An interview with our teacher - a pilgrim
Saša Martinjaš, 3rd grade student talked to our teacher Vesna Stunković who went on a pilgrimage last year. Their conversation can be read below.
Saša: Could you please introduce yourself?
Prof. Stunković: My name is Vesna Stunković. I am a vocational teacher of agricultural subjects. I also do professional practice lessons with my students and I am a Erasmus+ project coordinator.
Saša: Last year you went on a pilgrimage. Can you tell us more about it? What motivated you to go on the pilgrimage?
Prof. Stunković: Yes, last year I decided to do Camino de Santiago (St. James’s path). The journey was from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela. It took us 11 days and we walked 300 km. I walked with my husband and it meant walking 25 km a day approximately. A couple of years ago I watched a movie “The Way” and liked the idea. I needed a new challenge in life and taking this journey seemed perfect.
Saša: What was the most challenging part of the experience?
Prof. Stunković: The first two days were the most challenging. We had crisis during walking, we had to adapt to the situation, did a lot of thinking, our body was aching, and there were blisters on our feet.
Saša: Did this journey nurture your spirit, body and mind?
Prof. Stunković: Definitely. It is a chance to connect with yourself. It also means being constantly physically tired, but in a good way. Sometimes making a few steps more to reach destinations seemed difficult. However, when you did it, it felt like the greatest success. That journey represents a life journey where we meet all kind of difficulties but the most important thing is to have a clear goal and then you can overcome all the obstacles.
Saša: Did quitting ever cross your mind?
Prof. Stunković: Yes it did. However, even though we thought about quitting, the goal we set in our minds kept us going.
Saša: When did you start planning your pilgrimage?
Prof. Stunković: We started thinking about it and planning the whole journey a year before we went on it. When we decided to do it, we started preparing ourselves physically. We walked every day and tried to be physically active as much as we could.
Saša: You mentioned that you went with your husband. Would you ever consider doing it alone?
Prof. Stunković: No, I would not do it alone. Although, we met many women walking alone. Still, I would not have gone if my husband did not go with me.
Saša: What can people who decide to go on a pilgrimage to El Camino expect from it?
Vesna: Physical pain but also satisfaction.
Saša: What is the most important lesson you learned during the experience?
Vesna: As I mentioned before, it is important to have a goal in life. Moreover, I learned that physical burden is not the heaviest one, it is the psychological one. During our walk, we were getting rid of that psychological burden and we returned home much lighter.
Saša: Are you thinking about doing this pilgrimage again?
Prof. Stunković: Yes, but I wouldn’t go on the same journey. I would take the French route next time.
Saša: Can you tell us some anecdote that you remember from the journey?
Prof. Stunković: I remember that on the first day of journey I got rid of one pair of sandals. They just seemed too heavy for me to carry. With each step, I got rid of some items I did not need. I believe this also reflects life journey where you get rid of things you do not need along the way.
Saša: Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Prof. Stunković: It was my pleasure.
An interview with a seasonal worker
Saša Martinjaš talked to one of our students who has been to Poland as a seasonal worker twice so far.
Saša: Could you, please, introduce yourself?
Dario: My name is Dario Perčić. I am a student of 4th grade, Agricultural technician. In 2016 and in 2017 I went to Poland to do some seasonal work.
Saša: What were you doing there?
Dario: I participated in apple picking. Each time it was a two-week job.
Saša: We have a lot of orchards in our region. Why did you decide to go and pick apples in Poland?
Dario: It was a challenge for me. I wanted to meet some new people, see how fruit picking is done in other countries, and try something new.
Saša: Were there a lot of people from other countries?
Dario: Yes, there were a lot of people from Romania, Bulgaria and other countries. They come every year to earn money because salaries are lower in their countries.
Saša: What were the positive sides of your experience?
Dario: They have developed technology, machinery that we do not have at home so it was interesting to see all that. I am interested in agriculture since it is my profession so it was good to get an idea about how to do things in a better way. Another important thing is that we felt good because the owner appreciated our hard work. That is something that motivates you to work hard even though it gets difficult.
Saša: You say it got difficult. In which way? What were the negative sides of seasonal work in Poland?
Dario: Firstly, it was a long journey to get there. It was a 10-hour drive from Croatia and that was a bit exhausting. Another negative aspect were bad weather conditions. The apples are picked in autumn and during our work, it rained a lot. Once the rain was heavy and we were soaking wet. I was just waiting for the owner to say that we will postpone the work until the rain stops but he never did. No matter what the weather conditions are, you do not stop the work you started.
Saša: Would you recommend this type of seasonal work to others?
Dario: Definitely. I am going back in a few days. That should be a proof that I found it useful the first time. For someone who has never been, I would recommend going to see the advanced technology and just to hear about the experience of others in the field.
Saša: Can you tell us some anecdote related to your experience?
Dario: Well, we realized how important knowledge of foreign language was. One evening we wanted to make pancakes and we went to a small shop to get ingredients. We found milk and eggs but could not find flour. The shop assistant could not speak English and we could not speak Polish. It took us 20 minutes to explain what we are looking for.
Saša: Since you’ve been there twice and you are planning to go again, are you also considering working there for a longer period of time?
Dario: After finishing high school I am planning to go to college. We will see what happens after that. If I did not plan to go to college I would probably think about going back for 2-3 months. But salaries aren’t higher that in our country so the only reason I would choose to do the job there is because all the technology makes it easier to work.
Saša: Thank you for sharing this with us.
Dario: Thank you.
