a great sunday with Becca!! we went to a carnival in Byker, just relaxing, talking and clubbing at night. don't ahve the feeling that i've been in England for 3 weeks.. great, but i'm looking forward for going home. the wierdest thing was that during all this time i didn't get homesick... s meny great people around!!

today we went to Tyneside cinema. i couldn't eaven imagine that 1/2 of the whole film on the cinema screen, the screen is blank!! the people there were very nice and polite, they showed us all the rooms and ahh!! the beautiful art-deco cinema hall!! that is a splendid place to watch a film there!

but we had our own cinema hall and it was great, we watched Willy Wonka & the chocolate factory (1971). that was a great film, after that we needed to watch the new one - Charlie and the chocolate factory, and so we did. i loved the irony and sarcasm in Johnny Depp's play.

after cinema we went back to the hotel and had an intercultural lunch:)

and then - final dinner in The Mandarin - aah! it was so tasty but so so so soo tooooooo much for me!!! and the text in the cookies - "a true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down " - how do you like that?? i'll have to go down in Latvia to get a true friend in my way:))) as this was the last night for Global Voice TV project, we had to party whole night!! i survived till 4.30 a.m. went to sleep at 7.30 couse my brain didn't want to fall asleep after going to hotel, ah!!!

this morning was funny. i woke up at 10 a.m. 3 hours later then i was supposed to wake up. and again Adam's call woke me up from sleep. the best thing was Gustavo - as we understood, he woke up early, at about 7.30-8 a.m., went down for breakfast, but when understood, that everyone is sleeping, went to sleep again.:))

but the weather was amusing!! it was misty the whole day!! it's never like that in Latvia, seemed like in a film of Sherlock Holmes.. great!!

so we were in Y.M.C.A. at about 11 a.m. this day was great. we had to make a film treatment, about what is going to be our film, introduction, how to make interest, what has to be in the treatment, and the hardest part - what is the theme of our film and how to uncover it within the shots. a real brainstorming and everyone got really excited about the film.

then muffins - Peppe and Gianni were totay addicted. and they knew were the best bacery is, we (me and Ardi) tried to find it, but we couldn't then we got the important information from the muffin addicts personally.

then was a long rest and going to italian restaurant Casa Bellissima - i had a great spicy picca, but italians said that it is not a good italian food, at least noone of them ate the pasta they ordered.

english rain is back, but despite the rain and terribly cold wind we went to watch the tall ships sail out. i like rain, misty sea and the ships were beautiful.

this was the hardes day in UK i guess, but at the same time you can learn a lot. after a cup of coffee and walk along the seaside i felt full of energy, blowed about 100 balloons, but still we have been too bad organised during the week before the project and i guess english sometimes are too tolerant and don't tell what have you done wrong, and that was the problem why me and Adam worked in the kitchen for 4 hours. but it had a possitive side also - i learnt how to make english tuna-fish, cheese and ham sandwiches:))
unfortunately just before Latvian presentation some vegetarian sausages got burnt so i did my presentation quite bad, but we had an informal Latvian presentation in kitchen with Latvian Black Balsam and ate latvian black chocolate. The evening afterwards went alright - belly dances, jokes, etc.

after watching videos form the history of e2000 and Youth Voice we went to a pub, there we learnt some portuguese songs, had some intereseting disscusions about politics, history with Jiovanni and Ardi.

i didn't know that english have video cameras everywhere, almost on every corner, you live in a reality show, i wonder where do they use the tapes.

the first morning when i woke up and got up at the same time:))

the first day of training. it was really interesting.i've never made a film before in a profesional level, just some films for myself or been a model for art photos. Filming doesn't look so difficult as editing. i've never edited but i'm relly looking forward to learn it tomorrow!! the small tips for right places to film from etc. i enjoyed the films about Iraq and Ben's (our trainer) trip to France. the film about Iraq showed the life there, what is not shown on TV, i liked the way of showing it - there is a painful moment, then is something lighter, then again a painful one.

afterwards we had a barbeque, that was great, weather wes nice and i had a great time.

then we went by taxi to Newcastle, to watch fireworks. the comic and inglorious accident in taxi on the way to Bycer bridge is not going to be told here. but fireworks were great, the site form bridge was fantastic!! at the same time project participants had to film 10 minutes long material about barbeque and fireworks, two groups, each group 10 minutes - this material will be edited tomorrow.

going back was funny. the metro station was full, but of course just our platform, on the second platform was a funny english man, with a guitar who was entertaining all the hundreds on the opposite platform.

going back with taxi and again - problems with taxi drivers..daah!!

so- first day of project Global Voice TV.

in the morning i obtained a full amount of grants given by the Keyfund for organisations in North Tyneside, called some organisations for the Intercultural night and Keyfund film, finally i got in touch with Longbenton Youth Project - they have done a lot of Keyfund projects, unfortunately they weren't able to come on Thursday, but are really looking forward for the Keyfund filming.

at 2 p.m. we had a meeting with Anna form Spain, together with her and Paul we went to The Phoenix Project to get the screen for projector, me and Anna stayed there to talk with Mike and Kerry about organisations, countries etc.

at 6.p.m. i was again imn my loving Airport (my second home during the Ford Castle project:) and a traditional Costa expresso and the plane form Amsterdam is approaching - i'm meeting Gustavo (Portugal) and Ardi (Estonia) - participants for GVTV they are not tired and after going to Whitley Bay and leaving bags in hotel we have a walk around. so we are walking along the seaside and i'm shoving all my excelent:) knowladge about this historic place - about the pirats etc. (hope Dave was right) but it's much too cold for Portuguese and we had to search for a pub. after a long searching we found Copperfield. we warmed up and went to the metro, then to see the Fire Station - there was a meeting with other GVTV participants, but before that, lads understood that they haven't eaten anything for ages and we had an expedition for food at 11 p.m. in Whitley Bay - of course the only thing we found was fast food, but they were alright.

an ice- breaking night with traditional english goods.

monday.. my last working monday in UK..

a lot to do - tomorrow starts the Global Voice TV project, so we have planty to do and tones of things that have not been done in previous week. so the meeting was long and full of planning, discussions about future actions of Global Voice TV, this was a lesson for future - you have to chek what everyone is actually doing not only speaking, and the main thing - the people involved in preparation have to be totaly faithfull about their skills and timing for tasks, can they do it or not, cause if you say "i can do it" but haven't done it in time, it makes problems for everyone involved and the project doesn't run properly, but still we can make it, just have to do everything in a hurry - but participants arrive in noon, so we ahve extra time to prepare.

afterwars a meeting with Gary, Becca and Robin, working in the office, phoning people (i was too late with the invitations), a big shopping with Paul and Artur for barbeques for the project.

uhh.. you have to chek and do everything on time, if not.. few bussy and nervous days before the project starts.

i love sundays- longer sleeping and no rush.

this day was full of relaxing - we went to watch the Tall ships in the queyside, chilling, listening music, eating chips, me and Artur eaven got on two of the ships.

went to sleep at 10 p.m. - tomorrow working day..

what a surprise - i woke up late.. again!! but thank god just for 50 minutes, not longer.

uh, today i'm going to Edinburgh, balloons are not leaving me, but doesn't matter what i have done in the evenings/nights, i'm alright in the next day.. after 1-2 hours of getting up, and because the trip to Edinburgh was longer than that i had enough time to wake up and afterwards a good expresso and i'm ready to see this amusing city!!!

and i really did!!! this was an unspeakable joy - arhitecture is great, Royal Museum and Museum of Scotland, but the best - The National Gallery Of Scotland - with exhibitions of paintings of Monet (Poplars on the Epte, Heystacks (winter)), Botticelli, Cessane, Bernard, Serurier, Pissarro,
Van Gogh (Olive Trees)- i loved this one ahh!! -, Degas' dancers, Raphael's (Madonnas, The holy Family with a Palm Tree), Rembrant and exhibition "Paul Gauguin's Vision" - with paintings like Vision of the Serman, Self - portait, Breton Calvery Green Crist etc!! i was sitting in the room A6 (impressionists) for half- hour.. just sitting and looking at all the beauty around and not believeing that i see all the originals.. ahh!!

so.. totaly amused i went out of the Gallery. was a little sad, that did not see the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, because they had an exhibition of Francis Bacon and paintings of Matisse, Warhol and Picasso.

So meny splendid galleries - i could life here for ever:)) at the same time visiting galleries of London and Italy:)))

full of emotions i went back to Newcastle to meet Peppe and Gianni - two italians who were arriving this day, a small party and night walk to the sea, it was funny to see the signs of "Elderly people".. like they were some kind of danger for people, sometimes, but.. well we had a great laugh about it!

a day full of positive emotions

well known thought, but very well forgotten every evening in the public opinion - no social nights out before hard workday mornings:))) it was not so bad with the headache, more with the lack of sleep.

so with eyes like half-inflanted balloons i went to "High tidy" beach cleaning day organised by Millennium Volunteers. i've participated in some "high tidy"before, but Becca was just great!! i was picking rubbish with 3 hours of sleep - someone will find this kind of weird, but it was a fun time - laughing, volleeyball (with Newcastle rugby team)!!!

in the early morning we were worried about the weather, because it was cloudy, but it got sunny soon. it was great to meet some Belarussian young people, could practice my russian. they were surprised and a little bit dissapointed, that there was someone who could speak russian in UK, but it was great to understand their mentality and find the dissimilarities and likenesses between them and latvians. understood, that in Belorussia is a different way of thinking about Latvia - about the russian speaking people etc. this makes me think about media and their power on people's mind.. and liberty of the press in democratic and less democratic countries.

after this i got back to my White House (thank goodness/unfortunately there was no Bush:), and got ready for a working/social night out with DVD, mexican food etc. so summing all these circumstances i went to sleep late..

this is a very busy day.. but i like it:)))

we started at 9.30 a.m. in the office. got ready for filming in Norham. thought about the script differences, questions and many other tasks to make the filming go smoothly.

so the BBQ at Norham College started at 1p.m. me, Artur and Paul got there on time, but the way was funny - noone knew where exactly it is. but this was fun. the "Bad Boys" (the name of keyfung group) were great! some were shy and said mostly just "ai, yes" some told all the history of the garden they've made in front of the camera. but it looks really beautiful! and interviews with teachers showed how the personalities of boys have grown and developed during the projects, this is a thing, which is the most important, more than the job they have made, in my opinion.

after many BBQ sausages, salads, laughts and information about gardening i had to go to Pxoenix Detached youth project. i enjoyed it a lot. this evening i went together with Mike and Kery in the streets to see the Detached youth work in action! this kind of job asks for a huge amount of patience, cause if the only way you work with the young people is meeting them on the streets, it takes ages to make them do something themselves. but it works. the best thing in detached youth work is that young people are really interested in the projects and do everything themselves, this is a great expierience for young persons who are afraid to go to youth organisation offices or just don't know nothing about the possibilities they have.

oh! got back after Phoenix at about 10 p.m. a little bit tired, but at the same time inspired for new actions, how to develop detached youth work, take some parts of it and use it in my local area.

evening was great! my first real english clubbing!! we went to STONE LOVE. and i danced whole night. enjoyed it a lot!!

wednesday... middle of project, today also is a office day:)) me and Artur are making budget for Global Voice TV project, writing a keyfund script for the film, cause tomorrow we are going to Norham Community Tehnology College to film their project, Adam gives us a short camera training, tomorrow seems to be very interesting!!

an early evening - a walk along seaside and my warm bed:))

yesterday i went to sleep so early, that during the night i woke up meny times, couse, i guess, my brains had had too much sleep:))

this day is all in the office, working on yesterday made tasks for this week.

i spent almost the whole day making the data base for KeyFund project organizations, thems, grants. my back hurts a little, but now i know m uch more about North Tyneside organizations, their profile, couse i've read almost all o f their web sites.

still working on the inviations, some of them i made already on Friday, now i'm just writing the addresses on envelopes, names on the invitaions etc.

good job done, but still a lot to do!! but i like the work atmosphere, it 's not boring and actually a lot of fun!!

after a great weekend the first working day also is wonderfull.
i love it when everybody is full of energy and working together.
the organ ized work of e2000 is great. i've taken many n otes of they way of working, specially from this day, frim the monday meetings, analysing the work, structurising it, fimding the ideas, developing them step my step, during this period in UK i've had so meny ideas for projects in Latvia, i don't know, iks it just changing the environment and looking at your ork from a different side or the inspiring atmosphere. but that is nice.
after all the meetings, i'm visiting Mike from Phoenix detached youth project. we ahd some really good conversations. in Latvia we don't have detached youth work, maybe there are some organizations who do this kind of practise, b ut not as a national system. so irt was in teresting to listen, and we shared best practise of working with young people, youth work develoopment, laws, different kind of social youth work systems, need of youth work.

it's amusing how long does it take to understand the cahnges and development the youth worker has given to young people. you c an see that just after a long period of time.

i remember when we had the m ikd-evaluation in the central station with Adam, i could not answe r the question "so, what have you learned during this time in England?" # and i think this is the same, now i can give some points about it, but only later, going back in latvia i'll have the possibiliy to use it, see, have i taken the information as muuch as possible. but i'm trying to get every peace of information, cach everything what's possible. an d i think it will many projects, and there are already more possibilities, and thery are getting m ore and more, i don't thin g they'll get less.

so now i'm really looking forwa rd meeting Mike again a nd have the chance to see how detached youth work really is.

after this productable day, i had a chillin in my hotel room reading history book, watc hing crap tv, writing down ideas and going to sleep early.
but as i understood, downstairs in the bar Britons were watching football, so i went to sleemp at 10 p.m., which still is early for me.

got up on time.
today i went to see Durham. it has great! art and archtecture are my weeknesees an d the cathedray was amusing!! i could stad inside for ages and just wach how professional and dreamly undiscribable miricles can people's had make. the city is full of romance, the small streets and street musicians..ahh!!

after Durham me, pol and Robin went to Live theatre to see a play "The Bodies". the ply was great, but the long-term sitting made the second part a little bit harder to watch.

in evening going to cinema, watching Sin City. film was really good. thanks to the great team of directors, actors.. Robert Rodriguez s totaly fantastic as always. a lot of violance but the use of colour was great, and yeah, that' s Rodriguez. but still i've to watch it again, couse i've been tougth to watch violent films from directors point and look at it as a peace of art, so i wasn't inside the story for 100% ..:-/

saturday... that can be better than a fantastic sleep till 1.30 p.m. despite those tones of alarms and phonecalls i missed, slept amuzing!!!

this was a day for visiting Newcastle city centre. took the metro and just wal ked, where my nose shows. i'm realloy interested in art, so searched for the biggest anr galleries. went to Laing and Baltic. the second one is undescribeble. i enjoyed it a lot. the KIENHOLZ exhbition was - aah!!!! so deep, sarcastic, ironic, full of contrasts, "giving to work a shoking intensity, and confronting the issues a society might choose to ignore, or shy away from". i was s o impressed tht whaned to take part in the Spencer Tunick installation, unfortunately, it was at 3 a.m. and i had no idea how to get till Newcastle centre and back from it to Whitley Bay.
after the Baltics i went for a walk to see churches, castles and m odern arc hitectural beauty of the streets, walk on the powerfull Tyne and light Milleniu m bridge. i like the way Newcastle is ballancing between modern and old architecture, keeping aroma from ancient but developing at the same time.

after a splendit day of art, i went to an English garden party with Jamie. this was fun. latvian young people almoust never have birthday parties with parents and their friends. but still it was full of laughter and fun, dancing and jumping!

i have to get my private up-waker!!! morning is the worst part of day ever. today i had to wake up at 6.45... terrible. b ut i did it:))
at 8 a.m. i'm meeting Ashleigh and going to a visit in Ashington. it is so nice to meet people from previous projects. i visited the Ash ington Sports college. happy to study in Latvi, the summer hollidays in UK are just for 6 weeks, and i'm complaning about my 3 month holiday being too short:))

scholls i n UK are much different in many reasons. they are much bigger, we have many and small but they few and really big. of coure, the equipment here is much better in Latvia. bujt i like that the school where i study is so small, teachers have more time for each student personaly, so you can understand better and learning is easier, at leat for me.

but the thing why i went to Ashington was meeting the work Ashleigh is doing as a social worker in schools. todauy they had a show for the nursery 4 -5 years old children. they were amuzing! the show made for them was also very interesting. dancing chineese lion, ty-chi and dances. the little ones were werry excited. we also.

afterwards we went to the nusrury and did some activities there. ahh!! children are so nice a nd sweet.. for the first hour:)) you can't be angry on them, you have to smile and give gratitude to them for all the things they have done, even if they seem totaly normal for you. the teachers which work in kindergardens are amuzing. i could never ever do something like that.

in afternood i'm back to work in the office. still working on invitations, and finding the addresses for the organizations. i didn't think it takes such a long time. b ut the result is nice.

got to the hotel early, at baout 6 p.m. it took me about an hour to feel homesick. that was terrible. h ope it will not happen again. that's the problem - i hate being alone and in Latvia i'm never alone, just thet when i want to. but, i guess, this wasn't that moment. so i went back to the Manse and had a nice chillin evening.

i really enjoyed this day. although 5 year olds take a lot of energy it was great. because they give you tones of things to laugh about and remember your childhood.

i got to my breakfast at time:))
then me and Artur went to Norham Community College for a visit to arange the filming of Keyfund promotional material. the work the boys have done there is beautiful, and you can see that they are really enjoying it. i think that the Keyfund is great you can arrange and do many things, start with small projects and make them bigger and b igger and develop you skills and personality doing it.
afterwards working with computer on different kind of things, the english rain has came back, getting more information about e2000 International previous projects, history, talking about schedules for the next days. the democracy week idea seems to be a goiod thing to try in our region schools.

pol is having a book published - thats great, gonna have to read it. actualloy wathing these people working is great, you get energy to work further and tonnes of ideas for new projects.

social n ight out with Bekka form Millenium Volunteers. bouth of us had a hard day, so this was a perfect night for chilin and talking about different kind of things.newcastle at nightime is beautiful. i love the bridges upon Tyne, they are looking so strong and enormous, the feeling standing under them is marvelos. you feel like a small ant looking up to something powerfull. teh chillin nights out is the best time for all the differences and si milarituies, new and old things, past and future of organizatioons, countries, nations, youth etc.

going home was funny, i still do not know the way and exact place of my hotel:)

second day in the office.

again i woke up late. slept my breakfast for the second morning. cannot get used top the time change a nd the late evenings with meeting Englad have done their. but that is nice. i'm looking tired, but i'm not. hate that question.

meeting with Jiovanni about what can e2000 give to youth. a little bit strange, usually nobady in Latvia asks this kind of q usetions, b ut prob ubly that is because we are the only youth or ganization in Tukums region, but that was also interesting. but the same as in latvia, people are really interested in co-operation and opened.

after lunch we are preparing the Global voice TV project, making invitations, serching for addreses.

in the evening meeting with youth from previous projects. wa s a little bit late, the terorists still make their influence on the metro saFty.but britons seem to be carm and not woried, having funny jokes about them.
meeting Jam,ie and Sherild proves how the A tion 1 is wonmderful. good memories and people have got much more opened, have inspiration for working. this gives you also more motivation for your work and further activities.

latvian beer testes much better than english one:))

the day in office.

e 2000 is m aking a film about keyfund, me and Artur are visiting schools and phon ing the organizations which have made all the 4 steps of keyfund. i like the idea and their way of working with media, using it as a tool in almost everywhere. our youth is also keen on media, making cartoons and movies. so this is also an expierience to taske home.

working on tasks, made in the meeting on Monday.
phoning, working with the computer. me and Artur.

he he. foud a gr eat cafe where are delicious natural meals. i' m happy.
talks about differences and similarities between Latvians, Polish and English, getting to know cuulturs, philosphies. interesting. the weather is great.

first working day. getting to know e2000 International every-day work.
first in schedule is the e2000 lead er s meeting with Adam, Artur and Pol. everybody gets his jobs for the next week, dicuses future plans of e2000, afterwards a meeting with Bekka, Gary and Robin, about things that should be done, which were discussed during the leaders meeting. this is a good practise - our meetings are usualy held together with leaders, members and stuff, but making the meetings seperated.
i like the way thet are thinking in a long term , when every one is being active and talking about new projects, i got many new ideas for Tukums NGO Association and Levestes Spicie, for 3 projects for sure. which is nice.

afetr wards i'm going to the offica to work on the scheduled tasks of me and Artur. the office is nice, and h er e y ou can see the slight difference between the latvian and UK non-formal policy, in latvia it's just developing now, the good thing is gopping on fast, butwe are mostly working in our own houseds, the office is more made for youuth and as a venue for activities, projects. the structure is almost the same.
the bioggest difference is in the budget. i like the leaders meetings before, that is a great thing for informing everyone about everything and passing the information to the right people. if the organization is big, it is easier to organise the work. and promotion of orgaization - we don' t use is a lot, mostly just through newspapers.

also some small things that could be used, the good partnerships they have with local organizations etc. and i love that they are not scared form large scale projects, we have youth, that ar e expierienced, but are afraid of chalenges, so this will be a great example to take home as showing there ar e no thing that you cannot do. no problems, just sollutions:)

arrivals day.
getting excited of meeting friends and the people i'll be spending the next 3 weeks.
the weather is really nice, first in the time i'm in England it is sunny and no clouds.

Artur from e2000 intewrnat ional is waiting for m e in the airport. after meeting, full with energy for new expierience we are off to South Gosfoth. there is a meeting with Adam, the operations meneger of e2000 international. a nice feeling being here.

we re of to hotel. the white hous. nice and cozy.

going to meet the english beach. the baltic sea has m uch warmer water, that' s nice, b ut still my feet has tuched the Northen sea. the beac h is beautiful, many historicak buildings aroud and the people are friendly. the first intercultural learning - talks about politics and goverments in England, poland and Latvia. terorism and our organizations. my first meeting with fish and chips - oh, i miss my latvian salad:))

meeting others in the evening - Bekka and Robin form Millenium Volunteers, going out meeting the city at night. i love the atmosphere - all kind of people in one place chillin ' and having fun. a b it tired ( up from 1.30 a.m.)but no need and thogths of sleeping, frends from previous projects around and chating about life.

a tired fall in bet and watching some reality shows.. nice