In limbo: my life as a recent graduate (vol. 2)

 Life is apparently a series of cycles and so I find myself in a very similar situation to this same time last year (minus the global pandemic, of course). Autumn always seems to be an uncertain and anxiety-inducing time for me. I think this is because my life is always changing at this time of year: either the start of a new academic year when I was still a student or time to figure out what to do with myself since graduating. I’ve been silent on the blog for a while but, believe me, not much has been going on in my life since I came back home and I haven’t been inspired to write about other topics either... However, I still thought it would be nice to post a little round-up entry at the end of 2020, which I think we can all agree has been a dreadful year.

CAREER

Lately I’ve been thinking about how we all tend to define ourselves by the job we have or the career path we have chosen, despite being much more than that. “I’m a teacher”. “I’m an accountant”. “I’m a police officer”. I have been finding it hard to feel content over the past few months because I’m again in a sort of limbo. I’m trying to get things moving onto the next step in my career but it has not easy (especially during a global pandemic and looming financial crisis), so I’m in a funk.

I’m happy to say I passed CAST Translators, so I can now be hired as a contract agent either as Proofreader or Translator at the EU, which is now the goal. I had a couple of interviews for different posts at the institutions. Some of those fell through but I’m still waiting on another one. The recruitment process has been going on since August now and the lack of information regarding deadlines has made me super anxious and frustrated, but I do hope by early next year everything will finally be sorted *knocks on wood*

Of course, I’ve also been job hunting in general but I’m giving myself some time while I wait on the EU recruitment process since that’s the option that is more aligned with my long‑term goals. I’ve been applying to yet more traineeships and trying to focus on my CPD while I wait instead. I’ve completed a few different courses since September, including some online courses on Adobe InDesign, Digital Marketing or Data Protection, which have been quite interesting.

I’ve also begun German classes again. I’m having a weekly one‑to‑one class and I’ve made quite a lot of progress. If you didn’t know, I took German after‑school classes for a year in 2012 and then stopped. Although I tried to pick it back up again at University, I couldn’t figure out what the right level for me was, as I wasn’t a complete beginner but also not advanced enough since it had been years since I’d last done any German… After around two months of classes, I’ve now managed to finish A2 and I am starting B1! Ich bin sehr glücklich!

ROUTINE AND MENTAL HEALTH

In terms of mental health I’ve been all over the place. The long wait and not‑knowing in this recruitment process has had its toll on me. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been struggling this year. However, I’ve been really trying to stick to a routine since I’ve found that when I let myself slack, my mood gets a lot worse.

Having the CPD courses and German has given me something to work on in the morning and I’ve been making an effort to get up early. I’ve now come up with a daily routine that works for me right now. I start by waking up at 8 (I want to make that 7, but so far 8 is good enough). I then go out on a morning walk along the coastline, not listening to any music or podcasts, just alone with my thoughts. It’s quite therapeutic actually. Weather has been good but I have had to walk under the rain a couple of times… Then I take a shower, brew myself a cuppa and sit down to journal. I wrote about this a few months back, but I’ve been following the daily prompts by @joclub_ on Instagram and those are still going strong. Writing is also a good way to vent when I start feeling anxious. Then I start working on whatever I have on my to-do list that day: German homework, a course, some errands or emails I have to send. I work until lunchtime and sometimes into the afternoon, but this routine means I get to have evenings off.

I’m trying to enjoy this “freedom” but I feel that it’s constantly clouded by the uncertainty surrounding my future. Meditating has helped and, like I said, so has journaling. 2020 has certainly been a hard year and I know I am not alone on this. I wish I could volunteer at Red Cross again or meet up with friends more often, but I need to be careful as I’m living back with my parents who are vulnerable, so I spend a lot of time at home instead. That’s a big difference from last year’s slump. I have had my highs and lows for sure.

I’ve taken up reading again as well, which I am currently loving. I used to read so much when I was in school and high school, but I fell off the bandwagon at University when I had to read so many academic journals that reading became a chore. I’ve now been going through some of the books I’d been intending to read for a really long time. Some of my favourites have been Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and Essentialism by Greg McKeown. I’m currently reading Atomic Habits by James Clear and I’m making my way through the Harry Potter books which I never read as a kid and I must say I’m really enjoying them ( good escapism?). If you have any book recommendations, let me know! I have a long list of books waiting to be read, but I just keep adding more…

Lately I’ve also been toying with the idea of doing a digital detox and avoiding social media for some time. I’d like to incorporate this into my life since I’ve found myself scrolling aimlessly and wasting time, especially since I haven’t been as busy lately. I’ve noticed it’s also affected my attention span and I really want to prevent that. I might try no social media over the weekend and see how that goes… If anybody has any experience or tips on digital detoxing, I’d be interested to know!

The Prix Liberté 2020 Ceremony took place in October and although I was not able to attend, I watched live as Loujain Al-Hathloul's sisters received the prize on her behalf!

GRATITUDE

Finally, I wanted to try to end this post on a high. We all know 2020 has been tough and, although I do hope 2021 will be better, things will not be significantly changing anytime soon and we have to accept that.

I wanted to look back on my 2020, at a personal level, and list the things that have been positive or that I am grateful for. Here we go:

• In February 2020 I went to France to be part of the Prix Liberté 2020 international panel, which was a great experience. I wrote about it on the blog, which you can find here: https://gathering-smithereens.blogspot.com/2020/02/prix-liberte-2020.html
• I moved to Luxembourg to do a Schuman Traineeship at the European Parliament as a Trainee Translator between March and July 2020! It was certainly not what I expected, but I had worked really hard towards this opportunity. Most of my experience was unfortunately telework as the pandemic hit, but I learnt a lot and made good friends. Although I wish some things would have been different, I don’t regret doing it.
• I was General Coordinator of the Schuman Trainees’ Committee. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to run for the STC, but I thought I might as well give it a go since it would be my only chance. I was elected and ended up being a lot busier than I had anticipated, as I fought for trainees’ interests throughout our Covid-19 traineeship. I do love helping others and I think this experience was very enriching, despite all the obstacles we had to face as STC!
• I started journaling daily and meditating often, which has been really helpful for my mental health.
• I sat and passed CAST Proofreader and CAST Translator, both important steps towards achieving my career goals. I also did a few interviews, all of which taught me a lot about myself and had promising outcomes despite not being the selected candidate in the end.
• I’ve had time to rediscover my love for reading and I plan to continue reading for pleasure in the future.
•  Ich lerne Deutsch noch einmal!
• Since I’ve been home, I’ve had more time to be creative again. I’ve been taking online vocal lessons and I dusted off my flute again. I’ve also made a few pieces of clothing from scratch using my sewing machine and upcycled many others. I’ve done a bit of embroidery and worked with clay and watercolours from time to time.
• I enjoyed time‑off with my family after being away from them for 5 months during the first months of the outbreak and fortunately all my family has been safe and healthy.
• It’s been a full year since I went vegetarian and I’m slowly moving towards a more vegan diet as well. I’m really proud of this and I think it’s important for the planet.
• I chopped off my hair after a long time debating it and it’s been great!
• I’ve been learning a lot about dealing with mental health and the importance of having a routine and exercising. I have been enjoying being able to go out for some fresh air by the sea, despite having to wear a mask. Spending the winter months nearer the Equator hasn’t been too bad either.
• The first step towards change and improvement is recognising the problem, which is something I’ve been working on. I’m thankful that this year has brought so much time to reflect on our priorities and what actually matters in life.

I wish you all happy holidays. I hope you are healthy and stay strong, especially if you cannot be with your loved ones at this time. This too shall pass.

See you next year,

Zoe

Instagram: @zoeamz (personal) / @ecobyzoe (zero waste)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gatheringsmithereens/

A Guide to Luxembourg: where to go and what to do

Here’s the handy-dandy guide I put together in case you’re moving to Luxembourg or planning a visit.

TRANSPORT

Since the 1^st of March 2020, public transport in Luxembourg is free. You don’t need to purchase tickets or make reservations when you want to travel by bus, tram or train within the Luxembourgish borders. As a trainee, this was amazing! The only thing you still have to pay for are taxis, which are really expensive because each driver can set their own rates, but you can use public transport to go pretty much anywhere, so you can get away with not spending a dime on transport.

You can also use the Velóh system to rent a bike. There are lots of bike stations around the city and through the app you can purchase a subscription or pay daily rates and find the nearest available bike. I do have to say Luxembourg is all about levels so you might want to think twice about renting a bike if you need to go between Ville Haute and Ville Basse (although the many lifts around the city certainly help!).

Finally, the best app for all your travel needs is Mobiltéit. You can download it for free on your phone and it’s really trustworthy in terms of schedules, live tracker and routes. However, if you’re planning to visit smaller towns around the country, a car is definitely the most efficient way (distances are not large but there might not be a direct public transport route to your destination).

ACCOMMODATION

Personally, I lived in a rented room so I don’t have much experience when it comes to tourist accommodation. I stayed in Campanile Hotel near the Airport on my last two nights before coming home, which was good for the price, but overall Luxembourg is pretty expensive. I bet Airbnb is probably your best bet, but there are also youth hostels!

WEATHER

When I arrived in March, it was cold, rainy and it even snowed. Luxembourg can get really cold and damp so carrying an umbrella and a coat is a must. However, after lockdown it was already Spring and the weather was lovely and sunny. It barely rained and, this year, it has been warmer than some places in the south of Europe. On my last week there the thermometer recorded temperatures of over 30 degrees on a couple of occasions! According to many people who have lived in Luxembourg for years, this heat is not normal, but just bear in mind that if you go there in the Summer you’ll need to bring Summer clothes and lots of sunscreen!

LUXEMBOURG CITY

My first piece of advice? Head to the Tourism Office in Place de Guillaume II to grab some maps and get info on bus routes, ticket prices and opening times. They were super helpful the couple of times I popped in. People in Luxembourg speak mostly French, German or Luxembourgish, but many also speak English. In daily life, I spoke French.

When it comes to museums, Luxembourg boasts a few different ones. From contemporary art in MuDAM or The Casino, to history of the city or country in the Museum of the City of Luxembourg or Musei Drei Eechelen. There is also an amazing exhibition on Portugal and Luxembourg at the Abbey, as well as other interesting exhibitions in Villa Vauban, the National Museum of National History or the National Museum of Art and History.

In terms of sightseeing, it’s perfectly feasible to visit Luxembourg in one day and on foot (yes, the capital is small enough). The Tourism Office can give you fliers with different routes to follow such as the City Panorama Walk or the Wenzel Walk (along the remnants of the medieval fortresses). Here are some of the places you shouldn’t miss:

• The Casemates: a system of tunnels and caves used to protect citizens during WWII.
• The view over the Grund from Chemin de la Corniche – amazing photo spot! Another great view is the one from the lift in Pfaffenthal.
• Visit the Cathedral and the “Golden Lady” nearby and walk down the path into the Pétrusse park which you can follow along until you reach the Grund neighbourhood.
• In Kirchberg you can visit the Philharmonie as well as the EU buildings such as the Schuman and Konrad Adenauer Buildings (European Parliament) or the European Court of Justice, among many others. La Coque, the sports centre, is also an interesting building in this neighbourhood.
• Don’t forget to see the Ducal Palace from the outside, as well as the two main squares, Place d’Esprit and Place de Guillaume II.
• If you’re looking to shop, most shops are located in the Centre and Gare neighbourhoods.
• Finally, there are many different parks and green spaces in the city, which I loved. Visit the Pescatore Park, Parc Merl, Parc Municipal…

While I was there, my favourite thing to do was to relax and read at the park. I went to Parc Municipal often for yoga classes, but the view of the sunset from the park behind MuDAM and Drei Eechelen is beautiful!

PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK

Eating out in Luxembourg is pretty expensive. A meal at a restaurant can cost anywhere between 25 and 40 euros per person, which is expensive for someone coming from Spain. If you want to save money, there’s always McDonalds and kebab shops, but my go-to solution has always been grabbing something from a supermarket. There are lots of different chains: Auchan, Delhaize, Monoprix, Cactus…

For food, I’d recommend Chiche in Limpertsberg for Lebanese food, as well as Mamacita in the city centre for Mexican food. You can get good pizzas from La Torre in Limpertsberg and good Italians are Vapiano (different locations) and Partigiano (Gare).

Konrad is a nice place for coffee and, if you’re looking for drinks (Diekirch is the national beer and crémant the national drink), the Grund and Clausen neighbourhoods are the place to be for bars and clubbing. Give Updown (Clausen) or Scott’s (Grund) a try! If you’re looking for an international atmosphere, The Tube in the city centre is a good shout on Fridays or Saturdays.

If you like markets, there is a food market in Place de Guillaume II on Saturdays from 7am to 1:30pm, as well as the Glacismaart in Place du Glacis in Limpertsberg which has a bit of everything (third Sunday of the month between March and November).

LUXEMBOURG COUNTRY

There are many quaint towns around the country which are worth visiting:

·         Vianden. This town is famous for its castle overlooking the valley and river. It’s a reconstructed medieval castle which has become the symbol of Luxembourg.

·         Clervaux. Home to another castle, in this one you can find the famous exhibition Family of Man, showcasing photos about humankind around the world. There is also an Abbey on top of the hill which is a monastery.

·         Echternach. A town next to the border with Germany. There is a picturesque basilica as well as a lovely lake to picnic around and a Roman villa. It’s also the perfect place to begin many of the hiking trails that run around Müllerthal or La Petite Suisse, famous for its rock formations and spots like the Schiessentümpfel waterfall.

·         If you’re looking to swim, head over to the Haute-Sûre natural park in Esch-sur-Sûre where you can swim in the lake.

·         For wine, the Moselle Valley and places like Remich are the place to be.

·         If you’re an EU buff, how about visiting the roundabout in Schengen? One road leads to Germany, the other to France and the third to Luxembourg!

·         Finally, there are many other little spots which are easy to reach by car but not through public transport. For example, you could visit the castles in Beaufort or Bourlingster.

AROUND LUXEMBOURG

Luxembourg is a great base to visit bigger cities in France, Germany and Belgium. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic I was not able to visit many places as borders had shut down. However, I do recommend a day trip to Trier in Germany, to see the Roman Porta Nigra, cathedral and old palace, Roman baths and amphitheatre…or do some (cheaper) shopping! Metz in France is also close and I hear is worth a visit, and Paris or Brussels are not very far either!

 

I hope you enjoy this succinct list of recommendations for Luxembourg. I wish I had had more chances to explore while I was there, but this what I learnt while I did my traineeship and I hope it will come in handy for those visiting after the pandemic! Stay safe and let me know if you check out any of my suggestions!

Zoe

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Prix Liberté 2020

Hello!

A couple of blog posts ago I mentioned that I’d be going to Normandy for a week to act as a member of the international panel shortlisting the candidates for the Prix Liberté 2020. Today I’ll tell you more about that.

(c) Julien Buyck

What is the Prix Liberté or Freedom Prize?

I guess, to begin with, you’re wondering what the Prix Liberté actually is. The Freedom Prize or Prix Liberté is a prize granted by Région Normandie in collaboration with the Institut International des Droits de l’Homme et de la Paix and other partners such as educational authorities or the Canopé network, embedded within the Normandie pour la Paix project. The prize aims to recognise an individual or organisation’s significant work towards peace and provides not only media attention on said fight but also a € 25 000 cash prize. Last year’s winner was Greta Thunberg and voting for this year’s winner will soon go live!

The unique part of this prize though, is that young people are at the heart of it: it is 15 to 25 years old from France and all over the world who submit the candidates to the prize, shortlist the 3 finalists through an international panel (which is what I did) and then vote for the winner. This is important. If you don’t know, the beaches in Normandy are the D-Day landing beaches where the Allies entered France during the Second World War and subsequently fought their way to victory. The world as we know it today would be so much different if this hadn’t happened and last year was the 75^th anniversary of the landings. The majority of those who fought are no longer with us and so this prize aims to honour their actions and engage the youth in the fight for freedom as a way to remember what happened in those beaches so many years ago.

During the first stage, participants are encouraged to submit application forms for the candidates they believe are worthy of the prize. This year there were over 230 submissions from all over the world, which were brought down to 167 once all the repeat submissions had been discarded.

During the second stage, an international panel meets in Normandy for two full days of deliberations in order to shortlist the three finalists. This year, the jury was made up of 24 members: 6 from the region of Normandy, 6 from the rest of France and 12 from abroad (Spain, Egypt, Madagascar, Colombia, Cambodia, Togo, Burkina Faso, India, Lebanon, Canada, Ireland and the United States). The ages of the member ranged from 15 all the way to 25, the average falling on 20 years old. Furthermore, the President of the jury this year was editor-in-chief of Le Monde Emmanuel Davindenkoff.

(c) Julien Buyck

Finally, after the jury selects the three finalists, these are put up for public vote (this year between the 9^th of March to the 12^th of April 2020) in order to select a winner, who will receive their prize during the Forum pour la Paix at the beginning of June in Caen.

If you would like further details on how the prize works, I would suggest you do a quick Google search or check out these links:

https://normandiepourlapaix.fr/prix-liberte

https://www.2idhp.eu/nos-actions/avec-les-jeunes/le-prix-liberte-42-189.html

And if you would like to participate (either by voting this year, or as a participant or member of the jury in the future), I would suggest you follow the updates on the Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/PrixLiberte/

Personally, I first learnt about this prize out of sheer luck. My mum is a high school teacher and she forwarded me an email which she’d been forwarded herself from the Francophonie representative in the Canary Islands sharing information on the applications. I didn’t have anything to lose so I applied and… well… here we are! If you are between 15 and 25, I would highly encourage you to take part, it was an amazing experience!

How my week went: 11th to 18th of February 2020

After being told I had been selected back in December, I filled the required forms and the members of the 2IDHP booked my flights.

I travelled to France on Tuesday the 11^th and it was a long day… First, the flight to Barajas from Los Rodeos was stressful: there was a massive queue at the check-in desks and I had to run to the gate in order to make the flight. Then, it was so foggy in Madrid that they almost diverted us to Valencia (no way I was getting to Paris in time if that had been the case…), but fortunately they attempted the landing and it was ok. I then had to run from one side of the terminal to the other to catch my flight to Orly (and I mean run!), which was a bumpy ride but I eventually made it to Paris. At the airport I picked up my bag and bought some lunch while I waited for the driver to find me at the terminal. It took a while but eventually we set off to Charles de Gaulle to join the others. There I met Thomas, from the 2IDHP, and two other jury members: Pi from Cambodia and Rouba from Lebanon. We waited at the airport for almost two hours until Andrés, from Colombia, arrived and then set off to Normandy in the little van. Four hours later, we had arrived at the Les Joies du Rivage centre in St-Aubin-sur-Mer, where we were going to stay for the week. It was a really long day as I had left my house at 5:30am and made it to the centre at around midnight.

At the centre we met Benoîst and Clémence from the 2IDHP, as well as Yomna from Egypt, Cassy from the United States, Somya from India and Ronny from Madagascar (all the other members were due to arrive the next day after lunch).

The first night it was absolutely freezing: there was no heating or hot water due to the storms the previous weekend, so we slept with two duvets and wrapped up warm. There was also no WiFi at the centre, which was something that they unfortunately weren’t able to sort out, but luckily the hot water and heating came back the next day. A shaky start to what turned out to be a great week.

The next day I decided to explore the town and drop by the little supermarket for some snacks before joining the others for lunch and waiting for the rest of the members to arrive. In regards to food, we had breakfast at the centre, then usually a packed lunch we made ourselves at the centre and then a warm dinner back at the centre after a long day of activities. Main issue? I’m a vegetarian and it always seems a struggle for people to understand that I don’t eat any type of meat or fish, like at all. There were a few slips here and there with the vegetarian options but on the whole it worked out. In terms of living arrangements, we had the centre to ourselves and I shared my room with Elise, from France. She was super nice and we got along well. The room was made out of two sets of bunk beds, a cubicle for the toilet and another cubicle with the ensuite shower and washbasin. Like a hostel essentially.

Anyhow, by lunch everybody else had arrived: the other members of 2IDHP, Jonas and Maxime as well as the other jury members: Kodjo from Togo, Myriam from Canada, Djemila from Burkina Faso, Kate from Ireland and all the French people – Swana, Deborah, Elise, Axelle, Amel, Émile (Jean-Pierre), Abdullah, Camille, Guillaume, Mathis, Lucas and Théo. Throughout the week, we all gelled together super well and it felt like a big school trip: young people, music on the bus, late nights joking around, cantine dinners… It was a lot of fun! What I liked the most was hearing from those who had never experienced international exchanges before and how enriching and eye-opening they found the whole week, being able to interact with people of a similar age but with such different backgrounds. Plus, we all had similar values seeing that we were all there to defend freedom, so it was lovely to meet all of them and I hope to stay in touch in the future!

That first afternoon together was spent doing ice-breaker games at the centre and theatre activities after dinner.

The following day we got up early and headed to the Abbaye aux Dames in Caen for our first day of proper workshops. I think this was one of my favourite days. We were stationed in the loft of the building for the next three days and this first day was packed with interactive activities led by the 2IDHP about what freedom means to us, what criteria we thought the jury should apply when shortlisting candidates, what problems we might face and how to solve them… We also met the President of the jury Emmanuel Davidenkoff who was very kind, down-to-earth and good at guiding our work throughout the deliberations, as well as Clovis, who was doing his compulsory week placement for high school with the Institute that week and fit in perfectly with the group. That afternoon we visited a photography exhibition by Jacques Langevin titled Tian’anmen 1989 and got to do a Q&A with the photographer which was really interesting, as well as attended the official welcome cocktail with the press and prize partners. It was also an honour to meet Charles Norman Shay, a WWII and Korean War veteran who spoke about the importance of peace and involving the youth. It was a lovely evening.

The next day was the first proper day of deliberations. We had to cut down the candidates from 167 to 10! Fortunately, the system designed by the 2IDHP works very well and after individual decisions, for and against debates and group work, we succeeded. That afternoon we also met the President of the Region of Normandy and managed to snap a photo with him.

I particularly enjoyed the group work part of this first day of deliberations.  We were split into groups of 5 and given two hours to pick 2 candidates out of 20. Not an easy feat, but it was amazing to be given full freedom on how to approach our selection process and to voice our own opinions on the candidates and come to an agreement together. I’m super proud of my little group for their work as a team – you did fantastic! And I’m also proud of the whole jury as there were no nasty discussions at any point, which just goes to show how young people are able to maturely work together to achieve a common goal!

(c) Julien Buyck

On the second day of deliberations we had to select the three finalists from our list of 10 candidates that had passed the previous round. This day entailed more in-depth research about the candidates, done in groups, not just about the good aspects of each candidate, but also their weaknesses. After lunch we listened to the presentations of the findings on each candidate and could ask questions or comment on what was being said, in order to be as informed as possible when deciding individually and casting our anonymous votes afterwards.

So, here are the 3 finalists for the 2020 Freedom Prize:

·         Loujain Al-Hathloul: Saudi Arabian women’s rights activist.

·         Father Pedro Opeka: Argentinian missionary who fights poverty in Madagascar.

·         Nasrin Sotoudeh: Iranian human rights and women’s rights lawyer.

We finally made it and it felt amazing to have risen up to the challenge!

The following days were spent exploring the region. On Sunday we visited Le Havre on a guided tour which I found pretty interesting. I had been to the city before during my year abroad but through the visit I learnt a lot more about the Le Havre and we were also allowed into the Perret show flat which was a 50s dream. After lunch we were given free time in Honfleur so I walked around this little seaside town and then we all got absolutely drenched by the rain on our way back to the bus…

On Monday we visited La Cambe German war cemetery, Omaha beach and the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial (Colleville-sur-Mer) with a guide. I had been to the beach and American cemetery before but not the German one and it was interesting to compare the two: white crosses for the Allies and black crosses for the Germans… 

After lunch we visited the Mémorial de Caen which is a great museum about war around the world and its consequences during the 20^th century. It is full of information and artefacts and I found the exhibition super interesting. I would’ve loved to spend more time there but we had to go to the city centre of Caen (we were given some free time to walk around- again, not my first time in Caen) and then had our official farewell dinner at Le Bistronome.

After very little sleep, the next morning it was an early rise to get my 6am coach to the airport to fly back home. I had to do a lot of waiting around since my flight was not until 5:30pm, but we had to go past Charles de Gaulle to drop off some of the other internationals first, so I had to leave that early… I eventually got home at around midnight, completely exhausted.

I had an amazing week. I found the deliberation side extremely interesting: not just learning about each candidate but also discussing, researching and working together with the other members, who I wouldn’t have met otherwise. I know all of them have very bright futures ahead of them and I can’t wait to see what they get up to! I will miss the international dances in the evening, the sweet messages and guessing each other’s secrets, sharing delicious international treats, dancing and just chilling until late (well, not that late for me because I’m a grandma and if I don’t sleep I can’t function the following day…). MERCI à tous, ça a été un plaisir de partager cette expérience avec vous !

The next steps of the prize

What next? Well, voting for the winner opens on the 9^th of March, so keep your eyes peeled on social media and the links I shared above to take part!

And… guess what… in June I should be off to Caen again (if I can take leave) to attend the official ceremony and the Peace Forum. I hope I can make it and I can’t wait to see the others again. Thanks again for the amazing opportunity.

À bientòt!

Zoe

Photo credits: Julien Buyck (as stated), other jury members and myself

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El proceso de Homologación y Equivalencia: the truth about studying abroad and coming back to Spain

*Please share / Se agradece la difusión*

[Más abajo encontrarás la versión en español]

Hey!

Today is a different kind of post. As you know might know, I’m Spanish but I decided to study both my Bachelors and Master degree in the United Kingdom. I had an amazing time studying abroad (which I documented on the blog if you fancy it) and would not have done it differently, but today I want to talk about the reality of Spanish bureaucracy once you’re done with your higher studies abroad and return home, or decide to move to work in Spain (and from my last few posts, you can probably guess, it’s not fun).

Here is the lowdown of returning to Spain and trying to regulate your studies abroad.

MY BACKGROUND

As I said, I am Spanish and I moved to the UK in 2014 to study at university. I completed a BA(Hons) in Modern Languages and European Studies (French and Italian) and an MA Interpreting and Translating (French and Spanish) from the University of Bath, so all my higher education studies were done in the UK.

Now, you would think that since I studied within the European Higher Education Area and I come from a country which also belongs to this group, coming back home with my British certificates would not be an issue… Well, you’re wrong.

WHY WOULD YOU NEED TO ‘HOMOLOGAR’ OR ASK FOR THE ‘EQUIVALENCIA’?

The reason I initially began to look into the homologation/equivalence process was because it kept creeping up as a requirement for many things I wanted to do or achieve in Spain. I kept finding that to apply for Government internships, any institutional work and to try to take the official sworn translator exams in Spain [traductor jurado], having the ‘homologación’ was a requirement. Again, even though both Spain and the UK belonged to the EU / EHEA.

This proved to be a problem even further once I finished my studies and decided to come back to Tenerife while I reassessed the next steps in my career. I went to my local Employment Office to sign up with a careers advisor, only to be told I could not gain access to adequate training programmes, grants or even graduate jobs because I didn’t have the degree equivalence (degree – not even talking about my MA at this point). This meant I could not access ‘level 2’ training (for those with a degree) or jobs that require a degree such as language teacher. This was incredibly frustrating because, although I had gone abroad and successfully completed a Bachelors and Master degree which would be extremely valuable in Spain, the Spanish Government and institutions were doing all that was possible not to let me access the market.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Last year, after beginning my MA, I came back home for Christmas and thought it would be a good idea to begin applying, since you generally have to go to the appropriate office in person… Spoiler, the application is a long process.

First, I had to decide what route to go down, as homologation and equivalence are both different processes. On the one hand, the ‘homologación’ allows you to work in certain regulated professions such as architect, medical doctor or high school teacher. On the other, the ‘equivalencia’ provides a degree equivalence in the same field depending on your type of higher studies (arts and humanities in my case).

For those interested or having to go through the process (good luck!), here is more information what you have to provide, where you need to go and what you need to do (in Spanish): HOMOLOGACIÓN and EQUIVALENCIA

The documents required are pretty much the same for both instances:

·         The application form provided in the pages linked above (these are different depending on what you are applying for, so definitely check!).

·         A certified copy of your ID document (DNI if you are Spanish).

·         A certified copy of your certificate and a certified translation (by an accredited Spanish sworn translator).

·         A certified copy of your transcript stating the duration of the course, contents, subjects studied and work hours of each of them, plus a certified translation of these documents (again, by an accredited Spanish sworn translator).

·         Proof of payment of the fee (from the bank), a fee which (as of January 2020) is 163.22€

·         Proof of language ability if Spanish is not your mother tongue (more in Article 17 of Orden ECD/2654/2015, de 3 de diciembre).

I had to gather all of these documents and submit them at the delegation of the Ministry of Education in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which I did on the 28^th of December 2018. They were really strict with the documents and almost rejected me because I had not brought the original certificates, even though I had the required certified copies. To save you hassle, I would suggest you just take the originals with you and ask that they copy and certify them themselves (you will have to pay a fee, but at least they can’t reject you). Then one of the ladies working there checked that I had all the necessary documents and sent me to another office to get them scanned and sent to Madrid. They give you all the physical documents back, with a sticker stating the name of the office where you submitted your files, the date and time they were sent and a Registration Number. And then they tell you to go home and wait for the Ministry to contact you, which will likely be in the form of a letter some point in the [very] distant future.

WAITING…AND WAITING…AND WAITING SOME MORE

And I say distant future, because the lady at the office told us it would take at least three months for my file to reach the top of the pile. This is because all certificates are funnelled into the same application process, no matter where they are from – which means no distinction between countries from the EU and the rest of the world, despite the efficient way obviously being splitting them up into EHEA vs ‘rest of the world’… but we don’t do efficient here in Spain. Anyhow, it’s been over a year and I have not heard back at all.

I repeat: it’s been over a year. No news. And what is worse, no way to find out what is going on. And believe me, I have tried.

Let’s go back to this Registration Number. Cool, I have a number for my file; surely I can use it to find out more? Sorry to crush your dreams. Honestly, it seems like there is no point in having one. There is no online page where you can check the progress (despite the application clearly done remotely by sending the documents electronically).

After much investigation and speaking to various different people in my network, a friend who had to apply a few years ago gave me the contact details of someone in the Madrid offices who could probably help. I count myself lucky because my sister is living in Madrid so while I was visiting her back in September I went over to the address my friend had given me, Calle Los Madrazo 15, that is, the Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional. So I get there, and the receptionist asks me what I’m there for. I explain that I am looking for information on my ‘equivalencia’ application for my university degree. He says they don’t deal with that there anymore (sorry, what?) and hands me a slip of paper with some information. Apparently, ‘homologaciones’ and ‘equivalencias’ are now handled by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, which has no physical office that is open to the public, so I have to phone customer services or go online instead.

I leave the building and, I kid you not, I stand outside and ring the number straight-away. I have to wait for 5 or 7 minutes until someone eventually picks up and the person on the phone literally says he can’t look my file up and instructs me to go online on the MCIU website > Online Platform > Customer Services > Written Help and to complete the form to send a message with all my information so that someone would eventually get back to me. This was all on the 12^th of September 2019. I still have not received any replies. You don’t even receive any reference number or way of identifying your query, so I have no proof on my side that I have sent this message. I sent another message in October. Same deal: no slip, no reply.

In November I was getting really fed up that nobody was bothering to contact me back, so I filed a complaint for lack of transparency. Again, to this day I have not received any information regarding my complaint, not even the alleged email receipt the webpage itself states that you are meant to receive.

Can you tell I’ve had enough of Spanish bureaucracy yet?

It’s been over a year and no news. I phoned the Ministry again last week and I was told the waiting time for your file to be reviewed – not approved, reviewed – is one and a half years for equivalences and two years minimum for homologations. So here I am, destined to wait (and I haven’t even begun the process for my MA degree…).

If you want to try your luck, the phone number for the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades is +34 912 582 852 (Monday – Friday 9:00-19:00 / Saturday 9:00 – 14:00). To go on the webpage, click here.

IN CONCLUSION

What now then? Well, it seems all I can do is wait. Wait and go abroad, because there is no point in staying in Spain.

I can’t access help from the Employment Office, I can’t apply for grants and I can’t apply to sit any institutional tests. I can’t apply to be a language assistant abroad (the equivalent of the British Council Assistantships). I can only work in the private sector in Spain and right now, I have no interest in doing this when I could be abroad doing what I am skilled at and that I trained for, and earning higher wages.

What frustrates me the most about this process isn’t even the fact that it takes so long. Spanish bureaucracy is known for not being one of the fastest… or most transparent or easy to navigate for that matter.

What bothers me the most is that politicians complain about brain drain and youth unemployment: all of these amazing graduates who are highly skilled and educated and leave Spain, taking their worth elsewhere instead of contributing to the Spanish economy - WELL HELLO?! I’M HERE! I WANT TO COME BACK! WHY WON’T YOU LET ME?! By making the ‘homologación’ a requirement for so many processes and opportunities, yet failing to improve the process to obtain it, all they are doing is creating even more obstacles for a generation which is struggling to find work as it already is.

Unfortunately, the moral of my story is: If you go abroad to study, stay abroad and don’t bother to come back.

I do hope this will change in the future. See you back in 6 years, perhaps by then I will have finally received the bloody letter.

*ESPAÑOL*

¡Hola!

Esta es una publicación algo diferente. Como muchos saben, soy española pero decidí irme al Reino Unido para cursar mis estudios de grado y de posgrado (máster). Lo pasé genial estudiando allá (todo documentado en el blog si les apetece echar un vistazo) y no cambiaría la experiencia por nada del mundo, pero hoy quiero hablar de la realidad de la burocracia española una vez has acabado tus estudios en el extranjero y decides volver a casa, o si simplemente decides venir a trabajar a España (y, por mis últimas publicaciones, creo que puedes adivinar que no ha sido nada divertido).

Aquí tienes todos los detalles sobre cómo es volver a España y tratar de reglar tus estudios universitarios cursados en el extranjero.

MI CASO

Como he dicho, soy española y me mudé al Reino Unido en 2014 para ir a la universidad. Acabé un Grado en Lenguas Modernas y Estudios Europeos (Francés e Italiano) y un Máster de Interpretación y Traducción (Francés y Español) en la Universidad de Bath, así que todos mis estudios universitarios los cursé en el Reino Unido.

Ahora, pensarías que, ya que estudié dentro del Espacio Europeo de Educación y vengo de un país que también pertenece al grupo, regresar a casa con mis diplomas británicos no sería un problema… Pues te equivocas.

¿POR QUÉ NECESITAS HOMOLOGAR TUS ESTUDIOS O PEDIR LA EQUIVALENCIA?

La razón por la que, inicialmente, empecé a buscar información sobre el proceso fue porque aparecía una y otra vez como requisito para muchas cosas que quería conseguir o hacer en España. Para pedir becas o prácticas al Gobierno, para trabajo institucional o para intentar opositar como traductor jurado me pedían tener los estudios homologados. De nuevo, a pesar de que tanto España como el Reino Unido pertenecen al Espacio Europeo de Educación, a la Unión Europea y al Plan Bologna.

Esta situación me planteó incluso más problemas una vez terminé mis estudios y decidí volver a Tenerife mientras decidía cuáles serían los siguientes pasos en mi carrera. Fui a mi Oficina de Empleo para que me asignasen una orientadora laboral y ella me dijo que no podía acceder a los programas de formación, becas o incluso trabajos para licenciados ya que no tenía mi grado homologado (el grado – ni siquiera estoy hablando de mi Máster). Así que no podía acceder a cursos de Nivel 2, reservados a personas con grado universitario, a pesar de haber estudiado en el extranjero y no sólo tener un Grado sino también un Máster, una educación que sería muy valiosa en España. Pero no, el Gobierno español y las instituciones parecían estar haciendo todo lo posible para evitar que pudiera acceder al mercado laboral.

EL PROCESO DE SOLICITUD

El año pasado, mientras cursaba mi Máster, volví a casa para pasar las navidades y decidí que sería buena idea comenzar los trámites para obtener la equivalencia de mi Grado, ya que normalmente tienes que asistir presencialmente… Les advierto que el proceso es larguíííííííísimo.

Primero, tienes que decidir qué solicitud quieres hacer, porque no es lo mismo la homologación que la equivalencia. Por un lado, la homologación te da acceso a profesiones reguladas en España como arquitecto, médico o profesor de idiomas. Por otro lado, la equivalencia te da, pues eso, una equivalencia en el mismo campo de tus estudios (en mi caso, artes y humanidades).

Para los que estén interesados o que tengan que comenzar los trámites (¡buena suerte!), aquí tienen más información sobre qué documentos tienen que presentar, dónde y cómo: HOMOLOGACIÓN o EQUIVALENCIA

Los documentos requeridos son básicamente los mismos en ambos casos:

·         Formulario de solicitud que se puede obtener en los enlaces que acabo de poner (son diferentes dependiendo de la ruta a seguir, así que infórmate bien).

·         Copia compulsada de tu documento de identidad (DNI en el caso de ser español).

·         Copia compulsada del título solicitado con traducción oficial si fuera necesaria (por un traductor jurado).

·         Copia compulsada de la certificación académica incluyendo la duración del curso, plan de estudios, asignaturas y carga horaria y traducción oficial (jurada).

·         Acreditación del pago de la tasa (en un banco). La tasa es, a fecha de hoy (enero 2020), 163,22€

·         Pruebas de competencia lingüística si el español no es tu lengua materna (más información en el Artículo 17 de la Orden ECD/2654/2015, de 3 de diciembre).

Tuve que reunir todos los documentos y presentarlos en la delegación del Ministerio de Educación en Santa Cruz de Tenerife, y así lo hice el 28 de diciembre de 2018. Fueron muy estrictos en cuanto a los documentos y casi me rechazaron porque no había traído conmigo los originales, a pesar de tener copias compulsadas. Para ahorrarte problemas, sugiero que lleves los originales y pidas que te hagan ellos las copias compulsadas (tendrás que pagar pero al menos así no habrá problemas). Una de las señoras trabajando en la oficina comprobó que tenía todos los documentos y me envió a otra oficina distinta para que los escaneasen y enviasen a Madrid. Te devuelven todos los documentos físicos, con una pegatina donde pone el nombre de la oficina donde los presentaste, la fecha y hora a la que se enviaron y un Número de Registro. Y luego te dicen que te vayas a casa y que esperes a que el Ministerio se ponga en contacto contigo, algo que probablemente ocurra en forma de carta en algún momento del futuro [muy] lejano.

ESPERAR, ESPERAR Y ESPERAR UN POCO MÁS

Cuando digo futuro lejano no lo digo en broma, porque la señora de la oficina nos dijo que pasarían al menos tres meses antes de que mi solicitud llegase a lo alto de la pila. Esto es porque todos los certificados se procesan por la misma vía, no importa el país de origen – lo que significa que no se distingue entre países de la UE y el resto del mundo, a pesar de que la manera eficiente de hacerlo sería dividirlos entre países del Espacio de Educación Europeo y el “resto del mundo”… pero en España eso no importa. En cualquier caso, ha pasado más de un año y sigo sin tener noticia alguna.

Repito: ha pasado más de un año. Sin noticias. Y lo que es peor, no hay manera de averiguar en qué estado está mi solicitud. Y créeme que lo he intentado.

Volvamos a lo del Número de Registro. Genial, tengo un número para identificar mi solicitud; seguro que lo podré usar para averiguar más, ¿no? Pues siento decepcionarte. Sinceramente, creo que ni siquiera tiene sentido tener un Número de Registro. No hay portal electrónico donde se pueda ver el progreso (a pesar de que la solicitud se envía telemáticamente).

Tras mucho investigar y hablar con conocidos, una amiga que tuvo que pedir la equivalencia hace unos años me dio el contacto de alguien en las oficinas de Madrid que quizás podría ayudarme. Y yo tengo suerte porque mi hermana vive en Madrid, así que cuando fui a visitarla en septiembre me acerqué a la dirección que me habían dado, Calle Los Madrazo 15, es decir, el Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional. Así que llego y el recepcionista me pregunta para qué estoy allí y le explico que busco información sobre el estado de mi proceso de equivalencia. Y me dice que allí ya no se ocupan de las equivalencias (¿cómo?) y me da una hoja de papel con información. Al parecer, es el Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades el que se ocupa ahora de las homologaciones y las equivalencias, y este ministerio no tiene oficinas abiertas al público así que todas las consultas se hacen por teléfono o por la página web.

Abandono el edificio, me paro en la acera de enfrente y llamo al teléfono directamente. Tengo que esperar 5 o 7 minutos hasta que alguien me responde y la persona al otro lado de la línea me dice que no puede buscar mi solicitud y que vaya a la página web del MCIU>Sede Electrónica>Atención Ciudadana>Atención Escrita y que rellene el formulario de ‘Consultas Generales’ con mi información para que alguien me responda. Eso hice el 12 de septiembre de 2019 y a día de hoy no me ha respondido nadie. Ni siquiera te dan un código de seguimiento para tu consulta, así que por mi parte no tengo pruebas de haber enviado nunca nada. En octubre envié otro mensaje a la página web. Lo mismo: sin código ni respuesta.

En noviembre ya me estaba fastidiando que nadie se molestase en contestar, así que pedí una solicitud de información en la página de transparencia del Gobierno. De nuevo, a día de hoy no he recibido ninguna respuesta a mi solicitud ni petición de transparencia, ni siquiera el supuesto correo electrónico que - según la misma página web - debía recibir del Ministerio.

¿Se nota que estoy algo harta de la burocracia española?

Hace ahora más de un año y aún no he tenido noticias. Hace una semana volví a llamar al MCIU y me dijeron que el tiempo de espera para que se comenzase a revisar la solicitud es de al menos un año y medio para equivalencias y al menos dos años para homologaciones. Así que aquí sigo, esperando (y aún no he empezado los trámites para mi Máster…).

Si quieres probar suerte, el teléfono del Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades es +34 912 582 852 (lunes a viernes de 9:00 a 19:00 / sábados de 9:00 a 14:00). Para ir a la página web, haz clic aquí.

EN CONCLUSIÓN

¿Y ahora qué? Bueno, pues parece que lo único que puedo hacer es esperar. Esperar e irme al extranjero, porque no tiene ningún sentido quedarme en España.

No puedo acceder a las ayudas de la Oficina de Empleo, no puedo pedir becas ni optar a ninguna oposición. No puedo pedir las becas de profesor de idiomas en el extranjero que ofrece el Gobierno. En España, sólo puedo trabajar en el sector privado y, ahora mismo, no me interesa porque en vez de eso puedo estar en el extranjero trabajando y usando mis habilidades y conocimientos por los que tanto tiempo estuve estudiando, además de ganando salarios mayores.

Lo que más me frustra no es ni siquiera que se tarde tanto tiempo en obtener la homologación. La burocracia española nunca ha sido rápida, ni la más transparente ni fácil de navegar.

Lo que más me molesta es oír a los políticos quejándose de la fuga de cerebros y el desempleo juvenil: todos estos licenciados que están muy capacitados y poseen una buena educación pero que se van de España, llevándose toda esa riqueza con ellos en lugar de contribuir a la economía española - ¡HOLA! AQUÍ ESTOY YO. ¡QUIERO VOLVER! ¿POR QUÉ NO ME DEJAN? Haciendo de la homologación un requisito para tantas oportunidades pero luego no facilitando su obtención, lo único que hacen es crear incluso más obstáculos para una generación que ya de por sí tiene dificultades para encontrar trabajo.

Desgraciadamente, la moraleja de mi historia es esta: Si te vas al extranjero a estudiar, quédate allí y no vuelvas.

Espero que esto cambie en el futuro. Nos vemos dentro de 6 años, igual por entonces ya habré recibido la maldita carta.