WOW...What an evening!

We have just finished our cultural evening which started at 8pm and we finished at roughly 12pm. It was a joy to be part of and a mixture of emotion and pride from everyone as they showed off their respected country, truly an experience that will stay with me forever!

There was a mix of PowerPoint presentations, dancing, drinking, speakers, presents, videos and many jokes and laughs. It just once again reinforces how diverse the YMCA movement and its amazing people are! Here are a couple of videos from tonight’s action. First up is Maria Belen Otero from Argentina playing the charango and the songs name is Alheli Plant. Here is the link:

 

Next up is Lusine and Maria Vardanyan from Armenia leading everyone in some traditional dance: 

 

Lastly is a clip of Amanda and Sarah from the US movement leading a “Hip-Hop “dance session: 

 

My personal favourite was Viktoria Pilinko from Belarus who read a Poem called “Pagonia” she also spoke about the injustice in her country, which was quite emotional for her and everyone else. She showed great strength and maturity beyond her years. I was very proud of her and she gave the members of her home group a magnet each, so I felt very lucky as only 6 were given out and I will truly treasure mine.

Again a fantastic evening proving that the YMCA defiantly does have talent! A special mention must go to Matthew who put together team England’s PowerPoint (the boy has skills! Well done Sir!) I will let him post it but the entire team came up with ideas from home.

It has been a very long day, I’m feeling quite tired as I feel I have not stopped. Most of the conference is now playing the circle game (thanks to me and Santiago largely) and we have vowed to get the entire conference playing it before the week is out.

I have also learnt some amazing icebreaker’s that I will be sure to try out when I get back to Bolton! Watch out any young people reading! Especially my Youth Council!  One in particular had many of us rolling around in laughter, I will try and explain it but I feel my words won’t do it justice:

 Take a group of people and send one out of the room, the others then pretend they have picked someone in the room, you then call the first person back in. the idea is that everyone in the room is a cow and one person has been selected as the chosen cow. The picking person then asks all the cows to Moo 3 times and they have to pick the chosen cow out. OK! ... Here is the tricky part…

THERE IS NO CHOSEN COW IT’S A JOKE!

 So once the picker chooses who they think is the chosen cow, everyone says yes and asks them “how did you know?” this usually leads to an elaborate reason on how talented they are at picking cows out (cough USA cough) The person who the picker selected then goes outside and the group actually pick a chosen cow this time, now when they come back in and ask the cows to Moo everyone Moo’s twice and is silent leaving the first person who was the picker to Moo very loudly by themselves! HILARIOUS! We actually did this to another 8 people who had come to investigate all the noise from so many people mooing! I have been told that the hotel have complained because we were so loud!

Lastly I just want to say how inspirational all the speakers were today but especially Solomon Benjamin during his talk, he really inspired me and I have really enjoyed his company today and his wicked sense of humour.

PS. large groups of people who work with children and youth are extremely competitive but im pleased to report I’m holding my own in the icebrakers…..just!