The best things happen spontaneously

Spontaneous - it’s about my last weekends.
I just want to share my 2 good weekends which I had not so far. 

First spontaneously thing - it’s my trip to Brussels.

After one of Café SVE meetings, I just got to know from other EVS volunteers about price for the tickets and decided to go. For me it was even cheaper, as I bought tickets few days before the trip. Why not?..

So, we used megabus and in 4 hours we were in Brussels.
Paris - Brussels - Paris just 25,50 € and voilà :)

I was lucky that the girls like walking a lot as me :) We really enjoy our time there.

TOP 5 from Alex what you should try/go/eat :

1) Of course famous Belgians chocolate!!!

Paradise 

To be honest, I didn't try there, but I bought a lot in supermarket. 

Unfortunately or fortunately France made me addicted to chocolate...J’adore ça!! My favorite one was Ukrainian, but now i definitely can say Belgians chocolate is the best :P 

2) Waffles! 

To be honest, they are expensive, but soooooo delicious. 

A small advice - don't buy them in fancy restaurants, like we did. Buy on the street, they are even more delicious. 

3) Manneken-Pis - 'Pissing Boy'

This boy is so small. I’d rather prefer chocolate pissing boy. Voilà 

4) Grand-Place 

The main square in Brussels. 

Really like the architecture there. 

4) Beer 

3 of us don't like beer, but we hopefully decided to try. We took girly beer (sweet) even we didn't know. You can drink if you don't like.
And for those who usually drink - it’s a paradise. Go there!

5) Walking

You should discover this city by your own.

Second spontaneously thing - last weekend.

Typical french restaurant, with french wine, french people and live french music in France :)
It was really cool! Even kebab at 5 a.m. next to the Saint-Martin canal :)
On the next day there was a carnival in Paris. It was the first carnaval for me, so I really like it.

A Star of carnaval ;)

The day finished as well spontaneously having Café SVE with other EVS volunteers from Italy :) 

We had so much fun, sharing interesting stories and future projects together ;) We even didn't notice how fast time passed.

After that spontaneous went to the Eiffel Tower 

6 for 1 euro :D

excited faces 

Of course, people who were around made these weekends one of the best!

So, after all of this I guess it’s better to be more spontaneous and stop planning our whole life out.
Life doesn't always work out the way you plan it. You must be able to go with the flow regardless of whether you have a plan or not.

My life is not even close to what I thought it would be like a year ago. How could I have known what was going to happen? How can you?

P.S. I have no plan for this weekend. Let’s do something spontaneous and crazy ;)

Best greetings and hugs from France,
Alexandra (Sasha)

Thank You 2014!

Bonjour a tous! 

I highlighted just a few minutes to write a post today, because  it's important for me. Even now I need to "run" to the supermarket and cook something, prepare "dinner" for our guests, but I'll write this post and after - all what I planned...

If somebody ask me to express your 2014 year in 1 word, I'd say it's CHANGES! 
A lot of changing during this year! I promise to myself right now that I'll write about all this "changes" in my life in few days.

Thanks for this unforgettable 2014! I'm thankful for all new people I met this year, unforgettable experience, life lessons that I got, thanks for my mother's, relatives and friends support during this not easy year.
I'm thankful that I'm right now and here!
I'm still upset about situation in my country, but - everything what happens happens for a reason!!! I believe in our bright future! 

1 more life lesson that I again confirm - Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you! 

I have a habit to write new goals for new year on the beginning of January (as I usually don't have any free time in the end of the year). I have many plans and new goals and I'll spend few hours to writing. 
I offer you all to do the same - it's really works :) 

I wish all your goals to come true very fast in 2015! And the most important good health and hipness for you and your families! 

And now I'm very exited about this NY's night, because for the first time I'll spend it with a big group of EVSors in Paris...
We usually say in Ukraine "The way you spend New Year's eve is the way you're gonna spend the rest of the year". 

I believe that it gonna be unforgettable!!!!!! :) 

All the best in 2015,
Alexandra

Living abroad is a life lesson!

Bonjour a tous! (usually french people say that :)

It has been already 2 months since I moved to France. I can't believe...Time runs so fast!.. It seems like few days ago I was dreaming about EVS project, living abroad for a while, passing exams in my university, collecting and preparing documents for my visa, meeting with my friends in Ukraine before departure, packing my luggages for 1 year (so complicated) and taking a flight to Paris. Et voilà - I'm here :)

I've be listening to this song on an airplane just so it gets stuck in my head :)

I can say for sure that my life has changed by 180 degrees and I like it! New country, FRENCH language, people whom you don't know, culture, traditions, habits, mentality, lifestyle, etc.

I made a challenge for myself!

As for me, every young person should try this unforgettable experience! Communication, working in foreign organization, living thousand km far away from your country with different youth from Europe together, being independent, having minimum budget and resolving problems by yourself could definitely make your life richer in spiritual way...

Probably some of you think that it's kind of paradise - NO, it's not. We also have problems, difficulties and other things. But for those who know me personally - I'm positive girl who doesn't concentrate on negative aspects... Or I try to :)

Plus, living abroad independently you can discover yourself in the way you never think of and open new abilities! For example here, I have already found something about myself what I didn't know being in my country...

Peace. Love.
Alexandra (Sasha)

En voyage!

You've always been curious on how is it to live in the French Department 93? Well, here is your chance, directly from the lives of four young Europeans living together during their 11 months of European Voluntary Service!

We are on the way to our "On Arrival" training course. It has been one month and a half and the time has come for the world to know the exciting life of Department 93 (well, don't worry, there are some boring details as well!).

But first, for those of you that have no idea of what or where Department 93 is, in the map it looks something like this:

We actually live in Montfermeil (there on the right) and work in Les Pavillons-sous-Bois and in Clichy-sous-Bois.

Quality of life has been going up since we all landed in Paris on the 3rd of October, we got to experience a shity hostel with our friends, the cockroaches, and the strong smell of weed from the neighbors. Luckily we moved up, really up, awesome upgrade to our clean and huge 4 bedroom, with big kitchen, living room and garden, house, and everything was great, but Pierre couldn't wash his clothes or anyone else by the way, for a couple weeks. Internet was also a challenge, open network with low range, which was impossible to use when Alexandra was using Skype. Everything it's perfect now, we smell nice and the internet runs fast.

Our home in Montfermeil

One thing we all agree from the beginning: French stereotypes of rude people, not opened to foreigners, have shown to be exactly that - stereotypes -, at least in department 93. Everyone is so nice and kind, our house was furnitured with the help and good will of our new friends, and we got extra free French culture and language classes from the best teacher and our good friend Sebástien. Neighbors, bus drivers, people in the market, almost everyone greets us with a smile wherever we go - Francisca and Radvile are best friends with the fish men from the local market. Well, there are still a lot of people that look at us like aliens because we don't speak the language, but not in a bad way - oh and the fact that most people in France don't speak English, that one feels quite true.

Living out of Paris allows us to have a more comfortable stress free life, the prices are also quite affordable (transports are the most expensive thing, going to Paris on a week day costs us 2 hours and 10 euros), but still, the City of Light is ours any time. :)

If you want to know more about our EVS's read our personal posts that, if we are not too lazy, will soon come up :)

Alexandra, Francisca, Radvile and Pierre
(17/11/2014)