That was a looong 'weekend' :)
It lasted almost two weeks. And it happened during the spring - my favourite season.
But let me start from the beginning.
Do you know which days of the year are the best ones? (except the holidays of course) Well - the Fridays after the exam-week. :P What was different this time was that we had no free time before the exams. For me this basically means that there is no way to combine the sleepless nights of studying with the early-morning lectures. Of course, leaving a lot of theory for the last minute is a big mistake (as some of you already know). But this is the way how some of us are studying. :)
However, some of us managed to pass everything, some did not, but everyone was happy when it was over.
Then...one week after the exams my long 'weekend' started. We still had lectures and projects to work on but it was definitely less intense than before. First, we celebrated Easter. Even though, I did not feel the spirit of this holiday the way I do in Bulgaria, I still had a lot of fun. As there are many different communities and religions, one can learn a lot about different cultures and traditions just by walking around the city.It was quite interesting :)
But, as the saying goes - the fun can't last forever. The next week was a normal college one with all the regular lectures. I can't complain about it - I already mentioned that I enjoy almost all of the subjects in my program. Anyway... this post is NOT about school. :P
Another great thing about this long period of fun was that I finally met two friends from facebook with who I was chatting for over a year. We spent some time sightseeing Utrecht and Amsterdam. And by that I don't mean the 'boring sightseeing' which probably pops up in your mind when you hear that word. :P That was my first time in Utrecht. Here is the moment when I have to admit that now I fancy Utrecht more than The Hague. To me it seems more lively during this time of the year. I spent only one day there, and maybe that is why I didn't see it's 'bad side'.
Oh, I should have started with our trip to Keukenhof . The university organizes excursions like this regularly as part of our integration in the Dutch culture and society. The last one was to this amazing park. It is said to be the most beautiful place in the world and one of the most photographed ones. (I stole this sentence from their web-site, but I am more than convinced after I've visited it :)). At first when we arrived we thought that it is going to be a boring afternoon and that we will be sick of observing flowers and plants. But I was fascinated by the atmosphere of this park. It is like a oasis hidden between endless tulip fields. of course there are many opportunities to have fun. There are different events hold during every weekend as well as daily ones (workshops, art tours, boat trips etc.). If this still doesn't sound as much fun for you let me tell you something. This very day I saw the most adorable piglet in the world! You can ask anyone else who was there and they will agree! :D I am kidding, this is not the main reason why we enjoyed the trip that much. I believe that me and the other ICM students had great time because we were together. The whole process of taking (silly) pictures, walking and talking, crossing small rills without taking your shoes off, waiting for someone who get lost in a maze, eating huge SWIRL'S ice-creams... yeah..it was relaxing and absolutely exciting. :)
Unfortunately, I can't post any (decent) pictures, but I'll try to do something about it.
Yeah, that was a trip which I won't forget. (Not until I turn sixty or so :P)
But that was not the end of the long 'weekend' I told you about. The next week was even more memorable for me. It was Queen's day + night combined with my birthday party :)
Sounds interesting huh? :) However, let me tell you about it in the next post...
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Lets bring this blog back to life...
First of all, I want to say - thank you! to all the guys who sent me some e-mails :) It is really nice to know that someone appreciates what I am doing and is interested in it. What is more, some of you asked me pretty important questions (thank you Margo ;)) to which I will keep answer answering in my posts and e-mails.
I believe there are many unclear things about The Netherlands, The University or my program. Well, I'm sorry but I still don't have all the answers. However, it is a pleasure for me to give you the ones I do. So - keep asking!
Now, I apologize if this is not on the top of your priority list, but I've just finished a looong homework and I need to relax a little by starting with this question: 'What do you and your colleagues do in your free time? Are there many leisure activities?' <= You can't imagine!!! It is a lot of fun round here, trust me! My intention is not to bore you so I won't repeat all the opportunities that the university offers. But I highly recommend you to check at least the videos on the web-site (if, of course you still haven't done it) :P
So if you are more or less like me and you can't stay at home for a long periods of time - you will certainly like the life here. Usually, there is something interesting every day of the week. Sometimes is so hard for me to decide where to go. There are live music performances almost every night, almost everywhere (for every different taste!), loooots of parties with or without dress-code..(chuckle) And you know that we have the beach where all kind of events take place regularly. The Hague is also a perfect shopping spot :P But this, as well as cinemas, theaters, art exhibitions etc. is related to your budget (most of the things I listed are gratis). For tourism lovers - lets start with Delft, Leiden, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht and continue with the rest of the Dutch cities located nearby (I'm saying nearby because in The Netherlands even the most distant place is a few hours away). If that is still not enough fun for you - then jump to Belgium or Germany :P About the libraries and the bookstores - still can't believe how many hours I spent there..I'm completely unable to resist..
Last but not least - the sports.. wow.. that's a topic for a whole new post! Anyway,I was worried at first that I won't be able to practice ski or snowboard here (as Holland is famous with how flat it is :P). And, yes, they have (artificial) slopes here <:D
Well, that was how I entertain myself in brief. However, if you are into something else - probably you can find it here. What might be a problem is how you manage your time. But, in awhile, you will learn how to do it properly.
I believe there are many unclear things about The Netherlands, The University or my program. Well, I'm sorry but I still don't have all the answers. However, it is a pleasure for me to give you the ones I do. So - keep asking!
Now, I apologize if this is not on the top of your priority list, but I've just finished a looong homework and I need to relax a little by starting with this question: 'What do you and your colleagues do in your free time? Are there many leisure activities?' <= You can't imagine!!! It is a lot of fun round here, trust me! My intention is not to bore you so I won't repeat all the opportunities that the university offers. But I highly recommend you to check at least the videos on the web-site (if, of course you still haven't done it) :P
So if you are more or less like me and you can't stay at home for a long periods of time - you will certainly like the life here. Usually, there is something interesting every day of the week. Sometimes is so hard for me to decide where to go. There are live music performances almost every night, almost everywhere (for every different taste!), loooots of parties with or without dress-code..(chuckle) And you know that we have the beach where all kind of events take place regularly. The Hague is also a perfect shopping spot :P But this, as well as cinemas, theaters, art exhibitions etc. is related to your budget (most of the things I listed are gratis). For tourism lovers - lets start with Delft, Leiden, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Utrecht and continue with the rest of the Dutch cities located nearby (I'm saying nearby because in The Netherlands even the most distant place is a few hours away). If that is still not enough fun for you - then jump to Belgium or Germany :P About the libraries and the bookstores - still can't believe how many hours I spent there..I'm completely unable to resist..
Last but not least - the sports.. wow.. that's a topic for a whole new post! Anyway,I was worried at first that I won't be able to practice ski or snowboard here (as Holland is famous with how flat it is :P). And, yes, they have (artificial) slopes here <:D
Well, that was how I entertain myself in brief. However, if you are into something else - probably you can find it here. What might be a problem is how you manage your time. But, in awhile, you will learn how to do it properly.
Friday, February 13, 2009
To find what you seek in the road of life, the best proverb of all is that which says: "Leave no stone unturned." - Ed. Lytton
Last Saturday (as some of you may know) the first one of the Open Days took place at the Hague University. Me and a few other girls from ICM were there to represent the students from our program. In other words - everyone was welcome to ask any kind of question and all who did received sufficient answers. Two presentations about the curriculum were held by our teachers and mentors in which we also participated.
However, I am sure that if you wanted a report about the event, you would have checked the university's web-site. So, let me tell you another story. :)
Back in my high-school, especially during the last two years, we spent a lot of time discussing what we want to do 'when we grow up'. If before this kind of talks were mostly about what our dreams are, when we turned 16-17, they became more serious. Everyone was preparing for exams, researching universities and job offers etc. Then the graduation period started... And by saying this I mean the time when we realize that the school is almost over and it is time for partying. No comment...
Everything seemed fine. Most of my former classmates did great on the entrance examinations. They have been admitted and so was I. Unfortunately, what happened with a few of them and with some of my current classmates as well, is that they realize they are living someone else's live and are studying something they really don't want to. How is this possible, you may ask? Well, I am not an expert and I don't want to act like a smart-a**, but as it is my blog I will tell you my opinion, so that you can try not to end up unsatisfied and unhappy. It is, of course ok if you are still not sure exactly what you want to do or study in future. However, it is NOT ok if you don't care at all. It is not necessary to spend endless hours doing personality or career possibility tests (even though they are interesting and useful, and they can almost always cheer you up by saying how creative or unique you are :P). My advice is just to think a little bit in what you are good at. You know what you enjoy doing and what abilities you posses. Now - where you can apply those skills, how you can you improve them? Do not mess up with your future, just because you feel lazy or too busy to spend 10 minutes to check this.
As I mentioned before and as I will mention it many other times - people, use google! Internet is the easiest, most convenient and sometimes the best way to find accurate information about whatever you are looking for. Once you have an idea what you may study and work in order to fulfill your goals it is way more easier to continue. If I say - congratulate yourself for every little success - it will sound like part of quitting alcohol or cigarettes program. Anyway, it is true! As is the well known saying that 'you have to believe in yourself'. BUT! I will add that you have to have healthy respect as well as healthy disrespect of yourself.
This was a little withdrawal from the topic, for which I apologize. :)
So.. Open Days!!! You will have a lot of opportunities to acquire the things mentioned above. This events are not planned only to give information about a particular program. For less than 10 minutes you can get an insight of the curriculum, or of particular job, or future career possibilities, or some advice. If I were you, I would visit one of them, even for half an hour or so. Just ask questions! Those people are there to help. And they are doing a great job, believe me. I would like to invite you to come and visit our university's Open Days, but there are also many others who hold basically the same events (or for example - the international education fairs). And if, by any chance, you are interested in visiting us - check this out:
Open Days
* Friday 17 Apr. 2009, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.
* Friday 19 Jun. 2009, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m
However, I am sure that if you wanted a report about the event, you would have checked the university's web-site. So, let me tell you another story. :)
Back in my high-school, especially during the last two years, we spent a lot of time discussing what we want to do 'when we grow up'. If before this kind of talks were mostly about what our dreams are, when we turned 16-17, they became more serious. Everyone was preparing for exams, researching universities and job offers etc. Then the graduation period started... And by saying this I mean the time when we realize that the school is almost over and it is time for partying. No comment...
Everything seemed fine. Most of my former classmates did great on the entrance examinations. They have been admitted and so was I. Unfortunately, what happened with a few of them and with some of my current classmates as well, is that they realize they are living someone else's live and are studying something they really don't want to. How is this possible, you may ask? Well, I am not an expert and I don't want to act like a smart-a**, but as it is my blog I will tell you my opinion, so that you can try not to end up unsatisfied and unhappy. It is, of course ok if you are still not sure exactly what you want to do or study in future. However, it is NOT ok if you don't care at all. It is not necessary to spend endless hours doing personality or career possibility tests (even though they are interesting and useful, and they can almost always cheer you up by saying how creative or unique you are :P). My advice is just to think a little bit in what you are good at. You know what you enjoy doing and what abilities you posses. Now - where you can apply those skills, how you can you improve them? Do not mess up with your future, just because you feel lazy or too busy to spend 10 minutes to check this.
As I mentioned before and as I will mention it many other times - people, use google! Internet is the easiest, most convenient and sometimes the best way to find accurate information about whatever you are looking for. Once you have an idea what you may study and work in order to fulfill your goals it is way more easier to continue. If I say - congratulate yourself for every little success - it will sound like part of quitting alcohol or cigarettes program. Anyway, it is true! As is the well known saying that 'you have to believe in yourself'. BUT! I will add that you have to have healthy respect as well as healthy disrespect of yourself.
This was a little withdrawal from the topic, for which I apologize. :)
So.. Open Days!!! You will have a lot of opportunities to acquire the things mentioned above. This events are not planned only to give information about a particular program. For less than 10 minutes you can get an insight of the curriculum, or of particular job, or future career possibilities, or some advice. If I were you, I would visit one of them, even for half an hour or so. Just ask questions! Those people are there to help. And they are doing a great job, believe me. I would like to invite you to come and visit our university's Open Days, but there are also many others who hold basically the same events (or for example - the international education fairs). And if, by any chance, you are interested in visiting us - check this out:
Open Days
* Friday 17 Apr. 2009, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m.
* Friday 19 Jun. 2009, 4 p.m. - 9 p.m
Monday, January 19, 2009
I had a dream, I had an awesome dream...
Do you know that song? And of course, you know the feeling of having a dream to pursuit, which gives you the strength to carry on, to wake up with a smile, to be ready to grab any opportunity, to follow your own plan for success and to appreciate every little something you receive from life.
Millions of people have written wise things about dreams. The topic is as broad as the one for love and I am not going to comment on it. My purpose when writing this blog is just to tell you about one of my dreams and how it became reality.
I believe there are many girls and boys who share the same goals and feel the same way as I did. So.. here is how it all began for me.
During our last two years at high school, me and my closest friend used to spend many hours discussing our near future. We did a lot of research on what is the best place to continue our education. I must admit that the idea of studying abroad and particularly in The Netherlands was hers (ok, I stole it, so what? :P). I guess you know what is the next step after you have already decided to go oversea. I was preparing for the TOEFL test and meanwhile I was reading universities' web-sites and foreign students' blogs. Of course the second part was much more fun (a good starting point is www.nuffic.nl, or just www.google.com if you prefer :)). At first I was 90% sure that what I want to study is definitely tourism or leisure management - so I checked all the universities in The Netherlands that offer these programs. But something was missing. I realized that I like it but I want more. You know that it is in our nature to be curious, no matter what. That is why we want to explore everything and learn. As I consider myself as a communicative person who needs to be among people and to exchange information I thought that there must be something that suits me better than the programs mentioned above. That is why when I went on one of the international fairs which was held in my home country, I took some brochures not only for tourism and leisure management but also for some other programs. Then, I finally found what is missing in the 'tourism' story - have you heard about 'International Communication Management'? Well, those three words changed my decision completely. This was an entirely new challenge for me, a complete reversal, a new route and this time - the right one.
So, here I am in The Hague - the city where I wanted to live and studying International Communication Management in The Hague University - exactly what I wanted to do. I know it sounds like a cliche but I cannot be happier. This university and this program gave me so much by far. Probably, you have heard people saying that the best time of one's life is the time you spend in college/university. Next time when someone says this to you - give them five.
I am here only for five months and I feel like I can write a few novels about all the things that happened since the day I have arrived. There was not a single minute of boredom. I am so glad that I have never created a prison for my dreams. My advice for you is the same - just let them be. That is the easiest way to get what you truly desire in life.
No matter how eager I am to share everything with you, it is just not possible. However, I will try to give you as clear picture as I can of what I am going through. To make this easier for both me and you I would like to ask you to do one thing for me - do not hesitate to ask me anything (really! anything!) you want.
Millions of people have written wise things about dreams. The topic is as broad as the one for love and I am not going to comment on it. My purpose when writing this blog is just to tell you about one of my dreams and how it became reality.
I believe there are many girls and boys who share the same goals and feel the same way as I did. So.. here is how it all began for me.
During our last two years at high school, me and my closest friend used to spend many hours discussing our near future. We did a lot of research on what is the best place to continue our education. I must admit that the idea of studying abroad and particularly in The Netherlands was hers (ok, I stole it, so what? :P). I guess you know what is the next step after you have already decided to go oversea. I was preparing for the TOEFL test and meanwhile I was reading universities' web-sites and foreign students' blogs. Of course the second part was much more fun (a good starting point is www.nuffic.nl, or just www.google.com if you prefer :)). At first I was 90% sure that what I want to study is definitely tourism or leisure management - so I checked all the universities in The Netherlands that offer these programs. But something was missing. I realized that I like it but I want more. You know that it is in our nature to be curious, no matter what. That is why we want to explore everything and learn. As I consider myself as a communicative person who needs to be among people and to exchange information I thought that there must be something that suits me better than the programs mentioned above. That is why when I went on one of the international fairs which was held in my home country, I took some brochures not only for tourism and leisure management but also for some other programs. Then, I finally found what is missing in the 'tourism' story - have you heard about 'International Communication Management'? Well, those three words changed my decision completely. This was an entirely new challenge for me, a complete reversal, a new route and this time - the right one.
So, here I am in The Hague - the city where I wanted to live and studying International Communication Management in The Hague University - exactly what I wanted to do. I know it sounds like a cliche but I cannot be happier. This university and this program gave me so much by far. Probably, you have heard people saying that the best time of one's life is the time you spend in college/university. Next time when someone says this to you - give them five.
I am here only for five months and I feel like I can write a few novels about all the things that happened since the day I have arrived. There was not a single minute of boredom. I am so glad that I have never created a prison for my dreams. My advice for you is the same - just let them be. That is the easiest way to get what you truly desire in life.
No matter how eager I am to share everything with you, it is just not possible. However, I will try to give you as clear picture as I can of what I am going through. To make this easier for both me and you I would like to ask you to do one thing for me - do not hesitate to ask me anything (really! anything!) you want.
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