every one of us and where we all said a big THANK YOU to eachother. We watched a video about all previous exchanges made by Angela and Marilin and the final video about this years exchange followed by a beautiful performance by our very own - Kelli! After all the crying and sobbing, we danced and hugged the whole night.  The night was crazy emotional and just when we thought it couldn't get any sader, it was time for the French group to leave.. The bus was waiting for them at 02:22. We promised to see each other again in the future, hugged and cried and cried.. It was very painful to watch the bus leave and knowing we might never see again. The following night we talked a lot and few of us wanted to sleep.


The next morning we got to sleep until 10, then had a breakfast and packed our things..It was so surreal i think non of us really thought of it being the last time of everything.. When we got our stuff together, we said goodbye to the hostel and the beautiful surroundings as the bus drowe us to Tallinn. The farewell was horrible knowing there's no quarantee of  seeing your family the next summer. It broke our (the Estonian group, as we had to watch them all leave) hearts, seeing the Spanish and Finnish group leaving.

 I'm sure we will try to see each other again and will defenetly keep in touch. 

I'm sure I speak for everyone, who took part of the project, when I say this is one of the best thing that has ever happened to us. Knowing that you have friends, whom you are welcome to visit anytime, all over Europe, knowing there are people who will never forget you, knowing how blessed you have been to get to experience friendship and the meaning of family in a whole new level. It is hard to explain the feeling, that you get with this project, to a stranger. 


Until we see again, Family! :)



Good morning in the morning!! - Maidla, Estonia. July 2013 from AJ Intercambia on Vimeo.
Last night video - Youth Exchange in Maidla, Estonia. July 2013 from AJ Intercambia on Vimeo.

The project was funded by the Youth in Action Programme

On the 12th of July the article about our project appeared in the local newspaper "Virumaa Teataja" !

Four years and four nations =  one "family"

Saturday 6.7

The morning started very early, because we had to go to Rakvere, one of Estonian biggest cities. At that morning, we saw culture differences about being in place at time. When everyone had arrived to bus, the trip began. At first, we went to Tobeduse statue. In there we met one local man, who was able to talk in french. Then we went to Rakvere castle. Before that we also visited the symbol of Rakvere, tarvas (now Spanish people could finally feel like home). After that we went insode the castle, where young guides already waited for us. We were divided into to groups and then the tour began. We saw and heard about the history of the castle. We also visited the Hell, that was awesome. For the end of out tour, we had a little lunch. After that we went to AQVA Spa. Everyone really liked it. In AQVA Spa, after swimming and sauna, Merli Viks, who has been working in AQVA from the beginning, over 5 years, told us her success story. She started working as a administrator in hotel reception, she came to this house with a goal to someday work as a manager in Aqva Spa Hotel. She could not imagine that she would acomplish that in six months time. She was very pleased to recieve offer from management and she did not hesitate to recieve this generous offer. Alrough this was a great opportunity for her, this desicion was not made accidentally. Merli worked very hard to get her goals. She had that little something that AQVA Spa Hotel values about their employees. She knew what she had to do, to get further. Eventhough she could not speak finnish at first, she took personal lessons in finnish language. „When you cannot open these doors at first try you have to try even harder and you can’t give up. If you really wish something, then everthing is possible. You just have to work very hard, make some changes in yourself do get these goals in your life.“ she said. Before leaving AQVA, we had lunch there, and we also sang for Salvas birthday. Finally we had a little free time in Rakvere. On our way back, we visited Kiviõlis ash mountain. On top of it, there was an amazing view and we saw what can be done from trash.In the ash mountain, there were another youngsters from different countries, and Spanish people got into talking with other Spanish people. When we arrived to Maidla, everyone were very tired. That was the night when we all slept together at jim and before going to sleep, we watched a movie.

Friday 5.7

We woke up at 7.30am with some terrible radio with a man talking in Estonian. After that we had breakfast, which was great like always. Later, at 9.30am we gathered to listen a Maidlas mayor talking about rowing canal. He presented us Aidus hisory and future plans. He told us how they got this plan to make the old mining area to attractive place again, and get people back in the area. Also he showed us some pictures, how the place should look like 70 years from now. After that we went to see the canals. We drove there by bus and then we had a LITTLE walk down the canal. We saw the things they had already done with the old mining area. It was REALLY hot in there but we had a lot of fun. In the old mining area we saw that everything is possible, every dream you dream can become true. The evening of Friday was very funny. Finnish group did their workshop, and everybody enjoyed the time. First, they did a game which consist in make differents types of greetings. Mika chosen those greetings and people had to do it. This game, it could be important for us when we would go to a work interview. After this fantastic game, they divided us into pairs, and we were linked by scoch in our legs. Finnish people told us what we have to find, because it was a competition game, and the first couple that find that thing and go back to the start place win. Then, we were divided in five groups, with our respective finnish guide. We had to make a representation of a work interview, in which one, the person that want the job, interpretate a role (interrupter, nervous…) This game is very useful, because we learnt how we have to be in an interview. Finally, the last two games were very funny. The first one was about to make words with our bodies, and was very interesting. The second, we have to run around a stuck ten times, and then run back to the start race. People run very disturbed because of the laps. I want to say thank you for their incredible job, besides the rain. We learnt too much about those games. The intercultural night started with spanish people cleaning potatos for the Tortilla. When everybody arrived to the Maidla cultural house the caos started. All of the participants and leaders were runing at the kitchen and cooking like crazy. Others were decorating the conference room  and welcome family members. When everybody were ready, the party started. Every country  present  their table with special typical foods and later all of us danced the typical dance of every country.    The night was going beautifully. Groups of different countries were going on the stage and singing songs in their mother language. After all of the party and hard dancing, the CAKE arrived.  The precents where given to the Estonian team. Finally after having are great night and having so much fun all of us helped to clean and then everybody went back home with a big smile in our faces and love in our hearts. Pepe, Yasmine, Fran, Mia, Neenu, Maret, Kati, Ines, Sonia,Pedro, Elina.

Clothe game - Thursday