Riga Redemptionthe final publication

Editorialdear reader,

the uproar of the end being nigh did not come out of thin air. sure, mayansmay have had something to do with this, but so could have the evercontroversy-thirsty journalists and fanat-ics of various kinds.

it feels like in the last three days we have spent here at the Riga Regionals awhole lifetime has past by. we have lived a little and died a little, worked hard,loved, hated, danced, eaten and made merry. everything that shows that lifeafter the supposed end goes on. at least for the human kind (sorry, fellowzombie people).

our sins have been with you for most of the way, poking, prompting, askingquestions, scratching at the surface of the issue wanting to see if they can pullat a thread that may unravel a thought.

we started at the end – the tale that told the end of Riga – and now we end atthe start. ever optimistic as we are, we want to believe that the best of us willstill be around when it matters the most.

a farewell bid to you by the seven sins and

Reading S•I•N

* Also potato. YOLO swag. Seal. Amazeballs. It ok. We luv u.xx

an apology: in the first edition of riga re-demption it was stated that thearticle ‘droi and drugs’ had been submited by superbia, instead, it should haveread ‘by era’. our apologies for this error.

Content

editorial

the last committee standing

struggling or laughing? definitely laughing

the great virtue of culture ii

the afetland

delightful afco

sparkling culture

whiskey and libe

a heart that could light up the whole universe

the walking dead

the euroconcert explosion

meet the i-am-possible

it is just about you

Is this the end, my new friend?

Arta KrĒsliŅa“I would go to Rome and eat Italian ice-cream all day long”Laura BendrĀte

“go to London to meet my idols and have a party”

Rebeka Andersone“I would go to Rome and eat Italian ice-cream all day longhigh heels”

KlĀvs Galenieks

what would you do on your very last day before apocalypse strikes?

Akims Ivancovs

paula Ķiesnere

i’d spend the day with my family and basejump in the evening

I would go to Paris and eat a lot of chocolate

Olena Yermakova“Spend it with my closest people, take a plane to a nice country and go on a ride on air-ballon

Sabīne Zaula“jump out of the plane with parachute”

MĀris Rutkis

what would you do on your very last day before apocalypse strikes?the last committee standing

daniels dakars

daniels albrehts

marija krivošeina

Ieva Ērgle

to disobey ALL of the rules

I would try to think of how can I survive

i’d bungee jump and watch Simpsons

I’d try to gather my whole fam-ily together and spend some time with them

by superbia

struggling or laughing?by acedia and ira

definitely laughing.

We face many tricky topics in EYP. Tricky in a strange, but very serious way. At this session the committee on human rights is no exception. They are dealing with drug

policy. As we all know, if you are talking about possible soft drug legalization, you cannot go about it without a lot of jokes. Many of them came up in DROI com-

mittee room. For example, if someone had said “You can buy drugs on the inter-net,” there would be someone yelling “WHERE?” in reply. While all those jokes

are more than hilarious, it makes you think why that is. Why is it that youngsters find it so amusing to joke about drugs or think it is cool to smoke weed as one of

the delegates stated?

For the committee on human rights it was all fun and games at first as well. How-ever, the end result will show you that they seriously considered the question previously brought up. DROI was facing one of the toughest tasks. It is hard to

find that thin line between jokes that help to keep you cheerful and that disturb you from the seriousness of the topic.

DROI tackled the challenge quite well, I would say. While having loads of fun the committee also had great difficulties discussing some of the problems that so-

ciety faces. This tricky topic worked better for them than an ‘easier’ topic would have. It just took a little courage to get started and to look at the drug policy

without joking about it. They have been working hard these two days, harder than they thought they would be when they picked ‘the weed topic’, yet they are happy

about this choice. Even the unexpected seriousness could not change that.

Evidently, the committee has been working hard and having loads of fun. We can all imagine how hard they have laughed. I am sure if you went to their committee room, you would see many happy, enthusiastic faces. I am not afraid to say that

DROI is one of the most cheerful and hard-working committees I have seen.

definitely laughing.the great virtue of culture ii

by acedia and ira

The Committee on Cul-ture and Education II, in their quest to im-prove the quality of ed-ucation in Latvia, were real heroes. They hero-ism stemmed from them showing all the required virtues: hon-esty, bravery and altru-ism. What is more, they also became fast friends, even though they had never seen each other before. This article will talk about the highlights of their ad-v e n t u r e .

The first real c h a l l e n g e for the com-mittee came when they met the evil c h a i r - m o n -ster Tim and journo-mon-ster Anna-Marija. This devastating duo, try-ing to destroy the com-mittee’s the team spir-it, challenged them to lie to their group mem-bers. However, none of them could do this; they even withstood the threats of the foul Tim and Anna-Marija. This

shows their honesty, and trust in each other.Sadly, however, the poi-sonous pair lived up to their threats, and chal-lenged the committee

to a game of Ninja. Even though two committee members were quickly slaughtered by the ene-my, the group eventually, with the help of great teamwork, they swarmed the monsters in a mass attack. They managed to cut both of the mon-sters’ arms, thus ren-dering them helpless.

After this great victory, they could finally start with their real work.

This work would even-tually prove to be their greatest challenge. For

hours on end they were dis-cussing the ques-tion of how to improve Latvian education. Even though they are all still attend-ing school, they championed the longest hours. They believed that this would be the best way to improve edu-cation. This self-lessness is the true power of the committee: it allowed them to both work bet-ter as a commit-tee and find the best solution, despite their own s e l f - i n t e r e s t .

Overall, CULT II has gone from a group of strangers to a solid team. They are definite-ly able to withstand any challenge GA might bring. To finish with a word of advice: if you ac-tually want someone to love you, it would prob-ably best to be serious.

the AFETland

When the doors of the AFET committee burst open, I felt a bit bewildered by the fact that it seemed like a parallel planet.

It seemed like a play, where the delegates had turned into wild jungle animals; each one was speaking in their own language, so that even their pairs could not understand. Some of the made-up languages included such unseen linguistic gems, like black-white-cat-fic and Robertpattinsonific. After a while, when the chairs decided to take the creatures back to the place they came from, a small mishap disturbed their plans. The plane crashed. But do not fret, all creatures survived. However, they were washed ashore to a lonely island where all things unusual were happening.

The beginning of their unplanned trip was quite shocking. A huge, dangerous, but at the same time very glamourous dinosaur crossed their way. This being the mysterious island it was, it turned out to that the dinosaurs were themselves. But AFET could not be easily disposed of, so they quickly coped with this unex-pected turn of events and kept on investigating the island.

Soon they found a bag. A rather familiar one. And, yes, that was the bag from the airplane, full of different goods such as a knife, a pair of shoes, a gun and bul-lets, a sack of potatoes, a pack of matches and some canned food. These things greatly reminded them of home, so they felt sad and lonely. To cheer themselves up, they decided to profess their love each other. Instead they started to muck about and broke out in laughter. There was a marriage proposal of the year, a chicken dance, singing ‘Love me, love me’, and that was just the beginning of what they did. I am reluctant to repeat myself, but this is the magical island after all.

I do not know if they have managed to get off that island. But why should they? They are having fun and, as you probably know, laughter makes you live longer. I am sure they will never leave that island. Even if they do, they will never forget that experience.

by gula and superbia

Delightful AFCO II by luxuria and avaratia

With a slice of pizza in one hand and a guitar in the other, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs II tried to bond outwith the committee work hours after first teambuilding day. And it worked incredibly well. Could there be a better way to rally people than a delicious meal and shared songs that lift the mood? But at the heart of it there was a strong desire to have a good time, a wish for new friends and the need to create a team that would be ready to tackle a variety of problems.

They started with solving most the im-portant of all issues - what should a factory of footwear do with 100 left-over, left-foot shoes. I guess this is one of those questions that everyone needs to deal with during the session. And AFCO II’s members suggested that these shoes should be given to pirates with wooden legs (because there are lots of them in the 21st century, es-pecially those with wooden legs), and that shoes could be useful for kill-ing zombies and fish. There was also an option that someone could create international day of wearing only the left shoe. However, there were also serious problems that they needed to deal with. From time to time during

committee work you could hear some-thing that would made everyone smile for a bit, for example ‘The end is near – lets form a European federation!’.What is more, they do not just work all the time, they also have pretty high demands: ‘Love! Give it to us!’. They need it so much, and the fact that it is written in an awkward handwriting on the paper sheet hanging out on the committee door, does not makes the committee’s request less significant. In any case, if you give love, they can reward you with tea and some food (no idea where they got it from). This is a committee, which can make an offi-cials smile, especially their organizer.

And as I have mentioned organizers, AFCO’s committee room looks almost as cluttered as the organizers’. This makes sense though, because the or-ganizers have done a great job, so maybe this is just what the big secret of success is – maybe it is a messy room. And I believe that with the at-titude this committee has they will write not only a great resolution, but also gain new friends, valuable expe-rience and have a good time, because this is what EYP sessions are about.

sparkling cultureby gula and superbia

T h e soul of the par-

ty? Sparkling beverages hold every party together, they make it

complete. They embrace and are embraced. They are crucial. Essential. Vital. If, hypothetical-

ly speaking, we imagine the session as a party, CULT I would, without a doubt, play the role of the beverages.

First thing that stood out in the team building, was that chairs asked the delegates to introduce themselves by stating the origin

of their first names rather than using more conventional approaches.

One of the most mem- orable moments in the committee was the blip- blop game as it ended

with one of the chairper- sons being soaked al-most to the bone. All be- cause of the lovely Endi-

ja StroŽe (LV) not being able to contain the water in her mouth as she burst out laughing.

There were also plenty of bright moments in the trust game series. In one of the ac- tivities committee members had to show their ability to rely on each other, quite lit-erally, by making a collater- al supporting network out of their hands and holding someone on them. The only person that turned out una- ble to trust others enough was the endlessly enter- taining and bowtie-wearing chairperson of the CULT I – Daniels GriŅĒviČš, who got to taste the ‘bounciness’ of their headquarters floor. Later, a memorable discov- ery was made; one of the delegates – Dita Nitiša – turned out to have a rath-er surprising superpower. She could avoid laughter, even after the most pol- ished comedians tried to

make her giggle.

Also amusing mishaps were visible on the day when the committee work com-menced. Annika Ader (EE) endured a bit of a tongue slip when trying to figure

out what a delegates had meant to say and uttered the phrase, ‘that is the problem, so what is the problem?’. This marvelous chairperson decided

to use silent clapping to indicate when the whole group agreed that something was noteworthy or when a splendid idea arose. But, of

course, her restless character would not settle for just any word to describe this method, therefore, she came up with

the rather unusual ‘jazz hands’ activity.

Bubbly and gratifying is the best way to describe this committee – chic as the French, at

least in the field of sparkling re-freshments.

Whiskey and LIBEby avaratia and luxuria

In ‘50 things to do with a shoe’ they came up with suggestions such as a hamster bath, a stapler or a keychain. ‘An abundance of creative energy’, that is how my pair-journalist described the committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. After seeing the suggestions LIBE came up with, one cannot but agree.

However, it was something entirely different that caught my eye. It was the commit-tee’s appreciation of whiskey when they were deciding on the ten things to bring when chased by zombies. They decided on this item for its medical use, to calm the nerves as well as to set the living dead on fire (just in case of emergency, I hope).

After a long day filled with creativity, LIBE had a relaxing late night hangout with an excellent addition of pizza, music, good compa-ny and, in accordance to the sessions alcohol policy, no whiskey.During the second day of the session there was an intense debate about who was going to be thrown out of a hot air balloon – Barack Obama or Madonna, whose music had apparently won the hearts of the commit-tee members. However, due to Obama’s important position as the presi-dent of the USA, Madonna had to sacrifice herself for a greater cause.

At this moment of me writing this, the committee work is about to enter the most hec-tic hour – the last one. I have not met the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Even so, my belief is that by the time GA is opened their resolution is go-ing to be just as formidable as the strategy they had while being chased by zombies.

a heart that could light up the whole universe

by superbia

Some of us have walked longer and shorter paths on the enriching road of EYP, but for one particular specimen this session is over and above of just being special.

You most certainly have noticed this person during the time of the session either by the tireless, but genuine, smile that she wears as her charm or from the warmth she radiates even metres apart. Name of this outlandish creature is KatrĪna ŠuvĀ-jeva, who turns being not only a sessions positive spirit, but also the president.

Presidents duties are quite similar to the one’s of the organisers, but instead of organising facilities, food distribution etc., they organise officials and ensure that there is a smooth cooperation between all of the participants.

This year and right around this season – it will mark 6 year anniversary since she had put her first steps in this unparalleled and mysterious world of EYP. Motivation for the first steps, was derived from the friends who were active-ly participating in the organisation at that time. In a six month time she managed to grow from delegate to an HO of a session. Later even occupying possibly the highest position in EYP National Committee world – President of Tellus.

For the delegates she suggests not to look only on the available future po-sitions, but rather think about the skills they want to acquire from their par-ticipation. Throughout her own experience she says that most useful thing in order to grow, is to always to reflect back onto the past experiences and mistakes, therefore ensuring only the best choices continue to live on.

The active session life came to end after the university graduation, because – high demands for each position, participation in the program “Mission Pos-sible”, plus frankly it just felt like the moment to kick of the “adult life”. But despite that she is longing to still help the organization in any way possi-ble and remain as one of the puzzle pieces in the grand picture of EYP Latvia.

Sadly, this might be a bittersweet goodbye for our beloved and highly look upon prezident, as she considers this session of beeing a good closure of her emotion and experience overflowed EYP career. Despite the fact that we might not see her as often in the events, we should stay thankful of her generous heart and strong determination that over the years has ensured growth of the youth organisation “Tellus” beyond anyones expectations.

the walking deadby ira

As soon as I had asked Reinis to introduce himself, the lights turned off. ‘My name’s Reinis, 19 years old…’ He moved his arms to turn the light on again. ‘I study at the Riga Business School. Some people call me Tuttiblaster.’ Anna’s eyes closed a couple of seconds, and then opened again. ‘I can’t really remem-ber the last time I had sleep…’ Reinis continued. ‘Yesterday, maybe?’

I had hoped for the interview to be like a conversation. However, it soon be-came apparent that this was not going to happen. ‘What do you like to do in your free time?’ Both were silent. Reinis eventually spoke first. ‘I can’t really remem-ber doing anything else than organising.’ ‘I like to swim in my free time. Some oth-er thing I like to do is snowboarding, which I learnt only two weeks ago.’ ‘I think I like cycling…?’

Both Head Organisers started doing EYP on the fourth of January, the same day this session started. Anna, the younger one, talked first. ‘My first time was awesome. I was, like, really happy all the time.’ ‘EYP first seemed like a sect, like some sort of religious cult. [Author’s note: it is.] I did not really get all of those stupid games… This time, however, I feel the delegates do know what EYP is about, that they understand the core elements. I also like how the delegates, journos and chairs all know each others names.’

As the person that was not speaking tended to doze off, I had to ask the next question to Anna. The fact that Reinis was the older one heavily influenced the way they organised, according to her. ‘I really could not have done this with-out him, he just has so much more experience. I am very, very thankful.’‘Can I come to you later, if I have any more questions?’ ‘Yeah, we’ll be up all night.’

the euroconcert explosionby avaratia

There are only few explosives that could give as biga of a charge of energy as euroconcert did last nigth. During this evening event everyone could clearly see the similarities between artists and explosives. And actually, each of the performers could be assigned to a certain type of explosive. But the ones to make the first blast today were the host of the evening - Kārlis and Irma. They were a bit awkward, but it is understandable, because it is not easy to be an explosive after all. All of the performances were unique and had something in common with explosives. I would advise you to proceed with great caution.

Gunpowder – a little bit antique, but in the same time it is charming in its clas-sic form. So were AlĪna and Emma, who performed a beautiful cello and violin duo. That was the perfect start of the event, in a solemn manner, an extreme delight to hear from time to time.

Nitroglycerin - a powerful explosive in itself, but when it is concentrated, it has a disruptive effect. In the Euroconcert this was the group consisting of Indra, Ieva, KatrĪna and Miks, where each of them definitely are powerful on their own, but when they performed together, they shocked everyone with their an impressive and shameless performance. But frankly, everyone was truly im-pressed, because it is every explosive’s hidden dream to reach their full poten-tial in terms of power.

Dynamite - an important industrial explosive; it is widespread in destroying buildings as well as blowing things up in cartoons. This explosive perfectly fits to the performance given by MatĪss GrietĒns GrobIŅa and the ‘mysterious boy’. They were self-confident, their performance was one of those that is an instant success, mostly because of their personalities that are just like dy-namite. And you always can see a satisfied face somewhere after dynamite ex-plodes.

Bomb - consists of a metal case filled with explosives. Sealed from the out-side it carries a lot of power inside it, and it was the exact impression that I got about Alise. Her performance was just so powerful, that it sent a tremor through your insides.

Salpetre - used to make green fireworks (here, conjured up by none other than AFCO II). They came in the middle, performed their song in a special way and made everyone want to sing along. It was sweet, positive, full of energy and everyone enjoyed it, like fireworks on the New Year’s Eve.

Guncotton - It burns very rapidly and nobody can predict what will happen next. That was UĢis and his SWAG team, with their extraordinary and unpredict-able shark game, that was over in a beat (or chomp?).

TNT - stands for trinitrotoluene; it is a powerful solid explosive just like Lau-ra Vizule. She came out with a powerful performance and showed everyone with her strong, beautiful voice that singing is no a joke.

Plastic explosives - can be molded into any shape; to my mind this was the com-mittee of CULT I, who made a put together a great performance using so many different things! Basically it was everything you can find laying about next to you, like spoons, bottles, sticks and the likes. Their flexibility is what allowed them to hide in the dark so easily.

Picric acid - known chemically as trinitrophenol, it is an industrial chemical best known for its use as an explosive. Picrates are unstable and are used to set off more stable explosives. So it was with the three girls and the boy from AFCO II. They needed some massive encouragement from everyone in the ven-ue, but once they dared to take the stage, they threw a YOLO and were really good.

MEET THE I-aM-Possible by acedia

UĢis (EYP messiah)Miks (official style advisor of EYP Latvia)Ieva (ex-president of Tellus)DiĀna (vice president of Tellus)

How and when did you get involved in Tellus?

UĢis ‘I was a delegate at the 7th National Session of EYP Latvia in August, 2009’Miks: ‘8th National Session of EYP Latvia in JŪrmala, RĪga’Ieva: ‘I had heard about Tellus a long time before, got involved be-cause of my schoolmate. I thought if it is a place my friends enjoyed, I should try as well. I decided to go to try and go to an EYP session in 2007. I got carried away since then.’DiĀna: ‘I got involved because of EYP, my first session was in 2011. Then there was the national ses-sion, then the international.’

What is Tellus for you?

UĢis: ‘The answer is ever changing and floating like fluffy clouds on a windy spring afternoon.’Miks: ‘I describe Tellus as people. I have met wonderful people, but the most important thing is Indra. Indra is the most important thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life.’Ieva: ‘Tellus is my real life sit com. I sometimes watch funny TV series and think that real life doesn’t happen like this. Actually if you are involved in Tellus, all the things can happen and will happen.’DiĀna: ‘For me it is loads of fun, it is loads of new things and it is one of my favorite things that I do.’

There are people who simply fill you with awe. People who inspire you. Encourage you. There are the those who you wish you could be more like. And then there are these four people. These four embody everything stated above and more; they are Tellus. They do the impossible. There is no one else here who could better explain Tellus, than a part of its soul – Ieva, Miks, UĢis and DiĀna.

Describe your most memorable moment with Tellus!

UĢis: ‘Working in Tellus board last year. It’s a job well done and I got to share the experience with an exceptional group of people.’Miks: ‘I must say that actually Indra is the most memorable moment because ba-sically she has always been with me and she will always be with me. All my major moments and my most memorable ones that have happened to me have happened while being with her. She is like the moment. Moment of my life.’Ieva: ‘For now the thing that comes to my mind is summer gathering of all the members of Tellus two years ago. It was a great place, we stayed there for one night, we also had a Tellus cup, we played different games in teams. It was in summer, the weather was great, it was just a great chill out thing with some of my best friends.’DiĀna: ‘I think it is the most recent event we had, it is TeglIte 2012 (Christmas event for members of Tellus). That was a cool event, I enjoyed it because I was

a part of the organizing team so I saw everything from the very beginning. Actually what I enjoyed the most was meeting all the people.’

What are your future plans in Tellus?

UĢis: ‘I might do some more internation-al EYP.’Miks: ‘Considering the fact that I am thinking of doing a lot of EYP stuff in my nearest future, I would like to say that my future plans concerning the EYP would be Indra because I can’t

imagine my life without her anymore. Indra is my future and I think one day we may get married and we will have wonderful kids. I am not obsessed at all. I just love her, I just can’t imagine my life without her.’Ieva: ‘I am somehow stepping down from the very active side of the organization, but I would really love to stay involved as a mentor or support for any type of an event that have to be organized.’DiĀna: ‘As I am in the board, just to do my best in terms of being a board member. Also there is head organizing the national session which will take place in Au-gust, in RĒzekne, Malnava.’

Why would you suggest delegates get involved in Tellus?

UĢis: ‘Everyone has something to gain in Tellus, whether its friendships with amazing people, gaining practical knowledge of running an organization or continuous learning.’Miks: ‘Indra is the reason you should consider this option of getting involve with Tellus. You will meet a lot of people in your life but a person like Indra you will never meet again. I would suggest you Indra, I can repeat it again – Indra is the person you have to meet.’Ieva: ‘This is a great way how to inspire people with your actions, everything you do in Tellus for someone in Latvia, because it is a Latvian organization .You can actually change someone’s perspective on things with what you do.’DiĀna: ‘You will meet the best people you have met so far.’

Describe Tellus in one word!

UĢis- YOLOSWAGMiks - IndraIeva - LoveDiĀna- The world

It is just about you! by gula

The theme of our very first articles was apocalypse, the second – a committee topic related article, the third – a committee article, and the last one will completely be about you delegates as well. In

fact, this is one will be just about you!

How many people have you hugged during the session?

Laine(CULT I): Eight. Una(CULT I): I have not beencounting. Agnese(CULT I): Two. Annija(AFCO II): Six or seven. Olena(AFCO I): Five. Iluta(AFCO II): A lot!

What has been the weirdest thing you have done during the session?

Iluta(AFCO II): Eating a sandwich with sausage for dinner. Aleksandrs(CULT I): All the games are quite weird. Rūdolfs(DROI): Sonic Boom is the weirdest game of them all.

How many pairs of socks have you taken to the session? Laine(CULT I): Seven. Una(CULT I): Four. Annija(AFCO II): Five. Olena(AFCO I): A lot Iluta(AFCO II): Actually, I don’t remember, a lot probably.

How many hours of sleep did you get last night?

Laine(CULT I): Approximately three and a half hours. Una(CULT I): About four hours. Agnese(CULT I): Round about three and a half hours

Annija(AFCO II): None; I haven’t slept yet.

Olena(AFCO I): Four hours. Iluta(AFCO II): Five minutes.

Which is your favourite cartoon?

Laine(CULT I): Tangled. Una(CULT I): Ice-Age. Annija(AFCO II): Ice-Age. Olena(AFCO I): Hercules. Iluta(AFCO II): The Simpsons.

Who is the most marvellous person in this session?

Una(CULT I): The skeleton in the ward-robe near the hall.

Agnese(CULT I): Danannika (means Daniels and Annika).

Annija(AFCO II): Miks (a chairperson). Olena(AFCO I): Me! Iluta(AFCO II): Everybody is marvellous! Rūdolfs(DROI): Indra (the editress).

Name 5 things you can do with a telescope!

Endija(CULT 1): Use it as a spoon, as a crowbar, as a stroll, as a straw, as a drums or

play basketball with it. Annija(AFCO II): You can watch stars

through it or spy on neighbors, use it as a vase after breaking it, then as a gift or as a

clothes-rack. Olena(AFCO I): Break a window with it, play golf, use it as a vase, it would be excellent for killing

flies or punching bad people. Iluta(AFCO II): Take photos, look at the sky through it and search for stars. You could look into

it from the other end and you would see nothing; it is also possible to share it with friends or use as a Christmas tree and decorate it.

What would you do, if an alien abducted you?

Olena(AFCO I): Save the Pandora. Iluta(AFCO II): If I was abducted by an alien, I would be famous and enjoy it. Aleksandrs(CULT I): I would post their photo on Twitter and Facebook. Rūdolfs(DROI): If an alien abducted me, I would be dead, so I would not do anything.

What will you miss the most about the session?

Iluta(AFCO II): Definitely people and Mike, he is awesome. Aleksandrs(CULT I): People and the whole atmosphere. Rūdolfs(DROI): Chairs. Annija(AFCO II): Committee members and, actually, everyone. Sandra(AFCO II): Everything!

Is this the end, my new friend?by luxuria

A year and three months ago I was on a night train from Za-

greb to Munich after a session there. The night was rainy, the coupe was dark

and empty except for me and an old Slo-venian couple heading for Ljubljana. I was

reading in the sparse, sporadic light from the streetlamps and the black and white pho-

tos on the pages of the session newspaper were looking even grainier than in the light of day.

I turned the pages over and over again that night, told the Slovenian couple about the EYP, and they probably

thought I was pretty creepy. The next morning, however, at the station in Munich a group of German businessmen ap-

proached me. We ended up sharing breakfast and discussing Croatia. As the train of my life kept heading further north

away from Zagreb – into the northern autumn, even though the day dawned grey and dreary, things started to feel a bit better.

We have a name for this sense of loss, the sometimes extreme loneliness and lack of context that hits you like a hammer after

the session. This is called PED – Post EYP Depression. During a ses-sion you meet so many new people, you bond more in a few days time than many do in a year. Then you are torn out of this new social con-text just as suddenly as you were thrown into it. The strong emo-tions that characterise PED are completely normal in that sense.

In fact usually PED is not something bad; in my case it was what inspired me to continue to apply to sessions. It made me keep meet-ing all those friends that are so precious to me and it contin-ues to make it possible for me to meet so many new people. Suddenly, after a few sessions you realise that being sep-arated from your new confidantes is not that hard to deal with. Because when you bid farewell to each oth-er the phrase: ‘We will meet again’ hangs in the air.

When on that train from Zagreb things felt disheart-ening, I knew that there always comes a turning point. In this case it was a chance meeting and a chat over breakfast. The end of an EYP session is what you make of it. The more of them you experience, the more you realise that they are not endings, but opportunities that may change the direction of your life.

this was brought to you by the sins of the world:

acedia - anna marija Ķiesnere

avaratia - viktorija mališeva

gula - agrita vindaČa

ira - stan van wingerden

luxuria - robin rönneke belfrage

superbia - gatis bĒrziŅš