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Living in Portugal

I know, I know, I didn’t write for quite a while… Better late then never they say. But you must understand that I’m in Portugal now, everything here has a delay… You almost get used to it, though sometimes I still get really annoyed by it and at those moments I kind of want to go back home. I know, it might sound weird and stupid, but last few weeks I had a bit of a crysis and I really wanted to go home, because I got so annoyed by Portuguese people…

Well the last week in the year 2012 (Feliz Ano Novo by the way…) we traveled around the Portugal a bit. We visited Lisbon, Sintra, Cabo Da Roca, Nazare, Peniche, Alcobaça, Fatima, Porto etc. You can read more about it in my blog where I usually also post some photos.

After traveling around and visiting the ocean side again, I decided to stay for the second semester for sure. I kind of wanted to go home, but I realized that when I’m looking at the ocean waves I’m the happiest person alive.

About school here… I like some things about it, I like that there is a lot of equipment, but I really don’t like that Erasmus students mostly don’t get enough attention or we are left out because we don’t understand the language… Sometimes it’s like you’re being ignored. Though I must say, some professors at least try and they give you some extra time for talk and explanations, so at the end, you still know what you’re supposed to do.

So if you want to know more about my experience as an Erasmus student you’re more than welcome to read my blog.

Greetings from happy me at the ocean side! =)

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Zakaj izmenjava?

Zdravo! Verjetno ste že navajeni, da večina blogov opisuje kako se kdo kje ima, oziroma kja počne. Torej zakaj bi sedaj brali kaj drugega? Že, že, ne da bi delal revolucijo, a moj blog bo malce drugače naravnan- v njem boste lahko prebrali, “nasvete”, oziroma lasten pogled na bivanje v tuji državi. V mojem primeru je to Portugalska, Caldas da rainha, ESAD. Več o tem preberite v blogu od Anje in Gaje.
Poznam veliko ljudi, ki bi rade volje odšlo v svet- iz čistega firbca ali z željo po boljšem življenju, lahko kaj povsem tretjega. A vedno se nas drži nek strah, kaj pa če, kako, kaj bo tam, ipd. Zato bom v svojem blogu opisal pogled na tujo državo, vsakič bom obdelal posamezno temo- pokrili bomo povsem običajna področja- od bivanja, hrane, transporta, pa vse do opaznejših razlik v primerjavi z našo deželo. Mogoče pa v kom vzbudi duh in željo po potovanju, ali pa le vlije dodatno samozavest, pripravi na določene situacije.
Torej za začetek, pričnimo pri začetku, kakopak! Torej zakaj izmenjava? Zakaj bi spakiral kovček in odšel v svet, nekam drugam? Doma imamo urejeno življenje, od družinskih članov, partnerja, lastnine, službe.. Zakaj bi to pustil v neke vrste negotovosti in odšel v prav tako negotovo situacijo?
Študij! Portugalska, ne tako daleč od Slovenije, a še vedno dovolj daleč, da se opazi razlika v samem šolskem sistemu in študijski snovi. Pustimo ob strani to, da so ljudje “obalnomorskega duha” in so zamujanja bolj pogosta praksa kot pri nas. Tukaj znajo spoštovati tradicionalne metode animacije, fotografije, ipd. Torej kot študent lahko v tujini dobite povsem nov pogled na vašo dosedanjo študijsko smer. Če ste doma o animaciji razmišljali predvsem skozi sodobne tehnologije in kako stvar narediti čim bolj moderno, vas bodo na Portugalskem poizkusili prepričati v lepoto tradicionalne animacije. Seveda lahko hitro zamahnemo z roko, češ da moje mnenje nihče ne spremeni tako lahko. Vseeno, ko se srečate s profesorji, kateri predavajo z velikim veseljem in izkušnjami na svojem področju, se kaj hitro zgodi, da pogledate na snovi s kakšne povsem nove perspektive, o kateri prej niste niti razmišljali. Prav raznolikost je tista, ki nas ustvari zanimive in življenje čudovito izkušnjo. In te razlike so tiste, ki nas krepijo in našemu znanju dajejo širino in barvitost. Študij v tujini je glede podanega znanja lahko nekaj povsem novega, saj se srečamo z ljudmi, ki živijo in delajo v drugem okolju.
Količina predavanj? Če sem doma pogosto ugotovil, da imamo dejansko premalo predavanj, lahko to spremenite na izmenjavi. Tukaj v našem primeru na ESADU, predavanja potekajo po približno pet ur za predmet. Odvisno od predmeta, tedensko ali dvakrat na teden. Lahko pričnete zjutraj ob 8.30 in končate ob 19.00 z le pol ure vmesne pavze. Možnosti imamo tudi izbrati nočna predavanja, ki potekajo nekje od 19.00 pa vse do polnoči, tako da bo ugojeno tudi tistim, ki imamo premaknjen bioritiem in lažje delujemo v čaru noči. Če pa ne želite prevelike obremenitve, pa si lahko predmete razporedite tudi bolj po svoji želji, saj je za večino več skupin in lahko izberemo, kdaj bi hodili. Tako z malo organizacije pridete do prostih dni po želji. Največ je odvisno seveda od tega, koliko točk želite/morate zbrati.
Izzivi! Ste kdaj pomislilil, da bi kaj radi študirali, pa pri nas ni te možnosti, ali pa ste imeli le zelo močno željo, a ni bilo nikogar, ki bi vas to učil, oziroma so bili raznorazni tečaj predragi? Kot Erasmus študent lahko tudi to rešite. V mojem primeru je študijski program ESAD-a neverjetno barvit. Od animacije, filma, fotografije, slikarstva, pa vse do keramike, oblikovanja kovine. Torej v dogovoru s profesorji in svojim učnim načrtom, lahko tukaj študirate recimo film, obenem pa hodite na keramiko. Oziroma vkolikor ne želite dobiti ocene, so kljub vsemu profesorji odprti in zelo navdušeni nad vašim sodelovanjem, tako da želja po novem pade na plodna tla. Preizkusite se lahko v marsičem in tako odkrijete nov hobi, spoznate nekaj povsem novega oziroma v končni fazi se lahko priučite novega znanja za povsem smaostojni poklic. Možnosti je nešteto, odvisno je le od vas samih, kako boste izbrali in začrtali svojo pot v življenju!
Seveda je treba omeniti tudi negativne strani- večja ovira zna biti jezik. Če se odločite oditi v državo, kjer ni matični govor angleški, se zna zgoditi, da bodo ljudje govorili angleško v manjši meri, kot si to predstavljamo. Večinoma se da zmenit za sprotno razlago in povzetke v angleščini (še posebaj, če je več tuje govorečih študentov) a velja to preveriti pred odhodom. Težava je namreč v tem, da ni časa, da bi profesorji razlagali snov hkrati v dveh jezikih, tako da smo obsojeni ali na individualne pogovore, ali da poizkusimo izbrati čim bolj praktične predmete in poiskati nekoga, ki nam bo čim več prevedel. Škoda je, da ne moremo razumeti celotnih predavanj, saj vemo, da je povzetek le kratka in bistvena snov- vseeno ne razumemo vmesnih vprašanj študentov in njihovega sproščenega pogovora, šal, ipd. Omeniti je treba še to, da večje šole za erasmus študente organizirajo tudi jezikovne tečaje. Pri nas je sicer udeležba plačljiva (50€ za posamezno stopnjo), a traja en semester in je še vedno ceneje kot katerikoli tečaj doma. Kot vedno je veliko odvisno predsem od nas samih in naše organizacije ter tega, kaj želimo na izmenjavi doseči.

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So the autumn started…

It’s been two months since we arrived on Portugal, today is our day 63 in this country. I’m decided to write my own blog on daily basis and I’m doing really well so far. I write it every day or at least I write for two days together. I’m also posting a lot of photos there and if you are interested you can read more there. I’m writing about our days at school, our professors, our apartment, friendships and also about lazy days when I just stay at home and I roll into my blanket and watch movies.

I would just like to add here that so far I like it here, though I’m not very fond of the weather, because there is so much moisture in the air and also it’s a lot of dust. We can clean the apartment every second day, but it doesn’t get any better. Lucky for us nobody has any dust allergies, otherwise this could really be a problem.

Anyway, read more about it on my blog!

So here we are, three Fallen Angels from Slovenia in Portugal! =)

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A girl in Portugal

I’ve been writing a small blog about my Erasmus exchange experience here in Portugal.
So i will usually post just a link and a little sneak peek to what you should expect. : )

So hello and nice to meet you, my dear reader. My name is Gaja L Kutnjak and I have moved to Caldas da Rainha with two of my classmates. I study Photography at School of arts but am also very interested in Film! So I really hope to get as much new knowledge as possible. Oh, I have so much in my mind what I have to do, achieve, see and feel.

The school is magnificent, big and modern. The professors are nice, but so are all the Portuguese people. I’ve been really impressed by the city park. It’s like walking into a Pride and Prejudice book. The lake in front of an amazing building, the flowers, the fresh smell, the light passing through the trees. With one word amazing. While speaking about perfect places – the coast of Portugal is breathtaking. I could stare at the sea forever.

Here are some pictures and GIFs I made, you can also find them on my blog.
My BLOG: http://agirlinportugal.wordpress.com/

ESAD – Escola Superior de Artes e Design, Caldas da Rainha

park in Caldas da Rainha

In Peniche

surf competition – Rip Curl Pro

Lisbon

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First month in Portugal

Since I’m writing my own blog daily and I put a lot of photos there too, I don’t think I’ll write here as much. But since I have to post something here too and I guess this blog will be visited mostly by students, I might add some more text about that.

I’m a student of Digital Arts and Practices at School of Arts and my main subject is Photography. So I’m on Erasmus exchange on ESAD in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal. Two of my classmates from Slovenia are here too (Gaja and Damir), so we rented an apartment together and are really happy we have each other because it’s much easier to have some friends with you. =) And we get along really well, even after a month of living together, I can say that we became even good friends, not just class mates as before.

Anyway, we really like the school here. It’s very large, modern and they have a lot of equipment! Since Gaja and I are interested in photography we were impressed with the photo studio and the amount of photo equipment we can rent there. And even professors and students are really nice, friendly and helpfull, so yes, we like it here.

Now here is the link to my blog where you can read what we are doing and what is happening on daily basis: http://anjaperse.wordpress.com/category/erasmus-study-exchange/

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