Finishing Friday

Friday 

Hard working students :)

On our last day of  the autumn school in Lviv we should create an idea about the situation of minorities in four different future scenarios. It was also the day to say goodbye to our project partners.

After a good breakfast  we went for the last time in our life to the cellar room in the courtyard of the Ivano Franko University. We all were tired after  four days of hard academic work: Talking in four different languages, listening to many interesting lectures, consuming alcohol (mostly Ukrainian wine and beer) together in the streets of Lviv.

Scenario Building 

Mornings Dr Kocyba finished his interesting lecture about scenario building. Now we were up to think about four characteristics affecting future life in 2040, which should give the frame to our scenarios. At the end of the brainstorm we finished with: clear borders, uniterization, end of nation and regionalization.

After forming four nationality-mixed groups we started to think about the specific scenarios and a plot

Again, as every day, the group enjoyed a wonderful „coffee break“ (peoples faces looked so happy hearing this word). Our coffee-master made one delicious coffee after another (and sometimes a tea for Mr Kocyba). We ate delicious cookies (Daniel: „I´d dispatch someone to get them“) and sweets from eastern part of Ukraine, which are most probably not produced anymore in times of war.

Certificates are handed to the students 

After lunch (our last in Del Pesto) the group went to the big conference room (which was very representative) to present our ideas about future scenarios. 

Then followed the official handing over of  the participation certificates.  Now was the time to enjoy the last time (for this trip) the beautiful barock buildings in city centre of Lviv. We bought some souvenirs on the vernissage market, and visited the Kopalnia Cafe in the underground. The last event took place in an restaurant with some typical Ukrainian dishes (Vareniki, Borsh..). The Ukrainian cuisine is very delicious and similar to the Polish and Russian. After finishing the meal we had the last opportunity to find out more about our Ukrainian friends. [So I asked my Ukrainian friend about his opinion towards the role of the European community. He told me, that he is wondering, why the reaction from EU side is so weak, and that he doesn`t want any direct military help (foreign soldiers) in his land, but more assistance in training the  the military and economical support for his country. This is only one opinion I heard, I wanted to share with you.] We had to be in front of the Post Hostel quarter to ten in the evening and we came just in time. The rain continued and made the farewell even more sad. It was a difficult challenge  for the taxi driver to fit all the huge luggage of our german and polish girls in the car but he managed well (the taxi was a bit dangerous, because not every passenger had access to a seat belt). Of course our dear professor came a bit later, so we were lucky and had some more time to say goodbye.

Time to say goodbye to our Ukrainian Friends :(

When the train left the station the German group gathered around Mr Kocyba and Mr Zalucki to listen to some good polish humor. After some good night drinks everybody went into bed (which were very comfortable). Unfortunately the German girls were disturbed by a railroad worker, who had to enter their room while switching the train lane.

Found in the Train. :)

Back in the EU (not USSR like in the Beatles song).  The EU external border is very impressive. Walls, fences, flood lights, border patrols. Someone is taking special care about our borders... Now we could fall into a nice EU sleep.

In Krakow we switched into the train to Wroclaw. On this route we said goodbye to our polish friends. In Wroclaw Anett, Samira and Katrin organized our way from Görlitz to Dresden/Chemnitz, thanks again for this! We had a nice lunch in a Bar Mleczny (Milkbar) with pierogy, tomato soup and salad.

Some time in Krakau 

[Daniel and me went for a digestion walk arround the town, also very beautiful city centre]. In Görlitz we got picked up by some friends or family members. Thanks again for this! 

Krakau