Travelling and studying can be an awesome way of living for those who embrace curiosity, freedom and delight in discovering people, cultures and approach the unknown. In this way the more one gets to know, the bigger the understanding. So far this is the experience I live for. There are two aspects to which I am dedicating this post: first, people I met during my stay in Denmark and second, nationality as a reason for big differences.
When I think about the good things happening to me in last year I often refer to the people I met: friends, colleagues, mentors. People that made me smile, ask for more, seize the day, go on. In Aarhus I used to hang out with 49 journalism students from 28 countries of four continents – my colleagues. Here I came across “Coco people” where by being warmly accepted I learned to stand on my own two feet. I came closer to aspiring Romanians determined to push down prejudices and make the most of their right to a life in Denmark. People from Skjoldhøj, people from VKK, Coco, students brought together by different ambitions have left traces in my life.
In Aarhus. Among people I like.
Not always have I been lucky to get the best. Living abroad has drawbacks, most of them until now being related to others’ perception of my nationality. Recently, I was dealing with a visa issue that raised a question, yet without answer: why on earth does such a big difference exist between a Romanian and a Czech student when applying for the same visa, once they both have been selected to study in Sydney? Keep in mind that both visa applications were processed by the same office i.e. Australian Embassy in Berlin.
Czech student
- Visa fee paid
- Application form
- Coe at university in Australia
- Passport number
- Student health insurance
Total processing time: 8 minutes
Romanian student *
- Visa fee paid
- Application form
- Coe at university in Australia
- High quality passport copy
- Student health insurance
- Enrolment letter at home university
- Medical examination
- X-ray examination
- Financial evidence
- Flight ticket
Total processing time: 1 month & 10 days
*Without focusing on several submissions of the same papers, double checks of the documents submitted from Romania and more than 10 e-mails and same number of phone calls at the embassy meant to prove myself and my good intentions + change of flight dates and delayed start of my studies = waste of time, money and energy.
Do you think the extra documentation has been sufficient? If yes, then we may have something in common: we overestimate the role of embassies in advancing democracy and human rights. Period.
Lesson learned: the more one gets to know, the bigger the understanding. My visa has been granted one day before my second flight to Sydney thanks to a handful of dedicated academics from Aarhus University and Hamburg University that pushed the right buttons in last moment.
Thanks to all those at home and abroad, family, friends, acquaintances for support.
- Mundusians. Farewell Party!
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