Friday, 14.00 at STUK, I have an appointment with one of the 2009-2010 newcomers. His name, Patricio Cuéllar; his country of origin, Mexico. Pato, as his friends call him, is a very enthusiastic young personality who came to Leuven as an exchange student in the faculty of Economics. He lives and studies in Monterey, but for the time being, and until the end of the academic year, watch out, because he is among us!

 

The Voice - What is the main purpose of doing the last year of your studies in Leuven?

Pato: My University has a bilateral agreement with the K.U.Leuven and I have the possibility to be subscribed in Monterey while I take my classes here. The main purpose is to try to make a big change in my life, going abroad, away from my parents for a while, which is scary and harder than I thought. Nevertheless, it is the price to pay for independency.

 

The Voice - Is this your first time in Europe?

Pato: This is my fourth time in Europe. Once, I was in Scotland to study English and then in Czech Republic to study Czech. Also I was here in high school for a school trip. We visited many countries, spending almost three weeks. However, now it is totally different. Being abroad at the age of 16 is totally different with my experience now.

 

The Voice- First impression about Leuven?

Pato: It was surreal. You plan this trip for six months and then you keep saying it and then you are out of the train! My first impression… hmm…. beautiful city and beautiful girls, but after a while you get used to them, so I’m not that shocked anymore. Leuven is a quite city, smaller than I am used to, because Monterey has four million inhabitants and now here I am in a small student city.

 

The Voice - Do you have the same impression after two months?

Pato: I changed my impression about the people actually. When I arrived I was so tired, carrying all the luggage and trying to settle down. So, the first day, I went to a super-market to buy some supplies and while coming back to the hostel I met a guy who was promoting a credit card. I explained him that I was not interested and that I was new and he stayed there with me and explained that Leuven is a friendly and hospitable city for its students. So my first impression was that people are comfortable and warm, I still think the same, but I found out that it is not always the same when they are drunk.

 

The Voice - Is it difficult for internationals to integrate with Belgians?

Pato: It is not that difficult, but it depends. If we talk about hardcore friends, yes, it is very difficult. In two months I made great friends but they are all from abroad. And the Belgian ones are my roommates so that is why we had the possibility to meet. However, if we talk about the culture and the way of life, then it is much easier to integrate. Because we are in a separate group and we integrate with the city and the Belgian way of life, but unfortunately not with the Belgians so much.

 

The Voice - Your adaptation here, was it easy?

Pato: It was kind of easy. I have a different way of life here than in Mexico. There, my life is much easier, but now I have to think about everything. I am still getting adapted. Here I definitely have different worries. I start to realize that it is hard to live alone.

 

The Voice - Do you feel home-sick?

Pato: Well, when I was sick, literally sick, then yes, I missed my mother so much. But no, I do not feel homesick. I feel that I need to find my balance here; to get in a serious rhythm. I attend my classes and I meet new people but I want to do more like going to the gym and see a bit of Belgium.

 

The Voice - What is your favorite activity in the city and the University?

Pato: In the city, the thing I enjoy the most is afternoon coffee with friends on the Oude Markt as well as meeting new people, of course. When it comes to the university – my faculty is Economics – I have not figured out yet, but it is somehow the challenge of a new educational system.

 

The Voice - What are the differences and similarities between the educational systems of your country and the University here?

Pato: Here there are 35,000 students; in my city, 10,000. Here it is public; my university, private. In Monterey the university is located in a campus; here it is spread all over the city. When it comes to grades in my university, in order to pass you should take 14/20 and for me in order to keep my scholarship I need an average of 17. Moreover, we have very small groups in the classes; imagine that in my class we are 16 students. We have three periodicals exams and a final exam.

Here the level is higher as the students demand it. The independency in the field of studies and the fact that you go to the class, in an auditorium of 200 people, reveals consciousness of why you are here and what you are studying.

 

The Voice - Which system do you prefer more?

Pato: I like balance. For example, in the case of the general courses, the obligatory ones can be with bigger groups as everyone should take this knowledge, but then the courses of specialization should absolutely be in smaller groups where you can constantly express yourself and participate. The periodical exams also help to stabilize the pressure because taking 100% of your grade by the final exam is too much pressure!

 

The Voice - Now I will give you some words and you should tell me the first thing that comes to your mind... Oude Markt?

Pato: Fun.

The Voice- Alma?

Pato: Food.

The Voice - Erasmus?

Pato: Studies.

The Voice - Belgium?

Pato: Surrealistic.

The Voice - K.U.Leuven?

Pato: Hard!

The Voice - Pangaea?

Pato: Free coffee...

The Voice - The Voice?

Pato: I do not know the Voice... Yet!

 

The Voice - Which cuisine do you prefer… Belgian or Mexican?

Pato: This question does not exist! Mexican food is the best in the world. The Belgian food sometimes is not so creative. Everything with fries, tough I love them, is not that creative...

 

The Voice - What was your best and worst experience so far?

Pato: My worst experience was the day I woke up with eye-infection. I had to spend my days at home. My best experience … although it may sound weird … my trip to IKEA. We do not have IKEA in Mexico and going there was a totally different world for me.

 

The Voice - Feelings…

Pato: Some days when I wake up, the first question that comes to my mind is: What’s wrong with me? I know I am young, I am here doing a Bachelor and I came here to have fun and meet a lot of people, but at the same time I came here to grow, to be a better student, to be a more organized and independent person. My parents make a huge investment on me and in this experience, so I do not want to go back and weight 10 kilos more because of the Frituur and the Beers. I do not want to lose my scholarship. I want to ameliorate my English and I came here with a lot of goals. It is an opportunity for me to explore my possibilities. My real life starts. And this experience can make my life 100% better or can keep me stable, so it is really up to me.

 

The Voice - Let’s close with a funny incident that happen to you

Pato: Well, let’s see… we were with Kartic, my friend from India, and we were talking about sandwiches. I claimed that a good sandwitch needs “salami” and Kartic replied: “Is this a fish?”. I thought he was kidding… but later we went to Alma and while he was ordering his food he asked if the meat in his plate was fish, but the lady understood ‘beef’. So the lady said ‘yes, it is beef’ and Kartic understood ‘yes, it is fish’. He started eating and after some bites a friend of ours asked him “are you allowed to eat sacred cows?” His face totally changed… It was really funny!

 

The Voice - Poor guy... Anyway, thank you for the interview!