The Adventures of Ines

A Volunteer’s Tale

In Germany, Ines came to roam, 
An Armenian girl, far from home. 
She loved to explore and meet new faces, 
But always looked tired in all the places.  

The first month hit—what a blessing, 

The ceiling went down during German lesson. 

She stood there confused, ready to flee, 

But somehow, she stayed, though she wanted to leave. 

Her motivation grew, working with kids, 

Teaching and laughing through all the grids. 

So many things happened, some good, some odd, 

But she kept on working, despite all—just nod. 

Now it’s time for Ines to speak Deutsch—yay, 

To butcher the words in the most charming way. 

“Guten Morgen,” she’d try, then “Wie geht’s?” with flair, 

But mostly she’d just get blank stares in the air. 

Next, she got a Fahrrad, feeling all proud, 

Pedaling like a maniac, yelling out loud. 

She swerved, she crashed, straight into a tree— 

“Wunderbar! So this is Fahrrad for me?” 

But she didn’t give up, oh no, not a chance, 

She’d get back on and do a strange dance. 

Her Deutsch was terrible, her biking a mess, 

But hey, at least she tried—more or less. 

The kids in the project—full of playful cheer, 

Ines had to teach them, though she had fear. 

She had no clue, not a single bit, 

But somehow, she faked it and made it fit. 

With Knupfel in hand and Schraubzwinge galore, 

She’d act like a pro—then drop something on the floor. 

"Just schraub it like this," she’d confidently say, 

While praying the wood didn’t break right away 

Her favorite part, through work and play, 

Was getting presents from kids every day. 

All she got from projects was this, no pay, 

But the smiles of the kids made it all okay. 

So Ines keeps going, though tired, it’s true, 

Coffee, kids, and presents—she makes it through! 

A sip of coffee—her secret cure, 

Gave her the energy to endure. 

With tools in hand, she’d start her grind, 

Schnitzeisen, Knupfel—all in mind. 

In Hagebutze, Ines shares her space, 

With two other volunteers—an odd little place. 

One’s from Poland, the other from France, 

They all try to survive, in this strange living circumstance. 

Each evening they meet in the kitchen’s light, 

Hoping the ceiling won’t give them a fright. 

They sip on their tea, warm and neat, 

Praying the roof won’t admit defeat. 

They talk through the day, the mess and the noise, 

Sharing the madness with each other’s joys. 

A laugh, a sigh, they hold onto their grace, 

As long as the ceiling stays put in its place. 

This is the life of volunteer Ines, 

A mix of chaos, coffee, and a bit of stress. 

If you want to know her more, it's quite clear, 

Just grab a cup of coffee, and pull up a chair. 

She’ll tell you her tales, both funny and wild, 

Of crashing ceilings and teaching the child. 

And though she’s tired, with work left to do, 

She’ll smile and say, “Hey, come join the crew!”