yzna 2007 - Politechnika Łódzka

47 ŻYCIE UCZELNI 4/2007
S T U D E N C I
I am a fourth year student of the Organization and Management Faculty at the Technical University of Lodz.
Thanks to the Erasmus Program I was able to go abroad and spend one semester at Avans Hogeschool
in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, a small but beautiful city in the Netherlands.
Erasmus students in Poland
The aim of the Erasmus Program is to encourage and support
academic mobility of higher education students and teachers,
mostly within the European Union. The Erasmus/Socrates
program provides an excellent opportunity to live in
another country and to have exposure to a culture and language,
other than English.
During my stay in Holland I made a lot of new relationships
with people from all over the world. Together with 8 persons -
Spaniards, Finns and an American - we decided to go to Poland.
At the end of October I became their guide for 5 days; we
were in Cracow, Auschwitz and Lodz (including a visit to Technical
University of Lodz).
After we came back to Holland I decided to interview Elina
(from Finland) and Seth (American), in order to share their
memories and feelings about Poland.
TK: What do you remember most about the Polish trip?
Elina: Everything was very cheap. Big shopping malls were
nice to see, especially for the Finnish girls. We also tasted
different Polish food; it was delicious!
Tom, you made a very good scheme and thanks to it we
saw a lot of very interesting things. One of them was Auschwitz
- something that everyone should experience once in their life
time.
Seth: The food, right! I was extremely surprised by not
only the quality of Polish cuisine but also the quantity. In America
we are used to receiving large portions for a relatively low
price, Poland is the first European country that I have felt at
home while in a restaurant. The food was excellent and plentiful.
I also loved the Zloty. As the Dollar weakens against the
Euro it is getting more difficult for Americans to travel through
the EU, thankfully Poland is still a Dollar carrier’s paradise.
TK: What surprises did you find in Poland?
E: I was just amazed when I saw Cracow, it is a very beautiful
city! Unfortunately, contrary to Holland, not many people
speak English in Poland, even in Cracow.
Another thing is poor infrastructure; in some places road
and rail network is really bad, for instance in Lodz.
S: For me first thing was the weather. On American television
you are led to believe that Poland is like Russia, and that
Russia is a cold barren place where everyone drinks Vodka
and wears furry hats. Well, I found the Vodka stereotype to be
alive and well, but the weather to be quite similar to that of
the northern American States where I’m from.
Another matter is the traffic. Although I have found European
traffic to be far crazier than anything I have experienced
Erasmus
in America, I found Polish traffic to be far crazier than anything
I have experienced in Europe. Stopping on the shoulder
students
in TUL campus
of a highway and reversing 90 degrees to line up in an intersection
is by far the craziest traffic maneuver that I have witnessed
to date. They also drive extremely fast when compared
to traffic in the US. They feel comfortable in really tiny
cars going over 135 km/h on the highway; let’s just say I disagree.
TK: What can you say about Poles?
E: Poles are polite and friendly... At least those who I spoke
to. The way our group was welcomed in Tomek’s house was
amazing. They made us feel very comfortable.
We had a really pleasant stay with you Tom!
S: I have found Polish people to be very kind. Those that
have learned English speak it with less accent than many of
their Western European counterparts. They do seem to have a
stigma about Germans, but after being to Auschwitz this seems
well founded.
What’s more, they love meat. The Polish diet consists of
more meat than any other diet I have had the luxury of trying.
They love their kielbasa and with good reason, it’s excellent.
And yes, the time you spent on showing us all those nice
places was great!
TK: Thank you. I enjoyed it as well. And to sum up - try to
describe Poland in 5 words.
E: Food, hospitality, history, zloty…? Seth, anything else
you would like to add?
S: Beautiful Polish girls!
n Tomasz Koœmider