As you know (and if you don’t, click here) I applied to be a volunteer at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC, keep that abbreviation in mind, I will use it a lot over the next two weeks) and finally I got the confirmation that I was able to participate. That means that I am going to rock the ESC and everything happening around it in the city of Vienna with 799 other motivated people! I want to use my column here at stripped magazine for the next two weeks to keep you updated on my experiences and everything else that is going on!

It all started the very second Conchita Wurst got yet another 12 points in the 2014 Song Contest and, therefore, no one could beat “the queen of Europe” anymore. From that moment on, it was clear to me I wanted to take part in this event and what would be better than to actually be right inside it? Exactly, nothing. Therefore I became a volunteer and for the next two weeks I will be working in the press centre that is ready to be the home of the 1.800 journalists attending the event.

Only a few days ago, I took part in the kick-off event that would be the introduction for every volunteer. This may sound more like a boring lecture, but hell no, it wasn’t at all! Starting off with a great drum workshop/team building activity (which included 800 people madly slamming their hands on their drums) by a band called Drum-Café, the atmosphere was set to be a fantastic day. When then the German act for the ESC Ann-Sophie stopped by just to casually sing her song unplugged, I knew: this is going to be a whole lot of fun! I have to say, they really want to keep us volunteers motivated – they need our help badly! Without us, this event simply wouldn’t be possible.

Flashback: I just got my volunteer equipment. It reads like a brand guide: Adidas Superstar, Microsoft Lumia Phone and so on. My fair and ecologically friendly clothes are all tagged with the ESC Logo and carry the writing “May I help you?” on the back. The rosé-grey coloured shirts were already discussed enough (especially among the male volunteers), yet they fit quite well with the sand-coloured oh so comfy hoodie. I leave the venue with three bags full of clothes and goodies and wonder why I am not allowed to wear anything else during my shifts than exactly the clothes they gave me. Individuality off.

There we are back at the kick-off event and I have to say, that one of the infamous rosé shirts still looks meh, but 800 people wearing them looks creepy! We all look alike with our shirts, blue jeans and white shoes (seriously, why white? They will be black by the end of the ESC!), as if we are all from some kind of cult!

Well, technically that is not even so far from the truth. Even though it is not a cult, I met an enormous amount of highly intelligent, creative and, above all, motivated people. A lot of them work with me in the press centre and we can’t wait to assist everyone coming and show them a good time in Austria. In the next two weeks I will connect printers, hand over microphones, put chairs back where they came from and, above all, always smile. I have no idea how this is going to be – but I promise to keep you posted about it!