Serbia symposium - part IV

Hi everyone!

Okay, it was tuesday, right? So, in the evening was the cultural evening. We went early to the faculty to prepare our stands. 

Every country introduced their faculties, studies etc. We Finns had an easy task, because we only have one faculty of veterinary medicine. It was so weird to compare our school with others, for example the UK has five faculties, Poland too as far as I remember and everyone seems to have plenty. It's just us and Norway, who have only one in the hole country. 

Another thing that is different is, that we only have 70 students per year. Most others I talked with, have more than hundred students per year. That's a lot. I mean, I just don't believe that education can be efficient, if you have so many students..Well, however... 

After a while people started to prepare their food and drinks. You see, the idea of the cultural evening is, that everyone bring something to eat and/or drink from their country. Then you can go around and taste flavours from all over the world! :) 

The french stand was EXCLLENT! ;) 

 At first I thought I was in heaven. Sooo much sweeties and jummy stuff! Sooo much to taste, so much new tastes! Jummy, slurps, jei! BUT... It took only a short while, then I was feeling so ill after all that sweet stuff I had to take a break, haha :D I'm such a greedy little pig, you know! :)

Germany

Just look at those pictures above! These are just a tiny little part of what there was offered! I mean, of course I have to taste every single dish and drinks too, that's for granded! :D We had really funny till late the night... 

The other day however came way too soon and the wake up call at 6.00 am. didn't actually warm up my mind. I was feeling like in coma. Do you know that feeling, when you have slept waaaaaay too little and your brain just isn't functioning properly, your cordination is completely lost and you feel like in a 1.5 promille dunkenness anyway? Haha, welcome to IVSA! 

We went again to the faculty for some workshops. First in the morning I had some milk hygiene. 

After a short lecture we went in the lab for some tests. Unfortunately we had too little time, so we didn't do very much after all... 

After lunch and some turkish coffee I continued to the patology workshop. That was interesting. I have never seen any obduction, so I liked to have offered this opportunity. By the way, during this trip I completely fell in love with turkish coffee! It beats the finnish sewage brew they call coffee here easily!!

We didn't actually get to do a lot by ourselves, but it was interesting to watch as well. The professor explained carefully what he was doing, what pathological changes he could see and what those could refer to. Finally he told us, what conclusion he could draw from the changes and what is the possible cause of death. 

I'm sorry not to have more pictures this time, I know how boring it is to read such plain text. I forgot my camera at the hostel the whole day, so ...

Oh, by the way I forgot to mention the silent auction. My memory has let me down, I'm not sure if it was monday or tuesday (or something completely different). However. Everyone brought diverse stuff from their faculty/country to sell on the auction. The small objects were sold at the silent auction, that means everything was on a table. Next to the items was a piece of paper, where you could write down your bet. Whoever bet the most got the item. We had half an hour time to walk around, look at the items and make offers. I bought a t-shirt, some baking gloves and a memory stick. 

The most valuable items in turn were sold at the live auction. It was held wednesday evening at the same place the "all you can drink" -party took place. Most of the items were different kinds of drinks and some books as well. I soon noticed that all the prices acended far beyond my bank account, so I didn't buy anything today. It was fun though to listen to selling speeches and watch people offering higher and higher :) The money collected from both the auctions by the way is going in charity, so it is just positive to bid high ;)

So, this is it for today. I'm starving now. Is it just me or do I have the feeling I'm repeating myself? ;) Anyway, arrivedercy for today! x

Serbia symposium - part III

Hi again! Where was I the last time?

Oh yes, we were in the bus travelling back to Belgrade. Well, after the troop had split up into the three hostels, we had some time to relax. For tonight there was a club reserved just for us IVSA-people, but I decided to stay back at the hostel and have a chill evening. The dumb bacteria or whatever it was still causing me trouble :(

Well, the combination of a good night sleep and a small overdosis of ibuprofein worked and the following morning I felt like a new person again and the adventure might continue ;)

First in the morning we visited a huge farm. It really was huge, I think it was one of the biggest in Europe as a matter of fact. I have to admit, I don't remember any numbers. Though I shouldn't mention numbers and names anyway and by the way, I didn't publish these photos below either. Don't tell anyone.

The stables were huge and there were many of them. 

 

... and the milking carusel was cool! I have never seen any, let alone a big one like this: 

The cows enter on the one side, then the carusel turns around and after one turn the milking is ready and the cows are ready to leave. The cows are standing above the personel, so the people handling the milking machines don't have to bow or kneel down.

                                   

After a lecture of the farm we just walked around looking at the large surrounding area. I think our visit will be remembered - we were a noisy and happy group of students, believe me! :) 

Well, the trip continued and soon we arrived to the monastry of Hopovo. I have never seen such a place. In the middle was a church and around it the monk's apartments.

Apartments of the monks.

Part of the church. 

Inside the church.

About 84% of the Serbians are orthodox, by the way. According to the beloved wikipedia. Anyway, in the programme was sceduled a visit to the city of Novi Sad. Because it was raining and everyone was dying for a hot cup of coffee (me) / tea (the real british) or a big, cold beer (the others?) , we changed plans and went straight on to the nearest restaurant. 

Novi Sad

We were sitting there until dark and that was pretty okay for me :) 

That day went quick, but hold on, it wasn't finished yet! In the evening back in Belgrade it was - surprise, surprise - party night again. This time it was called "all you can drink party". Need I tell more? Well, maybe I just remind you, what happens in IVSA stays in IVSA, right? ;) 

The following morning some of our hostel decided to organize an "all you can sleep morning", which sound like a really good idea. I was well mooded though, so I went to the Belgrade sightseeing tour. 

Some house near the river.

The fortess of Belgrade

Later in the afternoon we went to see some museums depending on intrests. I went to the museum of Yugoslavian history. Among other things I found this cute guy:

Hi! 

I'm sorry not to have more pictures about the museum. And anyway I will stop for today, I am starving. So, see you soon! Love you all :) 

Serbia symposium - part II

It's so hard to believe that I'm back home again. One day I stood at the bus stop swearing at the bus, who had cruelly passed my stop and left me standing in the cold rain. It wasn't until another guy arrived at the stop and waved with his hand to the next bus when I remembered, that I'm not in Belgrade anymore. In Finland buses don't stop by themselves like back in Belgrade...

On a chill saturday morning a cheerful (?) rabble (=lauma, meluava joukko) of veterinary students packed into two busses and the journey to the Center of reproduction and artificial insemination began.

When we arrived, we were welcomed by this: 

Yummy, I say!

These containers contain the sperm, I think. 

And the bulls... They were... I mean, just look at them!!

They were just gigantic! I've never seen such a monster in my life! 

I knew, that bulls are not small, but I had no idea of their real size. I'm really not afraid of any animals exept spiders, but they don't count. but these creatures I'd prefer to stay out of my way... 

We were demonstrated, how the sperm is collected. Cool, I've never seen that before! 

When we had seen and eaten enough, we continued our bus drive to Svilajnac to the local agricultural and veterinary school, in whose dormitory we stayed overnight. 

Some effords to take pictures out of the driving bus.. 

Landscapes somewhere between Belgrade and Svilajnac. 

Svilajnac itself was a pretty little town. 

It was a beautiful, quiet town. 

And here we went for some lectures and the GA, general assembly. 

In the GAs we also saw many presentations of past group exchanges, happenings to come and applies of new IVSA chapters. 

You could see the christmas lights everywhere. It was so pretty! :) 

Well, later in the evening we went out for some fun. I think I don't have to tell more about that ;D 

The following morning came all too quick and a serious lack of caffeine didn't do any good for me :) I have to admit my complete addiction to coffee. 

This mornig I noticed for the first time the difference between Finns and the other world. In Finnland it's completely normal just to stand around in silence and not to say a word until one has woken up. This can take several cups of coffee for some individuals! ;) When I was standing around buried in self-pity because of not getting my beloved coffee, I was immediately asked, if everything is okay <3 I love Serbians :) Also in general Finns are more quiet compared to other countries, that is something I paid attention several times during the symposium... 

Dispite my self-pity and a terrible headache it was a beautiful, sunny morning. 

More landscapes out of the bus' window. 

We continued our trip to Jagodina. 

We visited the VSI - Veterinary Specialist Institute, where they implement prophylactic measurements for infectious diseases and monitor the situation of diseases in Serbia.

The lab

After that we went to the wax museum. I've never been to anything like this =) 

A famous Serbian whose name I right now have forgotten.  

A church outside the museum. 

And then: 

The zoo was memorable, if that is the right word... 

I am speechless... 

Don't know what to say... 

I've never seen animals in so small and so empty cages. What I saw was just a far cry from animal wellfare. So sad. 

But the giraffe was really cute though! <3  

And guess what was waiting for us starving travellers in the Zoo restaurant?! 

After lunch we slowly started our turney back towards Belgrade. 

Hah. If you take 80 hilarious veterinary students from around the world and put them together in a bus, this is what you get: 

The Chaos itself.

Well, I think that's a story long enough for today. End of day four. Stay on the channel, the story will be continued ;)