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Ola or Hi, dear readers!
Notes.
Impressions of Kyiv Ukrainian about Portugal. Time of staying in Portugal is 12 months (February 20 - August 19, 2008 and January 30 - August 8, 2009). This is the first experience of a long stay abroad expect Germany (two years in Army). I was in as tourists the following countries: Netherlands, Hungary, Croatia, Montenegro, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Poland and Czech Republic.
Introduction.
I was in Portugal in city Faro due to the Erasmus Mundus program. Worked University of Algarve at Faculty of marine and environmental researches. I have developed the programs for three-dimensional interpretation of marine gravity data. Dr. Joaquim Lyuis has supervised my project. I have studied the intensive Portugese language courses. Of course, courses throuth English, therefore difficult, but something is remembered. There are different students on courses from: Belgium, Netherlands, Austria, Spain, Greece, Turkish, Czech, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Russia and others countries.
Climate.
Here is not hot as I thought. Temperature around 17 degrees. Sometimes there are rains, strong gusty wind, but it was only twice in the winter. Sliding windows with shutters. Conditions created for man to work properly in any weather. Climate is good, because the city is on coast Atlantic Ocean.
Apartments.
I lived in central avenue of the Faro is Avenida Outubro 5. I was in the room with student from Byelorussia. His name is Sergei, he has carry out the master's work on the ornithology. Serhgiy graduated the Byerussian State University and went to perform investigations at the University of Algarve for 2 years due to the Erasmus Mundus program. He bought a laptop HP here. Apartment has total of four rooms. In other rooms have lived: teacher from Spain with name Oliviya due to another program - Socrates, already more year was here. Mavritsiya - student from Portugal, performed PhD in geology. Ekaterina Ivanova arrived from Sevastopol recently for 30 months for PhD Research on Ecology. In the apartment, three bathrooms, kitchen, 2 balconies, large living-room with television, wireless Internet. Washer, gas tank and separate room home. Conditions are fashionable. Students have almost similar conditions in wired Internet. There is a beautiful park near, where a good internet via Wi-Fi.
Transport.
Basic transport is a bus. The average interval of 30 minutes. Schedule of up to 7 minutes. From the center of Faro, where I live, bus reaches a university for half an hour. Small shortcomings is absence of bycycle paths, as it is in the Netherlands.
University.
My University corps is located near from city Faro. University with two floors, but thereis ground floor or basement in Ukraine. I have the separate room (office). There are network, Internet, conditioner. Work schedule is free for me and many students. All based on self-organization. It should therefore work very carefully, not press, not requires, and all offered very kindly. Everything understands and to see that local students are working, without rush but constantly. Generally, all is very organized. The university have canteen and a lot smal alternative snack bar and various cafes. Food is very good even in canteen. There are programs, music, video and other data in the library. There are rooms with conditioner, Internet, where students may work easy. The book is given for 7 days, if longer detained, it appears fine - 0.25 Euros per book for day. Portuguese language courses are held in a beautiful place. From window class is seen an open pool, a wonderful stadium. Underground creations of art are located in corridor. In the next semester courses held on the territory of the university where I worked. It was convenient to go to courses at 17:00 in adjacent bulding. On the second floor is visible only tops of low pines. The scientists from France and Great Britain added to group of students to teachers in second year of education.
Conferences.
I have a nice possibility be on geologic conference. It was held in the center of tourism, quite near my apartment. In the last day participans was about 30 individuals. Good home conditions. Time of presentations are not limited, equipment and coffee break at a high level. Abstracts were good quality of printing. Ther are interesting suvenirs. Good impression.
Training.
Training is easy, in game interesting form, it captures. There are students who already five months here, they passed The Portuguese language courses. Now they study lectures in Portuguese. This is for mathematicians. A little bit difficult, but they say that teachers are very good. I like also how our teacher holds lectures (profes'ore - port. "Teacher"). The most of our (Ukraine, Russia, Byelorussia) students are ecological directions and other countries with different areas: electronics, Design, Photography, Biology. Evresing speak good English. All Laboratories are good equiped. University has motorboats, computer classes, in hall are good maps. The network university has 250 computers. Twn Faro has 4 schools. We see that the goverment cares about education.
Cultural program.
We have the Wellcome Day March 7. Was trip to the Vilamoura. This ancient Roman settlement. There are small museum, excavation, and the nearby area of high quality spa. Expensive yachts, scooters, restaurants, hotels are necessary for quality rest. Next was lunch after return to the University and - presentations about countries. So, who would, he made a presentation about own country. At that period we have seven Ukrainians: five girls, one student from Lviv (Nazar) and your conformable servant. I prepared presentation, Nazar gave three photos of Western region. It was good. Further, was dinner in canteen . Meeting was generally good. After time Ukrainian students numbers about 10 individuals.
Faro.
Town of Faro has a small fortress with ancient temple. Many tourists have been, especially from Germany, England and others on the weekends here. Beach of the oceanic coast located about half hour by bus. Travel card for month costs 24 euros. Among lacks is the presence of buildings with-out walls. The streets are not completely collected particles after minor repair work, building many areas, but mostly on the out center of town. No spontaneous building. Basicly, town is good and quiet.
Religion.
Town has saved the acient churches. Their about six here. Easter holiday was in the period of my staying. It is a Cross procession, which begins at 18:00. Beautiful ceremony with orchestra. Further, I was Palm Sunday. The university has been holidays. It gives students a chance to be in this period with their parents. City has not sexshops. It is testify about high morality of the Portugeses. In one of the churches Faro ruled Ukrainian Orthodox service on higher point of Faro.
The Portugeses. Багато студентiв приїжджає в унiверситет на машинах. Тут все обладнано для їх паркування. Одягаються всi у зручний стиль: джинси, футболки, куртки, рюкзаки. Португальцi спокiйнi, чемнi люди. Автобуси ходять за розкладом, iнтервал десь пiвгодини, мiсць вiльних багато.
Many students come at university by cars. Here is equipped parking for cars. Everybody dress in comfortable style: jeans, shirts, jackets, backpacks. The Portugeses are easy, polite people. Buses follow for schedule, ерушк interval is half an hour. There are a lot of free seats in bus.
Food.
This is a special ritual. Eating is also not in a hurry here and easy without looking at each other. In Portugal are many different cafes, canteens, pizzerias. The university dinner from 12:00 to 14:00 and dinner from 18:00 to 20:00 (1st i 2nd dish). Students pay less for food (2.50 euros) than teachers (3.85). There is a lot of marine food products. The famous is "bakalyao" i.e. dried fish with potatoes and vegetables. Meat from seashell, shrimp, fried dough often. Tasty and useful. Portuguese cuisine also has many meat dishes.
Shoppings.
The best place for purchase are Jumbo i VisualForma. Not new machine cost from 400 to 10 000 euros. Costs of apartments from 70000 to 150000 in multistory buildings, and house cost 15000 - 450000 euros.
Grant.
Students to receive 1000 euros per month, accommodation fee is 110 euros, transportation and food about 300 euros. Grants for PhD is 1500, PostDoc - 1800 per month internship in 2500 euros. Finance enough for a pleasant staying.
Conclusions.
Drawbacks are little, but more much advantages. I can say that Portugal is a good place of living for man for considered criterions. There are a nice work, vacation and travel here. If you are interested study abroad, It should do the following: to learn conversational English language training program, find own specialty and apply applications.
I hope that you are not tired from reading these observations.
Wish success,
Pavlo Gryshchuk
pavel@univ.kiev.ua
Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
Erasmus Mundus Programme (Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine)
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