The sixth project meeting of "Maintaining High Quality within Water Systems" took place between 10th and 14th November 2014 in Næsteved (Denmark). 16 students and their teachers and trainers from 4 nations spend a very interesting week together. Here is a report of Mike Beetz, one of the German students who took part:
On the first day of the week our German students and teachers met at the central station in Lübeck at 09:30. We finished the train ride with a hot dog at the station in Naestved. After this, we went to the „Danhostel“, the place where all students and teachers from Finnland, Denmark and Germany slept. The dutch students slept in a hotel in town.
We looked around Naestved, because the reception in the hostel was closed until 4 pm. In Naestved we met the Finnish group, so we got to know them first. When we arrived at the hostel at ca. 4 pm, we got the keys for our rooms, packed out our luggage and relaxed a little bit until 6 pm.
At 6 pm we met the Danish and the Finnish guys to get to an Italian restaurant near the station.
On the second project day the four participating nations met at the Danish vocational school in Naestved, the „EUC Sjaelland“. There we had breakfast in the canteen. After this food intake the day started with an introduction. Everybody, both students and teachers, introduced themself, so we got to know each other. After this round, one of the Danish teachers told us the plan for the week.
We built little groups of 4, one student of each country in a group, and in these groups the Danish students showed us around the school.
After the school tour we spoke about the educational systems in the different countries but mostly about the Danish one. About this issue Pia Schmidt told us more. She compared the 4 educational systems and told us everything about the Danish educational system, too.
After lunch at 12 o clock we played some teambuilding games.
Jesper, one of the Danish teachers, presented the project so that we knew what to do teh next days. We got some presents from our hosts and we began to search for an „instruction manual“ to build a hydraulic ram pump. That was our project successful second day, and at the end all nations met in the restaurant „Cafe Vivaldi“ for having a nice dinner.
The third day started at the canteen of the school for having breakfast together. We talked about the last day, how we slept in the night and such other themes.
After the breakfast we started our project instantly. We got to the workshop, the workbenches were allocated to the groups and we started to work. In all countries there are different ways to work.
We were very fast so that we built our pumps until lunch and after lunch we tested it. After the tests and after eating and drinking a little bit of cake and coffee, we had a free afternoon. Some guys went to town, to buy some souvenir or stayed at the hostel to sleep a while.
In the evening we had dinner at the Chinese restaurant „Wok and Chop Sticks“. We exchanged our experiences from the first half of the week and had a nice evening.
On Thursday, our second last day of the project week, we started the day just like any other day of the week: we had breakfast in the canteen of the EUC.
After this empowerment we heard a presentation about „Waste water and reuse of greywater and rainwater“. A guy, called Arne, told us some aspects and facts about the waste water in Denmark and how they reuse greywater and rainwater. Here I had so say: it was really informative. Thanks for this.
After lunch at 12 o clock we had a free afternoon again. Like the day before, some people went to town and some people stayed at the hostel until we met for a boat trip in Naestved and a little dinner at the destination of this nice trip. After a nice Danish speciality we drove back to the hostel. I'm really allowed to say on behalf of nearly all participants that this was the best night of the week. It was very funny to go around the town in the night to look for an open bar but at least we found one.
Next day, the last day of this important project week, we had breakfast in the EUC again. We got half an hour more than the other days for breakfast. After the breakfast we visited a wholesaler outside from Naestved. They were really well equipped and they exhibit many kinds of solar panels, heaters and heating systems.
At ca. 12 o clock we had to say goodbye to Denmark, goodbye to Naestved and goodbye to this wonderful week with the other participants.
In any case we have to say „thank you“ to our teachers that they chose us, to go on this trip to Denmark, say „thank you“ to our companies that they have given us days off and say „thank you“ to our Danish friends, you were wonderful!
Text: Mike Beetz
Fotos: Andreas Wossidlo, EPS
