Vana Golem from split Croatia has been a Vatel Bordeaux student since a few months. She is in the international Bachelor class of International Hotel Management (Mi1A). She will be talking about her culture

Vana is the first Croatian student of Vatel Bordeaux among our 55 nationalities on campus, and we are proud to have her here today. She is very happy to promote her croatian culture.

Croatia is kind of a new country, how does that impact your cultural mindset?

It creates a bigger sense of unity between fellow croatians. There are still some tensions with the old generations with serbia but this tension completely disappeared with newer generations.

What do you like the the most from Split?

The warm weather, the sea and the town-like dynamics where everyone knows each other and engage in conversations without any problem. Which makes it easier to meet people in Split. In Split we have the culture of taking large coffee breaks before and after work where we just relaxed and met new people.

What is your favourite croatian dish?

It’s called ‘Buzara’, consisting of slowly cooked prawns, shrimp or mussels in a white wine, garlic and parsley sauce with bread crums. It’s simple, delicious and traditionally we eat it with our hands. As we say in croatian, ‘Lagano’slowdown, take it easy life is good, enjoy yourself !

…And your  favourite Croatian expression?

As we say in croatian, ‘’Lagano’’ slowdown, take it easy life is good, enjoy yourself !

What were your first impressions of Bordeaux?

I came to visit bordeaux this summer with my family to familiarize with the city, Bordeaux is a very welcoming and charming place. Alot of sightseeing to do, and the quais de la garonne kind of reminds me of the beach bar atmosphere we have in Croatia, as well as the architecture which shows we have the same roots. The cultural gap with Croatia is very small, there are alot of similar aspects to the way of life especialy with Split. What impressed me of Bordeaux is how simple transportation is in this city. Tram lines and buses are well organised with clear indications of how they all connect that it is hard to get lost and makes it much easier to get around the city.

Yet another asset to Vatel Bordeaux’s growth in the international department, Vana truly reflects the type of mentality we have from our international students. Proud of their origins, yet craving to learn about the world and hospitality through Vatel’s multicultural identity