OW: day 4 and the INTEGRATION CAMP!

4th day of OW

Just because Erasmus life isn’t all about partying and drinking alcohol, we decided to go ice-skating.  Some of us were quite scared as it was the first time for some of us but we managed not to break any legs nor hands, of course some of us were very close…

After the event we went home to rest a little and to get ready for the Eurodinner Party, that took place in Bracka 4 Club. Eurodinner is an event organised by  ESN and is all about preparing and sharing the traditional and national most common dishes.  I have to admit that I was nicely surprised by Erasmus students that were very well prepared! All of the dishes presented by foreigners were delicious, but I must say that Bulgarian table won with their potato pie and amazingly good bread J the Americans made everyone happy with their  table. Our polish team didn’t stay behind the competition and prepared various well known courses.  Big thanks to EVERYBODY that took their time to cook traditional dishes. 

With full tummies and smiles on our faces we were ready to rock the dance floor! 

Integration Camp!

On the next day after some sleep we packed our bags and went for the Integration Camp in Jabłonka, near the Polish mountains. We gathered around 3 pm and arrived to the destination point after 2 hours. First hours were filled with beer and other ‘energisers’. After everyone was in the mood for integration games, Jacob provided them for us. It took him 2 hours to integrate everybody after the games we all went to change our clothes into ‘beach party ones’ and went to dance and integrate some more.

Mr „bara bara” himself and his crew 😉

We started the following day with a HUGE AMOUNT OF ENERGY ( yeah, right…). After the breakfast we had a little competition in making a snowman. The teams did really good job, minding the fact that there were under pressure of ESN members throwing snow balls at them afterwards it became a big, cold freezing battle. Some of us, are still buried in the snow. We lost a few… (kidding, we lost a few at night…  :). The day finished with the Super Hero party. I was also surprised because not all of us had their costumes prepared earlier but it didn’t stop them from getting dressed up as superheroes. Best costumes won a prize and then we destroyed the dance floor one more time. The last day was quite lazy, as we were very tired (you can guess why), so we went back to Cracow.

Launching sky lanterns

Definitely the song of the trip is the song by Michel Telo – Bara bara bere bere

Big thanks to all that made these last days so unforgettable  ❤

Love,

JJ ❤

Life and death struggle…

3^rd day of OW

One half of the Orientation Week passed, but there are so many things which still are waiting for us. Nevertheless, Wednesday was amazing part of this week, even if the weather did not cooperate with us.

First point of our day was City Game, but it was so cold that our plans had to be changed. Not losing our great moods, we went to French restaurant – Charlotte in Plac Szczepański, to eat some tasty breakfast. We could choose many different kinds of cakes, sandwiches and coffees. When we were waiting for our orders, it was a great occasion to get knows each other a bit better. After eating our breakfast and drinking coffee, we started to prepare for the most international fight in Kraków…

We were very excited, because most of us have never taken in something like this before. The main point of our day was the fight in Laser Area. For a few minutes, everybody became a warrior. We were dived for two teams – RED and GREEN one. Our plan was really simple – no matter how we just have to overpower our enemies. After preparing this amazing strategy we started our mission… The fight was extremely hard but we tried to do it the best we could.

In the same time, the second part of us had an occasion to feel like James Bond during one of his missions. We had to overcome a maze of laser traps during another task. After all these crazy stuff, everybody had huge smiles on their faces and we could start our preparation for the evening.

The first part of the party had place in ZaUek, our bar in our university. Our coordinators prepared many different games for example karaoke. Everybody could become a star and chose his favourite songs.  Some of us discovered our secret talents, but we had a great have singing together. We were dancing and singing almost everything from Gangnam Style, through Ona tańczy dla mnie, to You’re the One That I Want like John Travolta and Olivia Newton.

Moreover, it was special party, because the leitmotif was 70s and 80s and we went to have fun in these rhythms in Disco Pub. It was a great chance to travel to time and feel the spirit of disco music. When everybody was dancing like Abba or Boney M, our amazing evening was close to finish. However, we are still waiting for new adventures which we can enjoy during this time.  

 

 Ala Domańska 😀

 

Culture in Krk

I realize that Erasmus is mainly about studying, but as you study all the local clubs… take your chance to discover Polish folklore and keep up to date with art, music, science and fashion news.

As some of you may know Kraków (or officially Royal Capital City of Kraków) is one of the oldest, largest and most beautiful cities in Poland, often described as the cultural capital of the country.

Kraków is a major centre of education with approximately 170,000 students. Among the university’s most prominent students were Pope John Paul II and Nicolas Copernicus, the creator of the heliocentric theory, known as the one who „stopped the sun and moved the earth”.

Every year in May during the traditional student’s festival called Juwenalia young people are officially given the keys to the city as a sign of their authority. To celebrate it students organize concerts, open-air parties, barbecues as well as marches during which they wear funny costumes.

Juwenalia UEK 2012

Talking about festivals – there are over fifty culture festivals in Krakow every single year. The most popular of them: the Krakow International Film Festival, International Street Theatre Festival, Coke Live Festival, Unsound Festival (electronic and experimental music), Summer Jazz Festival – attract crowds of tourists.

Festival that you have never seen is the Garlands festival (Wianki) when the shortest night of the year (the Midsummer Night) is celebrated. On that magic night marriageable girls wove garlands to lay them later on the river.  If the garland was evenly hanging on the water it meant good luck in love and life. But when the garland was floating over and over  or just sank, it was the sign of the complications in love, misfortune and bad luck.

Wianki

Nowadays this ancient custom has turned into a popular fiesta and a great show with musical acts and fireworks display upon the riverbank opposite the Royal Wawel Castle.

It is not a simple task to describe the unique character of Kraków to those who still have not had the opportunity to be here. For sure here are city must-sees like the Old Town, whose heart is the large Market Square (Rynek). Secondly, Kazimierz district, which is cradle of Jewish culture. Across the river from Kazimierz, the Podgórze district is just starting to get trendy and is well worth exploring. And finally Wawel, the seat of both the Royal Castle and the cathedral – the spiritual home of the nation.

Main Market Square with Sukiennice and City Hall

If you visit Wawel you can’t miss the flame-blowing dragon in front of it, or the cave it’s guarding.  But how the dragon became a symbol of the city? I‘m explaining.

Once upon a time, during the reign of Prince Krak – legendary founder of the city of Krakow – young girls was constantly disappearing, and no one know why.  One day it turned out that at the foot of Wawel Hill in a huge cave, there lived a terrible dragon. The beast was not only kidnapping cattle, pigs and all manner of animals but its delicacy were young girls. Prince Krak declared: „The one who kills the dragon, get half of the kingdom and my daughter as a wife.” Many brave knights have tried to kill the dragon but none of them was able to beat him.

Finally, a young shoemaker came up with a great idea! He stuffed skin of a sheep with sulfur and threw into the dragon’s cave. The hungry monster ate a lamb right away and soon after, he felt a burning sensation in a stomach. He ran to the bank of the Vistula and started to drink water from the river. He couldn’t quench the thirst so drank more and more until he exploded!

The city was liberated from the dragon, a shoemaker received promised award from the king and married his daughter.

So, if you are scared of dragons, you will get used to them during your Erasmus time in here.

Anna Rożek

Culture Coordinator
ESN UEK

Visit our facebook fanpage: www.facebook.com/CultureESNUEK

Tour de Cracow

Kraków is a wonderful and charming city which can dazzle people from all over the world.  The amount of magical places in which you can hang out and spend time with friends can make your head spin. From medieval tenements which surround the biggest Main Square in Europe and castle of legendary Polish kings until hundreds of beautiful nooks and each of them has their own little story to tell.

Sightseeing in a fun way 🙂

For all of those reasons a team of Tour de Cracow gives their best to show you at least a little bit of Kraków’s secret and it has a lot as it used to be Poland’s capital back in time. In order for our guests to feel the incredible atmosphere of the city the program of the tour is individually set to the needs of each group. The walk through The Kings Way which takes you to the Wawel Castle with a professional guide will be able to take you back in time to the epoch in which the kings ruled the country and Kraków was one of the fastest growing cities on the continent. A walk through a Jewish District – Kazimierz will show the visitors long lost world of slowly developing for over hundreds of years Jewish culture. It will also provide you with an opportunity to try one of the tastiest casseroles in the city on the Plac Nowy. A good alternative for a classic trip are specially prepared scenarios for the city games which though unconventional way teach the visitors the topography of the city.

City Games

However beautiful cities are not only made out of buildings – the city’s heart are the people! The incomers will have a chance to meet them in dozens of Kraków’s clubs, bars and restaurants.  Every night Kraków lives with hundreds of partying people. Special events organized by Tour de Kraków (TDK) diversify the range of choices for spending great time and living through unforgettable Kraków’s nightlife. Group out – going to best dance floors, crazy ride with party tram, shared tasting the culinary masterpieces of Polish cuisine and many many more.

Nowa Huta – industrial district.

When the dust of partying chaos calms and the sun rises at the horizon Tour de Kraków still keeps it up. For those who like further trips we have selected offers of one day trips to for example sightseeing breathtaking Castle in Piaskowa Skała and the landscape park which is close by, shocking trip to dark past of Concentration Camp in Auschwitz or descending into the Salt Mine in Wieliczka which will satisfy even the most hungry for adventure globetrotters.

Trip to Wieliczka Salt Mine

Additionally TDK takes care of the most basic things such as means of transportation, accommodation in hostels in city centre and the food. Come, see and get to know! Tour de Kraków 2013.

Visit our fanpage: www.facebook.com/TourDeCracow

Marysia, Bartek & JJ

See you tomorrow at 20:00

They will stay with me forever!

The beginning of a very special relationship…

It’s around seven o’clock of a Saturday morning in late August 2012. I am walking very slowly on the line to board my plane from Stockholm, Sweden to Krakow, Poland. I can see people from different ages and nationalities boarding the plane and it feels like we are going to a very multicultural destination.
After two hours flying we finally land at the Krakow International airport and after collecting my luggage and crossing the customs I go outside the airport and a very friendly man approaches to me offering taxi services and as I considered the offer (76zl) a great deal, I ask him to take me to the FAFIK dormitory, which is the first place where I’ll stay during the first month of my stay. However, I should have known I could have taken the bus 292 from the airport to the center and I would have saved 73zl…

TANDEM language meeting

When I reach the counter at the entrance of FAFIK dormitory, an elder man who speaks only Polish comes to me and starts asking me different questions that I couldn’t answer due to my lack of knowledge of the language… After making myself understood and staying there for a couple of minutes, the man gives me the key to my room and I happen to be the first of three students to enter the room.
A couple of hours later, Damir, a Croatian student who’s going to be my roommate for one month – and became a very good friend of mine for life, together with all my FAFIK family – arrives and we decide to go out for a long walk and to get something to eat.
When we come to the Old Town, better known as Stare Miasto, we decide to drink a beer in one of the many restaurants that offer outdoor service where you can seat and enjoy a beer or a cup of coffee while admiring the magnificent main square and its architecture.

Integration Camp!

After a couple of beers and some ice-braking topics, we decide to go and and get something to eat first and then back home to get ready for tonight’s party!
At around 22:00, we are already inside a cab which is going to drive us to the old town, an enormous area where you can find all kinds bars, pubs, restaurants, clubs and much more… We decide to enter a club called Base and we are very surprised that most of the nightclubs are located at underground facilities which makes you feel in a very particular way.
After drinking a couple of beers and sharing a couple of facts about our countries, we decide to approach to a group of girls that were partying that night as well.
Marta is Polish, just as much as her friends Magda and Paulina and she is already working after finishing her studies at the same university where I’ll take my courses, Cracow University of Economics (UEK).
They are very friendly and willing to talk with us and we decide to stay with them instead of going to some other clubs. After dancing and having fun for several hours, we decide it’s time to go home but before walking all the way to our dormitory, we purchase a Kebab döner just in front of the Bagatela theater.

Hungarian game on International night.

This was the first day of an awesome experience in Poland! After that, all the FAFIK family had parties almost every day and we went on trips to the Salt Mine in Wieliczka, to a traditional hotel in Zakopane, a beautiful town close to the Polish Mountains and to Auschwitz and Birkenau.
I even traveled to Warszawa, Budapest and Prague during my staying in Poland and it is a perfect place to be based if you want to travel around the surrounding countries.
The people are very friendly and helpful, the Polish gastronomy is fantastic and you have lots of really nice restaurants, such as Pod Wawelem which has a fantastic view of the Wawel castle, where you can have delicious meals for 10 euros max. It has very nice places to go out as well as historical areas and monuments to visit and some thing which is worth to mention, is how incredibly beautiful Polish women are!
I have to say that from all countries I’ve been, Poland is a place that comforts your heart and makes you want to stay!
I met great people and made great friends while I was there and they will stay with me forever!
I said good bye this time but I’ll definitely travel to Poland more often because this was just the beginning of a very special relationship!

Kocham Cię Polska!

Ernesto Shulz

Doing some crazy stuff during the Integration Camp – Murzasihle/Zakopane

See you tomorrow at 20:00

It’s all about ESN!

ESN members at International Day

ESN UEK as a local ESN section takes care of international students studying at Cracow University of Economics by organizing various activities for them. Our creative and motivated team divided into several projects is supported by International Programmes Office of CUE.

> http://uekrakow.esn.pl
> www.facebook.com/esnuek

ESN Santa

Social Erasmus: Christmas Dream Cup

Erasmus: You will spend a significant portion of your time here either a little bit intoxicated or so seriously drunk you think you can swim across the Wisla (you cannot). I would avoid any classes that begins before 10, you won’t be there. The ESN students are incredibly helpful I must say, so much so that they sacrifice that most essential time: sleep, to spend more time out organising parties and helping the students, serious respect to them!

Kev Whelan, Ireland

I*ESN

Krk is a great student city, with a lot of possibilities to party! Its possible to party every day of the week alongside the funny and crazy ESN people! UEK provides you with proper education and good facilities. Overall Krk is the best city you can have for your Erasmus period. Its a rollercoaster ride with nice people, crazy parties and a lot of stories to tell your friends and family back home!

Edo Israel, Holland

Gangnam Style flash mob!

Playing BeerPong!

See you tomorrow at 20:00

It's all about ESN!

ESN members at International Day

ESN UEK as a local ESN section takes care of international students studying at Cracow University of Economics by organizing various activities for them. Our creative and motivated team divided into several projects is supported by International Programmes Office of CUE.

> http://uekrakow.esn.pl
> www.facebook.com/esnuek

ESN Santa

Social Erasmus: Christmas Dream Cup

Erasmus: You will spend a significant portion of your time here either a little bit intoxicated or so seriously drunk you think you can swim across the Wisla (you cannot). I would avoid any classes that begins before 10, you won’t be there. The ESN students are incredibly helpful I must say, so much so that they sacrifice that most essential time: sleep, to spend more time out organising parties and helping the students, serious respect to them!

Kev Whelan, Ireland

I*ESN

Krk is a great student city, with a lot of possibilities to party! Its possible to party every day of the week alongside the funny and crazy ESN people! UEK provides you with proper education and good facilities. Overall Krk is the best city you can have for your Erasmus period. Its a rollercoaster ride with nice people, crazy parties and a lot of stories to tell your friends and family back home!

Edo Israel, Holland

Gangnam Style flash mob!

Playing BeerPong!

See you tomorrow at 20:00