AIESECers' Experience: Sandra Jagić

 By: Unknown    06:38  AIESECers Experience, ICX, Kindergarten project   No comments

Sandra worked in the Kindergarten Project at Tenavat Myötätuulessa. Here are her experiences as an Exchange Participant in Finland. Check out this post to see what the Kindergarten thought of Sandra!

"So, my name is Sandra Jagić and I earned my Master's degree in psychology just recently. I live in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, but actually I come from the small village in east Croatia. Small village - big wishes I would say. My only wish during my student life was to travel...so I tried to do so. This program that I've heard of from people in AISEC Zagreb, Global Community Development, was ideal for me. I always wanted to go up north and I wanted to do something up there :) This time, at the very end of my studies I decided to do something for myself and just go, see what happens.

Kindergarten Project in Jyväskylä was my number one, from the beginning of my search (that lasted over a month, and yes, I was picky). I almost went to India! So I a had skype interview with Talvikki from AISEC Jyväskylä and waited for a few days until I got a confirmation letter and that was it! Why did I choose this project? I had a lot of experience with children, so I thought I could manage and I really wanted to go to Finland. It looked like the whole thing was well organised so I trusted them. Of course I thought it would be nice to say to my future employee that I've worked in kindergarten in Finland.
 

It was a hot summer, everybody in Croatia was going to the coast. My friends told I'm crazy, leaving the beach an the sun and going to Finland. ''It is winter out there''- my friends said. It's funny how we function according to stereotypes. I've heard that Finnish people are reserved, drink a lot of coffee and alcohol and have a bunch of crazy competitions like cellphone throwing?! Oh yes, Finland is also the home of Santa Claus, the one who walks in snow on postcards. I read a lot about Finland because I wanted to be prepared. Of course you can never really be prepared :)

I enjoyed working at the kindergarten where I was constantly reminded how great it is to be a kid. Some of the kids approached me right away, some later. I didn't really feel like a teacher or psychologist to them, we were friends, and I was one of them. When people here in Croatia ask me, ''but HOW did you talk to them?'', I don't know what to answer, because I just did. We communicated. They taught me more than I taught them! One time we were baking cookies with the children for grandparents' day and Laura [a co-worker] translated to me how Aapo, one sweet boy, told her he had dream about me. I was in his dream and I spoke Finnish. He asked himself, how is this possible - Sandra is speaking Finnish??!!. I think that is so sweet.

My co-workers were all really great to me. They didn't treat me as ''someone special'', I was just like one of them. I did almost everything that they did: played with the children, gave them food, took care of them, put them (and myself) to sleep at nap time, read them (in some undefined language in my case, which they liked), sang with them and all kinds of different things! Oh yes, we did a lot of creative work and even went treasure hunting! :)

My last day at the kindergarten was really bittersweet. The children made me a book of their drawings! I also got Moomin dishes. Those gestures were just beautiful. That day we sang, played, took some pictures, I gave them presents and each of them gave me a hug! I even cried a bit."

"There was one place in particular that I've wanted to visit since I came to Finland, Santa's village in  Rovaniemi. It is a small city up north, near the Artic circle. I planed to go alone by train - it was surely a long time to be alone, Lapland is so far away! In Rovaniemi I couchsurfed with a French girl called Marion, went hiking in the woods, met Santa, took a lot of pictures, saw the longest river in Finland: Kemijoki and just enjoyed my time! I really liked this little city.

What I loved about Jyväskylä, were the bike routes - you can go anywhere in so many ways. We don't have such things in Croatia. I enjoyed going to work by Saila's [host mother] bike, spending time on my own and thinking. one night around 11pm, I took my bike and went to the bridge. Everything was so peaceful and the city lights shone. I thought to myself: ''Who would have known, I'm in Finland on my own standing here on this bridge feeling so happy!'' I know it sounds funny, but that is THE feeling I like to have when I go somewhere.

What does Finland have that we in Croatia don't?

- forests and lakes, of course!

- flea markets and second hand shops, which I found very interesting

- recycling waste! You do it a lot more than us

- Salmon!

- Sports that I've never heard of, including sähly - (floorball) I played with people from work and some children's parents, I love it, I even scored one time!

- expensive alcohol

- chocolate that is almost good as ours ;)

What did I learn from all of this?

- I'm not afraid of being alone - in reality you always have someone to rely on, even far away

- I learned to be more brave and open, to let it go and see what happens

- I learned a lot about children and other people

- I've learned that communication does not mean words, you can say something in so many ways

- I also learned that Finnish and Croatian people are very similar

I would recommend this program for anyone who likes to travel, who enjoys working with children and just wants to experience a different little part of the universe, and see how they can change it - and return home truly happy"