People from different cornes of the world reunited in one place. One of the main purposes aimed to be accomplished through Erasmus programmes – ultimate goal of education seen as a process – to put together people, cultures, ways of life. To make them interact. It’s not acculturation, not at all. At least, not in a negative sense. Lleida, Lucciana, Kaliningrad, Hradec Králové, Mediaș. Diversity at its finest. But there still remains an unanswered question. How do we make of Volda a home away from home?

We asked Erik, Franziska, Tereza, Joseph, Gabriel, Bonnie, Viacheslav, Su Hyun, Corentin and Gandhalii how are they making from Volda a home away from home: what things they would like to bring from home, nice places to visit here, where they go for having fun, ways in which they decorated their rooms. Here are their aswers!

Erik Hayes (21 years old, Spain)

I would bring from home jamón. Spanish ham. And maybe some olive oil or maybe some alcohol, because it’s cheaper. I would bring wine, red wine. I try to be different. When I moved to Porse, I decided to decorate my room in a way that could allow me to study. I also took the decision to move from Heltne to Porse because this semester less people arrived and because it is being built a new student dorm next to Heltne, which means there are less people living in that area. In Porse you can take part in a lot of activities. I think is more interesting.  I cook homefood maybe once a week. I’m not that skillful so I can only do one dish: tortilla de patatas. I cannot do a paella. I have to stick to the easiest things.

Fransizka (26 years, Germany)

The places I would recommend for a good time is wherever your friends are. The quiz at Rokken. Pangaia is also a fun place. The harbor is really nice to hang out in during the summer when the weather is better. Friends, I think that’s the only way to make Volda a home away from home. I think that having the feeling of being home is lot about family and food. Everyone here is by themselves and they just want to hang out with people. I think that’s the recipe. Find nice people you can hang out with and have fun with and time flies in Volda.

Tereza Syrovátková (22 years old, Czech Republic)

My cat, for sure. That’s what I would bring from home – my cat. Because even if it’s not a thing, it’s the thing that I miss the most. And if it was a thing, it would be a book. My cat’s name is Anabella and she’s 16 years old. The book that I would bring is entitled ’’Call me by your name’’. In order to decorate my room, I bought some candles with a scent of rose perfume and a candle holder which looks like a heart and I found it in the charity shop. I have some flowers too, but I’m not a really good gardener. I also bought a blanket, it has green, red and white colors on it. I just love it!

Joseph (23 years old, Kenya)

The one thing I would bring from home I wish I could bring my friends. The places I would recommend for a good time would be Rokken or the Idrettsbygget – sport center. Volda is quite a small place. There is very few people. For the first time, there’s so few people in the town I have ever lived in. It’s special in that way. So to make it my home away from home I try to be as confident as possible. I try to make friends that I will keep for life.

Gabriel (20 years old, România)

A rolling pin. That’s what I would bring from home. I cook and bake a lot and sometimes I desperately need one, especially when I want to make pizza. I have this idea of decorating my room with some representative things gathered from every event or activity I take part in. For example I put the Russian flag on the wall next to my window. I have it from the International night. In order to make from Volda a home away from home, I usually try to spend my time doing something, to make it somehow pass. I get myself involved in different types of activities together with the International students, I try to learn new things, I cook in my free time. That’s pretty much all of it I guess.

Bonnie Bolt (22 years old, England)

The one thing I would bring from Home would be my dog – Wulzer, who is named after the band. In my free time, I do a lot of writing. I have also started some new hobbies like teaching myself how to knit. I am getting there. I sing a lot with my Ukelele. I hike a lot. I also read a lot especially when it’s raining a lot. Even though I knew everybody speaks English, I can’t believe the number of people that have come here and they speak English to people from their own country because it’s become natural to them. And being with people from different places with different slangs, I think my English has changed slightly since I have been here. It’s quite good for me I think.

Viacheslav Glukhov (20 years old, Russia)

Free time? Actually, I don’t really have free time. But usually, when I get the chance I like to walk around with my friends, to cook something. But I can’t say that I have any specific habits. I really want to go to the gym. Maybe next week…Volda is completely different from my birthplace, tobe sincere.Different culture, the countries are unalike on the whole. For me it is something similar to another planet. It is a very good thing though. The people, the place and everything is so good. I really want to stay here. Please, hide me somewhere!  

Su Hyun Chae (23 years old, South Korea)

Places I would suggest for a good time are the harbor, the sea and the pier. But the view is very different than in Korean. There is a lot of mountains and the sea and everything is very close. Back home, everything is concrete buildings in the city. Actually, it feels like a dream for me. It’s very different from my life in Korean. Back home feels like my reality and this feels like a dream. I decorated my room with some illustration by my favorite artist which reminds me of home.

Corentin Le Corre (20 years old, France)

I decorated my room in the way that I changed the place of my bed and my desk and other furniture. I put neon lights in my room. Blue ones, but I can put any color I want. I also decorated with some things I brought from home, from example the dream catcher I have from my aunt, some little lights, a carpet.I think I never cooked something from my own country, in fact. Nor did I when I was home. I started to cook here. I think that having friends here helps a lot. We can talk about everything. It would have been even better if my friends from France were here. But the ones I already have in Volda are the second family for me.  

Gandhalii (24 years old, India)

The one thing I would love to bring from India is this vegetable called Okra. I just don’t find it here. When I cook Indian food I feel the most at home. That’s how I deal with homesickness. I also get to meet new people, who are kind and inclusive. And I believe when you meet the right people, you can get along with them and then you feel at home with them.  In my free time, I work with different clubs and meet new people through the clubs and work with them. That’s what I do mostly.

Porse and Heltne – student dorms, each with several outbuildings

Rokken – student pub

Pangaia – social meeting point for International students, meaning „one world”

Idrettsbygget – sport center