„Ethno Treasure Hunt”
story
written
by partners
from
&
Chapter 1
Once upon a time there was a lady
called Daniela whose king ordered her to gather a fellowship of six kingdoms to
search for a treasure which will give joy to mankind.
The king wanted to deposit the treasure in a Treasure Agency
so that everyone could use it and broaden their minds. Daniela was thinking for
a long time and one day it came to her that the greatest treasure of all will
be that of national folklore. Therefore, she set off on a journey which she
announced as “Ethno Treasure Hunt”.
Chapter 2
Daniela sent messengers to the 6 kingdoms to
gather the fellowship. And they gathered first in Romania to plan for the
hunting sessions. They also hunted for the Romanian treasures: tzuika (palinca),
Dracula’s castle, old houses, small straw hats and happy dancing.
The
next hunting session was in sunny Sicily. They visited Lady Etna for a cup of
tea, the Godfather in Savoca and Salvatore Quasimodo in Roccalumera. They
chased the old Greeks in Agrigento and fished for dinner in Santa Teresa di
Riva.
Later
on, the hunters got on their horses and they flew to Turkey. They met the dark
knight who invited them to tea parties in Denizli. They swam in the cotton
castle at Pamukkale and hunted the world’s wonders in Efes. They stopped for
lunch in Babadag and hunted for dolls in Sirince and for the Pigeon Island in
Kusadasi. They gathered around the intercultural table and tasted the foods and
spirits. They also planned more hunting in Lithuania, Bulgaria and Poland.
“So...
treasure hunters from all countries, unite!”- exclaimed lady Daniela trying to
gather her dear companions. “It’s time for us to rest for a while before another
trip, “ she said. And so, the fellowship of treasure hunters went to a nice
peaceful sleep to gain energy before another amazing long hunt.
Chapter 3
In
autumn, Lady Daniela called all her treasure hunters again to fly to an unknown
new land in the north and so they landed in the country of Duke Vytautas:
LITHUANIA.
The
Polish team came first. The vehicle they arrived was Zeppelin. It landed in
Panevezys. Together with their Lithuanian mates they started preparations for
welcoming other teams and looked forward to the meeting. The next day, two
female knights from Lithuania took on their carriage fearless Polish friend
knights. They treated the Polish friends with tasty cheese (dżugas) and
delicious honey and apples. After a short meal, they all went to a nearby
country, Latvia, to collect their dear companions from Riga. First, they met
with the Turkish ladies accompanied by their guide and leader, the dark night
of Turkey. The greeting was warm and feelings rose up high. Together they set
off to meet other companions from Bulgaria. Ethno hunters were very happy to
finally meet together. In high spirits they visited a part of Riga and when it
started getting darker they all set for Panevezys. As soon as they arrived at
Panevezys and settled down in a beautiful place called Sermutas, they met their
beloved leader Lady Daniela. Hugs and kisses flowed from their hearts and
smiles and laughters were heard till late at night. However, they were not
fully happy: they were waiting for other friends to come: the Italian warriors
from a faraway Sicily. The next day,
they were about to meet them at school.
So
all the treasure hunters gathered at Velzys Gymnasium the other day and sang
with children. Then, they met Mama Ona, who taught them about her family traditions
and had them try all the house chores using the “hands-on” method. After she
fed them in a traditional way, she took them to a dancing party. They also
learnt to bake the traditional Lithuanian bread and they cooked an
international dinner together.
One
day, when they went on hunting, they came across a stranded Lithuanian farm.
There, they found many horses faster than a thunder and brighter than a star.
Riding through dark forests and green fields of time, they arrived at the 19th
century. They cut their own wood, built their own house and baked their own
bread in silence, peace and respect. They were all in their white shirts and
colourful aprons. They sang songs that they learned from trees of windy
forests. When they were leaving, they took a roof which, from now on, they would
always carry over their heads to protect them from devil eyes. They saddled
their horses and off they went! After a long journey and tiring, the horses
brought them back to present times. Now, they could rest in their stable till
the next hunting event. The news has it that the next hunting experience was to
take place in Bulgaria. So on the last Lithuanian night, they all fell asleep
with their heads full of hopes, happiness and love, dreaming about the next
opportunity to be together and experience the impenetrable, explore the unknown
and hunt the ephemeral again and again more and more…
Chapter 4
Time
was flying and the hearts of brave hunters were woken up again by springtime. A
light breeze and bright sunshine invited them for another adventure.
On
the wings of hearts, the Lithuanian hunters hurried to the country of roses. On
their way they met the hunters from other countries. Together they arrived at
their camping site and joined their strengths for one aim.
The
Romanian hunters came by a big black dragon and met their Polish, Turkish and
Bulgarian friends. Together they started hunting for other treasures. They
found some great treasures such as: friendship, hospitality, warm hearts,
interesting places. Each night, they used to gather around a camp fire and tell
stories about their deeds and finds. They sang and danced the ‘hora’ dance,
they tasted the foods and drinks of the land and made merry. They talked about
roses like anywhere in the world, the cat that lost its tail, about the
monastery carved in stone where miracles were performed, and many other
treasures they had found so far.
On
the last night all the hunters, like the ancient warriors, gathered around a
table to have dinner. They ate and drank and enjoyed themselves but they were a
little sad because they were leaving to reach their own countries flying on the
wings of the strong iron dragon.
In
their luggage, the hunters took some treasures of Bulgaria back to their
countries: roses, wooden plates, Zagorka beer, water mills, windy mills, and
scissors to cut cats’ tails off. When they arrive to their homelands, they
thought, they will put these into their treasure chests. They will always
remember the generous land ruled by King George and Prince Dimitar and friendly
people of Bulgaria…
The
beautiful squad of Poles froma faraway
Poland also recalled their enjoyable hunt in Bulgaria. Apart from the fact that
they had experienced new things together with the fellowship of other hunters,
they were a little anxious seeing that the days of the Bulgarian meeting are
coming to an end. Every day they were less and less smiley, more and more
silent and sadder. They realized more than other hunters, that this is soon
going to be over as the last hunting experience was in their own homeland. With
heavy bags full of treasures, but heavier hearts full of sorrow and sadness due
to the inevitable ending of the meeting, the Polish team have started preparing
their horses for yet another journey. But before they left, they announced to
everybody in Bulgaria, that whoever comes to Poland: young or old, man or
woman, rich or poor, will always feel at home and will be an honourable guest
there. The young blonde lady bearing the name Asia gave each fine squad of
hunters a paper with the invitation to the land of milk and honey, the land of
storks and willows, the land of great fierce warriors and thinkers. She gave
them one more thing: a hope for yet another good chance of being together to
experience their ethnic hunt. At the same time, she asked Daniela, their leader
and guide, to think of another enterprise so magnificent and rewarding as the
one they have been involved in so far so that their friendships could last
forever and ever. On hearing these words, each and every one in the ethno
family cried a river of tears for they didn’t want to part and lose their
company and friendship. And so they
shouted in unison “Hunt forever! Live eternal!”. Daniela smiled and promised this
is not over yet and that “Once a treasure of friendship is found, it can never
be lost.” And so they left in the directions of their homelands, but now, with
their hearts full of hope and peace for they knew well that her words were true
and no distance can make them apart. Soon, they were going to meet again in
Poland…
Chapter 5
Spring was at its best as time approached for yet another
adventure for all ethno treasure hunters. This time in Poland, the land of
storks, sun and warm-hearted people. First, the Bulgarians arrived ona white dragon. The excitement was great for
all of them as they flew over mountains, leaving them south to discover that in
the north great heavenly green pristine plains awaited them. This was the town
of Łódź.
Soon,
other companions from Romania, Lithuania, Italy and Turkey arrived. Led by
Queen Asia, the queen of hearts, King George, Prince Dimitar and the rest of
the treasure hunters could discover the great factories and houses that were
built by wealthy men to serve, help and facilitate their workers. “Sympathy,
compassion and mutual help”, thought Prince Dimitar, “virtues lost in dire times
like ours, are present here!”
On
the next day, the ethno treasure hunters took a walk in a nearby village,
looking for treasures, when they suddenly heard the sounds of laughter, music
and dancing. As they all followed the sound, they reached a house with lots of
lilac in front. They realized this was a wedding. The kind people from the
village invited the tired treasure hunters to the wedding. They all sang, danced
and laughed together, ate delicious local food and watched the beautiful,
colourful wedding ceremony. “Hospitality and tradition”, thought Prince Dimitar
– “one more treasure once lost, now found…”
As
nights passed around the campfire, telling stories with joy and laughter, our
ethno group knew that the greatest treasure of all was about to be found. Prince
Dimitar said to himself: “I can feel it, burning right here in my heart…”
When
Prince Dimitar woke up, he realized that he wasn’t alone. His careful mother
Daniela was sitting nearby and preparing some typical clothes. “What’s going
on?” – asked Prince Dimitar. “Oh, my dear son. We should hurry. Today we are
invited to visit the Gala Ball,” replied Daniela impatiently. “Queen Asia, her
mother Mariola and Queen’s sisters: Aga1, Aga2 and Iza will meet everybody
personally in their palace.”
So
all the hunters, from the six corners of the place called Europe, gathered to
listen to the sings and watch beautiful traditional dances that their hosts:
Asia, Mariola, Aga1, Aga2, Iza and Monika, prepared for them. And their skills
were better put into value when the dragon put the lights out by mistake. But
after the dragon woke up, the light came back to the palace and all people
gathered there could see why Poles love their homeland.
Next
day, they all set off to hunt for new treasures: they climbed down into the
heart of the earth to look for the wonders in the salt mine where people had
looked for treasures for hundreds of years. They discovered amazing chapels
carved in salt by amateur sculptors. The guide told them that long ago a queen dropped
her ring in the salt mine in Maramures to find it again in this Polish mine.
The
hunters then got on their horses to look for the Senator’s house, where they
gathered around the fire and told stories during their knights’ feasts there.
Then, Tavi, Asia, Aga2, Ozgur and Valeria painted the story of their new quest
for the lost treasures. Rima and Renata, the northern knights, wrote about the
deeds of the “Ethno Treasure Hunt” fellowship during this quest for treasures.
On
the next morning, the whole group of hunters, kings, queens, princes and young
ladies moved to Kraków to discover other gems. They were in high spirits and
good humour. They travelled on a white carriage crossing the Greenland of
Poland. Under the rays of the shining sun, suddenly they noticed the glittering
Vistula river and they approached amazed. But nearby a terrible dragon was
waiting for them spitting fire from its mouth. It looked so frightening that
all the hunters fled away into the Wawel Castle. Inside the castle, they were
safe. Here, they found King Kazimierz the Great and King Zygmunt II August, who
welcomed them and invited them to visit the castle with the magnificent
tapestries, swords, spurs, cannons and above all, they discovered a precious
golden treasure. The Royal Polish family led them to the cathedral to thank God
for saving them from the dragon.
On
the return way to Lodz from Krakow, all the hunters were so silent with tired
bodies but their souls were in peace. In these silent moments, they were all
thinking about their two-year-fellowship. “Two years passed as if it is two
days”, said the dark Prince Ozgur from Turkey. They remembered their first time
in Baia Mare. They couldn’t even imagine they would make a good family out of
these strange people from different lands. They remembered the colours of Maramures
Region in Romania, the warm sun of Sicily in Italy, the taste of delight in
Turkey, the tunes of ‘oira’ dance in Lithuania, the smell of roses in Bulgaria
and finally the generous nature and friendly people of Poland. At the end of
the two-year hunting journey, now they have a full treasure chest, a wider
family, 5 more homes besides their own, and stronger hopes for the better
world. They were sure that this family will go on cooperating for prosperity of
their lands and the future of their world.
On
the last day of their stay in Poland, Queen Asia was very sad and her blue eyes
filled with tears. All the time smiley queen was now sad and unhappy because
she knew she is going to part with her dearest friends. With her heavy heart,
she gathered the hunters around her to serve the last meal for them and while
all of them were sitting by the table she started with the words of one wise
man, Paolo Coelho. She said after him:
„An anonymous text from the Tradition says that, in
life, each person can take one of two attitudes: to build or to plant.
The builders might take years over their tasks, but
one day, they finish what they’re doing. Then they find they’re hemmed in by
their own walls. Life loses its meaning when the building stops.
Then there are those who plant. They endure storms
and all the many vicissitudes of the seasons, and they rarely rest. But, unlike
a building, a garden never stops growing. And while it requires the gardener’s
constant attention, it also allows life for the gardener to be a great
adventure.
Gardeners always recognise each other, because they
know that in the history of each plant lies the growth of the whole World.”
Then she paused for
a while, seeing that her friends were deep in their thoughts, also with their
eyes full of tears. She wanted to comfort them and give hope, therefore she
gave them the most beautiful of her smiles and said:
“Do not worry, my dear brothers and sisters, us,
teachers, we are like those gardeners: always planting, never ceasing to stop
in modelling our gardens, i.e. the minds of our students. Let us get inspired in
our never-ending efforts and hope for the future fruits. We have planted good
values in our students, taught them how to live, believe, learn, tolerate, and
grow; soon, we will witness a good crop. So we are not only hunters but also
gardeners. And, one more thing, please never doubt that we will meet again but
this time in another project, richer with the treasures we have already found.
Thank you, our dearest Daniela for making us meet and experience this unusual
project. We shall never forget any of this.”
Lady Daniela
thanked all her dear companions and promised them she will find a new way for
them to meet again. She also congratulated everybody on a splendid job they had
done and said she was proud of having them all by her side in the search for
treasures. Yet, she also gave them one last task before they left: she ordered
them to go to the Treasure Agencies in their lands and deposit the treasures
they found there for other people to use them and thus make our Europe better.
Then,
Queen Asia hugged and kissed each and every one warmly and forbade them to say
goodbye on this occasion. So all of them said in unison: “See you!”, got on
their horses and dragons, and went away to their homelands. From now on, they
will always have the project and their friends in their hearts and will always
smile when hearing the words: “ethno, treasure and hunt” that, put together,
made a nice name for their 2 years of collective and fruitful work.
The end
