Board of European Students of Technology. Local BEST Group Thessaloniki. Spring Course 2007:

Transcription

1 Board of European Students of Technology Local BEST Group Thessaloniki Spring Course 2007: Home Smart Home! Survival Guide Board of European Students of Technology 1

2 Dear Participant The Local BEST Group of Thessaloniki would like to welcome you in Thessaloniki and the Aristotle University! We will do our BEST to make you feel comfortable and live together 10 crazy days along with other European Students, Greek boys and girls :) Here is your Survival Guide. In the following pages you will find out everything you need to know on how to reach Thessaloniki, what to bring along, what is going to happen here during those days, how to approach Greek guys or girls, etc. etc. We are looking forward to your coming here! The disorganizing Team Ps.: This Survival Guide under constant update. Especially the how to reach us part, which is the most crucial one, so always check for updates. Board of European Students of Technology 2

3 1 What to send us really soon Please send us an as soon as possible mentioning the following: Arrival day in Thessaloniki, time and means; Departure day, time and means; A telephone number where it will be possible to contact you just before the course if needed; Whether you are vegetarian or allergic to something. We need this information as soon as possible so as to make our planning. Send them by to dimitris.xenos@best.eu.org. Optional information you may send: Litres of alcohol can you drink within 1 hour; Sex preference - boys, girls or both; Whether you can stand partying until 6 am while having a class at 9 am. This information could also be...useful, but in any case they are just optional. 2 General Information 2.1 Topic of the course Home Smart Home!. Just in case you didn t notice 2.2 Date: 20 th March 30 th March The first day of the activity will be on Monday (20 th ) and the last one on Thursday (30 th ). We are ready to welcome you from Monday morning! In case you have any trouble arriving on that exact date (no plane correspondence etc), it is very important that you inform us in prior. 2.3 Accommodation You will be hosted in a youth hostel near the University Campus in the center of the city. We hope you don t mind mixing boys and girls :) 2.4 Meals You will be served Breakfast in the youth hostel. Lunch and Dinner will usually be served in the Student Mensa, except for the days something else is planned, but that is our job :) Board of European Students of Technology 3

4 2.5 Fee An amount of 40 will be requested for your participation in the whole Course. Depending on your country of origin this fee is being reduced. Of course, although all expenses will be covered, you are advised to take along some pocket money, as well, for any extra (drinks in pubs, phone calls, presents, stamps,... ) 2.6 Before you begin your trip Just before all the fun begins, there s a little paper work that needs to be done: Visa If you need one, inform us and we will provide you with an Official Invitation. It simplifies a lot the procedure of getting a Visa. BEST countries that need Visa for Greece are: Bulgaria (until January 2007), Macedonia FYR, Romania (until January 2007), Russia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. If you are in doubt, make a phone call to your country s Greek Embassy ( Passport Check if it is still valid :). Greece is within the Shengen zone, so if you come from a Shengen zone country you don t need a passport. If you plan to visit any neighboring country though, you need a passport. In any case, you are strongly advised to have one with you, because in case of trouble (plane loss, change of plans, etc.) without one the only escape road will be Italy. To pass through all other neighboring countries you NEED a passport Travel plan Let us know about it as soon as possible. This will be of great help to us in case of delay or other problems Travel & health insurance This is very important for you. You are strongly advised to have E111 health insurance, or any similar document. BEST Thessaloniki is not providing any sort of insurance What to bring with you Of course, you are old enough to pack your own suitcase :), but just so that you don t get surprised, summarizing the above please also bring the following: ID Card, Passport and Visa (if needed) A personal health insurance Board of European Students of Technology 4

5 A EURO<26 or ISIC card. You can get discount in all museums, many shops and trains. Your national Student Card is valid for very few cases, but you can bring it along also. In the beginning of spring weather in Greece can be quite unpredictable. You don t have to bring too warm clothes (it is slightly impossible for the temperature to be less than 15 C), a raincoat or an umbrella are a must though. Bring also some long sleeves for the weekend excursion ;) Some descent clothes for the Opening Session (It doesn't mean that you have to wear a smoking or an evening dress;-) Sleeping Bag and swimming suit (they will be needed during the surprise weekend!) Sheets won t be necessary. Bring though towels and your personal sanity stuff. Leisure suit for outdoor activities (sports, games, halara walking on the woods oops...) A recipee of traditional food from your country and a bottle (at least ;-) of some typical drink from your country for the International Party. And guys, cooking isn t only meant for women. If you don t cook, ask your mother for a simple recipee. Let this warn you all ;) (lazy girls are included in this warning) A typical song! (just know how to sing it :P) And to make it perfect, it would also be nice to bring: CDs with your favorite music (international or preferably from your country) A musical instrument, if you play one Any special ingredients you need to prepare a traditional dish from your country. Our shops have a lot of stuff, but A camera! So that you will always remember the amazing days and nights we spent together ;) Anything you thing would be nice to bring Your enthusiasm, funny ideas and BEST Spirit! Board of European Students of Technology 5

6 3 Greece Officially named Hellenic Republic (in Greek Ellás or Ellinikí Dimokratia), Greece is the southernmost country of the Balkan Peninsula. It is a land of mountains and sea. It is difficult to be out of range of either, a fact that had an important influence on the country's economic and historical development. Mountains have historically restricted internal communications, but the sea has opened up wider horizons. Greece has an area of square miles ( square kilometers), out of which one-fifth constitutes the Greek islands (2000 islands). Greece has a history stretching back almost years. People of the mainland, called Hellenes, organized great naval and military expeditions, and explored the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, going as far as the Atlantic Ocean and the Caucasus Mountains. One of those expeditions, the siege of Troy, is narrated in the first great European literary work, Homer s Iliad. Numerous Greek settlements were founded throughout the Mediterranean, Asia Minor and the coast of North Africa as a result of travels in search of new markets. During the Classical period (5th century B.C.), Greece was composed of city-states, the largest being Athens, followed by Sparta and Thebes. A fierce spirit of independence and love for freedom enabled the Greeks to defeat the Persians in battles that are famous in the history of civilization - Marathon, Thermopile, Salamis and Plataea. In the second half of the 4th century B.C., the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, conquered most of the then known world and sought to Hellenise it. In 146 BC Greece fell to the Romans. In 330 A.D. Emperor Constantine moved the Capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople, founding the Eastern Roman Empire, which was renamed Byzantine Empire or Byzantium for short, by western historians in the 19th century. Byzantium transformed the linguistic heritage of Ancient Greece into a vehicle for the new Christian civilization. The Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks in 1453 and the Greeks remained under the Ottoman yoke for nearly 400 years. During this time their language, their religion and their sense of identity remained strong. On March 25, 1821, the Greeks revolted against the Turks, and by 1828 they had won their independence. As the new state comprised only a tiny fraction of the country, the struggle for the liberation of all the lands inhabited by Greeks continued. In 1864, the Ionian Islands were added to Greece; in 1881 parts of Epirus and Thessaly. Crete, the islands of the Eastern Aegean and Macedonia were added Board of European Students of Technology 6

7 in 1913 and Western Thrace in After Word War II the Dodecanese islands were also returned to Greece. FACTS about Greece Official name: Ellinikí Dhimokratía (Hellenic Republic). Form of government: Unitary multiparty republic with one legislative house (Greek Chamber of Deputies [300]). Chief of state: President. Head of government: Prime Minister. Capital: Athens. Official language: Greek. Most followed religion: Eastern Orthodox. Monetary unit: 1 euro ( ) Population (1998): Density (1998): persons per sq mi 206.9, persons per sq km Urban-rural (1996): urban 65.7% - rural 34.3%. Sex distribution (1996): male 49.23% - female 50.77%. 4 Thessaloniki Check the Spring Course site ;) It has quite some stuff ;) 5 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) Soon to be updated. Board of European Students of Technology 7

8 6 Life in Thessaloniki Currency The currency used in Greece since 2002, is Euro ( ). You are advised to have your currency exchanged to Euro before you come here, because the exchange rates for some Eastern European and ex-yugoslavian countries currency are rather high. 6.1 Public transportation In Thessaloniki the only means of public transportation are Buses and Taxis. Buses - Tickets The bus ticket for going anywhere within the city network costs 0.50 if you buy it beforehand and 0.60 if you buy it on the bus. There are also one day tickets that cost 2 and one week tickets that cost 10. Tickets must be shown upon request. There is an 18 fine to pay if you get caught without a ticket be aware!! ;) Taxis The minimum rate you can pay is 2.50, while counting starts from An average route inside the city will cost you between Big luggage cost 0.80 extra, while if you take a taxi from the train or the bus station you will have to pay 1.00 extra. Don t take it from the airport :) In case you need it though, the route price is fixed to (Airport City Center) Banking hours Monday to Friday 08:00h to 14:00h. There are plenty of ATMs around the city covering most of the European and Worldwide cash, debit and credit cards. So don t worry about that Some current prices The cost of living in Greece is considered one to be one of the highest in Europe (unfortunately, only the cost ). So better know the prices beforehand. Board of European Students of Technology 8

9 The estimated prices for certain articles are as follows: 1 lit milk - between 1.00 and 1.40; 1 bottle of water (0.5 l.) 0.50; 1 bread roll 0.40 and 0.70; 1 cup of coffee (espresso, cappuccino, nescafe) between 2.00 and 3.50; A chocolate bar between 0.60 and 1.30; A snack from a kiosk between 0.50 and 1.20; 1 beer between 0.45 and 0.80 (at shops); between 3.00 and 5.00 (in a café, bar or disco); 1 lit of wine between 4.00 and meal (in a canteen); 3.00 or more (in a fast food); 6.00 or more (in an economic restaurant); Cinema - between 5.00 and 7.00, depending on the day and time; A packet of cigarettes (20) between 1.50 and 2.20 (greek brands); between 2.70 and 2.90 (international brands); 25 grams of tobacco A CD between 15 and 20; An EU Stamp 0.60; A packet of condoms between 2.50 and Shopping Local shops (clothing, footwear, book shops, baker s etc) are usually open in the morning (09:00h to 14.00h) and in the afternoon (17:30h to 20:00h) from Monday to Friday. On Saturday, these shops are usually open from 09:00 to 14:30 and are closed in the afternoon. They are also closed on Sunday. Shopping Centers are open everyday from 09:00 to 21:00. Supermarkets are open from 09:00 to 20:00 from Monday to Saturday. Most international credit cards, especially VISA, are widely accepted. Thessaloniki is a commercial city, where one can buy almost anything. Tsimiski, Gounari, Venizelou, Ermou are some of the streets in the city center, which are especially well known for their intense commercial activity, apart from many Shopping Centers throughout the city Telephone System - we have numbers of 10 digits. The numbers in the area of Thessaloniki start with 2310 and we have 6 digits. The numbers starting with 693, 694, 697, 699 are mobile operators. Numbers starting with 800/801/807 are free numbers. Greece s International Country Code is: +30 Board of European Students of Technology 9

10 International calls: 00 + country code + phone number If you need assistance to dial international calls, you can dial 169 for recorded instructions in English, German and French. Public phones There are a lot of public phones, mostly card phones, which are paid on money unit basis. You can buy phone cards for 5.00 or more. With the 5.00 card you can have a minimum average of 25 minutes of talking to a fixed phone. (generally speaking, calling inside the E.U is much cheaper than calling any other European country). You can find though a lot of special cards for calling specific countries in a massively cheaper rate. Mobile phones While entering Greece your mobile is most probable to be automatically connected to a Greek Mobile Network. Those are: Cosmote, Vodafone, TIM and Q Telecom. Unless your home company is TIM or Vodafone, which are international companies, the cheapest one for SMS is Q Telecom. In Greece you can use mobiles compatible to GSM 900 and GSM 1800 Networks. Emergency phone number: 112 Ambulance: 166 Police: Weather and climate Weather during the time of our Spring Course is usually good. The temperature during the day may vary from 15 to 25 C, and it is usually sunny. During the night though the temperature falls. The climate in Thessaloniki is usually humid and sometimes windy, just like any other port city. The only thing you have to be aware of is that the weather during spring may be quite unstable; meaning that it may rain from one moment to another, so bring raincoats and umbrellas. Also bring long sleeves for the weekend excursion ;) You could always check these sites for the latest weather forecasts before you travel to Thessaloniki Vocabulary Greek is the official language in Greece (duuuh!). Here we will try to strike the quote It s all Greek to me!! Well, let s see Board of European Students of Technology 10

11 Hi! How are you? My name is... What s your name? I m glad to meet you! See you later. Goodmorning! Good afternoon! Goodnight, see you tomorrow! Bye! Yes No Sorry Thanks! You are welcome May I have the menu pls? How much is it? Too much! Do you speak English? Sorry I don t speak Greek! I dont understand Bus/Train I would like a ticket Is this bus for? Gia su! Ti kanis? To onoma mu ine Pos se lene? Xarika pu se gnorisa! Ta leme argotera. Kalimera! Kalispera! Kalinixta, ta leme avrio! Antio / gia su Ne Oxi Signomi Efharisto Parakalo To menu parakalo Poso kostizi? Fotia ise! Milas aglika? Signomi den milao elinika Den katalaveno Leoforio/Treno Tha ithela ena isitirio Afto to leoforio paei? University Panepistimio To avoid stupid guys on the street Go to hell! Ai sto diaolo! To approach a girl/boy You are very beautiful/handsome Ise poli omorfi/omorfos You have beautiful eyes I want to kiss you I love you! Advanced approaching techniques... I m a strawberry, Eat me! I want to show you my butterflies collection... I want have sex with you, NOW Exis orea matia Thelo na se filiso Sagapo! Ime mia fraulitsa, fae me! Thelo na su dikso tin silogi mou me tis petaludes... Thelo na to kanoume, TORA Legend: g as w ool, x as h ome, d as th e Well, you ll be able to practice more when you come here :) Board of European Students of Technology 11

12 7 How to reach us No matter what your travel plans are, please let us know in advance. We need to know the exact date, time and place of your arrival in order to pick you up or give you directions on how to find us! There are 5 ways to reach Thessaloniki Plane The International Airport of Macedonia is located 12 Km away from Thessaloniki and has connections with most of the major European cities. In case you take a flight to Athens, you have to catch an internal correspondence flight or take a train to Thessaloniki (see below). Connections from the airport to the center of Thessaloniki: o Wait for one of the BEST members to pick you up, if you are a lucky person ;) o Take the bus number 78. Buses depart every 30 mins and the journey lasts approximately 30 mins. The ticket costs o We strongly advise you not to take a taxi. It usually costs around 10 Euros, but you never know Tip: Not many budget airlines fly to Thessaloniki, while many of them fly to Athens. Consider this, and try to find flights to Athens. It might save you a lot of money. Train Thessaloniki has train connections with almost every neighboring country (Macedonia FYR, Bulgaria, Turkey). o International Trains: You can catch direct trains coming to Thessaloniki from the Ljubljana-Zagreb-Belgrade-Skopje- Thessaloniki line or the Budapest-Bucharest-Sofia- Thessaloniki line. There is also a direct train from Istanbul. For more info check: If you are a train adventure seeking type you can also check: There you will find train connections and correspondences from virtually any part of Europe. o Internal Trains: In case, as mentioned above, you get a train from Athens, there are 11 trains departing from Athens to Thessaloniki every day. A normal train (five during the day) costs 15 and the journey lasts 6h and 30mins. We strongly advise you not to take an InterCity (6 during the day). The price Board of European Students of Technology 12

13 difference is huge (around 30 more) and the journey lasts only one hour less. For details check: Bus Thessaloniki has bus connections with all neighboring countries and countries such as Italy, Germany, Poland etc. There are no major companies though coming to Thessaloniki, thus you have to search on Local Travel Agencies of your country. You can also check For the timetable of buses inside Greece (i.e. Athens - Thessaloniki) check Buses are though more expensive than trains in Greece, thus it is recommended that you take a train. Car If you have a great spirit of adventure, you can always come by car. Road networks in neighboring countries are not always good, though. You will also have the opportunity to drive among the well-known worst drivers of Europe the Greek drivers! Hitchhiking Anyway, in case you get in trouble, just drop us a line Some European Traveling Hints before you start... Know that you'll not very often find a flight between the airport you usually use and your destination. Very often you'll have to look for airports in the neighborhood (don't forget to look right across the borders) and start or continue your journey by bus or train....if you want to fly EasyVols.com: compare prices of different regular airlines Skyscanner.net: compare prices of different budget airlines AirNinja.com: cool budget airlines comparison tool, worldwide data Also don't forget to check out websites of the different budget airlines (you never know), here you have some of them: Ryanair.com, WizzAir.com, SkyEurope.com, GermanWings.com, EasyJet.com.... train your way through Europe The best website to check is Bahn.de. For price information, it can be that you'll have to call a travel agency. Board of European Students of Technology 13

14 This is quite a powerful site. Type the desired journey and get a root of trains, buses or a combination of both on it. It s in Slovakian but you don t need to know Slovakian to understand it. Just type the journey you want and check the results. You can find correspondences virtually from any to any place around the mainland of Europe. Finally, if you plan to come from Athens, you are strongly advised to read Athens Survival Guide. ( 8 Useful addresses Soon to be updated. 9 Ending Notes We can never emphasize enough how much we would like you to give us your travel plans. It would be very useful to know it as soon as possible to arrange to pick you up. If you need any further details or help and/or advice please do not hesitate to contact us at thessaloniki@best.eu.org. We hope that the information on this document was useful to all the Participants. We hope to see you all here in April and have lots of fun together. Any other questions please post them to the mailing list. See you! :) BEST Thessaloniki Board of European Students of Technology 14