AdoboCulture: Live, Work or Study in Europe

21/08/2018

Meeting other people of different backgrounds and getting to know their culture shuns us away from stereotyping others. It makes you realize how diverse the world is and that you are only a tiny fraction of it. You learn to trust the goodness of strangers and reciprocate their acts of kindness by paying it forward.

03/08/2018

It's the time of the year when foreign students get ready to leave their homes in pursuit of further education overseas. Many of them are from well-to-do families, some are recipients of certain scholarships and a few who decided to study abroad even without enough money nor any grant. I was one of the latter. In the beginning, I had my doubts whether I'll be accepted or not, will I be able to support myself, do I get a better job after graduation, will it be worth it to drop everything behind. Perhaps, you may have wanted to work or study abroad, but was held back because of the uncertainties outside of your comfort zone. Why don't you try again? This time, don't just wish, take an action. Applying for a student visa isn't that difficult, but it takes time. If you wanna know more information on the application process, go to the Belgium embassy website

Since 2013, all applicants for a Schengen visa in the Philippines will need to personally present themselves in order to have their biometric date registered.

11/03/2018

Today I feature a friend of mine, Viktorija Ulickaitė, who braved being alone and chose to study in Belgium. Here's what she has to say.
"The strong will to study in the heart of Europe brought me to Belgium last year - in a country, where world politics and business interests are shaped. Public universities, oriented on latest research offer a world class education for relatively cheap price. For instance, it is 3x cheaper to study in Belgium rather than in my country - Lithuania.
Currently, I am following international Master of Science in Communication Studies: New Media and Society in Europe at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). I could say that it is an interdisciplinary study programme with a focus on up-to-date communication and new media technologies. It has a strong international character, that enables students to learn not only from qualified professors and interactive guest speakers, but also from exiting discussions with students of different backgrounds. That truly broadens your horizons. Do not expect that everything will go smoothly here: study programmes are intensive, be prepared for hard work!
Apart from studies, Belgium is a great place for travel in Europe, as cities like London, Paris, Amsterdam are within reach of a hand. Thinking about it? No need to doubt. Come and experience it :)"
Check out the link below for more reasons to study in Belgium and scholarships you can apply.
https://theadoboculture.wordpress.com/2018/03/10/12-reasons-to-study-in-belgium/

23/02/2018

I hugged and said goodbye to my sister for the last time before leaving Singapore for good. Teary-eyed as I took a hesitant gait towards the departure. "So you're going to Belgium?", the immigration officer asked. I nodded and just smiled as he handed back my passport. Yes, I took the risk of leaving my comfort zone and moving to a place where I have never been, seven thousand miles away from home. Why? I chose to do so because it's never too late to fulfill my dreams in life. It may have been a stupid decision, but I was willing to face the odds. In life, we will never know how far we can go unless we try.

14/11/2017

Things you SHOULD know BEFORE coming to BELGIUM (Part 2)
7. Visa
Philippine passport holders are required to obtain a student visa to study in Belgium. Before applying, you first need to acquire letter of acceptance from an accredited educational institution. The deadline for university application is often during the first quarter of the year.

8. Transportation
The integrated public transport in Belgium makes it easy to get around the city. Trams are available in cities like Antwerp, Brussels Ghent and Charleroi. Buses are available in most places and areas not served by other forms of public transport. You could also take the train to travel within different cities in Belgium or to Paris which will take approximately 2 hours.

9. Housing
Student rooms are on high demand as early as the month of July for the fall semester, so I advise you to find a place before moving to Belgium or come a month before the start of your semester. Otherwise, you will only get either a cheap but shabby room or a mediocre but pricey one.

10. Clothing
Most students’ mistake is buying too many fall/winter clothes and forgetting about the essential things. If you are one of those rich kids then have it your way, but if you are on a tight budget I advise you to save up for things you will actually need such as electric kettle, some kitchen utensils, and a good quality pair of boots (without heels) because you will do a lot of walking here. To be honest, I bought some of my winter coats and pullovers in the thrift shop, which cost me around € 2-10 only (PHP 100-500) per piece, as compared to a brand new which can amount to € 30 - 50, the cheapest you could find.

11. Commune
After your arrival, make an appointment to the commune (barangay) where you reside within eight days. As a student, you need to bring the following: passport with visa, university registration, Annex 32, photo and €50. It is best to email the foreigner’s office beforehand so you won’t have to waste time queueing because bureaucracy in Belgium can be frustrating.

12. Work
Students can work part-time up to 20 hours per week. Standard rate here is around €7-12 per hour depending on the kind of job you’re in. However, you need to obtain the work permit C type so you can legally find a job.

I will write a separate article for each of the item mentioned above soon and more about coming to Belgium as a tourist or job seeker, so please don’t forget to follow my page.

14/11/2017

Things you SHOULD know BEFORE coming to BELGIUM (Part 1)
I have gone through all the hassles of moving ten thousand miles away from home just to further my education and I don’t regret doing so. But certain things could have been easier if I had known more about moving to Belgium beforehand. So here are twelve important things you should know before coming to Belgium as a student (useful for those planning to work or visit, too).

1. Brussels - the capital of Belgium
Brussels is a region which comprises of 19 municipalities situated somewhere in the center of Belgium - a country 10 times smaller than the Philippines. According to the recent demographic survey, there are over 1,187,000 inhabitants in Brussels of which about 30% are foreigners (Yeah big percentage!). Although the number of Filipinos is quite meager, nearly 1500 registered, you won’t feel like one of the few strangers as there are so many nationalities coming from approximately 180 different countries.

2. Weather
It is more likely to have a rainy day than a sunny one in Belgium. This does not mean that it will rain heavily and flood a municipality like what we usually have during the monsoon season. It’s normally a light rain which lasts for 10 minutes to whole day/nights (rarely happens). Just be prepared with a sturdy umbrella because besides being rainy, it can be quite windy some days of the year.

3. Food
We all know Belgium for its chocolate, waffles and fries, but are they really that good? Well, definitely yes! You can find shops selling all these in every corner of big cities in Belgium. Of course, Belgians do have other dishes that will suit your palate, but one thing for sure is that they eat potato as a staple instead of rice. My personal favorite is french fries (not actually invented by the French) with stoofvlees, a must try beef stew cooked with dark beer.

4. Language
Belgians are basically divided into three language communities, namely Flemish in the north (Dutch-speaking), Walloons in the south (French-Speaking) and a tiny fraction of German-speaking people by the east near the German border. However, Belgium ranked 12th best English speakers among non-native English speaking countries and Philippines takes the 15th position on the ranking. So, they do speak English here (better than Pinoy). Well, more or less. As a rule of thumb, most people under the age of 50 will be able to converse with you in English.

5. People
Belgians are stereotyped as people who eat fries in their daily meal and drinks beer as often as they could. While this is partly true, there are more about their peculiar culture and history which make them unique. When making friends with the locals, you might mistakenly think that they are distant or snob. This is because most Belgians prefer to stay within their comfort zone so it takes time for a stranger to break through those barriers. Fret not, when you get to know them, they are actually one of the nicest people in Europe.

6. Safety
Like most countries, Belgium has no exemption from criminal incidents. In fact, crime rates are higher in urban areas, especially petty ones. Most commonly reported crimes are theft and extortion. Thieves and pickpockets usual lurk in metro stations or crowded tourist attractions so you should be wary of your belongings. When traveling alone, there are some areas you need to avoid in and around Brussels.

12/11/2017

Studying abroad could be just a mere dream for most of young Filipinos. You have to meet numerous university requirements and undergo strenuous visa processes. The idea of leaving your comfort zone and braving a foreign land alone also seems downright scary. Yet, the benefits that entail from this experience are beyond what you can imagine. You will be a different person - a better version of yourself.
Coming soon: My website about coming to Belgium to study and work.