Objectives
News 
Romanians and Mexicans have something in common: telenovelas
Alexandra Mănăilă - Reporter
19 November 2014
I met Nidia Galicia in Cluj, at the course for journalists organised between 30 October - 1 November 2014 by Institutul Intercultural (Intercultural Institute) in Timişoara, Asociaţia pentru Apărarea Drepturilor şi Integrare Socială (the Association for the Protection of Rights and Social Integration) in Bucharest, Centrul de Resurse Civice (the Centre for Civic Resources) in Constanţa and Liga Apărării Drepturilor Omului (the League for the Defence of Human Rights), Cluj Branch.
Among the cultural mediators I met on this occasion I noticed a girl who looked quite shy at first sight but who was smiling, open to make new friends and to share her Romanian experience.
Nidia is Mexican, from the capital, Mexico City, and two years ago she chose to study International Relations, History and Diplomacy at the „Ovidius” Unversity in Constanţa. Her choice proved a big challenge, considering there are very few young Mexicans coming to study in Romania , let alone to learn the language. According to the student, who is also an inter-cultural mediator, there are currently about 90 Mexicans living in Romania. Of these only two live in Constanta: herself and a Mexican woman married to a Romanian man. However Nidia passed successfully the test of this challenge, and she even started to enjoy the benefits of living here: studies are cheaper in Romania than in the US, Spain or France; people are more hospitable than in other countries and the sea is just round the corner.
Rep: Why have you come to study as far as Romania?
Nidia Galicia (N.G): I came to Romania because I was very curious to see how it is to live here. I like studying foreign languages a lot, so I chose to learn Romanian. My colleagues prefer to study in America, France, Spain. Romania is not a very common choice, but it is cheaper to study here. I receive a scholarship from the Romanian state, based on an agreement between Romania and Mexico, so I applied for a scholarship and I got it. The tuition fee is covered by the Romanian State and I receive an additional 75 Euro as monthly scholarship. I know there are some other 5 Mexican students in Bucharest: at Medicine, Biology, Theatre. Another Mexican is enrolled in a PhD programme in Pitesti in oil engineering, and I follow a master course in Constanta.
The university graduation diploma is acknowledged in Mexico, but not all master programmes are acknowledged. This is however not a problem with Romania, but with Mexico.
Rep: They say it is the first impression that matters. How was Romania for you at first sight?
N.G: When I first arrived in Constanta it was autumn and it was a little sad and cold. I come from Mexico City, a very crowded city but quite cold, so I got used quite easily with the climate, because back home it's also cold. I had no problem.
Rep: The Black Sea is just round the corner. It makes you feel as in a continuous holiday...
N.G: Actually, no (she laughs), particularly in winter it is cold, the beach is cold. Indeed, Mexico City is in the centre of the country. It takes 4 hours to get to the seaside. However what impressed me here was snow. The first time in my life when I saw snow it was here in Constanta. It was snowing and I was very surprised because we have no snow in Mexico.
Rep: What was the most difficult thing for you in Romania?
N.G: To learn the language, particularly as, at the beginning, I had friends from France, Spain, the United States, who had come through Erasmus, and I was not speaking Romanian. It was difficult to integrate because I did not speak the language. It took me one year to learn Romanian, the preparatory year. I hope to manage better now. I admit I was also lazy and I didn’t use to speak Romanian on the street, because I am shy.
Rep: What other problems do you face?
N.G: I live in a student dormitory and there are some aspects I don’t like: the kitchen on every floor is very dirty, there are cockroaches, mattresses are old, but I chose this dormitory for its central location. Bureaucracy is quite slow, you have to wait a lot for a certificate.
Rep: Have you managed to make friends among your Romanian colleagues at the university?
N.G: Yes, a little. It was more difficult because I'm rather shy, but now I feel better than last year. I also travelled around the country: to Iaşi, Braşov, to Dracula's castle and to Bucharest, where there is a small community of Mexicans and I got in touch with them.
Rep: What do you like most about Romania and Romanians?
N.G: Life is quiet here and food is healthy. I will probably go back home after I graduate the master degree, my visa expires, but I will keep the idea that Romanians are friendly. There are two types of Romanians: those who enjoy spending time with foreigners and those who are somehow shy with foreigners. People in Constanta are not used to foreigners from Latin America. I look more exotic, some people think I come from Asia (China) or from India, while others often ask whether I am a maid from the Philippines. When I say I am from Mexico I get a prompt answer: telenovelas and tequila. So Romanians should know about Mexicans that we are friendly and that we have something in common: telenovelas.
Among the cultural mediators I met on this occasion I noticed a girl who looked quite shy at first sight but who was smiling, open to make new friends and to share her Romanian experience.
Nidia is Mexican, from the capital, Mexico City, and two years ago she chose to study International Relations, History and Diplomacy at the „Ovidius” Unversity in Constanţa. Her choice proved a big challenge, considering there are very few young Mexicans coming to study in Romania , let alone to learn the language. According to the student, who is also an inter-cultural mediator, there are currently about 90 Mexicans living in Romania. Of these only two live in Constanta: herself and a Mexican woman married to a Romanian man. However Nidia passed successfully the test of this challenge, and she even started to enjoy the benefits of living here: studies are cheaper in Romania than in the US, Spain or France; people are more hospitable than in other countries and the sea is just round the corner.
Rep: Why have you come to study as far as Romania?
Nidia Galicia (N.G): I came to Romania because I was very curious to see how it is to live here. I like studying foreign languages a lot, so I chose to learn Romanian. My colleagues prefer to study in America, France, Spain. Romania is not a very common choice, but it is cheaper to study here. I receive a scholarship from the Romanian state, based on an agreement between Romania and Mexico, so I applied for a scholarship and I got it. The tuition fee is covered by the Romanian State and I receive an additional 75 Euro as monthly scholarship. I know there are some other 5 Mexican students in Bucharest: at Medicine, Biology, Theatre. Another Mexican is enrolled in a PhD programme in Pitesti in oil engineering, and I follow a master course in Constanta.
The university graduation diploma is acknowledged in Mexico, but not all master programmes are acknowledged. This is however not a problem with Romania, but with Mexico.
Rep: They say it is the first impression that matters. How was Romania for you at first sight?
N.G: When I first arrived in Constanta it was autumn and it was a little sad and cold. I come from Mexico City, a very crowded city but quite cold, so I got used quite easily with the climate, because back home it's also cold. I had no problem.
Rep: The Black Sea is just round the corner. It makes you feel as in a continuous holiday...
N.G: Actually, no (she laughs), particularly in winter it is cold, the beach is cold. Indeed, Mexico City is in the centre of the country. It takes 4 hours to get to the seaside. However what impressed me here was snow. The first time in my life when I saw snow it was here in Constanta. It was snowing and I was very surprised because we have no snow in Mexico.
Rep: What was the most difficult thing for you in Romania?
N.G: To learn the language, particularly as, at the beginning, I had friends from France, Spain, the United States, who had come through Erasmus, and I was not speaking Romanian. It was difficult to integrate because I did not speak the language. It took me one year to learn Romanian, the preparatory year. I hope to manage better now. I admit I was also lazy and I didn’t use to speak Romanian on the street, because I am shy.
Rep: What other problems do you face?
N.G: I live in a student dormitory and there are some aspects I don’t like: the kitchen on every floor is very dirty, there are cockroaches, mattresses are old, but I chose this dormitory for its central location. Bureaucracy is quite slow, you have to wait a lot for a certificate.
Rep: Have you managed to make friends among your Romanian colleagues at the university?
N.G: Yes, a little. It was more difficult because I'm rather shy, but now I feel better than last year. I also travelled around the country: to Iaşi, Braşov, to Dracula's castle and to Bucharest, where there is a small community of Mexicans and I got in touch with them.
Rep: What do you like most about Romania and Romanians?
N.G: Life is quiet here and food is healthy. I will probably go back home after I graduate the master degree, my visa expires, but I will keep the idea that Romanians are friendly. There are two types of Romanians: those who enjoy spending time with foreigners and those who are somehow shy with foreigners. People in Constanta are not used to foreigners from Latin America. I look more exotic, some people think I come from Asia (China) or from India, while others often ask whether I am a maid from the Philippines. When I say I am from Mexico I get a prompt answer: telenovelas and tequila. So Romanians should know about Mexicans that we are friendly and that we have something in common: telenovelas.
Back