This blog follows my Gold Gaisce Challenge, which includes my skill: dancing; my physical activity: yoga; and my community involvement: volunteering with the Irish Cancer Society and Oxfam Ireland.
A snapshot of the different stock available in Oxfam
One of the most difficult aspects of the Gold Gaisce Award is obviously the length of the challenge, and although I completed the first half of my Community Involvement volunteering with the Irish Cancer Society, I have since moved away from Dublin, and have started volunteering with Oxfam.
I previously volunteered with Oxfam for 2 years, but could not keep it up when college got busy. This was probably my first time to set foot in Oxfam since 2013, and much to my delight, the manager and some of the volunteers I used to work with are still there.
Some of our lovely brand-new scarves!
What does volunteering for Oxfam involve?
When volunteering for a charity shop, there are the usual retail tasks: serving customers, putting new stock out the front of the shop, tidying up any clothes that have fallen. In the staff area at the back of the shop however, is where we sort through donations, which can be anything from books to bric-a-brac to clothes. We even got a donation of 7 selfie sticks the other day!
Since I started volunteering in June, I have been making posters for different promotions, sorting out and pricing donations, working on the till, and sorting out the jewellery. We usually work on one task until we take a break, then we might swap tasks.
Our book selection
Oxfam is great for recognising if a volunteer has a particular talent for something- the creative types are often given the task of putting together the window display, the musicians sort CDs, the bookish types sort out our books into the different genres. I myself seem to have taken on the tech role, updating the computer, writing email templates and creating posters. I think this is a great system, and gives every volunteer a sense of purpose there.
How can you help?
Oxfam almost always has special offers on- 3 accessories for €5, 3 pairs of sunglasses for €2, buy one summer dress, get the second one free...the list goes on. If you are a savvy clothes-shopper, remember that charity shops always are trying to get rid of summer stock in the month of August, so you will probably pick up some great deals!
Obviously charity shops are only sustained through regular donations, so if you are doing a big summer clear-out, please think of dropping your stuff into a charity shop, rather than throwing it away.
As part of my qualifications for the Teaching Council, I needed to complete one week of a residential experience in a German-speaking country, which could either be studying at a university, work or a language course. I knew I would learn the most if I undertook a language course. I set about researching different language courses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but was unsure about where to go. It was only after doing a cultural class about Vienna with my Transition Year German class, that I realised I really wanted to go there.
I had been to Vienna once before when I was very young, meaning I remember very little of my experience there, so I really wanted to go back to experience (and hopefully remember!) it again. There are so many language courses available, but after looking at the helpful reviews online, I decided on Actilingua. For more information here is their website: https://www.actilingua.com/
As part of the residential activity for the Gaisce, I also requested to stay with a host family, and I am so glad that I did. My host was an 82-year-old local from Vienna, who is so enthusiastic about her home, culture and infinitely more sociable than I will ever be.
On the first evening I arrived, she brought me to a concert at the Rathaus, or city hall, with her grandson too. We sat out under the stars to watch a projection of a Beethoven concert conducted by Leonard Bernstein in the 60s.
The following day was the first day of my course. I had already completed a written placement test online before arriving, but on the first morning of the course you also have to complete a short oral test. Following this, I was placed in the C1 class, which took place every day from 2.15-5.30. The classes were excellent, and really suitable to the level of everyone in the group. I really appreciated how difficult it must be to teach on such a summer course, because no two students in my group had the same mother tongue, meaning that everyone had had very different experiences of learning German.
While I wasn't in class, I probably spent most of my time eating (on my return, my grandmother said "you've got stout", so maybe I overdid it on the Wienerschnitzel), and walking around the different parts of Vienna. In the mornings, I had great discussions with my host, about everything from her experiences of the Berlin Wall, to Austrian and German politics, history, religion and education.
The course itself was brilliant, and I loved getting to experience Vienna again, but what really made the trip so special was the residential aspect, which gave me such an immersive experience, enabling me to learn about the culture and history from someone who had actually experienced it all.
If you have given yoga a shot and think that it is not for you, bear in mind that a different instructor may take an approach more suited to you, or you could even try out the different types of yoga. As far as I'm aware, the classes I have been to are Hatha yoga classes. But take one look at Groupon, and you will see advertisements for "Hot Yoga"- where the room you are in is very hot - which honestly sounds really uncomfortable to me, but could be your cup of tea.
So far on my Gaisce challenge, I have had 5 different yoga teachers, and for being the same physical activity, it is amazing how significant the differences between the approaches can be. Some yoga classes have left me exhausted, others have just left me feeling nicely stretched, but most recently, I leave yoga feeling calm.
While I have finished the 52 weeks for the "skill" (Ballroom Dancing), I had to put the two other challenge areas on hold, because training to become a teacher does not result in buckets of free time... Now that it is summer, and that the dance classes are finished, I can turn my focus back to both yoga and working in a charity shop.
In the mean-time, I also moved away from Dublin, meaning that I needed to find a new yoga class to join. The great thing about yoga is that no matter where you are in Ireland, you will probably be able to find a class nearby. In UCD they even have Ióga through Irish!
The new classes are a mix of yoga and meditation, and this time my mother has joined me at the classes, which make them a bit more fun. I still have 24 weeks of yoga to go, but I think these classes will be a great stress reliever once term starts back in September.
If you are already familiar with the Bronze or Silver stages of Gaisce, you will know that they both involve: doing a skill, a physical activity, some community involvement and an adventure activity. Where the Gold Gaisce differs from Bronze and Silver (aside from the length of time involved) is the additional "Residential Activity".
What is it?
The Residential Activity must be undertaken over 5 days and 4 nights in a place where the President Award Candidate is staying with mostly unfamiliar people while completing an activity. This can involve going on a Yoga retreat, going to the Gaeltacht for a course, or going to volunteer at a summer camp, such as Barretstown. It cannot be an activity where you get paid, and - as the title suggests - you must be staying with people on your course/ with a host family/ with other volunteers.
Organising the Residential Activity
The residential activity is one of the harder activities to get organised. While a lot of people opt for going to Barretstown, this cannot actually be completed in one go, as the camp does not last for 5 days straight. Likewise, yoga retreats often only last 2-3 days (and can be quite expensive!). Other activities which may occur to you sometimes do not completely fill the criteria. For more information, see the Gaisce website: http://www.gaisce.ie/residential-project/
Killing two birds with the one stone
I am currently half-way through my training to become a second-level teacher in Ireland, and it was only when applying for membership of the Teaching Council, that I found out that it is necessary to have spent a minimum of 2 months in the country of the language that you are teaching. As a teacher of two languages, this meant I needed to have spent 2 months in France, and 2 months in a German-speaking country. BUT. Holidays do not count. Having completed my Erasmus year in France, I was sorted in relation to French, as I had studied at university there. For German, however, I only have 7 of the 8 required weeks complete. I completed one school exchange to Sandhausen, and 2 three-week language courses in Berlin and Passau, so I only have one week left to complete.
Stefan's Cathedral in Vienna https://pixabay.com/en/vienna-church-st-stephan-s-cathedral-1567865/
For this reason, I decided I might as well combine my requirements for the Teaching Council with the Residential Activity for the Gold President's Award, and booked a week-long language course in Vienna. In preparation for this, I had to take the "Einstüfungstest" or placement test online, so that they will place me at the appropriate level. In order to fulfil the "residential activity" element, I have chosen to stay with a host family for the week. In advance of my arrival, I have been sent information about my host- she is retired, born in 1936, and her interests include reading and culture.
I am looking forward to getting to know Vienna, speaking some German and also picking up some resources for my classes :D
In September 2016, I went to my first ever Ballroom and Latin Dancing class. I went without a partner, and was quite nervous. Would I enjoy it? Would I have a nice partner? Would I actually be able to follow the steps at all?
Now here I am, almost 2 years later, having completed 4 courses, progressing from Beginner to Improver, in a total of 52 weeks (the required amount to complete the "Skill" section of the Gold President's Award). What have I gained from completing this part of my Gaisce challenge?
Got to teach Ballroom Dancing in my job! I was delighted that in my job - teaching- I can introduce dancing, and I got the opportunity this year to teach all of the sixth years in the school how to do the slow-waltz and the cha cha. Since doing this, I have newfound respect for the dance instructor because of the difficulty of demonstrating the man's part, while calling out the steps for the ladies' part. If that's not brain-training, I don't know what is.
Found a great, fun way to exercise- I was never much of a gym-goer/ into sport in general, so I am delighted I have found this alternative way to benefit from some physical activity, one that I enjoy so much that the exercise never felt like a chore.
Had a weekly break from work- It has been a very busy year (in fact I had to put the two other parts of the Gaisce challenge on hold, just to be able to juggle everything), but I still made sure to go to dance class every week, and although I was busy, it became a welcome distraction from everything else.
Met new people- I have met such lovely and interesting people at my dance class. I will really miss my weekly chats with my dance partner. We would talk about everything under the sun, from politics, to classical music, to relationships and everything else in between. On the day I joined, three other women came without partners, and over the 2 years, we would all sit and have a chat over tea before class started. It was enjoyable to mix with such a different, varied group of people. My dance instructor, Eithne, is an inspiring teacher. I learned so much from her. She is good-humoured, caring and kind, not to mention her amazing dance talents. I was really sad to say goodbye to everyone at my last dance class in May.
Became better at multitasking- My main concern in starting dance class initially was that I wouldn't be able to follow the steps (generally I'm not too hot on the whole hand-eye coordination), but that actually worked out fine. What was tough, was learning the steps of the male part, but then every so often - if my dance partner was not there, for example- I would have to dance the woman's part. Learning both steps took a while to get used to, but really pushed my brain to think differently, so that I can now easily switch between the male and female parts.
Broadened my taste in music- In class, we would dance to songs I rarely listened to at the time- Gabriel's Oboe, Tender Trap, Fly Me to the Moon, L.O.V.E., La Cumparsita, to name but a few.Progressing through different styles of dance- Foxtrot, Cha cha, Samba, Rumba, Tango etc. also encouraged me to practise, and so I went on the hunt for suitable music at home. I've now developed an eclectic taste in songs, mainly based on whether they've got a good beat for dancing.
Unfortunately, I will no longer be able to keep up dance at the Cabinteely Adult Education Centre, as I have moved away from the area. I will, however, be on the look out for dance classes elsewhere, and I would love to do a short course on Ballroom and Latin Dancing with the students in the school I will be teaching in next year.
Two years ago I wanted to learn how to dance, and set about finding a dance class. I had gone to a single very strange Salsa class while living in France, but apart from that, I had no other experience. I was trying to decide what type of dancing I wanted to do, when I stumbled across a "Ballroom and Latin Dancing Class" in Cabinteely Adult Education Centre - which covered loads of different types of dances. Here's my rating of the 10 different types of dances we did in the last 2 years:
#10. Yearning Saunter
This dance was most definitely not my favourite. It is a sequence dance, meaning that each couple must do the same steps at the same time, or you will crash into each other. The dance is extremely slow and just...take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD46z4zzJn4
#9. Quickstep
Quickstep is basically a speeded-up Foxtrot, but it's so fast that the dance-floor always got a bit hectic because not everyone was moving at the same pace. The videos online make it look very smooth, because either they are the only couple in the room, or they are in a massive dance hall. It is definitely a dance that keeps you on your toes, especially as the lead in the couple. We are obviously not up to "Strictly" standard, so this is more accurate of where we are at with our Quickstep:
#8. Barn Dance
The Barn Dance is not one we did that often, but it is a bit of fun. This is a progressive dance, which moves around the room, but also at a certain stage of the dance, everyone switches partners, which always led to some laughs when people would go the wrong way and lose their partners. The video is very quaint but it is something like this https://youtu.be/PTaqFT42xj8
#7. Samba
In the two years I've been doing dance, we only touched on Samba briefly, because it is such a difficult dance. I loooooove the music for it, and would really love to have learned more, but having looked at videos of it online, I can see why we didn't. The steps look so fast and really complex, it would be hard to teach it in the small amount of time we had. Take a look at the highest-scoring Samba from Strictly Come Dancing 2016:
#6. Foxtrot
I can safely say I would not have had a clue how to dance to any Frank Sinatra-type song before, and I do enjoy the music. It looks something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZq9BwHhqFQ
#5. Slow-waltz
This dance was one I didn't like at the start, but since Christmas we have added loads of new steps into it and I enjoy it much more, and like to think that we look elegant when we do it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpMhcb9hHxQ
#4. Swing
Swing dancing is good fun, and I would put it higher on the list but it aggravates a shoulder injury I got from archery, because you're always swinging out of the one shoulder. It's a fast enough dance, with lots of turns, great music, and is one of only two dances where I do the woman's part! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHANNkKBSNU
#3. Rumba
The rumba is a slow dance but it always feels very elegant and is slightly different than the waltz, foxtrot and quickstep, in that you don't lead with your heel, but rather you are mostly on the balls of your feet. This is what gives the dance the round hip movements. We do some of the steps in this video (and some that aren't): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGSa63yR8r8
#2. Tango
Wow. The tango is such an interesting dance. And the music is fantastic. We only properly started into tango this year, and it definitely is hands-down the most complex dance. The rhythm changes all the time, so you really need to focus so much, but it is such a brilliant dance, I love it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVUdcHlA-UI
#1. Cha cha!!
Cha cha is the other dance where I do the woman's part, and I really love this dance so much. It is great fun, the music is great, it's really fast, and we have so many steps in it. We don't dress quite as fabulously as the dancers in this video, but you get the idea:
If you're thinking about doing ballroom dancing, I hope this post helped! In May I completed the 52 weeks necessary for the "skill" section of the Gaisce Award, so next week I will post a blog about my overall experiences of learning to dance.
