Dear Erasmus Students,

Thank you for all your texts submitted for the writing competition. Your reflections upon your stay at the Jagiellonian University gave us a rare opportunity to see Kraków and our University from your perspective. You wrote about the snow, Poles, parties, Kraków's market square, history, and French bread pizza ("zapiekanka").
We are very happy to know that you have enjoyed your stay with us and that you intend to come back some time in the future.
It was not easy to choose the winners as every text was unique.

Nonetheless, we decided to award the following authors:
1. Giorgio Bertolin – for originality and a humorous phrase-book with Polish words and expressions.
2. Daniel Barrio Fierro – for literary flair and evocative style
3. Gabriela Tomkova – for frankness and exceptional energy and enthusiasm

All the authors participating in the competition are asked to contact/visit ESN at Gołębia 24 to collect prizes and small gifts.

JU Office of Public Affairs
ESN
 

Giorgio Bertolin: The Right Words

Three hundred words are very few to describe my stay at the Jagiellonian University and they are nothing to describe my whole Erasmus experience. Which words should I use? For sure I have to use zapiekanka. I just arrived in the city and it is the very first Polish word I learned. Sitting on the autobus which was taking me to the center, I asked a woman where it was possible to eat something. That's how I went for the first time to Kazimierz, the part of the city where I live now. Zapiekanka, the best meal in Cracow for mere four złoty, is a metaphor of Poland to me. In this country I found real wonders, hidden just behind the corner. That night I met with some friends I have in Gdansk: they came to see the city and to meet me. Spotykać się z kolegami: very important thing to do in your life, not only very useful expression. They taught me other important words: piwo (or browar) and other words very useful but not so pretty to say.
The days have run very fast since that day, and I cannot believe it's already December. The snow covers the streets and it's very cold. Żimno. But I don't feel the coldness of the weather, thanks to the people I have met here who do their best to make me feel warm, like in a family.
I think I know which conclusion is suitable for this short report. I want to end by cheering Cracow and saying na zdrowie to all students and inhabitants. The last word I want to say to these people is only: Dziękuję.
 

Daniel Barrio Fierro: My Stay at the Jagiellonian University

Nobody had told me that it would be like this. That I would discover myself to be so sponge-like, that I could soak up so much of this place so that the flowing of life on its streets would seem to mimic my own pulse. No word about how the city would unfold itself like a red and white rose since the very first early morning jog around the Planty, nothing hinted at the strange way in which the grid pattern of Stare Miasto and Kazimierz would become so easily engrained in my mind. In which direction does Wisła flow? How far am I from Wawel? The answers were soon to come as automatically as tying my shoes before leaving home. Yet I still remember the first gasp when entering Rynek: who would have known that this city would have such an open heart?
    Still, I did not come here just for the city. I came to learn and I learned indeed. But somehow the biggest lesson always seemed to be how much there was to be discovered: it seems as if the halls and corridors of the great buildings of the old town were full of whispers and echoes from thinkers, artists, astronomers and even kings. What could I do? I answered their invitation and settled among the shelves of the library, plunging into history. And such is the strange quality of Kraków that each time I returned to the surface I would find history so alive that seemed on the brink of overflowing: haven't I had the feeling when visiting Collegium Maius that if I strayed from the group I could still catch a glimpse of a young colleague from Thoruń thoughtfully peering at the sky?
 

Gabriela Tomkova: Letter home

Hi Mom and Dad,
How are you at home? I'm writing to you from Krakow. We live with Polish people, they are students and they are funny and nice.
The next day we went into the town with my friend. There are big painted old houses, big square, a large castle, large university and high discounts. I was very hungry so I bought a waffle. It was excellent, as Polish food in general. We also had a cooking contest organized by the ESN team. I'm not sure what ESN abbreviation stands for… Maybe "Everyday Smiling and Nice"? We didn´t win but it was a great fun.
I also like the University. Everybody is nice and I enjoy the classes with the lecturer who is always accompanied by her dog. I will continue tomorrow, gotta go on a tandem language evening, it's a cool thing, we exchange our experiences(…).
By the way, I'm going to Wroclaw and I'd like to go to Poznan and Lviv too. University organizes trips like that, so it's safe, don´t worry. Here in town we´ve already explored almost everything. Museums, zoo, monuments, clubs... and galleries of course! Especially the Krakowska and Bonarka one.
Also, I've improved my English and I've learned some Polish words. I think I will remember these for long: nowy znajomy, zabawa, miasto z historyczną duszą i pulsującym sercem, sympatyczny nauczyciel and impreza.
 

Aline De Meester "…I learned one month intensively with the EILC courses (Erasmus Intensive Language Courses) and now I continue my tuition formation at the Jagiellonian University. This place renders the learning easier because we are in small groups and the teacher is really motivated. It really is  a pleasure to learn in such an environment…"

Lucia Brosová "…I know that I will never regret my stay in Poland –  it´s the country which makes me feel at home…"

Martin Boschmann "…It's an honour to study at Poland's most famous and one of the oldest universities in the world – the Jagiellonian University. Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam said: „The highest form of happiness is a life with a certain level of craziness". Jump into Kraków and be part of the best university town in the world..."

Leah Robbie "…The staff at JU, including Poles in general have made me feel at home and have helped me out wherever they can. I have greatly enjoyed my classes, including my elected subject to learn some basic Polish. After having really great experiences here it is not hard to see that Krakow and JU are hidden gems on the radar in my home country…"

Natalie Davies "…I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to study overseas in my field of interest (Public Health). We have a small class and approachable lecturers.  It's wonderful to be amongst like minded students from all over the world…"