Synthesis
Cultural background
Related to places, origin, past etc
| Criticizing concept identity/cocktail mix/concerns | Dreams/Hopes/Goals |
- German (3), Father from Germany (2), German passport, German students,I have many German relatives, Being told of having a very "German" appearance, Traban-Trabach
- American, North American Scum, Mother from the USA
- Magdalen Islands, Acadian, Quebec,French-Canadian
- Dane/Viking
- Sydney, Australia
- Switzerland
- Born and raised in Ireland, Mountains of Clar, Countryside of Cork, City of Cork
- Polish, Granfather born in Poland
- Belgium
- Spend 2 years abroad
- Grew up on a farm
| - Earthling
- With my familly background,. it's quite different
- There's nothing like a "migratory background"
- Positive light for being of a foreign background
- I don't quite like groups with very strong indentities
- Quite anonymous
- Not that different from anyone raised in a primarily caucasian developed country.
- Difficulties to identify oneself
- Want to create my own category
| - reamer
- Seeking a life outside the concentric rings of mindless mass consumerism
- Unfortunately still sometimes a part of it
- Prefer to be a part of a global culture of travelers,open-minded vagabonds and explorers and lovers(of life)
- Just want to be international
- Man, I miss the countryside.
|
| Profession/Education/Hobby related | Other elements of identity/Varia |
|
- Painter
- Social Worker
- Children's Rights and Childhood Studies.
- Business and Management
- Leadership and Anthropology
- Spend a lot of time in front of the computers either gameing, programming or just killing time surfing.
|
- Travel, traveller (3), travelling
- Hacker (2)
-
Hospex Networks addict, CouchSurfer
- Feminist
- Scientist
- Allrounder
- Interested in everything new
- Learn and speak languages
- Enjoy the silence and listening
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Note from Anick: The question was one of self-definition. It was a way to try to see what's the identity of our group
a priori (the sum of the parts), before we become a "we". It was meant to help us get a mosaic-portrait of "Us" as we join the group. It answers to the question "Who do we think we are as we join?". I classified things following my intuition, feel free to edit.
Values
Meaning of the project
A place to...
A way/opportunity to...
(actions)
| What
| How ?
With whom ?
| Keywords |
learn (6), teach
share (5)
live (5)
make friends (3),
meet (2), talk, have friends come
participate, commit, involve, be of some use, complete a task, get my feet wet
develop, transform, grow, encourage, support, collaborate, work in group
re-orientate, re-focus, think, broaden my mind, receive feedback
cook time-efficently, drink wine
create, gain, build
explore, conquer
find new game partners
have fun (2)
host | ... space (2)
... experiences (2)
... alternate means of living and consuming
... co-operative living
... volunteering
... a worthwhile project
... skills
... Humanity as it should be
... maybe more than i'd want to give
... something new to me
... power to the people
... a social base
... travelling tips
... ideas
... community
... cultural exchange
| ... with a clear conscience
... aware
... peace of mind
... true interaction
... among travelers
... not necessarily like-minded
... open-minded individuals
... interesting people
... whoever lives there
... a lot of people to cook for
| adventure
carpe diem
home
ideal
fair-trade
direct
ultimate
eye-opening
Berlin
health
strenght
future
now |
Meaning of the location
| Berlin | The Flat / Place
| Keywords / Thoughts
|
great (5), perfect (2), ideal, excellent, heard so many good things, good things happen
cheap (2)
large, huge
possibilities, creative, future art center of the world
'break the rules' culture', open-minded
pearl in the middle of Europe, centralish,
international character, cosmopolitan
a perfect crossroads
popular destination
The end. Just kidding
Too bad the parmesan is expensive.
| - Relatively central location would be fine as people have different jobs/schools all over the town.
-
oddly enough, the Berlin house seems to be just taking flight. The
location seems very well suited based on what everyone I've met who has
been to Berlin
- Prenzlauer Berg is a very nice part of Berlin
-
the rent can't be much more than ~500 - 600€/month.
- Huge living space doesn't hurt
| collective, building, challenge, organize, exchange, contribute, hospitality, communication, real people.
-
The project could take place anywhere.
-
In future maybe at different places at the same time.
- I want to be a part of it.
- I've been looking around for something like this
- perhaps any large, thriving city could suffice, it'd be nice elsewhere too
- I'm not so sure whether the city is to big for me or not,
- i want to improve my quality of living really depends on the people who'll join this...
- I'm practial orientated ... And I do need a place to stay ;)
- I want to live only from my savings
- We are in for some radical social changes , I'm telling you.
- Personally, it just seems like pure luck/karma. So fortuitous that I have stumbled on this.
- Couchsurfing is possibly the greatest internet community on existence. Greatest in terms of actual life away from a computer on which it is hosted.
- It is hard to pinpoint what constitutes the best message here
|
How we got to the project in the first place
Lucian (4), CS (3), whilst wandering through the Berlin group, Anick-Marie, ad in http://www.wg-gesucht.de, browsing the site I came across a member of the projects post, I replied, and then connections were made
- I've just been looking for a place to live (2)
- I was looking for a large house to do this kind of stuff, Trying to do it with so much people makes it only better,
I don't want to live all on my own, i wanted to live in a squat/house project
- I lived for 2 years in a house with about 20 people [...] we organised parties and pretty much had a community going. GREAT EXPERIENCE
- wanted to found a CS house/flat, but this sounds so much greater and more interesting.
- I think it's always nice to see people try to live by their convictions and be consistent.
- Realizing a project together makes us grow and gives meaning to our lives.
- I'm curious - it sounds really cool
- I made a spontaneous decision to move to Berlin for a while.
Motivations & needs
| | For you | For us |
Needs | a place to stay (2)
be in a community of open-minded individuals (3), living in a group
so much more than a roof
better social life, break this unspoken and quite visible social prison in which I live
language learning
improve my team-working, communication skills & general knowledge in online platforms
get to know you better
see with my own eyes whether or not it is worth it
| strong base
faster way of solving trivial problems (ie food, etc)
have hosting space
some privatesphere (division between permanent residents and the "guest-university" area)
need to see what needs are there
|
Motivation | conjugate general interest with personal project(s)
"wikiality": like a big real life library where everybody can share his knowledge
hope to evolve and learn a lot!!
I want to engage creatively
people coming and get to know them
cook for others
Create a hospitable place to stop for travelers, be it a night or a year.
| spreading the idea of hospitality
Open University!
A constant place for travellers to meet up
projects like this were in many major cities world-wide, offering a welcome reprieve to travelers of all ilks
enough people so that you cannot get fed up with each other
Make it sustainable for any way of living of the livin participants (unemplyed, student, fulltimejob, alternative lifestyle).
|
Expectations
Go Ahead & Dream!
...culture & sport
a cultural hub;
exhibition room
dance classes,
martial art classes
A functioning open university.
Ongoing workshops/classes
...sustainability
getting grant money from government or sponsors & being independent (2)
all those little things that change the world and make us less dependent on a spending culture we don't agree much with.
...the ambiancea calm area where I can work by myself with no interruptions, enough privacy to find oneself.
a mix of places I've been too and I found super cool.
hacker-friendly community where we could do activism.
people supporting each other by advising/coaching them, sharing their experiences in an informal yet inspiring way
not many rules and control
a place to live, with a lot of people coming, but still a home.
happy people cooking together on a sunday afternoon.
finding people to have great conversations with.
sit on the kitchen floor and passionately plan the next revolution.
sharing silence.
cry, laugh and study together.
drug free.
source of knowledge, fun, life.
Humanity in all its beauty and uglyness.
A place that keeps it's own momentum, where everyone can fill their
needs, realize dreams and ideas without taking the freedom from others.
...structures,
processes & resultsgive reality to small and big projects, social projects for the local community (2), bind the project with the area residents
hospitality, many people passing by (2)
active blog
prove that volunteering and living together is not only utopia, and can be a lifestyle.
a reflection about resources, water, waste, dumpster diving, ecological or fair trade products
volunteer projects with people from abroad.
Support services for people in great need.
Bicycle share program (Sign-out check-in, etc)
Organic Vegetable Gardens.
learn from others.
take away the solitude that holds us, the need to retreat to your comfortable cave to hide from the world.
good quality of life for live-in participants,
permanent hospitality
confrontation with myself
...influenceSpreading the idea (2)
Sending some space-cruisers away from the mothership to settle other planets.
Build a world on trust and piss off the ones who want to see it burn... Like the dream of a Lemming.
Networking with similar projects in other cities - i.e. actually creating one of these flats in many locations to allow a rotating cast of characters the opportunity to travel and collaborate in community development and building
Trust. And be trusted.
It could expand, several housing projects. Many smiles :)
Learn
Knowledge, competencies, values, attitudes ...
...to acquire, develop, explore as we participate in this project
Languages (5)
- German
Computer-IT-related stuffcoding skills
how to hack websites or crackme's.
programming languages if there's interest...
Culture(s)from different remote countries and maybe visiting them eventually
how other people live that is
radically different from how I live
Music
Art (2)
*Books of Hours (Medival Illuminated Manuscripts) and everything connected to bookbinding and manufacturing books !
*Graffitti/ Street Art of Berlin, thinking about creating a map and a Berlin Resident Artists Glossary .
*East Asian Art in general, Contemp. Chinese and Japanese Tea Ceramics in particular
History - Everything connected to the Silk Road
RELIGION
*Christian Mysticism ?
*Islam .
*Amida Buddhism .
*Voodoo ?
*Maya Religion (Dresden codex) ?
POLITICS - Anything
board games, card games and computers.
game of go (very facinating game). I
Attitudesto take things less personally
to expand my knowledge (interested in everything)
get involved in projects
find out if the project works or if we are just naive
Skills & Competenciesgardening (2)
cooking (2)
find new ways to communicate, especially in the written form.
a bit of carpentry and renovation skills,
organizational skills
Group-working & communitiesKnow more about Learning Communities and how they function.
be more efficient with wikis.
learn how to share motivation in a long distance relation.
develop new ways of intervention that are more adapted to community learning.
community development.
sustainable living (dumpstering, freecycling etc),
People
Just Anything
Have absolutely no idea, but no restrictions either anything will be valuable for the future.
I would like to learn and do most anything. I'm very conceptual in nature but I feel lacking in many skilled pursuits.
knowledge about... everything possible, i guess.
and: just see, what I find interesting.
I would like to learn something.
I would like to remember to want to live.
Participation
Do you plan to move in Berlin/into the place or do you plan to work remotely? How do you see your participation within the project
Move in
In October
Staying for 3 years
Spend 6 months improving
Live and work
It would be nice to live there for a bit
A place to live in
Time will tell. I make no plans right now.
I hope to start my Masters.
I'll move to berlin because of the studies.
I'm arranging a German work permit at the moment
I would want to participate in many ways.
I am indefatigable and can offer much time and dedication
I'd be willing and desire to be involved and offer assistance.
Developing programs or conceptualizing improvements or changes/additions etc.
Offering assistance to projects spearheaded by others.
Offer assistance by way of ideas and support
Build a space for people to come and visit or live with us for some time
Pay rent every month
Donate money and give my student status for a discount for at least one
daily newspaper abonnement, or think of a way to get these
Opening a workshop for learning Chinese
Open a "Tea Party" and collect tea from every visitor, so me might have a worldwide tea collection at one point.
Would love to have a house recipe book to share recipes from all over the world, too.
Make sure the hosting work for everyone.
Not move in
Work remotely
Time to invest
| <2h | 2 |
| 2-5h | 4 |
| 5-8h | 1 |
| 8-10h | 2 |
| >10h | 1 |
Strenghts & Challenges
| Strenghts | Challenges |
Languages : Spanish, Portuguese
Sports : capoeira, Brazilian jiujitsu
IT:Blogger. Good programmer, have contacts in the industry that could make great speakers.
Community:Experience in similar large-house community living (2), make rooms cosy, attractive, liveable. Cook with me a nice meal. Operated a WG last year, and have experience about renting, utilities and subletting. I don't mind working for free.
Hugs & Smiles: Have a dog. Spreading good mood. Being present. Enthusiasm. Energy and dedication. Open-mindedness. Calm. I have nothing to lose, and so much to gain.
Activities:Cooking, musical talent
Soft Skills: Leader and an organizer. Like to have things cleared, clarified and communicated. Can make people feel they are part of something. Knowledgeable. Face to face communication. Activating people. . Natural networking and organizing type of fellow. Skill sharing and a lot of free time at the moment. Get along with anyone. Create harmony. If I put something in my mind I usually get it. Optimistic. I am used to finding solutions to problems, and problems with solutions. Pessimistic, sometimes useful.
| Virtually no free time (2)
Having to learn german (2)
Tensions that might arise in the group, inevitable human conflict, personal differences
Step back every once in a while, not burn out (2)
Not much of money (2)
Let other's leadership bloom.
Not seeing the people I'm working with or not to hear from them on a regular basis.
I already spend too much time in front of the PC.
My ignorant approach and head-on-I-know-nothing-just-wanna-get-there style
I don't feel skilled enough (renovation)
Remaining motivated
The actual physical setup (financial problems, logistics etc.)
Getting on familiar terms with people I don't know, introversion
I won't get engaged enough - for me, in the first place, it still will be somewhere to live.
I fear to not open myself to others,
I wont be able to do all i have in mind.
I dont have any plan
I have completely no sense of time and money.
Overcoming my past into a brighter future.
Trying to combine the project with my other major prioritiesé
|
Our common challenges
Need for isolation and silence may be hard to achieve. Private sphere of permanent residents.
Maybe sound-proof isolation of the common areas?
Drugs may be a problem too. Total banning?
I'd even suggest no smoking in common areas.
Deciding who is coming. How do we filter people, if we even want do do that?
There has to be a common communication ground..
I am afraid that radical positions will exclude people at some point. I call for flexibility.
Financial problems. Need money, but creativeness and hard work has always suprised me so far and paid off.
House rules - not to strict, not to loose.
How long can guests stay?
People can become tired - motivation
to realize that everyone has limitations and to be aware of your own so that you don't give too much of yourself unsustainably.
Taking time to think things through and allowing yourself to appreciate progress
Take time to reflect occasionally.
Starting and then maintaining. How to keep the place going for a sustained period of time?
the more people living in a place, the more difficult it is to keep it clean.
Make everyone participate and take over a certain amount of responsibility so that there's a certain balance
Sustainability
I am sure there can be a dormitory, but will we all get sick of it after 3 months?
Will we be able to handle unexpected expenses?
Can we reach an agreement on things that affect everyone?
Interest
Instant Communication
Skype 7 MSN, 7 GTalk 1 ICQ 1
Questions
See the Sub-Page (and please answer !)
Raw Data
