Agora

Here the story about the agora on special request ;)

Moving around Italy

Wednesday was my first travel day. From Rotterdam to Rome. I had a nice flight and also I didn’t had to wait a long time like in Amsterdam, just 1 hours before the flight I was at the airport and not 2 hours. When I arrived in Rome, I had to take a train to the centre. They really know how to take money from the tourists, 11 euros for 30 minutes trip. The nice thing was that four people were waiting for me at the train station, Duco & Rogier whom came by car earlier to Rome all the way from Rotterdam, and Bobby from Sofia and Arjan whom came earlier that day by plane from Vienna. We went by bus to the Youth Hostel. When I was installed, we ordered some nice pizza’s. We are in Italy, so let’s eat Italian. After the dinner Arjan, Duco and me went outside and left the lovebirds together. We gathered on a nice square nearby the hostel to sit and drink (at least the other guys, since we had beer and wine). We found out that Duco can’t handle cheap wine :) It took him a ages to sent a simple sms to a lady from Minsk… Since the day before my trip was the Halloween party, so I didn’t wanted to make it that late but still it became.


The next day we went by car, all five persons to Napoli. It was a nice trip, we sung some songs of André Hazes during the trip. When we arrived at the agora place, we went to the registration to get our nice badges. This time not as in Torino where some people had to wait five hours, it went rather easy; maybe because some guys from Valetta were helping. After that we went for a short tour by car around Napoli. Sometimes Napoli looks like eastern Europe, so old and dirty. The sleeping place was not even in a gym, but two big halls, where they just had toilets, not even a showers.
So, what did the Italians do again… showers outside, but even the first day they were not there, and when they finally came, they were not connected, when that finally was solved, no warm water in the beginning. Welcome to my worst Agora….
At five I was ‘forced’ to join the meeting with European activist “Quo Vadis AEGEE”, it was a nice meeting. Although I’m not sure what will be done with the outcome. Before the party we had the official opening of the agora, with the mayor of the city, and other important VIP’s. The first party after that was ok, it was in a disco which was in a restaurant.
















(never leave your tent unguarded)

My first night was not that nice. My stuff was in Room 6, and I slept in Room 5; but beneath the working lights… the whole night they left on. Then it became also freezing cold during the night a nice start of the Agora.

Friday was the day of the workshops. Naturally I was at the beginning of the agora. Then all the locals can call “present” if the chair call the local during the row call. Nowadays is a kind of battle between the locals whom has the nicest song, so it takes for ever. Normally Rotterdam have a nice horn, but our dear president didn’t dare to take it with him, and the theme of this agora was “Time for daring”! After all the first plenary introduction stuff, there was the time for the first workshops timeslot. I went to the workshop given by Olivier Genkin and Julia Hoffmann both of the International Politics Working Group, with the title “Bigger – Better – European integration?”, there were some statements, and by moving from one end to the room, it showed if you were in favour, against or in the middle. There were around 50 participants. The statements were like: “Romania and Bulgaria are joining to early” and “The EU is and should be a Christian Club”. It was very nice workshop.
After the lunch I went to the workshop of the Culture Working Group and Find Europe Coordination Team, namely “Cul-Tour: check out Culture in AEGEE. The workshop began with a card game, the goal of the game was to make the participants more sensitive for different cultures, for being aware of minorities and how it feels to communicate without a common language. Directly afterwards we started a discussion about time perception and about time value in different cultures. It was a great workshops with around 30 participants.
















(Cul-Tour workshop of FECT together with CWG)

After the workshop we had a short coffee break, then we had the second plenary of the day. After the dinner we had a nice party. It was the best party of the agora, it was a cool place with even a swimming pool!


Since the programme of the Saturday morning is not that special, I left with the guys from Sofia and Rogier to Pompei. We went there by metro and train. It was a nice and cool place. A lot of old stuff. Worth to see. We headed back to the Agora. I was on time to see the last minutes and results of the prytanium of the European Boards Meeting working format. After the coffee break, there was one of the most important happenings during the agora the presentation of the candidates of the Comité Directeur. After the presentations of the 6 candidates, there was a big line of persons whom wanted to ask one or more questions. Most of the questions went to the new secretary general. The first problem was that he didn’t understand English very well, and also he don’t know a basic task like the General Mailing, which is the mailing before the agora with the agora booklet, flyers of events, other important stuff; and not answering emails.
This evening was the worst party of the agora, it was at the agora place itself, a big white hall, with no acoustics, and way to big. There was a life band playing, but mainly hard core rock. After the band, there was a DJ, which was already better, but still…. So went to bed early somehow with the tenue de ville “jasje” of the president of AEGEE-Europe.


Sunday, the waking up service was not working, I slept through it totally. I got up at 14.30; So I missed my lunch meeting… So I went directly to the “communistic” handclapping ceremony. 2 hours clapping for all the elected candidates, amazing.


















After this wonderful clapping event, we had dinner, a nice sandwich. I stayed then with the people from Heidelberg. After dinner I talked with the CWG representative whom is studying in Rome. The nice thing out of this, was that for my days after the agora in Rome, I had a normal bed, and a warm shower. The last party was again at the place on walking distance of the agora where we had also the first party. I ate there a nice pizza at one in the night :)
The party was alright, I had some fun with the Heidelberg/Praha people. It went again late, as usual. The nice thing was, that it was said that everybody should have left at 7 in the morning the sleeping place. But come on it’s Italy! Butt…. the Italians started to wake up us at 7.15 in the morning. I left together with the Roma people to Rome, we left at 10.30 Napoli, Thank god! And came to the beautiful Rome a bit later then we should, the trains are working everywhere the same! The first thing I did when I arrived in Rome was laying down for some moments on a real bed, and after that taking a hot shower after 4 days of survival you know to appreciate the things you take for granted. On Wednesday I flew back to Rotterdam at midnight I was back home in my own apartment, how nice. With in my mind that the next agora in Valetta will be again in a hotel, what a nice dream!

René Keijzer

Rome - Three great days

Rome

A place if you never have been there, you should really go there. And if you have been there like me, probably you want to go back again :)

Wednesday

Since we went late to bed on Tuesday, we just got out of bed at 10 :) Laura went to the university at 10.30, then I went to shower and packed my stuff. I left the house at 12 to the train station to leave my stuff overthere. Then I went again to the Spanish Stairs, when I got there I wrote an sms to Laura, since we agreed to meet during her break to have lunch together. When she got there we were wondering around to find a nice place to have lunch. Finally we found a cool place, where I ate some pasta and she ate some egg-stuff. Then we walked back to the Spanish Stairs, and said goodbye. After this I went to the river, to have a nice walk there and to see some stuff I saw the evening before while it was dark, to make some nice pictures :) I walked then for some hours next to the river, and also went to the vatican. I didn't went inside. I will do that next time. I just wandered for 5 hours through Rome. It was nice. Just before I had to be on the station I took a fast food bite at the American Virus M. And then I went by train to the airport. The plane left a little bit later, but still was 5 minutes earlier in Rotterdam. We landed on Rotterdam Soil again at 22.50; and I was home at 23.55 :) And got to bed drectly.

Tuesday

Morning, was there any? Not really since Laura and me were both tired, we stayed long time in bed. After 12 we got outside the bed :) Not typical tourist behaviour :)) I went to the Colosseum, since for me that was the most interesting thing to see in the city. Laura stayed home to clean the house. I walked around the Coloseum. And also went again to the Spanish Stairs :) When I was at a nice squere, i wrote Laura an sms, for the meeting for dinner. When I was one hour later at the meeting point I wrote an new one after 10 minutes waiting, since it's not normal for a German to be late. Then I asked by sms Rogier, if I got the number right... and Laura had forgotten to tell me I should have put +39 for the number she gave me....
So I send again a new sms :) So, then I wandered around the Spanish stairs again, but I could make now some nice photo's so it was ok. When Laura finally came, we went to the place nearby the ESN meeting. We ate some fast food pizza, at the piazza Novana, then we wanted to take a short walk... but that became a walk of 75 minutes :) So, we were at the ESN meeting at 23.10, we stayed there for one cocktail, and left at 0.10 to the social meeting of AEGEE-Roma. Where we came at 0.30 :) Not many people were there, and we went on drinking some nice Southern Confort in front of the bar. When we took another one, we went also to sit at another place. At 2 in the night we were kicked out of the bar, since it closed. Since we didn't finished yet the drink, the put our drinks in plastic glasses. We got out and sit down on the stairs next to the bar to talk further and drink our drinks. Then we went to the piazza venezia to get on a bus, but before we ate some nice cakes overthere :) We took the bus back, and came home at 4.00 :) And went to bed at 5 :) Nice time :)))

Monday

It was written that we had to leave the pavilions at 7 in the morning... I didn't expect that they would be this harsh... Butt they started with waking us up at 7.15; really early :)
Somehow I found the energy to get up early. I said goodbye to some friends, and I left together with the members of AEGEE-Rome, to join them on their trip by train to Rome. We had the train from 10.24, and were at Rome just a bit later then we should have; but ok trains are everywhere to late :)
At two o'clock we came at the place of Laura, first I enjoyed the nice normall bed, and then the nice hot shower after 4 days :)) After some more resting, I left to the Spanish Stairs to meet Rogier, Bobby and the rest of the people of Sofia. Also the members of Praha would come, but they had some problems with getting one person in the hostel. Naturally all were late and me early :) But ok ;) Rogier and Bobby came quit fast and with them I ate a fast bite at M. When the other members of Sofia finally came, we drunk some nice Limoncello :)) At eleven I left, since I promised Laura I would be home latest at 12, and I did :))

Sick

Hi Guys!

I'm back from Napoli and Rome. I had a great time there, I came back home on Wednesday at 22.50 I landed again on Rotterdam soil :) I was home just before midnight.

On Thursday it was a hard day of work, and after work I went to my parents to have dinner with them. Also my sister, brother in law and Milan were there. After dinner we went to my grandparents, since it was there weddingsaniversery. I went home earlier, for two reasons. First I was deadly tired, secondly I wanted to surprise somebody with my presents on msn :)

On Friday I went again to work, and my healthy became less. I was happy to go home. I felt again deadly tired, and now also sick. That night I slept but not good each 5 hours I had an attack of coughing... At 15.00 Lara brought me a nice tea, and I got outside my bed. Then I went online from 4 till 6, and then Lara came back from shoe shopping, and we went both to supermarket to get our dinner. We made Spagetti. From 20.00 till 1.30 I was again chatting with one person, when she went to bed, i stayed one hour longer online. I went to bed at 2.45, listend to the radio for 30 more minutes and then went to sleep fast.