Youthpass, social and civic competence

Hello shells! You alright?

I promise, this is almost the last one. I'm sure you find this boooring (and I'm sure because it's booooring write it so...) Today we are going to talk about social and civic competences. You know, friends and interculture. This is going to be great, let's go to the questions.

*Social and intercultural competences

How did I make new friends? What went well? What did not develope well?

Basically, coachsurfing. And it works, everything went well.

How did I identify different habits in the host community? How did I cope with them?

I identified them observing and looking around me. And I cope with then as best as I could. Like, going out without coat, or don't eat bread, or don't ear a lot, or have lunch at 12 and dinner at 7, or drink a lot, or have always an umbrella near me, or put the rubbish out only once per week, or don't have Colacao... I do what I can.

Did I take the initiative, go towards others and support others?

I don't think so, I don't think it's my style.

When was I most succesful in communicating with others here?

I'm not going to put this on my Youthpass, but with a beer on my hands. Meeting people in pubs is the best idea ever!

How did I present my own cultural background in the host community? How did I experience theirs?

I tried to change and stop comparing Spain and England all the time (like, everytime I'm doing something and I said, "oh, this in Spain is different"). We all do it and it's not cool because you realize how many things you miss. And that's not cool. And my experience with English culture is a love-hate relationship. But I think most of this kind of relationships are. I mean, there are things about this country that I love but there are much more that I don't. For example, I love that people here don't kiss each other everytime they meet. But I don't like to shake hands when you are introducing yourself. I'm special.

How was my intercultural learning process during the EVS project?

IT WAS AWSOME!!! I mean, I've met people from a lot of different countries, with different culture, different language, different food and different religions. Really. It's one of the best things I got from my EVS. I have friends all over the world now! HOW COOL IS THAT

 How did I deal with the cultural shock (if I faced one)?

Drinking (another thing that I can't put in my Youthpass) with friends.

How did I deal with conflicts? How did I resolve them?

I don't think I had social conflicts. But if I had, I changed the issue and that's all. 

How did I improve my ability to work in a team?

With pacience. Really. But I learned that I can do good things if I'm pacience. And that's good because I didn't even know that I could be pacient. 

Which other social competences did I develop during the year?

I've learned that I can ask someone when I don't know something. Although i'm really bad with questions in English. Why the hell do you have to change the sites of the words?

To what extent did I increase cultural self-awareness: being more aware of my own cultural values, norms and stereotypes and the effect of communication with foreigners?

Everything changed. I left Spain hating it but now I miss it. That doesn't mean that I love it  now (because that's not happening. NEVER). Also, I thought that foreing people would think about us differently (in a bad way) but not. Stereotypes exists: paella, sangría and siesta. That's all.

To what extent I develop intercultural sensitivity, flexibility and an enhanced understanding of difference?

I always try to work in my tolerance because I consider it necessary for everyone. And it's not easy. But this EVS has helped me with it.

*Civic competences

How much was I actively involved in the EVS project?

I don't think I'm the one who has to answer this but I tried to help as much as I could, in things not related to my project too. That's why we are volunteers.

Did I find out how to influence developments in the organization/in the community? Did I use this knowledge? 

Not at all. 

When did I participate in decision-making within the EVS project?

I have no idea. I don't think I have decided anything in my project.

How did I take into account different opinions? How did they change my view of my own country,  of the host country, of teh European developments?

It depends. If the opinions are about my or something only for me, I don't care. If it's working in a team, I try to listen to everyone because I want the job with a little bit of everyone on it. My view has changed, I said this before.

How did my knowledge of national and/or local/National/European policies and structures increase?

My knowledge about Europe and UK has increased a lot, but that wasn't difficult because I didn't know anything about them. About my country, nothing new, it's rubbish and the goverment is doing it worse.

So, I wasn't this kind before my EVS so it has change me in a good way. I have more friends from more places. I have new knowledge about UK. I drunk beers and (sometimes) cyders (puaj). And then, I discoverd that I can be creative and I can tolerate other people's opinion (although I don't really mind...).

It's not taht bad, is it?