Andreas

Germany
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Profile information

Travel information
I am currently
At home
Activities i am interested in:

My next destination:
Portugal
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Description
Short: Digital Nomad. Vegan. Non-smoker.
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The last years I was building a home in Brandenburg, Germany, with a wonderful woman and her two kids that I really grew to love. But she broke up with me.

I don't have a place that feels home right now. So I can go everywhere - as long as I have a stable internet connection for my digital job (software development and data science) that I usually do Monday through Wednesday between 7 and 16 GMT (incl. some meetings that I need to participate in; I need a quiet place for that).

Beyond that, I have time for anything that fate may offer and want to get in touch with people from beyond the cultural background I come from, maybe even find a new home, or at least escape the cold and dark German winter for the next months.

I live vegan and would love to live in an environment where ethics and empathy also have their respected place on the table and in the hearts of the people. Actually, since I'm a sensitive person I'm hardly able to even endure the presence of animals' body parts in the fridge or on the table, it just makes me depressed, angry and bitter to be confronted with such commonly accepted and legal violence. Body secretions are psychologically easier to take, so a vegetarian environment would be a minimal requirement for me.

Physically I'm not very strong, so I'm not the right person for too arduous work. I've also got keen senses and have a really hard time with noises at night (own room would be great) and smells like cigarettes or manure, or even some pets (i.e. many dogs) to whom I at least need some distance.

On the other hand I am quite skilled and learn things quickly. Usually I can work independently and diligently for 10+ hours a day if circumstances demand it.
Interests
Vegetarian or vegan
Writing
Performing arts
Nature
Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
More details about my language interests
Could teach English and German. Also open for learning another language, however I'd probably quickly forget it again 😅
Find a language buddy
Skills and knowledge I'd like to share or learn
I'm interested in:
Art Projects
Languages
Eco Projects
Gardening
Hospitality/Tourism
General Maintenance
Some knowledge of:
Charity Work
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Helping around the house
Teaching
Able to teach about:
Helping with Computers/ Internet
More details about your skills
I've ran animal rights activist groups and organized vegan festivals earlier in my life which brings some psychological and communication skills, as well as planning and organizational skills. Also, having a scientific background, I can do research and educate myself on new topics in a structured way.

I have cooking experience, for big events (30 to 150 people) as well as cooking tutoring at a community college (all vegan courses; pun intended 😜). No fancy recipes, my focus is on basic healthy meals.

I've also educated myself on vegan nutrition, since "a vegan lifestyle is a form of systematic malnutrition" - at least that was my own prejudice when I became vegan in 2007, so I needed to learn better 😊

I don't bring much crafting / artisan / construction experience with me, but it's not that my fingers are all thumbs: I have reconstructed a single apartment together with my former partner and can do some basic things (i.e. repaper and painting, a bit of wood work, varnishing, floor and wall tiling, electric installation planning). Next year we'll start reconstruction of an apartment building from the 19th century.

I also did some research on current (2023) on- and off-grid photovoltaics technology and could probably assist with system planning and installation.

I have sometimes tutored my 9 year old (ex-?)daughters, but have more experience with tutoring students aged 14 to 18. However that's been some time ago...

I can eat plants, but don't know how to grow them 🤔
Age
44
What else ...
I write novels and poems. Sometimes. I also enjoy acting. However, as an introverted person I thrive in small family-like groups usually way more than in any big events, parties etc.

I would like to get back to a meditation routine that I lost in 2020 or maybe get deeper into yoga philosophies (well, I've already been addressed as "karma yogi" by an Indian friend because of my generally positive attitude towards all tasks of life, but I would consider this an exaggeration).

In general I'm currently lacking some physical exercise, so I would love to have opportunities for swimming or running (if helping your project is not physical enough 😉).

Loosing the connection to my family actually gives me a hard time right now. I'm still attached, though I'm striving for less attachment and expectations. Whatever I'll experience on Workaway will hopefully guide me in the right direction.
Some more information
- Smoker
- Driver's licence
- Allergies
- Special dietary requirements
  vegan

Feedback

20 Apr 2024

Left by Workawayer (Andreas) for host (Join us in empowering ...)

Spent almost 2 months there. Anish and Maya who run the school are outstanding personalities who really put their heart into a child-centered education that is way different from public Indian schools (they organized an opportunity for me and another volunteer to spend and teach a day at a public school which was a valuable experience).

In… read more general, you'll host lessons for students up to 5th (or soon 6th) grade and have to come up with your own ideas for what and how to teach. Since the school is really small (~40 students incl. kindergarten), you'll have between 3 and 12 students in a lesson usually. Anish and Maya are open for anything that could be valuable for the students' education: science, math, language, arts, crafting or presenting your own culture in some way. All this is part of an informal education (the formal education is taken care of by the 6 or 7 local teachers).

If there are other volunteers (usually there are), you can also team up and share lessons. I found this really helpful in the beginning since I had no comparable teaching experience before. We had language lessons on perception and verbal expression leading to story telling, I taught the scientific principle and applied it to an agricultural experiment, we contrived a very basic sundial together (after some theory about planetary movement and trigonometry), building a toy catapult (crafting and physics), logical reasoning, mathematics in nature (Fibonacci), how to do internet research, on Maya's request teaching the MS Office suite on the 3 school computers, an ecology / waste treatment workshop for students and teachers (a dire problem in India while the school tries to be a positive hallmark), and finally several physics experiments together with Maya for the national science day in India on Feb 28th.

What was sometimes difficult for me and other volunteers was a perceived pressure of coming up with new ideas again and again - that was probably partly induced by ourselves, since we of course felt the need of giving back something for getting a nice accommodation and decent organic vegan food, and partly because Anish really holds up the educational principles of the school (Montessori-like and combining mental challenges, emotional involvement and hands-on aspects). But even though this can be pressing sometimes, IMO it is definitely needed in India since the public school system seemed quite authoritarian to me where children are forced into the system, while at the place children learn a more autonomous way of thinking. You'll feel the high motivation of the students, and you'll want to contribute to that when you're there.

My advice here: Talk to Anish or Maya if you feel that pressure, brainstorm with other volunteers for ideas, or don't be shy to ask AI - I used ChatGPT for the first time and was impressed how well it worked if you ask the right questions and set some boundaries for creative exploration of thoughts.

What else to say... the school itself is a clean and mostly quiet oasis amidst the busy Indian life. You'll live in a small house right next to the school almost secluded from the rest of the world. There are 2 single rooms and one double room, kitchen, bathroom; all quite small and simple but sufficient. The only drawback living here are the power outages, often multiple times a day for several minutes, sometimes up to 2 hours, and w/o a fan the heat can be hardly bearable sometimes. Also, if you're a digital nomad be prepared to bridge that time with battery and mobile hotspot WiFi for your regular work (I was still doing my regular part time job during German office times, it is possible and Anish respects this if you have such boundary conditions).

A bit disturbing was the Christian religious imagery that you'll see in the school (sparsely, but it's there). There is a bias towards Christianity in this region of India historically, and I felt that many kids are already influenced by these themes from their homes. IMO a school that puts humanistic self-development of children in the focus of its education should completely get rid of religious biases and instead introduce a philosophical education dealing with religious sciences wholly from an objective outside view, based on critical thinking.

That's where I see room for improvement... and another pressing issue is the need for animal rights education: Many Indians do not even realize that keeping pets, such as dogs, birds or rabbits, in small wire grating cages causes severe suffering. Anyway it's a common practice throughout Kerala/India. Even though meals at the school were vegan (really out of reasoning, not culture or religion) and I felt the principles of ethical veganism were understood and acknowledged, developing more empathy here requires also knowledge of the needs of other species, and I'm sure that could be taught by many volunteers who take care of animals in their home countries, so that the students at the place can develop possibilities to take better care of the animals their families are hosting. If I'll go there a second time, I would definitely want to put that topic on my agenda.

Overall, I would recommend staying and teaching at the school for everyone who likes to engage with motivated young students and bring their own enthusiasm and knowledge to a rural community in India. It's a place you hardly find a second time. It was really an outstanding experience for me.

(Excellent )

1 Mar 2024

Left by host (Join us in empowering ...) for Workawayer (Andreas)

On behalf of our team, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your invaluable contribution as a volunteer guest at our school. Your presence and dedication have made a significant impact on our students and staff alike.

Throughout your time with us, you demonstrated a remarkable commitment to sharing your scientific knowledge and… read more

(Excellent )