Erasmus finished and career getting started

This is my last post on this blog. My abroad experience has just finished and I am now leaving Bruges. I passed 6 out of 6 classes I had, and I am looking forward to my internship.

These last days, I've been thinking about my experience in Bruges, Belgium. I set up the bar quite high for myself, back in Porto: I didn't appreciate using Windows, I didn't know anything about electric circuits and I was not prone to computer forensics.

Now, looking back, I'm really glad I did it. I know now how to use Windows Server technologies (although I still don't appreciate closed source solutions - but, as a professional, operative systems are just tools to get the job done; I know how to make basic electric circuits and how important is Ohm's Law, which unveiled to me an entire world of hardware creation; and I can get my hands on a Linux server / desktop to understand which actions happen before, and finding any possible hidden information.

I travelled to a lot of cities in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. And, most important, some friends came to visit me in Bruges and to travel together. I'm really glad that I can call these people - friends. In a month, they can meet me in Eindhoven.

Now I would like to write about some of the things I did that I think other Erasmus students should also do.
First of all, design and write some goals for the stay and put them on a sheet of paper on the wall. It's quite easy to get lost with acquaintances, other people's problems and people lacking goals. Well, my goals for my stay were (1) pass all classes, (2) learn Dutch and (3) keeping this blog updated. Happily, I can say that I passed all scores and kind of got this blog updated. Unfortunately, my Dutch skills didn't get any improvements other than the really (!) basic words such as hello, bye, thanks and "you're welcome" (auchblif - the spelling is wrong, but it's always right to say it).
My second tip would be that you should go alone. There's no one to help you so you HAVE TO get yourself out there, talking with people, asking questions and learning from them. (Tip 2.5: get your facts about your country straight and comfortable enough to explain them.)
Next tip: Keep a blog. Get people updated. It's easier to keep a blog post than to have the same conversation with different people. And it's also a conversation starter!
I would add more tips like not being afraid of going to conferences or send emails to teachers, but I'm quite sure that you will get it...

I will start my internship in 3 weeks, at Acknowledge, a company based in Eindhoven.

This is my last post. I'll keep working on some projects, might start something else in the future.

Soccer match, Blood donation and melted container

As you may know already, Brussels is in a level 4 terror threat warning since Saturday morning.

Although we have might have the fear of a bombing attack, I've decided to still go to watch a soccer match. (20 minutes by bike, and we went to see FC Brugge scoring 3 goals to none.)

Meanwhile, I'm trying to keep my habits from Porto, and decide to go to Red Cross, so I could donate blood. The doctor told me that it is not possible: because I'm from Portugal, I'd have to wait at least five years before I could be able to donate. (Hepatitis B spread in Portugal was the reason.)

Well, and as a student, I keep doing student things. Like having my microwave-safe container in a microwave, using oven functionality.

Fridge, bed and IoT

Last Thursday I had a problem with my bed. It broke. I've asked for a repair, but no one was able to fix it on Friday. So, until Monday, I was sleeping with the mattress on the floor. I was also having troubles with the fact that there are not enough space in the fridge.

Well, a friend of mine just changed place and I got myself a new bed and a new fridge. When you have friends...

And about classes, I'm having a blast. Every day I learn more and more. And I can't say I'm not happy about it. Just see what I've been doing in classes.

Schiev, Bike and Portugal

Fall break is one week only, and it's gone. Since I'm doing classes worth 18 ECTs and don't have Project class (and this week is fully dedicated to Project!), I have another free week. How boring! :)
There is not too much to talk about Erasmus these days... So, I'll say some random things about last week.

Schiev
I've been listening to Zamilska and noticed she would be playing in Brussels in a festival Schiev.
Since I'm in Bruges and not Brussels, I had to take a train. The cool things are: each train trip cost only 5€, and it is 40 minutes away. (Can you imagine going from Porto to Lisbon for only €5 ?)

Bicycle
After three weeks of recovery and 70€ later, I'm ready to take my repaired bike again. In fact, all this post was written in the city center.
Almost had another accident today, though. With the autumn season, leafs fall from trees and lay on the ground. Leafs, rain and brakes. Guess what could happen...

Portugal
Portugal had elections on October, 4th. One month later, Portugal had a government. Yesterday, they were kicked out of government. Why? Because left-wing parties joined forces to kick the government out. (Quick reminder: Communist party wants Portugal to leave the European Union and get back to our old currency, Escudo. How proud :) )

Fall break

In Flanders, there is a fall break for one week. That being said, no classes for this week and a lot of travels have happened so far. I've met with an old friend of mine and went to travel four cities: Oostende, Kortrijk, Lille and Brussels.

Oostende is located near the seashore. On weekends, trains to Oostende from Bruges cost only five euros for both trips. Nothing better than being on the beach, enjoying the sun and only thirty-five minutes away.

Kortrijk is near the border with France. From Kortrijk, we can take a thirty-minute train to Lille, that costs about six euros. I've seen some places, but the most amazing thing that I've seen was the contemporary art exhibition "tu dois changer ta vie!" (You must change your life!) that explored the idea of Renaissance - from brain (binaural beats (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binaural_beats ) ) to daily life (random situations in someone's life; different people playing music in different locations) to the unknown/unexplainable (myth-based animals, fake mirrors). Four euros for this exhibition for under 26. (I really recommend this exhibition. I spent an amazing amount of two hours there.)

"Some books act as electroshock:
they turn our lives upside down,
helping us define who we are as a person.
There are books that have the power to change our lives!"


Well, I'm spending too much time now in this post. I'm just going back to my assignments due next week.

Amsterdam

If you're going to be judgemental, stop right away! Go back to facebook.

On Saturday, I began my first trip to Amsterdam. Fourteen international students and I went on a 4-hour long train trip in which we changed trains in Antwerp and Rotterdam. Our room was booked through AirBnB. For 2 people, we paid €115.

As an overview, I think that this city is the most liberal city I've been: same sex marriage, soft drugs, and hookers are allowed by law.

At McDonald's, I tried a milkshake.  We were in the so acclaimed coffee shops, where we can buy and smoke weed as long as we're eighteen and for a maximum of 5 grams. We were in a sex museum where every kind of fetish we're exposed. We were in a hemp museum where we could learn about the history of Marijuana, the products made with it and the history of the liberal laws. As you go to the red light district, you would be amazed how the sex business works.

There is also live porn shows and condom shops, but we haven't been there... There is more that I can tell about it, but it is better for you to go see for yourself.

Photos:

What happened?

"What happened?", everyone I've met in the past days have asked me.

"bicycle broke. Stering wheel and wheel went into different directions and fell on the ground", my answer.

And that's it.

Backstory: Friday I lost my ultrabook's charger. Didn't know where it was. Maybe in a classroom, maybe in another one. Maybe someone stole it, maybe someone took it. Either way, I had to had a charger to work on the weekend. Saturday morning went to Media Markt in a 5 km bicycle ride. After getting home, the charger I just bought didn't match my ultrabook needs. Time to go back to Media Markt to get a refund. Got the money back and got home. While thinking where I could buy a Samsung charger and talking with friends, I realized that FNAC might have a charger and it is open on saturday. Time to go to city center get my charger to work in the weekend!

On my way to city center, going under a tunnel, my bicycle broke. Stering wheel and wheel went into different directions and fell on the ground. After five minutes of pain and not knowing how bad I was, someone called the energency number, got in an ambulance and headed to the hospital. After two hours filling forms and taking x-rays on my right hand, a nurse took care of my wounds. One hour later, I was home. Outcome: Broken bicycle, broken glasses, lost money and didn't get my charger back.

When I checked my email account later that day, saw a message from a teacher saying that he has my charger. :)

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Some photos of this experience: