On 20 December the last Spanish friends that I had in Ghent went back home . So the day before we decided to go to Pinuts (a bar) for a drink and say goodbye to a good party. So good was the party that someone stole my mobile phone (Belgian and Spanish ones) bank card and house keys, and I didn't realize about it till I was in my house door.
Thank god, 5 min after I arrived at the entrance to my house, entered a roommate (which I had seen only 3 or 4 times and who did not even know his name) well, at seeing me a little bit desperate and with no way to come into my room, he suggested that I could sleep on a sofa in his room
In the morning he called to the bar to ask if they had found my keys, because as he is Belgian he understood much better to ask all that sort of things. In the end, appeared my keys but not my card and mobile phones
I am extremely indebted to my colleague Louis for allowing me sleep in his room and help me in everything he could. I have to say that he had a wrong view of him and the Belgians in general I guess.It turns out that the Belgians are generally very cold (at least compared with the excessively emotional and passionate that we are the Spanish) but I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the reaction of Louis and I will be forever grateful for what he did.
I decided to spend Christmas in Ghent.
It was not an easy decision because in Spain there is a strong tradition as to celebrate the holidays with family. All my Spanish friends here who are here as erasmus students will come back home . So I will stay here with a few Slovenian and Finnish people with which I know I'm going to enjoy much, but they do not understand the meaning of Christmas as a Spanish would do .
I have taken the decision especially considering that my Erasmus only lasts one semester. This means that a month after Christmas I will come back home. Thinking about this seemed to me a waste of money to go home for Christmas when I go to see both my family and my friends a month later.
And I saw the option to stay in Ghent for Christmas as an opportunity to use my Erasmus here in a different way and having something to remember for life.
It was not an easy decision because in Spain there is a strong tradition as to celebrate the holidays with family. All my Spanish friends here who are here as erasmus students will come back home . So I will stay here with a few Slovenian and Finnish people with which I know I'm going to enjoy much, but they do not understand the meaning of Christmas as a Spanish would do .
I have taken the decision especially considering that my Erasmus only lasts one semester. This means that a month after Christmas I will come back home. Thinking about this seemed to me a waste of money to go home for Christmas when I go to see both my family and my friends a month later.
And I saw the option to stay in Ghent for Christmas as an opportunity to use my Erasmus here in a different way and having something to remember for life.
Lately I 've realized about some things that really bother me here in Belgium.
Garbage disposal system:
One thing that surprised me most negatively upon reaching the city was the horrible garbage disposal system.
Without collective containers, simply letting the rubbish bags on the doorstep. The following day I got here, it was garbage disposal day in the neighborhood where my hostel was. The whole street was full of bags and smelled terrible. I do not think that it shows a good image of the city. In addition if you go along the street drinking or eating something, sometimes it is very difficult to find a bin nearby.
Drains or pipes:
Another thing that needs to improve is its sewer system, sometimes along the street and pipes or sinks smell really bad, I do not know exactly why and from where comes that horrible smell, but it is unbearable.
Dogs everywhere
I really love animals! Sure I do, but I think it is no normal that dogs are allowed to enter in almost all places. When I go to a shop where they sell food, or clothes or whatever i believe that a dog inside the shop can´t be really higienic.
Garbage disposal system:
One thing that surprised me most negatively upon reaching the city was the horrible garbage disposal system.
Without collective containers, simply letting the rubbish bags on the doorstep. The following day I got here, it was garbage disposal day in the neighborhood where my hostel was. The whole street was full of bags and smelled terrible. I do not think that it shows a good image of the city. In addition if you go along the street drinking or eating something, sometimes it is very difficult to find a bin nearby.
Drains or pipes:
Another thing that needs to improve is its sewer system, sometimes along the street and pipes or sinks smell really bad, I do not know exactly why and from where comes that horrible smell, but it is unbearable.
Dogs everywhere
I really love animals! Sure I do, but I think it is no normal that dogs are allowed to enter in almost all places. When I go to a shop where they sell food, or clothes or whatever i believe that a dog inside the shop can´t be really higienic.
Once I was installed in my new home and after making the relevant ikea purchases in order to survive, I realized that although many things are the same through out the world, many other things we take for granted are actually very different than they are in your home country.
They are usually small unimportant details, but sometimes are big changes that affect the way you live. I will discuss some examples to get in position:
- Meal Times:
in Spain the most important meals are breakfast, lunch and dinner. And these are usually done at 8.00, 14.30 and 22.00. But here only give importance to the food, but the substitute is a mid-morning snack 12.30 and dinner at 19-20 h.
- Opening hours of shops:
in Spain as clothing stores, supermarkets or stores of any kind open in the morning and all afternoon until 20-22h. But here no clothes store is open later than 18.30.
So given what I have said is quite difficult to make a normal life in Belgium if you're used to the Spanish times and do not try to adapt to new schedules.
- Especially taking into account another factor that differentiates so much life in Belgium of the life in Spain are the hours of sunshine. If you live here following the spanish schedules, daylight hours will not be enough to you to do almost anything. Because in Spain there are many more sunshine hours than here in Belgium.
They are usually small unimportant details, but sometimes are big changes that affect the way you live. I will discuss some examples to get in position:
- Meal Times:
in Spain the most important meals are breakfast, lunch and dinner. And these are usually done at 8.00, 14.30 and 22.00. But here only give importance to the food, but the substitute is a mid-morning snack 12.30 and dinner at 19-20 h.
- Opening hours of shops:
in Spain as clothing stores, supermarkets or stores of any kind open in the morning and all afternoon until 20-22h. But here no clothes store is open later than 18.30.
So given what I have said is quite difficult to make a normal life in Belgium if you're used to the Spanish times and do not try to adapt to new schedules.
- Especially taking into account another factor that differentiates so much life in Belgium of the life in Spain are the hours of sunshine. If you live here following the spanish schedules, daylight hours will not be enough to you to do almost anything. Because in Spain there are many more sunshine hours than here in Belgium.
I arrived at Ghent in mid-September. With high hopes and high expectations.
I was eager to see new places, cultures, people ...
I had never been before in a different country to Spain or Portugal. and had never taken a plane before, so it was for me a great experience from the beginning.
I came here without even having where to live, only 2 hostel nights paid and desires that all come out well and I had no problem finding a place to stay in. I have to say it was no easy task to find a place to live.
First, the hostel where I was staying was on the outskirts of the city,Damport area. I felt very uncomfortable there, male Indian, Turkish and black people everywhere watching you so much if you were a woman walking alone down the street, which made me very nervous.
Two days after arriving to the city, I received from my university some ads for rent Kots, and soon I found that now is "My Home". I live in the city center, in a quiet and very well connected neighborhood, so I can say that I feel comfortable living here.
The house is above a pizzeria and has 8 Kots and 4 Studios 2 bathrooms, 2 showers and 1 kitchen. Although at first I was not convinced at all the idea of having to share toilet and shower with people I barely know, I have not had any problem, especially because allstudents living in my house are Belgian and I never find them. Sometimes i know that i do not live alone only by the smell of cooking in the kitchen or if they leave a unwashed pan.
Anyway, although I am comfortable in my house and nobody bothers me, sometimes so much tranquility also make me be overwhelmed. I do not know if it's a question of culture, traditions, or simply a way of being, but in Spain I lived in a house with 7 people more of my family so there was always a lot of noise, people with whom talk to or with whom not talk to ,but they was just there.
I was eager to see new places, cultures, people ...
I had never been before in a different country to Spain or Portugal. and had never taken a plane before, so it was for me a great experience from the beginning.
I came here without even having where to live, only 2 hostel nights paid and desires that all come out well and I had no problem finding a place to stay in. I have to say it was no easy task to find a place to live.
First, the hostel where I was staying was on the outskirts of the city,Damport area. I felt very uncomfortable there, male Indian, Turkish and black people everywhere watching you so much if you were a woman walking alone down the street, which made me very nervous.
Two days after arriving to the city, I received from my university some ads for rent Kots, and soon I found that now is "My Home". I live in the city center, in a quiet and very well connected neighborhood, so I can say that I feel comfortable living here.
The house is above a pizzeria and has 8 Kots and 4 Studios 2 bathrooms, 2 showers and 1 kitchen. Although at first I was not convinced at all the idea of having to share toilet and shower with people I barely know, I have not had any problem, especially because allstudents living in my house are Belgian and I never find them. Sometimes i know that i do not live alone only by the smell of cooking in the kitchen or if they leave a unwashed pan.
Anyway, although I am comfortable in my house and nobody bothers me, sometimes so much tranquility also make me be overwhelmed. I do not know if it's a question of culture, traditions, or simply a way of being, but in Spain I lived in a house with 7 people more of my family so there was always a lot of noise, people with whom talk to or with whom not talk to ,but they was just there.
Suscribirse a:
Comentarios (Atom)