Each month the Englsih Page invites foreign members of the TU community to share their thoughts with us. This week we meet Plamen Manoilov (49) from Bulgaria, an electrical engineer from the University of Rousse. Plamen is currently a Socrates exchange student at TU Delft’s EWI Faculty.
Why did you choose TU Delft?
“I didn’t exactly choose TU Delft. I chose the Netherlands among other countries. Frankly speaking, I cannot choose between universities in various countries relying only on their Internet pages. Of course I knew I’d be in Delft University of Technology, but during the last two years, I had been in the Netherlands three times and chose this country because I liked the people here.”
What do like about them?
“They’re kind (no matter that they see from first sight that I’m not from here-I have a black hair), they’re always smiling and ready to help you, and equally important, everybody speaks English here. I know the Dutch are patriots and love their country, but they are very wise to know English so well and to use one or two additional languages.”
Do you think other European countries would benefit from speaking English as well as the Dutch?
“I don’t like the way English and French people behave, for instance. They think that everybody should speak their language, yet they themselves do not learn other languages! I have colleagues now in Germany – we all passed English language exams together – and they’re having a lot of difficulties. They say that even knowing English, Germans don’t like to use it. So my colleagues are having lots of communication problems. I’m just glad I’m at Delft University. I’ve found very nice people here, especially my supervisor Leon Rothkrantz and colleagues Pavel Hrubes and Mark Wessel.”
If there was one thing about the TU you could change, what would it be?
“Honestly, I haven’t noticed anything at TU Delft that isn’t well thought out and doesn’t work perfectly. I’ve seen a lot of wise and useful things, here. Even small practical things like the eyelet I noticed in the door of the room where we were giving a presentation. This way, you can look through it, see who the lecturer is, without having to open the door and disturb the lesson.”
There must be something you’d change!?
“Well…maybe there’s one thing. The beginner’s Dutch book for the Delft Method is written in Dutch. My question therefore is: Does a person need a beginner’s course if he’s already able to read about the beginners course in this book in Dutch? So, I’d immediately translate this book into English. And more, I’d make Dutch courses free for Socrates students, as are the language courses in Belgium and Germany. This is the right way to make the Dutch language more popular.”
At TU Delft, do you feel like you’re working at an international university?
“Yes, there are students from many different countries, and I feel more comfortable knowing that I’m not the only foreigner here.”
In the field of science and technology, is their one person (living or dead) who you particularly admire?
“Einstein, John Atanasov, Bill Gates and many others.”
What’s the greatest challenge facing mankind in the 21st century?
“For me, this is the greatest one: There are still many people who are working only for their food, and there are still people who have the right to travel only on paper. There are still people who are not glad when a baby is born into their home, because they’re not able to feed that baby. Alas, these challenges are very difficult to overcome.”
What feature of Dutch society do you like the most?
“The order. If you go to the hospital, you take a number; if you go to the post office, you take a number; if you go to the municipality, you take a number again. And everything here works like a well-lubricated machine. It’s nice when everybody does his work properly. In the two months I’ve been here, I haven’t seen an angry person. Even once, I saw a woman riding a bicycle and singing…that I’ve never seen in my country.”
What do you miss most about living your home country?
“Friends, of course. Everybody misses them. People here are too busy and for nearly two months I haven’t made any friends. But this is a global problem.”
Do you have a favourite place in Delft, such as a café, building or public space?
“Not a particular place, but I do like to sit on a bench near some of the canals and watch the birds.”
What causes you the most anxiety?
“I still have nothing to lose (which is really sad), so I’m quite easy.”
What qualities or quality do you most admire in other people?
“Human dignity on the first place. Without it, he is a dead person.”
What quality do you like best in a woman?
“Reciprocity. Everybody desires to receive the same amount of warmth for what he gives.”
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
“This is difficult to answer, because I’ve only ever been in the USSR (yes, there was such a country last century!), in Bulgaria, and now in the Netherlands. If I was twenty years old, I’d choose the Netherlands. But now I’m counting the days to return home, although nobody is waiting for me there.”
What natural gift would you most like to have?
“Health. The rest is accessible when the person has known people or has enough money.”
How would you like to die?
“Running. Or in the bed . but not alone…and I wish you all the same.”
(Photo: Pavel Prokopciks, BSc, Russia)
Why did you choose TU Delft?
“I didn’t exactly choose TU Delft. I chose the Netherlands among other countries. Frankly speaking, I cannot choose between universities in various countries relying only on their Internet pages. Of course I knew I’d be in Delft University of Technology, but during the last two years, I had been in the Netherlands three times and chose this country because I liked the people here.”
What do like about them?
“They’re kind (no matter that they see from first sight that I’m not from here-I have a black hair), they’re always smiling and ready to help you, and equally important, everybody speaks English here. I know the Dutch are patriots and love their country, but they are very wise to know English so well and to use one or two additional languages.”
Do you think other European countries would benefit from speaking English as well as the Dutch?
“I don’t like the way English and French people behave, for instance. They think that everybody should speak their language, yet they themselves do not learn other languages! I have colleagues now in Germany – we all passed English language exams together – and they’re having a lot of difficulties. They say that even knowing English, Germans don’t like to use it. So my colleagues are having lots of communication problems. I’m just glad I’m at Delft University. I’ve found very nice people here, especially my supervisor Leon Rothkrantz and colleagues Pavel Hrubes and Mark Wessel.”
If there was one thing about the TU you could change, what would it be?
“Honestly, I haven’t noticed anything at TU Delft that isn’t well thought out and doesn’t work perfectly. I’ve seen a lot of wise and useful things, here. Even small practical things like the eyelet I noticed in the door of the room where we were giving a presentation. This way, you can look through it, see who the lecturer is, without having to open the door and disturb the lesson.”
There must be something you’d change!?
“Well…maybe there’s one thing. The beginner’s Dutch book for the Delft Method is written in Dutch. My question therefore is: Does a person need a beginner’s course if he’s already able to read about the beginners course in this book in Dutch? So, I’d immediately translate this book into English. And more, I’d make Dutch courses free for Socrates students, as are the language courses in Belgium and Germany. This is the right way to make the Dutch language more popular.”
At TU Delft, do you feel like you’re working at an international university?
“Yes, there are students from many different countries, and I feel more comfortable knowing that I’m not the only foreigner here.”
In the field of science and technology, is their one person (living or dead) who you particularly admire?
“Einstein, John Atanasov, Bill Gates and many others.”
What’s the greatest challenge facing mankind in the 21st century?
“For me, this is the greatest one: There are still many people who are working only for their food, and there are still people who have the right to travel only on paper. There are still people who are not glad when a baby is born into their home, because they’re not able to feed that baby. Alas, these challenges are very difficult to overcome.”
What feature of Dutch society do you like the most?
“The order. If you go to the hospital, you take a number; if you go to the post office, you take a number; if you go to the municipality, you take a number again. And everything here works like a well-lubricated machine. It’s nice when everybody does his work properly. In the two months I’ve been here, I haven’t seen an angry person. Even once, I saw a woman riding a bicycle and singing…that I’ve never seen in my country.”
What do you miss most about living your home country?
“Friends, of course. Everybody misses them. People here are too busy and for nearly two months I haven’t made any friends. But this is a global problem.”
Do you have a favourite place in Delft, such as a café, building or public space?
“Not a particular place, but I do like to sit on a bench near some of the canals and watch the birds.”
What causes you the most anxiety?
“I still have nothing to lose (which is really sad), so I’m quite easy.”
What qualities or quality do you most admire in other people?
“Human dignity on the first place. Without it, he is a dead person.”
What quality do you like best in a woman?
“Reciprocity. Everybody desires to receive the same amount of warmth for what he gives.”
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
“This is difficult to answer, because I’ve only ever been in the USSR (yes, there was such a country last century!), in Bulgaria, and now in the Netherlands. If I was twenty years old, I’d choose the Netherlands. But now I’m counting the days to return home, although nobody is waiting for me there.”
What natural gift would you most like to have?
“Health. The rest is accessible when the person has known people or has enough money.”
How would you like to die?
“Running. Or in the bed . but not alone…and I wish you all the same.”
(Photo: Pavel Prokopciks, BSc, Russia)
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