The Comenian

Dongen – In European countries like Germany, Italy, France Belgium and the Netherlands, people will be celebrating carnival in a few days. Four days of dancing, singing and drinking. People dressed up as Dracula, Snow White or some local hero, parades, music and many colours. ‘Don’t worry be happy’ for four days. But at the fifth day there is that terrible hangover and one can start worrying again. In this third edition of the Comenian a lot of articles about Carnival. How do people celebrate this feast in France and the Netherlands? But also articles about student exchanges and the war in Iraq Why should or shouldn’t we intervene in wars

far away that are not our wars.

In the next edition I want your opinion

about our right of freedom of speech. How do you think about the Muslim reaction to the cartoons published in Denmark?

Of course all your other articles are also welcome. Mail to w.teurlings@cambreurcollege.nl

LE CARNAVAL A NEUFMANIL

UNE TRADITION.

Vouziers - NEUFMANIL est un village agréable des Ardennes. 1300 habitants y vivent. Tous les ans, à la même période, durant la semaine du mardi gras, c’est le carnaval.

C’est une tradition qui existe depuis plus de 150 ans. C’est une tradition très importante pour les habitants du village. Tout le monde y participe, de 7 à 77 ans. C’est vraiment génial. Le carnaval se prépare durant plusieurs mois avant le jour « J ». Entre les costumes à faire et les chars à construire, le temps passe vite.

Le carnaval se déroule sur plusieurs jours. Il commence le samedi après midi avec le concours de déguisements des enfants et se termine le mercredi soir avec la « mémé ».

Le samedi après midi, les enfants du village se réunissent à la salle des fêtes pour un grand concours de déguisements. La plupart du temps, ce sont les mamans ou les mamies qui réalisent le costume de l’enfant. Les enfants passeront par catégories d’âges (jusque 12 ans) devant un jury composé d’adultes résidant dans le village. Pendant les délibérations du jury, les enfants pourront s’amuser, danser en compagnie de musique et d’animateurs. Il y aura des récompenses pour les trois plus beaux costumes dans chaque catégorie.

Enfin, le jour le plus attendu par tous :

La cavalcade.

La cavalcade débute le dimanche à 14 heures. Les chars et les gens déguisés défilent dans tout le village. Chaque année, les thèmes choisis sont différents et gardés en secret jusqu’au jour « J ». Durant le défilé, des spectateurs venus des alentours applaudissent le défilé et lui jettent des confettis. A la fin de la cavalcade, les associations qui ont participé au carnaval sont récompensées par le maire du village.

Vers 18 heures, c’est le bal du carnaval à la salle des fêtes. Tout le monde se réunit pour continuer la fête en musique et pour manger l’omelette. C’est la fête jusque tard dans la nuit.

Les adultes vont de maison en maison. Dans chaque maison, ils doivent se faire démasquer. Quand tout le groupe est démasqué, le maître de la maison offre un verre et quelques collations. C’est ensuite reparti pour une autre maison.

Cela a lieu le lundi, le mardi et le mercredi soir.

Toutes ces belles festivités se terminent le mercredi soir. Les habitants se réunissent sur la place du village. Ils vont brûler la « mémé ». Cette grande poupée de chiffons d’au moins quatre mètres qui brûle, est une façon de terminer l’année passée et d’accueillir l’année nouvelle. Les enfants et les adultes déguisés forment une ronde autour de la « mémé » jusqu’à ce que celle-ci s’effondre sur le sol. Quand la poupée de chiffon est au sol, les gens masqués jettent leur masque dans le feu et font un vœu. Cela porte bonheur pour l’année nouvelle.

Aurélie Blanchememanche lycée Jeanne d’arc. Vouziers. France.

Carnival in the Netherlands

Dongen - In the Netherlands, the last day of Carnival (carnaval) is held exactly 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter, making the days of celebration vary between 4 January and 28 February. Carnival in The Netherlands is the oldest in the southern province Noord Brabant. Here carnival is known as "Carnaval". Most popular and even renowned places where Carnival is held (although every city, town or village celebrates it) are 's-Hertogenbosch, Bergen op Zoom and Breda. Carnival here has been celebrated ever since the medieval times and was modernized after World War 2, Bergen op Zoom even continued to celebrate it indoors. Although the west of Noord Brabant may have the oldest Carnival, it is the most southern province of The Netherlands, Limburg, where many Dutch go to celebrate it. During Vasteloavend (Carnival in the local dialect), every town is one big party. During Dutch Carnival, many traditions are kept alive, like the boerenbruiloft (farmer's wedding) and the haring happen (eating hering) at Ash Wednesday but the traditions vary from town to town. Overall there are three different types of Carnival celebrated in The Netherlands. The most well-known variant is known as the Rijnlandsche Carnival and it shares many

folklore traditions with its German and Belgium counterparts. Maastricht is famous for its Carnival which mimics Italian, mostly Venician, traditions, culture and costumes. The third variant can be found in Bergen op Zoom, or Krabbegat as they call it during the festivities. The Krabbegatse Carnival shares very little traditions and folklore with the rest of the Netherlands and they have celebrated it in their specific way ever since in 1882 the first official Federation for Carnaval (De Sitchting Vastenavend) was erected, long before the Carnival was modernised and adopted in the rest of The Netherlands. Kevin Faro, Cambreur College,The Netherlands

Impressions

The experiences of three Romanian girls who did a student exchange with a school in Great Britain.

Arad - I think that visiting England was not only an interesting experience but an educational one too. I had the chance to meet a new type of people and a new civilization and make comparisons. Overall, the exchange was very well organized but all the activities we had in our program were sometimes a little bit too much for us. Despite all these, we managed to make the best of these days and personally I think we all got something to learn from this exchange. We made new friends, we visited new places, we encountered new habits and I would surely repeat the experience if I had the chance. Lia Grimalsky

Arad - I loved this exchange. It was an unforgettable experience. I found that I had a younger sister (and also a brother) and a new family. We saw a lot of interesting things. Even though it was not a really new thing, I was impressed by the “motorway” and by the cameras on the road. I also had a great time in York at the York’s museum because I had never seen such a museum before. The Imperial War Museum was also great and interactive because we could see how life was during the World Wars. My photo camera was overloaded because I took almost 800 photos. I took over 200 photos in London, especially at the Buckingham Palace where we saw the changing of the guards. I really had a great time and I miss them all. But every day I look at the photos and that brings back all those beautiful memories.

Bianca Buretea

Arad - Great Britain was a wonderful and unique experience, it was without doubt one of the best things of my life. My hosting family was amazingly warm and friendly and my exchange student soon became very close to me. We visited interesting places, and I was of course very impressed with London. I gazed with excitement when I finally saw before my eyes all those sites I have learnt about in books.

I sincerely say that I have nothing to complain about, I only regret being back so soon and leaving my new friends behind. We hope to see each other in the summer and we expect to experience the same joy and happiness which we already did.

Simona Lazar

Be open for everything and you will have great new experiences

Dongen - In November, Sidney and I went to France for the Socrates-European Project. We stayed with host families and we went to the French School “Lycée Jeanne d’Arc”. My host family was very nice. Their eating habits were a bit different than ours. They drink their tea out of a bowl and in the evening, they have their dinner very late, about 20.00 p.m. I really enjoyed staying with my host family, because I could practice my French and it was nice to speak with them.

I also watched television, the French doubler everything so you hardly ever hear English.

At the school, we had to work together with two English girls, and two Romanian girls.

We could get along with them very good, because we all had the same intension. So the atmosphere was very comfortable. We went to the French lessons together, which was good because you experience how it is to be in a French class. When we entered the class, we had to introduce ourselves to the students. We talked a bit with the teachers; they asked us about our experiences at the school. We also had to debate, that was very interesting. We

Sidney and Susanne

talked about the dead penalty and drugs. I liked that you can hear how everybody thinks about that, their opinions. One day, we went to an art lesson. We had to make a photo frame about our country (you can see the frame in the photo below). We also had to make paintings. It was very nice, we all worked together. The French breaks are very long. In Holland, it is about 30 minutes, but in France it is about 1 hour, or sometimes even longer. At noon, they don’t eat sandwiches but they eat a hot meal. They only eat sandwiches in the morning. That was a bit strange for us, but we got used to it. The French students were all very nice and I hope that I will meet everybody again sometime. Anyway, I had a great time in France! I want to say to everybody who has the chance to do something like this, don’t be afraid to go, be open for everything and you will have great new experiences.

Susanne Geboers Cambreur College,

The Netherlands

Romania!

Stockport - This is an article about my experience of the student exchange between Aquinas College, Stockport, England and Colegiul Moise Nicoara, Arad, Romania.

I decided I wanted to take part in the exchange before I even started college – even though I knew nothing about it, I just wanted to go somewhere and do something different! When I handed in the form I had no idea who was going on the trip or what to expect. I became more and more excited about the trip as it got closer even though I was a little wary of the ’unknown‘.

We learnt a little Romanian, a bit about Romania and got to see who was going a few days before the trip. It was said that Romania tended only to get negative press – I hadn’t heard much about it negative or

positive; I had only really heard about Dracula!

Then our week arrived – I had hardly slept because of the excitement, even though I knew I needed the sleep, especially as it was an early start.

When we arrived in Budapest, Hungary we met some of our exchange partners at the airport, I didn’t but it didn’t bother me, as I knew she was so lovely after a few e-mails and some chatting on the internet.

We were first struck by the greeting they gave us: kisses between people, who are practically strangers just isn’t usual in Britain, but different cultures = different ways!

During the exchange, we learnt many things about Romania, its past, present and future. What the Romanians want it to be like and how joining the EU will affect it.

The homes we stayed in were totally different from our homes in the UK, but I actually preferred them. Also, the food was different, very different, but still delicious. It was interesting to learn about a different school system. In the English and Welsh system (not the Scottish!): we get to choose our own subjects, with a maximum of five. Most people tend to take 3 or 4 subjects. But in Romania they have to do 18! I was totally shocked! They have so much work to do, it is unbelievable!

On the exchange to Romania we visited many places and did lots of things including the Bodrog Monastery, Minis where we got to do some wine tasting, Sighisoara – the birth place of Dracula, the Praid salt mines and some shopping in Timisoara.

All of which everyone enjoyed, but also when we had no official plans the Romanian students looked after us well and we all met up and had loads of fun!

The experience, for me, could not have gone better; I met the most amazing, lovely people. I stayed with a wonderful family who I love very much and who I cannot

wait to see again and made my time there even more unforgettable!

I know everyone thoroughly enjoyed it and that any preconceptions from bad media have certainly disappeared. Romania has a lot to offer particularly the beautiful places and their culture, it also a fantastic place for young people too!

Thank you to everyone who took part in what was the best trip ever! And I can’t wait to see you all in January.

Lisa Hall, Aquinas College, United Kingdom

Young soldiers from many European countries are fighting wars in countries like Iraq and Afganistan. Why are Dutch, English or Romanian soldiers in these countries? Is it to help the population in those countries, help that is often not wanted. Or is it just politics, the Americans ask us to join and we join no matter what? This is the story of a young Romanian who thought it was his duty to go to Iraq. So he went and was killed, leaving his fiancée and family behind. Bianca Varga wonders if it is normal to invade countries that are not our enemies, wars in which many innocent people are killed. What are the motives of these wars?

Soldat universel

Arad - Il s’appelait Radu. Né en Roumanie, il a satisfait son service militaire et puis il a commencé à travailler dans l’Armée Roumaine comme lieutenant. Il avait 25 ans quand son pays a

décidé de participer à la guerre entre les Etats-Unis et l’Irak. On cherchait des volontaires qui allaient former les troupes pour partir en Irak. Il ne se demandait pas quelles étaient les raisons pour lesquelles les Roumains ont envoyé ces troupes sur le font. Trois semaines plus tard il est parti parce qu’il sentait qu’il devait faire ça pour son pays.Radu a laissé en Roumanie une fiancée qui l’aimait beaucoup et une famille qui pleurent encore. Parce qu’il n’est plus rentré...

Est-il normal qu’un pays intervienne dans une guerre sans que les motifs qui ont déclenché cette guerre concernent le pays en cause ? C’est une question discutable, quand on parle du respect des autres peuples ou de la dignité nationale. Mais quand il s’agit des vies des soldats impliqués dans le conflit, c’est une question radicale.

Il est immoral et impropre de mettre en discution la vie de quelques personnes qui ne sont pas impliquées directement dans le désaccord et qui n’auront rien à en gagner.

Les chefs de ces Etats qui décident de s’investir dans des guerres qui ne les concernent pas directement ne voient pas la situation subjectivement. Il ne voient pas le guerrier comme un être humain mais comme un robot, comme une machine de bataille.

Les situations les plus tragiques sont celles où un pays est trainé dans une guerre par l’orgueil de ses dirigeants sans que le conflit en cause touche concrètement les réalités de ce pays-là . Un autre motif pourrait être le désir exagéré d’un peuple d’appartenir à tout prix à une alliance politique ou militaire.

Quels que soient les motifs, ils ne suffisent pas pour justifier la mort de tant de personnes innocentes et je crois que nous devons tous y réfléchir davantage. On ne peut pas continuer à regarder , impassiblement, cette situation comme une chose normale.

Bianca Varga, Roumanie

Dutch soldiers in Afghanistan

I think that it is very dangerous for the Dutch soldiers to go to Afghanistan because some people who live in Afghanistan make it unsafe there.

They are doing things like perpetrate striking on the Dutch soldiers.

I have seen on the television that the Dutch soldiers are sometimes very scared when some people from Afghanistan attack their base.

The Dutch soldiers are going to Afghanistan to bring peace and to rebuild the country. There are a lot of discussions about our soldiers going to the most dangerous province of Afghanistan where the tally ban is still in power.

Many Dutch people don’t want the soldiers to go there because it is unsafe.

But our government has decided that they will go.

Although I know somebody who is a soldier who doesn’t want to go, I think that the soldiers do have to go because peace must return in Afghanistan.

Tom Vissers Cambreur College The Netherlands

My Carnival

In the spring half-term we have in the province of Limbug and North Brabant carnival. We, in North Brabant and Limburg, call that the carnival holiday.

We’re going to change our clothes into a fairytale or a clown or you put a crazy head on. Carnival is celebrated from Saturday to Tuesday. We’re going to the pub and drink, celebrate and dance.

There are also parades, every club makes his own car. Some clubs collect money the whole year, for making their carnivalcar for the parade.

The theme of the cars is about

something that has happened in the village or a question or something. This year the theme in Dongen is ‘Peekes in spees’, that meens carrots in space.

Here you can see a carnivalcar.

The towns in North Brabant and Limburg also get another name during carnival.

For example:

• Tilburg is Kruikenstad, they called the residents Kruikenzeikers.

• Dongen is Peeënrijk, they called the residents Peekes.

There is also a prince who is the boss in the town during the carnival. He gets the key of the town from the mayor at the first day of carnival. This prince carnival also has eleven assistants who help him. They are going from pub to pub, to speech, dance and drink.

I am looking forward to the carnival!

Paula Vorstenbosch Cambreur College The Netherlands

A Carnival poem

Carnival is a lively, Dutch festival

It’s a day when you can do everything what you want to do.

And everyone has a nice or funny costume.

It sounds very nice, but I go

I love poems, so I write again a poem about Carnival.

Carnival

Carnival a party were you lose many dollars

Strange faces with bright colours

Three days you and me

On the dance floor, there I must be

To drink, to curse, the whole night long

And when it’s all over, I listen once more to our song

Lizzy Boudewijns Cambreur College the Netherlands

Suggestion box

Many different articles this time in the Comenian. Light-hearted stories about carnival, impressions of some student exchanges and our soldiers fighting abroad.

I hope you liked reading at least some of these stories maybe you want to visit us to celebrate carnival with us?

Keep sending me you articles, the next deadline will be 22 March.