What Happened?

 
Read what happened each day of our program through the gaze and story of one of our participants.

 



Participants' Storytelling

Monday 20th April (Rosa)

Arriving to a rural village just outside Madrid - Zarzalejo The train ride from Madrid to Zarzalejo promised us arriving in a small village surrounded by astonishing landscape. The impressive view from the hostel let us overlook the green valley encircled by mountains and an huge rocky mountain in our back. A surreal feeling grew inside me, realizing that this would be our home for the next ten days. A home that is shared by a diverse group of enthusiastic and committed Spanish and Dutch rural youth and three power women as facilitators also. The first encounter with fellow group members is always exciting. Enjoying a beer and pizza together in the sun made everything a lot easier. Continuing celebrating the sun, but now at the hostel, created a moment to accustom. When the majority of the group had arrived, we started with the introduction in the circle followed by the first exercise. In order to build a sustainable internal community, the Oasis Game provides some increasingly useful and valuable methods. For instance, instead of introducing ourselves by listing basic information such as our ages, background and occupation, we took a piece of paper to draw firstly the animal we associate ourselves with, secondly a place where we recommend others to go, thirdly what personal quality we offer to the group and lastly our names. Our task was to walk around and as the music stopped to talk every time with a different person about our drawings and again continue walking when the music sounded etc. This funny and light exercise accompanied by music gave us the opportunity to meet each other in an informal way without space for explicit prejudges. To my opinion, sharing personal experiences, associations and talents laid the first base for respect and appreciation. Next, the second exercise, we went outside to look for an element, that represented our feeling of arrival - it could be anything. Back in the circle, we created an atmosphere where everyone could openly share their story behind the element. Later it turned out that the elements would stay with us the entire week, as a symbol of the atmosphere we anchored in that first exercise. Personally, I was very touched by everyone’s honesty. The result was an immediate feeling of unity based on trust and commitment. Although at the same time, I felt overwhelmed by everyone’s openness and to be part of such a beautiful group. Moreover, it also re-assured me that the coming ten days would contain the right ingredients to be life-changing for some, eye-opening for others, and leaving an incredible impression on most of us. To close the evening, food was served by three awesome cookers and time for relaxing started. Not surprisingly, various language were spoken, not only English, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, but also the yet created more meaningful language of respect and trust.

Tuesday 21st April (Margret)

We started after breakfast out site to do an energizer. We had music and give a ball to each other and copied the moves. For me it was an eye opener that the group is silent very fast when one puts his had up. We had one person and the other one took the person by hand and went around.  Derya took me by hand and ‘”showed” me the things in the area. It was an experience that sharpened my hearings and feeling for textures. It helps not to judge. It was a super experience for me. For the trust and the feeling to do this together. The afternoon we searched in the village for beaties and resources. It was also an experience to see what another one sees in the same surrounding.  I liked the colours and mosaic. In the evening we danced and afterwards we went to Zarzelejo to search for talent.

Wednesday 22nd April (Linda)

My life is all about dreaming and making it happen. So this had to be the day! And therefor I really enjoyed it. It is usually not something you talk about with strangers. But we did. And the people were sharing their dreams. The wanted big things like world peace and a new political system. And when we asked what they personally would like, most of them were thinking about situations they didn’t want anymore. For instance: no more unemployment. I realized that people who have a lot of trouble (illness, unemployment, no money) are used to think like that. For them it’s difficult to dream, because their whole live is a mess. But when we started talking to them and asked about the things they are proud of, or the activities they love, they started smiling and their eyes started sparkling. At that moment they could see beauty again and they started dreaming. We got a lot of dreams! At the dream night the square was full of exciting people and maybe 100 dreams or more!
For me personally it was also a little bit frustrating. Because my live is all about making dreams come true, I wanted to talk to the people to hear wat really matters to them. But because of not speaking Spanish I wasn’t able to. And when I saw someone his eyes sparkle and the one talking to him did not react to that, it was really hard for me. I felt useless. I touched peoples hands and was smiling to them, but it felt not enough. In the evening during the dream night I was collecting dreams and made a lot of pictures from the smiling people. That made feel part of the team and te process. A woman who spoke a little English told me that she was so happy that we came to Zarzalejo. That made my day!

In the morning I was really touched when Sandra (who lives in Zarzalejo) told dat a dream came true, because so many people from all kind of groups came to the talent night and they were talking to each other, children were playing together and everybody was having a good time. I didn’t realize it was so important. I thought we only organized a nice evening. It made me feel really grateful to be part of this experience.

Thursday 23rd April (Julia or Isidro?)

Hoy es un dia de sueños, ilusión , de esperanza. Esta energia se nota en el ambiente. Hay ganas de soñar, de sacar ese niño que todos tenemos en nuestros interior. Y eso se lo vamos contagiando a los zarzajeleños y zarzalejeñas;  niños o mayores.  Aunque todos reaccionan con extrañeza  cuando le preguntamos por sus sueños, enseguida sale ese niño interior. En forma de una gran sonrisa, en forma de ilusion. Y todo ello cristaliza  en los sueños que vamos pescando.

LLega la tarde, de Nuevo vamos contra reloj, el caos se adueña del trabajo. Pero este caos es vencido por la creatividad, la voluntad, la implicación, la ilusión y la alegría de todo este maravilloso grupo y de los (véase el escrito original) que participan en la actividad. La confusión deja paso a los sueños que toma forma de una maqueta que recoge toda esa amalgama de sentimientos vividos por todos.

Para mi poder vivir todo este proceso ha sido un gran sueño. Muchas gracias a todos. Besos y abrazos!!

Friday 24th April (Leo)

Frustrating Friday. I like to be in control, or to at least create an illusion of control. My arrival in Zarzalejo was the start of lessons in ‘letting go’. On Friday, 3 days into the Oasis Game my newly acquired skills where put to test when the group activity of the day was a little cooperative game in which I was given the role of one of the blind people from Madrid, at risk of being flooded. I had to rely on my neighbours to get me to a safe place.. Frustration! I felt the only thing I could do was wait with my fellow blind for someone to show me the way out of this place.

Back into the Oasis Game. Task of the day is collecting resources from our new friends in the village to build a zip-line. Not unlike my role in the game earlier that morning once again I felt lost. No personal network, not being able to speak the language sufficiently and a little bit demotivated by the experiences of the days before. The fact that I was coupled to a local girl that didn’t share those first two couldn’t keep me from slowly drowning in disbelief... this dream was never going to be realised and certainly not by anything I was doing.

In this next paragraph I could write about how my partners in the group collected basically everything we needed start on building those dreams and how locals, like sent from above, gave us tools, tractors and their promises of skills and time. Instead I’d like to share what I gained from all that frustration. Because during the day, amid the frustration, I felt gracious for this chance to experience a bit of what the people I work for and work with have to go through on a day to day basis. I felt grateful for the opportunity to put my new skills of letting go into practise and look at my other qualities to help out the group. And finally.. I appreciate that I never felt that my feeling of disqualification was a problem. Today was not my day and that was fine. Because in a true cooperation, and that was what we were doing, someone has your back and there is a place for not having an active part in the process. There is always tomorrow.

Saturday  25th April (Mayelin)

Me levanté llena de ilusión y de muchas dudas, vendrá la gente?   Conseguiremos los materiales? Podremos construir lo que habíamos hablado? Tantas cosas pasaban por mi cabeza y me dividían entre 2 caminos uno lleno de alegría, esperanza y fe. Y el otro lleno de miedo a que las cosas no salieran como las había planeado. Baje a desayunar y al verlos a todos tan felices y animados mis miedos empezaron de desaparecer y para cuando nos fuimos al lugar estaba segura de que vendría mucha gente a ayudarnos, porque no tendría que ser así?  Efectivamente la gente empezó a llegar con sus sonrisas y toda su alegría, así empezó nuestro primer día de acción.

Todos estábamos concentrados en distintas tareas pero al mismo tiempo era como si fuéramos piezas del mismo reloj trabajando al unísono por el mismo fin. Sin darnos cuenta nos habíamos convertido en parte del pueblo, ya no éramos un grupo de chicos de fuera que venían a vendernos sueños ahora todos éramos Zarzalejo, un Zarzalejo que sueña, un Zarzalejo que cree. El momento más especial de todo el día fue ver que los musulmanes también eran parte de esto, verlos trabajar y reír con el pueblo fue para mí el mayor regalo, me sentí parte de un gran cambio e imagino que ellos también lo sintieron.  Nunca olvidare nuestro primer día de acción ni los que vinieron después porque ellos cambiaron mi vida, les agradezco todo este tiempo juntos y espero algún día volverlos a ver los quiero un montón!.

Celebrating song: Este un sueño

Preguntas si me siento un Oasis Game

Estado pensando, que hago con esto?

En un hostele, en un pueblo

Donde na di nos oye, nadi conoset

No hablo españoles

 

Astaba aqui, solo malas hierbas

Y los sueños en papel, tanto que hacer aquí

Un oasis aqui, que se construir

Qi este lugar tiene todo, todo espera

D’un sueño

 

Este un sueño, que le momento solo sede en pelis

Este un sueño, que comenzó en mi corazón

Este un sueño in lugar preciosa, pense nunca lo vería

Pero hoy experimento en Zarzalejo

 

———-
 

Het is een droom

Je vraagt of ik zin heb in een Oasis Game

‘K heb nagedacht, wat moet ik hiermee?

In een hostel, in een dorp

Waar niemand ons hoort

Nog niemand ons kent

Spaans spreek ik geen woord

Op de plek, was alleen nog maar groen

En dromen op papier, nog zoveel te doen

Een oase hier, die is nu gebouwd

En deze plek heeft alles, wat ik van een droom verwacht
 
Het is een droom, die je normaal alleen in films ziet

Het is een droom, die is begonnen in een mooi gebied

Het is een droom waarvan ik dacht, dat ik ‘m nooit beleven zou

Maar vandaag beleef ik ‘m in Zarzalejo
 

Sunday 26th April (Lou)

Aquella Tarde,

No se había parado de llover,

Apenas entre dos rayos de sol.

Apenas permitiendo esperar que se podía ir mejorando el tiempo.

!Pero somos así! Somos de los que quieren ver el cielo azul detrás de las nubes.

Los que no solamente esperan sino unen sus fuerzas y energías para que sucede.

Aquella Tarde,

Mientras la humedad de la tierra y de las piedras,

Nunca olvidare’ esos Hombres.

Esa diversidad de seres que compartieron sus genios,

Sus saberes y sus voluntades, aguantando el peso de la roca,

Desplaciendo la madera por transportar una mesa,

Un futuro hogar de comparto y de risa.

No olvidare’ esos escalofríos fluyendo sobre mi piel,

Esas caras de serio y de miedo.

Los aplausos después el milagro.

Las miradas entre todos esos humanos,

Que nunca olvidaron,

¡Aquella tarde!

 

Sunday 2 (Derya)

After the first Action day we all start to believe in miracles. In one day we collected much more material and resources than we expected. Everybody in the community was finding their gift to share for a common dream..

We woke up and we didn’t know about the day and it surprised. There was many cloud and It start to rain. we put more clothes and put our mission jacket top on it. I was the ‘material and resources’ My mission was the find the material or an amazing people that can find the material to build our(their) dreams. After the first miracle day I believe to people’s power. If we need to find an elephant It doesn’t matter we will figure out and we will do everything forget it! Sometimes I was taking serious the game.. But It really matched me a lot. My life is a game while traveling with my camping or even in the cities. I love the feel like in a desert. I always with my map and trying to survived. Before I came to Oasis I was playing this game in every moment.
-back to story- We start to believe our power and people’s power!! That’s why we didn’t care if it’s raining or not. Because we promise people to Finnish it in 2 days. In the morning rain it was not a bid deal for us many people get together against to rain. I was collecting resources when I came to the place there was a market for aircraftman and artist for the village. It was really great to see meet. They did against to rain! And I recognize Ivan’s father Victor. He got inspired he took his painting from the sacred place in this supermarket. His eyes was shining. A lot of emotion I saw in his eyes. Finally community care their talent! With this game many hidden talents was getting appear.
I walk through the community garden and many people got together. We had many area uncompleted. The big table was waiting for put on to the feet. The idea was wait for a machine who came to help to fix the table. But what happened was machine that we expected was transformed to the human power! Everybody use their power/ It was more beautiful to see that. Everybody was important. Everybody get together their power! In the begging it looks impossible. But we did it! they did it! Under the rain against to many things that make it impossible to work. Rain was getting more frustrated/ People’s power getting even more.. We were cold wet and powerful!! in that moment i feel more close to everyone and to our purpose.
 
It was more than a game.. Now we are leaving this amazing place with dirty clothes\ shoes and with many stories/ We are leaving but taking many feeling moments and friends. I am grateful and full of love..

I am inspired: to make my dreams happened that is continue to inspire people for their dreams

See you guys in next game ;)


Monday 27th April (Rana)

It’s Monday morning, we expected to arrive to the site and find no one else, but as usual, there are surprises; some “zarzalejians” had already rolled up their sleeves and started the work.  We joined the team, the rhythm this morning was hectic, for we had to put our final touch today, and we had to try finishing before the visit of the mayor at 13.30. 

Kids and teenagers started arriving gradually after going out from school, and as soon as they arrived they joined the open tasks, painting, putting the last signs in their places, gathering the non-used material in one corner, moving the compost, and sticking the last nails to make sure everything is safe and stable.

The visit of the mayor brought some sad surprises, basing on the complaints of some neighbors, the mayor and his colleague were pointing out what they saw as irregularities. Some of us where disappointed by the lack of interest shown in what has been done, and there were interesting conversation about the different power dynamics in different contexts.

What was heart-warming is that while few neighbours had complained about the space, a petition was circulating and was being signed by a big number of neighbours, highlighting the work that was behind the creation of this public space, and thanking all those who participated in this process.

Around 15.30 we finished putting the last touches, celebrated once again the achievement of the miracle, and headed to lunch.

The next activity programmed was an informative session about the ongoing community projects in Zarzalejo.  First Javi told us about the project of Transition town Zarzalejo, and specifically about the Community Supported Agriculture project, in which 26 family units in Zarzalejo participate and receive their ecological vegetables. Then we had a nice walk to the house of the Creasvi foundation. There Loli showed us the amazing bioclimatic house, designed by Tomás back in the 80s. Later on she explained the format that they found to make use of this house for the common good: the house is now property of the foundation, and it hosts Andrea and Sandra, who are willing to work 40 hours a month in community projects in exchange for living in this house. Later on Andrea and Sandra explained the projects they are carrying out in zarzalejo in the framework of Creasvi, projects that cover the past, present and future of the village.

It was yet another inspiring day, the stories and experiences that we heard and lived this day left many of us thinking.

 
Tuesday 28th April (Else)

The day of the re-evolution. We started with an individual looking back exercise. Taking time to evaluate in your head and heart was a good start after the rollercoaster of the last few days. We went outside in little groups to do an ORID, with questions to give your opinion about the Oasis Game experiences. It was wonderful to hear the experiences of my group members. In bigger lines, we all have the same experience but during the ORID I realized that the small talks and moments we had with each other and the people from Zarzalejo makes this trip worthwhile and wonderful. The evening re-evolution with the participants from Zarzalejo confirmed that we did something great in community building. The people have lots of ideas and plans for the future. They are excited about using the oven, playground, theatre and garden. I really hope they will succeed and make the village a great community.