This last weekend I was teaching at the Simillimum School of Homeopathy in Belgrade. The principal of the school is Vladimir Holdodkov and although time was short we chatted about developing links between the two schools of homeopathy. Quite how we do this is still under discussion.
The seminar was a little un-nerving from my point of view because although many students at the school spoke English there were some who didn’t. I was accompanied by my friend Mira from London who had arranged the seminar in the first place, and she translated. This sounds easy enough but believe me it isn’t. For a start, you have to speak a little at a time so that it is quite difficult to keep up the flow of what you want to say. I would stop and while Mira translated my mind would drift off in a day dream and then suddenly realize that I had forgotten what I was about to say.
The seminar was for two days and there were about seventy people there. The students were some of the best I have encountered in my teaching at various schools around the world and were dynamic, engaging and great fun. The whole experience was quite intense and the work we covered was surprising given that time had to be taken for translating. By the end of the seminar I knew we were tired when I spoke in English and Mira translated what I had said to the students but instead of saying it in Serbian said it again –in English.
There was a lesson for students at schools of homeopathy here in the U.K who are reluctant to use the repertory. In Belgrade where English is their second language and the repertory is still in English the students were really conversant with how to use this reference book and didn’t complain when asked to use it.
It may be that we can share summer schools on alternate years with the School there; our students go to a summer camp in Serbia one year and then we invite them over the next year. If anyone was interested in visiting Belgrade from our school then I am sure they would receive a warm welcome. The city is attractive, the food excellent and the people more than friendly.