Il mio Overseas a Sydney, Australia (Gen-Lug 2007)... e il mio periodo di Tesi all'Estero a Rotterdam/Utrecht, Olanda (Ott 2007-Mar 2008)!

More Aussies in Rovereto

Two weeks later (even if it took me months writing about it) two more "Aussie" friends came to visit me: a true Aussie and an Italian. Anson and Max lived in the same house for some time in Sydney and they met once again in Italy, thanks to the exchange programme Anson took in Hungary. Anson went to Naples, then up to Rome, Florence and Bologna, where they met before going visiting Jacopo in Ravenna. On Monday they came up to Rovereto, so the mafia clan finally rejoined!

For the occasion, Max called his cousin and his wife to join us so we went all together out for dinner in those two days. Unfortunately I had to work during the day so I couldn't go to the lake with Max and Anson, but anyway it has been great to know that they enjoyed a lot the place and the time there.

Postato da: DexterH46 a 15:08 | link | commenti
uts

Aussies in Rovereto

It took more than a year to see Pachi and Lida again. Do you remember them? They were in Australia at UTS...check it out! It took a bit less to see Zjenja again. Do you remember when I went to The Netherlands? A few months ago, and then we managed to meet again. Finally, Federica... well, it was easier, anyway it was a few weeks as well... so it was great to see all of them again, visiting me in the tiny Rovereto, having a walk together appreciating the nice views the hills around the city can offer!

Postato da: DexterH46 a 23:33 | link | commenti
uts

UTS in NL/2 – Going around

On the next day the people moved to Delft to go on with the invasion in the city where the Dutchman moved a short time before the unexpected “visit”.
They split into two groups, one travelling by train and one by car (the legendary German car coming from Potsdam). Delft was conquered.

However, after having visited the city centre of this lovely town, it was already time for a part of the German troops to pull out. In this vintage picture you can appreciate the same people you have already seen in Rotterdam, except one. He was taking the picture from the train that would have brought him back to the German border.
The day went on with the survivors moving up north to Amsterdam, the Dutch capital city (even if the Royals live in The Hague). But the invaders were too tired and after a great evening meal they had to rest for a while on a bench.
However, after a while they were ready to patrol the popular city centre. Lights of any colour at any corner. They could find a lot of strange stuff. The idea was to confiscate everything, but it would have been an unfair battle in this part of The Netherlands.
Thanks to a night train everybody could return safely home at around 3. The following morning another Italian had to leave, but the remaining people managed to meet again on Monday night. The invasion was close to the end. The Germans and Italians lost again and had to go back to their countries, the mysterious French remained a few more days to check that everything was ok, the Italian spy was sent off the county and had to leave it within two weeks. The Dutchman was safe and could go back to the tiny Delft with his girlfriend. History repeated. And maybe will repeat again. We’ll see! :-)
As said at the beginning of the first post, the invaders were French, German and Italian people. To be more precise, here it is the composition of the troops:
French troops: Guillaume
German troops: Nico, Timm, Tobi
Italian troops: Silvia, Simo
Their names will always remain in the piece of history describing the UTS revival in The Netherlands. After one year, good friends were still there together!

Postato da: DexterH46 a 16:09 | link | commenti
holiday, amsterdam, uts , delft, netherlands

UTS in NL/1 - The Invasion

Sometimes history repeats. In October an Italian sneaked into The Netherlands and established in Rotterdam after spending a few days in Vlaardingen.
It seemed just a normal visit to the country, but actually he was spying his Dutch friend. The Italian also bribed his friend's girlfriend, and then started to plan everything.
After a few months, in February 2008, the invasion began. A strong German-Italian alliance entered into the country. Germans passed the border with cars while Italians flew and landed in different Dutch airports. It was Friday 7th March 2008.
Germans Nico, Tobi and Timm occupied a restaurant in Rotterdam while Italians Silvia and Simona explored the whole country to make sure that the resistance was set off. The Italian spy Russian-named Iurij was waiting for them at Rotterdam Central station, while the bribed Dutch Britt was kidnapping the Dutch master Zjenja. She brought him in Pizzeria Pavarotti, and suddenly he found out that he was surrounded by all those strangers. He was shocked, and could not say a word for a while.
The Dutchman was under surveillance for the whole night and then brought to a room in Rotterdam from where he could not escape. Eight people would have blocked him. His dreams of a relaxing weekend were already in the bin!

The following morning all the people were already around Rotterdam. The Dutch victim was kind of left alone at the beginning. He was forced to become a guide of the city for all the invaders, and brought them to a meaningless sculpture (which then become a meaningful sculpture for the whole history) before showing them something that left everybody astonished. Are you curious? Sorry for that... it will remain a mystery.

Later on the Dutchman called some help and managed to get his sister and her boyfriend with him. However, in the meantime some troops from France arrived as well. Their position in the conflict was cryptic, but at least at the beginning they were surely together with Germans and Italians. Everybody strolled around Rotterdam before ending for some food at the Cruise Terminal. 

Postato da: DexterH46 a 14:57 | link | commenti (2)
holiday, accomodation, rotterdam, overseas, uts , netherlands

UTS ranks 1st???

Postato da: DexterH46 a 22:49 | link | commenti
uts

Memories: Sydney Harbour Bridge Walk 2007

From an email received almost 6 months ago... : A swarm of hyperactive Peer Networkers, Tandem and international students from UTS descended upon the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday 18 March to help it celebrate its 75th birthday in style.

They came brightly dressed in greens and golds to show their support for Australia's national and historical icon while taking part in the Bridge Walk.

“It was very thoughtful [of the UTS organisers] to arrange this event…it is a day the international students wouldn't have known about otherwise so it is good to get them involved,” said Michelle Beattie, a Marketing and Tourism student.

Rebecca Lai agreed that, “It is lucky for them [international students] because they get to celebrate with local people and it shows them that we can be very festive.”

The UTS contingent joined the group of more than 200,000 people taking part in the 3.6 kilometre walk, which started in North Sydney and ended in either Darling Harbour or The Rocks. All who participated in the walk received a free cap to commemorate the day.

For those who missed out on the walk, there were many other activities to experience around the area. Highlights included a ferry and workboat race around the harbour, fly-overs of historical planes, an Aboriginal smoking ceremony and the dazzling bridge lights illuminating the night sky.

Allen Lui, the UTS organiser, said the day was a great success. “It is a ‘once-in-a-lifetime' special event and it was about time PNs got together with the international students…to foster the university's international community.”

Further pictures can be found on http://photos.all.id.au/al_20070318_BridgeWalk

Postato da: DexterH46 a 20:34 | link | commenti
holiday, sydney, uts

4th September – The Doctor 3 – UTS 1

On 4th September I collected the official transcripts from UTS.
They confirmed the unofficial marks I got in the late July from the internet. I did not want to trust them too much since UTS made mistakes more than once, but luckily this time there was no error.
Three marks increased my Italian average, one of them decreased it.
48663(Engineering) - Advanced Manufacturing – 82 – DISTINCTION.
25746(Business) - Financial Management: Concepts and Applications – 81 – DISTINCTION.
35140(Science) - Operations Research Modelling – 98 – HIGH DISTINCTION.
21797(Business) - Strategic Supply Chain Management – 76 – DISTINCTION.
My Italian average was something around 77/78, so I can say that three of these marks have increased it, while one has decreased it. On overall I should be now in a better position.
This result is for all those who believed in me. My heart for all of them.
Especially for two of them... the two to whom I promised I would have done my best.
My heart for Eva, the girl I declared all my love to and who asked me to do my best for her. Hope it has been enough.
And my heart for Piero,the friend I lost on the other side of the world, the legend who taught me how to take University life.

Postato da: DexterH46 a 22:19 | link | commenti (2)
unibo, uts , the battle of sydney

12th July – Goodbye Aussieland

I arrived in Sydney Airport at something past 10PM, took a bus (massive saving once again!) to 62 Redfern Street, had some food offered by Harrison and Emilie and then I went to UTS to sleep.
Yes, my last night in Sydney was a homeless night, but after all the troubles UTS caused to me I deserved a free night accomodation at least!

Postato da: DexterH46 a 19:30 | link | commenti
bureaucracy, sydney, accomodation, uts , journey/flight

7th July – Goodbye great bike

The same night, after my (short and incomplete) walk, I had to meet my Financial Management team member, Anh from Vietnam.
We battled hard in our FM group project. She worked a lot on it and I added my knowledge. We were quite happy when we handed in the paper but when our teacher brought it back tha mark was 9 out of 20... so a FAIL! She could not believe it and did not want even to see the paper. I decided to act differently.
First of all I asked to see the paper with the solutions.
Then I took ours and compared the two of them. Once I spotted that the man who checked the papers was a ridiculously lazy one I claimed a further revision from the subject coordinator.
She warned me that doing this, we could even have had a worse mark. But I was sure we were right so I persisted in my complaint and after thirty minutes our mark magically changed from 9/20 to 13.5/20... 4.5 marks more, 50% of what we initially got!
I hoped that the “doctor” who checked our papers had been fired.
By the way, let’s go back to my goodbye to my friend. She wanted something mine to remember me after our winning battle, so I decided to sell my bike to her, even if someone else offered me more money. But it wasn’t a matter of money, it was a matter of friendship. Nevertheless if I consider all the money I saved using the bicycle I have to say it has been a great affair!

Postato da: DexterH46 a 09:28 | link | commenti
holiday, sydney, uts , the battle of sydney

5th July – BoS/14: Remember Tomorrow

After a day spent nearly entirely at home because I was sick (only this was missing to my badluck collection...) I was forced to change my holiday plans one more time.
I had to renounce to the Fraser Island tour. Flights went up to something like $500 return (normally it could be around $100) and I was not in the physical condition to go there and stay on a bed for three days.
But the guilty one was UTS because on these days I had already to be on holiday. I did not forgive them, and with the help of someone (not specified) I made them appear on a newspaper and on the internet
http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,,22018723-5007132,00.html

Uni exam theft shock

THE prestigious University of Technology Sydney has been rocked by the theft of completed exam papers from the office of a senior lecturer.

<<The Daily Telegraph can reveal four papers were stolen and others possibly tampered with during the 15th-floor break-in at the Department of Mathematical Sciences last Tuesday night.

Senior lecturer and respected mathematician Layna Groen said yesterday her door was forced open and the completed papers stolen before the final scores of 90 students could be tallied.

"Mine was the only office broken into," Dr Groen told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.

"There have been break-ins before but usually it is more than one office and they are looking for computer equipment. It is suspicious that papers were taken.

"The four students concerned were not friends, I have checked that – they were unrelated.

"It was possibly a student who was unhappy with their results has taken them. It's also possible they broke in to change the results, to tamper with them."

She said police were called and her office dusted for fingerprints after a colleague noticed her badly damaged office door about 11pm last Tuesday. No arrests have been made or charges laid.

The final exam on operations research modelling was completed by first-year UTS Bachelor of Science students on June 19.

The paper asked students to complete six detailed mathematical problems over three hours.

The theft left academics with no choice but to force the four students whose papers disappeared to sit a different exam.

The prospect of re-sitting the exams has left students furious, including some from overseas who are now questioning the university's credibility.

One foreign student sent a chain email accusing the thief of ruining his stay in Australia.

"If you are one of the three and you don't reply back to me then don't be surprised if I'll conduct further private investigation on you (I will get the names anyway in some way)," he wrote.

"Whoever it has been, if it has been a student, man you have been really ridiculous, and be sure it does not finish here."

Dr Groen said her office had been broken into before, but never for exam papers.

"It's bizarre, I had the papers sitting on my desk and had not finished marking them," she said.

"They were the only thing of value – I don't keep a laptop in my office or anything like that."

"I had marked the papers but I had not yet tallied up the marks."

"I can't speculate. It's the first time anything like this has happened. It's certainly not something we would want to advertise."

Despite being shocked by the theft, Dr Groen said she did not believe any of her students were capable of stealing back their exams to achieve a better result.>>

My PIN Number (86XXXXX), just to add something on the already full plate, never worked during my time at UTS. Once I had even been kicked out by the security for this reason, despite I could show them my student card. And the security let the theft happen and destroy my holiday plans. God forgives, I DO NOT.

 

Postato da: DexterH46 a 12:35 | link | commenti
bureaucracy, uts , the battle of sydney