Dear friends,Here is the interview my friend Debbie organised for me. I beleive she did a great job and was not afraid to ask serious and meaningful questions. I really enjoyed answering her. Please leave her a comment on her blog.Here is her link for the interview: THANKShttp://my.englishclub.com/profiles/blogs/writting-challenge-34-myec-spotlight-on-manuela-1Writting challenge # 34 : MyEC spotlight on Manuela• Posted by Debbie Le on August 29, 2011 at 3:58pm• Send Message View BlogInterviewer: DebbieInterviewee:Manuela - MY EC nick Forget-me-NotDebbie: Hi, Manuela. First of all I'd like to thank you for taking your time to answer to my interview. From your profile I can see that you are an energetic and kind-hearted woman. Could you share more about yourself with me ?Manuela: Hello Debbie, I also thank you for asking me to do this challenge with you. I take it as a gift and i am very happy to have the opportunity to answer your questions.Debbie: Okay, We start it now.You like traveling, especially traveling alone to discover new things, right ?Manuela: Yes, indeed i love to travel and i always did. Since i was about eight years old i wanted to see the world. But it's only when i finished my studies to be a nurse that i decided to hit the road. As a kid i was traveling through books and most of all while spending hours checking the world map i got for Christmas when i was 10 years old. I believe my mother gave me that interest for traveling alone and out of the touristic paths.Debbie: So how many countries have you traveled to? Which country do you like most and what do you like to discover most when you travel to a new place?Manuela: Ohhh, let me count, i visited quite a few : Canada, US, Mexico and Cuba on that side of the map. Finland, Danemark, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, France, Spain, Italy, UK, the Czechoslovak Republic, Switzerland, Greece, then the islands of Jersey, of Creta and of Cyprus, and last but not least, Turkey, Syria, Egypt and Afghanistan .So, it looks like i went to 24 different places.Debbie: Wow, that is amazing! I wish i could visit as many countries as you did.Photography is one of your interest, right? Because in your blog post I saw there are lots of pictures that you took, they look really exciting.Manuela: Yes, photography became a passion for me, i never ever go out without one of my cameras. Opportunities to make pictures are everywhere and most of the time, they come unexpectedly.Debbie: To take these beautiful pictures, did you need to learn some photography skills or do you just take them with your own inspiration?Manuela: No, I've never learned how to take pictures and I have no skills about technics. I just take photos when something is « talking » to me, it's about feelings and it's not easy to explain it here.Debbie: Now I can see clearly that inspiration in you.Can you show me the picture that you are interested in the most, a picture of a person or a landscape that left you the deepest impression that you have to take to keep its immortalized moment.Manuela: Ohh, that's really not easy for me to choose the photo that i like the most, there are so many. But i am really interested in « portraits » and people in general. Here is a photo that really heart-touched me. Don't ask me why ! That old man was curving wooden spoons on a local turkish market. I was behing him trying to make a photo of his working hands when sudently he turned back and saw me and he gave me that amazing smile.The next day i had his photo developped and i went back there to give it to him. He was so happy and looking at his picture with a huge wonderment on his face, i wouldn't be surprised that it was the first time he saw a photo of himself. That was an amazing reward for me. Here is the photo.Debbie: oh, I like your picture very much. The old man here look very gentle, he makes me remind of my grandfather very much.Where were you born, Manuela?Manuela: I was born in the french speaking part of Belgium, in a small village situated in the Southern-Eastern part of the country. Let me please give you a detail about my country. I wrote « in the french speaking part of the country » because in Belgium we have 3 official languages : French, Germany and Dutch.Debbie: Now that you are partly living in Turkey, can you describe me the culture's differences between that country and Belgium? Is it easy for you to adapt with the new life in Turkey, the new one without your family, relatives and friends?Manuela: Well, it would take me hours to talk about the differences between the two cultures but i will make it short by saying that most of the differences between my two countries have a religious background and i will add that i love it and i had no problems at all to adapt myself.Debbie: Yah, you are right, with love everything will become easier.You are a part-time tourguide, aren't you ? Are you in charge of domestic or foreign tours?Manuela: Yes, due to my deep interest to Turkey, a few months ago i was asked to accompany belgian tourists visiting the country. And i accepted ; it's very different from being a nurse but i found out that i love this job a lot, in a way, i also take care of people, but the context is different and happier.Debbie: That’s a great job which can satisfy your traveling interests. Suppose that I have a business trip to Turkey and have only one day to stay there, which destination would you advice me to visit?Manuela: Ohh, without any hesitation, i would tell you to start by Istanbul. That city is magic and so captivating and after spending a day there i bet you would want to come back to see more of the country.Debbie: Hearing you say that i am really excited. Hope one day i can visit Istanbul.Working as a tour guide takes much of your time but you still can find time to help other people working sometimes as a volunteer nurse. Why did you decide to be a nurse?Manuela: Ohh, i was extremely young when i decided to become a nurse. Docteur Albert Schweitzer was my hero and it's after reading his biography that i decided to study to become a nurse. At that time i already wanted to work abroad in developping countries. If you wish to know more about this doctor, check this link :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_SchweitzerNow, though i am working part-time in another field, i still need to keep on voluntering as a nurse. It's something necessary to my happiness.Debbie: Yes, Manuela. I am sure people appreciate your job, because it brings happiness to both you and people you helped.Which organization do you work for and what is your main job as a volunteer?Manuela: At the moment, i am not working for an organization anymore but for a small clinic that is in the middle of nowhere in Turkey. The urgentist working there is my friend and sometimes he needs help.Debbie: Give free Vaccination for children and contraception for women, is it easy for you?Manuela: Making vaccines and teaching women about the different ways of contraception is not a difficult job. As a nurse, to give an injection is something we do everyday. It's not the same when talking about teaching foreign women about contraceptive tools.In big cities, Turkish women know all about this, but in small villages in deep Anatolia, there are still women who don't know much about the subject. So my friend and I discussed about the best way to approach this dedicated topic here in this country. But i think it's mainly a matter of having some psychology and I had psychology courses while i was at the university. I will add that to me, as a woman, it's more a matter of having some « good sense »Debbie: I see what you meant. In Vietname, it is also not easy to teach rural women the contraception. First because they are shy, second due some outdated thoughts of their husbands: forcing their wives to give birth until they have a son.Does this program offer help for any children and women in needs or just in rural area and for under privileged ones?Manuela: Here there is a national program for children vaccines.So all the children have to be vaccinated.I don't know if there are informative campaigns about contraception all over the country. I do believe so, but i am not sure. I did it in rural areas and it is for to every women who want to know more.Debbie: Okay Manuela, here is the last question for you.If there were an offer from an organization and that you have to travel and stay in Africa for a year to help HIV children and women, would you be willing to take this offer? and why?Manuela: I would love to, but unfortunately my health does not allow me to work for big organisations anymore. Health criterias for medical staff working in developping countries are extremely strict and i don't fit them anymore.Why i would love? Because to take care of people is part of me and patients who have aids deserve to have the best traitments, unfortunately, it's far to be the case in Central Africa.Debbie: That's great Manuela, your opinion will help to limit the discrimination against them, they need our help.Thank you Manuela again for your interesting answers! I wish you always healthy and happy life.
Wonderful interview and getting to know more about Manuela whom I admire and respect very much. Thank you very much Debbie for the Interview and Manuela for sharing it with us
Comments