Erasmusblogs

Think I have the worst room in the dorm: no bedside tables, plumbing problems, dubious central heating, haven’t got a reading lamp -this is really dark! My Italian room-mate, Giuseppe, has stomach ache. He’s gone to Bratislava this weekend and, although I have lent him some pills, he hasn’t taken any. So there they are in his desk among Czech grammar books for beginners and cooking stuff. In short, I have a muddy pond instead of WC and a mate sort of Marco Polo heading for the East.

Finally Giuseppe didn’t go to Bratislava; just pub crawled in Prague and ended up in a Czech Folk bar dancing polka till dawn. The morning after he was sleeping on the floor, and there was a girl in his bed. "Unfortunately we’re only friends," he informed me later.

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I was packing some more clothes, memorizing digital camera advanced functions, trying to decide which books to take and copying the Fabuleux Taboulé recipe from the couscous box. Meanwhile I was recalling that my first meal in France last summer was also a taboulé. "Well, not exactly," said to myself, "Actually it was your second, cause you ate a creamy croissant and an expresso stronger than petroleum at the station." At that point of my daydreaming I pushed the couscous box and it spread all over the room, my desk, shoes…

When asked, "How did you spend your day before Erasmus experience?" I answer, "Been brushing, believe it or not."
On the second day at residence in Prague, I was taking out my books, and when I seized Kafka’s one a lot of couscous fell in the floor. My mate looked at me in astonishment. I said, "You like Fabuleux Taboulé?"

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I’ll tell a tale to you: One day we go to Ibercaja to change our euros for forints. And… It’s our time. I’ll describe the situation: Ibercaja’s Central Bank in Logroño. In front of us a counter, and behind it, one kind employer with about 35 year old more or less, dark-haired and smiling.ç

-Hello, you see, we have came here to pick up some forints- Oh, yeah, one moment. The employer raise, she approach to a box, take one envelope and come to us- We’ll see…- She start to count the notes. Everybody knows the notes are grouped ten to ten, but the kind employer put them on the table, spread them and start. Olga and me see ourselves.-5, 10, 15, 20,…60…- ehmmm, more, mmm, I don’t remember…- Take the notes that are counted already, ok… 5, 10, 15, 20…- She use the calculater, Olga and me are seeing ourselves already. She watch them and she doesn’t seem happy. She knites one’s brow. She see us, Open her mouth but… She doesn’t speak. She count them again. Ten minutes later Olga and me were really surprised. The employer takes the 5000 notes (watch out: 5000) and starts: 500 (other note), 1000 (second note) and when she arrives to ten stops. She raises her head and strenghten: Somebody has had one mistake. I see her eyes and tell:- Sorry… the las notes you were counting were 5000 notes, not 500. And answer me:-That’s ok!, of 5000. Olga says: That’s ok! 5000 x 10 = 50000. -Ohhh!!! It’s true…

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Pablo y Marta are two guys who were already like Erasmus in Budapest in the 2003/2004 academic year. Yesterday Olga and me met them to take a beer and to have a conversation. They were told us more things, but overcoat, that it was the time they more grew in personal experiences. We told us life is cheap there, that food is good, that people is serious but kind…

Moreover they told us that teachers will help us with ever trouble, and that we musn’t are worried for the exams, that they were worried and in the end they realized that Erasmus people haven’t got any problem to pass them.

After talking with them I think I’ll love it. But only one thing, they told us about the first two weeks: "It’s hard, we are really wrong, we wanted to come back, but… Nevermind"

Oh!, I forgot it… Olga has bought a greatful East Europe guide. But I really surprised when I saw the guide was painted and underlined. That is to have a  professionaltravelpartner. Oh yes!

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