Workcamp in Denmark – Meet the Experiences
As I like exploring
new things, to go on a summer job abroad caught my attention. By the
time of Christmas I went to a presentation of a girl who had flown to
America and had managed to make enough money to travel around there with
her friend. I liked it however I somehow didn’t make much effort to
find anything and suddenly I realized it is March and that’s quite late
for arranging summer jobs abroad. Luckily my friend gave me a book
called “Travelling” by Lukáš Kerhart as a birthday gift. First I was
thinking: ‘Hmm, a book. But I am going to read it whether It impressed
me or not.’ However, when I first opened it I couldn’t break myself away
from reading it. It really is an extraordinary book that truly
motivates you and finally makes you say: ‘I am going to make it happen!’
And that was exactly what I needed.
Although I had heard about
workcamps from my friend before, I hadn’t thought about them much. With
what I got to know from Lukáš’s book, I said to myself: ‘If not the
summer job, then the workcamp!’ It is that it doesn’t matter that much
where do you go but whether you go. Especially when you go on your own
and your aim is to make use of the opportunity, practise foreign
languages, meet new people and maybe even create an opportunity for
someone else.
So I sat to a computer, clicked on the first
workcamp that caught my attention and a flash came through my mind:
‘Wow, I definitely must do this!’ Only just the name: “Build a Social
Space in a Cold War Bunker” suggested it is going to be a thrill. And it
should have taken place in Denmark, where I hadn’t ever been before and
it is not so expensive to get there. Even the other workcamps impressed
me, nevertheless this one was, amongst the others I had looked over,
really the most interesting. I applied for it, sent the motivation
letter and a few days later I received an e-mail saying that they had
chosen me! This is how my first adventure I experienced with people I
hadn’t ever seen before started.
As early as on the journey I met
a nice Canadian girl, whose relatives were living in Denmark, who shown
me around Copenhagen. So I had a pleasant experience from Denmark
sooner than I got to the meeting point, to Gentofte. Much happened
during the workcamp, so I will try to sum it up for you:
Day 1:
We got accommodated, looked around, we even headed to the bunker and
despite the first timidity we got on very well with each other quickly.
Day 2: We visited the “Recycling artist” Thomas Dambo at his
workshop who shown us that it is possible to build a thing from
anything. With him, we made for the bunker, where we put our heads
together and we were creating the first plan. We decided that we bring
cosy atmosphere and life to the dark room we were redesigning.
Day
3: We split into teams, everybody could choose, what they wanted to do.
At first, I joined the spray team and took care of the ceiling. This
workcamp started to develop in a great way.
Day 4: On that day I
joined the team which went to get the main material: discarded old used
palettes from the port and all kinds of wood you can get for free. We
begun to cut all of these to single parts for the benches, tables and
the stage. Some plunged into upgrading the lighting. That is what takes
the place to a next level! In the evening we had an entertaining program
as every day, we played games, reviewed the work and suggested what to
improve and what to continue with.
Day 5: Thomas’s last day with
us also known as ‘We have to build as much as possible for you to know
how to finish it.’ We were constructing a table with Thomas: he really
is fast, nothing takes too much time, he is incredibly creative and he
knows how to make his ideas come true easily. In the evening, and this
is what I really have to praise the campleaders Katinka and Mimmi for,
we played a game in which you stick papers with what you find impressive
and what you think everybody is good at on their back. You wouldn’t
believe, how much it pleases and motivates you when you’re reading the
messages from your back!
Days 6 and 7: Spare time! Barbecue,
party and trips to Helsingør and Copenhagen. We were exploring them from
the locals‘ point of view, that means: riding a bike. We got to know
the Danish mentality, they are very friendly even despite the unfriendly
weather. Still we enjoyed swimming in the 16 degree water in the
harbour and we also went to the unchained district of Christiania.
Days
8 to 10: Let’s continue! We painted the walls, we sewn bunches of
pillows and made the decorations. During the breaks we played the guitar
I had taken from the Czech Republic. Although my mum had been wondering
why I would like to carry it all the way, I definitely didn’t regret
that. We enjoyed the culture nights, when everybody presented their
country. I desperately fell in love with Danish cinnamon snails! I
couldn’t bring shame on us at all of course, so besides talking about
our beautiful nature and charming girls I could not deprive my friends
of a little of our beer. However, I couldn’t refrain from being a little
criticizing, as I said we often complain, even though we are doing very
well.
Day 11: Everything is done and I think we had done a great
job! I’d never had a feeling that we wouldn’t be able to make it and
everyone was willing to help each other with anything, hence we finished
on time.
Here it is. Farewell party! Nevertheless, most of us
stay in Denmark as we agreed on experiencing even more adventures here
together. But that is a different story. In any case, our friendship
hasn’t ended with the last moments of the workcamp. It really was great,
even though I am not saying that every foreign experience will be like
this one, it definitely is worth to set off to somewhere and get to know
what does it look like around us.
I am travelling back to our
Czech Republic and I join a conversation of two girls, and who would say
so: It’s Canadians again! And where are they heading? To Prague, that
can’t be true! So now it’s me who may help someone else to discover a
foreign country…
Shot Synek
