Rikaviets are looking for Nessie in Scotland
If you ask what three things you associate with Scotland, what would you call? Most likely, one of these things, the mountains, the ancient castles, the sludge (the Scottish national musical instrument), the kilt (an integral part of the Scottish National People's suit – the male skirt), the hagis (the Scottish National Food) and the Lake Lochar Lake Nessie. At least we would call these things. What are those 'we'? They are THE 8 th grade school student League Nicoina and Diana Pavlova, and teacher Ilze Kuhaļska.
We visited Scotland on 7 to 14 March 2015 under the European Union Lifelong Learning Programme under the Comenius School multilateral partnership project “A Matter of Choices”. This project has been implemented FOR two years at Rikavas in primary school. The main objective of the project is to choose a healthy and full-time leisure with peers, beating and communicating in a manner acceptable to themselves and people.
At the time of our visit to Scotland, the main task was to obtain information in international groups about the problems of the main dependency of modern teenagers (and not only) and how to fight them. Students discussed, formed posters and 3D models for smoking, alcoholism, drugs, and also for addiction to modern devices: computer, telephone. Working in groups is always very interesting. For example, if we have a chance to communicate with eight different peoples: Austrians, Belgian, Danish, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Turkish and, of course, Scottish. It is a great opportunity to know one another, listen to different opinions, learn to live and cooperate, break stereotypes about nationalities. It was, of course, an integral part of our visit at the time of the Scottish culture – we took part in the traditional Scottish Hills, danced the Scottish dance, eating traditional Scotch meals, and visited the beautiful small cities that sometimes seemed to be in the movie, so much like THAT seen ON THE TV screen. A grey-brown row of rows where each apartment has two floors, majestic churches, narrow roads in small towns and beyond, almost everywhere the shouts of gulls, and people who are always smiling, welcome and ready to help, Oh yes, and people who are also slightly sad at the same time. Why? In particular, on 18 September 2014, in a referendum, in response to the question, “should Scotland be independent (and to be separated from Britain)?“ There was only a little for Scotland to be an independent country (45% “for” and 55% “against”) …
These are things that describe Scotland and its people. These are the memories that will remain in our minds and hearts. The exhaustion of reflection, sensation and impressions is what we brought home from Scotland.
By the way, Locha's monster Nessie didn't see, it wasn't time … but nothing but something.
Project coordinator Ilze Kuhaļska