Arts Lab 5.0: Aliye Ceylan, Turkey - Month 1

I've been in Romania for about a month now. I think I've adapted quickly to an experience that I came with a lot of excitement. The process until I arrived wore me out a lot. I am the last volunteer to come to Târgu Frumos. But my other volunteer friends, whom I had not met face to face before I arrived, motivated me a lot. They told me that I would have no problem coming and that they were waiting for me here. When I came home, I saw the sign 'Welcome home Aliye'. They welcomed me very warmly. 

12 different people... Also, when I told them that my English was not good enough yet, they said that it was never a problem for them and they would help me. They were always understanding. I don't think I will have this experience anywhere else.

The first month was spent for me to organise and adapt. Frankly speaking, I think that the ease of my adaptation process was thanks to the friendliness of the Romanian people. We went to many villages, towns and cities within a month. Everyone welcomed us very warmly. Everyone was very hospitable. And this made me feel more and more belonging here every day. Because it makes me feel good to find things from my own life or my environment in the places I travel to. 

We did so many things and worked so hard in the first month. The first time I went to Iaşi, I was very impressed by the buildings there. I felt like I traveled back to the Middle Ages. We visited many museums, art galleries and things like the French Cultural Institute. I had the chance to meet many local artists and learn about their experiences and stories. We also shoot a lot of documentary films and music videos. Honestly, sometimes I find it hard to keep up because it's a very detailed and well-planned job. Even if you are shooting something small, there are a lot of things to pay attention to. Sound, light, clarity, how to connect the images, etc. 

Although I seem to be the competent person here in terms of my job, I am sure that I have a lot to learn from my friends. Because learning is a never-ending process. I also want to transfer my own experience to them. When the last film I shot was released on Netflix, we watched it with my friends here. It was very enjoyable and it was a different moment for me. 

After a tiring but exciting month, I am looking forward to what's next. 

Aliye Ceylan is from Turkey, and she is participating in a six-month volunteering program within Arts Lab 5.0, a project co-funded by the European Union through the European Solidarity Corps.