Pearls-of-Wilson-MedTourschecking in for the last time from Greece.
Been coming Greece over the last 20/15 years - to hot to contemplate when the first one was.
They are nice people and it has been good to be in an environment where there is no hint of aggression or violence. No loud disruptive voices. No over drinking. It is a place that children can play - as the do - until midnight every-night.
It has been a joy to felt the culture so strong. So many destinations are flooded with tourists. So much that you lose the the way of life of the indigenous peoples.
I am reading a book at the moment which is set just before the falling of the Berlin wall - November 1989.
(Never build walls
until you know
what you are walling in
or - walling out!).
In 1991 I was asked to be an International Trainer at a unique event in a place called Tisadob on the outskirts of Hungary. This place was a castle and I always remember the telephone number. It was '5' !
It was an event pulled together by the YMCA of Europe who had gained a grant to enable the YMCA in the West to assist the re emergence of the YMCA's in the East. Every YMCA in the eastern block, behind the iron curtain, had been closed down for 50 years or more by Communist Governments. I had previously met a number of the 80 year old former members and leaders of these nations. Some had been imprisoned by the state. Some hounded out of their homes. Others lost their lives for their faith.
This Tisadob event was big and had a group from every country possible. Russia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Czech, Poland, Latvia and lots of others. The groups were made up of a few 80 year old men plus prospective leaders and young humans too. I always remember the Bulgarian group of about 15. The were all dressed in black. Several with a trilby hat or long coats ........... I heard after the event that there was also a KGB agent amongst them. They seemed glued together with an invisible web.
They had never been out of Bulgaria before. Never flown. Never outside their own town for most of them. The similar applied to other groups.
I was challenged to run training for groups alongside a team from all over the world. We needed the one week long 'culture awareness' training before the event commenced.
What an event.
Massive in terms of challenge.
Most of my words were translated into Russian - a common language.
The games went down well because all of us had the language called 'Body'.
I made life long friends there. Also chose Bulgaria to be the National YMCA to forge partnership links with as I saw it as the hardest nut to crack. It was not fertile ground.
On the last night we asked all the nations to do a song or sketch as part of a concert. Most countries knew of the Beatles songs - not many more had penetrated the iron curtain. When it came to the Bulgarians - two young men started to hum in a very deep sense and then the rest of them started to sing a Bulgarian Orthodox chant. It was weird to hear in that context - but ever so powerful and wondrous. It was them doing their thing.
All this has been triggered by the book - a novel set in a unique point in history.
(We are in one now and we don't see to so much
because it is hard to see it when we are the goldfish
in the goldfish bowl.)
The money for this event and the programmes to help build the Charity/3rd sector/YMCA in these countries - came from the USA Defence budget. Helping to build a civil society which in turn builds a sense of community and togetherness - nationally and across Europe.
I have so many stories to share. So many young and older humans who I have received from. So many who drop me an email telling me how life is.
........... and they used to be behind an iron curtain ..................
...... and so did we ..............
ps :: on my web-site home page, under 'Pearls',
there is an article about the YMCA History in Russia.
.
