Learning Experience
I came to USAMV Cluj-Napoca for learning about the sensory analysis of honey with Assoc. Prof. Laura Stan, PhD. I have joined the course “Art of tasting and sensory analysis” and I had many interesting experiences in this class – a sensory experience on foods, drinks, and spices, but above all the sensory experience of honey. I had no idea honey has so many different smells, tastes, and aromas, so that this experience was indeed very interesting!
It was not just a classroom experience; I brought some honey samples from Thailand to practice sensory analysis. Laura introduced me to some people who experienced in sensory analysis and I have learned from their experiences. It was so exciting to see that they were able to distinguish the many aromas and flavors combined in Thai honeys.
Moreover, Laura took me to visit the faculty’s pilot units where I observed the production of various foods such as yoghurt, wine, beer, and pastries. I was very excited to see the different types of food production equipment and processes on a factory scale that I had never seen before. Laura also took me to visit the honey and chemical composition analysis lab at the Institute for Life Sciences at USAMV Cluj-Napoca. It gave me the opportunity to see various advanced research works, as well as new techniques and equipment, many of which I have never seen before.
Accommodation and Other Facilities
During my mobility in Cluj-Napoca, I stayed in the student’s dormitory “USAMV Camin Agronomia”. I paid for it about 100 euro per month, which included: tap water, WIFI, electricity, washing machine, cooking gas. The students are accommodated here with same- gender roommates, and it is a place where you can meet people from different nationalities, making it possible to make friends and exchange each other’s cultures.
The rooms are furnished and equipped with refrigerators. In the bathroom, there is a shower cubicle with a water heater, so you don’t have to worry about the cold weather here. Each floor of the dormitory has a kitchen for everyone, so you can buy ingredients to cook yourself, but if you don’t want to cook, you can eat at the restaurants in the dormitory area as well.
This dormitory is about 650 meters from the university, so you can walk to campus in less than ten minutes. However, the Faculty of Science and Food Technology building, where I had to study, was about three kilometers from the hostel, but I preferred to walk to faculty rather than use public transportation, a forty-minute walk away and the same back, a healthy exercise each time I went there. I just needed to always manage my time for the walk to the faculty before the class starts.
The Human Experience
I was a bit scared of living in an unfamiliar city, especially this was my first time abroad, but I found the people in this city to be very friendly. Most people speak English, so you do not have to worry about communication.
The students I met in the dormitory also spoke English. Most of the time, I met different people while cooking in the kitchen so this became an opportunity to make many new friends.
Experience in the City of Cluj-Napoca
This is a small but very beautiful city with shopping malls, markets, and everything needed to live comfortably. There are also many attractions and also different ways and spaces to relax. I liked the traffic system in this city because it gives you the opportunity to go to various places using public buses at a very friendly price. I felt safe even when traveling on large sidewalks and crossing the road at crosswalks where all cars stopped for me to cross, even at crosswalks without traffic lights. Most people follow traffic rules very well.
I discovered a supermarket that was not far from the student dormitory, so I could easily buy ingredients for cooking or shopping for facilities.
There are also many traditional restaurants in the city and I tried different kinds of food, thanks to Laura who recommended and took me out to eat traditional Romanian food.
In just two months, I have visited many places of the city and attended some events:
The Ethnographical Museum of Transylvania: The museum shows the technologies used over time in Transylvania.
The Zoological Museum: A collection of stuffed animals all in one place.
Alexandru Borza Botanical Garden: An impressive collection of plants from all over the world.
Saint Michael Church: The second largest church in the geographical region of Transylvania, Romania.
Steampunk Transylvania: A fantastic Fantasy Museum (worth visiting!)
- The Ethnographic Park Romulus-Vuia: A collection of buildings and technologies from the cities of ancient Romania.
- Central Park Cluj-Napoca: is one of the main green spaces in Cluj-Napoca.
- Cetățuia Park: The small park is located on top of a hill, offering a panoramic view of the
entire city. - Iulius Park: A park near the Iulius shopping mall.
- The Tailors’ Tower: the second entry to the citadel (14th century)
- The Romanian National Opera, Cluj-Napoca: I watched my first ballet there.
- “Cluj Days” event: a celebration of the entire community for Cluj residents and tourists!
- Cluj-Napoca Christmas Fair: Christmas festivities with lots of festive merchandise
Erasmus+ Experience
The experience offered me the opportunity to meet so many people, to share my life experience, to learn and gain new experiences in Cluj-Napoca through this mobility.
It’s really worth it!
