No matter where in Seoul you live, chances are very high that this is what you see when you go up to the roof and take a look at the city.
One massive concrete jungle. Seoul has about 10 million citizens. To make it a little easier to imagine how much that is: New York City has about 8 million. Berlin has about 3,5 million. Insane, right?
Let’s take a little look at the density of population and then we know exactly why Seoul looks like shown above. Berlin has a population density of about 4 citizens for each km². Now how about Seoul? An insane 17 citizens for each km²! And that is why you find many areas that are packed with concrete walls and high skyscrapers. It would be impossible for that many people to have a home otherwise.
After only a few days of being surrounded by the urban city life I figured that I required the healing powers of nature. Or in other words: I needed my animal fix. Not only did I miss my dog a lot, I also miss seeing fields of cows or sheep.
I lived on the countryside all my life and moving to Seoul has been a really big change for me. I figured that many people who move to Seoul are struggling from the same problem and that’s why today I’ll give you my list of the top 4 things you can do to keep your sanity within the concrete jungle.
Number 4 – Cat Cafes
Yeah, I’m not gonna lie but this is only placed on rank 4, because I don’t even like cats. Or actually, saying that I don’t like cats is a bit harsh.. but I really don’t want one at home. So, if you’re a cat lover this should probably be higher on your personal list!
How Cat Cafes work: When you enter you’re usually required to take of your shoes and change into provided slippers. This might not be the case for all places, but it has been so far in every cat cafe I went to. At some places there is no actual entrance fee, but you’re required to buy at least one drink. In those cafes drink prices are usually around 8000 Won, which is about 6,50€. In other cafes, you need to pay an entrance fee of about 10.000 Won, but there’s a free drink included in that already. And then every new drink will be a bit cheaper than that. So no matter what type of cafe you end up going to, you will probably spend about the same amount of money.
After paying you’re all set to go and have a good time. There’s toys that visitors can use to play with the cats, tables that you can sit at and pet a sleeping kitten if you’re lucky and cat trees where you can watch the kittens have a good time.
The reason why I think that those animal cafes are okay is because they’re all animals rescued from the street or kill shelters. If it wasn’t for these cafes, the cats would probably be dead. So not only is it a cute, fun little activity for during the day, but it’s also actually for a good cause.
My favourite cat cafe:
Name: Café Café in Myeongdong
Address: 8-5 Myeongdong 8-gil, Jung-gu
Closest Subway Station: Myeongdong (Line 4)
Number 3 – Dog Cafes
Of course, when there’s a cat cafe on the list, there also has to be a dog cafe. And the reason that these cafes are ahead of the cat cafes is not only the fact that I prefer dogs over cats. Well, maybe a bit.
If you end up going to one of the many dog cafes you will understand why I say that these places cure all of your problems. No matter what you do, whether you decide to sit on the floor and cuddle with the little fluffballs or if you decide to buy a pack of snacks and suddenly become the most popular kid in town. You will have one hell of a time.
How dog cafes work: Basically they work just like cat cafes. Except for some reason you don’t have to take of your shoes. Also you will have to disinfect your hands before entering. But apart from that, it’s pretty much the same. You pay for a drink and then get to spend a lovely time with some either big or small balls of fur. The choice is yours.
Okay I think that’s enough pictures.. I think I already know where I’m going later today!
My favourite dog cafe:
Name: Bau House Puppy Cafe in Hongdae
Address: 서울특별시 마포구 양화로 64 (Mapo-gu, Yanghwa-ro 64)
Closest Subway Station: Hapjeong Station (Line 2, Line 6)
Number 2 – Blind Alley Raccoon cafe
Okay friends, this is where it gets SUPER EXCITING!! Cat and Dog Cafes are no news, they have been around for what feels like forever and the hype about it is starting to fade away. The new star of the show seem to be raccoons! These friendly, intelligent and not to forget cute little fellows will make sure to keep you entertained. You can feed them, be lucky and have one climb onto your shoulder or just watch them run and toll around the cafe. Every now and then the owner of the cafe, who is a really nice lady by the way, will make sure to entertain the guests like shown above. Unfortunately I lost all my photos I took in the cafe and the video above is all that remains. 🙁
How the raccoon cafe works: Consider this to be just a normal cafe. You go in and can order anything you want. Drinks, shakes and this time even FOOD. Make sure to try some 빙수 (bingsu), which is a Korean shaved ice dessert. Even here there’s no entrance fee. All you need to pay for is your food and/or drinks.
About the Cafe:
Name: Blind Alley Cafe
Address: 서울특별시 용산구 청파로47길 76 (Seoul, Yongsan-gu Cheongpa-ro 47-gil 76)
Closest Subway Station: Sukmyeong Women’s University (Line 4)
Number 1 – Seoul Grand Park (AKA Zoo)
Okay, this place is hands down one of the most relaxing and most beautiful places I’ve seen in Seoul so far. The Seoul Grand Park include hills and hiking trails, the Seoul Grand Park Zoo, a rose garden, the SeoulLand amusement park, and the Seoul Museum of Modern Art. All of those places are beautiful and worth a visit, but for this list I chose the Zoo, because why not.
For a sweet 5000 Won per adult (Which is only about 4€!) you can enter the Zoo and easily spend all day there. Yes, all day. That’s how big it is. By the way, it’s possible to walk from the station to the Zoo, but if you’re lazy or just don’t feel like walking you can also take the Elefant Tram for a cheap 1000 Won, which is a Bus that goes all the way up to the Zoo.
If you fancy something more exquisite you can also take the cable car, which has a stop in the middle and also the very top of the Zoo. I recommend you to take it on your way back though, because the view is way better! Also if you make your way home during sunset, the view gets even more incredible and it will be definitely worth the annoying 10.000 Won for all the way down. Here one of the many videos I took to convince you.
Okay, let’s get down to business. Animals. No matter what type of animal you’re looking for, I’m pretty sure you will find it here. Dolphins, Bears, Birds, Seals, Lions, Tigers.. the list goes on and on. They have it all. Here some pictures of my personal highlights.
About the Park:
Name: Seoul Grand Park
Address: 경기도 과천시 대공원광장로 102 (막계동) (102, Daegongwongwangjang-ro, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do)
Closest Subway Station: Seoul Grand Park Station (duh!) (Line 4)
Okay friends, this is it. My top 4 places to visit to keep your sanity inside the concrete forest of Seoul. Now I’m off to go and visit the dog cafe again!
안녕히 계세요~! (Good bye in Korean!)
Cindy
Hi Australia, hi Sydney, hi International College of Management, this is me – Olivia – music management student at MHMK in Berlin.
My first month in Australia is nearly over and there happened so much. First the travel over the beautiful, huge airport in Singapore – guys if you want to have an airport you can spend 7 hours waiting time easily, fly over Singapore – the searching of a room, as I do not live on campus, the start at ICMS with O-Week (Orientation-Week), starting of the term and visits to the city.
First some information about the housing in Sydney. It is easy to apply for the on campus housing, but unfortunately the amount of beds for MHMK students are limited. I decided before that I do not want to apply for on campus housing. There is no possibility to cook, which for me is really important and also I wanted to have my own private room, not shared with others. But if you think this is not that important for you, then on campus housing is a great opportunity to spend a good time here. The rooms are not that big (what is usual for student housing), the toilets and bathrooms are clean and if you are an uncomplicated eater you will be satisfied.
If you want to search a room on your own, the best idea is to start your search after you have arrived. Rooms direct in Manly are more expensive than in Fairlight, Queenscliff and Balgowlah – all districts next to Manly. There are good bus connections but walking is also possible (not more than 15 minutes). I found my room on flatmates.com.au, but searching on gumtree.com.au is also very popular. Short info to my home: living in a flat in Fairlight with 2 ICMS students from London and Hongkong, 7 minutes foot walk down to Manly Beach and The Corso, what is the promenade in Manly. Sydney is a city with much up and downs, you have to get used to especially when you are from a flat city like Berlin.
The term at ICMS starts with O-Week. This is a great week, mostly the topic is to get connected with the other students (unfortunately we are many Germans, which lowers the necessity to speak English…). Every evening is another party.
Weird fact: In Australia it is not allowed to sell alcohol after midnight, shots not after 10 PM. You cannot enter a club when it is 1.30 AM, even if you just have been out to smoke a cigarette. So what is the solution here? All parties start at 7, latest 8 PM and end at 2 AM. Weird world, especially for those, who enter the club in Germany normally at 2 AM.
On Friday we had CampusDay, it was great! BBQ, music and different stands, where you can inform yourself about student travel tours, surfcamps, diving, different sport clubs at ICMS (surfing, netball, soccer…) and you can also create a bank account. But the best thing comes at last – the colorrun. We all got some ICMS-shirts and then it started, we ran through some obstacles and older students threw the colourpowder over us. Holi in Sydney – it was so much FUUUUN!
The Highlight at O-Week was the big welcoming ceremony and the cocktail party. In the ICMS Chapel the director of the college welcomed us, it as great as all the countries the new students are coming from have been named and for every country someone brought in the flag. The cocktail party was funny. Appetizer and wine, beer, champagne for us. This all in front of the beautiful building of ICMS. Great spot and a good and right decision to choose ICMS.
Whatever people say, September is a cold month, at night it could be really really freezing. So to protect you from freezing and a cold take some pullovers, a jacket and enough socks and jeans with you!
But beneath all this, do you also study? YES! There is not only one final exam but group presentations and tests over all term. This means you have something to do for university during the whole term. Someone likes this, someone not. I think it is okay, as the topics are not that heavy to study and there is enough free time to study, chill or work, beside the 12 hours of courses per week.
Heading short to job searching and application. I needed a job and I got one as a bartender, without any experience in this sort of jobs. The only thing you have to do for your application is the RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol), which is a course that everyone who wants to serve alcohol has to absolve. I did it online here. After the completion I went to several cafés, bars, restaurants, handed in my resume and was invited to some trials. It is really easy to find something but also important to be fast, as there are many students searching a job.
Last but not least, I want to take you with me to some Sydney City impressions. Entering the ferry in Manly and after 25 minutes arriving at Darling Harbour- starting point to check out the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, The Rocks with its shopping malls or take another ferry or the train to another beautiful Sydney spot like Bondi Beach.
So, this was my short review of the first weeks in Australia, there would be so much more to tell, but as I have a limited amount of words and am already 200 over it, I reduced it to helpful information for future ICMS students.
I love it here and cannot wait that it is warmer to enjoy the beach and the life here fully.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment or write me an email. You can find my e-mail adress on the student ambassador poster.
23 hours awake. Butterflies in my stomach. Adrenaline flooding my body. It is already night when the plane starts its landing approach over a sea of light.
San Diego. Here I am. Getting my luggage, out of the airport, into a taxi and off to my accommodation. The first view at the skyscrapers with the sea in front, while reflecting the lights – is beautiful. My new home for the next four months. Staying in the middle of Downtown with my friend from Hamburg is just amazing. Off to bed, after a really long journey…
The jetlag, caused by the 9-hour difference to Germany was rarely noticeable, for the fact that I went straight to bed. Downtown itself is a really nice place to be; the harbour, the Gaslamp District, Little Italy and many small restaurants and bars are around. Also, the beaches like Mission or Pacific Beach are easily to reach within 10 minutes by car. In Little Italy for example is every week a Street-Food-Market with fresh roasted coffee, European Bread, fresh vegetables, jewellery and homemade variations of guacamole. Also, Live music is around and you get a really nice impression of the lifestyle, people and local specialities of the city and the country.
My first days were very exciting. First of all, there is the experience on the Freeway. Americans are driving crazy, no rules, who first comes goes first. A co driver who gives angry looks out of the open window to the other road users is very helpful sometimes.
My first impression of people in America, or California is that most of them are open, friendly, helpful and interested, as soon as you tell them that you are from Germany. People like to communicate and will always ask you questions about your day and what you are up to. It is just a question of being polite.
In San Diego there is a lot to discover: from the famous Zoo, up to breath-taking beaches over to hidden corners waiting to be explored. Right in the first week my friend and I fulfilled our dream and bought longboards! What a feeling! The boardwalk at miles long beaches are just perfect to have great rides, enjoying the sun, view and the wind blowing in your face.
Sport is a very big thing in the US, such as Football, Basketball or Baseball. Therefore, we went to a Baseball game in order to feel the American spirit in the stadium. With Hot Dogs in our hands and Baseball caps on our heads we experienced and enjoyed the cheerful atmosphere of the San Diego Padres game – while trying to get the rules of the game.
Another point on the to-do list for California is definitely surfing – or at least trying to. It always looked so easy, when the professionals at the surf contests were performing their skills. But actually practising it on your own is a challenge. The hardest part is to get up on your board and STAND! Once you reach this point, it is the most amazing feeling in the world, just enjoying the ride and the power of the wave.
Potato Chip Rock hike! Yes, let’s do this, it won’t be that hard. We were such freshmen or women to believe that! The sun was burning straight on us. We were sweating, legs were burning, dry mouth. After every further step and every opportunity to enjoy a little shade, we were able to find our way up to the special rock. The View impressed us and seemed just taken off a postcard. Finally, we made it – California here we are!
Hi, I’m going to tell you something about my life in the United States. I’m studying at the National University in San Diego.
I arrived in the United States at the 12. of august 2016. My flight landed in Los Angeles and from there we took the train to San Diego. I’m sharing an apartment, which is located 5 min away from the beach, with 3 other students from Stuttgart. Pacific Beach is a nice area to life, it is safe, the beach is kind of in front of our house and there are many possibilities to go grocery shopping and the university is just 15 minutes away by car.
At the orientation days in the university we met a bunch of new people. Most of them were from Germany but there were also a few from other countries. At the first day we got our schedule, which was totally different from that we got a few days earlier by email. At the first version we had just 1 day per week but this changed to 3 days a week. We had some games to get to know each other and many, many rules were told. For example it´s obligatory to attend the class and you have to buy at least one book per month, which are pretty expensive.
After the orientation days we had one week off and me and my friends made a road trip to San Francisco. We took the highway 1 to get there. It´s a beautiful street which follows the cost. We had to stop at every beach because one was even more beautiful then the other. Finally we arrived late at night in San Francisco and after a few problems concerning the parking space for our car we could go to sleep. The weather in San Francisco was pretty cold and windy.
We were freezing the whole time after the sunny days in San Diego. The city has many beautiful areas like the fisherman n´s wharf and the golden gate park but there are a lot of homeless people in the city. It´s not nice to see them living on the street, taking drugs and speaking to themselves. After 3 days in San Francisco I was glad to leave the city. We spend the next days at the Yosemite National Park. It´s definitely worth it to go there and spend as much time as you can. The nature was so beautiful and there´s a lot to see and do. Unfortunately we didn’t had that much time so we did „hiking“ the american way. You drive with you car as far as you can, get off the car, walk 100m, take a picture and go back to your car to drive to the next spot.
Visiting Mono Lake and the Sequoia National Park is also a thing you have to do while staying in California. It would have been nice to have a few more days off, there is still a lot to see.
Unfortunately when we got back the university started. Studying here is really different to study in Stuttgart. We got at the beginning a syllabus where everything is written down, what we’ll going to do each week, what we have to hand in and when our exams will be. It’s really strict and the syllabus is like a „holy“ paper where you can find all important informations.
During class we have to write everything down, there is no summary at the end of the class. In the first month we have to present two presentations, write two exams and we have to hand in one essay. Furthermore we should read each day a few chapters of the bock, preparing the next class. Sometimes it’s hard to concentrate because you have to write down a lot and listen at the same time. But all in all it’s easy to get good grades because the exams are multiple choice and the grading is not that strict.
You will hear from me soon,
Ramona
Hey guys, it has been over one month since our semester abroad started here. But we`ve already collected so much experiences and memories in this big city!
I´m living at the Nonsi Residence Apartment in a calm region of Bangkok! It was definitely the best choice, because we have an amazing pool, a gym and a restaurant (that’s great because going out to eat is much cheaper than cooking by ourselves). Mostly all international students, which are studying at the Chulalongkorn University, are living here! So you are never alone here and we meet a lot of French, British, American and Spanish people here too!
Like I said before, we`re all studying at the Chulalongkorn University! It`s the best university in whole Thailand. The campus is huge, like a own small city in the middle of Bangkok! So awesome!! Our classes are from Tuesday till Friday, that’s fantastic for us to explore the beautiful islands in Thailand on the weekends. Our professors are very kind, like all Thais here. I`ve never met such a friendly, helpful and warm culture before! There are a lot of group projects we need to do and also some homework :/ . In two weeks we`ll already write our midterms, so crazy how fast the time is running here!
Crazy is also the traffic here! Never saw so much traffic jam before! Very annoying after a long hard day in Uni!!
Besides the university and the whole learning, we`re traveling a lot. We`ve already been to Koh Tao, Koh Samet and Hong Kong! Sometimes you need to escape from this crazy hangover city and relax and Bangkok is the best point to start your journey! When you are in Bangkok you definitely need to travel and see the islands! They`re stunning.
Hair get`s lighter. Skin get`s darker. Water get`s warmer. Drinks get`s colder. Nights gets longer. I mean life is always better at the beach right? The sunsets are beautiful, the fire shows are amazing and the food delicious. My next stop this weekend is Koh Phi Phi. I`m so excited!
It´s the biggest city I have ever seen! If you think you`ve seen everything here, you`re wrong, because there are always some places you haven`t been to. Bangkok is popular for the street food markets. The first time I visited a market I was a bit shocked, but after a while I`ve got used to it. The food here is amazing, so much delicious fruits and vegetables.
Also for the shopping queens is Bangkok the place to be! There are so many huge malls! You definitely need 3 days to explore one whole mall! But Bangkok has also an amazing culture! There are so many temples you need to see and it will definitely be an unforgettable experience!
I´m sure you have seen the movie Hangover. And yes BKK is the place to be if you want to enjoy some great parties and clubs. From Monday till Sunday you have the opportunity to have fun here! We`ve been often on the Khao San Road.It`s one big street where music is everywhere! You definitely need a few beers before you go there 😀 . Wednesday is Ce la Vie time! It´s one of the exclusive clubs here, with the best DJs and good drinks!
So what I learned so far in Bangkok is to be happy and proud about the life I have! The culture here teached me how blessed I’m with the life I have. Not everybody has the chance to study and have such opportunities in life like we have.
Enjoy your semester guys!
When arriving in Argentina at the end of July, shortly before the semester started, we immediately felt comfortable in the country’s capital Buenos Aires.
Through many immigrants coming from Europe who settled down in this place in the 19th century a high European influence is noticeable. While strolling through the streets of Buenos Aires it may remind you of Barcelona, Paris or when having dinner in the beautiful district Palermo Soho you have a flashback of being in London.
The variety of different styles the city has to offer is breath taking. Buenos Aires counts an estimated population of 2,891,000 citizens in 2016 and is the second largest city in South America, which results in quiet huge distances if one wants to move. I am from Berlin and comparing the public transport to BA is not really possible. There are only four different subway lines, running until 10pm but several busses being available all of the time. However, the prices for cabs are very low, which gives you a safe possibility of travelling.
Universidad Austral in Buenos Aires is one of the best universities in Latin America having three different campuses in the districts Pilar, Rosario and Recolta. All Macromedia students do attend their classes in Recoleta which is considered to be the safest area in the city. The first time you are standing in front of the building you would rather consider the use of the word castle than university, since it is very different comparing to the campuses we know. However, the classes will never count more than 30 students and the schedule comprises five classes including Spanish lessons each week. The classes usually take three hours.
Only having three days of uni gives the students the opportunity to travel during the free time and enjoy the time in Buenos Aires. The professors are all very experienced and do require homework each week, which is manageable since they will count for your final grade. So we will not have an exam week as in Germany; assignments, the homeworks, participation in class and midterm tests will put together the grade. This means the students will always have to work a little bit, but will not experience the busy post exam stress we are used to at home which is great!
I am living with three friends in Recolta, ten minutes away from the campus, which I would consider to be the perfect place to live while spending the semester abroad in Argentina. Most of the students live in apartments with other internationals having an amazing time. We are always spending time in big groups exploring all the restaurants, hidden cafés and are of course enjoying the nightlife.
Most of the best bars being similar to the ones I know from Kreuzberg or Friedrichshain are located in Palermo as well as the clubs. Before coming here, you should definitely listen to some Latin American songs, because they will always be played at some point which is a lot of fun. If you are not into charts or Spanish music, you can also find some good clubs playing Hip Hop or Techno. Besides from that there are several DJs and famous artists coming as well, there is always something happening in Buenos Aires.
After a long night out on a Saturday you would probably spend the next day in San Telmo on one of the biggest flea markets I’ve ever seen. Close to this place is a huge park with palms being similar to Mauerpark in Berlin on Sundays. Live music, food stands offering dishes from every country in Latin America, fresh juices, and a lot of young people create an amazing atmosphere.
Now I would like to come to the nicest part – traveling in South America. After two weeks my friends and I did a five-day trip to the Iguazú Falls, which is the most stunning natural phenomena I have ever seen. You can visit the waterfalls from Brazil and Argentina, which I would definitely recommend. The only thing you have to be aware of is that the Argentinians are not as punctual and organized as we know it from home, so if the bus is supposed to come at 3pm it is not unusual if you leave at 6pm. But when being in good company everything can be fun and it is always worth the experience.
Next week we will fly to Rio de Janeiro for ten days to enjoy some cocktails on the beach and explore the city. Moreover, we have planned to see the Glaciar Perito Moreno in the south of Argentina and since we are supposed to finish university on November 18th we have a lot of time to travel afterwards. The next weeks we will figure out where to go next…
Well well well, where should we begin… Malaysia is… different. Different to our hometown in Germany. It’s different in language, mimics, gestures, clothing, food, it’s different in every kind of way.
We arrived late at the airport after both of our flights got delayed. The first thing that hit us was the heat. This temperature… after almost four weeks we still didn’t get used to it. The problem here is the humidity which we don’t really have in Germany.
One thing that we realized throughout the weeks is this open mind everyone carries here.
The people might stare at us because we’re from Europe and that’s kinda new to them but as soon as you just smile at them or need help they’re here and the best conversations developed out of those situations. Another thing we had to get used to is the lack of walking to your destinations… wherever you go, you take an Uber. Because of the humidity it is almost impossible to walk around for even just twenty minutes. But lucky us Ubers are super cheap and it doesn’t hurt your banking account too much.
The first week of university was super fun! We met all of the first semesters since they were new to the Limkokwing and we were too so we got put together into orientation week. The aim of this week was to get to know each other and the Limkokwing University. We played games such as Spelling bee or Treasure hunt around the campus and went on a trip around Cyberjaya, to Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur, the Capital of Malaysia which is half an hour away by car. In this week we made a lot of new friendships and even managed to go on a little vacation over the weekend to an island called Penang. Penang is known for its amazing food which we can totally agree with. We went there by bus and that was the best bus ride we’ve ever had. We drove through Mountains and the view was just incredible.
Back from this vacation we were able to start this semester relaxed and with a lot of excitement. After a few issues in the beginning with a schedule that contained classes which were on a higher level than we could take, we were extremely happy to see our new schedule since we had classes to learn Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects. The lecturers are amazing. They are super friendly and really funny. Plus they understand that we’re only here for a few months so for them it’s no problem if it happens that we won’t make it to one class because of traveling through the country. Of course we will try to avoid this since we’re here to learn something but it’s good to know that they’re not handling this too strictly.
One aspect you have to keep in mind if you’re thinking about coming to Malaysia is to set the bar of your standards very low which is not always a bad thing. Like when it comes to food… we’ve always had the best food whenever we didn’t care about hygiene or the looks of the restaurant/stand. Local street food with local people who might look at you strangely is the best.
There are some things that might be better to know before you choose to come to Malaysia. Such as this rare mystic thing called toilet paper. There is no toilet paper in any bathrooms anywhere. That’s not a thing here… just like tampons for the ladies out there… not a thing and hard to get. The hygiene in this country could be better in general.
The men over here mostly the Indian parts don’t cut their little finger’s nail. It’s some kind of fashion for them which is kind of strange to us but whatever floats their boat I guess! If you ever ask someone if the food you’re contemplating buying is spicy and they say just a little… it is. It’s hella spicy so don’t try or otherwise you’ll walk out of that place looking like Kylie Jenner with freshly made lips. In the end we all agree that this first month was amazing with a lot of ups and downs and cultural shocks that made us grow together as a group and individually aswell and we can’t wait for what this future in Cyberjaya holds for us.
Hi guys,
I wanna tell you a little bit about my life here in the USA! I study in Camarillo, Californien at the CSUCI.
I am in the United States since the beginnig of August. Overall we are eight people from Macromedia of cologne and we all share one flat in Port Hueneme (it is also possible to live at the campus, but it is very expensive, another place to stay is Ventura or the area around). Though our flat is really small but we have a pool, a whirlpool and we live directly at the beach.
In the first two weeks we did a little roadtrip, for this we rent two cars of „sixt“ (it is much cheaper to rent them from the german website).
We have been to Yosemite Nationalpark, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Camel-by-the-sea, Big Sur, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. We also went to a football game in San Diego. It was a great time and we saw amazing citys and landscapes, but you shouldn’t underestimate the distances. Here are some pictures from our trip:
At the end of August we had our orientation days at CSUCI. There we met the other international students from germany and oll over the world. They gave us some general information and a lot of rules we have to obey. We also get our schedules – we were surprised that we just have three or four days of class. But therefore we have to do a lot of homework. We also have to purchase a lot of books, but we can rent them for a few months so that we neend’t to buy them for a lot of money.
What we really like is that we are all in different classes so that we have to meet other people.
The system here allows us to gain points in several exams, presentations, group works and homework. So that if you fail the final exam you can pass the course anyway. The professors are nice but also very strikt with their rules. So you are not allowed to miss class for more than one time for example.
The campus is very nice but also very big, I think we will need a few days to orientate.
The CSUCI is in the middle of nowhere, so you are dependet of a car – whether you live on the campus or in the area around. My roomies and I decided to rent two cars instead of buying them, it is much easier in terms oft the insurance for people under 25, but it is also very expensive (nearly 9,000€ for four months).
Attention – you have to be early to get a parking place and you have to buy a parking permit for 195$ for one semester.
The university gives some offers to do some sports: zumba, kayaking, standup paddeling and sailing. I’m going to have a kajak lesson in october. I will have a lesson of instruction and after this we will go to Channell Island for sunset kajaking. There is also a small gym at the campus and every student is allowed to use it. We also can join to the clubs here at CI. They have a lit of offers for doing sports like surfing, soccer, hockey and they have also clubs like red cross, vegan, organic ….. I’m going to the soccer and surf club, I’m very curious how it’s gonna be!
I didn’t expect that the food is so expensive. While I need 150€ for a months in germany I need round about 200$ to 250$ in the US. But the people here earn a lot of fruits and vegatables at the fields, there you can buy a lot of fresh things for a few money.
The locals told us not to hang outside in the evening because it is too dangerous. But here is no party at all so it is not too tragic. 20 Minutes from here – in Ventura – are some nice bars, but you are not allowed to go there if you are not 21. The „Tavern“ is a hotspot there, it is a nice bar with an outside area, livemusic and a lot of young people. If you want to party you can go to Los Angeles, there are of course a lot of clubs.
That’s all for today, I’ll keep you updated!
See you soon,
Viola
Today I’m going to tell you about my experiences in the first month of my semester in beautiful Buenos Aires, Argentina. A lot of exciting things happened- so buckle up guys!
First I might give you a brief overview of the city. Buenos Aires is the biggest city of Argentina and also the capital. It’s parted in 48 districts, where Palermo (that’s where I live) Recoleta, San Telmo, Centro and La Boca are the most known ones. Around B.A are some ghettos where tourists should never ever go! I repeat- never! These ghettos are called “Villas” and are inhabited by the very poor people in Argentina. As poverty also brings criminality, it is not safe to go into a villa. Anyway if you keep an eye on your valuables and you keep paying attention to your surroundings, B.A is absolutely safe to travel.
The city has outstanding architecture which I am still blown away by! There are magnificent buildings out of the richer times of Argentina in the 1920s right next to a house that could be easily blown away by the wind. The mixture of architecture and style is absolutely characteristic for Buenos Aires. Also the Porteños (that’s how people from B.A are called) like to paint there houses in bright and colourful ways, so it feels like walking through an art gallery when you are walking down the streets. Especially in La Boca in an area that is called “Caminito”.
In general there is a lot to see here. For example the famous Sunday-markets in San Telmo where you can find all kinds of handcrafted goodies. On these markets you can really feel the Argentinian lifestyle. Everyone is drinking mate, the typical tea here in Argentina, they are dancing tango on the streets and on every corner there are awesome street musicians having a party with the people walking by. Furthermore there is the impressive obelisk in the centre of the city, the stadium “La Bombonera” which is the home of the famous soccer team “Boca Juniors”, the opera house “Teatro Colón” and so much more!
But not only Buenos Aires has a lot to offer! So far my roommate and I travelled to Rosario, which is not only the second biggest city of Argentina but also a beautiful lively city with a nice river and amazing monuments. Another trip on a long weekend took us to Córdoba which is about a ten hour bus ride away from B.A. The weekend we spent there was super busy, we walked around the city one day, the next we visited a small hippie town called “Capilla del Monte”.
Apparently you can see aliens from there but somehow we didn’t see any :D. On the same day we drove to another town called “Carlos Paz”. This city is known as THE party village so of course we went out there and it was amazing. But I will talk about the nightlife a bit later. In the last day of our trip we went to the german town Villa General Belgrano where we had german food and of course our beloved german beer. A lot of other trips are already planned, like visiting the Iguazu waterfalls, quickly hop over to Uruguay and travel to the south to go to Patagonia. I’ll keep you updated!
Quickly in between I will now tell you something about the Universidad Austral. Because of course, firstly we are here to study ;). The university has three different campuses in Argentina, two of them are in Buenos Aires the other one is located in Rosario. The campus we are on is right in the centre of B.A. in the district of Recoleta.
It is a beautiful old building with a stunning entrance, but unfortunately it had a gas leak and had to be evacuated before we arrived. So for now, until the problem is fixed, we have class in a university branch. The bigger campus is called Pilar campus and is about one hour by bus from the centre of the city. We’ve only been there once for the orientation day but it was impressively big. The classes and the professors are really interesting and fun. The only thing we have to get used to again is the compulsory attendance but it is manageable with only three days of class per week. In general the staff of the Universidad Austral is really helpful and gives you a hand whenever you need it.
Now to something more fun! Let’s talk about the nightlife, because it is outstanding here in Argentina! The clubs here are called “boliche” and typically they play all kinds of music styles. Mostly Cumbia and Reggeaton, which I had to get used to in the beginning, I have to admit. Next to clubs, there are a lot of nice bars here as well. In some you can even play beer pong- yay! Important to know about going out here is that the argentines are going to the club really, really late. They won’t go before 2.30am, which for us is already pretty late.
Another typical argentine thing is Fernet and coke. Hell they love their Fernet and coke, they drink it all the time! Fernet is originally an Italian liquor and tastes similar to Jägermeister.
Now an important information for the girls! The men here are really stubborn when it comes to flirting. Here they are called “chamulleros” which means roughly translated “charmer” but comes from the Spanish wort “chamullar” which means talking someone into something. And that is absolutely what they are trying to do. There are signs to recognize a chamullero.
Listen carefully girls, better take notes! First they will put their hand on your shoulder, then they will start telling you sweet, sweet lies like “you are the most beautiful woman on earth”; one guy even said to me I would be so beautiful I should sit on an altar so everyone can worship me. Yeah they like exaggerating :D. Then they will take your hand and ask you to dance. You won’t be able to get rid of his hand because he won’t let go. As I said- they are stubborn. So be prepared. When a guy approaches you and touches your shoulder- run! 😀 Except he’s hot. 😉
Alright, that was a lot of information! I hope you liked the article and I could show you how awesome Buenos Aires is! I’ll keep you updated!
See ya soon!
Lisa
