Life in Brygge, Belgium

Greetings from Brugge!

I have been studying in Brugge, Belgium now three months and I have only 7 weeks to go. In Finland I study hospitality management and here in Brugge I am joining the business class. I have learned something about different leadership styles, international strategic management, intercultural awareness and comparative constitutional law for example.

Not all the courses here are actually my piece of cake or cup of tea but at least I have had a chance to learn some new skills what I can not learn in Finland. Studying seems to be a bit harder here than in my home university college in Finland sometimes. The most important things I have learned are the differences between the cultures. Especially the differences in communication. People from Finland are mostly direct with what we say and that might be shocking for somebody from the southern Europe. That is something you can not learn in your  home university. My eyes has opened by many new things.

What are the things I like the most during my exchange in Belgium?  Obviously I have enjoyed the things Belgium is famous about, like all the nice beers, the chocolates and the waffels. Belgium is a small country and the distances are short, so it is easy to travel to other cities and to see new places.  Brugge is a romantic small city and the coast is only 20 km far from my city.  But for me the best thing in Belgium is the perfect location in the Europe. I love travelling and it has been so much easier and cheaper to take a flight from Brussels than from Helsinki to other cities in the Europe. I visited already Copenhagen, London, Luxemburg, Paris and Berlin. I still have a bit time left and a few euros in my wallet so maybe I still have a chance to see some places I have never seen.

-Niina