{"id":3644,"date":"2016-12-02T22:11:30","date_gmt":"2016-12-02T21:11:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/serbia.afssite.afs.org\/en\/?p=3644"},"modified":"2016-12-02T22:14:25","modified_gmt":"2016-12-02T21:14:25","slug":"esther-duerinck-from-belgium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.afs.org.rs\/en\/2016\/12\/02\/esther-duerinck-from-belgium\/","title":{"rendered":"Esther Duerinck from Belgium"},"content":{"rendered":"

Partly overexcited, partly confused and partly terrified, I arrived in Serbia on August 22nd as
\nan exchange student from Belgium. I had chosen this country for the music programme that
\nI could follow here, and it was tempting for me to go to a place of which I hardly knew
\nanything. It\u2019s sad that to the rest of the world Serbia is mainly known for the war of some
\ntwenty years ago, and not for the things that make it one of the most beautiful countries in
\nthe world: the openness, warmth and hospitality of the people, the green, mountainous
\nnature, the delicious food and the impossibility of leaving someone\u2019s house as a guest with
\nan empty stomach and the people\u2019s unconditional love for their country and its traditions.
\nFor this school year I live in Subotica, in the very north of the country, close to Hungary. The
\nborder between the two countries used to be further south, so the majority of the population
\nis Hungarian. My school, too, is mixed and every grade has both a Hungarian and a Serbian
\nclass, so it feels as if I am on exchange both in Serbia and in Hungary: I can get also
\nacquainted with the Hungarian culture, people and a bit of the language.
\nIn the past seven months I have truly fallen in love with this city, its colourful architecture,
\nthe Town Hall and its concerts, the magical, fairy tale like winter, my fantastic family who
\nmade me feel like I have lived here for years, my friends, my music school, the relaxed
\nmentality of the people\u2026
\nBeing an exchange student can sometimes be difficult; you are dropped in a family with
\nwhom you don\u2019t share the same memories, language, values and customs, and in a new
\nschool in which you probably don\u2019t know anyone and in which everyone speaks a language
\n(in my case two languages) you don\u2019t understand. But it certainly is cool, for almost
\neveryone is thrilled to get to know you, help you if you need it, after five months learn how
\nactually to pronounce your name and let you try the sarma (traditional Serbian dish) made
\nby their grandmother or the rakija made by their grandfather, but it\u2019s even greater when you
\nfeel you are actually becoming part of the society, by learning the language, adjusting to the
\nculture and lifestyle of Serbia and just hanging out with Serbian new friends. I was so
\nsincerely happy when I understood a joke made in class for the first time. Some people I
\nhave met here, both Serbians, Hungarians and other exchange students, now mean so much
\nto me I can\u2019t imagine how I will ever be able to say goodbye to them.
\nMany people in Serbia don\u2019t have that much, but they are happy with what they have, and
\nthey don\u2019t mind working hard every day if they know that their family will be there when
\nthey come home, healthy and happy. And even though they don\u2019t have that much, they
\nshare mostly everything with family, friends and guests.
\nFor me it was great to have the choice of going on a music programme, which means, going
\nto a high school for music. There I play the violin, which I wish to study in conservatory next
\nyear, for which I can prepare here. Most Serbian music schools pay a lot of attention to
\ntradition. In my school, for example, there is a group for old, traditional Serbian and
\nHungarian singing, an orchestra for the instrumental group of the tamburica and a few
\nsubjects in which we learn about traditional ways of making music. I couldn\u2019t wait to try all
\nthose things, of course. Being in this school specialised in music, I can try out different, new
\ngenres and learn a lot of new things to improve my playing from people with a completely
\ndifferent background.
\nSerbia is not that big a country but the funny thing is that regions can be extremely different
\nfrom each other. Whereas the northern part, Vojvodina, is rather calm, laidback and slow,
\nthe south is in generally loud and full of temperament, just as the fast-going central part of
\nthe country. That\u2019s why traveling throughout Serbia makes me feel like visiting different
\ncountries.
\nBy seeing so many new places, trying out things and getting to know so different people,
\nyou learn the most valuable lessons about the world, about other people, about yourself,
\nand therefore going on exchange is the best decision I have ever made, although it will hurt
\nto leave all this behind me when this year is finished. I will certainly come back. Belgium is
\nnot that far away. My best advice for people considering going on exchange would be to go
\nfor it. Just say yes to things, take every opportunity you are given and you will have the best
\nyear of your life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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