The Human Capital Operational Programme provides opportunities not only to strengthen the professional competences and skills of our participants, but also to increase understanding of other cultures. Group of Polish participants, who are taking part in this programme had great opportunity to interact with and learn from Sicilian people and vice versa. During their stay in Sicily,  young polish students from Łodz developed positive relationships with townspeople of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, improved their language skills and got to know Sicilian culture. As food is an important part of each culture, especially for Italian people, polish students decided yesterday to prepare for us, a great polish specialty –pierogi. Dumplings of unleavened dough – first boiled, then they are baked or fried usually in butter with onions. There are few kinds of this food which differ in a filling (the diversity of pierogi fillings is only limited by your imagination). Anyway, this national Polish food is traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or fruit. We hardly recommend to try this food! We look forward to taste another Polish delicacies! Our team here at Eprojectconsult is always open to taste new things ;) Grazie a tutti!

The youth exchange took place in Slovenia from the 11^th to the 19^th of May 2013. 

The location of almost all the activities expected for this project took place in Pohorje which is around 20 min far from Maribor, city that this year got the title of European Youth Capital and last year was the European capital of Culture.

The topic of the project was related to sports. For one week all the group, formed of people coming from Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Malta, and Turkey, practiced activities such as slackline, climbing, archery, orienteering and many others.

All the activities were carried on by professionals chosen within the Maribor area. Despite the activities were not so common the participants were very active and enjoyed everything.

It was an excellent way to get close to sports that you might not know or ever practiced before. The location was perfect: just nature all around! 

Every evening a presentation of each Country participating. Each group took some typical food from his own country to let other people try and taste and gave to the group the main information about their country.

The experience was great! It was also spent some time in Maribor which is a beautiful city, well-kept, with a lot of young proactive people.

As that period are running many projects in Barcellona P.G., which are organised by EProjectConsult, people from various countries have developed friendships between them. As a result, those people (including me) are orginising many activities by themselves. I am gonna speak about our trip to Gole Alcantara, which is a beautiful gorge in the south of Sicily, close to the city of Taormina.

Our group was composed from 12 people originated from Germany, Spain, Poland, Latvia and Greece. We rented one van and one normal car. When we arrived at the river we understood that this natural place is very particular because it is consisted by deep incisions in volcanic rocks and cliffs, caused by the eruptions of Mount Etna. The landscape was very beautiful. If the weather was ideal we could had had the possibility to cross a part of the river, but unfortunately we didn't have this pleasure. After the unique moments we spent there, we went to the near village of Castiglione di Sicilia. This village is nice located close to the mountains, as well it has a lovely view. In the top there was a Castle. It was a fine experience to walk in a Sicilian picturesque village.

Multicultural experiences will be continued...

Athanasios Mourikis

Certainly food and culture go hand in hand, we may say there is no difference. For the very reason, the EprojectConsult team organizes food gatherings - the international food evenings. A highly successful International Food Evening took place at the dreamlike house in the territory of The Park Museum “Jalari” on the evening of Saturday 20 April 2013 when EprojectConsult  personnel, families, children and friends came along to sample a huge range of food and drink from 8 countries worldwide: Italy, Spain, Greece, Romania, Poland, Germany, Latvia and Japan. Prior to the event, some participants generously volunteered all their free morning and afternoon for the cooking to represent their national foods and also the best personal experiment’s recipes. Like Greek vegetable spend in the own more than 3 hours, respectively it was worth waiting – because the result was culinary wonder! In Slowly Italian eating manner with a lot of talks and fun around we satisfied our curiosity about different culinary treasure, starting with the variety of different salads with pasta, then Kartoffelsalat (German potato salads), spinach pie, tortilla de patatas o española (Spanish Omelet), followed by O-nigiri (お握り or 御握り; おにぎり?), also known as Japanese rice balls with tuna, and North Sicilian specialty - Arancine which is usually fried rice balls filled with ragù (meat sauce), tomato sauce, mozzarella, and/or peas, and then coated in bread crumbs. Closing with sweet wonders: Carrot cake, Nutella- chocolate cake, fruit cake and other sugared snacks unfortunately without the apple pie which wasn’t up to the dinners place, yet some fortunate had a possibility to taste it the next day. Still, in addition to a wide variety of food, we had the chance to sample drinks from around the world. For strong spirit lovers: the home- made Italian traditional Grappa and Polish herb-flavored vodka Żubrówka, and for others - wine, bear and Italian coffee. During the evening, some participants promised to have diet starting from the next week. We wish a good luck for them! Our Food Festival proved to be not only successful social event but also a wonderful way to share the many nationalities and cultures within our company. All our friends commented on how much they had enjoyed the evening and hope that we will make it a more regular event.

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Ciao a tutti..

Time to share some thoughts and comments about the general outcomes of having an internship in the city of Barcellona P.G. in Sicily. I am here almost three months and I am working at the office of EProjectConsult, along with other interns from various countries. I will focus in the results of both learning outcomes in the job and how the social life is here.

Firstly, it is important for me to highlight the aspect of having an internship here, as it is an initial contact with vocational experience in an international organisation, one sector which is possible to deal professionally in the future. As the main occupation of the office is to deal with various projects (Leonardo da Vinci, Youth in Action etc.), I have be introduced to Project Management job as assistant for the creation, preparation and implementation of European projects which are approved and funded by the EU. Further tasks that I am dealing are the monitoring of international bodies for European project opportunities, research for possible partners and generally back office activities. The fact that I belong in this organisation, by itself, is giving me positive aspects for the reasons that it is feasible for me at first to understand the general philosophy of an organisation, and then to acquire a background necessary for a future career in related areas, to expand my knowledge and abilities as well my communicative and management skills. That expansions of my personal qualities mean that I am becoming a person who can work seriously in a stimulating and competitive working environment.

Concerning the social life in the city, I could say that it is a unique opportunity to expand my social aspects with a “marriage” of intercultural mentalities. General assumption is that by exploring new cultures in practice is possible to gain so much knowledge al long as books is impossible to give. Broadening of my horizons is real. Sicily is an island with many important places for visiting (e.g. the historical cities of Palermo, Taormina, Catania and Siracusa, the biggest active volcano in Europe - Etna etc.). Generally it is a place with many contrasts, thus, according with your preference, you can visit ether coastal places ether mountains. Further the cultural excursions, I had the pleasure to make a lot of friends in the city of Barcellona P.G. People are very friendly, one fact that helps for conforming in a new environment. Moreover, regarding with the Italian language, I have reached a satisfactory level through interactive speaking with Italian friends. Remarkable is that I started from the zero and now I am able to speak something more of the basic conversations.

In conclusion I would like to mention that I already took two months extension in my internship (I am here with Erasmus Placement programme), because of the multiple benefits I have gained during my stay in here. Finally I am sure that this experience can have only positive effects.

Athanasios Mourikis

I would like to say a few words about the Italian language courses, which have started one week ago. Those courses are in the context of the German project EuproInternIII (LdV Mobility) which is taking place in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Sicily. The implementation of them is made from the office of EprojectConsult.

Firstly, remarkable is that the teacher, Daniela Manuli, has great experience in working with foreign students, as well she speaks the German language, so this fact makes the courses easier and more understandable.

The courses are divided in two groups, one for those interns who are in the elementary level and the second for those which are in the intermediate level. Thus, there are two different books which are provided, according to the level of each student. The hole duration of the lessons for each group will be 48 hours, in an intensively program which consists from 4-hour daily lessons. The structure of the courses is composed from an ideal way for acquiring necessary skills, including reading, listening, speaking and writing. In that way, it is calculated that within one month the students in the elementary level will be able to understand as well to speak the Italian language. As far for those in the intermediate level, their skills will be developed in order to catch the desirable level.

Learning of the Italian language will increase the value of the hole traineeship program of participants, as they will receive certification for the learning outcomes. It is such a nice way to combine professional training (internship) with learning foreign languages. Participants are enjoying a program with multiple benefits.

Athanasios Mourikis

The 4^th March 2013, in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Sicily, started the activities of the EUproInternIII project, financed in the frame of the mobility program Leonardo da Vinci. As agreed with the German sending organisation Fairbund e.V. (http://www.verein-fairbund.de/), the implementation in Italy of the project is undertaken from the EProjectConsult office, International department of the “A Rocca” NGO. The participants are five (5) German people who are going to perform a training and learning experience from the 3^rd of March to the 28^th of April 2013.

According to the profile of each participant and their motivation, each of them will perform a different traineeship, in 5 sectors:

language teaching (at the Scuola di Lingue - Speak up http://speak-up.it/index.php), EU project management (at Eprojectconsult www.eprojectconsult.com), Architecture (in cooperation with the Arch. Imbesi Filippo http://www.barcellonaricerchestoriche.it/ and the Prof. Pietrini Mariano http://www.marianopietrini.com/, art&craft (at Fabbrica d’arte 332) and leisure & sport (at Palestra Planet Fitness).

Target is to develop the perspectives of participants, according to each one's skills and expectations. Further the training outcomes, participants will receive Italian courses lessons from teacher who is expert in working with foreign students. The lessons are divided in two groups for elementary and intermediate level, according to the profile of each participant, and the total duration of the course is 48 hours.

Moreover, in the project is included the organization of an interesting intercultural program with excursions, concert, Happy Hours etc. Specifically, the excursions are going to take place in the cities of Milazzo, Messina, Tindari and Taormina. Moreover, in occasion of the visiting to the Jalari Park Museum (www.parcojalari.com) they will have the opportunity to attend a music concert with traditional folklore music.

The morning road to the EprojectConsult office was embalmed by a moreover smile offered by the blushing sun that seems like a winner from the secular heaps of winters, the powerful rays giving us the certainty that we make the first step towards spring, to the new birth. And this, is not just a musical segment of Paganini's caprices, or, the last night dream, but is March 1^st.

Once arrived with all in the office, with our radiant soul of this changing season, with a moment before starting our activities, everything enters into an atemporal accolade, and also in a splendor of symbols, when each internal from the office gets a Mărțișor. Whatever means this, only God knows, or, also those people, that, through their traditions keeps alive the symbolic significance of this millennial effigies, such as the population of Romania, their brethren, from Moldova, and even the Bulgarians (”Martenitsa”), and also, do not forget the fresh Roumanian intern, that, when he start to bathe the group in legends, you can say that their will not be any end or any reality.

Mărțișorul, is thus consists of a red and white silk ribbon, which signifies the interwining of winter and spring, to which are added other symbols of luck, and which is offered to the closest people, on the 1^st day of March. Usually, this is wearing until the finish of the month, when mărțișorul is removed and hunging in a tree, putting in the same time a desire for being fulfilled in the near future. Its name comes from the word ”marț”, that is an folkloric diminutive of March (Martie), and thus literally means ”little March”.

The significance of these Mărțișor’s colors lies in the intense red, which mean deep love for everything that is beautiful, and white, health, prosperity, the purity of snowdrop, that fragile flower, with an angelic shimmer that stands in the forefront of spring.

Through the Roumanian tradition, Mărțișorul is stored for more than 8000 years, and is bathed in a coloratura of myths and legends. One of this, says that Mărțișorul begins when the sun, embodied in a beautiful girl, came down, on the Earth, for dancing a beautiful dance in villages. But a kite kidnapped her and locked her in a cellar of a palace, causing pain of all nature: rivers ceased to flow, the birds to sang and the children stopped smiling ... Seeing what happens without sun, a brave young man traveled three seasons (summer, autumn and winter) to reach the castle and to save the beautiful girl, fighting several days with the kite until he succeeded to defeat him. The sun was released and the wounded young blood fall on the snow turning it into snowdrops, messengers of spring. Brave young man died happy seeing that his life served a purpose so noble: the spring’s return; happiness that we share with all loved ones who, if we have’t prepared from early a mărţişor or a snowdrop, we will offer a hopeful smile, and not only because the Dacian tradition call us, but because our souls are left bathing by the first divine inspiration of the Sun, that one who has just returned trully on the sky, thanks to our hero's sacrifice.

From a fairytale ambience, in which we getting drunk our light eyes in a red and white coloratura, we, all EprojectConsult team members, are sending you from our soul, a wonderful  spring, full of love, hope and prosperity!

Cătălin T.

Because any activity is seen as a modern project, with a complex character, which requires a new vision starting with needs analysis of the project and finishing with an efficient reuse of project results, project management is the principal activity, ”dictantemundo”, of EprojectConsult Organization. The defining characteristics of the organization are, in addition to professional and managerial competence, staff ability to work in teams, pragmatism, clarity and simplicity in action and the last but not least, respect for our partners.

Already have passed two weeks and the daily activity within the EprojectConsult office as a freshly intern is marked by sharing an exciting environment where collaboration is a pleasant and efficient way in achieving the best European projects within the LLP program and not only.

The first days were emphasized on the offered contribution towards reissuinga project belonging to the"Europe for Citizens" program, which was a real challenge, involving partners from 7 adherent countries of EU and acceding countries too who wanted to develop a network of twining cities in a field with a high interest for the European Union, the environmental cooperation (within Measure 1.2 of the program). First round table meeting of all office members has made ​​in order to bring ideas and practices following the completion of the project. With the first emotions, the project was applied in the final version, few days before the deadline.

The projects improvement of our partners from Romania and Croatia passed as principal activities of the agenda after the previous project post. The opportunity to contribute in giving advices to our partners who wishthat, through their projects to fulfill dreams, gives you an indescribable satisfaction. This happened in these two projects, within the Leonardo da Vinci VETPRO, strategies of promoting rural tourism in Europe and acquiring experience in project management are just some objectives that provide the meaning for this two projects.

The daily contacting of the partners is an important activity that must also be maintained by sending emails and letters of intent and reading the responses, this in a continuous and efficient cooperation.

The weekend leaves to you two wonderful days of relaxing in a sun radiant environment in the middle of winter, which summarizesvisiting of the little town, of 45.000 inhabitants, BarcellonaPozzo di Gotto and its surroundings, ending our day with an evening out with all EprojectConsult group.

Also, joining the youth group from Macedonia in the Sunday’s trip to the active volcano, Etna, was an unique moment of excitement, sharing exceptional landscapes and learning new things related to geology, thanks to our guide, geologist in environmental sciences,dott. SandroPrivitera, for which the volcanoes have more than an appearance, a body, they have a soul,as well as human soul… Walk through the beautiful city of Catania were also marked by future beautiful memories.

And, all this,have only just begun…

CătălinTarhon

My name is Athanasios Mourikis and I am working as trainee at the office of EProjectConsult (the International department of the A ROCCA organisation), under the LLP program of Erasmus Placement. I would like to share my experiences about the projects' outcome, and more specifically, what I have seen through the implementation of the LLP Mobility project of our group of students from Macedonia.

They are from a Macedonian high school witch specialization is the agricultural sector and come to the city of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto under Leonardo da Vinci IVT Mobility Program “Bio Rural Business”. The duration of their stay in Sicily was three weeks (from the 16^th of January to the 7^th of February 2013). During these days I was pleased to follow them in many of their daily activities, so I understood deeply the importance of the program's implementation. Their Program was composed by various aspects: from visiting companies, which are interesting to their sector, to excursions and Happy Hours. Concerning their accommodation, the stuff of EProjectConsult had arranged for them two apartments, full furnished, in the center of Barcellona P. G. Furthermore, the office guaranteed for full board service, including lunch and dinner.

Regarding their Program in details, in the weekdays they were visiting companies which had strong relationship with the agricultural sector, like wine production companies, garden houses, olive oil production plants, orange companies, cheese factories, etc. Thus, it is understandable that students had a unique opportunity to become acquainted with plenty of sections that belonged to their field of study, where it is possible for the students to deal with those type of companies in the future as professionals. Moreover, their visit to the agricultural college of Barcellona P. G. let them to have the chance to exchange pedagogical methods as well as to expand their communicative perspectives with other children and teachers. Further of the learning outcomes, in the dimension of entertainment, their program included various excursions at the wonderful island of Sicily. The group had the opportunity to visit historical cities such as Palermo, Catania, Messina, Siracusa, Taormina, Milazzo, Noto, Cefalù, etc., including ancient villages and Greek/Roman areas. High importance visiting was also the excursion to the mountain of Etna – the biggest active volcano in Europe, where its precious solid gave a lot of interesting geological information to the students. In addition, there were many Happy Hours comprised by visits to Pizzerias as well as to the “Jalari” Park Museum a great park of several hectares where is possible to count more than 2000 scultures. Finally, through the method of non-formal learning, it is achieved combination of practical learning and embracement of intercultural heritage.

Of course, for the whole project is provided certification for the package of the various social activities, so it is ensured officially their project. Every week there was evaluation of the project, as well as the Final Evaluation gave the final report witch show the degree of usefulness.

Within those three weeks the experience I had with the Macedonian group gave me the opportunity to gain many information about all these projects and programs, as well as it intrigued me to search for my own perspectives an opportunity to participate at an LLP program. I already have started to propagandize it also to my friends.

What else, I suggest to stay tuned if you want to hear more information about the next project we will coordinate!!