Monday, September 29, 2014

Saturday, September 27, 2014

My interview to The Best Travelled ~ Intervjuu


Paar kuud tagasi ütles Linda, minu korterinaaber Santiago de Compostelas, et andis minu kontaktid oma sõbrannale, kes on kogukonna The Best Travelled ambassador.
Juba õige pea võttis Rami minuga ühendust ja küsis, kas mul on aega ning soovi vastata mõnele küsimusele. Muidugi mul oli - nii aega kui soovi :)
~
Couple of months ago Linda, my flatmate here in Santiago de Compostela, told me that she has passed on my contact details to her friend who is an ambassador of The Best Travelled community.
It didn´t take long when Rami got in touch, asking if I have time and I´d be willing to answer some of her questions.
Of course I had - both, time and willingness to do so :)



----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Could you introduce yourself – your name, where are you from, where are you now?
My name is Kristi and I am from Estonia.
However, currently I live in Spain in Santiago de Compostela where I´m taking part of an EVS (European Voluntary Service) project Culture on the Way.


Is it your first working/living experience abroad? 

 No, it is my forth time to live and work in abroad, before I´ve been living in England, US and Ireland.
It all started in 2007 when, at the age of 23, after listening tons of networking cd-s, reading Napoleon Hill, getting to know Kiyosaki´s philosophy about active/passive income and the importance of "always take a job where you can learn", felt like giving up my job as a marketing manager which I´d been doing for few years.
Our team of au-pairs in Summit, New Jersey
New and different life began and I ended up in various places. Being volunteer in Birmingham, staying in Indian asrham, teaching English in an Estonian high school, training young basketball girls and running a local youth house. Renovating our country house for half a year.  Being an au-pair in New Jersey.  Doing door to door sales and later working in a salt therapy spa in Dublin.
For the past year I have been once again doing some, mainly international, youth work and also worked as a camp manager in children´s summer sport camp.

How do you connect traveling with working?

To be honest, I wish I knew better how to connect those two things but so far it has turned out well. There has been great help of various programs, either au-pair or EVS, which offer accommodation and food and even some pocket money. In those cases it is kind of secure to move abroad as so many things are taken care of.
Youth exchange in Bulgaria
However, in Dublin I wasn´t involved with any particular activity but I just visited my mum who has been living there for quite many years and my “visit” turned out to be almost a 2 year stay.
While living in Estonia and being involved in youth work, I discovered that there are so many trainings and international seminars for youth workers and several options to also go with the group. For example, last year we went to a contact-making seminar in Finland and after that organized a youth-exchange in Bulgaria.
In the future, among other things, I see myself as a coordinator of various international projects, including EVS. 
Erasmus+ promotion in Estonia
The thing is that in my eyes, the European Voluntary Service program is not so much of being a volunteer but more like a full scholarship for non-formal learning and therefore a wonderful opportunity which I´d like to support and promote. I hope that my own personal experience is something which comes handy when I need to advise or assist others.
Also, being involved with international initiatives hopefully enables me to mix and match a bit of a traveling while, at the same time, I´m fulfilling my ultimate dream of home and family.


What’s your biggest travel experience?




Not quite sure about the biggest travel experience but surely, the biggest contrast while traveling, was the two Christmases which I was able to spend in completely different places. From December 2009 til January 2010, I stayed in Indian asrham and by the end of the same year, I had already moved to New Jersey and spent Christmas in New York City.

Which one did I like more? Well, those two places are, at least in my opinion, incomparable and therefore shouldn´t be put into the same pot. However, from my point of view, I know for sure, that the Indian experience was so much more close to my heart than the one in US. 

Do you keep a travel journal or any kind of memories from your trips?

Yes, I keep a journal and not only when traveling but all the time, no matter where I am. In addition to that, when moving to abroad the very first time, I also started a blog www.kriteamwork.blogspot.com – mainly to keep my friends and family updated. Even though in daily basis I always prefer pen and paper, this is my “meditation”, I still sometimes post into the blog as well. 

Recently I have discovered a new hobby, I´ve started to combine pictures and sayings. In fact, I´ve always admired all sort of inspirational posters and sayings as I find the effect of putting together a word and a picture which support each other´s message, really powerful and influential.

How do you plan a trip before hitting the road?

Guidebooks, normally no, never.
Booking hotels, normally no, never.
Before I started to travel, I used to be the person who plans a lot but by now I tend to agree with Woody Allen who has said that if you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.
Even though not religious, I do have a reason to believe that traveling has helped me to learn how to trust more of Life.
When it comes to choosing the destinations, even those kind of “manage themselves” and appear unexpectedly. For example, last year, when flying to Romania, I had to change my flights in Istanbul and spent one night there. It happened to be the time of Ramadan and during that one night I fell in love into 

this place so completely that I ended up going back couple of months later and stayed for 5 weeks.
Therefore, to be fully honest, I hardly plan anything at all. I´m the type of person who can easily hit the road without knowing almost anything about the destination and so far so good – in my case ignorance has been rather a blessing than a curse.
Maybe the reason behind is that I´m always more fascinated about people who I meet along the way than places I go and therefore, the exact route is quite irrelevant.
It may also be so because during my last trips I´ve been using lot of CouchSurfing (CS). Sending 
few of those requests is one of the few things I do before going somewhere.
CS
gives me an extra confidence that no matter where I go, there are always plenty of people around who can help me. In fact, I actually believe that using CS has transformed not only my travels but also my life as it enables me to “kind of travel” even when staying at home 
because hosting others always brings some fresh air and new ideas into my own life as well. To sum it up, as you can see, my “travel habits” have been mostly influenced by CouchSurfing and therefore I´ll share a piece from my profile which most probably also applies to other similar
communities. 

It is a brilliant way to become part of everyday life in whatever country and to visit friends who I just hadn´t met yet. 
CS enables to create a world-wide network of amazing people who all share, everyone in their own unique way, similar beliefs and values. 

As a host, it has been a great way of traveling without traveling:) 
CS community helps me to feel like home, safe and sound, where ever I go. Also, no matter the location and situation, CS people are like friends and family abroad, the most enjoyable international safety net I´ve encountered so far! 
Why to stay in a hotel/hostel where the only surprise moment is the size of a bed or how the bathroom looks like when it is possible to be surprised and amazed about everybody and everything ;)

The sign in the Puttaparthi´s bus station

Thursday, September 25, 2014

From the ♥ into the ~ ♥ ~ Südamest südamesse ♥

Üks minu ammuseid unistusi hakkab vaikselt kuju ja vormi võtma. Kõik, keda see teema ja ettevõtmine kuidagi kõnetab, on oodatud endast märku andma ja pardale astuma.

~ Teamwork makes the dream work  ~

One of my dreams which I´ve had for a long time, is slowly taking a shape and a form. Everybody who shares this vision is more than welcome to get in touch and step on board.



Allpool on ilus (ja ilusalt pikk:) lugulaul ilusast ideest. Sellest tulenevalt on teie ees kokkuvõttev sissejuhatus, et mis, kuidas ja miks?


♥ Südamest südamesse ♥

Mis? Rahvusvaheline algatus, mille jooksul kogume kokku hulga inspireerivaid lühilugusid ja fotosid, mille keskseks ja ühendavaks jooneks on Usk, Lootus ja Armastus. Vanus ei ole oluline, kuid eriline rõhuasetus on vanematel inimestel, kellelt meil on elu ja tõekspidamiste kohta palju õppida.
Ja edasi? Nendest lugudest nopime välja säravaimad ütlused ning mõtted, muutes nad koos visuaalse kujundusega meistriteosteks, mida ka kõigi teistega jagada. 
Kuidas? Ühendame erinevatest riikidest pärit särasilmsed inimesed, kes selle ideega haakuvad ning hakkame lihtsalt otsast pihta :)
Mis veel? Ideaalversioon on see, et selle ettevõtmise tulemusel (ja ühtlasi ka tulemuste levitamiseks) valmib inspireerivate ja motiveerivate toodete sari.
Meetodid ja väljundid? Isiklik, Südamest Südamesse suhtlus. Vahetu kontakt. Sotsiaalmeedia. Temaatilised tooted.
Loodetav lõpptulemus? Globaalne suhtlusvõrgustik. Uued kontaktid. Sügavad ja tõelised vestlused. Lugude jutustamise väärtustamine. Inspiratsiooniks olemine ja selle jagamine. Meie endi isiklik areng, mille jooksul oleme loodetavasti suutnud ja aidanud natukene ilusamaks ning paremaks muuta ka seda maailma, kus me elame.

~
Down below you´ll find a beautiful description of the beautiful idea. However, as it is also beautifully long, here is the short conclusion :)


From the  into the 


What? International Youth Initiative where we collect inspirational short stories and photos which are all somehow connected with the idea of Faith, Hope and Love. The age doesn´t matter but we are especially focused on elderly people who are the ones we can learn the most about life and their principles. 
And then what? From those stories we´ll choose the best sayings and ideas, turning them into visually attractive masterpeaces which could be shared with others.
How? We connect like-minded people from different countries who share this vision and just start from somewhere, anywhere :)
What else? The ideal scenario would, as a result and as a tool to spread the results, to be able to create a series of inspirational and motivational products. 
Methods and outputs? Personal from the Heart into the Heart communication. Social media. Thematic products.
Expected results? Global network. New contacts. Deep and real conversations. Appreciating the value of story-telling. Being an inspiration and sharing it. Our own personal development. Little bit better and more sincere and beautiful world to live in.



Soovid rohkem teada, loe edasi ...
~
Want to know more, continue reading ...

This is an idea and vision for the 
YOUTH IN ACTION
International Youth Initiative project. 

From the  into the 

♥ Südamest südamesse 





Every person has a story to tell. 
Elderly people are the ones whose stories should be heard first. 
This is a project about people and their stories.
It is about listening and bringing out the best from each other. 
During those  to  conversations notes are taken and put together into inspirational short stories.
Ideas are being shared.
New quotes are born. 
Photos taken. 
Encouragement spread.

In addition to that, from this material, uplifting products:

posters, 
postcards, 

magnets,
bookmarks,
notebooks, 
pillows
about the 3 most important things in life: 
FAITH, 
HOPE and 
LOVE 

are being created and shared with others.
Instead of using an existing inspirational picture with a well-known quote, we´ll be creating them ourselves - from the 
  into the   

In time, the amount of people involved will increase but right now we are putting together a core-team of young leaders. 

You are welcome to get in touch with us if you are:

* 13-30 years old;
* having good leadership skills or a strong desire to develop them: coordinating and leading other team members and lot of information is the main area you can improve the most :)
* fascinated by talking to people and hearing their stories;
* having a passion towards either writing, reading and editing texts, inspirational quotes, photography, all sort of design (graphic, web, interiour etc), global projects and/or any other creative area we did not mention.

What do you get out of it? 


An opportunity to:
* be part of the global network of like-minded people;
* turn your passion and hobby into an international "work"-experience;
* stand out and to be noticed;
* use those skills, experience and contacts for your future career.
* to make a difference - in and for yourself and while doing so, you´ll also help the world to be a bit more uplifting place to live in. One person at a time, one story at a time, one smile at a time ... ;)

The ultimate vision is to include as many people and stories from all over the world as possible. When dreaming big, we dare to hope that the concept of ~ From the  into the  ~ has the potential to grow into the global movement of Faith, Hope and Love.


However, to start with and in order to submit the application to Youth in Action program, the representatives from 10 countries are welcome to step on board. The deadline is already 1st of October 2014 and even though the main concept is already together, it means we need to be super fast. 
However, we do believe that if the vision is strong enough (no matter its the last minute one :) it will attract the right people and will find its way to manifest. 
OR maybe there is no need to over-complicate things and write a project out of it but just to start from somewhere ...anywhere... and see where it takes us :)

Therefore, if you read those lines and feel that the concept presented above resonates with your ideas and you see this as an opportunity to pursue your own ideas and goals, get in touch ASAP.


Looking forward to hearing from you, 

kristi*

kriteamwork@gmail.com
Teamwork makes the DREAM work! 

PS! NB! This is not a job offer or paid position.
                However, in time, we might be able to create something bigger out of it, 
                so, never say never, right … :)






Once upon a time
I was just a dream,
a wish in the air -
so tender and fragile.
But I grew and got stronger.
Appeared more often. 
More clearly.
Until I felt, it is time.
Time to be more than a dream.
More than just a wish in the air.
I was ready to live.
Ready to share, to be shared.
Ready to love, to be loved.
Ready to see how is feels
to be here, next to you, 
with you,
for you, 
in front and behind you!
...yes, I am ready, 
are you coming or what? :)

Yours sincerely, 
From the   into the 
23.09.2014

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This vision (or the illusion:) represents many dreams which I haven´t been able to get rid of.  Well, suppose it is not necessary for them to go away but for me to go with them :)
I look into the calender and am aware that it seems bit crazy that during those couple of days which are left til the end of September, I can and am able to write a proper project out of it. When this idea came to me the very first time, I pushed myself pretty hard but it completely paralyzed my ability to do anything.

For now I take it much more easily and have understood that there are advantages in both options. Of course, the proper concept, acitivity plan with a clear goal and deadline and of course, the budget would be great help. However, I also think it is okay to improve it step by step and keep it free and flowing: when the time is right, it will start attracting the right people, ideas and opportunities.


~

See visioon (või siis illusioon:) esindab mitmeid unistusi, mis mind aastate jooksul kohe mitte kuidagi rahule pole jätnud. Ju siis polegi vaja, et nad mind rahule jätaks :)
Vaatan kalendrisse ning tundub pisut hullumeelne, et nende mõne päeva jooksul, mis septembrit järele jäänud, jõuan ja suudan sellest korraliku ning vettpidava projekti kokku kirjutada. Kui see mõte, et ehk võiks proovida, esimest korda tuli, survestasin end ikka hästi kõvasti, kuid see halvas tegutsemisvõime sootuks.

Praegu võtan juba olulisemalt rahulikumalt ja annan endale aru, et omad plussid on mõlemal variandil. Nii sellel, kui saame korraliku kontseptsiooni, eesmärgistatud tegevusplaani ning eelarve paika ja otseses mõttes allkirjadega kinnitatud kui ka sellel, kui see jääb vabas vormis algatuseks, mis hakkab omasoodu ja omas tempos ligi tõmbama vajalikke inimesi, ideid, võimalusi. 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

NEW in Santiago: Pilgrim House Welcome Center





Nende 6 kuu jooksul, mil olen Santiagos elanud ning siinses turismiinfopunktis töötanud, olen ise tundnud ja kuulnud ka paljudelt palveränduritelt, et Santiago de Compostelas on puudu midagi väga olulist. 

Puudu on SOE ja SIIRAS TERVITUS ning koht, kus jagada ning peegeldada kõike seda, mis Jaakobitee jooksul kogetud. Koht, kus saab lihtsalt rahulikult lõõgastuda ja olla, ilma et keegi püüaks neile midagi müüa. Lõpuks on see koht täiesti olemas 
Mõni aeg tagasi avasid ameeriklased maja, mil nimeks Pilgrim House. See koht ja inimesed, kes seal töötavad - see on täpselt see, mida oli siia linna väga vaja.
Mul super hea meel, et meie visioonid ja mõtted on nii lahedalt ühes suunas. Olen juba kõik need ideed, mis mul siin oldud aja jooksul tekkinud, saanud neile edasi anda ja nii mõndagi jõuame ilmselt enne oktoobri lõppu, mil meie projekt lõppeb, ka koos teoks teha.
Vist peab paika see, et kui pinnas on lõpuks küps, hakkavad asjad ühtäkki iseenesest juhtuma - ju siis sai pinnas küpseks!
Oli ka aeg!
Nii tore!



~

During last 6 months while volunteering in the Galician Tourism Office, I´ve always felt and also got lot of comments from pilgrims that something important is missing in Santiago de Compostela.

The WARM warm and SINCERE WELCOME and a place to share and reflect - a place where pilgrims could just come and relax without anybody trying to sell them anything. During this time I´ve had several ideas and I´ve talked to some people but without any success as the overall mentality has been so different. However, now, finally, I found out that in the end of July some American people have opened a place called Pilgrim House. I feel so sorry I didn´t hear about it before but better late than never, right?! :)


Welcome to the Pilgrim House


That’s what we want you to feel, welcome. 
Pilgrims, this is your place. 
Enter, sit, eat, pray, laugh, be silent, unwind, talk, read, create, reflect.
We want to hear your story: where you’ve come from, where you’re going, and of the journey itself. 

The Camino is no small experience; we understand this.





Within Pilgrim House, you’ll find:

- Free WiFi
- Printing
- A living room
- A kitchenette with microwave and refrigerator
- Message board
- Quiet spaces: reflection room and patio


Our Tourism Office: the promotion of the Pilgrim House

To sum it all up, I can´t express how glad and grateful I am to have found this place and those wonderful people. 
By now I´ve been fortunate to pass on my ideas and visions which I´ve had - luckily, many of our thoughts are exactly the same, and I somehow feel so at peace. All the things I wasn´t able to do myself, some other people are now doing - the mission will still be completed, no matter it won´t be me doing it :)

However, currently I do everything I can to help them to promote this place as it just makes so much sense to me and to all the pilgrims who´ve been fortunate to spend some time in this welcome center. 


Find Pilgrim House from  Facebook




Sunday, September 21, 2014

Rahvusvaheline Rahu Päev ~ International Day of Peace


Nädalapäevad tagasi, mõned tunnid enne Tallinnas lennuki peale astumist, kohtusin mehega, kelle jutt ja mõtted ning kirgas olemus mulle siiani rahu ei anna. Oli hommik, olin bussijaamas ning plaan oli sõita bussi või trammiga kesklinna, kus olin kokku leppinud ühe kohtumise.
Kuna avastasin, et mul polnud rahakotis absoluutselt peenraha ning kuna ilm oli ilus ning lennuni piisavalt aega, otsustasin, et lähen jala. Seda enam, et peale siinset Muxia-Fisterra rännakut, kus sai koos kõrvalepõigetega nelja päeva jooksul pea 130-140km maha kõnnitud, tunduvad enamik vahemaad lühikesed.

Poolel teel, keskturu kandis, mõtlesin, et istun kuhugi pingi peale maha ning söön ära jogurti ja banaani, mille olin hommikusöögiks kaasa võtnud. Pidin need juba bussis ära sööma, kuid kuna uni oli nii suur ja sai minust hetkega võitu, magasin terve tee Lihulast Tallinnasse.

Keskturu lähedal oligi hulk pinke. Esimese pingi peal istus mitu kahtlase välimusega, ilmset kodutut, inimest. Järgmise peal üks mees magas, siis oli hulk tühja maad ning mitu vaba pinki ja kõige viimase peale ma siis istusingi.
Nats veider tunne oli seal Tartu maantee ääres, et hommikune liiklus, rahvas, kes autodega või jala mööda läheb, ja siis mina seal oma banaani ja jogurtiga, kuid ma ei lasknud end sellest väga häirida.

Küll aga olin häiritud, kui "minu pingi" servale istus üks kodutu mees. "Huvitav, miks ta küll selle koha valis, kõrval on ju mitu tühja pinki. Mida küll teised mõtlevad, kui me siin sedasi kahekesi istume" jne. Ühesõnaga, palju mõtteid kihutas peast läbi.
Hakkasin juba oma asju kokku panema, et minema hakata, kui ta äkitselt küsis: "Kas soovite ehk midagi magusamat ka?" 
Ma ei saanud absoluutselt aru, millest ta räägib, ja vaatasin pisut hämmeldunult tema poole. Seejärel, kui nägin, et ta viitas peanoogutusega enda ees olevale suurele kotile, mis oli ilmselgelt mingit tavaari täis, eeldasin, et ju ta soovib mulle sealt midagi müüa, ja hakkasin end veelgi kiiremini minekule seadma.
Meeldiv teiega tutvuda. Mina olen Viktor, sõpradele Viki :)
Siiski, tema olemuses ja jutus oli midagi, mis mu tähelepanu võitis ja mind paigale sundis. Hetk hiljem oli kõik, mis meie ümber toimus või ei toimunud, ununenud ja kuigi mul oli kiire, olime jutu peale saanud. Ma ei mäleta kuigi palju selle jutu sisu, küll aga on mul selgelt meeles see teravmeelne ja tabav huumor, mis tema sõnade taga oli - uskumatult meeldiva jutu ning hea eneseväljendusega mees. 
Sellele vaatamata pidin küllalt kiiresti hüvasti jätma, kuna mul olid lennuni jäänud vaid loetud tunnid. Ta naeratas laialt ning ütles: "No, head lendu siis!" ise samal ajal kätega lendamise liigutusi imiteerides.
See oli hästi armas hetk, mis võttis mul südame alt soojaks ja ajas mu naerma. Kuidagi lausa kahju oli teda sedasi üksi sinna pingile istuma jätta.

Olin saanud mõned sammud astuda, kui miski sundis mind ümber pöörama ning tagasi minema. "Mine tea, ehk ei olnud see juhus, et mul rahakotis peenraha polnud ja et ma jala kesklinna poole jalutasin ja et ma just sel hetkel just sellele pingiservale istusin ning ta spetsiaalselt minu juurde tuli ning juttu rääkima hakkas," käis mul mõte peast läbi ja võtsin uuesti samas kohas istet.

Ütlesin Viktorile, et ma ei oska öelda, kas või mis minu võimuses on, kuid kui tal midagi selle vastu pole, siis ma kirjutaksin mõned tema mõtted, millest me hetk tagasi rääkisime, üles ning teeksin temast ka ühe foto - et mine tea, ehk saan ma teda kuidagi aidata. 

Et kuidas ma vastu pean?
Huumor hoiab elus ja sõbrad, kellega saab juttu rääkida, koos nalja teha ja muresid kurta.
Tema mulle, mina talle.

Ma saan aru, mina olen loll, et mõistust pole peas, aga nemad seal sotsiaalametites ja mujal on ju ometi targad inimesed. 
Tahaksin tööd teha, sest jõudu mul veel on.
Võiksin teha seda, mida oskan.
Tean ühtteist santehnikast, ehitusest, keevitan, aga seadus ei luba töötada. 
Eesti Vabariigi seadus ei luba mul tööd teha, kujutad Sa ette?
Sissekirjutust ei ole.
Elukohta ei ole.
Töökohta ei saa.
Enamikes kohtades WC-sse minna ei lubata.
Peeglisse vaadata ei saa.
Habet ajada ei saa.
Ehmatan inimesed tänaval ära.
Et kust ma tean, et ehmatan?
Aga ma ju näen ja kuulen seda iga päev.
Ma ei tee välja,
Ma ei võta südamesse.
See on selle inimese probleem, 
kes minust mööda läheb.
Eks ainult huumor hoiabki eluvaimu sees.
Küll aga läheb mulle korda see, et hetkel olen ma tarbetu inimene, mind ei ole kellelegi vaja. 
Tühi koht.
Kui mul oleks üks soov, siis ... elukoht ja töökoht. 
Ei, enne töökoht ja siis elukoht. 
Teistmoodi ei saa ju, raha tuleb ka maksta. 
Igat inimest hoiab elus huumor ja tuttavad ...noh, nii palju, kui neid on ...nad kukuvad ju küljest ära, mitte minu küljest ära, aga maa küljest ära, õigemini maa alla. Surevad ära ühesõnaga. 
Aga jah, nali peab olema, olgu ta siis tagasihoidlik või mis iganes.
Kui nali tänavaelust ära kaob, siis on kõik ka. 
Ma pole nii ammu juttu rääkinud.
See tähendab, et ikka olen, aga mitte niisugustel teemadel, ei oskagi enam.


Uurin vahepeal, kuidas ta suhe alkoholiga on.
"Kas on väga näha, et ma joon või?" vaatab ta mulle suurte silmadega otsa. 
Vaatan teda teraselt ning pean tunnistama, et kuigi 10+ aastat tänaval on oma töö teinud, näeb ta viisakas ja korrektne välja ning tema näost ja olekust kiirgab mingit erilist selgust. Lisaks need silmad, need naeratavad silmad.
Tal kaasas Tallinna linna tasuta leht, kust ta mulle ühe artikli lugeda annab - üleüldse tundub ta ilmaasjadega igati kursis olevat.

Kuidas mind kätte saab?
Ega ei saagi.
Ju ma kusagil siin Keskturu kandis olen. Siit on võimalik toiduaineid saada. 

Mitte virutada, vaid saada, virutamine mind ei huvita ja selles osas on mul register puhas. 

Viktor ulatab mulle kotist jäätise.
"Kas oled kindel, et Sa tahad selle mulle anda?" küsin.
"Juba andsin ju," naeratab ta kavalalt, "ma head asja niisama ära ei anna, kuid heale inimesele võib". 
Söön jäätist ja küsin, mis temast edasi saab.
Seepeale vaatab ta üles taeva poole ja ütleb: "Ei teagi, praegu pole väga viga, päike on väljas, aga näe, varsti hakkab sadama ja siis ei teagi ... ning kaugel see talvgi enam on!" 


Miks ma praegu neid ridu kirjutan või mida selle looga öelda tahan?
Ega ma ei tea päris täpselt isegi, kuid võib olla seda, et kui Sina, kes Sa praegu neid ridu loed, juhtud keskturu läheduses Viktorit märkama, astu julgelt ligi ning tervita teda minu poolt - julgen oma kogemuse põhjal öelda, et üks huvitav ja teravmeelne vestlus on garanteeritud :)

Kõigile teistele, kes ühel või teisel eluhetkel mõne kahtlase välimusega inimesega kokku satuvad, et siis ...et Sa siis meeles peaksid, et jah, Sinu ja tema sotsiaalne ja majanduslik taust ning olukord on erinev, kuid ka tema on inimene, kellel on oma mõtted, tunded, hirmud ja lootused.

Mine tea, ehk on õige nii täna, Rahvusvahelisel Rahu Päeval, kui ka mis iganes muul päeval meeles pidada, et kohati on välimus petlik ning et päris kindlasti ei tasu kedagi vaid tagasihoidliku "pakendi" tõttu alahinnata  või endast halvemaks pidada.
Ma ei arva, et peaksime nüüd kõik jooksma kodutuid päästma (seda enam, et usun, et nii mõnedki neist ei soovigi päästetud saada), küll aga ei võta kindlasti tükki küljest see, kui põlgav pilk asendada hoolivaga, hirm armastusega.
Eks nii see rahulik maailm vist tekibki: üks inimene korraga, üks naeratus korraga :)
*
Head Rahvusvahelist Rahu Päeva!


PS! mul on olemas ka Viktori isikuandmed ning foto tema ID-kaardist

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Tourism & Pilgrimages

1st UNWTO International 
Congress on Tourism & Pilgrimages
www.pilgrimage2014.com

Santiago de Compostela, Spain
17-20 September 2014

The Hostal dos Reis Católicos, also called the Hospital dos Reis Católicos, is a 5-star Parador hotel, The hotel was constructed as a religious work in 1486, by Ferdinand and Isabel, the Catholic Monarchs. It is widely considered the oldest continuously operating hotel in the world, and has also been called the "most beautiful hotel in Europe"

UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) esimene rahvusvaheline palverännakute teemaline kongress tõi kokku rohkem kui 20 riigi eksperdid, et vahetada infot ja kogemusi ning üheskoos arutada, mismoodi edasi.
~
The UNWTO First International Congress about the pilgrimages brought together experts from more than 20 countries to exchange information and experiences in order to discuss how to continue from here.


  • Mons. José Brosel Gavilá, in charge of Tourism, Pilgrimages and Sanctuaries, Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Vatican
  • José Miguel Andrade Cernadas, Scholar of Mediaeval HistoryVice-President of the Academy “Auriense-Mindoniense de San Rosendo”, Spain – Rituals and hospitality, Way of Santiago
  • Rev. Michael KaganEducation Director of the Nava Tehila Community of Jerusalem, Israel -
    Pilgrimage – Aliya l’Regel – Uplifting the Soul

  • Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Director, Travel Impact Newswire, Thailand
  • Guadalupe Vargas, Professor University of Vera Cruz, México – Devotion, pilgrimage and tourism at Sanctuary of Guadalupe
  • Brad Towle, International Tourism Promotion & Development Director, Kumano Tourism Bureau,Japan – Popular piety and pilgrimage on the road to Kumano, Japan
  • Adel El Gendy, General Manager, International Relations & Strategic Planning, Ministry of Tourism, Egypt – The Holy Family Trip To Egypt
  • Claudio Ricci, Mayor of Assisi and President of the Italian Association of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Italy – Assisi, the city of Saint Francis: spiritualism and tourism
  • Marcela Bacigalupo, Minister of Tourism Paraguay - Franciscan routes and Jesuit missions in Paraguay
  • Father James Gardiner, Director of special projects at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington, DC, United States of America


  • Jin Yung Woo, Special Adviser to the UNWTO Secretary General on Tourism and Culture - Pilgrimage tourism and historical and cultural heritage
  • Maru Acevedo, Vice-Minister of Tourism, Guatemala – Black Christ Pilgrimage to Esquipulas
  • H.G. Bishop Gregorios of Mesaoria, Church of Cyprus, Chairman of the Synodical Office of Pilgrimage Tours – Along the Pathways of Faith in Cyprus
  • Bela Bhattacharya, Professor of Pali, University of Calcutta, India – Important Relics and Places of Pilgrimages of Buddha and his disciples in India
  • Ahmed Hassen, Director, Institute of Ethiopian Studies, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Traditional Ethiopian pilgrimages in the context of tourism


  • I Gede Ardika, Member of the World Committee on Tourism Ethics, former Minister of Tourism and Culture of Indonesia – Spiritual tourism in Bali and sustainability
  • Marijana Belaj, Professor, Department of Ethnology and Anthropology, University of Zagreb, Croatia – Natural space and pilgrimage in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Xue Yunwei, Vice-Mayor of Zhengzhou, China – Shaolin Temple and pilgrimage tourism in China
  • John King, Chairman of the Australian Tourism Export Council and member of the Board of Management of Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia – Indigenous Tourism: the most ancient of journeys
  • Nava Castro Domínguez, Director of Tourism Galicia (Xunta de Galicia) – Jacobean pilgrimage and tourism: Contemporary perspectives of the Way of St James
  • Alison Hilliard, Deputy Secretary-General, Alliance of Religions and Conservation, ARC, United Kingdom  The Green Pilgrimage Path
  • Devesh Chaturvedi, Principal Secretary, Department of Planning, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Divisional Commissioner of Allahabad during Kumbh Mela 2013, India – Magnificence of Kumbh Mela

  • Ven. Myeong Beop, Former Deputy Director of International Affairs Dept. International Seon (Zen) Centre of Jogye Order – Buddhist Temple stays in the Republic of Korea
  • Paolo Caucci von Saucken, President, Committee of Experts on the Way of Saint James – Rome, Santiago and Jerusalem – Alliances, gatherings and promotion of pilgrimage between shrines
  • Alicia Lonac, National Director for Tourism Development, Ministry of Tourism, Argentina -The Andean Route, an experience that combines nature, culture and faith
  • Jesús Hernández Galán, Director of Universal Accessibility, ONCE Foundation for social inclusion of people with disabilities – Pilgrimage routes and universal accessibility, Spain
  • Juan Felipe Hunt Ortiz, Deputy Director, PARDEV, International Labour Organization (ILO)


What is the difference between a pilgrim and a tourist? Is there any?
How different are their needs?
What are the examples of difference pilgrimages in the world?
What is real and what is artifical about those places?
What is the thing people are actually looking for and hoping to experience?
How to improve the quality of the services and develop the overall principles or world tourism in order to support the pilgrimages?

These are just some questions which were on the table during those days.

Below you´ll find some general ideas, bits and pieces from different speakers. 

The Way poses only question: "Who are you?"
Life itself is a Way.
A life of a man is a pathway inside.
Are we really traveling light?


What happens when HOLYDAYS are turning into HOLIDAYS?
Man seeks movement, has always been seeking for it. 
Traveling, especially on foot, is not only contributing our physical but also for our mental health.
Many don´t travel for religious purpose but are on a way to find and connect with themselves.
Often people start the Way as travelers but end of as pilgrims.

NYEPI in Bali, The Day of Silence. 
A silent New Year´s in Bali. 
Everything stops: traffic, flights, tv, radio. 
Creating time and space for retrospective: 
are you doing good;
what is being done well;
what could be changed?


"I believe we are all pilgrims, no matter what we do and where we are"
 ~Reverend Michael Kagan~

People read history the way they want to read history.
Positive influence of pilgrimages: 
better co-existence between different religions; 
tourism development; 
self-recognition and inner peace.

The saying "Galicia, where the rain is art" must be taken into consideration :)
Kas ja mille poolest erineb palverändur tavalisest turistist?
Kui erinevad on nende ootused ning vajadused?
Milliseid palverännuteid meie praeguses maailmas eksisteerib?
Kuidas läbi teenuste kvaliteedi parandamise ning turismi üldsuundade arendamise sellele kaasa aidata?
Need on vaid mõned küsimused, mis arutlusele tulid ning mille osas erinevate riikide kogemusi vahetati.
Allpool on mõned üldised ideed ja killud esitlustest.
Mis on nende kohtade tõeline, mis kunstlikult juude poogitud tähendus?
Mis on see, mida inimesed tegelikult otsivad ja kogeda loodavad?

Tee esitab Sulle vaid ühe küsimuse: "Kes Sa oled?"
Elu ise ongi Tee.
Inimese elu on Tee iseenda sees.
Kes me reisime piisavalt kerge "pagasiga"? 


Mis juhtub siis, kui pühad päevad (holydays) muutuvad puhkepäevadeks (holidays)?
Inimene püüdleb liikumise poole, on seda alati teinud.
Reisimine, eriti jala, ei mõju hästi üksnes füüsilisele, vaid ka meie mentaalsele tervisele. 
Paljud ei reisi religioossetel eesmärkidel, vaid on teel, et ennast tundma saada ning iseendaga paremat luua. 

Sagedane on olukord, kus inimene alustab teekonda lihtsalt rännumehena, kuid lõpetab palverändurina.

NYEPI Bali saarel. NYEPI tähendab Bali keeles "Vaikuse Päev". See on nende viis Uut Aastat tervitada.
Kõik peatub: liiklus, k.a lennuliiklus, televisioon, raadio.
Luuakse aeg ja ruum, et vaadata tagasi lõppenud aastale:
kuidas Sul läheb;
mis on hästi tehtud;
mida tuleks muuta?


"Ma usun, et me kõik oleme palverändurid, ükskõik, mis me teeme või kus me oleme." 
~ Reverend Michael Kagan ~


Inimesed loevad ajalugu nii, nagu nad tahavad ajalugu lugeda.

Palverändurluse positiivne mõju:
erinevate religioonide koos eksisteerimise soodustamine;
turismi areng;
enese tundma õppimine ja sisemine rahu.



Pärleid ja mõtlema panevaid kohti, häid üllatusi, uskumatuid lugusid. Seal kongressi esitluste hulgas leidus ikka kõike. Korea templid, Iisreali nutumüür, üle-maailmsed palverändurite rajad ja pühad paigad, müüdid ning legendid, mis segunenud tänapäeva reaalsuse ning kõikjal vohava kommertslikkusega. 


Minu jaoks üks vaieldamatult kõige meeldejäävam esitlus oli Devesh Chaturvedi oma. Devesh kuulus sinna korraldusmeeskonda, kelle vastutusalas oli India 2013 a Kumbh Mela, mis on siiani teadaolevalt suurim rahvaste kogunemine, tuues kokku 120 miljonit inimest!!?? 
34 000 tualetti, 16 000 pissuaari, 20 000 politseinikku, 7000 koristajat on vaid mõned numbrilised faktid selle hiigel-linnaku ehitamise ja komplekteerimise kohta. See on ikka müstiline, mida nad seal Indias Gangese kallastel seda "üritust" planeerides ja läbi viies korda saatsid. 



Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists - one world, one humanity!
Kristlased, moslemid, juudid, hindud, budistid - üks maailm, üks inimkond!