Or as we say in the Netherlands… - International Relations and Politics in the EU Blog by Nathan Johnston

[We are all] like tea bag[s]. [We] only know [our] strength when put into hot water. - Nancy Regan.

It seems that I’ve developed a habit for starting each post with a quotation, and in the end they are but snappy summaries of my week…but as we say in the Netherlands Al regende het varkens, je krijgt er geen borstel van, literally meaning Even a rain of pigs doesn't give you a brush and figuratively meaning, that me using someone else’s words doesn’t really count as a blog now does it? So here we go…

Last time I left you we had all arrived back at our own little palace, the UniMaa Guesthouse, a day before we would start the whole course. A quick word about the Guesthouse to anyone thinking of coming on this course in the future, we think it’s an old mental institute, that might be because all of us here are a bit batty ourselves, or maybe it’s the ghosts we’ve seen walking around, either way the rooms are actually really spacious and equipped and it’s fun to try to scare your roommates with a few mental stories here and there! I guess that’s what that first week was for though, getting the vibe of the place, becoming realmates with your roommates (just a shout out to my corridor, GroundControl!) and getting a sense of friendship in the group…because little did we know we’d need it when the course put us through our paces.

The only challenge on that first Monday morning though was getting used to waking up at a respectable hour. It seems we’d all been lulled into a false sense of security by our Australian holiday season and the lifestyle of your standard dirty backpacker. To shake the sleep from our eyes however: a day of touring the beautiful little historic hub that is Maastricht. What a town. Middle aged walls half buried, a striking red church clock tower adjacent a 13th century cathedral, the secret to why we toast drinks ‘to our health’ or buy our mates ‘a round’, a sea of Roman aged tunnels leading all the way to the Belgian border, the elegant Apostelhoeve winery and of course our beloved Vrijthof, or as we say in the Netherlands…oh wait it’s just Vrijthof. But as I said, this was all just the calm before the storm…





The electric Professor Matt Heckman is a force to be reckoned with. For those at home thinking of coming over, I don’t mean to scare you but the dynamic speed and content of this course mesmerised me on the first the day. He manages to bring together law, economic, international relations and politics in a homogenous program that while I have found challenging (let’s face it I could just be a bit more simple than the other students) I have equally found rewarding. On Wednesday, after our jaws had been scooped up off of Tuesday’s floor, we were keeping pace without any chance of being bored, but as Nancy Regan has said, how do we know ourselves until we’re placed in some hot water?

Luckily, we had some student guides to help us cool off. Our traditional Dutch ‘Pancake Night’…or as we say in the Netherlands Pannenkoeken Avond…soon turned into an indoctrination into the culture of the Netherlands that was not only joyfully taken, but proactively craved. Despite our Aussie Masterchef team of myself and Sophie outshining the Dutch students in the realm of whipping up a pannenkoeken feast, the night lead to something else traditionally Dutch…a spot of drinking! We struggled to learn to count from five backwards in Dutch in order to play a certain party game, but now that the night is over, I struggle to count up from one. Veive, Veer, Dree, Drei, Eine! We were also introduced to the Highlander, one of our most beloved institutions in the whole of the Netherlands, a night some of us will never forget and a select few will never remember!



So after the week that was, we find ourselves sitting in Brussels on a group weekend trip, post the hectic week of learning. But don’t think that Brussels is an exception to the week’s rule, just as much learning has occurred here at the European Parliament and European Commission as has occurred in our familiar little multi-coloured lecture hall. After visiting the world-voted best and biggest bar in the world with the world’s largest selection of beers, it was a necessity to visit the adjacent bar that conveniently contained the world’s largest array of Absinth. This cosy little corner contained Absinthe ranging from a mere 30% alcohol content l to a colossal 92%. With the sole pure intention of blog investigation, I thought it necessary to join some friends who were sampling said 92% absinthe shot. Suffice to say my sinuses are now clear.



With an historical tour of this amazing city to get to, and another day of bathing in history and information to enjoy I guess it’s time I said goodbye for this week…or as we say in the Netherlands, HOI HOI!









Nathan Johnston is participating in our January 2012 International Relations and Politics in the EU program at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Nathan is about to enter into his 2nd year of a Combined Bachelor of Laws/International Studies degree at the University Wollongong.

Learning From Traveling - International Relations and Politics in the EU Blog by Jingjing Zhang

I am doing International Relations and Politics at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. The course is focused on the history, structure and politics in the European Union.

I came to Europe on 17th December, 2011, twenty days before the class. I was traveling in the twenty days and have been to Berlin, Koln, Milan, Venice, Rome, Geneva, Paris, Madrid, Toledo,Valencia, Barcelona and Eindhoven all by myself. I feel excited as this is my first time to Europe and this was the longest solo travel I had done so far. This trip is a preparation for my study, which not only let me get to used to the weather in Europe, but get to know different people and cultures.

Berlin is an important city for temporary international relationship after World War Two. I felt shocked when I visited the Berlin Wall Museum. Back during the Cold War, relatives and friends were separated by man-made barriers. Many young students and parents wanted to escape from one side of the Berlin Wall and reunite with their family on the other side, but unfortunately some of them were shot. The youngest victim was a three-month-old boy. The memory of war is just one part of Berlin. As same as other cities in Europe, Berlin has been rebuilt on the ruins.

Rome is the origin of Western Europe culture and the center during the Renaissance. Walking in the city, I was always surprised when a palace or a fountain suddenly appeared around the next corner.

I was in Paris on New Year Eve. I will never forget that thousands of people squeezed in the Champs-Elysees, waiting for the new year countdown at night. Standing besides were six thousand armed policemen.

Spain is warmer than other places in Europe at the moment. Valencia is in its spring and I love the orange juice! One hour drive to the south of Madrid is Toledo, a city with Crusades castle on the top of the mountain. Christian, Jewish and Muslim cultures coexisted here.

Europe has a long history. The establishment of European Union will definitely be part of it. Will be really interesting to know how European contries came up with this idea to prevent war, to preserve its cultures and promote the economic development.

Jingjing Zhang is participating in our January 2012 International Relations and Politics in the EU program at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Jingjing is about to enter into her 4th year of a Bachelor of Arts degree at Edith Cowan University.

Or as we say in the Netherlands… - International Relations and Politics in the EU Blog by Nathan Johnston

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” Mark Twain.

If you try googling ‘travel quotes’ you’ll soon come across a robust list of snappy one-liners, clichés, word tapestries and thought provokers. I could have easily chosen twenty to kick-start this blog with, however if I have gained any impression of Maastricht, CES, AIM, The Netherlands and the new friends that I’m currently sitting around the dinner table with, it is one of broad-mindedness.

Hello, or as we say in the Netherlands, Dag!

We arrived exactly a week ago now. Some of us were bright eyed and bushy tailed, some were hungover from their one night stop over in Amsterdam and then there were those that you could just tell had been backpacking for weeks prior (they’re usually the unshaven ones with a slight odour). However we arrived in Maastricht, we were here as a single broadminded group, united in common purposes; discover the world and discover ourselves. But our goals mean more than it appears, they mean discovering the world beyond studying International Relations just as they mean discovering ourselves beyond our Positive Psychology. We are here to live and learn, and after some introductory sessions with the lovely Aude and Dario and the CES crew, we got right to it.



So what exactly do Aussie students get up to when they’re thrown together in the pulsing heart of Europe? It seems that despite the helpful Student Assistants’ introduction to Dutch supermarkets, the first night had pub dinners on everyone’s menu. A great get to know you. Roommates were met, the seeds of friendships were planted and even a few nicknames found their origins. It seems that we all found our beds a lot earlier than usual that night, psyching up for a day of orientation and getting to know this gem of a city.

The next day lived up to our expectations and more as some of us dared to try the very romantic national dish of The Netherlands, hot chips and mayo…or as we say in the Netherlands fritz met fritzsauce (little did I know this would later be one of the only Dutch phrases I can pronounce well).

As friendships were forged under the good vibes of CES and fritz, a free weekend soon opened up a whole world of imagination to us. Suddenly the penny dropped and we realised that we were in Europe…we were actually in Europe…it sounds stupid now but who knew we had been flung smack bang in the middle of a whole stack of countries accessible by a short train trip!



Imaginations ran wild as a million and one different plans were made and remade. While some journeyed to dubstep parties and cathedral climbing in Cologne, others were tempted by the home of chocolate itself; Belgium. Some day-tripped to the close by Aachen for some real German character, while a few friends and I embarked on a classic Australian pseudo-pilgrimage to Ieper (Ypres). Drenched in history and solemness, this incredibly friendly Belgian town taught us so much about our own country, despite being on the other side of the world. Seeing my own great uncle’s name on the walls of the Menin Gate will truly be an experience I won’t forget.



That’s the crazy thing about travelling though, just how much you learn about yourself, your home and other people and by adding studying to the equation you create an explosive package. It seems I’ve been too ambitious by setting out to write about a whole week, so I’ll spare your eyes and write another post soon about our first week of actual class.

Until then, as we say in the Netherlands, HOI HOI!








Nathan Johnston is participating in our January 2012 International Relations and Politics in the EU program at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Nathan is about to enter into his 2nd year of a Combined Bachelor of Laws/International Studies degree at the University Wollongong.

Week one - International Relations and Politics in the EU Blog by Sophie Ootes

Week One

There’s always that night of excitement just before you embark on something new, a mixture of excitement, nervousness and curiosity. I arrived in Maastricht having been travelling around Europe since mid November, and spent this night of excitement in Breda (a small town between Amsterdam and Maastricht). The train in the morning took just under 2 hours, and the bus to the guesthouse another 20 minutes and a quick walk. It was an easy journey following the directions we’d been given, with the only problem being that it seemed to lead me to a hospital!

After a little confusion, I realised that our accommodation was in fact an old mental hospital, part of which was now used as the university guesthouse. I had decided to share a room as it was the cheaper option, and it seemed like a fantastic opportunity to meet more people.

I had been expecting a tiny excuse for a room – we were in the Netherlands after all – however our room turned out to be absolutely massive. We have a nice set up, with a bed, cupboard, desk, shelving and a comfy arm chair each, plus a sink, and then about an acre of space in the middle. Our corridor then has a shared kitchen and bathroom.



The next day and also on Monday (the weekend was free and many people travelled to Germany or Belgium) we were given tours of the beautiful city of Maastricht, and given a whole load of practical information. We also visited some interesting places such as the Sint Pieter Caves and a winery. Here’s my attempt at sharing some of the most interesting things with you:

• ‘Maastricht’ means crossing the river Maas. It was taken over many times by different countries as it had one of the main bridges across the river, and so having possession of the city meant that you could move on and take more land.

• The city stands on lots of rubbish – this fact stunned me a little as it kills the romance of the city a little, but apparently everyone used to dump their rubbish in the streets and no one cleaned and so over time areas of the city were raised. Parts of the city walls still stand, but over time they have become shorter and shorter as the rubbish piled up. Our guide told us that this created the small hills in the town.

• When the city was being attacked, the gates would be closed (obviously) and everyone would have to rely on what was inside. They had to make sure they had at least 6 months worth of food – beans etc, to make it through these times. They stored this food up in the rooves of their houses, and made little holes just big enough for small owls to fit into so that they could catch the mice, and also to make sure the food didn’t get to hot and catch alight during the hotter months. Also, when they were under attack, they would have to rely on the city water. This water was heavily polluted – many of the toilets dropped straight into the river, and often the attackers would deliberately pollute the water. Due to this, everyone was made to use wine and beer in their cooking and to drink instead of water. Apparently this is why when we raise our glasses before a meal we say ‘to your health’.

• People used to be taxed for their houses by the number of window pane they had, so you can spot the rich houses according to this!

Our visit to the caves was amazing. There are around 200km of these tunnels under Maastricht, and having visited the Catacombes in Paris (which I highly recommend), I was expecting something similar. I was very surprised at their sheer size – wide enough for a horses and carts, and as high as a small building. They began to cut out the stone blocks in the 13th century, and continued for many many years. The caves have been used for lots of things over the years, including in no particular order:

• The removed stones were used for buildings
• The caves were used for growing mushrooms
• To protect people from wars and invasions – there was even a bakery set up down there, wells, places for worship, advertisements painted on the walls, beautiful artwork on the walls.
• To smuggle people over (under!) the border into Belgium
  

Anyway, enough about Maastricht for now, I should say something about the whole reason we are here – the course! Our first information session was held in a beautiful lecture theatre. I won’t describe it, but I’ve included a picture!




For much of our time we are integrated with the students here for Psychology which is great because we all seem to get on well together, and the more the merrier! Our lectures have been interesting so far, with the course based around EU law, economics and politics. So far in my studies I have not learnt about these specific aspects of Europe, so I’m finding that I learn a lot each day – even though the lectures are 2 hours long without a break, so sometimes I find myself drifting off!!

This weekend we are travelling to Brussels and Bruges which is very exciting! We will be visiting a few places relevant to our course (because as with everything in Europe, they are literally just down the road), and also doing some sightseeing!

Tips of the week:

1. Make sure you always have cash and a credit card on you, preferably with a chip. Many of the supermarkets don’t take our credit cards, and the university charges you 25% extra if you pay with cash for things like food, printing etc. SO FRUSTRATING!

2. Also, the supermarkets make you pay extra for bags, which is great, unless you didn’t know and have to attempt to carry a 600kg bag of shopping home while it is breaking at the seams!

3. Look left AND right at roads. You will never remember which way they are actually going to come at you from!

Fun fact of the week:
The Dutch are the tallest people in the world, averaging 1.81cm for men and 1.68cm for women! The minimum required height for doors in new buildings is 2.32m.



Sophie Ootes is participating in our January 2012 International Relations and Politics in the EU program at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. Sophie is about to enter into her 4th year of a Combined Bachelor of Arts/Laws degree at the University of Adelaide.

AIMing Overseas - confessions of a travel-a-holic

Megan Donoghue, a Journalism/Law student from the University of Canberra (and self-confessed travel-a-holic) has previously participated in two of our programs: International Law and Human Rights and International Relations and Politics in the EU - and she's planning on going on our Oxford Creative Writing course next year! Megan writes about her travel addiction and how studying overseas has changed her life - and helped her score an awesome internship!

AIMing Overseas

My name is Megan, and I'm a travel-a-holic.

I'm currently studying a double degree at the University of Canberra in Journalism and Law and I've taken to jumping on an international flight at the end of each semester, and twice now have done so to attend a short-term international course through AIM Overseas.

I first became addicted when I flew to the Czech Republic to attend the International Law and Human Rights course in Brno. I bonded with the 20 other Australian students on the course over the cheapest beer in the world, trekked through the snow to attend classes, made a tonne of international connections, and headed to Vienna, Budapest and Prague on the weekends visiting different NGOs around Europe. The worst part was coming home.

Therefore when I saw that AIM Overseas was offering the International Relations and Politics in the EU program in the Netherlands, I jumped at the chance to go again! This time, instead of bonding over beer, we bonded in the coffee shops (although, as a true student city, Maastricht has more bars than days in the year!); we instantly became friends with the faculty who were exceptionally welcoming; we sat in on War Crimes trials in the Hague at the International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia (which was mind-blowing!); and of course we didn't miss the opportunity to head to Amsterdam! We partook in site visits during the day, and had our weekend evenings free to explore Europe.

I'm often asked how I can constantly afford my travel addiction. The answer is: no, I'm not selling drugs; I managed to get an OS-HELP government loan through my student exchange office for each of my courses. Because I was receiving credit for each course as an elective unit, I was given a $5,500 cheque for each trip and it went straight onto my HECS debt. The new flat-screen TV in my bedroom is amazing...just kidding!! Because the program fees already included so much, the only things I really spent money on during the 4 weeks were beer and souvenirs!

I've recently started a legal internship in Canberra and I was told that the reason I was picked above everyone else was because I had international study experience, which apparently translates into life experience. Now, with one year left of my degree, I'm psyched to go to Oxford next year and study creative writing.

I've been talking to a lot of people who have already graduated and one of the things they've mentioned is how they would have loved to have gone on an exchange. If you're scared or apprehensive about travelling, AIM Overseas is fantastic for supporting you 100% of the way, and just remember...in life you generally only regret the things you didn't do!

See you overseas!

Megan Donoghue


It's not all just about the studying! Megan and fellow participants enjoy a (leopard-print-themed) night out during the program


Winter in Europe and a bunch of excited Australians


AIM Overseas IR and Politics in the EU participants (and future diplomats of Australia perhaps?)

From Melbourne to Maastricht - Patrick Hannan talks about living and studying in the Netherlands

Patrick Hannan, a 21 year-old Bachelor of Legal Studies student from LaTrobe University, participated in AIM Overseas’ International Relations in the European Union program in the Netherlands. Patrick talks about his first trip abroad:

Hi Patrick! Tell me about why you decided to apply for this program?
I applied because I fitted the criteria for being eligible and it looked great as I could take this program as an elective and take off a second year subject. I liked the idea of being able to travel to Europe and study whilst I was there.

Was this the first time you’d travelled internationally?
Yeah. I’d never travelled outside of Australia before and hadn’t planned on doing so prior to finding out about this program. I’m not a fan of long flights – that’s the main reason why I never really considered going as far away as Europe or the US. I had friends who’d done long-terms exchanges overseas and it sounded amazing, but I had thought I might as well stay in Australia and think about travelling afterwards, if at all.

Did doing this program change the way you view things?
Yeah, absolutely! I’m completely open to travelling more and can’t wait to go again whenever the chance arises. My fear of flying, or what I thought was a fear of flying, is pretty much gone. I ended up being in Europe for two months in total and I can’t see why I was fearful in the first place.

Tell me about a typical day in Maastricht during your program.
Usually we got up early and we had class from 8.30 until about 1 o’clock. Early on in the program, a couple of others and I invested in bikes because it seemed like the most popular thing to do in the Netherlands. Typically, we’d wait until everyone else had left because it was about a 15 to 20 minute walk to class from the place we were staying, and we’d try to race down and beat everyone else – which some times happened, and sometimes not!

After class we’d usually be free to do what we pleased – we rode around, explored and found stuff to eat. We also did some really cool activities organised by the uni such as exploring these ancient tunnels outside of Maastricht – the “St. Petersburg Tunnels,” I think they’re called. It was really spectacular to see the history and culture in Europe and to see streets that hadn’t changed in hundreds of years. Coming from Melbourne, where most areas are quite new comparison, this was pretty remarkable.

Our short study trips to Brussels and Belgium and Amsterdam and the Hague were another really awesome aspect to the program.

Tell me what was the highlight of the trip for you?
Umm… I can’t pick out one specific highlight but the combination of studying this course and being with a really great bunch of people was great. We were from all different parts of Australia and we all got along really well. I also liked the climate – it’s quite odd, I know, but I like the winter. The overall experience of learning how to live in a new culture all added up to a really beneficial experience.

What did you enjoy learning about as part of the course?
We learnt about how the EU has developed their different pillars – like the European Commission and the European Parliament and the High Court of Justice. Learning this was very exciting because, coming from Australia, we’re just one nation; we’re part of Oceania but we don’t have the same access as countries within the EU do. Learning about the laws and the free movement of people between the different countries within the EU really opened my eyes to the benefits of being part of a supranational economy, unlike Australia.

The in-class discussions were also great; everyone in the class was really engaged. Even outside of class, we had some really great political discussions.

Our lecturer was very thorough in the way he lectured which helped me learn some pretty hard economic concepts, as I didn’t have any background in economics at all.

Do you have any funny travel stories you’d like to share?
The night we spent in Den Haag, a majority of the group of us, maybe 16 or so, went out to look for a place to eat. Anyhow I came across an Italian restaurant, and we went in to enquire on prices. The little old owner spoke rough English and was completely delighted with me bringing him in 16 or so customers after we decided to go in. We were given a couple of tables upstairs, and the owner kept coming back and forth quite excitedly seeing if our needs were being met. At one stage he (I thought) offered me a beer for free which I started to drink but then realised he wanted it back, haha. Anyway he then came back up and started singing in front of us with a microphone in Italian, to all of our surprise, with an accompanying backing track. Then one of the girls in our group said to him that it was someone in our groups birthday (Patryk's, however it wasn't at all) which then led to him getting so excited he went and got an impromptu birthday cake with a sparkler stuck into an orange, turned the lights down, lit the sparkler and sang an impassioned happy birthday to him in Italian... putting us all in hysterics!

Do you have any tips for future students thinking about doing this course?
In terms of travel, definitely plan well ahead. I mean, the program itself is very well-structured and the coordinators are very helpful. But I didn’t plan things well and ended up arriving a day early and leaving a day late. But it you pay attention in the pre-departure session with AIM Overseas, which I found really helpful, then it’s fine. Even for me, as a first time traveller, I didn’t have any problems with not bringing the right thing or anything like that – which is better than how I usually am in Australia!

AIM Overseas were really helpful before we left; I was especially impressed that they came to Melbourne and there was a bit of run-down on how things were going to go.

What would you say to somebody who’s thinking of doing the program?
Coming from my experience, if you’ve got no plans on going overseas and you’re slightly curious, then definitely look into any of AIM Overseas’ programs because there’s something covering most academic backgrounds.

Or even if you’re thinking of doing long-term study overseas, then I think one of these programs are a great way to get a taste of what five or six months would be like, which is the insight that I got. I decided after I finished that I wouldn’t have been able to do six months, but for one month it’s great! You get a taste of everything – living day-to-day, learning a new culture and getting outside your comfort zone. And in the space of a month you can knock off an elective in your degree. So I think if you’re considering doing it don’t think twice. If you don’t know anything about short-term programs then you should look into it because it’s quite easy to do if you commit yourself.

Thanks for speaking with us Patrick!


Patrick and the AIM Overseasers on a group excursion


Just one of the many historic buildings and monuments one is able to stumble upon when travelling in Europe


Patrick and friends enjoying dinner and drinks after a long day of sightseeing... what a tough life!