Norman Luna: “In Russia I first got up on a snowboard and learned to skate”

14:52, May 11, 2022

International student of GSEM UrFU shared his impressions about studying in Russia

The editorial office of the newspaper "Ural Federal" conducts a series of interviews with international students of UrFU. Recently, a correspondent for the newspaper, Elizaveta Golousova, spoke with Norman Luna, who grew up in the city of Coatzacoalcos (Veracruz, Mexico) and is student of master’s programme “International Management” at GSEM UrFU (Lyudmila Ruzhanskaya, Head of the programme - Doctor of Economics, Head of the Department of International Economics and Management).

About the Russian soul and more

- The first time I had a chance to visit Ekaterinburg was in 2017. There is a cooperation agreement between my university (Universidad de Puebla) and UrFU,” says Norman. “Then I spent a year in Ekaterinburg — I fell in love with the culture, I liked the city, the people. And therefore, when I got the chance to get back to UrFU again as part of the master's program, I was very happy.

Norman’s first impression of the Russian people: "they talk very loudly, sometimes it may seem that they are shouting at each other."

“But then, when I got to know Russian culture better, I realized that this is only at first glance so,” Norman Luna explains. - In fact, Russians are emotional, they just do not express their feelings in the way that is common , for example, in our culture. I also noticed that Russians do not immediately let a new person into their soul. But when this happens, they fully open up, ready to share everything and come to the rescue at any time ... In general, I think that Russians and Mexicans have a lot in common, so we get along well. Since my arrival, I have met several Russian-speaking friends.

Frost and sun in the Urals

— Yes, of course, life in Russia is going beyond the comfort zone. On the one hand, the climate here is quite difficult, there is little sun. It happens that because of a change in the weather, it starts to make me sleepy,” Norman continues. “It’s unusual for me. For example, at my home in Pueblo, where I lived for a long time, I could drive to the beach in three hours and swim in the Gulf of Mexico. And also, while living in Russia, I realized that you need to be able to dress competently - use several layers of clothing. On the other hand, when you have been living in constant warmth for more than 20 years, you want something new, some kind of change. And now I enjoy the unpredictability of the Ural climate. Moreover, the nature of your country is so beautiful that it fascinates.

It was in Russia that Norman Luna learned to snowboard and skate.

- I really like to visit Shartash, Uktus, I like the Russian banya. And I even swam in icy water, the student admits.

And Norman regularly goes to the gym at the university, where he does crossfit, he also likes bouldering - a type of rock climbing on short tracks no higher than 3–5 meters high. In addition, Norman loves to play chess and backgammon.

“For me, sport is an opportunity not only to improve my body, my mind, but also a chance to make new friends and communicate more in Russian,” he notes.

Experience matters

Mexico's education system is somewhat similar to the Russian one. Universities are divided into private and public. For example, one of the most famous private universities is Universidad de Las Americas (University of Las Americas, Puebla). Among the state ones, one can single out UNAM — the National Autonomous University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico). Mexican students also study bachelor’s and master’s programs. But there is a nuance — in Mexico, students after graduating from bachelor's degree first seek to gain professional experience and work for two or three years in some organization in order to understand which master's program they then apply for.

— For example, I worked in sales for about eight years, worked in a number of Mexican companies. I studied this business up and down in practice and then decided to apply for the appropriate program,” explains Norman. “I am satisfied with the quality of knowledge that I receive at UrFU. Many teachers who work on the International Management program are fluent in English, have solid professional experience, so there are no problems with communication. I like that in my group there are guys from other cultures. The fact that I have worked in various companies allows me to immerse myself in the topics that we get acquainted with at the university, says Norman.

Notably, in Mexico, master’s  students have fewer teaching hours at the university.

- And what struck me more was that classes in Russia go until the end of December. Starting from mid-December, our life is suspended, as everyone begins to actively prepare for Christmas. I remember that my grandmother from Mexico called me on the 20th of December and was at a loss when I told her that I was in class, - Norman smiles.

Family ties, dumplings and tacos

When asked what he misses the most in Russia, Norman thought for a while and answered - "communication with the family and ... Mexican food." The theme of family relationships is one of the most important for representatives of Mexican culture.

— It is customary for us to discuss all key issues with the family. Including questions about moving. For example, not every Mexican will decide to go far from his home for a long time. By the way, at my university in Mexico, I was the only student who had experience living abroad, Norman explained. As far as food is concerned, this is more difficult. There is no such variety of products here. So, in Mexico there are many varieties of tacos (tacos is a traditional Mexican dish of corn tortillas with various fillings) And we also have a huge variety of fruits. Of course, I understand that the climate here is different, so you have your own gastronomic traditions. Among the dishes of Russian cuisine, I like dumplings, borsch and solianka  the most.

Norman advises all students who want to come to Russia to study to be prepared for difficulties, for the fact that not everything will always be easy.

— At the same time, it is important to understand that Russia is a unique country, here you can discover a lot of new and exciting things. After your stay in Russia, you will look at life, at the world around you, in a completely different way. It’s worth a try! Do not be afraid, and everything will be fine, - Norman pronounces the last phrase in Russian.