EVS zkušenosti – Návštěvy tzv. přátel / Visits of guests, so called friends.

Další díl zážitků našeho EVS dobrovolníka Ricarda v angličtině. Téma návštěv vašich příbuzných a kamarádů v cizině, kde zrovna na nějaký čas žijete. Stále znovu dokola ty stejné památky, snaha tvářit se, že jste se naučili místní jazyk, a kamarádi kamarádů, které jste nikdy před tím neviděli. Znáte to taky?

The culture of visiting/hosting, yeah. This culture on any Erasmus stay or living abroad in general.  This kind of tourism which is really cheap, sometimes almost for free. This sort of life which allows you to sleep on the floor or on bus coaches during one week.

That kind of weeks which obligates you to keep moving all week, because, obviously, your guest wants to do sightseeing all the time. And of everything that you have seen a thousand times already. Sometimes though it’s the best way to really see monuments you are walking pass every day, like it was the first time.

That kind of weeks in which you realise you are getting better at the local language. Not knowing how exactly, but anyway, you do your best to order something. Trying to pretend you are used to speaking with a waitress about the food, knowing you actually look like a monkey talking in that language. But when your mother or any relative thinks you are a genius, then it’s worth it.

Photo: Ricardo Soriano Fernandez

But this trick doesn’t work with friends. Because they know you have no idea and then each time the ordering turns into the funny experience. Trying not to speak in your mother tongue all the time, just in case the waitress gets angry.

That kind of tourism. When you arrive to the new city with your friends and after a bit of walking, trying to see the most important sights. At the same time, you only want to drink beer with these guys. So you’re trying not to get wasted because you still have to come back and sometimes you don’t have any idea where you are.

That kind of life. Not so good accommodation. One shower for all of your friends, for your flatmates, for your flatmates‘ friends – which requires a perfect schedule. Also the false hope of not spending a lot of money because nobody needs a lot of food but in the supermarket everyone wants a different thing. But it the end, no one wants to cook. And kebab turns into the traditional food. Adding up the unexpected costs of unexpected beers, and the friend who doesn’t know what he had. The shared costs which can be solved by “I’ll have the next round“.

Farewell

Those weeks which seem really long at the beginning but the final days fly by really fast. This kind of farewell, after saying for the last few days how fed up you are with your guests. This kind of farewell. Sad and weird, happy and beautiful. No words to say, only hugs must speak. And the only thought remaining inside is “ I will pay back the visit. It will be much worse than yours“.

Photo: Ricardo Soriano Fernandez

Author: Ricardo Soriano Fernandez