Arts Lab 6.0: Rahaf Ghanam - Week 1

Hello, I am Rahaf from Syria, I arrived here about a week ago, and from the moment I set my foot in the house, I felt an immense positive energy despite all the exhaustion and fatigue during the journey to arrive. My friends welcomed me warmly, helped me with my luggage, and prepared some pasta for me. We celebrated Saleh's birthday from Algeria with the rhythms of Algerian Rai music and Shakira's songs ❤️ 

The next day, I woke up a bit late, packed my things, and spent a quiet and pleasant evening at home getting to know my friends and the new way of life. Then we woke up the next day to start our first day at the Folcloristica Festival. We took the bus for about an hour to reach the village of Tătăruşi. Excitement filled our hearts, and the journey was pleasant, full of natural scenery which was breathtaking. When we arrived in Tătăruşi, we were warmly welcomed by the mayor at the Tătăruşi Cultural Center, where he gave a speech, as did the deputy mayor, the priest, and the school principal there, accompanied by a teacher. We also had the honor to give a speech ourselves. As I introduced myself, expressed my gratitude and thanks for hosting me, and praised the excellent organization of the place. And I was delighted when the mayor invited me to sing on stage the next day. 

We went on a tour of the local museum where we learned about Romanian heritage and culture up close, in many aspects such as clothing, tools, artworks, decorations, and many other things explained to us by the founder of the place, who was very kind and welcoming. Then, we passed by a craftsman's workshop where he also explained his craft and how he grew into it because of his father, we learnt about his work mechanism, tools, and we saw many of the wonderful products he made. And the surprise was when we passed through the forest, reaching the enchanting green fields that looked like a work of art. I had the chance to take some photos there. 

In the evening, a lovely couple invited us for dinner, and this was my favorite part of the day. We enjoyed a delicious meal, they were incredibly kind and cheerful, we danced, sang, strengthened our bonds, and returned home full of happiness and excitement for the next day. 

The next day, we conducted workshops with children and teenagers in Tătăruşi. This was my first workshop at the Arts Lab. I thought I might face some difficulty adapting and dealing with the children, but on the contrary, we had a very enjoyable time, and they were very smart and kind. I didn't feel the time passing with them. I partnered with Katrina from Latvia in the handmade accessories workshop. We made 90 pieces with the children from colorful threads, including bracelets and hair decorations. We had so much fun, and I played a bit in the yard with some of the children. After that, we passed by the local church. I was amazed by the details, architecture, and paintings. I took a picture while admiring all this precision and beauty. We had a nice lunch at one of the village's restaurants. The meal was delicious, and I was impressed by some dishes similar to those we eat in Syria, such as cabbage rolls, followed by a special and delicious cake and a warm cup of coffee.

We went on another tour in the fields where we saw a flock of sheep, and a kind man playing a strange long instrument resembling a trumpet. Some of us got the chance to try it. Then we stopped for a while in the forest where we took a short walk, feeling peaceful and immersed in the beautiful nature. Then, it was time to watch and present some performances on the cultural stage. Each of us had to perform a show inspired by the culture and music of our country. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time for my performance, but fortunately, we were all present for our friends' performances who managed to present theirs. We got to know the Romanian dances and folklore while watching the performances on stage, and we had a very enjoyable and unforgettable time. We had dinner at another local restaurant, then returned home to get some rest in preparation for the last and most awaited day, which was the judging day for the best village competition. 

We started the last day watching various performances between the villages that had won the title previously and the current towns competing for the title. As a judging committee, we had to be very focused. The performances were beyond amazing, so it was difficult to make a decision. In the end, it was destined for one of the village to win the title, which was Heleşteni village. The other villages received some titles in different categories, and the surprise was that we received a participation diploma in the festival, which was my first diploma in the Arts Lab. I was very happy and proud of It. The mayor invited us for lunch, and we exchanged conversations after the meal. I sang in Romanian for the first time, and Ziad impressed us by drawing a picture of the mayor and sang with Yasser. We were elated and didn't want to leave or say goodbye to this festival and these vibes, but the mayor promised us to try to repeat this visit and have more moments and memories together. These were our last moments before heading home to start our holiday. 

We watched an enjoyable movie on our first night, and now I am on my second day of it while writing this report. I'm sipping some mate, which is my favorite drink. It's originally a South American drink and popular in Syria. I am drinking it now after having some Algerian soup that Saleh prepared for us with some bread, and it was very delicious and warming. 

This is my first report for the Arts Lab. It is full of experiences, memories, and moments. I have learned a lot in this short time, such as starting the experience of living with people from different countries and backgrounds, dealing with children and teenagers, building social relationships with local people and chatting with them, and of course, singing in Romanian for the first time. I've learned a lot about Romanian culture and heritage, and I hope to learn much more in the future, to build many relationships with people and places, and embark on many new experiences in my life as I did this week. I am proud and happy with what we have done so far and hope for more and more.

Report written by Rahaf Ghanam, she's from Syria and she's one of the 14 volunteers participating in Arts Lab 6.0, a project co-funded by the European Union through the European Solidarity Corps program.