Bruna Mattos
INICIO: 01/05/2022
FIN: 01/07/2022
Cuando estoy con otra gente conosco mas de mi
Semana I (01/05/2022)
TRANSITION
The frase that starts my diary is something that my roommate and volunteer Donatella told me in a very nice conversation we had. It says a lot how this experience has been so far.
The first week started with online training. I got to know programs like OBS and Hootsuit, and we also used the canva that I already knew. It was very interesting do some group activities online, such as a choreography proposed by Bruna, a member of the association.
The arrival in Barcelona was tiring due to the time of my flight, but soon my airport companion, the volunteer Silva, arrived. At night all the volunteers met and got the train to Pineda del Mar.
Here we are a week before the festival. We are working on a beautiful place near the beach. My tasks as coordinator of the photography group was to photograph the other volunteers and also their activities. Then edit it on Canva and post on Flickr. It was a lot of fun because I love working with photography and editing, and we managed to share the tasks well with the members of my group, Caterina and Amaury.
We had dance activities that surprised me as they brought another way to connect with the group and also to take my mind to a different place.
I am extremely grateful and many times I don't even believe in the experience I'm living, and it's still just the beginning.
Busy (SEMANA II)
This week was another week of change, intensity and new experiences. The festival week was a busy one.
In the preparation I was responsible for my photography group but I also helped the redes group. I had no experience creating reels and it was interesting to see how this tool works. I was also filmed by the video group and for one of the reels. I've always liked being behind the camera but in this experience I'm open to participating and experimenting, and I've had a lot of fun.
We left Pineda de Mar and went to Barcelona to prepare the rest of the things for the festival. The 3 days of programming were filled with great performances. I've never had so much contact with dance and dance performances just fascinated me. Aurora's and Cristobal's performances were some of my favourites.
Photographing the artists, I had a great opportunity to talk to them and see a little behind the scenes of a festival. The artists were very friendly and polite, I just wish I had better Spanish so I could express myself better with them.
The festival routine was busy, and I was already aware of that. My body felt it and I got a little sick, but luckily it was only on the last day. After hard work, we'll have 4 free days to enjoy Barcelona and recharge, and I'm really excited to explore a little more of this amazing city.
Time to explore... and say good bye (SEMANA III)
In the third week I worked on editing the photos we took during the festival. We worked hard to finish all the tasks in one day and have more time off.
We had almost a week to explore Barcelona. We did many things around the city. I visited the museum of contemporary art of Barcelona, we went to a karaoke, we walked a lot, we went to the bunkers to watch the sunset, to the beach, and we went to some bars that made for good drinks and conversation.
On Saturday many of the volunteers left for their countries. This part was not nice because I really liked the group we formed, and I will definitely miss it!
Life goes on... now we will go back to the work routine.
Getting into a routine (SEMANA IV)
The last week of May was when I started to get into a routine. It was a week working in the Tudanzas office but I also participated in meetings in the Barri to discuss cultural activities. It was a bit complicated for me due to the language barrier but it worth the experience.
Tallers Oberts also happened, which broke a bit of the work routine.
I had a little difficulty in dealing with some personal issues that week, due to some unpredicted events in Brazil, but that made me think about issues I need to work on internally.
On the afternoons, after work, I'm trying to enjoy the beach a bit. The city is getting quite crowded and many tourists are already here, so I'm trying to plan some nice things to do in and outside Barcelona aswell, and hopefully I can still enjoy it a lot.
Semana V (06/06/2022)
In the middle...
Better manager
The last weekend was full of activities in Barcelona. I met different people through the Meet up app and participated in a street photography group and a salsa class, as well as in a meeting between travelers.
On Sunday I went to the beach in Casteldefels with Mauro and Sarah. The beach was crowded but it was wonderful to take my first swim in Spain.
At work I am working on the project "Arte em comun", which has the theme of the Iberian lynx. To develop this project I am learning more about excel and the steps to create a project and how to promote it. I am also reading about the lynx and its risk of extinction.
The last different activity will be the participation in Radio Rambla.
During the week, my friends Sarah and Mihaela and I started a very nice habit of Spanish movie night once a week, this being one of my favorite activities. This week we chose "Jamon, jamon", a very over-the-top, strange and funny movie.
I have some plans for the weekend and one of them is to meet a friend from Brazil who is visiting Barcelona.
I feel that each week that passes I am improving how I manage my routine and this has brought me more inner peace.
Shorter week (SEMANA VI)
This week we created the mascot of the project Arte en comun, Linco. It's a lynx made of origami, stylized with the colours yellow and brown, which reminds us of the animal.
We also had the Rutas Invisibles project, and it was great to work with other immigrants. For me it was a reminder of my time as a teacher in Brazil, working with people from very different backgrounds and organising creative activities.
I managed to combine work and leisure activities very well. This week is happening the terraces week in Barcelona, with activities like music and workshops on different terraces for free. I was able to participate in some of the events, but my favourite was the Sunday show at the Expo Barcelona Hotel
I also enjoyed the beach at night, with a beautiful full moon.
This week will be shorter because I have day off. I intend to visit the Mont Serrat, some other places around Barcelona and a beach outside the city. I'm really excited for the next few days.
Making the most of it (SEMANA VII)
This week started a little later for me. I took Monday off and took the opportunity to visit Montserrat. The city surrounded by mountains has a unique beauty. To be able to enjoy the sunset and the calmness of the city at night was a magical experience.
At work Sarah and I focused on our arte en comun project, we made reels in the Hortet and the process was great fun. Our activity took place on Thursday and some people from the Hortet participated. It was a light activity, in a place full of flowers and plants, Cookie the rabbit was also there, and during the activity we exchanged good conversations with people. That same day people were celebrating a traditional holiday in Spain, there were fireworks everywhere.
I didn't work on the holiday and went with Sarah to a town called Sitges. I fell in love with it completely. A charming architecture and to complement the landscape, a beach!
This weekend a friend that I haven't seen for almost 10 years is passing by Barcelona and we will meet again. I'm excited to see her again and do cool things this weekend.
I have experienced many things (SEMANA VIII)
This is my last week in Barcelona and I had the pleasure to host my friend from the Philippines. We went to the beach, to Ciutatella park, to Tibidabo and also to the Gay Parade that happened in Barcelona. It was a very busy weekend! We tried to get into the Sagrada Familia to attend mass on Sunday morning but it was full.
On Monday at work we had our first activity at Festa Major, with the big origami lynx we created, which was used as a support for a collage. It was the first day we all worked together with Alisson, the new volunteer, and it was great to have someone else in the team.
My last day in Barcelona will be free and Sarah and I are planning a few things for that day. We are excited to see the loved ones we have left behind. I will fondly remember this stage of my life for the unique experiences and learning I have had.
"A man must travel. By his own, not through stories, pictures, books or TV. He’s got to travel by himself, with his eyes and feet, to understand what is his. To one day plant his own trees and value them. Knowing the cold to enjoy the heat. And the opposite. Feel the distance and absence of shelter to be well under his own roof." (Amyr Klink - Brazilian writer and sailor)