Particpants of project “Spice up your life” with major of Zagorje ob Savi municipality, Mr. Matjaž Švagan.

Did you ever feel like you are working all day, from Monday to Friday, without having any fun? Neither do we!!! That is why we fully enjoyed the Intergenerational festival (2. Medgeneracijski festival “Srečen za živet”) on Friday, 10th of April, in the Cultural center Zagorje ob Savi. The festival was organized by Mladinski center Zagorje and Medgeneracijsko središče Zagorje, and since we completed setting up the high beams – the main purpose of our visit, there was no obstacle in our way of having fun in there (except the organizing part of the event and the preparation of some snacks), that was the fun we had before!

Now looking at the “serious” part of the festival. This experience helped us to step deeper in Zagorje’s lifestyle by knowing a part of its NGOs, some of its locals, customs, dances and music, but most important, some notable people that do their best for festival like this to happen, keep the connection between these local organizations and making things work.
So, considering the fact that all these people, gathered in there, were representing their activities and also the community they are living in, we just took this like a chance to learn as much as we could about that and in the same time to introduce them to our culture. We were really glad to see them visiting our stand, playing the games we prepared, ready to find out more about us, about the countries we come from and about our work.

At the end of this formal part of the festival we attended the award ceremony, where we also got a diploma and an invitation to join the dance of the people from Zagorje ob Savi Occupational Activity Centre (Varstveno-delovni center Zagorje). This is how we got introduced to the dance floor atmosphere and also to our hosts for the Simbolic Opening of the high beam’s event, that took place 3 days later, on Monday, 13th of April. Actually, after seeing their center, their singing performance and short-dancing programme (and yes, we were invited again to join them), I would dare to say that they are incredible hosts.

At the end of this two events, we all had something to learn from this community we live in and which adopted us for one month: collaboration is the key to common good. But there is still something left unclear: Were those people from the dance floor proffesional dancers or did they took some dance classes before Intergenerational event? At least they look like they did.

Nicoleta, participant (Spice up your life)

FOTO: Sauli Ketola

FOTO: Sauli Ketola