eurogeneration - Erasmus city-guide

How is to be Erasmus in Edinburgh?

Adriano — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:06:00 +02:00

We continue our series of Erasmus city-guide with Alicia Benito-Martinez, an Erasmus pioneer who will run you through the wonderful city of Edinburgh. Discover Scotland, its traditions and the unforgettable experience of being Erasmus there!

It was back in 1997 and for the first time I was ready to leave Spain and embark on an adventure in an English-speaking country. It was the fourth year of my English Studies degree at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid and I realised that it was time to leave my grammar books aside and learn the language properly – I’d soon be out there in the real world!.

Accomodation: a flat in the campus... already booked!
I was lucky enough to visit my first destination of choice: Edinburgh, reputedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with a world-renowned University. Everything seemed extraordinarily well organised – I was sent a package well in advance with all information, and was offered a full-board flat within the campus so I didn’t even have to worry about accommodation (or cooking – a great relief !). Some of my friends shared a room, which was cheaper, or lived in flats outside the campus. I ended up living with a Korean, an American and a Japanese – a truly international experience from the start. I got some extra money working at the cafeteria, where the real hard work was understanding the dinner ladies’ strong Scottish accent...

University: learn Scottish dance!
Lessons were in English, of course, which I had to attend about three times a week and didn’t have to sit any exams, just write essays, so I had a lot of free time and endless possibilities, and I made the most of it: I took German lessons, attended workshops, plays, joined the university gym, learnt how to dance ceilich (Scottish traditional dance) and of course I socialised a lot! All one needed was an open mind and a willingness to meet new people – everyone had something interesting to say about their own countries of origin.

Don’t miss the Highlands and Loch Ness
I hired a small van with a few friends and spent five days visiting the Highlands – an absolute must. In the Isle of Sky we hired bikes and rode around, we visited Loch Ness (I saw the shadow of Nessie but no one believed me!) and enjoyed the surprisingly nice weather. Every single corner of the city is astonishingly beautiful, the castle, the parks, only a few minutes away from the King building’s campus – even Princes Street, the commercial area, looks out of a fairy tale.

Going out: my favourite spots
It is an old but young city, full of life – my favourite venues were Teviot and the The Liquid Room, which still exist. In fact, it is difficult to live in Edinburgh and not know where to have fun - there are plenty of pubs and clubs. The worst bit, as expected, was the weather. It was wet most of the time and at 4 pm it was dark already - if you plan to visit Edinburgh, you can’t let it rain in your parade…

My advice: Erasmus in Edinburgh is an unforgettable experience
I had not thought about my Erasmus year for a while, and looking back now I realise how important this experience has been in my life. It opened my mind, it made me more culturally and linguistic aware – I doubt I would be the translator I am today if I had not spent one year learning the language first hand - and well, I loved the rain so much that I am now back in the island…

As one of the oldest members of the « Erasmus Generation » I can only say: if you have a chance to study at Edinburgh for one year, don’t think it twice. It is an unforgettable experience.

Tips for Erasmus in Bratislava: low cost and dirty dancing

Adriano — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:14:00 +02:00

Here we are with a lot of info on another Erasmus city: Bratislava, capital of Slovakia.

Francisco Chica García will show you all the tips you must know to spend a wonderful Erasmus year!

Finding a place to stay in Bratislava for 75 euros

Dorms:

Dormitory Družba: double and triple rooms. Small fridge, bath, toilet and “kitchen” shared with 5 or 3 people. Price for a double room 75€ per month (daily cleaning service and internet connection included).
Website: www.hotel-druzba.sk
Phone number: 02/60299261
Mlynská Dolina: very cheap but worse buildings.
Bernolak: double rooms, internet connection optional. Price 50€ per month. Swimming-pool and common places, laundry services and buffet.
Website: www.bernolak.sk

Renting a flat: rents are high (7 000 Skk, 215 €, for a shared room).
Where: Petržalka, Dubravka and some other quarters far from the center. It’s better if you have a local friend who help you find roomies and better offers. Individual rooms are very expensive.

Studying in Bratislava: Slovak course for free
They have special programs for foreigner students in english (Management and Medicine Faculties for example). For language degrees they have well prepared teachers who use those languages in the lessons.
Univerzita Komenského offers a good course of slovak language in different levels for foreigner students (for free).
University System is a little messy. No problems with specific programs but it takes lot of time to find lessons by yourself. They don’t have a fixed study program, it changes every semester.
Usually lessons are once a week. For every exam, you can choose different dates.

Places you can’t miss in Bratislava

The Blue Church: Weird but impressive Art Nouveau building.
Petržalka: Huge group of communist identic blocks. You feel like living in an beehive.
AU PARK: It’s a shopping centre, new, modern, original and full of people. Slovak life!

Partying in Bratislava: absynth & ‘particular’ dancing (but careful with naziskin!)
Beer, Zlatý Bažan for example, is the best option, cheap and tasty.
Vodka, Slivovice, Borovička and Absinth (legal in this country) as shots are the usual liquor drinks here. Any other kind of alcohol is very expensive.
Discos & Pubs:

Havana: Salsa pub in the old centre, full of foreigners.
Unique: Disco in Mlynská Dolina (Wednesday night), always crowded. Just for students. Nice music and low prices.
Dopler: Big disco, not very expensive and with very good music. Far from the center, you may need a cab.
Trafo: Fashion disco. Expensive and select. Placed in the old town.

What you should know:
There are some skinheads around, so be careful if you go to a ‘just slovak people’ place (as 49, in Mlynská Dolina).
Slovak girls have a ‘particular’ way of dancing. Don’t misunderstand it!

My feeling: I love Bratislava – small if beautiful
As far as I can tell, I love this city. It’s small and nice, very well located (near Vienna, Prague and Budapest). Once you get used to Slovak behaviour you can really enjoy being here. And they have very good meals as ‘fried cheese’, ‘pirohy’ (filled pasties), ‘bryndzové halušky’ (Potato dumplings with sheep cheese) and ‘goulash’!
What to say, for me one of the best options for your Erasmus.

Being Erasmus in Seville: flamenco, a 250 euros bed and Carboneria

Adriano — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:28:00 +02:00

How's to be an Erasmus in Sevilla?

Gabriela Azevedo (first from the right in this photo taken in La Carboneria), from Seville cafebabel.com, will tell you all that you must know before coming in Andalusian capital for a student exchange program.

Finding a place to stay in Seville

There are several information sources. One is the journal called “Cambalache”, the most popular one among the students who are looking for an apartment to live. Another is the “SACU” (SERVICIO DE ASISTENCIA A LA COMUNIDAD UNIVERSITARIA - Pabellón de Uruguay, Avenida de Chile), a University of Seville service that helps students with all kind of issues. Another good option is looking around the walls in the campi of the university, there are always a lot of papers hanging on them asking for people to share apartments. The universities also offer the official universitary residences for those who want more commodities. It is true that they are also much more expensive than an apartment, but they worth it. In the SACU webpage it’s possible to see all the available residences. For sharing apartments the prices goes around 250 euros (in the city centre this price is to share a room with other person, but outside the midtown you can have an entire room for this same price). The best regions to live are the Centre (El Arenal, Alameda de Hércules, Plaza de Duque, Alfafa, Menéndez Pelayo), Nervión, Los Remedios, Triana and Macarena (close do the Hospital).

University in Seville: speak Spanish (or sevillano), please

There are not courses in English (well, if you study English Philology of course you have). The courses are all in Spanish (well, most of them in “sevillano” hehe) and the universities offer free Spanish courses to every foreigner student who doesn’t have Spanish as mother tongue. To do the course you have to go to the “Rectorado” (Calle San Fernando) on International Relations section. They give you a paper that you have to fill up and give in the Institute of Idioms (in Avenida Reína Mercedez) to do the enrollment in the Spanish Course. After that, you take a level test and then it’s up to you to just enjoy your studies. The only thing you pay is the material (books and an exercise notebook). About the universitary atmosphere, it depends on what you study. As I study Journalism, people are more open and also communicative. They were not as open as I thought though; at the beginning it was a little bit difficult to interactive with them. After you get to know some people, things become easier and your experience becomes much better. In some courses the foreigner students are always together and they don’t usually hang around with Spanish people. As I said, it depends on what you study and how open and talk-active you are. The tip is find people who are more interesting in others cultures, in learning new languages, in experiencing new things. You can easily recognize them because these people surely will talk to you.

Going out in Seville: don't miss la Carboneria

Well, nobody can leave Seville without going to “La Carboneria”. It’s a touristic place, but it’s free! You can watch a lot of Flamenco and music shows without paying anything. Plus, this place is perfect to know people (specially ERASMUS and other students from overseas). It’s in Barrio Santa Cruz, in the city centre (right in the photo). Very easy to find and everybody knows it. Another very nice place to know is “Sala OBBIO” (it’s in Calle Trastamana, in front of Plaza de Armas Center). It’s a pub, disco and cinema a little bit alternative. You don’t pay anything to watch the movies (the cinema sessions run from Monday to Wednesday and each day of the week it’s a different kind of movies. They change the themes every month. Plus, the movies are always in original language with subtitles in Spanish. Great to learn Spanish!!!) and you know a lot of nice people. From Thursday to Saturday it’s a pub and disco and the drinks are very cheap (from 2 to 4 euros). The third place is the Guadalquivír River. During the Spring and the Summer is a really enjoyable place to walk, have some beer, ice cream, to hang out with your dog, with your partner, to sit in front of the river and have a sunbath. This place is recommendable to people who enjoy the simple things of life, as a hot and sunny day on Seville. This place is also good to do exercises, there are always people running, walking and skating around. Following this same kind of place, all the parks in Seville are amazing, specially the “Parque María Luísa”.

Partying in Seville: Caramelo y Calle Betis

The most famous place to party with other Erasmus is the disco called “Caramelo”. They do a special party every Wednesday (like “Mexican party”, “Italian party”, “German party” and so on…) when a lot of Erasmus goes to know other cultures and meet people from all over the world. Other great option to party is “Calle Betis” where you can find a lot of bars, pubs and discos, one beside the other. You have just to cross “el Puente de Los Remedios” or “el Puente de Triana” and you’re already there. Advice: don’t hang around in this street lonely or in two. It’s always better being in a group at night! As “Calle Betis”, “Alameda de Hércules” has got a wonderful atmosphere. It’s a street with a lot of cafés, pubs and discos can’t miss it! Spanish people use to party in a lot of places in the same night. They go from bar to bar to take some “tapas”, then they drink a little bit more in the streets and then they go to a disco. This is nice because you know a lot of places and always meet a lot of different people. Other discos well known by the students are Orange, Aduana, Boss, Sidharta, GOA/Babilonia (my favorite!), Funkclub and Elefunk.

My verdict: Seville is neither too big or too small.

I do recommend Seville to other people to have an experience here. It’s perfect because Seville is not too big (you can meet your friends, hang around, get to the places very easily and fast) nor too small (there are a lot of things to do here and places to visit. In Seville it’s impossible to get bored specially because of this university atmosphere, there’s always something going on!). Plus, Seville is close to very nice beaches and also to the mountains. You can have a sunbath and also go skiing very easily. If you’re not coming to Seville to live, you have to visit at least for a week. I’m sure you won’t regret!!!

... and if you wanna join cafebabel.com in Seville, just email sevilla@cafebabel.com !

Erasmus in Portsmouth, tips and tricks

Adriano — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:21:00 +01:00

Let's continue our tour of European cities with all the tips provided by people who spent their Erasmus year there. After Budapest, here you have a unique report of Portsmouth, the little seaside village in the UK. Our host this week is Antoine aka Antuan, co-author of Babelyon blog.

Finding a place to stay: the uni helps you but life is expensive
I arrived in Portsmouth one week before the term start, with my backpack as only friend. I was helped from the very beginning by the university: free minibus transfer from the train station to the temporary accommodation in a seaside campus, private room at a fair price (about
£15 a night), house-hunting day with free phone and buses to the city centre, advice on housing contracts, etc. Everything was organised and planned by the foreign students department. The only thing I had to take care of was making friends, which was easy since most EU students opted for the Uni temporary accommodation offer.
Nevertheless, even helped by the Uni, finding a nice place to stay in Portsmouth isn't hassle-free. It depends where you want to live.
Portsmouth being an island city, it is densely populated. The City Centre where the main campus is located isn't very attractive.
Portsmouth is the home of the Royal Navy (see original marines in the above picture) and, hence, suffered heavy bombings during WWII. Although some historic buildings remain, much of the centre is "a product of myopic and uninspired postwar development" as the Lonely Planet puts it.
Therefore many students choose to live in the nearby chill-out seaside resort of Southsea. I myself ended up in a gorgeous three-storey Victorian house a short walk from the seafront. Nonetheless I was probably the luckiest of my friends. Virtually all of them lived in terraced houses in and around Albert Road, Southsea.
Continental Europeans must know that living in the UK is costly. As a means of comparison, I paid more or less the same for my shared room in Portsmouth (a middle-sized city) as for my flat in Lyon (France second-biggest city).

Portsmouth University: beware of the Chinese box
I studied two years at Portsmouth University (BSc and MSc). I'm overall happy with the education provided. A great variety of subjects was available. In France I struggled (and failed) to find a Internet degree which wasn't IT only whereas in Portsmouth I could choose between e-learning, creative technologies, e-commerce, etc. But beware of the all-powerful finance department! They seem to have forgotten that their "clients" are students and not senior executive managers.
Make sure that the degree you're interested in is attended by British students. This may sound awkward but some degrees are marketed for the foreign market (tuition fees for non-EU students are three times higher) and directly sold abroad by Portsmouth Uni overseas offices.
Unfortunately for many of these degrees, derogatively nicknamed 'Chinese box', the teaching is not up to the standard it should be.

Places: jogging, beers & the Isle of Wight
1. As Portsmouth is so compact, one often wants to escape. My fave destination is the Isle of Wight, a 10min hovercraft ride from Southsea.
Once on the island, head to the village of Seaview, follow a seaside footpath southwards into the woods and you'll find yourself in one of the most beautiful beaches I know.
2. If you like jogging, the seafront is the perfect spot. Unlike Brighton's, Portsmouth beaches are separated from the city by a vast green space, Southsea Common. So while running you'll enjoy the view on the Isle of Wight without being annoyed by the traffic.
3. On a sunny day, get yourself a beer and watch the ships going in and out the harbour from Old Portsmouth walls.

Partying: don't tell people too early!
There are many places where to go out in Portsmouth. Forget Gunwharfs quays, a former Navy site turned commercial precinct, it is way too chainy. Give Guildhall walk in the City Centre a try. You'll find out that the best pub around is the Registry.
In Southsea, the seafront is lined with clubs. My favourite is the raucous Chaos on South Parade pier. About 10min from there, Albert Road is good fun: great pubs (Festings), bars (One-eyed dog, Wine vaults), curries and music for gig-goers (Wedgewood rooms).
However EU students prefer the cheaper and more international house parties. When organising one, remember this: don't tell people too early. Word of mouth is very efficient amongst foreign students. For the first party we threw, we told about 20 people a week in advance. Hundred came!

My feeling: a brilliant Erasmus village
Portsmouth might not be pretty but it is a brilliant Erasmus city.
You'll learn to love Southsea: the seafront, the pubs and above all the student life. In Portsmouth no need to take the tube to meet your new friends. A student village within the town!

Pictures by Antoine

Erasmus in Budapest: tips and tricks

Adriano — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:33:00 +01:00

Today, as announced, Eurogeneration is proud to launch 'Erasmus guide': a unique cityguide compilation taking you in the best European cities to let you discover them with the eyes of someone who lived it at 100% – say an Erasmus student. Very personal, these portrays do not pretend to be exhaustive. Take them as a chat with someone who is here to share with you his thoughts. So do not hesitate to comment this information!

This week, our guest is Roberto Yanguas who spent his Erasmus period in the Hungarian capital two years ago.

Finding a place to stay: real estate agency
Well, this is probably the most difficult matter for a foreigner because of the language. In Budapest there are few residences for students. So the best solution is to use a real estate agency.
Budapest is divided in two big parts (Buda and Pest) and in many districts. I've been living in the Distict VI which is, with Districts V and VII, the best to live in. It's recommended to avoid District VIII, wich can be dangerous. And don't forget: Pest is better than Buda if you are an Erasmus student.

University: the right place if you don't like to study
I was in Peter Pazmany University, Faculty of Law. All the classes were in English even if Shakespeare's language is not always well spoken. Anyway if you are interested in spending your Erasmus year without studying, then this is your university: most of the teachers would ask you to give them a short and easy essay. Usually few exams (I had only one and really easy).
As for equipment, neither the library or the computer room are well equipped, but you have a sort of computer centre (called HIK) just 5 minutes from there. More, the sporthall is uniquely a closed field where you can play sports (but I would strongly recommend you playing sports in "Margherite Island" if it's sunny). Last but not least: in my case, the Erasmus office worked really well...

Paprika, decadence and baths: 3 places you cannot miss

Beers with friends: "Szimpla" (my favourite place). You cannot imagine it... it's decadent, old and dirty... but it really really worths it.
Relaxing times: "Szechenyi termal baths". 8 € for a whole day of sauna, jacuzzi and natural-earthed medicinal water. After that you'll be a different person!
Paprika Restaurant (near to Szechenyi) or Stex Haza Restaurant. My suggestion: Goulash soup and chicken breast with three cheeses and home-made croquets in the first. Pork cutlet Carpatian style in the second one (I am salivating just remembering it...).

Partying: football table and police
Erasmus students used to go to Morrison's pub near to Opera (karaoke party on wedesdays – don't ask me why but Hungarians love karaoke...), Old Man's pub (near to Erszebet körut street and Szimpla bar), and we used to go to Sulss Fel Nap, Szoda, Sark... Be carefull with your clothes: they can "misteriously" disappear (look out even with the bouncer).
Most of the Erasmus parties are in flats, and here is a good tip (we dindn't know it until the end): you can previously phone the police to tell them that you're organizing a party and if some neighbor phone them in the middle of the party, they will be informed that is sort of an "official party".
The quantity of the spirits rarely is as in Spain or Italy (it's less). Even during the nights, if you like football table, they play a lot: you'd have to put a coin in the table and wait your turn, the winner remains. Don't use drugs: if the police catch you, then you have big troubles. For them coke and cannabis is the same. More things: drinking in the streets is allowed unless in Spain!

Verdict
No words, I'd recommend it to everyone!

What do you think of this testimony? Have you been in Budapest? Do you have some questions for Roberto? Otherwise, have a look to Budapest babelblog! And don't miss "A foreigner's diary".

See you next week in... Portsmouth, a small city in the UK near the Isle of Wight!