Saturday, August 02, 2008
The last week at Unique Village!
The last days we spent together in our village was a lot of fun. We had great weather, which meant watergames and a walk down to mjøsa so everybody could enjoy a last swim in norwegian water! The leaders also planned their last activities with the kids, and one importante was the one where the kids were divided into their delegations and told to draw a map of the world and put in the countries represented in the village in the right place. After a month together we have all learned a lot about eachothers country and culture but placeing it on a map didn't turn out to be that easy. After every delegation had tried their best, they got a real map to compare their own with. It was a good activity where the kids got an idea of where in the world their new friends live!
On Wednesday, which was our last full day, everybody did a lot of cleaning and packing in the morning so that we could spend the rest of the day together doing a lot of activities. We had all of our favourite energizers in the beginning of activity 2 and continued with girls against boys in "catch the bacon". Then we had "the four elements" before everybody was told to go to their bedroom an bring down their madrass, blanket and pillow. The last night would be spent with everybody sleeping in the gym!
After our last dinner, we all went down to the gym and enjoyed watching a slideshow of the month in our unique village. It brought out both laughter and tears when we saw what our time in Kapp had been like. After that we finished writing in the memorybooks that everybody would bring back home with a nice message from all the others! In the last flagtime, we said goodbye to eachother in every language and sang the CISV-song for the last time.
When we went down to the gym again we sat in a circle around candles spelling CISV with a peace-sign at the end. Everyone got to lit a candle and say what they wanted to say about their experience with this village. It was a really nice ending to the month we have been together and a quiet time to look back on everything we have done and all the people we have gotten to know. Then we had the circle of hugs, where everybody got the chance to say goodbye to each and everyone. This nights lullabies was held with everybody in their beds, and some even went to sleep with the singing still going on. It had been a long but good and emotional day and some had to get up very early the next day!
During the morning hours the staff spent their time driving the kids and the leaders to the station, giving out hugs and saying goodbye. After the last ones where safely put on the bus, we went back and found the school so empty and quiet as it had never been before!
We in the staff hope that you all had a good trip back home and that you are safely back togheter with your families in this moment! We would like to thank all the parents who sent their child to us and gave us the chance to get to know them and have them with us during this great month here in Norway! We hope this is a summer your kids never will forget and that they went back home with a big smile on their face.
And of course not to forget the most important ones; Thank you to all the kids who made this village a fantastic and UNIQUE experience! We are so happy that you could be a part of it!
With all our love,
Lars , Mia, Hilde , & Toggie
On Wednesday, which was our last full day, everybody did a lot of cleaning and packing in the morning so that we could spend the rest of the day together doing a lot of activities. We had all of our favourite energizers in the beginning of activity 2 and continued with girls against boys in "catch the bacon". Then we had "the four elements" before everybody was told to go to their bedroom an bring down their madrass, blanket and pillow. The last night would be spent with everybody sleeping in the gym!
After our last dinner, we all went down to the gym and enjoyed watching a slideshow of the month in our unique village. It brought out both laughter and tears when we saw what our time in Kapp had been like. After that we finished writing in the memorybooks that everybody would bring back home with a nice message from all the others! In the last flagtime, we said goodbye to eachother in every language and sang the CISV-song for the last time.
When we went down to the gym again we sat in a circle around candles spelling CISV with a peace-sign at the end. Everyone got to lit a candle and say what they wanted to say about their experience with this village. It was a really nice ending to the month we have been together and a quiet time to look back on everything we have done and all the people we have gotten to know. Then we had the circle of hugs, where everybody got the chance to say goodbye to each and everyone. This nights lullabies was held with everybody in their beds, and some even went to sleep with the singing still going on. It had been a long but good and emotional day and some had to get up very early the next day!
During the morning hours the staff spent their time driving the kids and the leaders to the station, giving out hugs and saying goodbye. After the last ones where safely put on the bus, we went back and found the school so empty and quiet as it had never been before!
We in the staff hope that you all had a good trip back home and that you are safely back togheter with your families in this moment! We would like to thank all the parents who sent their child to us and gave us the chance to get to know them and have them with us during this great month here in Norway! We hope this is a summer your kids never will forget and that they went back home with a big smile on their face.
And of course not to forget the most important ones; Thank you to all the kids who made this village a fantastic and UNIQUE experience! We are so happy that you could be a part of it!
With all our love,
Lars , Mia, Hilde , & Toggie
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Sunday, July 27
Delegation of the day: Norway and Guatemala
Today Norway and Guatemala were delegations of the day. Norway woke the kids in the morning.
In the first activity we had a big trust game. At the end of the activity, all the kids were divided into pairs and then each of them wrote a postcard for their partner in his/her language. One was telling the sentences to write on the postcard and the partner had to write it down like the language sounds. They should also say it in their own language.
In the second activity we played the game “contrast”. Every group had to perform themes about differences; peace-violence, cooperation-competition. They did very well, it was great to see them act.
Because the day was too hot, we just decided to have a watergame. We had a lot of fun with a hose and sprinkler.
In the third activity the kids, together with the JC’s, had a little pillowfight and then they saw the movie “Pay it forward”. It was a good day! :)
Norway & Guatemala
Today Norway and Guatemala were delegations of the day. Norway woke the kids in the morning.
In the first activity we had a big trust game. At the end of the activity, all the kids were divided into pairs and then each of them wrote a postcard for their partner in his/her language. One was telling the sentences to write on the postcard and the partner had to write it down like the language sounds. They should also say it in their own language.
In the second activity we played the game “contrast”. Every group had to perform themes about differences; peace-violence, cooperation-competition. They did very well, it was great to see them act.
Because the day was too hot, we just decided to have a watergame. We had a lot of fun with a hose and sprinkler.
In the third activity the kids, together with the JC’s, had a little pillowfight and then they saw the movie “Pay it forward”. It was a good day! :)
Norway & Guatemala
Monday, July 28, 2008
Friday, July 25
Delegation of the day: JC's
We started the day with lullabies and ended it with morninggym. In addition to the day being run completely backwards, we also had the JC olympics wich took activity 1, 2 and half of the third.
We began the olympics with dividing people into groups, then the groups had to do their groupcostumes, song and dance. Each of the JC's had their own station with trust, communication and general fun activities. The groups competed throughout the day for different prizes.
At the end the JC's handed out trophies to the winners and presented their booklets. After that, we had the "monito game", which was awesome. Everybody's secret friend was revealed. We had a great time and we continued with the "scratchmurder game", and after a lot of fun we had a snack and "morning gym"where we sang some awesome songs.
From all the JC's
We started the day with lullabies and ended it with morninggym. In addition to the day being run completely backwards, we also had the JC olympics wich took activity 1, 2 and half of the third.
We began the olympics with dividing people into groups, then the groups had to do their groupcostumes, song and dance. Each of the JC's had their own station with trust, communication and general fun activities. The groups competed throughout the day for different prizes.
At the end the JC's handed out trophies to the winners and presented their booklets. After that, we had the "monito game", which was awesome. Everybody's secret friend was revealed. We had a great time and we continued with the "scratchmurder game", and after a lot of fun we had a snack and "morning gym"where we sang some awesome songs.
From all the JC's
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Thursday, July 24
Delegation of the day: Canada and Spain
Today, we had a very interesting day, but almost everybody had their share of frustration. We started out with our regular old breakfast of bread, nutella, jam, butter and cereal. But we all noticed something different about breakfast, a group of kids had been chosen to go and get their breakfast earlier than the others. They were considered as the kids doing especially well at camp.
After breakfast, we went down to the gym and played the grass is growing. We were divided into two groups, one which was much smaller, and that had an advantage over the bigger group, which was found unfair. Although the bigger team had a disadvantage og no verbal communication and having to get over a higher rope without bars to hold on to, the bigger team worked really well together, showed great cooperation and team spirit. When we came into the dininghall for lunch, we saw something very different. The tables in the first half of the room were less crowded, the kids sitting there were served their food by leaders and the tables had tablecloths and candles. The other 53 kids were stuffed onto 4 tables were they had to wait for the “rich kids” to be served. But all these treatment was to be explained later in the day.
After lunch, the kids went outside because the weather was faboulus. They got a task; to protect an egg with different types of materials like cardboard, plastic bags, cans.. After that the leaders trough the egg out the window. The “rich kids” had more materials and also made a parachute so it was the only one that didn’t break. After dinner, we had a long debrief during 3rd activity because we wanted all the kids to get the point of the activity, the most important part of the game.
From Canada and Spain
Today, we had a very interesting day, but almost everybody had their share of frustration. We started out with our regular old breakfast of bread, nutella, jam, butter and cereal. But we all noticed something different about breakfast, a group of kids had been chosen to go and get their breakfast earlier than the others. They were considered as the kids doing especially well at camp.
After breakfast, we went down to the gym and played the grass is growing. We were divided into two groups, one which was much smaller, and that had an advantage over the bigger group, which was found unfair. Although the bigger team had a disadvantage og no verbal communication and having to get over a higher rope without bars to hold on to, the bigger team worked really well together, showed great cooperation and team spirit. When we came into the dininghall for lunch, we saw something very different. The tables in the first half of the room were less crowded, the kids sitting there were served their food by leaders and the tables had tablecloths and candles. The other 53 kids were stuffed onto 4 tables were they had to wait for the “rich kids” to be served. But all these treatment was to be explained later in the day.
After lunch, the kids went outside because the weather was faboulus. They got a task; to protect an egg with different types of materials like cardboard, plastic bags, cans.. After that the leaders trough the egg out the window. The “rich kids” had more materials and also made a parachute so it was the only one that didn’t break. After dinner, we had a long debrief during 3rd activity because we wanted all the kids to get the point of the activity, the most important part of the game.
From Canada and Spain
Tuesday, July 22
Delegation of the day: Brazil and Sweden
Today the delegation of the day was both Brazil and Sweden, so Brazil started waking up people with a little demonstration of axe music. Then morning gym, flagtime and breakfast, cleaninggroups and in the first activity we played a really good game. Each delegation has a paper with the name of their own country. When the person in the middle says switch, we needed to pass the paper to the delegation on our right side, till all the delegations had written what they knew about each country. In the end each country made some comments on what was right and wrong on their paper. We really liked it because we could learn more about other cultures.
Then: freetime, lunchtime, siesta and second activity. Since the weather was really good this day, the activity was outside! We played some watergames. In the first one everybody sat in a circle and one person walked around the circle and threw water on another. Then the two of them had to run around the circle and the first person back could sit down. The other games were cooperation games, but with water. The kids loved the games and even more to get the leaders and eachother wet!
At dinner we had a competition between the tables. They had to make up a song with the words "Sweden, Brazil, friendship, CISV and best". They made up some good songs!
At night we had our last national night; Brazil. First they showed some pictures from the main cities, wildlife, food, dance and people. After that they presented one of their national dances called Frevo and Forro. Everybody got to join in on their demonstration of their Carneval. To eat we got brigadeiro (a kind of chocolateballs), pão de queíso, sonho de valsa and they gave us their album. It was a really good night! In the evening Sweden had flagtime, and in lullabies both Sweden and Brazil chose the songs!
Big hugs to everyone, from Brazil and Sweden!
Today the delegation of the day was both Brazil and Sweden, so Brazil started waking up people with a little demonstration of axe music. Then morning gym, flagtime and breakfast, cleaninggroups and in the first activity we played a really good game. Each delegation has a paper with the name of their own country. When the person in the middle says switch, we needed to pass the paper to the delegation on our right side, till all the delegations had written what they knew about each country. In the end each country made some comments on what was right and wrong on their paper. We really liked it because we could learn more about other cultures.
Then: freetime, lunchtime, siesta and second activity. Since the weather was really good this day, the activity was outside! We played some watergames. In the first one everybody sat in a circle and one person walked around the circle and threw water on another. Then the two of them had to run around the circle and the first person back could sit down. The other games were cooperation games, but with water. The kids loved the games and even more to get the leaders and eachother wet!
At dinner we had a competition between the tables. They had to make up a song with the words "Sweden, Brazil, friendship, CISV and best". They made up some good songs!
At night we had our last national night; Brazil. First they showed some pictures from the main cities, wildlife, food, dance and people. After that they presented one of their national dances called Frevo and Forro. Everybody got to join in on their demonstration of their Carneval. To eat we got brigadeiro (a kind of chocolateballs), pão de queíso, sonho de valsa and they gave us their album. It was a really good night! In the evening Sweden had flagtime, and in lullabies both Sweden and Brazil chose the songs!
Big hugs to everyone, from Brazil and Sweden!
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