Merhaba! My name is Nina, I am from Paris, in France.
I am 24 years old and I have just finished my studies. I first did a degree in sociology and then a Master’s in local development and international solidarity.
After my Master’s degree, I really wanted to go abroad while working in an organization. I have been in Izmir for a month now, and as I am short-term volunteer, I am finishing my mission in a month’s time, and I am already sad at the idea of leaving!
This volunteering mission with Pi Youth Association is an incredible opportunity for me to discover and immerse myself in a different culture, to meet new people from different backgrounds and to have an intense social and intercultural experience.
The daily life in Izmir
I adapted to the city surprisingly quick, but I remember that when I first arrived, I felt so lost when faced with all the new things I had to assimilate: transportation, different habits and codes, a new culture, and of course the Turkish language, which I don’t know at all.
I love my life in Izmir. The city is much bigger than I expected. I live in Buca, and even though transport is a bit tricky in this area, it is so lively and I feel really comfortable here. I have also become attached to the flat, and my flatmates are so nice!
The things I love most about living in Izmir are the sweet weather (it is so amazing to see the sun everyday, so different from Paris…), the sea and the beautiful sunsets, the cats we can meet on every corner, and of course the Turkish food, which is incredibly good…
About cultures and food...
A few days after my arrival, I was lucky to join the “Turkish cultural Night” organized by Pi Youth Association’s Pixel team volunteers! We got to meet the mentors and young people from Izmir, and to taste some of the Turkish food they had prepared for us!
During my stay, I also had the chance to organize a French cultural night with the other French volunteers. It was great fun, we played games, danced with some popular French songs, and ate French food with everyone. These events are a great way to meet and mix different cultures.
The workshops
The workshops are obviously a very significant part of my experience. Organizing and running conversations workshops in English with children, young people or adults is something completely new for me.
Actually, before coming here I was a bit apprehensive about it because it represented a real challenge for me. Speaking English when I am not at all fluent, thinking of ideas for running fun and entertaining workshops, and adapting the activities to different age groups and levels…
All in all, I really enjoy this mission. I have run workshops in lots of different places: universities, youth centers, high school… English conversation clubs are a way for everyone to
practice and feel more confident in English, but above all, they are a way of meeting different people and creating links.
I really like the workshops with the children because they are really cute and motivated. I also like the ones with higher level students because we can discuss about lots of interesting topics together.
To end this blog-post, I want to say that I am really happy and grateful to have had the chance to live this experience, which has confirmed to me that I love going abroad, not just for holidays but to really immerse myself in a place and leave my comfort zone. This experience has also given me the desire to continue to travel…
I am very grateful for this opportunity, and for all the people I met during my stay, all the volunteers, the Pi Youth Association’s teams…Finally, I don’t want to go straight back to France so after this experience in Izmir, I’m extending my adventure by going to Istanbul for a few days…
