I cross all the seas, it's fine by me...

Ultima data am promis ca o sa va mai povestesc unele lucruri, asa ca o sa incerc sa fac asta acum...Sper sa transmit esentialul si sa nu uit ceva important:

- Casa s-a populat in intregime. Locuiesc cu trei francezi (1 tip, Guillaume, si 2 tipe, Pauline si Fiona), 1 polonez (Chris) si o indianca (Sonali). Ma bucur ca ne intelegem foarte bine, cel putin pana acum si, chiar daca doar eu si Sonali suntem la Master (ceilalti sunt inca la ciclul de licenta), diferenta de varsta nu prea se simte.

- In Coventry francezii sunt precum spaniolii in Berlin - multi! Si se cam cunosc intre ei. Asa ca de multe ori ajung sa imi petrec timpul cu francezi, nu ma deranjeaza, sunt foarte de treaba, desi nu e aceeasi poveste ca si cu spaniolii. Adica nu ii inteleg prea mult, deci ar trebui sa ma reapuc de franceza.

- Insa ei, francezii, au instituit o regula: daca cineva vorbeste franceza si nu engleza in casa, trebuie sa plateasca (circa 10 sau 20 penny, in functie de statut - daca locuiesc in casa sau nu :P), intr-o cutie pe care am amenajat-o special. Evident ca a doua zi au regretat chestia asta! Si, mai rau, nu se tin de ea...Ma rog, e pierderea lor ca nu isi practica engleza, desi chiar fac eforturi uneori(iar Pauline incurajeaza mult vorbitul englezei)...

- Am vrut sa iau cateva cursuri de lb straine aici (in plus fata de cele din programul de Master), in speta germana si franceza (pt ca spaniola imi este mai simplu sa o invat singura), insa de pare ca acest lucru nu este accesibil studentilor de la Master. Mi se pare o prostie asta, mai ales ca la zilele de orientare, toti cei care ne-au tinut discursuri au spus ca trebuie sa profitam de perioada asta si se ne dezvoltam pe mai multe planuri (voluntariat, invatarea unei lb straine blabla). E adevarat ca pot oricand avea acces la biblioteca de la Centrul de Lb Straine si la toate facilitatile de acest gen, dar chiar nu se compara cu o lectie oferita de un profesor, mai ales in cazul germanei...

- Joi am fost la o intalnire informala (intr-o cafenea) cu unii dintre profesori si colegi si am descoperit ca exista totusi in roman care face acelasi masterat ca si mine. Este din Galati, dar a terminat anul trecut SNSPA-ul in Bucuresti. In plus, sta chiar foarte aproape de mine (daca vrea sa ajunga acasa pe o scurtatura trebuie sa treaca pe strada mea) si mi-a vandut un pont: sa zbor cu Aer Lingus pe ruta Londra - Bucuresti, caci e mult mai ieftin decat Blue Air (am verificat pe site, chiar asa e; acum astept sa aflu cand luam vacanta - este de vreo 3 saptmani, din cate stiu - sa pot sa imi rezerv biletul).

- Apropo de romani, cred ca aici sunt mai multi decat am estimat eu intital, pt ca multa lume imi spune ca mai stie pe altcineva din Romania ori ca a mai intalnit un roman/ca etc.

- Nu stiu daca v-am spus, dar aici magazinele sunt foarte departe. Sunt cateva minimarket-uri pe la colturile strazilor din zona, numai bune cand ai nevoie de o paine sau lapte, dar sunt in general mai scumpe. Insa putem sa luam un autobuz chiar de la coltul strazii si sa ajungem la Tesco, un hypermarket, dupa o calatorie de 30 de minute, ce-i drept (si asta doar dus)! Iar apoi, la intoarcere, ne rupem mainile, normal, mai ales daca nu vrem sa facem drumul asta prea des! :P A fost foarte foarte amuzanta faza cand am vrut sa mergem in Tesco, eu, Sonali, Guillaume si Valentin (prietenul lui, tot francez), ne-am asezat in statie, asteptand autobuzul, iar, deodata, baietii au traversat strada spunand ca de fapt trebuie sa luam autobuzul de vizavi. Noi, fetele, mirate, o tineam pe a noastra, ca suntem in statia buna. Apoi ne-am dat seama ca ASTA E ANGLIA si ca totul e pe dos!!! Baietii erau suparati ca autobuzul trecuse cu 3 minute inainte (desi l-am fi vazut), insa le-am spus ca nu sunt mereu punctuale mijloacele de transport, ghiciti de ce - pentru ca ASTA E ANGLIA! hahahahaha (o sa va povestesc intr-un alt episod cum sta treaba cu ASTA E ANGLIA!).

- Am descoperit magazine unde poti cumpara o groaza de lucruri (pt casa, mancare, rechizite etc) cu 1 lira sau cu 99 pence (in functie de magazin). Deci aici nu e problema de preturi (evident, e un pic mai scump decat la noi sau in Germania, dar nu exagerat), ci doar de proximitate. Si cand te gandesti ca eu nu mai stiam cum sa imi indes capsatorul, pixurile etc in bagaj...

- Am aflat deja cum functioneaza lucrurile pe la facultate si la biblioteca (printatul, imprumutatul cartilor) si, zau, sunt asa fericita ca sunt in Anglia (nu in Olanda, Germania etc) si ca, practic, nu am nici o problema de comunicare. Asa ca deja am ceva de citit, dar trebuie sa returnez cartea luni (probabil ca o sa fac o prelungire de termen). Oricum, un profesor ne-a recomandat sa o cumparam, asa ca probabil voi face o comanda pe Amazon.co.uk, am vazut ca e mai ieftina si chiar am reducere cu un card de la Uniunea Studentilor! ;)

- Cum am primit pachetul de acasa (miercuri) sunt foarte fericita ca Manishtushu este si el in Anglia, plus o rezerva de palinca! Multumesc, tati! Asa seara de miercuri a inceput cu bautura romaneasca si s-a terminat cu paste gatite la 03:30 a.m.! Iar la mijloc a fost o "portie" de club (in sfarsit am gasit unul mai pe gustul meu, rock'n'roll, fara popareala si muzica prea comerciala), unde am cunoscut, pt prima data, doi tipi nascuti si crescuti in Coventry! Tot atunci am cunoscut si un tip din Estonia, Teet, mi-am "exersat" estona si, culmea!, el mai stie o romanca pe care tot Oana o cheama...

- Am facut curat in camera vineri si sunt tare bucuroasa ca eu am parchet si nu mocheta (asa ca nu trebuie sa car aspiratorul pe scari) si in casa, dar de acum va trebui sa fixam o impartire a sarcinilor pt zonele comune. Curatenia asta a picat la fix, caci in aceeasi zi a sosit proprietarul (vizita anuntata, ca de obicei), mi-a pus un fel de cuier de interiorul usii si mi-a reparat zavorul (nu mergea pana acum) si sper sa revina curand sa unga usa, caci face un zgomot oribil cand apas pe maner. Ma gandeam ca as avea nevoie de o mica piesa de mobilier (din aia cu rama metalica), pe doua nivele, sa imi pot pune incaltarile jos, iar sus geanta si alte lucruri pe care la folosesc zilnic, ca sa nu le mai arunc in pat de fiecare data cand ma intorc acasa. As putea sa ii cer asta lui, caci Sonali i-a cerut o oglinda, o a doua noptiera si o masa de birou mai mica. Fetele imi spun ca nu ar fi nici o problema sa ii spun asta, mai ales ca platim o suma mai mare in comparatie cu alte persoane (ce-i drept, avem o casa super si proprietarii chiar se ocupa de noi, la nevoie).

- Week-endul asta l-am cam pierdut pt ca nu m-am simtit prea bine, cred ca racesc (mi-e cam somn, ma doar un pic in gat si am o tuse seaca uneori, dar nu am febra sau altceva). Sper sa fie o simpla raceala si nu gripa porcina, nah, la cati studenti internationali sunt pe aici, totul e posibil (desi nu am auzit de astfel de cazuri, iar peste tot sunt anunturi legate de prevenirea virusului). Am totusi pofta de mancare, deci nu toate simptomele corespund! :D

OK, acum v-am pus la curent cu tot ce trebuia sa stiti, in mare. Daca am uitat ceva, va povestesc data viitoare!

V-am pupat!


................................
Miscellaneous

Last time I promised to tell you some stuff, so I'll try to do this now...I hope I'll transmit the essential stuff and I won't forget anything important:

- The house is fully booked. I live with 3 French people (1 guy, Guillaume, and 2 girls, Pauline and Fiona), 1 Polish guy (Chris) and an Indian girl (Sonali). I am really glad that we get along well, at least for now, even if just Sonali and I are Post Grads students (the rest are Undergraduates) and the age difference is not noticeable.

- In Coventry the French students are like the Spanish ones in Berlin - many!! And they kinda know each other. So there are many times when I get to spend my time with French people, this doesn't bother me however, they are nice, but it's not the same story as with my Spanish friends. I mean I don't understand too much of what they're saying, I should start all over with French language.

- But the French people have settled down a rule: whoever speaks another language but English in the house must pay (about 10 or 20 penny, depending on they're status - if they live in the house or not :P) in a box that we've made especially for this. Obviously they've regretted this the next day! But what's worse is that they do not stick to this rule...Well, it's their loss that they're not practising their English, even if sometimes they're really pulling an effort (and Pauline encourages them a lot to speak English)...

- I wanted to take some foreign languages classes (apart from the courses in my MA programme), mainly German and French (coz it's easier for me to learn Spanish by myself), but apparently this this is not possible for Postgraduate Students. I find it quite stupid, especially since at the beginning, when some important people held some speeches, they said we should take advantage of this period and develop our self in many areas (volunteering, foreign languages). It's true that I can always have access at the library of the Languages Centre or any other facilities alike, but this doesn't compare to a lecture held by a professor, especially when it comes to German...

- On Thursday I've been to an informal meeting (in a coffee shop) with some of my professors and colleagues and I've discovered there's a Romanian guy doing the same Master indeed. He's not from Bucharest, but he graduated there the National School of Political and Administrative Sciences (last year). Plus, he lives quite close to me (if he wants to take a shortcut to his place he has to pass my street). He gave me an tip: to fly with Aer Lingus from London to Bucharest, since is way cheaper than Blue Air (I checked on their website and it's true; now I just have to find out then is the winter break starting in order to book my ticket home).

- Speaking of Romanians, I think here there are more than I thought at the beginning, because a lot of people tells me that they know other persons from Romania or that they've met other Romanians etc.

- I don't know if I told you, but here the shops are really far away. There are some mini markets at the corners of the streets, very useful when you need some break or milk but they're a bit more expensive. Anyhow, we can take a bus from the corner of our street and get to Tesco, a hypermarket, after a 30 mins journey (only one way)! And then, when returning, we'll just carry loads of stuff, especially since we don't wanna go there too often! :P It was very funny when we wanted to go to Tesco, me, Sonali, Guillaume and Valentin (his French friend), we got in the bus stop, waiting for the bus and, suddenly, the boys crossed the street, saying that there was the right station. We, the girls, were very surprised by this and kept on saying that we were actually in the right station. But then we realised that THIS IS ENGLAND and everything is upside down here!!! The boys were upset that we've just lost the bus, by 3 mins, but I told them that the buses aren't always on time here, guess why - because THIS IS ENGLAND! hahahahaha (in another episode I'll tell you all about this thing THIS IS ENGLAND!).

- I've discovered some stores when you can buy many stuff (household, food, stationary etc) with 1 pound or 99 pence (depending on the store). So it's not a matter of prices (though it's a bit more expensive than Romania or Germany), just of proximity. And when you think about the fact that I had problems with cramming in the luggage my stapler and the roller balls...

- I found out how things work at the Uni and at the library (printing, loaning books etc) and I am soooo glad I'm in England (not Holland, Germany etc) and, basically, I have no communication problems. So now I have something to read, though I should get the book back on Monday (I'll probably renew the loan). Anyways, a professor recommended us to buy this book, so I'll probably order it from Amazon.co.uk, I've seen is cheaper there and I even have a discount with a card from the Students' Union! ;)

- I got my packet from home (on Wednesday) so I am excited that Manishtushu is here in England, plus a stock of palinca! Thank you, dad! Accordingly, Wednesday evening has started with Romanian drink and it has ended with pasta at 03:30 a.m.! In the middle we had some clubbing (I finally discovered a club that I like, more rock'n'roll and less popisch stuff) where I've met, for the first time since being here, 2 guys born and bread in Coventry! I've also met a guy from Estonia, called Teet, so I was able to "practise" my Estonian and, unbelievably, he knows another Romanian girl named Oana...

- I cleaned my room on Friday and I am happy to have a wooden floor instead of a carpet (I don't have to carry the hoover upstairs) and the house, but from now on we should make a task division for the common areas. This cleaning stuff was right on time because on that very day the landlord came (it was an announced visit, as usually), he put a hanger on the back of my door and he fixed the locker of my room and I hope we'll come over again soon, as he needs to oil the handle (it makes a terrible noise when I open the door). I am considering to ask him for a furniture piece (one with a metallic frame), two-levelled, as I would like to put my shoes on the lower one and the bag and other daily stuff on the higher one (so I won't throw them on the bed each time I come home). I could ask him for this, since Sonali has asked him a mirror, a second night table and a smaller desk. And the girls say that it shouldn't be a problem - we pay more in comparison with other people (well, we have a super house and the landlords are really concerned about our life here).

- I kinda waisted this week-end on doing nothing because I wasn't feeling too good, I think I'm catching a cold (I'm a bit sleepy, I have a throat ache and I'm coughing, but no fever or something else). I hope it's not swine flu, you never know with so many international students around here (though I haven't heard of any cases and everywhere there are announcements about the prevention of the virus). I still have my appetite, so not all the symptoms match! :D

OK, now I've updated you with everything you were supposed to know. If I forgot something, I'll tell you next time!

Kisses!