The EVS Crew
The first of March was the official start of the EVS program here at Free&Real. That is the European Voluntary Service, which is a part of the European Erasmus program. Four participants from four different European countries will participate in the project for one year. The volunteers trickled in during the end of February, and quickly made a solid impression on the rest of us in the crew.
So, here they are - The EVS Crew, from left: Olivier "there's a black hole in my stomach feeding a community in a parallel dimension" from France, Joshua the Calisthenic from Cyprus, Luisa from Portugal, a fellow metal enthusiast that introduced me to Godflesh, and Noemi, who I took tango courses together with in Lund a few years back, from Italy.
So, here they are - The EVS Crew, from left: Olivier "there's a black hole in my stomach feeding a community in a parallel dimension" from France, Joshua the Calisthenic from Cyprus, Luisa from Portugal, a fellow metal enthusiast that introduced me to Godflesh, and Noemi, who I took tango courses together with in Lund a few years back, from Italy.
Since the last week we have started up in accordance with a pre-planned schedule, included is morning training, Non-Violent Communication circles and Bad Movie Nights. The main project area for the time to come will be the Test Site, which is the sleeping area with room for 40 people, and with the brand new kitchen and a coming big clay yurt as common space, it is becoming quite an awesome place.
In the week that has passed we've constantly been over ten people working away on different tasks. Well up in your own project, you decide to take walk across the garden to find something new taking form. The site has become like a small village, gaining in beauty and functionality with each passing hour.
Basma in action, the reclaiming of the big garden is taking leaps forward. Hopefully here will be enough growth to sustain a smaller bunch of permanent inhabitants in a near future.
My main engagements for the first couple of days were fencing. And after having beaten each other up with some stray bamboo sticks for a while, we went on to actual work.
First off the premade holes needed some adjustments before the setting of the fence poles. At Free&Real the process of setting poles is quite fundamental for all structure types. The work requires a bit of time and effort, but once into it the pace and result increases.
Nothing but natural resources are being used. What you do is 1) dig a hole of appropriate depth (30-50cm depending on the length of the pole), 2) put the pole in the hole, 3) place rocks between pole and edge of hole, 4) hammer stone into ground, 5) add soil/mud, 6) repeat 3-5 until hole is full.
Done with care, this leaves you with a sturdy enough foundation to build three floor multi-use buildings.
Nothing but natural resources are being used. What you do is 1) dig a hole of appropriate depth (30-50cm depending on the length of the pole), 2) put the pole in the hole, 3) place rocks between pole and edge of hole, 4) hammer stone into ground, 5) add soil/mud, 6) repeat 3-5 until hole is full.
Done with care, this leaves you with a sturdy enough foundation to build three floor multi-use buildings.
Here Joshua is bringing some Cypriotic muscles to the task.
For lunch time parts of the garden are being served. I don't know how far into my food experiences here I have gotten before. Food here is vegan, cooked by us and served with love. I have never before so consecutively enjoyed my food experiences.
Later we went on to olive tree pruning. I've got a personal mission to get most of the three generation old olive trees that have gotten to grow to linger high above us, back into pickable height. Some of them threathen to break off and damage the buildings. Here we're working on getting down a big bough that could wreck the future yurt below it.
A break in shade from the afternoon sun. Letting my spring beard breathe freely on the second floor's balcony of the Pozpaz-tower.
After days of digging, fencing, cutting, hammering, gardening, talking, joking, exercising, eating, resting, appreciating and more; we leave again for the workshop, for dinner and evening activities. This day with a solid fence and a shining new gate.
