Erasmus experience
How’s it going Yanko?
When I read your description of your job in your blog, I wondered what qualifications and university degree you had that led you into this field of work. What are universities like in Brazil? Are they government-funded? How many years is a typical undergraduate degree? Have you done any post graduate study Yanko?
My first degree was in English literature at the University of Leicester and it was a three year degree. During my university years, I did what is called the ‘Erasmus scheme’. This scheme offers funding to students and staff at European higher education institutions for exchanges to other EU countries. The student lives in the exchange university in the student accommodation and attends lectures and studies there whilst researching and writing a thesis .The exchange period is usually 6 months. I had a choice of where to go once I was accepted on the scheme and initially Greece was very appealing. I was thinking of the Greek islands, sun, sea, sand and wonderful Greek food and wondering if I would be able to find the motivation to study there with all those distractions! Knowing full well, that I would probably spend all my time chilling out on a Greek beach and working on a suntan instead of my thesis, I let my head rule my heart and settled on going to Strasbourg in France. The reason I made that choice was because I had been learning French and wanted to improve my language skills even further.
So I stayed in Strasbourg University during my time abroad and travelled around Alsace and into Germany very often. I also used the fantastic train system to visit many other places including south of France, Dordogne region and Pyrenees. I also allowed myself a beach holiday in Spain at the end of the 6 months for some R & R (rest and relaxation). It was a great experience and the Erasmus scheme even gives students a grant towards living costs. I lived on cheap croissants and baguettes and spent most of my grant on travelling around!!
Yanko, I read your blog that told us all about barbeque (I had to eat a sandwich afterwards as it made me hungry!) I’m waiting for an invite to come to your house for some authentic Brazilian BBQ :-) and a few shots of Caipirinha (do you drink it in shot glasses, or with ice or perhaps from the bottle with a long straw?!) I’m just going to correct a few of your uses of vocabulary today;
'decade 70' - in the seventies (this can be used for all decades e.g. in the nineties, in the eighties)
'gyms center ' - sports centre (a gym is either in a school or a room in a sports centre where you lift weights, exercise on a running machine etc)
'time lunch' - lunchtime
Now on to some readers’ comments (apologies I cannot answer all of them):
Habooba from Ahwaz- The name Teah has Greek origins and means ‘Goddess of the sun, moon and stars’
Cristina from Buenos Aires- My parents are both British but my husband is half Russian and half Bulgarian. Here is a picture of my parents and their dog whilst on holiday in the south of England right on the coast.
Takehito from Japan, Visiting a ranch on weekends is not a very common weekend activity amongst Chinese people but foreigners, especially in spring and summer, often want to get out of the city and the pollution at the weekend and spend time with their kids outdoors. There are a few options just outside Beijing like the ranch, orchards, farms, spring resort, hiking in the hills. Apart from that people go to parks, go swimming, eat out, cycle and visit places like the aquarium or zoo and a big favourite is going shopping
Hyoshil from Lincoln- well done on using vocabulary from the blogs so successfully in your comments.
Beatriz from Uruguay, I don’t know the origin of the word ‘Easter’, rather than google it maybe another reader can give us the answer?
Tanya from Ireland thanks for your comments especially the super long one you wrote!
Got some serious study to do now and then I want to take Teah out for a walk as its pretty sunny today and the sky is clear. Then I’m going to attempt to make tandoori chicken tonight for dinner (the chicken is already marinating in the tandoori paste and it’s very red!), never made it before so wish me luck! Cooking Indian food is not my forte but I'm trying to learn.
Vocabulary
government-funded (adj) paid for in full or part by the government
funding (n) a sum of money given for a specific purpose
exchanges (n) two students from different countries switch places for a short period of time
thesis (n) an extended academic essay or project
distractions (n) an amusement or something fun that distracts from the real purpose.
head rule my heart to make decisions based on logic not on emotion
settled on decided/made the choice
grant (n) sum of money given to students for study and living costs
authentic (adj) real
marinate (v) to put meat in a marinade
forte (n) strength/strong point
Comments
Hi Trudi , best wish for your Indian food . I don't know what on earth is tandoori . In Iran it 's common to use saffron to give flavour to chicken and as you know it 's a very expensive spice . The changing scheme sounds really interesting and it gives a good opportunity to students . I wish there was some thing like that in Iran . Like you i love traveling and if i had been in your shoes i would have done lots of trips like you . I wana to confess that i have n't heart to do riding and i admire you for riding a horse for the first time in your life . By the way i have a question about transportation in china as i heard a few people use private car in china , don't they ? Is there any limitation for having car ( i hope you don't laugh at me ) . Kiss your angle for me and bye
You can find some versions of Easter origin here: http://www.allabouthistory.org/origin-of-the-word-easter-faq.htm
Dear Trudi! I want to thank you for all your interesting entries. For the third weak they have been presenting a connection to the world and life out of my flat. I am closed here to cure the new attack of the lung infection. You bring not only useful information but also young attitude of mind to me. Here, the scenery of the land turns white with a new covering of the snow day after day yet, so I appreciate a lot the sprig air in your writing. I admire ,too, all activities you manage to do and describe in such a friendly and punchy way. As these months are going by I feel you grow more and more acquianted with us. The Erasmus exchange exists at universities in my country now, too, and I only may envy and regret we were excluded from such useful programmes at our study times. But, I am fortunate enough for the possibility of my privat third age studium of English with your and the BBC help.
Hi Trudi, I supose Erasmus was a wonderful experience for you. I haven't had the oportunity to do some similar thing. I dream that my daughter will do it some day. What beach from Spain did you visit for resting and relaxing after the Erasmus'period? Did you like it? I live near Mediterraneo sea (only twenty minutes by car).I only can say that I love to go to the beach for walking and relaxing with sunbath. Bye, bye. Until next time.
Hi,Trudi. First of all, I have to tell you taht your name is same as my ex-hostmother in U.S. Anyway, I've just read your article. It reminds me of staying in U.K. I also enjoyed myself in U.K. Studying abroad gave me a great pleasure. It was a really good opportunity to meet a variety of students from all over world and to expand my horizon. Thank you again for pleasing me.
Hi Trudi. As for traveling, I would say, apart from education, it’s the best way to spent money. I envy you as well as any member of European Community. because Ukrainians have to get visa mostly each time they are going abroad. Every time it’s awful boring. To get visa you both have to pay forward and apply many documents long before your journey. Fortunately it’s not impossibly! Once I failed to get USA visa and it ,regrettably, makes the next applying for USA visa mach more difficult. That’s why I haven’t visited yet my school mate who’s been living in California now. By the way, Ukrainians in order to travel abroad have to have two passes: the first one is for home affairs and another one is only for traveling abroad. I ‘d like to ask you and all the bloggers: is there any similar to Ukrainian’s rules, I mean two passes per citizen?
Hi Trudi, How are you? I'm new user of BBC. Please, have patient with me, because my English is very bad. But I'm really here for learn and meet people (of course). I'm from Brazil and I read your doubts about Brazilian Universities! It's very common people of others countries with doubts about our graduate. In Brazil, the best Universities generally are Government-funded, but there are many good Universities payed. I'm a chemistry studant in a Government-funded University! I don't write more information, because Yanko will rude with me hehehe! Regards, AugustBR
Hi, Trudi! There is one interesting thing in your blog today: The Erasmus Scheme. I would like to try it in my future but I don’t know if I can use this scheme for postgraduate’s studies? I have finished the University already, but there, in Ireland, I was told that I could to continue to learn and I am going to use this opportunity. However, I must to reach a proficient level of English to learn in any Ireland third level college or university. I was told that I will be given the recommendation to continue learning in any college or university where I want. I decided to continue learning English but not twice in the week in my English course but in the second level college, full time. Dublin hasn’t classes for free to learn English as such high level as I am needed, so this college (for free) is seemed to be good opportunity for me. There is an opportunity to learn another language too so I would like to ask if I can learn French. I wanted to learn French before because there are a lot of books in French which I would like to read and translate maybe. And I want to go to Paris after some time so I must to know French. I know exactly that I would be lost my way in Italy where I was some times ago if I do not know Italian a little. You cannot orient in the train station if you cannot read explanation where you have to go. I have used a plane, not a train to go to Dublin from Rome because I had to change my train in Paris. I was sure that I have lost my way if I do it. I didn’t know French! So I am going to learn it. And maybe Erasmus Scheme can help me?
Dear Trudi, It is really interesting to find out about your student life and student exchange programme. As you mentioned in your post, you had right to chose any European country under this scheme. I want to know that either you should know language spoken in concerned country or not? If your answer is positive then certainly you are familiar with Greek language. Certainly, it is difficult to learn language and continue one’s graduation course. If your answer is negative, you were able to kill two birds with one stone, weren’t you? Your writing showed that when there is will, there is way. You were able to visit your desired places with the same money which you shaved from what you got to live on. Last time, when you posted picture of steak, I ordered chicken steak immediately but this time I can’t do so because I am feeling pain in my stomach. Enjoy chicken tandoori and write us how good it tasted. In my opinion you have to get some “nan” with your tandoori.
Hi every body, I also wanted to know the origin of the word “Easter” I found the following explanation in www.Wikipedia.org The modern English term Easter developed from the Old English word Eastre. The name refers to the Eostur-monath, a month of the Germanic calendar which may have been named for the goddess Eostre in Germanic paganism which has given its name to the festival.
Good day Trudi, just curious to know what was the subject of your thesis when you were studying for your BA? Regards, Nima
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