Many exchange students, mentors and ESN members attended the Farewell Night which started with a welcome speech given by the emcee of the event, the president of the ESN Miskolc, Sára Sávolyi. Then the Perla string-quartet gave a splendid concert which was very well received by the exchange students.
The concert was followed by dancing, the Folk Dance Group of Avas gave a performance, and they taught the basic steps to the exchange students. As we know, traditional Hungarian dances are tiring, so after everybody learned how to dance in the Hungarian way, a delicious dinner consisting of various Hungarian dishes was served.
The exchange students could vote in advance to decide who they would like to be Miss Sunshine, Prince Charming, Party Animal or the Best Mentor. They could also vote for an Audience Award, the name of which was decided by them. The highlight of the event was when the winners of the titles were announced.
Valentine Duflo won the title Miss Sunshine, Terence de Marco was announced to be Prince Charming, Jelle Deruyter was declared to be The Party Animal, and Tibor Tóth became The Best Mentor. The students decided on a really interesting title for Audience Award: The BIGGEST Csicska which was won by Moises Olivier. This title shows that the exchange students are eager to learn Hungarian words, but sometimes they do not stick to their Hungarian meanings, in this case they creatively gave a new positive meaning for a negative Hungarian word.
We had a chance to speak with the winners about their experiences in Hungary and their opinions about the Erasmus Programme. We were reassured that Miskolc is a really cool place and there are more hot girls in Hungary than in any other countries.
Miss Sunshine – Valentine Duflo
What is a Miss Sunshine like?
Actually I have no idea what it really means. Maybe because I am always positive and I am always laughing, some guys even call me ‘Napoleon’ in the dormitory because I am small, I am French and I make some funny things.
How do you like Miskolc?
I love it. I will miss the city so much when I go back to France. It has been one of the best years of my life. Miskolc is amazing.
What is your best memory related to Miskolc?
Maybe the day when I came here. It was really strange for me, I did not know anything. When I went to the dormitory, people were laughing, speaking together and enjoying themselves. It was the beginning of an amazing year.
What do you think about ESN?
It is really good. Our mentors are always there to help us if we need, they organize parties and trips for us.
Prince Charming – Terence de Marco
What do you think about the Erasmus Programme?
It is fantastic. When I arrived here, my English was very bad. With the help of the Erasmus Programme, my English has improved, I got to know different cultures. This experience was very exciting. I think that the Erasmus Programme is the most important programme for students. I hope that Europe can make investments in this programme because I think with Erasmus Programme Europe can be united. Erasmus forever!
How do you like Hungary?
So much. I wanted to go to Hungary because I think it is the best country for me. The beer is cheap, there are a lot of nice girls, and life here is fantastic. Hungary is the best place for Erasmus. Choose Hungary!
What do you think about Hungarian girls?
They are the best in the world.
The Party Animal – Jelle Deruyter
What is a party animal like?
The Party Animal never says no to a party, and I think it is one of my characteristics. Whenever someone says “Hey, let’s go to Rockwell!”, I say “Hey, why not? I have an exam tomorrow, but let’s go”. Maybe I am a little bit hyperactive, I have too much energy, and perhaps that is why they call me The Party Animal, because sometimes people say that “It is a boring party”, but there is always one guy who says “Hey, let’s party!”, and that is probably me.
How do you like Hungary?
It is probably because we are Erasmus students that we like it more, I don’t know what real life in Hungary is like, but as an Erasmus student, it is really good. It is really beautiful. If I compare it to my home city in Belgium, we do not have green trees just buildings everywhere, but here if you go out, you can see green trees and grass. I really like it, it is really cool.
Are parties in Hungary and in Belgium are different?
No, parties are completely the same. In Hungary they are cheaper compared to Belgium. The same music. The only difference is that in Hungary there are more hot girls, but they do not speak English.
Would you recommend Erasmus Programme for others?
I have one friend in Belgium who wants to do Erasmus, and I said to him “Come to Miskolc!”, and the following year he is going to come here, so maybe he will be The Party Animal next year. I think Erasmus in general is recommended, it is always positive, you get new friends, you go to new places, everywhere you can have fun, but if you go to a place like Miskolc, you have to have fun.
The Best MEntor – Tibor Tóth
What is a good mentor like?
I almost spend my whole free time with them. I used to live in another city, in Nyíregyháza, and I came here to study in the University of Miskolc, and I do not have many Hungarian friends here. So I am very happy about meeting with the Erasmus people, they are very nice, and I really enjoy the free time I spend with them. We always go out together, and we do almost everything together.
Would you advise others to be Erasmus mentors?
I recommend it to everybody because they can improve their English knowledge, they can learn about other cultures, they can meet with new people and make new friends, they can get experience. It is very good.
What is the best thing in Erasmus Programme?
For me, the best was meeting with the Brazilian people. I really like them, they are always positive, and they always have fun together. I think I was born in a wrong place because I really like the Brazilian habits, they are really cool.
The BIGGEST Csicska – Moises Oliveira
Why are you The Biggest Csicska?
I do not know really. It was a joke since the beginning of the semester. In Hungarian, it means that “Oh, man, you should do this and that”, but for us it has a good meaning. One of the mentors, Csibi told us this expression and we really got into it. I really love these guys; this was the best year of my life. I met many new people here, and I am sure that I will never forget them. Miskolc was the best experience I have ever had. I really need to thank everybody here.
What do you think about the Erasmus Programme?
It is amazing, it is the best experience I have ever had. In the beginning, I did not expect so much, I did not know too much about the programme. I thought that maybe I would not have a good time, maybe I would miss my family and everything, of course, I miss them, but now I want to stay as long as possible. People are really friendly, it is absolutely good.
What do you think about Hungary?
In the beginning, I thought that “it is a strange country, it is Eastern Europe, I do not know anybody, Hungarian is a strange language, what am I doing here?” I consider it as my home now. Hungary is the best country of my life.
Fotó: Anett Schäffer, Buday Ferenc
