11 March – 17 March 2012,
Heist-op-den-Berg
11.03.2012
We were warmly welcomed by Bernadette and our
hosts. Students spent their day with their host families. In the evening
teachers, hosts and all partners had a lavish welcome dinner at Restaurant
Bergbos. It was a precious opportunity to meet all the lovely and enthusiastic people
taking part in the project.
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| Welcome dinner with our hosts and partners :-) |
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12.03.2012
In the morning after being welcomed by headmaster
of HHS all the delegations presented themselves. After that students and
teachers spread to 5 lectures on different issues. All the lectures were
engaging and thought- provoking.
In the afternoon the group visited Breendonk
National Memorial. That was a moving event where we could experience the cruel,
humiliating, shocking circumstances of this concentration camp. The stories we
were told by the guides and the spots we visited had a deep impact on all of
us. We all felt devastated. Everbody had to realize how precious PEACE, FREEDOM
and FRIENDSHIP are!
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| The barracks |
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| The ’bedrooms’ |
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| Breendonk National Memorial |
13.03.2012
That was the day of nature, sport and teambuilding
in the Ardennes. Students had a very exciting day at the Adrenaline Park in
Comblain-la-Tour with Peter Lamberts while teachers could visit the caves of
Remouchamps and could explore the geographical features of the Ardennes.
Philippe Kemp guided us with his
excellent expertise. In spite of cold weather both teachers and students had a
very good time there.
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| Bernadette – organizing the trip to the Ardennes |
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| German and Hungarian friends :-) |
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| Remouchamps Grottes |
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| Remouchamps Grottes |
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| We are in the same boat… |
14.03.2012
We spent a pleasant day in Antwerp. An excellent
guide showed us around Bonaparte dock, the impressive building of the MAS and
the marvellous historical centre of the city. We saw the masterpieces of Rubens
at the Cathedral.
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| Sightseeing in Antwerp |
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| The Norwegian team at the MAS |
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| In Antwerp |
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| The Hungarian students |
In the evening a fantastic pasta meal was offered
to hosts and guests by Jan de Bie. After dinner Bernadette organized the Market
of the nations where each delegation could promote their homeland by presenting
local products. Meanwhile students could participate in an exciting circus
training.
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| Market of the nations |
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| The Norwegian stall |
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| The Ischian stall |
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| The Berlin stall |
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| La Spezia stall |
15.03.2012
We visited the European Parliament and NATO
Headquarters in Brussels. We could learn a lot about both institutions and
their roles and missions in the fields of peace and stability of Europe by
listening to lectures given by the ambassadors of Hungary, Italy and Norway.
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| In Brussels |
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| Visit to the European Parliament |
16.03.2012
Friday was the Day of creation. The
students were divided into two groups and with the guidance of Dieter
Dresselaers they were asked to create a piece of art. The theme of the painting
was: The kiss by Gustav Klimmt, since 2012 is a Klimmt year. In one room they
painted the woman with circular shapes while in the other room they painted the
man with rectangular shapes. This workshop was an excellent opportunity for
cooperation!The masterpiece was displayed at the Town Hall.
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| Dieter Dresselaers |
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| Creating a masterpiece |
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| Creating the Man |
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| The Hungarian part |
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| The Italian part |
Then in the afternoon students prepared their
essays about their experiences and feelings during the Final meeting in
Heist-op-den-Berg. They had a lot to write about this memorable week of peace
and friendship.
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| Students engaged in writing their report |
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| Anikó and Edit- enjoying tranquility at HHS |
After having written the reports the whole group
walked to the Town Hall where each delegation gave a performance to express
their gratitude to the official organizers of the Final meeting. The group was
offered an official reception by Lord Mayor Luc Vleugels and other members of
local authorities. During this closing ceremony students and all participants
were given their certificates.
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| At the Town Hall |
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| Hungarian folk dance |
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| Gyöngyi – the choreographer – and the six of us |
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| Belgian and Hungarian friends :-) |
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| Spring sunshine In Heist-op-den-Berg |
The last evening Bernadette organized a very
special Flamish evening for the teachers, hosts and partners at Restaurant Hof
van Riemen. That was a good opportunity for us to exchange ideas about our
experiences during the week.
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| Farewell dinner |
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| Travelling home |
We had an unforgettable week in Belgium. This week had
an immense effect on our students' personality: a brand new world has opened up
for them in which they could experience the similarities of their peers from
all over Europe. They have made friends with a lot of students and
on Facebook they are sharing photos and comments on their experiences and they
are planning their next meeting. This week was an excellent opportunity for
communication as well. It is unbelievable how enthusiastic our students have
become about talking in English!
We all felt
very sorry that this successful project had to come to its end.
Finally, we
must express our gratitude to Bernadette for her devoted care and exceptional
coordinating work done all through the unbelievably busy week of the Final
meeting and the whole project!!!
17.03.2012 Törökbálint
Edit Báderné Wilhelm - on behalf of the Hungarian Team
