school has started on September 28th. I have come back in Cardiff; sincerely I couldn’t wait because, although school means essays, many things to learn, preparing for courses, I like this place. I like school although I am not crazy about essays, but I learn a lot of interesting things. I have many friends from all over the world. Not real friends, let’s say colleagues, because I think that real friend means someone who is always by your side not only physically speaking, he is the one who helps you in need, unconditional. If you have in a life time real friends and their number is greater than the number of your fingers from one hand, you are happy. But let‘s get back to school and my friends in Wales ( I prefer to call them friends not colleagues).
the first friend
My first friend I met here is from Thailand, she is not tall, she is petite, she is delicate. I’ve thought she is 22 years old (minimum age for someone who is at a master course) but she is 26 years old; but I bet that she will look the same in 10 years. I told her that I visited Thailand, she was surprised and excited. We’ve become friends because there are no Romanians or Thais here. I try to understand her because she has her accent from Thailand and it is a little hard to understand what she is saying in English but I make efforts and I can handle with this.
group projects
I’ve had group projects, so I’ve become friend with a guy from Mexico and one from Netherlands. The guy from Mexico is swarthy, sexy, he always looks good, he runs every morning and he is very smart (he attended the faculty in Canada). The guy from Holland is nice and smart, they were in the center of that project. I invited them in Romania but I think they have other priorities now, maybe they will come in Romania someday, in future.
Other group projects, other teams, most of them were Muslims (Libya, Iran, Pakistan) and a guy from Burma (Myanmar now), somewhere between Thailand and India (there are many guys from India too), those from Burma look like Asians but they are swarthy). This group was a disaster, me and the Asian guy had tried 2 months to convince the Muslims to do something and no result, they worked only a few days before the deadline. The Muslims are not interested in school, they are lazy. The subject was the organization of an event – presentation of what would we do to organize an event – a charity event with things we do not need any more offering them to poor people. Finally, one of them talked with somebody from The Islamic Relief Foundation and gave him a presentation film and based on it we made the event presentation. I brought some things together with my son and his friend from Bulgaria, we (the organizers), those from the foundation, and 3 guests (2 were mine). Who could have come if the flyer had mistakes and the correct version of the flyer was ready 1 day before the deadline? A madhouse. I still wonder how could we have passed that exam?
other friends
I have friends from France and Italy (they attended only one module here), we still communicate via Facebook, I have a nice friend from Cardiff, one from Malaysia, if I will have another group project I will make a team with these two girls, they are serious, you can count on them.
There are also Chinese but they are many and they stay together and those from Niger too. But I’ve met two nice girls from Niger. It is hard to understand them and the Chinese too. But taking into account that it is only one native from UK at this master, we are trying to understand each other, being patient and we repeat the words, no one has a complex of language speaking, we have fun together. You become confident of your knowledge seeing that the others’ level of English is lower than yours. I have only one problem, the perfume, the Arabs and Africans use a great quantity of perfume or the perfume they use is strong and I feel I faint if I stay nearby one of them. I had a teacher, whose course was at 9 o’clock and when he came in the classroom firstly he opened the window, he began to arrange his things for course, a fresh air came from outside feeling ok to begin the course.
This is a small part of what is happening at school (University of South Wales) and I want to show you that this experience deserves to be lived. I don’t know yet if this master will help me in future but if you are young or you have high school kids, do not hesitate to send them to study in UK. I have other plans, that is why I attend this master, but although my plans will not work in future, I won’t be sorry a moment of my decision.