Alina Jose came all the way from Malapurram in India to start her master’s degree in Brussels. While she admits that she is costantly running short on time because of the many projects and lab sessiosn, she is thorougly enjoying her time in the beating heart of Europe. Lucky for us, she also found the time to tell us a little more about her time here and gave us a tour in her new room in the brand new X2 building. Let’s meet Alina and scroll down to see more pictures.
Text Tomas Coppens / Photo Franky Verdickt
“It is near impossible to compare university life to how it is in India. The culture here is very outgoing, with many parties and activities. On campus, but also in the city centre. One of my favourite things to do here is to visit Brussels by night. The lights, the busting city life… It is truly something to behold. Despite her four years of experience as a university student, it took some time to adjust to living in a student house. “Where I come from, it is common to stay in hostels where you don’t really have to cook, because there is a hall where everyone dines together. Luckily, the kitchen here is spacious, with enough utensils and storage for a proper cookout.”
The shared kitchen has become Alina’s favourite part of her student house in the brand new X Buildings: “I share my living unit with five other students, all from different countries. It has now become a tradition for us to get together at the weekend for a potluck dinner with signature dishes from our home countries. I remember vividly when I made a rather spicy Indian dish for everyone to share. Apparently, the kick of spice was a tad too potent, because my roommate from Azerbaijan burst into tears when she took a bite.
One of my favourite things to do here is to visit Brussels by night. The lights, the busting city life... It is truly something to behold.
When Alina shows the photographer around her room, what stands out is that it is very tidy, but only scarcely decorated. “That is on purpose”, she admits. “When I arrived here, it was all shiny and new. My room looked modern and clean, so I did not want to overstuff. I did add two elements to give it a personal touch: a board with all of my favourite memories and some paper crafts that I made for my younger cousins who live in Belgium. Because of the language barrier, it is sometimes hard to connect. Thanks to the origami animals I create for them, I am able to slowly but steadily learn how to pronounce my creations in Dutch. Like ‘kikker’ and ‘vogel’.”
Everything you need to know about Alina and her room in X2 building:
- Age: 23
- Studies: Master in Electrical Engineering
- Where: X2 building on campus
- Since when: September 2019
- Monthly cost: €316,30
- Roommates: 5
