Self-awareness week on Tenerife!

Hello hello!

As promised in the other blog entry, here is an account of my self-awareness week on Tenerife. In case you didn't read the other entry, I'd recommend you do so, otherwise it'll be harder to understand because you lack background information.
Let's start at the beginning:
My mum works as a receptionist in my father's practice and a few years ago she also graduated in Lebens- und Sozialberatung (I'm sorry, I don't know what that is in English). So she definitely works in the social sector and therefore is qualified to take part in one of the self-awareness weeks Roma and Volker are holding on Tenerife. I don't remember how she happened to know about them, but as soon as she heard what they are doing there she wanted to go to Tenerife and take part in one of those groups. And so she did. When she came back after that week she still was so overwhelmed and amazed by the experience she gained that she decided she wanted us, her children, to go there too.
Usually Volker and Roma would not take on youth groups, especially because none of us is disabled or works in the social sector. Nevertheless, my mum somehow managed to convince the couple to take us as a group.

She gave it to us a present (unfortunately those weeks are really expensive) and in March 2012 we finally went there, dying of curiosity. We, that's my four brothers and sisters and me.

^^us on our last day on Teide (volcano of Tenerife)

We arrived on Tenerife, and on the first day we moved in into our accommodation, a self-catering holiday flat with an amazing view. Afterwards we met Roma and Volker for the first time, and also the two other members of our group, Fabienne and Simone, two Swiss girls. We then sorted out our snorkelling-equipment and had our first experience of snorkelling in the ocean of Tenerife - not in the open sea, of course, but in one of the bays. 

^^view from our balcony

The usual schedule of our days was like this:

- We were divided up in two groups. The first group was going out on the sea before noon, the second group in the afternoon to encounter the whales/dolphins. The other group had some time off in the meantime, but we were asked to stay away from the Internet e.g. or don't talk too much to people who are not part of the group. This was in order to allow the encounter with the animals to develop to the full.

- We met every evening for a Sharing. In these Sharings we told the others about our personal encounter with the whales (unfortunately we never were able to swim with dolphins because they always were too far away) and how we experienced it. With the help of Roma and Volker we managed to go into depth and not cling to the shallow "They were so close.".

This went on for 6 days, on our last day, however, we drove up the volcano Teide instead of going out on the sea and had our Sharing there, with the aim to come back to earth again. When we returned in the evening we met on the beach to hold a fire ritual with a campfire. 

Usually we were not allowed to bring a camera on the boat, because we were supposed to truly experience what was happening around us, and not only to see it through a camera lens. This was really a good thing, even though I didn't like it too much at the beginning. But seriously, if you're at some amazing place, no matter which one, take your ten photos and then put away your camera and just enjoy the magic around you. You get a lot more out of something that way.  

Anyway, on the last drive we were allowed to bring our cameras and take some photos AFTER the encounter, plus Volker took some photos most of the time while we were in the water with the whales.

^^ the beach right next to our apartment

^^ our group, having dinner together

^^ one of the whales

^^ yep, we even met some turtles :)

Well, some of you might think that this was all very spiritual and far from reality, but what you feel when you meet those majestic animals can neither be described nor compared to anything I know. It was absolutely amazing to have the chance to swim with those whales, knowing that they are here with you because they CHOOSE to, not because they can't get away. The whales are understanding and calm, they don't judge you, and if they look you in the eye it feels as if they can see right into your soul. Which they probably can. An encounter with a free animal like that is really terrific and it sets off a lot inside you if you allow it to. The Sharings were really good because it often helps you to understand yourself better if you say out loud what you think/feel.

Besides the fact that this was simply one of the most amazing things I ever had the luck to experience, I also got a lot out of the time on Tenerife. 

First of all, I started to be more self-confident and it became easier for me to speak my mind. I became more aware of my wishes and needs, and I would probably not have managed to decide on studying Translations if it would not have been for my week on Tenerife. For one of the first times in my life I was told to do what I want with my life, and not what others expect me to do or what is financially rewarding. As for Translations, I hope it is both, what I want and financially rewarding-or at least I'd love to be able to make a living. ;)

Also, this week together on Tenerife forged an even stronger bond between my siblings and me. Even though our relationship never was bad or anything it really did change to the better during our holiday there. We are much closer now. In addition to this, it was really important for me personally, because I started to feel as a real part of our group of siblings. This was always a problem for me because all my brothers and sisters are only one year apart from each other, but I'm three years younger than my youngest brother. 

So, as you can see, I had an amazing time on Tenerife and gained a lot from it. If I ever have the money to go there again, I definitely will. :)

^^ one of the photos Volker took from me and a whale :)

Human-Dolphin-Research project!

Alright guys, today I'm gonna tell you something about the Human-Dolphin-Research project which is run by Volker Todt and Roma Spring on Tenerife.

Roma and Volker are a German couple who always spend the summer in Germany and the winter in Los Gigantes on Tenerife. While Roma is a Pediatric Nurse who specialized in waterbirth, pre-, peri and post-natal psychology, Volker is an Educational  Psychology Professor who specialized in children and adolescents.

The Human-Dolphin-Research project was founded by Roma and Volker about 20 years ago. They aimed and still aim to prove if dolphin therapy has an effect on humans and if so, if it is really necessary to capture dolphins and keep them in bassins. Therefore they do their research with free dolphins and whales in their natural habitat, the ocean around Tenerife, and their research is bound to a lot of restrictions.
Actually it is forbidden to swim in the sea when dolphins or whales are nearby, on one hand because it is dangerous and on the other hand in order to protect the wild animals. Roma and Volker, though, have a special authorization from the governments of Tenerife and Spain which allows them to work with the sea mammals. They have to apply for this authorization every year anew and only get it, because they do scientifical research and follow every single restriction that is imposed on them.

So, what do they actually do in their research?
At the beginning Roma and Volker only worked with children and teenagers who were mentally or physically disabled. They do not only work with the child, but also involve the whole family, in order to ensure that the progress and changes will go on back at home. Also, they include reports from teachers, therapists and educaters, and whoever works with the children to see if there is any long-term progress. In the past years they also started to take on self-awareness-groups of grown-ups who work in the social sector.

What makes the experience so special is that you don't have the possibility to work with whales/dolphins in their natural habitat anywhere else. Those sea mammals you meet are absolutely free. They choose to be there with you, and if they don't want it anymore, they swim away or dive.

Anyway, all this is really hard to explain, and there is a lot more to it than what I am able to tell you guys, but if this made you curious just look at their website. It is accessible in German as well as English.

Well, in my next entry I will tell you a little bit about my personal experience on Tenerife.  :)

Carpooling!

Hello hello! :)

How's it going? Is everyone enjoying their holidays? Too bad that they're over soon...

Anyway, I'm gonna tell you guys something about carpooling today, because I think it's an amazing idea!
Basically, carpooling means sharing a car if you have to go to the same place as somenone else. I have been doing that since I moved to Graz whenever I wanted to go home to Salzburg because it has lots of advantages.
First of all, it's usually far cheaper than going by bus or train or whatever mean of transport you're usually using. For example, the train ticket Graz-Salzburg is 20€ (with Vorteilscard), but if I'm going with someone they charge between 10 and 15€.
Secondly, it is much quicker than going by public transport. The train needs 4 hours to reach Salzburg, but with the car you're there in 2-3 hours.
Another important aspect is the environmental one. See, as the car is going to drive the distance anyway, be it with one person in it or with four, why not pack it with people who have the same way and make it more efficient?
If you're the driver, it definitely pays off, because you don't have to pay for the gas yourself! You simply can use the passenger's money, and you could even make a little profit.

^^ no need to worry, it doesn't look like this in Austria! ;)

Of course you could say that it's weird to drive with people you don't even know, but honestly, you don't really have to talk to them, and sometimes they can be really nice and friendly! I met some really interesting people on those carpools.
Plus, it's organized pretty easy and quickly. You just text the driver and ask if he still has space for you, he says yes and then you decide where to meet. Some of them pick you up at home, others ask you to meet them at some place like Hauptbahnhof or Jakominiplatz.

As far as I know there are carpools to almost every city, just check out this website and see if you can find someone who's going your way. It's worth it.
If you're really interested in it you could also check if there's a facebook page to connect drivers with passengers. For Salzburg-Graz there are even two:
Mitfahrgelegnheit Graz - Salzburg and Fahrgemeinschaft Salzburg Graz

Worst movie I've seen in ages!!!

Yesterday I was watching The Tourist with my sister, and I have to say it was the worst movie I've seen in a long, long, LONG time!

It's a movie starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp shot in 2010. Angelina Jolies plays Elise, an undercover agent of Interpol who fell in love with Alexander Pierce, whom she was supposed to shadow and get information about. But since she spent a year with him and fell for him she didn't pass on any useful information. Therefore she was suspended, but Interpol is still watching her in case Pierce catches up with her again. When he does, he gives her instructions to find a random stranger on a train and make Interpol think it's him. She decides on Frank (Johnny Depp) and because of the way she's treating him they think it really is Pierce. So the next day Frank gets into some serious trouble because, of course, not only Interpol is looking for Pierce but also a gangster boss.

The only good thing about that movie is the beautiful location, Venice.
Neither Angelina Jolie nor Johnny Depp are acting good and there is absolutely no chemistry at all between them! The whole movie is moving on in such a slow pace, I almost fell asleep. It is called a thriller, but for me a thriller is a movie where I sit straight up with my fists clenched because I cannot believe what's happening. The Tourist, in contrast, is slow and boring. And even in the end, when finally all the entanglements are solved, I was almost laughing because it was so ridiculous!

When I heard it was nominated for several Golden Globes I couldn't believe my ears! There are so many REALLY good movies, which would have deserved an award and didn't even get nominated. The Tourist only got it's nominations because of the cast, if you ask me, and if you've seen some movies with Jolie or Depp you simply know, that they are capable of much more.

I was really disappointed by this film, and I only managed to get through it because I was making fun of it with my sister from the minute it started.

Beware of dog...

Right guys, today I'm gonna write about dogs and how dangerous ALL OF THEM are!

I will not argue that there are some dangerous dogs in this world. Just as there are dangerous horses or cats or snakes or humans. But the point is, that a really great deal of our world's dogs are loving, well-behaved creatures which want nothing but your respect. I know many dogs and already own my second one. Those two dogs were the best friends I ever had. A dog never lets you down, he loves you no matter what and wants nothing but being taken care of and loved in return. 

I do know some misbehaved dogs as well, but what I can tell from my experience is that no dog is evil by nature. If a dog doesn't behave well or is aggressive or anything it is almost certainly because he was mitreated. 

Even the so-called risk-breeds are not naturally evil. You can have a Dobermann who is the most good-hearted animal to ever have set paw on this earth. As long as you treat the dog with respect and love and train him you will certainly have no problems at all with him, no matter what breed he is. Of course, there are breeds which are harder to handle than others, but if you want a dog you should really overthink the commitment you're about to take up. You owe it to your dog as well as to the world, that you only adopt one if you're able to handle him. 

What's a big problem nowadays is, that there are many people who bring their dogs up to be aggressive against everyone but themselves. These thoughtless people neither do their dogs a favor nor anyone else. Plus, they fan the flames of fear and hatred against dogs which seem to spread more and more nowadays. So many parents teach their children to be afraid of dogs, even though nothing ever happened to themselves, just because they read about this and that horrible story. As long as you meet the dog with respect it will not harm you. Even ignoring them is far better than showing your fear, because they can feel it. 

Humans should just learn to be more careful, dog owners as much as everyone else, in order to avoid dogs who get out of control. In the end, we are the ones who bred them to be the way they are, so if anyone we should be held responsible. But I am sure if owners as well as all the others take good care of their dogs we can reduce dog attacks to a minimum.