What is Europe for those who are not from European Union? What do they think about Europeans? How they imagine life in EU? What’s the biggest challenge for those who are here first time?
In this article I’ll try to answer above mentioned questions with the help of the research that I have made among my friends. Most of them are Armenians who live in Europe in this moment, but there are also opinions expressed by people who have never been in Europe.
I would like to start from my experience as I am one of those bright examples fighting between European and Armenian rules and lifestyle. I have to say that my life now kind of divided into 2 parts: before and after Europe. When I made a decision to move Germany 2 years ago I didn’t really expect that it’s gone change my life totally. Taking part in programs like “European Solidarity Corp” or something else can be really challenging (in its’ positive meaning) for young people coming from other countries. Usually these kinds of programs made in a way that you can really enjoy the whole period of your stay and forget about problems that you had in your country. There are a bunch of things that are really available here in Europe that’s hard for those who lives out of EU. When I came to Europe as a participant of program life seemed as a fairy tale for me. Comparing with Armenia, where I worked 11 months to save some money and travel somewhere for one week, here I got opportunity to travel 11 cities in one year and there are a lots of other examples that can become a reason to think that life is more than easy here. However when someone who is not from EU and wants to study or work here can have a hard time because you are gone feel the real differences and problems of being foreigner.
Concluding my experience I have to say that I had both the hardest and the sweetest periods of my life in EU and I’m still trying to find the right balance and figure out where exactly I would like to live in future.
Now lets’ move to my research which I made among my Armenian friends and asked them to write their opinions about EU. Keep reading! It’s really interesting.
- Europe equals civilization.
But this civilization abounds with lots of good and bad things. Among good
things are rule of law, all the manifestations of freedom under the
constitution, the variety of unique cultures, etc.
Among bad things are the ignorance of biblical commands as the basis of Christianity, the false interpretation of freedom (being free doesn’t mean to do whatever you want. Being free means to be free from everything that can harm your health, soul and others), the practice of civil marriage (it should only be registered), the marriage between people of the same sex (it simply distorts the family concept and we know if it’s done, the country corrodes itself. Family is the basis of a powerful country) – Shushan Simonyan , lives in Armenia - Holidays, exotic places to visit. Ani Sadoyan, Armenia
- Bavaria is paradise on earth Abdallah, from Bangladesch, lives in Germany
- Ive always thought higher of it, turns out should not have , bummer hahaha! Saten Hakobyan, Armenian, lives in China
- Opening minds, creating opportunities, youth empowerment !!! Anie Hovsepyan, lives in Yerevan
- OPEN MINDS like no one literally cares what you are wearing and what you are doing. Everyone has a right to just be. And while your nose is not stuck in someone life you start to create your own good one so in conclusion everyone is happy. That’s why you meet a lot of people just smiling at a stranger. Hasmik Sevoyan, lives in Poland
- Beautiful. Monika Karapetyan, lives in Australia
- Green! Mariam Karapetyan, Armenia
- Mix of old and new! Nelli, Armenia
- I’ve never been in EU and it is like a dream for me, want to visit European countries. Qristine Minasyan, Armenia
- I don’t like Europe, my friends go there and don’t want to come back, why? Ani, Armenia
- Europe is a freedom itself. Narine Ghazaryan, Armenia
- Equal rights for everyone. Gohar Tsarukyan, Armenia
- Safe and beautiful. Arman, Armenia
Hope this article helped you to understand what non- Europeans think about Europe.
