20112011

aking the decision to go on exchange is a brave one. You looked around your own country and de-

cided that there was more to life than just the things you already know. That’s pretty much how I decided to go for a study in another country. I come from a family of television watchers. Unlike them, I wasn’t happy to look at the world on a screen; I wanted to experience it !rst hand.

The build-up to go on exchange is a weird one though. You made this big de-cision, took this leap of faith to go, and applied for a time abroad. You convinced your parents, friends and yourself. You did all the paperwork and got accepted. And then you wait. Mentally, you’re already in a different place, thinking of the amaz-ing things you will experience. Physically, you’re stuck in your own country, waiting for the day you arrive at your destination.

The way I coped was by pretending I wasn’t going. Even two days before catch-ing my "ight, after my goodbye party, I still wasn’t aware of what I was getting myself into. It’s only when my mom was hug-ging me, teary-eyed and sobbing, that it dawned on me. I was doing something not many people did. I was going on an adventure that would change me. The person standing there, holding my mom, wouldn’t be the same one holding his mom when he got back. That’s one scary, but exciting thought.

I know through the great people I met and the amazing things I did, I could nev-er be the same. Now it’s your turn. This magazine is here to prepare you for your journey and to help you along the way. Inside you will !nd stories and tips, writ-ten by people who have gone through it all. Something we all agree on – you’re in for a great experience.

EDITORIALM

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20112011

7. Stress free packing

8. Top 5 study destinations

10. The struggle of language learning

12. Money talk

14. Are you ready to go on exchange?

17. Party people

18. 360° around the globe

20. Overseas love

22. Word up

24. How do you eat?

28. Culture shock

30. Changing direction

32. The multicultural challenge

36. How to avoid homesickness

38. Making friends abroad

41. Keep in touch

42. Granny’s words of wisdom

44. Traditional dishes

47. Sunshine after the rain

48. Your room, your home

50. Don’t go broke

53. Same same but different

54. Sweet memories

56. When reality strikes back

58. Did you go back to your exchange country?

59. Just us

PREPARATION AROUND

ADJUST

LIVING ABROAD

AFTERMATH THE WORLD

20

18

32

54

56

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30

ADJUST

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contents2011

20112011

1. Make a checklist before leaving and write down the most important things.

2. If it’s possible, don’t take a suitcase with you. It may seem easier but not on bumpy roads, sand, or thick snow. A backpack is con-venient for shorter trips.

3. Don’t bring too much stuff. You’re going to buy new things anyway and you always end up having too much luggage. And then you have to leave things behind.

4. Make sure that you have good insurance and watch your luggage at all times dur-ing your journey.

5. Get the map of the city where you’ll travel to, to ori-entate yourself before you actually reach it.

6. Take enough cash mon-ey in local currency with you for the first days of your ar-rival abroad.

7. Write important informa-tion and phone numbers down in case of emergency or theft to cancel credit cards etc.

8. Start your abroad expe-rience already during your travel, make new friends, en-joy and have fun!

Whether you’re going abroad for two years or just half a year, the key to packing your bag always comes down to the same thing: planning.

for future travellers

Insiders’ advice

t’s very important to think about where in the world you’re going to. What are the weather conditions there? Can you buy the different products you are hopelessly

addicted to in this country? Someone who is going to live in Turkey, England, or Brazil has different packing priorities than someone who is going to China, Norway or Curaçao. In the end, the whole packing your bag process is something very personal. Several students who already went abroad will share their packing ex-periences for future travellers like you.

What was the most important thing that you packed?Carlotta from Italy: “I still get homesick a lot. I took a lot of pictures of my friends and family with me, in case I was going to feel lonely or sad during my stay.”

Hans from Belgium: “I brought some things that have a sentimental value to me: my ‘student bible’ from my student association and a hand-ful of pictures. I kept it to a minimum because I knew I had to pack for two years. Then there’s hardly space for all that useless stuff.”

Mahes from India: “I’m very used to different kinds of spices and seasonings that we use for cooking in India. So when I moved abroad, I took more than 30 kilograms of spices with me.”

What are the things that you brought and never used?Gizem from Turkey: “I brought and bought way too many clothes and shoes. Some of those I actually still haven’t taken out of my suit-case. Now I’m mentioning this, I really feel em-barrassed about it!”

Amir from Iran: “I took so many books and DVDs with me, but I’ve never used my TV or DVDs since I got here. Before I left I thought I would have enough time to watch them. I was wrong, as an exchange student you’re never alone.”

Danish from Pakistan: “I brought a typical Pakistani dress and I wore it once, but people looked at me like I was from another planet. I decided to never wear the dress again.”

When you go somewhere you collect a lot of stuff. What did you do with it?Oleksii from Ukraine: “I bought a lot of clothes here. It’s impossible to take it all back home. I’ll have to donate some of my stuff to friends, the second-hand shop or just throw it away.”

Nienke from the Netherlands: “If I stay in a country for a longer time, I think ahead and give some of the stuff to friends, send it home by mail or just throw it in the trash the day I leave.” •

TIPS

I

PREPARATION

“Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today”

African Proverb

Stress free

20112011

UNITED STATESThe U.S. has more top universities than any other country in the world. Six universities are in the top 10 of the World University Ranking. Schools from Harvard University to Julliard are world famous and welcome international students. Overall, they can offer you high quality education, inno-vation and creativity. Other advantages of study-ing in U.S. are the almost unlimited choices in study programs and that an American degree in-creases your future career prospects. However, the U.S. has tough student visa requirements and the universities demand high tuition fees. CostsThe cost for tuition can range from $ 5 000 to $ 25 000 per year, but varies widely between dif-ferent schools. A rough estimation for living ex-penses is between $ 3 000 and $ 8 000 per year.

UNITED KINGDOMAll British universities have a world-class reputation for high quality ed-ucation. They are magnets for international students. With some of the most beautiful medieval architecture. The old school halls of residence combine historic beauty with safe accommodations close to your place of study. However, the tuition costs and living expenses are higher compared to other European countries. CostsAn average bachelor program in the U.K. costs between $ 9 723 and

$ 24 310 per year and the average living costs per academic year (9 months) is $ 10 700.

Sunny beaches or astonishing ski areas, big historic cities and cultures that are completely different than yours. It is all out there and waiting for you. At this moment there are already more than 2.5 million students studying abroad and you will soon be one of them. The big question is: which country do you want to go to?

12

5 studyTop

AUSTRALIAAustralia’s relaxed lifestyle, combined with their low costs for studying and living, allows you to explore and experience the hugely diverse and beautiful array of nature and wildlife that the country has to offer. Plus, five of their universities are in the top 50 of the World University Rank-ing. As a student you will probably end up in one of Australia’s busy cosmopolitan cities, be sure to pack your swimming shorts or bikini because surfer’s paradise will be just a stone’s throw from your home. CostsYour living expenses in Australia is usually around $ 16 000 per year and the cost for tuition between $ 13 306 to A$ 31 500 a year.

GERMANYOne thing is sure; when you go to Germany you will never get bored. You should definitely not miss out on events such as the Oktober-fest, wine festivals and the famous annual Carnival in Cologne. Overseas students do not have to pay more than domestic stu-dents for tuition, and some universities do not charge any tuittion at all. Last but not least, German universities have a high quality of ed-ucation and they are offering courses taught in English more and more. CostsThe enrolment fee is $ 1 420 per year to an in-stitute and the cost of tuition is $ 994 approxi-mately per year. Living expenses are around $ 17 048 per year, depending on where and how you choose to live.

FRANCEFrance, again a beautiful country with an amaz-ing historic and geographical variety - from the pearl white beaches in the south, to the pictur-esque countryside, the snow-white Alps and the wine growing valleys. France has a an in-ternational reputation for their quality of degrees. Nearly every course is taught in French, there-fore a reasonable knowledge of the language is necessary. France is known for its study pro-grams which are specialized in areas such as politics, business, art, fashion and architecture.CostsThe cost of tuition is low compared to other western countries, a tuition fee of around $ 213

is not rare at all. The costs of living really de-pends on the way you live, an estimation for students is around $ 852 per month.

5

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destinations

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3

4

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20112011

“My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises

that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the

curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that

baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as incompetent, simply because your vocabulary consists of few words. Frustration then quickly makes its way. Language is always a school of complexity. It has two sides: on the first one you don´t discover the obvious but the alien. The other side shows up when you experience not only the struggle, but also the liberation. What indicates this liberation? Anyone who

acquires a language learns at the same time to exceed their own limits, to shake off fears and self doubt. There is always a movement of which all human beings belong to. It needs all the attention. This movement is rooted only in understanding and language outreach to the others. How can you go up to someone without taking yourself? You can´t, because then there is no movement. The ability is not only made up of language skills. It’s a small part of a whole. Hand gestures and facial expressions also belong to it. The combination is what

helps you make new friends who understand you, even without all the right words. However, history also shows that language can rank you in the social order. Identity always has to do with classification and exclusion. To go beyond borders effectively, you have to meet it and take it seriously. Just don’t stress yourself with thoughts like you are not able to handle it. If you put forth the effort to learn the local language, people generally take this as a sign of your intelligence and they respect your effort. Although it is very frustrating to not be able

to find a word or phrase that fully expresses the thoughts in your mind, it is important to continue to work through these difficulties. Always remember how articulate you are in your home language and strive to achieve this level of proficiency in your new country. With enough social interaction, you will find that phrases and words start to come naturally to your mind and you will be easier to communicate. If you can overcome your insecurities and learn to communicate with people of other nations you will be rewarded with an enriching

experience that can create new meaning in your life. So, how should one handle a person who is unresponsive or unwelcome to foreigners? What if someone ignores you because of your linguistic difficulties? Do not allow yourself to be embarrassed, ashamed, or feel unwelcome because of these people. As a student of their language, you must understand that everyone is not willing to be your personal teacher. Surround yourself with the people who want to help enrich your experience. Most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself. If you take

negative experiences such as these too seriously, you will not enjoy your time abroad. Accept these as a temporary phase, and laugh at your mistakes.There are, of course, alternatives to the difficulties associated with learning a new language in a foreign place. If you happen to be traveling with other people from your own country, it can be very tempting to remain with them and shelter yourself from unfamiliarity. This, however, is a mistake. Dive into the unfamiliarity of your new environment! Use it to gain new perspectives and fresh

knowledge. By remaining with people from your own country or language, you will be exposed to the same patterns of thought that you have known your whole life. As you enter a new country, allow your old mindset to be molded by the new language and diverse experiences you are having. A period of your life abroad inspires and empowers you to learn new things. It depends not on the ‘the large thing’. In a cultural learning process, there is no small thing. Whether this involves dealing with French, Romanian, Estonian, Turkish, English or

another language, it is secondary. It is a high priority. Because, it is about awakening your imagination and seeing the alien. In the end, the alien will eventually become a good friend. “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m

finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language

is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own

inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One

of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting

challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not

everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as

incompetent, simply because your vocabulary consists of few words. Frustration then quicklymakes its way. Language is always a school of complexity. It has two sides: on the first one you don´t discover the obvious but the alien. The other side shows up when you experience not only the struggle, but also the liberation. What indicates this liberation? Anyone who acquires a language learns at the same time to exceed their own limits, to shake off fears and self doubt. There is always a movement of which all human beings belong to. It needs all

the attention. This movement is rooted only in understanding and language outreach to the others. How can you go up to someone without taking yourself? You can´t, because then there is no movement. The ability is not only made up of language skills. It’s a small part of a whole. Hand gestures and facial expressions also belong to it. The combination is what helps you make new friends who understand you, even without all the right words. However, history also shows that language can rank you in the social order. Identity always has to do

with classification and exclusion. To go beyond borders effectively, you have to meet it and take it seriously. Just don’t stress yourself with thoughts like you are not able to handle it. If you put forth the effort to learn the local language, people generally take this as a sign of your intelligence and they respect your effort. Although it is very frustrating to not be able to find a word or phrase that fully expresses the thoughts in your mind, it is important to continue to work through these difficulties. Always remember how articulate you are in your

home language and strive to achieve this level of proficiency in your new country. With enough social interaction, you will find that phrases and words start to come naturally to your mind and you will be easier to communicate. If you can overcome your insecurities and learn to communicate with people of other nations you will be rewarded with an enriching experience that can create new meaning in your life. So, how should one handle a person who is unresponsive or unwelcome to foreigners? What if someone ignores you because of your

linguistic difficulties? Do not allow yourself to be embarrassed, ashamed, or feel unwelcome because of these people. As a student of their language, you must understand that everyone is not willing to be your personal teacher. Surround yourself with the people who want to help enrich your experience. Most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself. If you take negative experiences such as these too seriously, you will not enjoy your time abroad. Accept these as a temporary phase, and laugh at your mistakes.There are, of course, alternatives to the

difficulties associated with learning a new language in a foreign place. If you happen to be traveling with other people from your own country, it can be very tempting to remain with them and shelter yourself from unfamiliarity. This, however, is a mistake. Dive into the unfamiliarity of your new environment! Use it to gain new perspectives and fresh knowledge. By remaining with people from your own country or language, you will be exposed to the same patterns of thought that you have known your whole life. As you enter a new country,

allow your old mindset to be molded by the new language and diverse experiences you are having. A period of your life abroad inspires and empowers you to learn new things. It depends not on the ‘the large thing’. In a cultural learning process, there is no small thiWhether this involves dealing with French, Romanian, Estonian, Turkish, English or another language, it is secondary. It is a high priority. Because, it is about awakening your imagination and seeing the alien. In the end, the alien will eventually become a good friend. “My study

abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that

the peoplearound you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidatingand hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien

does not happen just because of tolerance. It

happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the sim

simpings. You hear people laughing at jokes,

arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine

that you just arrived in your exchange

country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidat-ing and hindering feeling. Communication is

something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interwhich characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there

are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as incompetent, simply because your vocabulary consists of few words. Frustration then

quickly makes its way. Language is always a school of complexity. It has two sides: on the first one you don´t discover the obvious but the alien. The other side shows up when you experience not only the struggle, but also the liberation. What indicates this liberation? Anyone who acquires a language learns at the same time to exceed their own limits, to shake off fears and self doubt. There is always amovement of which all human beings belong to. It needs all the attention. This movement is rooted only in understanding and language outreach

to the others. How can you go up to someone without taking yourself? You can´t, because then there is no movement. The ability is not only made up of language skills. It’s a small part of a whole. Hand gestures and facial expressions also belong to it. The combination is what helps you make new friends who understand you, even without all the right words. However, history also shows that language can rank you in the social order. Identity always has to do with classification and exclusion. To go beyond borders effectively, you have to meet it

and take it seriously. Just don’t stress yourself with thoughts like you are not able to handle it. If you put forth the effort to learn the local language, people generally take this as a sign of your intelligence and they respect your effort. Although it is very frustrating to not be able to find a word or phrase that fully expresses the thoughts in your mind, it is important to continue to work through these difficulties. Always remember how articulate you are in your home language and strive to achieve this level of proficiency in your new country. With

enough social interaction, you will find that phrases and words start to come naturally to your mind and you will be easier to communicate. If you can overcome your insecurities and learn to communicate with people of other nations you will be rewarded with an enriching experience that can create new meaning in your life. So, how should one handle a person who is unresponsive or unwelcome to foreigners? What if someone ignores you because of your linguistic difficulties? Do not allow yourself to be embarrassed, ashamed, or feel

unwelcome because of these people. As a student of their language, you must understand that everyone is not willing to be your personal teacher. Surround yourself with the people who want to help enrich your experience. Most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself. If you take negative experiences such as these too seriously, you will not enjoy your time abroad. Accept these as a temporary phase, and laugh at your mistakes.There are, of course, alternatives to the difficulties associated with learning a new language in a foreign place. If you

happen to be traveling with other people from your own country, it can be very tempting to remain with them and shelter yourself from unfamiliarity. This, however, is a mistake. Dive into the unfamiliarity of your new environment! Use it to gain new perspectives and fresh knowledge. By remaining with people from your own country or language, you will be exposed to the same patterns of thought that you have known your whole life. As you enter a new country, allow your old mindset to be molded by the new language and diverse

experiences you are having. A period of your life abroad inspires and empowers you to learn new things. It depends not on the ‘the large thing’. In a cultural learning process, there is no small thing. Whether this involves dealing with French, Romanian, Estonian, Turkish, English or another language, it is secondary. It is a high priority. Because, it is about awakening your imagination and seeing the alien. In the end, the alien will eventually become a good friend. “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when

they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly thing may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting

challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not

everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as

incompetent, simply because your vocabulary consists of few words. Frustration then quickly makes its way. Language is always a school of complexity. It has two sides: on the first one you don´t discover the obvious but the alien. The other side shows up when you experience not only the struggle, but also the liberation. What indicates this liberation? Anyone who acquires a language learns at the same time to exceed their own limits, to shake off fears and self doubt. There is always a movement of which all human beings belong to. It needs all

the attention. This movement is rooted only in understanding and language outreach to the others. How can you go up to someone without taking yourself? You can´t, because then there is no movement. The ability is not only made up of language skills. It’s a small part of a whole. Hand gestures and facial expressions also belong to it. The combination is what helps you make new friends who understand you, even without all the right words. However, history also shows that language can rank you in the social order. Identity always has to do

with classification and exclusion. To go beyond borders effectively, you have to meet it and take it seriously. Just don’t stress yourself with thoughts like you are not able to handle it. If you put forth the effort to learn the local language, people generally take this as a sign of your intelligence and they respect your effort. Although it is very frustrating to not be able to find a word or phrase that fully expresses the thoughts in your mind, it is important to continue to work through these difficulties. Always remember how articulate you are in your

home language and strive to achieve this level of proficiency in your new country. With enough social interaction, you will find that phrases and words start to come naturally to your mind and you will be easier to communicate. If you can overcome your insecurities and learn to communicate with people of other nations you will be rewarded with an enriching experience that can create new meaning in your life. So, how should one handle a person who is unresponsive or unwelcome to foreigners? What if someone ignores you because of your

linguistic difficulties? Do not allow yourself to be embarrassed, ashamed, or feel unwelcome because of these people. As a student of their language, you must understand that everyone is not willing to be your personal teacher. Surround yourself with the people who want to help enrich your experience. Most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself. If you take negative experiences such as these too seriously, you will not enjoy your time abroad. Accept these as a temporary phase, and laugh at your mistakes.There are, of course, alternatives to the

difficulties associated with learning a new language in a foreign place. If you happen to be traveling with other people from your own country, it can be very tempting to remain with them and shelter yourself from unfamiliarity. This, however, is a mistake. Dive into the unfamiliarity of your new environment! Use it to gain new perspectives and fresh knowledge. By remaining with people from your own country or language, you will be exposed to the same patterns of thought that you have known your whole life. As you enter a new country,

allow your old mindset to be molded by the new language and diverse experiences you are having. A period of your life abroad inspires and empowers you to learn new things. It depends not on the ‘the large thing’. In a cultural learning process, there is no small thing. Whether this involves dealing with French, Romanian, Estonian, Turkish, English or another language, it is secondary. It is a high priority. Because, it is about awakening your imagination and seeing the alien. In the end, the alien will eventually become a good friend. “My study

abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the

people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity

and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles

you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t ex-press yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m

finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different.

Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While

dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as incompetent, simply because your vocabulary consists of few words. Frustration then quicklymakes its way. Language is always a

school of complexity. It has two sides: on the first one you don´t discover the obvious but the alien. The other side shows up when you experience not only the struggle, but also the liberation. What indicates this liberation? Anyone who acquires a language learns at the same time to exceed their own limits, to shake off fears and self doubt. There is always a movement of which all human beings belong to. It needs all the attention. This movement is rooted only in understanding and language outreach to the others. How can you

go up to someone without taking yourself? You can´t, because then there is no movement. The ability is not only made up of language skills. It’s a

small part of a whole. Hand gestures and facial expressions also belong to it. The combination is what helps you make new friends who understand you, even without all the right words. However, history also shows that language can rank you in the social order. Identity always has to do with classification and exclusion. To go beyond borders effectively, you have to meet it and take

it seriously. Just don’t stress yourself with thoughts like you are not able to handle it. If you put forth the effort to learn the local language, people generally take this as a sign of your intelligence and they respect your effort. Although it is very frustrating to not be able to find a word or phrase that fully expresses the thoughts in your mind, it is important to continue to work through these difficulties. Always remember how articulate you are in your home language and strive to achieve this level of proficiency in your new

country. With enough social interaction, you will find that phrases and words start to come naturally to your mind and you will be easier to communicate. If you can overcome your insecurities and learn to communicate with people of other nations you will be rewarded with an enriching experience that can create new meaning in your life. So, how should one handle a person who is unresponsive or unwelcome to foreigners? What if someone ignores you because of your linguistic difficulties? Do not allow yourself to be embarrassed, ashamed,

or feel unwelcome because of these people. As a student of their language, you must understand that everyone is not willing to be your personal teacher. Surround yourself with the people who want to help enrich your experience. Most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself. If you take negative experiences such as these too seriously, you will not enjoy your time abroad. Accept these as a temporary phase, and laugh at your mistakes.There are, of course, alternatives to the difficulties associated with learning a new language in a foreign place. If

you happen to be traveling with other people from your own country, it can be very tempting to remain with them and shelter yourself from unfamiliarity. This, however, is a mistake. Dive into the unfamiliarity of your new environment! Use it to gain new perspectives and fresh knowledge. By remaining with people from your own country or language, you will be exposed to the same patterns of thought that you have known your whole life. As you enter a new country, allow your old mindset to be molded by the new language and diverse

experiences you are having. A period of your life abroad inspires and empowers you to learn new things. It depends not on the ‘the large thing’. In a cultural learning process, there is no small thiWhether this involves dealing with French, Romanian, Estonian, Turkish, English or another language, it is secondary. It is a high priority. Because, it is about awakening your imagination and seeing the alien. In the end, the alien will eventually become a good friend. “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they

talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the peoplearound you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural

differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidatingand hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language

starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express

yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything

may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other

who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interwhich characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things.

You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as incompetent, simply because your vocabulary consists of few words. Frustration then quickly makes its way. Language is always a school of complexity. It has two sides: on the first one you don´t discover the obvious but the alien. The other side shows up when you experience not

only the struggle, but also the liberation. What indicates this liberation? Anyone who acquires a language learns at the same time to exceed their own limits, to shake off fears and self doubt. There is always amovement of which all human beings belong to. It needs all the attention. This movement is rooted only in understanding and language outreach to the others. How can you go up to someone without taking yourself? You can´t, because then there is no movement. The ability is not only made up of language skills. It’s a small part of a whole.

Hand gestures and facial expressions also belong to it. The combination is what helps you make new friends who understand you, even without all the right words. However, history also shows that language can rank you in the social order. Identity always has to do with classification and exclusion. To go beyond borders effectively, you have to meet it and take it seriously. Just don’t stress yourself with thoughts like you are not able to handle it. If you put forth the effort to learn the local language, people generally take this as a sign of your w

and they respect your effort. Although it is very frustrating to not be able to find a word or phrase that fully expresses the thoughts in your mind, it is important to continue to work through these difficulties. Always remember how articulate you are in your home language and strive to achieve this level of proficiency in your new country. With enough social interaction, you will find that phrases and words start to come naturally to your mind and you will be easier to communicate. If you can overcome your insecurities and learn to communi-

cate with people of other nations you will be rewarded with an enriching experience that can create new meaning in your life. So, how should one handle a person who is unresponsive or unwelcome to foreigners? What if someone ignores you because of your linguistic difficulties? Do not allow yourself to be embarrassed, ashamed, or feel unwelcome because of these people. As a student of their language, you must understand that everyone is not willing to be your personal teacher. Surround yourself with the people who want to help enrich your

experience. Most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself. If you take negative experiences such as these too seriously, you will not enjoy your time abroad. Accept these as a temporary phase, and laugh at your mistakes.There are, of course, alternatives to the difficulties associated with learning a new language in a foreign place. If you happen to be traveling with other people from your own country, it can be very tempting to remain with them and shelter yourself from unfamiliarity. This, however, is a mistake. Dive into the unfamiliarity of your

new environment! Use it to gain new perspectives and fresh knowledge. By remaining with people from your own country or language, you will be exposed to the same patterns of thought that you have known your whole life. As you enter a new country, allow your old mindset to be molded by the new language and diverse experiences you are having. A period of your life abroad inspires and empowers you to learn new things. It depends not on the ‘the large thing’. In a cultural learning process, there is no small thing. Whether this involves

dealing with French, Romanian, Estonian, Turkish, English or another language, it is secondary. It is a high priority. Because, it is about awakening your imagination and seeing the alien. In the end, the alien will eventually become a good friend. “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are

tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but

the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to

communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may

look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is

new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. cation is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are

very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While

dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more

than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s

native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This

is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb.

You don´t want to be considered as incompetent, simply because your vocabulary consists of few words. Frustration then quicklymakes its way. Language is always a school of complexity. It has two sides: on the first one you don´t discover the obvious but the alien. The other side shows up when you experience not only the struggle, but also the liberation. What indicates this liberation? Anyone who acquires a language learns at the same time to exceed their own limits, to shake off fears and self doubt. There is always a movement of which all

human beings belong to. It needs all the attention. This movement is rooted only in understanding and language outreach to the others. How can you go up to someone without taking yourself? You can´t, because then there is no movement. The ability is not only made up of language skills. It’s a small part of a whole. Hand gestures and facial expressions also belong to it. The combination is what helps you make new friends who understand you, even without all the right words. However, history also shows that language can rank you in the

social order. Identity always has to do with classification and exclusion. To go beyond borders effectively, you have to meet it and take it seriously. Just don’t stress yourself with thoughts like you are not able to handle it. If you put forth the effort to learn the local language, people generally take this as a sign of your intelligence and they respect your effort. Although it is very frustrating to not be able to find a word or phrase that fully expresses the thoughts in your mind, it is important to continue to work through these difficulties. Always

remember how articulate you are in your home language and strive to achieve this level of proficiency in your new country. With enough social interaction, you will find that phrases and words start to come naturally to your mind and you will be easier to communicate. If you can overcome your insecurities and learn to communicate with people of other nations you will be rewarded with an enriching experience that can create new meaning in your life. So, how should one handle a person who is unresponsive or unwelcome to foreigners? What

if someone ignores you because of your linguistic difficulties? Do not allow yourself to be embarrassed, ashamed, or feel unwelcome because of these people. As a student of their language, you must understand that everyone is not willing to be your personal teacher. Surround yourself with the people who want to help enrich your experience. Most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself. If you take negative experiences such as these too seriously, you will not enjoy your time abroad. Accept these as a temporary phase, and laugh at your

mistakes.There are, of course, alternatives to the difficulties associated with learning a new language in a foreign place. If you happen to be traveling with other people from your own country, it can be very tempting to remain with them and shelter yourself from unfamiliarity. This, however, is a mistake. Dive into the unfamiliarity of your new environment! Use it to gain new perspectives and fresh knowledge. By remaining with people from your own country or language, you will be exposed to the same patterns of thought that you have

known your whole life. As you enter a new country, allow your old mindset to be molded by the new language and diverse experiences you are having. A period of your life abroad inspires and empowers you to learn new things. It depends not on the ‘the large thing’. In a cultural learning process, there is no small thiWhether this involves dealing with French, Romanian, Estonian, Turkish, English or another language, it is secondary. It is a high priority. Because, it is about awakening your imagination and seeing the alien. In the end, the alien

will eventually become a good friend. “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are

irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the peoplearound you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidatingand hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just

because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes,

arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and

exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways

we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interwhich characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the

world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as incompetent, simply because your vocabulary consists of few words. Frustration then quickly makes its way. Language is always a

school of complexity. It has two sides: on the first one you don´t discover the obvious but the alien. The other side shows up when you experience not only the struggle, but also the liberation. What indicates this liberation? Anyone who acquires a language learns at the same time to exceed their own limits, to shake off fears and self doubt. There is always amovement of which all human beings belong to. It needs all the attention. This movement is rooted only in understanding and language outreach to the others. How can you go up to someone

without taking yourself? You can´t, because then there is no movement. The ability is not only made up of language skills. It’s a small part of a whole. Hand gestures and facial expressions also belong to it. The combination is what helps you make new friends who understand you, even without all the right words. However, history also shows that language can rank you in the social order. Identity always has to do with classification and exclusion. To go beyond borders effectively, you have to meet it and take it seriously. Just don’t stress yourself

with thoughts like you are not able to handle it. If you put forth the effort to learn the local language, people generally take this as a sign of your w and they respect your effort. Although it is very frustrating to not be able to find a word or phrase that fully expresses the thoughts in your mind, it is important to continue to work through these difficulties. Always remember how articulate you are in your home language and strive to achieve this level of proficiency in your new country. With enough social interaction, you will find that phrases and

words start to come naturally to your mind and you will be easier to communicate. If you can overcome your insecurities and learn to communicate with people of other nations you will be rewarded with an enriching experience that can create new meaning in your life. So, how should one handle a person who is unresponsive or unwelcome to foreigners? What if someone ignores you because of your linguistic difficulties? Do not allow yourself to be embarrassed, ashamed, or feel unwelcome because of these people. As a student of their

language, you must understand that everyone is not willing to be your personal teacher. Surround yourself with the people who want to help enrich your experience. Most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself. If you take negative experiences such as these too seriously, you will not enjoy your time abroad. Accept these as a temporary phase, and laugh at your mistakes.There are, of course, alternatives to the difficulties associated with learning a new language in a foreign place. If you happen to be traveling with other people from your own

country, it can be very tempting to remain with them and shelter yourself from unfamiliarity. This, however, is a mistake. Dive into the unfamiliarity of your new environment! Use it to gain new perspectives and fresh knowledge. By remaining with people from your own country or language, you will be exposed to the same patterns of thought that you have known your whole life. As you enter a new country, allow your old mindset to be molded by the new language and diverse experiences you are having. A period of your life abroad inspires

and empowers you to learn new things. It depends not on the ‘the large thing’. In a cultural learning process, there is no small thing. Whether this involves dealing with French, Romanian, Estonian, Turkish, English or another language, it is secondary. It is a high priority. Because, it is about awakening your imagination and seeing the alien. In the end, the alien will eventually become a good friend. “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more

than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar withcation is

something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that

there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as “My study abroad was a life changing experience” – answer most students when

they talk about their time abroad. However, an exchange is more than going to a foreign country. One of the biggest challenges is the change in language. Imagine that you just arrived in your exchange country. You are tired and exhausted from the trip but suddenly you realize: I’m finally here. Abroad. You can feel it with all your senses. The smell is different and everything may look a little strange to you. Your ears are irritated by all these new sounds and noises that the people around you make. Language is a fundamental tool to overcome

cultural differences. Therefore, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a daunting challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling. Communication is something that combines all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. The willingness to meet the other who is new and alien does not happen just because of tolerance. It happens because of the curiosity and interest which characterizes your own identity. Understand that

language starts inside you. You have to learn and translate it. This is not a crystal-clear medium. Not everyone who looks through discovers the same thing. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While dealing with a foreigner your own inability might appear. The communication is interrupted and you despair for the simplest things. You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and exchanging ideas with a fluidity that baffles you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you

can´t express yourself correctly and that others perceive you as dumb. You don´t want to be considered as incompetent, simply because your vocabulary consists of few words. Frustration then quicklymakes its way. Language is always a school of complexity. It has two sides: on the first one you don´t discover the obvious but the alien. The other side shows up when you experience not only the struggle, but also the liberation. What indicates this liberation? Anyone who acquires a language learns at the same time to exceed their own limits, to

shake off fears and self doubt. There is always a movement of which all human beings belong to. It needs all the attention. This movement is rooted only in understanding and language outreach to the others. How can you go up to someone without taking yourself? You can´t, because then there is no movement. The ability is not only made up of language skills. It’s a small part of a whole. Hand gestures and facial expressions also belong to it. The combination is what helps you make new friends who understand you, even without all the right

Language is a fundamental tool to overcome cultural differences. So, being unfamiliar with a country’s native language can be a frightening

challenge that can cause an intimidating and hindering feeling.

skills. It’s a small part of a whole. Hand gestures and facial ex-pressions also belong to it. Combining everything is what helps you make new friends who understand you, even without all the right words. However, history also shows that language can rank you in a social order. Identity always has to do with classi!-cation and exclusion. To go beyond borders effectively, you have to meet and take them seriously. Just don’t stress yourself out with thinking that you’re not able to handle it. If you put effort into learning the local language, people generally take this as a sign of your intelligence and they respect you for your effort.

Although it is very frustrating not be able to !nd a word or phrase that fully expresses the thoughts in your mind, it is im-portant to continue to work yourself through these dif!culties. “If you don’t know the language very well, your personality is different compared to when you’re home,” Aleksej knows. Al-ways remember how good you are in your native language and work to achieve this level of pro!ciency in your new country. With enough social interaction, you will !nd that phrases and words start to come naturally to your mind and you will be easier to communicate. If you can overcome your insecurities and learn to communicate with people of other nations you will be rewarded with an enriching experience that can create new meaning in your life.

HOW TO DEAL WITH IT?So, how should you handle a person who is unwelcome to for-eigners? What if someone ignores you because of your language dif!culties? Don’t allow yourself to be embarrassed, ashamed, or unwelcome because of these people. You must understand that not everyone is willing to be your personal teacher. Sur-round yourself with the people who want to help enrich your experience. Most importantly, learn to laugh at yourself. If you take negative experiences such as these too seriously, you will not enjoy your time abroad. Accept these as a temporary phase, and laugh at your mistakes.

There are alternatives to the dif!culties associated with learn-ing a new language in a foreign place. If you are traveling with other people from your own country, it can be very tempting to stay with them and shelter yourself from the unknown. This is a mistake. Dive into the unfamiliarity of your new environment. Use it to gain new perspectives and fresh knowledge. “Improving my language will also improve my future, because if you meet new people you learn new things,” Aleksej says. “You can see dif-ferent views, learn how else to resolve problems and when you meet new cultures, you can take something from this culture and apply it to your own.” By remaining with people from your own country or language, you will be exposed to the same pat-terns of thoughts that you have known your whole life. A period of your life spent abroad inspires and empowers you to learn. As you enter a new country, allow your old mindset to be mold-ed by the new language and diverse experiences.

A leksej Jursha, #$, from Latvia had a experienced struggle with language on his exchange. “I realised that I would be speaking mainly English for the next six months. I knew that I should practice by reading

and speaking English a lot, because I wasn’t so good at it. ”

INABILITYCommunication is something that connects all of us, but the ways we communicate are very different. Their language is foreign to you, but your language is also strange to them. “We should communicate to better understand each other,”says Ale-ksej. “Even if you don’t understand another language, !rst of all you should respect the person with whom you talk. If you re-spect his culture I think that you will !nd a common language.” The willingness to meet someone who is unfamiliar doesn’t come just out of tolerance. It happens out of curiosity and inter-est, which characterises your own identity.

Understanding a language starts within yourself. You have to learn to translate it. A spoken language is not a crystal-clear me-dium. You have to consider that there are many different ways to communicate in the world. While talking to a foreigner, your own inability might appear. The communication doesn’t run so smoothly anymore and you panic for the simplest things. Ale-

ksej explains, “I know what I want to say, but I don’t remember the words.” You hear people laughing at jokes, arguing, and ex-changing ideas with a "uidity that baf"es you. As you begin to communicate, you may get the feeling that you can´t express yourself correctly and that others think you’re dumb. “When you can’t speak a language very well, you can’t express your emo-tions or feelings as you would like to,” Aleksej says. “In many situations I want to say something very good or very funny, but I can’t explain it in English because my vocabulary is awful. In these situations I just keep silent.” You don´t want to be consid-ered as incompetent, simply because your vocabulary consists of few words. Frustration then quickly gets the better of you.

LIMITSLanguage is always a school of complexity. Anyone who acquires a language learns at the same time to exceed their own limits, to shake off fears and self-doubt. Aleksej explains, “From each struggle you can learn, so that when the next problem comes along, you feel more comfortable and con!dent. You can man-age the situation better.” People always try to connect with and understand one another. If you can’t get your message through, you can’t make others understand you and who you really are.

The ability to communicate is not only made up of language

The struggle of

LANGUAGELEARNING ?? ???

?

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fter you decide what country you want to go to, you need to take a look at the money they use. You want to !nd

out what it’s called, the current exchange rate and what it looks like. All of this can be done by searching the Internet. If you have trouble !guring out what currency they have where you want to go, just use Google to search “list of currencies” and choose the link of the interpol website.

Once you know what the money is called, you can use a currency converter to !nd out the current exchange rate. Af-ter getting a grasp of what it’s worth you need to take a look at the money itself to know how to use it. If you don’t know what the coins are worth, for instance, someone could take advantage of that. Natives can ask for too much, or not give you back enough.

send the wire transfer yourself through internet banking, so !nd out if this is something that your service offers.

International banking is probably not going to be an option because most in-ternational banks require account hold-ers to have a large amount of dispos-able income, like $ $%% %%% (&.'. dollars) or almost ( )% %%% (Euros). This does not !t the typical student, unless they have inherited money from a very wealthy relative. The other not-so-great options are cheques or money orders. They have strict rules, are not extremely safe and it can take weeks to go through the banks. However, if this is something you want to look into, and think it might be your best option, then check out Western Union or MoneyGram Inter-national.

The !nal option, not widely known, is to go to a foreign exchange specialist. For-eign exchange specialists are the fastest and cheapest option. What’s the catch? The smallest transfers they make gener-ally start around ( #*% or a little under $ +%%. If you have to make any payments that are high, then take a look at some foreign exchange specialists. Generally, you can sign up for free but there is a lot of information needed , such as your passport information. You can check out -i./ and '01-./ if you’re interested.

PURCHASES WHILE ABROADWell, now you know how to take care of things before you go, but what happens when you actually get there? You can al-ways open a bank account in your tem-porary home. If your exchange is less than six months, you may decide against this. However, if you plan on staying longer, a bank account in your exchange country could make things a lot easier. All

you have to do is open a new one and get your money transferred. There are always charges when changing money, so make sure you see how much it would end up costing you. If you do not want to do this then your options are cash and cards.

VISA AND MASTERCARDTo use cash machines you have to have a card connected to your bank account. The two card companies that seem to be the most known are Visa and Mastercard. Both of these companies produce card

rates through banks. This means that you should check a few of your local banks before making your !nal decision. Many times, Visa can work as credit or debit in combination with a bank account. Mas-tercard has both, sometimes the credit function being the Mastercard itself and the debit function being called Maestro.

MAESTROMaestro is used throughout the Europe-an Union and in countries such as Aus-tralia, India, and Venezuela. Using debit requires you to enter a four digit pin (some have chips that can be read, but the pin number will still be effective) and comes straight from your bank account using credit typically requires a signature and can sit as you pay it off little by little. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, in over #%% countries, but if you’re wor-ried you can always have one of each. Just make sure you can use both credit and debit. You also need to keep some cash with you. Occasionally, there are places that

only accept cash, so you need to be pre-pared. This leaves you with two options. Either take out large sums of money to spend throughout the week or month, or take out a small amount of money and use your card for the majority of pur-chases. Maybe you prefer to rely on cash. Then you can see what you’re spend-ing and it can be easier to stay within a budget. If you don’t have a problem with this then just use the exchange rate to !nd out which way will give you better savings. Do keep in mind though, that

exchange rates are constantly changing.

Well, that is an overview on how to deal with money before and during your exchange ex-perience, and hopefully it helps.

Remember to search for details yourself, look at what’s possible and choose the best options for you. •

When you study abroad, you’re in charge of your own finances. In a foreign country, this might be more complicated. No

worries though, this article is here to help you.

A

If you don’t know what the coins are worth someone

could take advantage of that

Before you leave on your study abroad experience, you will probably have to !gure out where you’re going to live. You may have to choose a room and send the housing company or landlord a deposit. How do you get a room deposit to an-other country? Well, there are different ways: wire tranfers, cheques or money orders, international banking and foreign exchange specialists.

OPTIONSWire transfers are a great option, but your bank may not be familiar with in-ternational transfers. This can lead to a frustrating situation. So, if you choose to make a wire transfer you should !rst make sure your bank is con!dent that they can do this. Have it done as soon as possible in case something does go wrong. At some places you can actually

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... EXCHANGE?

a. To get the best experience, network and education I could possibly get

b. To get to know different cultures and learn more about myself

c. To !nd a boyfriend/girlfriend of course

a. Yes de!nitely, who is going to cook for me and do my laundry?

b. Not at all, I’m always up for new adventuresc. I’m going to miss my own bed, but sharing it

with others could be an interesting experience

a. I accuse everyone else, and most of the time it works

b. I’m used to buying myself out of trouble so I always have some extra money in my pocketc. I try to compromise as much as possible

a. I’m looking forward to the party life, it’s going to be one big holiday!

b. I expect it to be tough but exciting and func. It might be hard to make friends because I

need to study a lot

a. I’ll get a panic attack and take the !rst "ight back home

b. I’ll start doing things that I would never have done in my home country

c. I’ll make sure everybody listens to me

a. I recognise people when I meet them, thanks to the pictures I took at the last party

b. I don’t really participate in activities. It makes me feel awkward

c. I hug and kiss anyone and anything without bothering about the consequences (good or bad)

a. It’s improving; I don’t need to look for food in the garbage can anymore

b. I’m used to sharing, so it always works out in the end

c. I saved money but my parents sometimes help me out sometimes

a. As long as there is ‘normal food’ and everyone acts like I do, it’s OK for me

b. Not even 2% calls from the neighbours can keep me from having another adventure

c. Adventures? Going to a public toilet can already be an adventure for me

a. I only take stuff that I really need, plus a few spare things in case of emergencies

b. I practically pack my complete room.c. I’ve been called an over-packer, but it’s

not as bad as people make it out to be

BETWEEN 0 AND 6 POINTS OPEN YOUR MINDThe world seems to be quite scary and big to you. It’s a good idea to consider if you are open-minded and independent enough to study abroad. It’s posi-tive that you care a lot about the peo-ple at home, but it´s good to think about yourself sometimes. If you want to study abroad: go for it! But remember that it can be hard if all you can think about is home.

BETWEEN 6 AND 12 POINTS READY BUT WITH DOUBTSYou are open-minded and cu-rious about the world. You are excited to meet new people but you still have some doubts. Are you going to miss home? Will you make new friends? It will be hard sometimes, but in the end it will de!nitely work out for you! You are a social person and studying abroad can really help you to learn more about others and, most impor-tantly, yourself.

BETWEEN 12 AND 18 POINTS READY TO TAKE THE PLANEYou are an adventurous per-son and you cannot wait to meet this group of new people. Life can never be too much fun for you and you won’t hesitate to continue your exciting life, when you’re abroad. You’re used to exciting new environments and are a professional in combining your study and party life. No worries for you, you’re ready to go.

1. a=2 b=1 c=02. a=0 b=2 c=13. a=0 b=1 c=24. a=0 b=2 c=25. a=0 b=2 c=06. a=2 b=1 c=07. a=2 b=0 c=28. a=0 b=2 c=19. a=2 b=0 c=1 SC

OR

E / PO

INT

S

1. Why do you want to go to study abroad?

2. Would being away from home be a problem for you?

3. How do you cope with difficult situations?

4. How is your financial situation?

5. How do you respond to a new environment?

6. What do you expect from studying abroad?

7. Do you make friends easily?

8. Do you like adventures?

9. What kind of packer are you when it comes to travelling?

2011

2011

Cem Demir is from Turkey, doing an internship in Sweden. “I just love to spend time with my friends. It doesn’t matter if that’s at a party or a din-ner. If I have to compare parties here to the ones in Turkey, it’s crazier here. People know their exchange is temporary and that they have to leave soon.” Still, he wants his new friends to learn about his culture. “I organised some parties for them. One of them was about Raki, traditional Turkish alcohol. At other parties we eat Turkish food.”

Marielle Baltes, from Holland, stayed on Bali for her internship. The par-ties there were really different parties than the ones back home. They were almost always held outside, because of the warm climate in Bali. “We had parties on the beach and they were the best! There were disco lights, carpets on the sand and cool music.” If you’re with a group of people from the same country, you can easily organise typical theme parties about your country. “Once we had a ‘Right to be wrong’ –party. Everybody had to wear crazy, funny out!ts!“

Danielle Hunter is a student from the United States. She studied in Ar-gentina for a year and did some volunteering work. “There were parties in my apartment !ve days a week.” Compared to the parties she had at home, the parties in Argentina were more relaxed. “But they also last a lot shorter than in my home town.” She also did other activities. “I loved to go to concerts, play games with our exchange group and have barbe-cues with the people from the voluntary group.”

Magnus Thulin is a student who lived in different countries. He was born in Denmark, moved to South Africa and is studying in Sweden. “Here in Sweden we have to organise our own parties. The alcohol in the pubs is too expensive. I like that though, because then we can talk normally with friends and really get to know each other.” •

PARTYPEOPLE

AROUND THE WORLD

“The world is a book, and if you don’t travel you read only one page”

MAGNUS THULIN

MARIELLE BALTES

DANIELLE HUNTER

Exploring and experiencing is part of an exchange student’s life. Parties are a greatway to have a good time with your newfriends and to get to know each other better. Four exchange students share their stories.

CEM DEMIR

St. Augustine of Hippo, Algerian philosopher, 354-430

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f course, there are many students who want to stand out from the crowd and be different. Even though they may not be, Jennifer is. When she walks further and enters the school, you

can hear her greeting her friends, in German, Dutch, English, French and perhaps sometimes in Russian.

BEING A WORLD CITIZENJennifer considers herself to be a world citizen. She has seen more of the world than most students her age can only dream of. Her father is German, her mother is Indonesian-Dutch and she was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. When she was about three years old, Jennifer moved with her family to the natural-ly beautiful Kathmandu, Nepal, where she lived until she was seven years old. After that, they moved to the warm Mediterra-nean island Nicosia, Cyprus. Then, at the age of $$ she moved to the historical urban city Berlin, Germany, where she has spent her teenage years until graduation. After receiving her German

diploma she moved to the Hague, the Netherlands, to start her studies. Currently, she is on exchange in Seoul, South Korea, while her parents, in the meantime, have moved to

Taiwan. All in all, Jennifer is the perfect person to ask how it is

to move from one country to the other every now and then and to adapt to another culture in a short time. The fact that she grew up in countries that are so completely different, has shaped her to the person she is right now and has helped her adapt quickly to any new situation. She makes new friends easily because she is outgoing and outspoken. Jennifer never regretted her parents‘ decision to take her and her sister to

around the globeJennifer’s life as a world citizen

O whichever country they had to go to. “Many of my friends say that I am a nomad,” explains Jennifer, “to a certain extent this is true: the world is my home, I can’t sit still, I must travel and move. All the time.”

Your exchange experience will also in"uence you. The way you are, the way you think and the way you act. When you come back home after spending at least half a school year in another country, then you are the person that has changed. You have become more independent, you have learned how to cope with cultural differences and what you should do in particular, some-times uncomfortable, situations.

TRAVELLING, MY ONE TRUE LOVEJennifer loves travelling. She says that there is nothing in the world that she likes more than exploring a new country. “Mov-ing around is !rmly embedded inside me and refuses to budge,” explains Jennifer. She doesn’t miss the fact that she doesn’t re-ally have a ‘home’ that’s stationary in one country. Her home travels with her. When she is at her parents‘ house, wherever that may be, she feels home because she is with them, not because she knows and recognises the surroundings and the buildings. “Once I move elsewhere, my home will travel with me,” says Jennifer with a smile on her face and a gleam in her eyes.

Probably, like Jennifer, you love to travel as well. You want to explore the world to see what is out there and to experience what other countries have to offer. As Jennifer says, “Every coun-

try I have travelled to and lived in has proven to have its minor quirks, but also its own unique "air and charm.” Take Nepal for instance, though she didn’t have electricity or running water, she experienced the joy of having elephants at a birthday party. Or when Jennifer was in Cyprus they decorated a palm tree for Christmas, simply because pines were so extremely rare. She enjoyed the big and busy historical metropolitan Berlin because of all the festivals and cultural activities during the whole year. At this moment in Seoul, South Korea, she loves to go shopping in all the little colourful shops where they sell beautiful local products for low prices.

JENNIFER’S FUTUREIn the future, Jennifer would like to !nd a job that would guar-antee the possibility of moving around every few years and to live her life the way her parents live theirs. Once you have start-ed to travel and move around, like Jennifer, you will probably also want to see more and more of the world and never stop

dreaming about other new destinations. Jennifer be-lieves that it doesn’t matter where you are, your family can expand and your chil-dren will be able to grow

up and develop in a much more diverse environment. “I know that living in all these countries has in"uenced who I am today and someday I want my children to have the same open world view as I have,” explaines Jennifer, “I want to show them that there are limitless opportunities, if you just open your eyes and really see the world for what it is: 23%° of choices.”

They say that I am a nomad,

the world is my home, I cannot sit still,I must travel and move - all the time

°360

Jennifer, at first sight an ordinary 21-year-old student who is walking her way to school on her well-worn

colourful sneakers, with a duffel-bag on her back and a smile on

her face. Her look is slightly unique compared to most students. Most of her outfits are often seen as too colourful, too big and too different.

Nevertheless, they suit her well and make her stand out.

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Would you break up with your loved one when going abroad for your study? Or are you going to try to make it work and

see what time will bring you?

hard and he wouldn’t be able to find a job there. He did miss his friends, but his feelings for Pauline were stronger. He didn’t want to lose her. So they decided that Ali would work in the Nether-lands while Pauline finished her study. Eventually, Ali found a job in an Irish pub and joined the local football club. All went well, until it began to bother Ali that he couldn’t understand anyone. He felt like a complete outsider. It didn’t take long before the language problems bothered him so much, that he took a plane home. Pauline says, “I was devastated, but I understood why he wanted to go back.”

NOWADAYSAli is still in Ireland and Pauline is still in the Netherlands, but they visit each other once in a while and then everything is all right again. They are sure that they both first have to finish school and then they are going to move to Spain. First for a year, because they have to see if it works out. If it does, then Ali and Pauline will decide where they will go. They agree it will definitely not be Ireland or the Netherlands.

FABIAN AND NITAFabian is a psychology student from Germany and he is on ex-change. He is studying in Sweden for over four months now. His girlfriend is Nita. They met at the university in Germany where they both study. It wasn’t love at first sight, but first friendship and then the love story. So now you must be curious what hap-pened with this love story when Nita heared that Fabian wanted to go abroad to study?

“When I told her that I wanted to go abroad for my study she had mixed feelings. She was happy for me, but sad for her-self.” Nita never had the chance to go abroad herself, but she knew how thrilled Fabian would be if he could do it. “She knew I wanted to go abroad for my studies someday and now that day had come. Fabian and Nita form a strong couple that knows

exactly how to survive this big adventure. “We miss each other very much, but we talk everyday on Skype or Facebook and that goes really well.” They have such a strong bond, because they already knew each other for two years before they started dating. They first became friends and then started a relationship. This creates a base to survive this kind of adventure.

Nita came to visit Fabian when he had been in Sweden for two months and she understood why he wanted to do this. Fa-bian was really happy that she was finally with him in Sweden, because now he could show her everything. He had missed her too much.

Now Fabian has been in Sweden for four months and he has one and a half months left in Sweden. His relationship with Nita is still very strong and they are definitely going to make it through the last month. “I don’t know yet what we’re going to do after I come back to Germany. We lived together in a kind of flat, but I don’t know if we can go back there. We will definitely figure something out to be together again.”

You can see that these overseas love stories can end up in a very positive way, at least for the one that is going abroad. It will always be up to you, to decide for yourself what you will do with your relationship when you are going abroad for a longer time. Are you going to try to make it work or do you want to have fun as a single person during your time abroad and think, we will see when I get back. Some relationships actually survive these big obstacles, like Fabian and Nita’s. Some even get stronger. That also counts for a relationship that starts abroad, look at Pauline and Ali for example. •

We talk everyday on Skype or Facebook, that goes really well

PAULINE AND ALILast year, Pauline went to Treforest in Wales for her one-year mi-nor program. She studies tourism in the Netherlands and she is ## years old. Pauline and her boyfriend made a deal that they would continue their relationship and he would visit her once a month. Quite a good deal, you would say, but then Pauline met Ali.

BEFORE ERASMUSPauline is an assertive girl, she knows what she wants and she will find a way to get it. She missed her boyfriend so much, that she didn’t know if she wanted to stay in Wales or go back to the Netherlands. Of course, she had a lot of fun, went out, enjoyed shopping and spent a lot of time at school. In the end though, she still missed her boyfriend.

Then Pauline met someone else. He was really nice to her, and was there when she needed someone to talk to. Of course, he was also handsome. He called himself Ali, Ali from Ireland. “When I first met him, I was immediately hooked. I couldn’t stop looking at him, although I knew that I had a boyfriend,” she says.

What was she supposed to do? She still loved her boyfriend and she didn’t wanted to lose him either. She also knew that it was not right to like someone else this much, when she already had a boyfriend. She waited till her boyfriend came to visit her. Pauline hoped that the feelings for Ali would disappear, if she saw her boyfriend again. Unfortunately, these feelings did not disappear. She did not know if Ali liked her too, but she had to take the risk. Her boyfriend understood, because he thought she would reconsider everything and come back to him after her exchange.

COULDN’T RESISTNothing could be further from the truth. Ali didn’t want to go back to his home country. The economical crisis had hit Ireland

overseasLOVE

Overseas relationships are not easy. However, they can work if you want to.

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WORD UPDifferent countries have different languages. We asked international students about their favourite word in their language. It tells us something about the language, but moreover, something about the person.

Age: From: Word:

Ann-Katrin’s grandmother used to call her a ‘Traumtänzer’. It means that she is a dreamer, and as a kid she used to dream a lot about her future. When she was young she already said, that she wanted to travel. “And that is exactly what I do right now. So I am not a ‘Traumtänzer’ anymore.” •

Age: From: Word:

This word is a combination between moon and light. “‘Spozmai’ is moon and ‘runa’ means light,” Fahad explains. Sometimes the moon is almost blue and very beautiful, this is what ‘palwasha’ is. People call their daughters ‘palwasha’, so that they may turn up as beautiful as the moon-light. “It reminds me of home, because this is a common word in my area at home.”

Age: From: Word:

Eline likes to party, and that’s something she does as well while being abroad for her study. However, the word ‘Poepeloerezat’ also reminds her of home, going out with friends. This does not mean that she is always drunk. She chose this word because she just likes the rhythm of the word. “It’s catchy!” she says.

Age: From: Word:

Nicole chose this word not because she has courage, but because of the lack of it. “I think I am the least bravest person in the world.” She wished that she would be more courageous. Although, going to a faraway country to study, proves of a lot of courage.

Age: From: Word:

Feifei wants to succeed. “I want to be suc-cessful in life,” she says. It is her main goal to make the best out of everything. That’s one of the reasons why she went abroad for her study. She will be away from home for two years. Fei-fei misses her home very much, but she knows what she is working for.

Age: From: Word:

Mahes doesn’t have to think long about his word, it is the first thing that popped into his mind. “My mother is very important to me,” he explains. Mahes will be away from home for two years, and he misses her a lot. “I admire her be-cause she spends time with me and took care of me, her whole life. For me, this word means love.”

one word from your language

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how do you eat

here would be no bad words about it, though. My friend Danish, a #3-year-old computer engineering stu-

dent from Pakistan, is one of the most open and social people I know. He puts it this way: “I love cooking for others. In Pakistan, we invite six people, but cook for eight. That way, when somebody brings friends, we always have enough food.” There’s nothing that pleases him more than drop by unexpected or uninvited. Not that I’ve done this recently. See, I’m a ##-year-old journalism student from Belgium. We Belgians are planners. If it’s not in the schedule, it’s not happening. So, to have that little element of surprise for Danish, I invited a Belgian friend to tag along. Ironically though, she wanted to call him !rst to see if it was okay for her to come.

SOCIAL DISHESDinner is served. Danish’s friend Asfand, #)-years old and also studying computer engineering and from Paki-stan, puts a big pot on the table. It’s !lled

?with an aromatic rice dish, with chick-peas, tomatoes, onions and other deli-cious ingredients. As a side dish, Asfand made yoghurt with cucumber salad. To-day, we’re not eating with our hands but with a spoon and fork - a habit Danish picked up while he studied in Thailand. We start talking about his past and his life as a Pakistani in Western Europe. “Pakistani people are very social. Nor-mally, we eat with our families. Most dishes in Pakistan you eat with your hands. Especially when you have gath-erings with a lot of people, because you don’t have enough cutlery then,” he says. Chapatti, which is homemade bread, can be a utensil while eating with your hands. Instead of having your own slice you just rip off a piece of the bread that’s on the table. You use this and your !ngers to scoop the food up on your plate. The key is to have clean nails after eating.

FOOD CULTURE“The food in Pakistan is different than anything in Western Europe. We use a lot of spices and eat chapatti with al-

most 4%% of our meals. With the oth-ers we mostly have rice, vegetables and chicken,” says Danish. I can tell you that it tastes great. Belgium has a more pota-to, vegetable and meat food culture. You always have some vegetable that domi-nates the plate, next to it potatoes and then a big slice of meat. Very boring. Es-pecially when your mom is a traditional-ist. Mine loves to cook and eat Brussels sprouts, spinach with mashed potatoes or endives in ham with a cheese sauce. With that culinary background, a Paki-stani rice dish is an exotic paradise.

COOKING TIMEEven with seven people at the dinner ta-ble, the pot is still not empty. With our stomachs full and ourselves satis!ed, we continue the conversation. “When we cook, we can cook for more than !ve hours,” Danish says. “Cooking is more of a social experience. Most of the time women stay at home, because they’re responsible for the cooking.” I can relate to that. Even though my mom worked full-time, she always managed to cook dinner for our family. It’s only later that

T

Having dinner together is essential to the Pakistani culture.

Danish loves to cook for his friends. In Thailand it’s typical to eat with only a spoon and a fork.

»

If you make dinner plans with one friend from Pakistani, you can count on his friends being there, with more people on their way. Eventually, what was a dinner for three ends up being dinner for seven.

2011

I found out it wasn’t really in the tra-ditional Belgian way. See, we only ate one-course meals and then left the ta-ble. Most Belgians have soup !rst, then the main course and dessert afterwards. Danish just served ours. Again, it’s deli-cious.

AWAY FROM HOMEThese guys can really fend for them-selves, even abroad in a foreign country, away from home. Danish learnt cooking from his mom, while helping around the house. Asfand, however, had never

cooked in his life before. “The only thing I knew how to cook was an omelet. When I had to start cooking for myself, I called my mom to instruct me,” he says. They both miss Pakistan while studying abroad. “The more you get to know about another culture, the more you fall in love with your own,“ Asfand says. Danish hasn’t been back in eight years, but has fond memories of his home country. “It was very strange to move and go study abroad. We normally don’t leave our homes until we’re married. But my mom wanted me to get a good education,” he

says. Asfand adds, “It’s a hard thing to do for a mother, to send her son so far away.” It was a good decision though. The con-ditions in Pakistan are getting worse and worse, they both tell me. Although, As-fand says it’s not all that bad. “When you live far away, you only get the bad news.” As a European, far away from it all, I know that’s true. Most of the time, you only get to hear if there’s something wrong in a country. However, Asfand, Danish and I agree that, to see the good side, you re-ally just have to go and experience it for yourself. •

People from India eat with their hands. It’s not allowed to eat with the left hand, or even to pick up your glass with this hand. The left hand is considered the ‘dirty’ one, the right hand is the ‘clean’ one.

In China, finishing everything on your plate is considered rude, be-cause somebody might think you didn’t get enough food and you’re still hungry.

In Ethiopia, ‘injera’ is the most common food. They eat it with every meal except for breakfast. It’s a kind of thin bread made out of wheat flour. Like many other people in the world, the people in Ethiopia eat with their hands too.

When people in Austria clink glasses while making a toast, they must look each other in the eyes. This way they acknowledge each other’s existence. Sure, because who wants to eat with somebody who does not exist?

India AustriaEthiopia

China

did you know

ADJUST

“You can’t change the direction of the wind. But

you can adjust your sails to reach your destination” ? Dolly Parton, American singer, 1946-present

Chopsticks can be many different shapes and sizes.

When you’re on exchange and enter a new country,

strange things happen. You start to notice that behaviours, traditions,

sounds, colours, values and smells you’re used to

are not the same.

culture

I t also happened to me. After a long journey to my new place of study, I stepped out of the train in a strange and new environment. I

walked to an information board and tried to read it. I didn’t understand anything. I asked some people if they could translate it for me, but they didn’t speak English very well. This is one of the most com-mon things students experience when they’re abroad. It’s called ‘culture shock’ and this is a small ‘culture shock guide’ which should explain to you what you might be going through very soon on your own exchange.

Facing culture shock actually means that you’ll pass through various stages

of changing emotional experiences and feelings. In other words: you get accli-matised and adapted to a new and un-familiar environment and culture. Culture shock generally consists of four impor-tant stages and each stage shows differ-ent features.

STAGE ONEIn the !rst stage, you will probably feel very excited about your new cultural en-vironment and every single touch, smell, sound and sight seems fresh and exciting. Every day is unique and amazing. You’re not even aware of the fact that you are actually far away from your friends, family and home.

STAGE TWOAfter a few weeks, the second stage kicks in. Most of the time, it starts with a series of negative experiences and problems. This is where the serious culture shock stage starts, in which nothing is working out the way it should and the differences in your new surroundings and culture become very irritating and frustrating. In this stage you’ll experience major emo-tional ups and downs and at some point you can even lose your self esteem and con!dence.

In this stage you might run into com-munication is-sues with peo-ple from the new culture. For example, some-one from Ger-many can be more ‘straight to the point’ in his or her communication than someone from Japan, who is more indirect and used to ‘reading between the lines’ in a conversation.

STAGE THREEIn this stage, you’ll start to realise that your new culture has pro’s and con’s and you’re able to compare both cultures in realistic terms, without taking things that seriously. You create a feel-like-home sit-uation in your new environment. The cul-tural and the negative effects of culture shock are becoming smaller.

This is the longest and best stage be-

cause you feel safe in your new environ-ment. It feels like a home. Still slightly different from what you had, but in a positive way. Some people actually realise that they are changing as a person. More-over, people can experience new values, emotions and feelings for the !rst time in their lives.

STAGE FOURIn the last stage you’ll encounter a lot of mixed feelings. You feel so much at home in your new environment and culture that you don’t want to go back at all. At

the same time, you will real-ise you miss your family and friends at home and you want to share all of your amazing

stories about your experience abroad with them.

This stage is the worst one because you feel like time is running out. You’re scared that you’ll wake up some day and this dream will be over. Luckily, you will be able to share these feelings and emo-tions with your new friends. They know you and feel exactly the same way.

So in the end, it’s not possible to com-pletely avoid culture shock, but a good preparation can improve your ability to adjust to a new environment. It allows you to be more self-con!dent during your experience abroad. •

It’s not possible to completely avoid

culture shock

1. Before you go on exchange to another country, do research on the cultural differences between your home country and your exchange country.

2. Talk to people who already spent some time abroad, about their experiences.

3. Meet different people in your new country and mix with local citizens and people from your own cultures.

4. Being able to vent the way you feel is important. It lets you put everything in perspective. Talk about your emotions and feelings with others to get their opinions and experiences, or you can write them down.

5. If you experience an acute culture shock, try to find a familiar place to go. You can calm down, recharge yourself and move on af-terwards.

6. Travel a lot and try to see as much as possible of your new en-vironment and culture: explore the surroundings and be a tourist in your own city.

7. Don’t lose the connection with home. This is important because it puts your exciting new life in per-spective. People at home know you the best and will be able to give you advice and the courage to move on with your international experience.

TIPS to adjusting faster

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Changingor Gizem it wasn’t her !rst vis-it to this snowy country way up north. In #565, she already spent a week with her friends

in a cosy town called Härnösand. At that time, she also paid a visit to Sundsvall, which is a city +55 kilometres up north from Stockholm, at Sweden’s east coast. “I had a nice time there. I really liked Sweden.”

In retrospect, Gizem believes that this was the moment she fell for the Scandi-navian country and decided to go on an exchange there. Unlike normal exchange students, Gizem didn’t have the inten-tion to study in Sweden. “I’m studying to become an English teacher. That’s why I thought an internship at a school in an-other country would be a great experi-ence for me.”

ISTANBULFour years before Gizem started her in-ternship in Sundsvall, she moved to Is-tanbul. This was already a huge change for her. Before, she was living in the small

What if you want to spend time abroad, but you don’t feel like studying? Do an internship! Gizem, a 22-year-old student from Istanbul, is working as an English teacher in Sweden.

F town of Edirne, close to the border with Greece. She felt that Istanbul would be the right place to learn to become more independent. “I wanted to be away from my parents, to live on my own and be responsible for myself.” First, her parents had a hard time letting their daughter go her own way and wanted to move to Is-tanbul with her, but they learnt to accept Gizem’s decision.

DECISION AND DIFFICULTYIn her third year at the University of Is-tanbul, a professor advised Gizem to do an internship abroad. The decision to go was easily made. From a previous stay in Canada, she knew that a time abroad would have a positive outcome. “For me, my internship would have many advan-tages. I would learn the Swedish school system, with different teaching methods than we have in Turkey. I think this will bene!t me for future jobs.” In agreement with her university, Gizem decided to take a break from her studies in order to do the internship in Sundsvall in Sweden.

Though the decision was easily made, the realisation of her dream was about to fall apart before it had even started. The most dif!cult part was getting the visa permit for her stay in Sweden on time. While Gizem was waiting, the date of her departure got closer and closer. “This was such a problem, I almost gave up.” It took the government agency al-most three months to do a check up on Gizem’s background. Luckily, her profes-sors were in close contact with the con-sulate in Stockholm and helped her get her visa just in time.

COMPARING DIFFERENCESGizem arrived on a clear October after-noon in Sundsvall. Right away, she picked up her work as an English teacher at an elementary school and a kindergarten. You can imagine that there are a lot of differences between Sweden and Turkey. Take the landscape and climate for ex-ample. Gizem says, ¨Compared to Turkey, Sweden is much greener, with so many lakes.” Especially the Swedish winter

was something she had to get used to. At temperatures below minus #5 de-grees and a sunset at half past two in the afternoon, Gizem was often think-ing of home. “I couldn’t get used to the little amount of daylight. When I woke up it was dark, when I went home, it was dark again.” Coming from a much warmer climate, Gizem found that not only the temperatures were different, but the inhabit-ants as well. “Swedish people are very friendly, but a little shy. Besides that, they’re really helpful, more so than Turkish people. My mentor and colleagues talk English every time when I’m around, even when they don’t have to.”

INTERNATIONAL LIVINGAbout living in a Swedish dormitory, Gizem thinks that it is surprisingly similar to living in a Turkish one. “I like this way of living. You learn to share things with different people.” During the first few months, Gizem didn’t

have much contact with the interna-tional students. “When I arrived here last year, the floor I’m living on was al-most empty. I didn’t spend much time with this other students from differ-ent floors.” That changed at the begin-ning of this year. “Now, I made a lot of international friends and I spend more

time with them.” According to her, this also has a downside. “The ‘bad’ thing about living with international stu-dents is that you hardly get in touch with local people.”

Consequently, Gizem had a dif!cult time learning the Swedish language. Because she isn’t a regular exchange student, she couldn’t take language courses at the university in Sundsvall. “I would really like to learn Swedish. It’s a pity that I didn’t get the chance to learn the language, but my students at school

are teaching me some Swedish words.”

THE DILEMMAAfter seven months, the end of her time abroad suddenly seems very close. About the prospect of leaving Sundsvall Gizem says, “I’m struggling with a big dilemma. One part of me really wants

to stay here, the other wants to go home.” Her students, the new friends she made and the Swed-ish way of living. It has all

become so familiar that Sundsvall feels like Gizem’s second home. At the same time, she’s looking forward to seeing her family at home in Edirne and sharing her experience with her friends in Istanbul. When she goes home Gizem has three months of summer vacation and then, her normal life as a student will start again. She thinks this might become hard after a break of one year. However, if it doesn’t work out, Gizem already has the perfect solution, “I will just book a ticket back to Sweden.” •

One part of me really wants to stay

here, the other wants to go home

Gizem thinks that an exchange is a great chance to learn how to live on your own and be responsible for yourself.

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As an exchange student, you will meet many people from different cultures. This is interesting, but it can be hard to understand their culture. Knowledge of the basic principles of intercultural commu-nication can help you to avoid misunderstandings and improve the communication with others.

the multicultural

CHALLENGEhow do you deal with cultural differences?

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‘I DON’T USE THOSE’If you are organising a dinner with friends or roommates, you’ll notice that people eat their food in different ways. In some cultures, people use a knife and a fork, in other cultures they eat with chopsticks or by using their hands. In most countries it’s acceptable to eat and serve dinner with your hands but in others this may be considered as unhygienic.

‘DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?’Just as there are diverse cultures dur-ing an exchange, there are diverse sex-ual preferences as well. Keep in mind that while in some cultures it’s okay to talk freely about your sexuality, in oth-ers, these topics are inappropriate or considered taboo. It can also be con-sidered as ‘not normal’ to have really deep conversations with people you just met. Imagine, how you would feel if someone asks you things you consider private.

Was there a moment you had a big ‘cul-ture shock’, can you describe this?Canada’s culture is not that different from the one in New Zealand, so there wasn’t really a culture shock. Of course, there are some differences. For example, most public toilets here are free, which is great! Another differ-ence, that’s so not great, is that you are ex-pected to give a 15% tip in restaurants, even if the waitress doesn’t deserve it.

Do you have suggestions for students who want to go on exchange?If you get the chance to go on exchange, take that opportunity and go to a place you’d like to go to but normally wouldn’t have the chance to. Keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to be critical on the new culture in your exchange country and your own.

‘HELLO, HELLO’ Just the way people say hello differs a lot from one culture to the other. In most parts of the world, people don’t shake hands. In East Asia, for example, people bow when they greet. In other cultures they hug and in some they even kiss each other on the cheek. Remember that it’s not acceptable in every country to greet someone with physical contact. You might un-willingly offend or embarrass a person. But, not everyone will greet you in the way that’s normal in their culture. They might try to adapt to you or your culture by imitating what you do.

‘ ALMOST THERE IN 54 MINUTES’In some cultures it can be okay to be late for an appointment. However, in many other cul-tures, arriving late is considered rude and dis-respectful. In other words, if you arrive late for class, a movie night or a birthday don’t be sur-prised when people ask you why you are late.

‘THANK YOU FOR NOT BEING INTERESTED’Don’t be offended if your new roommate rejects your offer to have a beer in the city centre. It’s not that he or she doesn’t want to hang out with you. It’s just that some cultures or reli-gions forbid the consumption of alcohol.

When you go out for a party with an international crowd and you want to dance with someone, it’s important to ask him or her. Personal space or lack of personal space is a sensitive aspect in some cultures. The way guys act towards girls also differs a lot between cultures. In England, for example, guys don’t look at girls on the street because people find it rude. In contrast, French men do it shamelessly. Recently, a French actor mentioned that men from Great Britain are all gay – his ‘convincing’ evidence was that they did not look at women on the street.

‘GET A ROOM’It’s fantastic when you meet the love of your life while you are on exchange. Make sure you make the most out of it, but keep one thing in mind: kissing or being intimate in public places is inap-propriate in almost every culture.

Name:Age:From:Studied in:Now living in:

Name: Age:From:Studied in:Now living in:

Did you have embarrassing moments caused by cultural differences? The relationship between employees and their employer is a bit different here. Everything is more personal. This means that your boss can invite you for a dinner at their place, or ex-pects you to invite him or her. This was really weird for me, since I’m used to keeping work and personal life separated. What do you say when your boss wants to be friends on Fa-cebook? •

Was there a moment you had a big ‘culture shock’, and can you describe this moment? It was when I went home from university in the evening. On my way home, I noticed that most the windows of the hous-es didn’t have any blinds. I could easily see what people were doing in there. That was so strange for me. When you leave the windows uncovered like that, people outside can look in. You don’t have any privacy. In my country, everyone covers their windows with curtains or blinds so you can’t look inside.

Can you tell me something about a really awkward situation because of the cultural difference. There was one moment I felt really awkward. It was at a food party, organised by my classmates. They told me to bring my own food and drinks. For me that was strange, because in Vietnam, when someone invites you to a party, it means you go there and enjoy the food that’s prepared by the host. I still have trouble with people bringing their own food when they come to visit me. I’m used to cooking for a lot of peo-ple. For me, it’s what makes throwing a party fun.

2011

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How to avoid

omesickness is the name for the dif!culty you ex-perience while trying to adapt to a new culture

and country. Every student who is go-ing abroad experiences the problems of getting used to a new life in a new country. Anne-Sophie Ragani, ## years old, comes from the island of New Cal-edonia and is studying in France. She explains, “It’s especially the island’s way of life that I miss and which sometimes gives me this feeling of homesickness.”

People who feel homesick, feel nos-talgic, reserved and melancholic. They are confronted with a deep sadness, which can result in a serious depres-sion. Homesickness usually appears some weeks or months after the arrival in a new country. When the excitement of exploring a new country is gone and when the daily becomes routine, the nostalgia of the home country appears.

There are no rules about who can be affected by this feeling or how long it might last. However, if you’re motivated and well-prepared for your time abroad, the chances that you’ll be affected by homesickness are lower.

The following advices will help you

avoid the feeling of homesickness dur-ing your stay abroad.

PREPARE YOURSELF The !rst thing is to be well-prepared be-fore you leave. The easy way is just to in-form yourself about the country you’re going to. Look up information about the customs of the culture, the inhabitants and the way of life. Even better: talk to people who have been there or lived there. It’s helpful to have different points of view and stories – good or bad – so you’re not surprised when encountering the same problems yourself.

STAY CURIOUS If you decided to study abroad you cer-tainly have two qualities: open-mind-edness and curiosity. Those are really important to make your stay a success. Continue to develop these qualities. It’s important to stay curious during your stay. Explore your new surround-ings, talk to people, try new foods and try new ways of doing things. Be open-minded with everything around you. To succeed in your exchange you have to try to adapt to your new country’s way of life. The sooner you do it, the

sooner you stop feeling like a stranger.

MAKE NEW FRIENDS Friends will make you feel less alone. As a student, it’s easy to meet new people, so seize every occasion to make new friends. For example, if you have the choice be-tween living on your own or living in a stu-dent accommodation don’t hesitate, just take the place where you have the oppor-tunity to meet many people. Your host uni-versity is also a perfect place to meet other students and thereby, to make new friends.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH HOME Don’t forget to keep in touch with your family and friends, even when you’re feel-ing good. You must !nd a balance between your new life and the people at home. Don’t spend too much time with family and friends from your home country, but don’t forget about them either.

If you follow these four advices there’s no reason for you to be homesick. Don’t worry, feeling sad sometimes happens to everybody and it’s normal. As Anne-Sophie said, “I always try to see the good points of having a rewarding experience in a country like France, which gives more opportunities than on an island like New Caledonia.” •

H

homesicknessAs an exchange student you could be concerned by a well-known

symptom: homesickness. Here you’ll find some explanations which will help you understand what you might experience and advices to avoid it.

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Making friends abroadWhat if you just took the big leap to study abroad? You’ve thought about accommo-dation, a place to work or study, you’ve got the financial side covered. What about making friends and meeting new people?

I t’s actually not as hard as it seems. Even though, you’re in an unfamiliar country with a different culture, people are still people. We’re all social human beings. Yes, even that crazy cat lady. She might yell at kids but she still talks

to kitties. She wants nothing more than to make friends out of strangers. So how do you go about it?

TIP 1: ASK AROUND, USE CONNECTIONSAsk friends or acquaintances if they have connections in the country you’re going to. It sounds like a long shot, but it’s not. If your mother’s best friend’s uncle has a connection in the coun-try you’re going to, email them. Use them as a starting point to get to know new people. They can give you insider information on places to go and local dos and don’ts. They can also intro-duce you to their friends, who might just become your new pals.

TIP 2: INTRODUCE YOURSELFRemember how easily you made friends as a little kid? You saw a kid you liked, went up to them, held out your hand and intro-duced yourself. The other kid would reply by shaking your hand and you would be friends. It’s that easy. People like meeting new and interesting characters. That’s you. You’re an interesting newcomer from a different country. Why not talk about that?

TIP 3: TALK SMALLSmall talk is the beginning of a big conversation and the second step to international friendship. The key is to show interest and look for common ground. Whether you’re chatting with an ex-change student or a local, you’ll always have something to talk about. With fellow foreigners you can talk about the countries you both came from, the one you’re in now and why you’re there. They are also interesting, courageous and adventurous human beings who want to meet new people. So, you share a lot in common. With the second type of people, locals, you’re the one on higher ground. See, you’re a stranger from a fara-way country. You chose to stay in their country voluntarily. That makes you twice as cool.

TIP 4: GET ACTIVEYou won’t make any friends by locking yourself up in your room. Get active and volunteer or join a sports club, student

organisation, language course, cooking class or some other club or organisation. This is a great way of meeting new people and doing the things you like. You could also organise events your-self. Throw a game night, cooking party or host a hiking trip. The bonus here is that people will congratulate you with the success of the event and will remember your name.

TIP 5: GO ONLINEIn this digital day and age, it’s not wrong to make friends online. Spend some time searching the internet and you’ll encounter a webpage or forum that suits your needs. Check if there are Facebook groups for foreign newcomers where you’re headed, or look for Twitter key words that match your area. Follow and tweet people who look interesting. They might not become your best friends, but they could help you along the way.

Another good and safe resource is Couchsur!ng.org. This is a website designed for travelers and it offers the possibility to sleep on someone’s couch for free. These people, couch surf-

ers, host couch sur!ng meetings in their local areas. This is a great way to meet lovely, open people. Other resources include travel-ling forums or blogs. Of course, some caution is always advisable when meeting up with online acquaintances. You should trust

your gut and always let someone know where you are.

TIP 6: RINSE AND REPEAT“If at !rst you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again,” sang a &.'. pop star once, and she’s right. All cultures are differ-ent, even if they do not seem that way at !rst. Getting to know new people can be hard or easy, depending on the area you’re in. Just never give up. Some people can seem reserved and dis-tant at !rst, but once you give them time to get to know you, they will surely open up. If they don’t, there are plenty of other people that will. Just give it time.

FINAL ADVICEA !nal word of advice: get out of your comfort zone. By going to live in an unfamiliar country, you took the !rst step. But don’t stop there. It’s easy to stay in your cultural cocoon by hang-ing out with fellow countrymen and women. Avoid that trap, socialise with people from other cultures and you’ll be a richer person. •

Socialise with people

from other cultures and you’ll be a richer person

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It’s a dream to leave home behind and to study in a foreign country. Keeping the ones you left behind up to date has never been easier. Here’s a short overview of the possibilities to stay in contact.

Keep inTOUCH

oung people know how to use their email, Skype and Face-book. Besides these obvious ways to stay in contact, there

are more fun and original ways to do this. Especially, when you are studying abroad. Think of the modern ways and, of course, the classic ways to stay in touch.

GO VINTAGE What’s better than receiving a package from your family or friends? The paper, that tells you to pick up your package, the exciting feeling you get from that mes-sage and the moment, when !nally, the post of!ce hands over your package. You walk home and think, “What could be in the box?” When you’re home, you open the package and a long missed item like your favourite snack, is revealed. “The smell of my favourite sausages reminded me of home. There’s nothing better than receiving a package from home, while you are studying abroad”, says Ruth John-son from Scotland.

“For me, receiving or sending a post-

card, a letter or a package is better than using the modern ways to stay in con-tact” says Marije Breukelman. She studied for one year in Glasgow, Scotland. “The handwritten postcards, the smell of the food in the packages and the real pictures gives you an amazing feeling!” It works the same way the other way around — from you to others. Imagine, how sur-prised and happy your parents or your best friend would react if they received a postcard or package from you. It’s such a simple, but effective way, to let them know that you’re thinking of them.

TO TWEET OR NOT TO TWEET Twitter is a fast way to let people know what’s going on. An application for smart phones is also available. By the $+% char-acter restriction, you are forced to keep the message short but clear at the same time. A more modern way to stay in con-tact, besides Skype, email and Facebook, is using Internet on your mobile phone. If you have a smart phone, you can eas-ily use a lot of different applications to

stay in touch with many people. For ex-ample, by just letting them know where you are exactly at that moment. It’s a re-ally fast and simple way to let your family and friends be part of your life abroad, although there might be more than $%%% kilometres between you.

BLOG IT Tumblr is a micro blogging platform where you can post texts, images, videos, links, quotes and audio !les. Because it is a short-form blog, you don’t have to spend much time to let your family and friends know what is going on. Posting a good quote from your teacher, a funny story about a cultural difference or a pho-to of your favourite spot in nature says a lot and can be fun for your friends and family at home.

Whichever possibility suits you best, keep in mind, that your family and friends will be happy with every postcard, letter, mail and blog entry you write. Therefore, they won’t feel left out from your adven-turous time abroad. • LIVING ABROAD

“Your destination is never a place,

but a way of seeing things”

Henry Miller, American author, 1891-1980

Y

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SCORCHED PANBurned sauce on a pan looks bad and smells awful, but a

scorched pan is not a ruined one. First and foremost, don’t

scrub the pot or pan if it’s scorched. Put cold water in the

cooled pot with three teaspoons to a half-cup of baking soda.

Boil the water and the burned part of the pan should come right

of. Sometimes there could be some residue still left in the pot;

you can remove this with a special stain remover for pans.

Grandmothers have decades of experience. They’re goddesses in the kitchen and are dangerous with needle and thread. They know how to handle anything. Now that you’re on your own, take a look what grandma would say.

SEVERE COLDHow to deal with a cold? There are several things able to get you through the worst period. First of all, you have to accept it. Take it easy and get lots of sleep. Stress will only make the symptoms worse. Stay warm and drink lots of liquids, especially water, to keep your body hydrated. Orange juice will boost your body’s immune system. It won´t help you get over your cold, though. Chicken soup is also a traditional ‘healing aide’.

IRONING Get your clothes wrinkle free without ironing. Put four to six tennis balls into the dryer together with your clothes. They will make more noise in you dryer than usual, but they won’t harm it. The balls prevent the clothes from clumping together, make your clothes dry faster and save energy.

tips you need to know

GRANNY’s

STAINSWhat to do when greasy food spills on your shirt? Removing the

stain becomes more difficult when the grease stain has dried.

So immediately pour a thick layer of liquid laundry detergent

onto the stain. Rub the detergent into it with your fingertips and

let it soak for ten minutes. After that, place it in your washing ma-

chine. Repeat this procedure if any grease stain is still present.

CHEWING GUMChewing gum on your clothes can be a big problem. You can

remove chewing gum from clothes with a freezing method.

Place the clothing into a plastic bag. Seal the bag and place

it into the freezer for a few hours. Remove from the freezer

and peel the gum off the clothing as quickly as possible with

a dull knife. •

8words of wisdom

FRUIT FLIESFruit flies can materialize in even the most spotless kitchen. The

easiest way to get rid of them is to put about an inch of apple

cider vinegar and a drop or two of dish detergent in a jar with

some small holes poked in the lid. The flies go in, but they can’t

find their way out.

HANGOVERHow to prevent a hangover? Drinking on an empty stomach is

a bad idea; so eat before you start. This will help to dilute the

alcohol in your stomach. Do yourself a favour. Don’t mix bever-

ages and stick with just one type of drink. Your body will have an

easier time breaking everything down. Alcohol will quickly drain

your body of liquids. Drink some water or fruit juice before, dur-

ing and after drinking alcohol. This will help prevent a hangover

because the worst part is caused by simple dehydration.

TORN CLOTHESTake a sewing kit with you. During your exchange you won’t

have the possibility to bring your torn clothes to your mother.

So take some sewing stuff with you and look on the Internet for

some instructions if you don’t know how to sew. You can easily

tackle holes and missing buttons. This way, you can keep on

wearing your clothes, rather than throwing them out.

Sauerkraut Stamppot with Bacon

Stamppot is a traditional dish from the Netherlands. It’s a kind of stew of mashed potatoes with vegetables and meat. It can be made with different ingredients, from delicate spring asparagus to hearty winter vegetables. Stamppot is often served with ‘rook-worst’, a typical Dutch sausage, but this one is also served with bacon.

Prep time: $% minutesCooking time: #% minutesTotal time: 2% minutesServes +

PREPARATION Peel and cut the potatoes into similar sized pieces. Boil them for #% minutes in salted water. Fry the cubes of bacon, until they’re crispy. Add the sauerkraut in another pan and heat it. Warm the milk. Dry the potatoes before you mash them. Then quickly, add the boiled milk and some butter. Season the mashed potatoes the way you like them. Last but not least, mix the sauerkraut and bacon with the mashed potatoes and serve them hot.

Sauerkraut Stamppot with Bacon

When people think of Italian food, the !st things that come to mind are pizza and spaghetti. Pasta plus !ve other ingredients (and a little salt) make a great meal. The secret of this pasta is the use of three kinds of tomatoes.

Prep time: $% minutesCooking time: #7 minutesTotal time: 27 minutesServes +

PREPARATIONPour the olive oil into a frying pan and place over medium heat. Fill a pot with )7% water, bring to boil. Chop and fry the spring onion for $ or # minutes. Chop the sundried and cherry toma-toes, add them to the frying onions for + minutes. Then, add the chopped tomatoes. Mix together until there are no large lumps left and cook for at least $% minutes and add a little bit of salt. Slice the olives and add to the mixture. When the pot of water boiled, add the spaghetti. Cook according to the instructions on the package. Add the tomato mixture to the pasta and serve im-mediately! »

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»

authentic DISHES

fter spending the !rst $3 years of my life in the Neth-erlands, it was time for me to start something completely

new. Time to experience life in one of the most beautiful countries on earth, New Zealand. I quickly found out that the country was completely different than the Netherlands – a retro school uniform, no crowded beaches, warm temperatures, a surfer’s paradise and so on. For me, it was the place to be!

However, I soon realised that not eve-rything was as great as it seemed to be. My host parents were never at home, I had to cook for my host brother every day and I could not go anywhere because there was simply no transportation. I was basically stuck at home taking care of my little brother as if I was his full-time babysitter. Last but not least, one morning I received sexually intimidating emails from my host dad. Time to move out!

I went to school, walked over to my friends and told them everything. They assured me that I was welcome to live with them for a while in case I couldn’t !nd anything else. Luckily, my country coordinator picked me up after school. There was a weekend trip planned with all international students from my or-ganisation. My coordinator was shocked when I told him what had happened but

he assured me that I didn’t have to go back anymore. Immediately after the trip he came with me to my host family. He talked with my host parents while I was packing my stuff. It felt strange. On one hand I left my ‘home’, on the other hand I was happy to leave and excited about what life in New Zealand would bring me next.During the next weeks I moved from one place to another. I didn’t know what to do, where to go or what to say to my family at home. I was afraid that they would worry too much. I had never been in such a situation before. . In a sense it was exciting, but it was also ex-hausting and it made me appreciate the environment where I had grown up in even more. Fortunately, I could spent the last month of my stay at one place. The family of my friend was incredibly nice and welcoming. They turned my ex-change from an uncomfortable experi-ence into an experience to never forget.

I never regretted my decision to go to New Zealand. It was one of the most interesting and educational experiences I have ever had. I learnt how to stand up for myself, how to arrange things alone and how to handle dif!cult situa-tions. Always keep in mind that after rain comes sunshine, and although something bad may happen, your exchange will still be an unforgettable experience.

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after the rainFebruary 2nd, 2007. After a journey of 28 hours I could finally see the country where I was going to live for five months through the oval airplane window.

After a rough time Marit managed to have fun again.

Chapatti with vegetarian Kurma

Indian cuisine is usually very spicy. In order to enjoy the food, build up the spicyness and in a few weeks you‘ll be accustomed to the "avours. Meals are usually eaten seated on the "oor. In India it’s typical to eat Chapatti with most meals.

Prep time: $7 minutesCooking time: 2% minutesTotal time: +7 minutesServes +

PREPARATION Chapatti: Stir the whole-wheat "our and salt it. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the olive oil and enough water to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on a "oured surface until it’s smooth. Di-vide into $% pieces, roll them into balls and let them rest a few min-utes. Heat a skillet and grease lightly. Roll out the balls on a "oured surface, until they’re thin like a tortilla. Cook the chapatti until the bottom has brown spots, then cook the other side.

Vegetarian Kurma: It can be eaten with the chapatti. Soak the chick-peas in water for + hours before cooking. Wash the beans, carrots and potatoes and cook them. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok, add the onions and stir fry until lightly browned. After that, add the ginger, garlic, stewed tomatoes and spices and stir for # minutes. Af-ter boiling the vegetables, remove the skin and cut them in pieces. When the tomato sauce has thickened, add the cooked vegetables and 2 cups of water. Reduce heat and let it simmer for $% minutes. Cut the dry chilly and stir it with the mustard and # tablespoons of oil. Serve with the Chapatti. •

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arthe Buch, from Germany, has been studying in Sundsvall, Sweden for almost a year now. She knows how to handle a standard, boring room. The first four months she had a room far away

from campus. After that, she moved to another room which was closer to school but smaller than the room before. Marthe prefers her smaller, new room. She feels that her first room was too big because all the decoration looked so small. In her new room, she feels completely at home. “And that’s how it should be,” Marthe says. She explains that feeling at home is very im-portant when you arrive in a new environment with new peo-ple and new impressions. Having a personal place within this surrounding makes you feel comfortable. Before Marthe came to Sweden, she was able to put only a few personal belongings into her suitcase, such as pictures and postcards.

Her room was already furnished. For some extra accessories, Marthe went to Sweden’s most famous store, 89:;, to give her room some finishing touches. At the university she found some free post cards, and every once in a while she puts a few more on her wall. Marthe says the postcards from her parents are easy to recognise. “ ‘How are you? We haven’t heard from you in a while!’ Those are the ones from home.”

She also has a big poster of the Beatles walking on Abbey Road on her wall. The other side of the room is covered by a Swedish flag. Pictures and postcards are all over her room. Al-together, Marthe has the feeling she created a home for herself and a place to withdraw. “It feels like home because I made it that way,” she explains. And when she thinks of friends and fam-ily, she can just look at the cards and read them again. •

When you go abroad you have to leave your cosy room behind. Your new one will be screaming for a personal touch. Some little changes can make it feel like home.

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your room your homePut posters on the walls, so the room doesn’t look or feel so empty.

Bring pictures of your friends, family, pets or anything else that reminds you of home. Hang them on the wall, so they surround you.

Collect the cards you receive from your home country and give them a special place.

Make collages out of magazines.

Go to a secondhand shop for cheap furniture and accessories, they have a lot of things for little money.

Let everyone know where you live by putting a personalised sign on your door.

What about a flag on your wall of your home country or the country you’re in? No matter what kind of flag, it will always give colour to your room.

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Marthe is completely comfortable in her new home.

Her closet is filled with nice dresses and accessories. Everytime she looks at the cards, she thinks of home.

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FREE TIMEYou’re a student, the price of the drinks is probably the first thing you’ll discuss with your new friends. Do you really need to go to an expensive club on the weekends? You can also organise great parties in your dorm. With or without alcohol, as long as there are nice people and good music, you’ll have a great time together.

To get some extra cash, you could find a job in your new home town. In some countries you can get any parttime job, as long as you speak English. Even in coun-tries where speaking the local language is nescessary to get a job, it’s possible to earn some money. You can pluck fruit, work in a factory or deliver newspapers. You can also work in the library of your university or ask the contact person at the university for advice. •

Going abroad should be a fun, memorable experience. But what if you run out of money? That would ruin your stay. This article can help you prevent that from happening.

Don’t go tips for saving money

CHOICE OF COUNTRY Our first tip is probably our wisest: figure out what your budget is before you leave home. Choose a country that fits into your budget. Consider all the costs of staying abroad - the plane ticket, transportation, accommodation, living standards, groceries and unforeseen circumstances. Ask friends and family who already went abroad, about their spending habits and search the internet for other people’s experiences.

ACCOMMODATIONThis depends on your needs, habits and expectations. The cheapest place for ac-commodation is mostly located outside the city centre. These rooms are often bigger, but the commuting time to your workplace or university can be quite long. If you want to stay in or near the city cen-tre, then you have to pay more money for a smaller room. On the other hand, you don’t have to worry about extra commut-ing costs. Make sure that your contract is due to the exact date of your arrival and departure, to avoid unnecessary ex-penses and read the contract carefully before you sign it.

SHARE AND RE-USESharing makes the world a better place and your wallet will agree with this statement. If you buy your groceries with friends from your dorm or people who you’re sharing a kitchen with, you can buy in bulk, which is always cheaper. Do you know the expression “one per-son’s trash is another person‘s treasure”? A secondhand shop or flea market is a student's best friend if you need to buy clothes, shoes, sunglasses, bags, furniture or kitchenware. It’s cheaper and probably more unique than buying brand new stuff. You’ll have to search for it, but finding that one perfect, unique piece is definitely worth the effort.

GROCERY LISTNever shop for food on an empty stomach. When you’re hun-gry and in a place filled with food, such as a supermarket, your stomach will make you buy stuff you don’t need. Also, make a grocery list and stick to it. Don’t buy things you don’t really need, because they will end up in the litter bin.

Don’t just buy your groceries with roommates or neigh-bours, but also cook with them. It’s cheaper to make one big meal for three or more people. You use fewer products for more food. When you’re not cooking in a group, don’t stop cooking in large amounts. Freeze leftovers or put them in the fridge to eat the next day.

Ben Broomand is a 24-year old ex-change student from Iran. He’s ex-periencing the difficulties of living Sweden, on a budget. “The secondhand shop is pretty popular here. Because it really saves a lot of money. The second thing is making friends with locals. You can ask them for advice to find cheap places to shop. Signing up for mem-bership cards at local stores is also a good idea. Those get you a lot of discounts. They send you different kinds of folders with coupons, or send you emails about sales.

Joining a student club will usually provide you with a lot of discounts. Getting a bicycle here was a must, because the public transportation here is almost 10 times more expen-sive than back in Iran. And bread, for example. To me, bread is very im-portant, especially for breakfast. The bread back home is very different. Here it’s the fancy stuff. Very expen-sive compared to my home country.

Because of this, I decided to change the way I eat. So I’m saving a lot of money. Now, I eat different stuff for breakfast. Fruit’s my favorite, usually. It’s much cheaper than bread. I had to change some other things too, like my personal style. I shaved my hair when I arrived here. It’s been like nine or 10 months since I’ve been to a barber shop. When I need a haircut, I just do it myself. If I didn’t, I would have to spend al-most 50 dollars every two months on haircuts.“

Budgetadvice

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y most silly discovery was a few years ago. I found out that paprika chips are actually made with papri-

ka. It doesn’t taste like it to me, so I never made the connection between those two. Another one is the expression ‘early bird’. I recently found out birds are indeed early. I heard them singing their songs at # a.m. when I walked back from a dinner party. That’s early, bird! My latest big !nding is the phrase ‘same same but different’.

I never understood this sentence until I experienced it myself. After almost !ve months as an exchange student, I can ad-mit that an exchange can actually change you. The Charlotte who left home, will not be the same Charlotte who goes back.

I can still remember the moment I sat in the airplane, on my own, think-ing about all the people I left behind. For the !rst time in my life, I would be far away from home, without my family and friends. It made me feel both sad and excited. I didn’t know back then what an amazing experience was ahead of me. I didn’t know about all the things I would

learn about other cultures, and my own. I didn’t know about all the amazing in-ternational students, who would become very important to me. I didn’t know how great it could be to travel around and ex-plore a country. And I didn’t know what I would learn about myself.

Being abroad is an opportunity to look at things from a distance. Now I know that I am able to do things on my own and that it can bring me great experi-ences. I have a feeling that the world is waiting for me. There is more to discover and more to !nd out. I cannot say exactly what it is that changed me. All I know is that I am ‘same same, but different‘.

You are never too old to learn. Maybe there are people who will never discover obvious connections, like between pa-prika chips and paprika. Maybe there are people who will never hear an early bird. Maybe there are people who will forever be the ‘same same’. My advice is, if you get the chance, go abroad and let yourself be different. It makes you more aware of yourself and you will have the best time of your life! •

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but ifferent

One is never too old to learn, and some things will only become clear

after a while. Through the years you can experience or discover many things.

Charlotte Cozijn discovered a lot about herself on exchange.

AFTERMATH

“You don’t realise how beautiful it is to travel, until you

come home and rest your head on your old, familiar pillow”

Lin Yutang, Chinese writer, 1895–1976

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Age:From:Where to:When: “Getting a job offer after five months of extremely hard work.”

MEMORIESLooking back on your time abroad is part of the experience. Unforgettable memories of your adventures, international friends and learning moments will stay with you for a lifetime.

verybody who went abroad, learnt something. You realize how important your family and friends are to you, you expand

your world view, you become aware of cultural differences or you learn a new language.

LEARNING MOMENTSChristopher Prinz from Switzerland went to Brazil for one semester in #%%7. “In Bra-zil I realiSed that I don’t have to rush in life. No worries about tomorrow, you live today.” Now, six years later, Christopher still has this attitude towards life. “I don’t feel stressed if a colleague says that I have to !nish my work the same day. Before my exchange, I was always stressed in that kind of situation.”

Linda van der Schoot from the Neth-erlands has the feeling that she learnt about herself during her internship at the Dutch Embassy in Tokyo and her study at the University in Osaka. “Work days from eight till eight are normal in Japan. During my internship, I was afraid of saying, ‘see you tomorrow’ around !ve o’clock.” Linda discussed this problem with her Dutch internship coor-dinator and her Japanese boss. After that she was able to go home earlier. “In Japan I learnt to stand up for myself.”

NEVER FORGET During your stay abroad, you will experi-ence exciting moments: from a dog sled tour in Lapland, to a starry sky in Kenya. From sleeping in a temple in Thailand to

an international dinner on the top of a hill in Italy. You will keep these memories with you for the rest of your life.

Ann Simms from New Zealand, did a master in the United States three years ago. Ann’s house is still !lled with pictures of her time in the States. “I want to keep my memories alive,” she explains. Simms recommends making a photo album of your exchange as soon as you’re back. “Names, visited places and exciting mo-ments are still fresh in your memory and a detailed photo album is still nice to look at years later.”

KEEP IN CONTACTNew forms of media are everywhere around us: social nework sites like Google Buzz and Facebook, microblogging plat-forms like Twitter and Tumblr, videocall-

ing programs like Skype and email. They make it a lot easier to stay in touch with your interna-

tional friends after your time abroad. Of course, you won’t stay in touch with

all the people you meet. Soraia Rodrigues, a student from Portugal experienced this after her stay in Canada. “Unfortunately, I only meet with a Portuguese friend a few times a year.” Soraia thinks that it’s normal to lose face-to-face contact with some of your international friends. “We’re all stu-dents with limited budgets which makes it harder to travel to other parts of the world,” she explains.

In the end, looking back and cherish-ing your sweet memories will keep them alive forever. •

Exciting momentsS W E E T

Make a photo album as soon as you’re back

Age:From:Where to:When:“Dancing on a white sand beach, a cocktail in my hand and my new friends from all over the world around me. I really liked that.”

Age:From:Where to:When:“After a hike in the jungle we took a shower in a waterfall in the middle of nowhere. Me and nature were one. Unbelievable!”

Age:From:Where to:When:“We organized a barbeque with good music, food and drinks. After partying all night long, we skinny-dipped in the sea.”

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On exchange, live in the moment. While at home, cherish the memory.

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You experienced a lot of different things and got to

know different cultures and traditions. Suddenly, you

are thrown back into your old life. This can be even

more difficult than adjusting to your time abroad.

t the beginning of your time abroad, you had to get used to the culture of a foreign country. Study

abroad guides refer to this as a ‘culture shock’, which is a common part of the adjusting process. Spending time abroad brings you in touch with a lot of un-known things: people from around the world, different cultures and traditions. The time you spent in a foreign country will affect you in different parts of your life. It might not occur to you right away that parts of the culture you lived in have become a part of yourself.

ADJUSTINGMerle Klintworth, a ##-year-old student at the University of Bremen in Germany, studied in the United States last spring. The exchange taught her not only some-thing about the American way of living, but also about herself.

“I think I changed in some ways. I got braver in trying new things, and be-came more spontaneous. I took over the

American way of being open to people I don’t know and just talking to them.”

Of course, you won’t realise you changed until you come home to your old life. Kalina Bunk, #$-years-old and student from Poland, says that she had to deal with some personal re-adjust-ment difficulties when she returned home after spending six months in Ma-drid, Spain. There she lived in an apart-ment with four Spanish girls, while at home she had lived with her parents all her life.

“It was my first time away from home. I felt so free, but also responsible for my-self. I really learned to take care of myself.” Back home, Kalina had trouble returning to her parents’ house and living her old life. Many students who studied abroad go through this. They reflect on their pri-orities, values and self image. As a result, they feel misplaced when they return to family and friends. It feels like something changed at home, but the reality is that you have changed. This phenomenon is called a ‘reverse culture shock’.

Astrikes back

This will cause problems because your family and friends expect you to be the same person as when you left. It doesn’t mean that you should put all those great experiences in a small box and forget about them. You already man-aged to live in two different worlds. So now, you have to put them together.

REVERSE CULTURE SHOCKThe easy way to avoid this re-adjust-ment process altogether would be to jump on the next plane back to your exchange country. While some of us already consid-ered this option, the major-ity of exchange students just have to face reality.

Home might suddenly seem much smaller, and not as exciting as your ad-venture abroad. Instead of concentrating on the differences between your old life and the one abroad, embrace the culture shock.

At the beginning of the re-adjusting

process you might struggle with falling back into your daily routine. You’re still used to the routines you have adapted to and developed from living in a different culture, and they differ from what was once normal to you. By picking up old routines, you can find a way back to your old life much easier.

The thing Merle missed the most when she came back to Germany were the friends she made on her exchange.

Therefore, she keeps in touch with them. “I write postcards when I am on holiday. And Skype and Facebook make it really easy to stay in touch and still feel connected to most of them.” Espe-cially after the exchange it can be helpful to stay connected to your friends from abroad, because no-one completely un-derstands your experience as much as

the friends who were right there with you.

BEING AT HOMEFor Kalina it was helpful to tell stories and to her family and friends about Spain, so they could understand her newly discov-ered taste of freedom. It always helps to bring a part of the foreign culture to your old home. Tell your everyone about your experience, show them pictures or teach

them something you learnt. For your family and friends it’s also a process to get to know the new you. Let them know how you feel, so

that they can help and understand you. Sharing those memories will bring

those two worlds closer together. The experience abroad can never be taken away and it’ll always leave a mark on you. It doesn’t matter if you struggle to find a routine back in your old life, be-cause what will help in the end is simply time. •

No-one understands your experience as much as the friends

who were right there with you

When realityAdjusting to life back home is sometimes like jumping back into your old life.

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your exchange countryDid you go back toAn exchange can be a once in a lifetime experience. Hans Verstraeten (23) from Belgium had such a great time, he wanted to go back. The experience of Marco Patzer (27) from Germany however, made him want to explore new destinations.

In 2010, Marco spent six months in Shah Alam, Malaysia. He was glad that he took this step. His experience made him aware of the differences between his own culture and the Malaysian one. Nevertheless, Marco decided that he wouldn’t return to his country of choice.

THERE“When I first arrived in Shah Alam, I got in touch with things that I was very unfamiliar with. For example, I ar-rived at the train station and random people asked me who I was, what I was doing in Malaysia and so on. They asked if they could take me home in their car. At first, this felt very weird. On the way home they stopped at a restaurant and invited me for tea and a snack. I wasn’t even allowed to pay for the food or the petrol. Doing so would have been an insult, because it’s important to Malaysians to make foreigners feel welcome in their country.”

NEW DESTINATION“I would have loved to stay longer than just one semes-ter, but it wasn’t possible because of the restricted co-operation between my home university and the school in Malaysia. After the exchange I thought, ‘Now I know what’s it like to live in a tropical country. What would it be like to do the exact opposite?’ So, I decided to travel all the way to Sweden to finish my degree. I’m very happy with my choice.” •

Hans spent six months on exchange in Sundsvall, Swe-den in the spring of 2009. Like a lot of students, he feels that his time abroad was a great experience. In fact, Hans had such good memories of his stay in Sundsvall that he decided to go back.

THERE“We really didn’t have that many countries to choose from at my home university. Most students chose to go to Segovia in Spain. It was the only available option, oth-er than Sundsvall in Sweden. I wanted something new. So I chose to go to Sundsvall. During my exchange pro-gramme, I really fell in love with Sweden. The country-side was amazing and the people were so friendly and I loved the language.”

BACK“After getting my journalism degree, I went back to Sundsvall to study for a master. That was definitely the right decision for me. There are some major drawbacks though. I meet so many new and interesting people here, and most of them — international and Swedish students — leave after some time. And so will I, and while I would not dream of spending the rest of my life in the same town, I will definitely miss it so much here. I haven’t once regretted my decision to come here. In fact, I’d say I’m more content about life in general ever since I came back. I really am happy here.”

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