UPDATING IS COMING SOON!!!

Hello my dear fellows, friends, connections;

I have not been updating my blog/website for a long time but as soon as possible I will be appearing in front of you via my new posts.

Thank you for your attention from now on.

Engin

TRAVEL PHOTO CONTEST WINNING

Hi my dear fellows,

Not a long time ago I attended to an international photo contest and today according to results, I am the winner of this contest.

Thanks for everyone who supported me;

http://barrelhopping.com/travel-photo-contest-winners-115201/

Here is the original photo which I won the contest;

The garden of Chernivtsi University/UKRAINE

A [BIG] DREAM COMES TRUE: UKRAINE (Part-8)

                                                                  ~LVIV~

(Part-2)

And it is time to talk about the second part of my Lviv trippin'. Where we stopped to talk will surprise you actually because as I mentioned before also, this restaurant in Lviv was so special; Kryjivka Restaurant

When my local friend took us to this restaurant, for sure we didn't have any idea what was going to happen because we were just expecting that we were going to a classical restaurant in Lviv nothing more :) when we arrived there, we knocked the door and one pretty old uniformed guard :) opened the watcher part and asked the password. I and my friend surprised because 2 of us had never come across with this kind of view before :) The password to get in is "Heroyam slava!"  means "Glory to Heroes". Probably you will ask why do they use this as a password. Because this was the greeting used by soldier of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) as used guerrilla war  against the Nazis, Poles and Soviet Union between 1943-49.

Once inside, they give you a "welcoming gift"-"medovukha" an alcoholic drink steeped in natural honey and herbs. I am used to receive alcohol from the staff of restaurants as last drinks at previous travels of mine in Ukraine but this place has a different tradition. I simply loved it :)

One Liter Traditional Beer :)

The atmosphere of this restaurant is cozy and pretty dark but this was also interesting for me. The menu is in English&Ukrainian and by this 2 languages menu, we didn't become a big mess for my local friend :)

Military Antiques

I tasted some of traditional Ukrainian dishes and saw the spirit especially when we visited there 2 days later again, while the traditional singers were trying to sing folk songs of Ukraine with me :) I and my friend suddenly became so popular in this restaurant when the singer lady wanted to sing folk songs especially with me because I am foreigner :)

In front of Lviv City Hall

After this pretty interesting restaurant I and my friend started to explore the city and as I don't use map so much during my walkings, we didn't use it again and we just wanted to walk as local people. If you ask me that it worked, yes it worked. :) As you  see me and my friend (my commander from military times) in front of Lviv City Hall on the right side even if the weather was cold and rainy, the corner and the city hall were looking so attractive.

The Dominican Cathedral  at night

The Dominican Cathedral at daylight

                  

Black Stone House Museum

   And UKRAINE memories have finished!!!

A [BIG] DREAM COMES TRUE: UKRAINE (Part-8)

                                                                    ~LVIV~

(Part-1)

After a long time, I again had a chance to come to Ukraine (in the middle of October 2012) and this time I started my journey from one of the most interesting cities of Ukraine: LVIV

The Journey Where Starts

Actually this was going to my 3rd times in Ukraine and the story of this journey is really interesting because that time I had a travel partner: my commander who was second lieutenant from the military time...

In the army process, I and my commander from this time were talking about abroad and how to travel abroad etc. numerously and we were thinking to go to a country for some days and this became true just after one year from all these conversations...We were going to Lviv-Ukraine :)

I still think that it is really interesting to travel with your commander from military times and it is not common for sure...

We arranged everything and the day came out for going to Lviv from Istanbul. From Istanbul to Lviv it took only 1 and half hour and when we arrived there, something funny thing appeared about my passport control. When the lady who was the officer at passport control holded my passport, she wanted to check it as usual and every each page, she was coming across with one visa from Ukraine...one page-one visa; one page-one visa and when she couldn't see the third visa, she asked me where I have 3rd visa. I suddenly surprised what she had asked me because I wasn't expecting such a question like that as many people know that visas had already been cancelled between Ukraine-Turkey...and after a minute she realized and started laughing...it was really interesting moment because all people included polices were looking at us!!! :)

After we passed from passport control, we had to wait money exchanging for at least 1 hour and finally the lady who was working like a bee!:) exchanged our money and then we left from the airport. 

This airport is newly renovated in April 2012 for EURO 2012 Events as you can imagine. 

Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International Airport

When we took the trolleybus, we came to the almost the centre of the city and started to walk to the center. 

Routes, Routes, Routes...

The center of the city (according to me because as I calculated I had a chance to reach almost everywhere to the main parts of the city from there in same time:)) is mostly known as the square of Taras Shevchenko Monument. We met with one of my friends's daughter in here and she suggested us a very great hostel where is even like your home comfort: Coffee Home Hostel If you travel to Lviv and if you would like to drink Lviv's special coffees also a place where you will stay: I strongly suggest this hostel to you: the travellers...

The Taras Shevchenko Monument & I

This evening even if we were so tired we wanted to explore the city for sure and one of my friends who is from Lviv also joined us...and she took us to a very special restaurant which is so hard to come across not only in Ukraine but also in many other countries at least I had never come across with such an interesting restaurant like that. I mean the concept for sure :)

Better to talk about this restaurant which has really different concept in the following part...


                                          ~TO BE CONTINUED~

A [BIG] DREAM COMES TRUE: UKRAINE (Part-7)

                                                               

                                                                   ~ODESA~

                               AN UNBELIEVABLE WINTER EXPERIENCE

(Part-2)

And the last part of my winter experience of Odessa;

As you can remember, I left the written as I was going to walk on the iced sea. And I walked on the iced Black Sea. As I asked to my friends from there, this had happened 35 years ago and imagine how much valuable this experience for me when I was at there...just few days ago before I was in Odessa, I was watching the news of iced Black Sea from televisions and that day I was at there!!!

Me in front of Odessa Marine

After I walked on the iced Black Sea, I and my friends started to walk on our way to Arcadia...

Me and Ali were doing "arm-wrestling" :)

It wasn't really so cold :) 

It was really nice coincidence for me cause I was walking on the same path where I walked in the last summer...It was a nice comparing of the two different seasons in same city...

As you can see above, while we were walking on the way of Arcadia we came to an iced beach where totally made all of us shocked...couldn't imagine but it was obviously seen :) :)

An Iced Beach :)

Trying to stand on the iced sea just in front of the beach :)

Trying to be like a "figure skating" artist :)

I was trying to stand on the iced base where I had been sun-bathing just few months later :) it was unbelievable...what a great experience...the weather was probably between -5 -- -10 Celcius even in daylight time...I had this experience when I was in Stockholm/Sweden in 2007 and now it was time for Odessa/Ukraine...I cannot claim that I like so so cold weather if I would like to be honest :)

Life is Good :)

After this really nice&cold experience we had to go to a cafe cause I was almost going to be frozen like my friend Ali :) I still remember how he was at there...

A hot wine which I drank after for a long time

The few days which I had in Odessa in last winter are still so valuable for me...especially after the chaotic atmosphere of military process, it was like a drug for me...

~THANKS FOR EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS DREAM BECOME TRUE~

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DREAM?

This article is written by dear Svetlana Gurtovenko from Murmansk/RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

Project: 2010-AT-9 Kindergruppe KIRIKU

Project Period: 01.09.2011 - 31.05.2012

Billions of people are living in the Earth. Each of them has several dreams, but not everybody has one real dream, which makes crazy, the dream, when you are even thinking about it, everything inside of you starts to burn, shake, jump and you can’t stop it. The dream, which sits on your head every second and you can go the to other part of the globe to make it true. I had such dream and during 2 years I did my best to realize it. I guess, how you’ve already understood, I was dreaming about making EVS in Austria and I am sitting now at my balcony in Murmansk after 9 amazing months, which I’ve spent in Vienna.

Svetlana

For sure I will never forget such an amazing experience, which changed me a lot (both inside and outside). My first day in Vienna and this felling like “Am I sleeping or  am I in paradise now?”,everything was so beautiful, so perfect for me and of course, so completely different environment, if to compare with my hometown in Russia. I can say, I’ve even had a cultural shock during first 2-3 weeks. Also I was meeting everyday new people, some of them now are so deeply in my heart, they are part of me, the people, whom I can proudly call – my friends. And the most amazing thing that none of them is from my country, they are from all over Europe and it’s so interesting to build friendship with somebody, who has completely different background and was raised in totally different culture.

Having fun...different cultures

Also crazy thing, believe or not, my project, where I was working (it’s day centre for school children), it was the first project, which I applied for and after 700 motivational letters to other ones and 2 years of hope ,  they answered me that I suit for it and you can’t imagine how happy I was.

Well, I truly can call my project place was a second home and my wonderful colleague was my second mother even for short 9 months. She taught me so many things, how to cook (actually anyway even now I can’t do it well), how to be a good teacher, she showed me how strong could be woman and she was perfect life example for me. I am so grateful for everything,  that she gave to me. 

My mentors, parents of children, all of them are great people and they supported me so much during all the time I was there.

Also the country itselves has so much to offer and stunning city, called Vienna is perfect place lo live in with beautiful historical centre, so green and clean streets, crazy night life and huge variety of places to go out. Vienna, I love you!

EVS UNITED :)

Well, you know, if somebody will ask me how you can describe your experience in one word, it would be fairytale.  Not that fairytale with happy end and wedding or killing the dragon, it would be that one with the words in the end : “To be continued…”, because nothing for sure, only we can make end of our story how we want.

To sum up, if you are thinking to do EVS – think twice. Are you surprised that I didn’t write  - just do it? Come on, it’s so banal. You should think twice, because only highly motivated, curious and open for everything new people will be able to enjoy their time in other country and the most important thing, you should give everything that you have (your knowledge, your skills and your heart) for voluntary work and don’t wait that you will receive back even more that you gave at the same time. No. No. it’s not working like this.

And remember – happiness is not by chance, but by choice. So what choice will you take?

Svetlana Gurtovenko

A [BIG] DREAM COMES TRUE: UKRAINE (Part-7)

                                                                 ~ODESA~

                          AN UNBELIEVABLE WINTER EXPERIENCE

                                                          

(Part-1)

I was thinking how to write my last Odesa/Ukraine visit in last february for a long time and it took a long time like 3 months but now it is time for sharing my unique experience about Odesa;

This journey came out to our minds unexpectedly cause I was in Bursa in Türkiye and met with one of my valuable comrades and colleagues Ali Dindar and we suddenly agreed on going to Odesa/Ukraine for weekend travel...it was really nice coincidence especially after my military process...this journey was going to be so good for me&my soul...

Me and Ali in front of Opera and Ballet Theatre

And the day came...we firstly went to Istanbul...and the adventure started when we arrived to the airport cause to get visa from Ukraine when you arrive to there...you need to show a suitable voucher paper to them but we thought that making a reservation from one hotel via internet would be enough...but as we clearly noticed...it wasn't enough...and had to pay extra money for it...after this; we started to wait for the flight...

When we arrived to Odesa, I felt really weird cause after 8 months it was my first time being in abroad and it was the last place where I was...I came to the same city...everything was same except the weather...it was winter...

My valuable friends from Odesa came to the airport and went to a place for coffee and drinks...so our journey has started...

A nice door...have you seen something like this before?

I was wondering one thing very much cause in the middle of february almost all Balkans and Ukraine were passing through a very bad weather and I saw The Black Sea as frozen by T.V. many times...the day was the day to see this via our own eyes :) but before this I had very nice experience with some birds which we call them as falcoons...in last june when I was in Odesa...I didn't have a chance to pet them and take photo with them...but now it was time also for doing this...

Angry Birds on Potemkin Stairs :)

Nothing Like Them :)

And after taking photo session with these awesome angry birds :) it was time to walk on Black Sea...

Frozen Black Sea

Deep Frozen Sea 

Looking far away

                                                     ~TO BE CONTINUED~