USA and Taiwan - #BIMdannmalinKalifornienUndTaiwan

Shownotes

While for some only one semester abroad is an option, others spend two in a row. In this special episode, Sami tells us about his stays in two completely different worlds. First, he moved to San Diego, California's second-largest city, where he took yoga and surfing at university, before heading to Asia for his fourth semester. More specifically, the journey then continued to faraway Taipei, where the warm rays of sunshine were already waiting for him. In this episode, you'll find out which country Sami liked better and to what extent he can compare the different impressions. Curious now? Then I would say: Let's start the journey!

Contact details:

E-Mail:  bimdannmalweg.fwiwi[at]thws.de

Instagram: @fwiwi.thws

Credits:

Moderated by Lara Yargiman

Produced by Lara Yargiman and Paula Kroemer in cooperation with the economics student body of THWS

Sound and editing by Paula Kroemer

Transcript

Lara: Hello and welcome to our THWS podcast, #BIMdannmalweg. Yeah, in this podcast we talk about experiences of students who have been abroad for a semester and this podcast is sponsored by THWS and by the Faculty of Business and Economics. Today with us in the studio we have our lovely Sami. Hello Sami. It's good to have you here.

Sami: Nice to be here.

Lara: Of course. Sami is a very special guest. We have a special episode for you today. Sami was brave enough to spend his semester abroad in two different countries. And yes, maybe you would like to spoil a little bit where you have been.

Sami: Yeah, so my first semester abroad in the third semester I spent in San Diego in the United States and in my second semester I was in Taipei, in Taiwan.

Lara: And how did that come about? Were they always two countries where you thought, that's where I want to live? Or was it a draw or your gut feeling? Tell us!

Sami: I got the idea of the USA from my year abroad during school. After the year abroad I thought to myself “Okay, I have to go there again sometime.” And that's why I took the chance. When I realized Okay, I can also go there during my studies, and Taiwan came up, I said to myself “Okay, I know the western world, I want to have a contrast to it.” And that's why I wanted to go to Asia.

And then I decided to go to Taiwan.

Lara: So, two very different worlds. I'm very curious to see how you will compare the two countries. Did you plan from the beginning that you would travel to both countries? Or were you first in the USA and then thought okay, now I'll do another semester abroad in Taiwan.

Sami: Well, I decided in my second semester that I wanted to go to Taiwan. You always have to declare it two semesters before. So, when I went to the USA, I already knew that I would go directly to Taiwan after the USA.

Lara: Okay, and so how would you say what was your favorite? Or is it hard to compare?

Sami: I would actually be asked that question many, many times. In hindsight, I have to say that I liked Taiwan a little bit better. Um, but I will explain why in a moment.

Lara: Okay, then I would say let's just start chronologically. Or before that you can also introduce yourself very briefly. I forgot to introduce you.

Sami: Yes, hello, I'm Sami, I study International Management with Lara in the seventh semester and I'm very happy to be here today.

Lara: Sami is also in the student council.

Sami: Yes, that too (Laughs)

Lara: Yeah, well let's just get started. You started in August 2019, I think. And that's when you started heading to California. How was your courage? How did you feel? Did you have fear? Did you have happiness inside of you? Did you travel there alone? Tell me.

Sami: Yes, of course I was very excited to go to the big USA. I didn't go alone. I went with a fellow student and friend of mine. With Ilay Yeah, we were both pretty excited and had a lot of excitement about what to expect in California. You know California from pictures, from videos, and so we were definitely looking forward to it very, very much. But we were also a bit anxious, or I should say indecisive, about what it would be like.

 Because we arrived there, we didn't have an apartment yet. So, we first took an Airbnb and said to ourselves; Okay, we'll look for something then. We're still getting to know a few people. That's why the beginning was a bit strange, because we hopped from Airbnb to Airbnb until we really found an apartment.

Lara: But you didn't live on campus, but in an external apartment, right?

Sami: In the end we found something. It was an apartment complex for students, 10 minutes walk from the university. That was actually pretty cool. They had two pools, a gym and a shuttle to the university. So, you actually had everything you needed and also definitely lots and lots of parties in the small apartments there. that was pretty cool with all the other students there, yeah.

Lara: And how much did it cost?

Sami: Ah, a bit more expensive than I had actually wanted.

But for the USA we even noticed that it was still okay in terms of price. But to the German conditions unbelievable.

Lara: How much can you expect to pay per month?

Sami: Wow, I don't want to give you exact figures, but it was quite expensive.

Lara: Okay, all right. Yeah, good. And then did you arrive a week earlier before Uni started, or so to speak? Or did it start right away?

Sami: Yes, we were there about two weeks before university started.

Lara: Ah okay, then you have already settled in a little bit.

Sami: We went to the beach and had a look at the city. It was actually quite cool, because as I said, we had several Airbnbs. We had one downtown and one closer to the university, one closer to the beach. So, we were able to see all of San Diego.

Lara: Yeah nice, and then you cruised around with the skateboard?

Sami: Well, not yet. The longboard, that came later, but then yes, then it was beautiful always along the beach.

Lara: Then after two weeks, the university started. What was your first impression? Is it the typical campus that you imagine, or?

Sami: Totally!  Santiago is a huge school with over 32,000 students. That's why it was a huge campus. This campus is actually like a small city. You have all kinds of things on this campus. That is exactly how you imagine it. It was really cool, and it was a little bit Greek style. Because that was the San Diego, Aztecs, and that added that little bit of flair to everything.

And yeah, it made a good impression. The lectures were also a bit like you would imagine. I knew that it would be a bit easier than in Germany and it was.

Lara: Okay, Sami, and how many subjects did you take over there and which ones?

Sami: I had a few less subjects there than here because you had to pay for the individual subjects there. So, I had three normal subjects, so something like marketing and business development or business simulation. And then I could take subjects that I would never have been able to take in Germany. So, I thought, okay, why not? And I had soccer once. I thought that was really cool, because I already played soccer at home and I didn't want to stop completely.

Lara: So, A+ was doable?

Sami: A+? Definitely in any case.  The Americans, they can't really play soccer. It was fun. And the last subject I had was yoga. That's when I first tried out yoga or got to learn about it.

Lara: And are you still doing it?

Sami: Since then, I have to say, I haven't done it again. But that doesn't mean I didn't like it.

Lara: Yes, but definitely an interesting combination, I would say. And you had to pay something per subject, didn't you?

Sami: As I said, you paid for the whole semester and then you had a number of credits and you could assign them to your subjects. And normal subjects had more credits than a subject like yoga or soccer or whatever.

Lara: Okay, I see. And what was student life like on campus? So, did you guys eat there all the time? Did you guys play basketball together there? So, was that like you would imagine, like 24/7 on campus feel? Or how did you guys spend your free time?

Sami: We were actually only there for the lectures and then maybe went out to eat, as I said. And then we went back to our apartment complex. There was everything we needed, like I said gym, restaurants just around the corner when we didn't cook ourselves. Which is not even that cheap in the U.S., I must say, because the food is very, very expensive compared to Germany.

Lara: That's what I was going to ask, because I remember that we almost never cooked in Korea because it was so expensive.

Sami: That's why we ate out a lot. Um yeah. And there we had a basketball court around the corner, a field where you could throw football. And when not, we liked to enjoy the time at the sea.

Lara: The weather was good all the time. Or did it get a little bit colder?

Sami: Yes, at the beginning of December and the end of November it was already a bit cooler, so I was already wearing long pants and a sweater, there were also days where jeans and a t-shirt were enough. But it got pretty fresh already in December.

Lara: Okay, so if you were to play, I'm packing my suitcase, what would you pack?

Sami: Um yeah, a little bit of each. But if you're there in the summer. We just arrived in the summer, late summer. You really only need a t-shirt, shorts, swim trunks, maybe a sweater. Yes, that should fit. And then you can maybe buy another sweater.

Lara: Did you go shopping a lot there?

Sami: I wouldn't say a lot. Quite normal, if you needed something in winter, it got a bit colder, as I said.

Lara: As Sami just goes shopping. (laughs)

Sami: Yes, then I just got myself a jacket, a denim jacket. I still have it. So, it wasn't really often. It's not always that cheap.

Lara: Yes, good. Uhm. So again, we're getting away from the whole university life a little bit. What else did you do when your head wasn't all about university? What excursions did you go on? What tips can you pass on to students for that?

Sami: Well, what we did almost every week was we went to the football games. Because that's always such a huge event, you meet in front of the stadium, you party a little bit and then you go in together and support your team. Well, the university team.

Lara: Are you allowed to drink or not?

Sami: Outside, yes, inside as well, but then it's pretty expensive. So inside you are allowed to drink everywhere.

Lara: Yes, because Chris told me yesterday that he wasn't allowed to drink anywhere in public.

Sami: Yes, it's a bit different there, because we are on the grounds of the stadium.

But otherwise, it's true. You can't drink anywhere in public. Yes, we often went to football games. On the beach, as I said, we went often, during the day and in the evening for sunset. Otherwise, we also went on some trips. It was also cool that we got to know so many other exchange students who were really hyped to see all of California. We went to San Francisco for a few days.  We went to Yosemite National Park, which is also beautiful.

Lara: Did you see any weird animals? Snakes?

Sami: Not snakes. So, there are bears and elks. But unfortunately, we didn't see them either. You see them very, very rarely. But otherwise, I haven't seen any animals there. Unfortunately, not. (laughs)

We were in LA a couple of times. It's only about two and a half hours from Santiago. The longest distance we drove by car was from Santiago to Las Vegas and we also went to Tijuana, Mexico a couple of times.

Lara: Oh, to party, right?

Sami: Tijuana is right on the border to the USA and so is San Diego. It really took us 25-30 minutes to get from our house to the border by Uber and the border control always took a little while.

Lara: So, the Uber drives over the border?

Sami: Nope, that drops you off at the border. Then you go to Mexico. So, the way is actually quite simple, you just get a stamp and you're in. The way back is hard. USA Border Patrol, they look at your passport for 20 minutes. Especially if you have a beard like me, they look twice, if not three times.

And then they let you through if you have the right visa.

Yeah, so we definitely went there a couple of times to party and also to see the city. But you have to be a little bit careful. It's the most dangerous city in the world.

Lara: Super Sami! (laughs)

Sami: Yes, also in the one club where we were, two weeks later there was a shooting, where a few guys died. So, we thought shit, that's where we were.

Lara: Oh my gosh. Okay, so maybe you don't necessarily have to recommend it now.

Sami: You don't necessarily have to recommend it. But it's nice.

The clubs were also quite cool, different than in the USA.

Lara: Were they really Mexican clubs with salsa?  Apart from that, any trips or anything where you say: Okay, you definitely have to see that or that was a real insider tip, that was cheap, whatever.

Sami: Well, I can definitely recommend Yosemite National Park, it's just beautiful and huge. You can go hiking and explore the nature. You can also just take a cabin and stay there for a few days. So, Yosemite is really beautiful. Otherwise, I also think that San Francisco on the West Coast is the most beautiful city. So, you should have seen it.

Lara: It's on my list. (laughs)

Sami: Yeah, otherwise really, I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful sunset as I've seen in California. No matter where you are, when you're by the ocean and you see the sunset, you immediately fall in love.

Lara: And you ride your longboard along?

Sami: With my longboard or car, so one of our roommates, he had bought a car and it was a cabriolet. When you drive around with it, it's just somehow a feeling that nobody can take away from you.

Lara: Okay. Yes well, then we already got a little insight of San Diego, California. And then Sami was in Taiwan together with Chris, who I already interviewed, and then you can tell us a little bit more about it. Um, probably it's another perspective as well, as Chris told us. So, we don't want to bore you now with double episodes, but I think it's probably also quite interesting to hear a second opinion and especially to hear the comparison at the end.

Exactly. Then you flew home after the semester. Did you get good grades at the end from the USA?

Sami: Yes, definitely. It was pretty easy, as I said.

Lara: Definitely it was worth it. What else I wanted to ask. Did you have a lot of contact with Americans there or were you rather the international crew and were there many Germans or how can you imagine that?

Sami: Yes, very good question. So, I had lectures with the Yanks, but also others, so in two of the lectures were even exchange students. We had a lot of contact with exchange students from all countries. I think most of the people were from Italy, France and Germany. Of course, you always try to distance yourself a bit from the Germans, to speak a bit more English, to get to know other cultures. But of course, that's not always possible and you don't always want to do that.

Accordingly, we also got to know many others, and even our roommates. There were two Frenchmen, one Italian, one American. And then my buddy Ilay. It was a mixed crew.

But otherwise, we also had a few American friends. But Americans are sometimes very superficial, I have to say. And I also had the feeling that they weren't that interested in us and in the foreigners, if you can put it that way. That they just wanted to do their thing. So, you have to pick the cool people, I guess.

Lara: Okay, speaking of partying, did you go to clubs more or was it more house party like?

Sami: Mostly we were at some house parties, because there was much more going on and it was much cheaper. So, you could easily pay 6 dollars for a beer in a club or bar.

Lara: Were they Project X house parties or how can you imagine that?

Sami: Unfortunately, not that extreme. I would have liked to have seen them, but they were more relaxed parties. However, there is already 1-2 times the police came, or it is times what broke. We were also once hosts and that was also not so perfect.

But no, actually more house parties than clubs. The club music there is also quite bad. In my opinion. They play in most of the clubs just EDM shit. That's nothing for me at all.

Lara: Yeah okay, speaking of the police. Security? What was the security situation like? Were there more shootings or is it less in California?

Sami: More often, I don't know if I can say that, but from time to time. So, I mean, when you're in Germany you never hear anything about a shooting and there you hear sometimes here down the road, a few kilometers a gas station was robbed or something. In an illegal weed store, somebody died too.

So, you hear about that from time to time but not really excessive.

Lara: Okay, all right. Then very briefly, your semester abroad in three words. How would you describe it?

Sami: Well, I would describe my semester abroad in the USA with the word’s fast food, surfing and palm trees.

Lara: Okay, two nice words and one so-so, the fast food, there was really so much fast food, right?

Sami: Yes, I would definitely include it, because we often went to some chains and just wanted to try everything.

And once you've had the chicken burger at Chick-fil-A, you just have to go there more often because it's just so good. So, I mean, when you're in Germany you never hear anything about a shooting and there you hear sometimes here down the road, a few kilometers a gas station was robbed or something. In an illegal weed store, somebody died too.

So, you hear about that from time to time but not really excessive.

Lara: Okay, all right. Then very briefly, your semester abroad in three words. How would you describe it?

Sami: Well, I would describe my semester abroad in the USA with the word’s fast food, surfing and palm trees.

Lara: Okay, two nice words and one so-so, the fast food, there was really so much fast food, right?

Sami: Yes, I would definitely include it, because we often went to some chains and just wanted to try everything.

And once you've had the chicken burger at Chicken o filet, you just have to go there more often because it's just so good.  Or when you come home from university and go to Chipotle and get a bowl, if I can count that as fast food, then yes.

Lara: Then sorry again for the mental leap. But now we're just getting to Taiwan and then you flew home from America. We had a short party, I remember that and then you went on to Taiwan, right?

Sami: Exactly. I was three weeks in Germany, I just heard here about the first Corona cases, and then the flight to Taiwan already took off.

Lara: And then Taiwan was kind of a “Corona Paradise” for you?

Sami: As you may have heard here from Chris, the situation in Taiwan was a bit better than in Germany at that time. Because Taiwan simply dealt with the situation in a completely different way. They already started to close the borders to China on New Year's Eve, because they took it very seriously and were also well prepared, because they had already been attacked by a SARS virus and therefore had a hygiene concept laid out and were well prepared.

Lara: Okay, then you arrived there, you met Chris and then you looked for an apartment, right?

Sami: Yeah, not exactly. I was very, very happy that Chris had already been there for a semester. He shared an apartment with other people and then looked for a suitable apartment for all of us. We then looked for a new apartment and found a suitable one right away. Axel and I took an Uber to the apartment and then we were in our apartment and didn't have to worry about anything because Chris took care of it.

Lara: Thank you Chris (laughs).

Sami: Thank you Chris for that. You are a man of honor. Yeah, it was luxury.

Lara: Okay. And then you kind of settled in and then it was back to school, right?

Sami: Yeah exactly. So, we also had a few more weeks. I even flew to Thailand with Axel, because we knew that the borders would be closed soon.

Lara: Take everything with you. (Laughs)

Sami: And that's why we went to Thailand again, where there was a summer school from the FH, where we met a few people.

That was also cool. And then the university actually started shortly afterwards.

Lara: And then you came to a campus that looked completely different from San Diego, didn't it?

Sami: Yes, totally different, Shih Chien University was a lot smaller, but was definitely a cool campus. The university is very famous for the art department. And therefore, in my opinion, the university was built very cool - so it had a cool architecture.

Lara: What was your impression of the courses compared to San Diego?

Sami: Taiwan was easier than in the USA. But it was also a lot of fun, I must say. We also had some cool professors, and everything was super relaxed. In the U.S. it was more relaxed than in Germany, but Taiwan was even more relaxed, and the profs were also called by their first names. John, Rachel, Nick and so on were the names of our professors, whom we were allowed to address. That's why the atmosphere was really relaxed.

Lara: It's amazing, everything was very hierarchical back home in Korea. There was nothing with first names and you didn't dare to express your opinion, but then it was really very different with us.

What did you do in Taiwan and what was your apartment like?

Sami: Our apartment was small, but not too small. There were 4 of us, 3 Germans and one French. Each had about 10 square meters of rooms and we had a common living room and kitchen. However, we almost never used the kitchen because the food there is super cheap. Many apartments don't have kitchens at all. The apartment was in a good central location right at Danan Park, where you could do nice sports. With the subway you were at the university in about 15 minutes - so location was top.

Lara: Would you say that the apartment was more expensive or cheaper than in the U.S.?

Sami: Definitely cheaper than in the U.S., but the same as in Germany, I would say.

Lara: You guys did a lot of trips, which I followed on Instagram. Tell me, you also went somewhere by train once, right?

Sami: Yes, that too, we went to the south with the Speedtrail. Axel and I first had the plan that we would travel a lot during the semester break - outside of Taiwan. But thanks to Corona in this case, we didn't travel to other countries, but were able to discover the whole country - which I am very grateful for. Because otherwise we would never have seen so much of Taiwan.

Lara: Would you say you learned a bit of Chinese as well?

Sami: I was going to answer "yes" in Chinese, but unfortunately, I forgot again (laughs). Yes, I have even learned a little bit, I can even still do something. (Sami says something in Chinese)

Lara: And that means "Hello, how are you"?

Sami: No, it means "you are beautiful!"

Lara: Oh, thank you Sami (laughs). Otherwise, from a cultural point of view, it's something completely different than the USA. Did you feel comfortable, were the people open? How did you perceive it?

Sami: I don't think I've ever found a culture with such open and helpful people. No matter where you went everyone was super friendly. Be it the landlord or people you met on the street, who sometimes even complimented you. You felt very very comfortable.

Lara: Would you say you got by with English, or was it always good to have Chris with his Chinese knowledge?

Sami: Chris definitely helped. He can speak Chinese very well. Otherwise, it also worked quite well with English. And if someone didn't know English, you just showed them with two hands what you wanted.

Lara: Well, you told us about the Speedtrail, what else did you do? And how does Taiwan look like scenically? What can I imagine?

Sami: Well, Taiwan is an island, south of China, with some islands around it. We visited two of them, one is Green Island, which is in the southeast. The way there is very crazy, because you can only get there by boat and it is also called "hell tour".

Lara: Okay, what do I imagine by that?

Sami: So, the waves there are very extreme, and the boat goes very fast. The boat leaves in Taiwan and so many people on board have to throw up on this boat. Even from us, so there were 10 of us, 3 people threw up. If you look out the window, you see the waves for a second and then the horizon, the waves and the horizon again. If the ride had gone 10 minutes longer, I would have vomited too. But the island was very very beautiful.

The south of Taiwan is super nice, where there are also many beautiful beaches. In the middle of Taiwan there are some mountains that you can look at. However, we did not go there, because that would have been a longer distance to drive. We just made the round around the island by car and looked at all the big cities. There is a lot to see.

Lara: Did you come into contact with Taiwanese people there, or were you more among the Germans?

Sami: There I would say that the team spirit of the students at the university was very close. We were a great group and we got along really well, so we did a lot with the exchange students, but we also got to know some Taiwanese.

Lara: That's right, one of them visited you the other day, didn't he?

Sami: Yes, exactly! Several even. So far, I have seen 3 again in Germany.

Lara: Very nice! Would you say there is any other tip that you should consider in any case?

Sami: Yes, I have already told you about Green Island. I think I liked that place the best in Taiwan. It's super small, you can rent mopeds and then you're in the south within 30 minutes. In the very south, there is a small mountain that you can climb. There you have a super view of the sea. Right there at this mountain there are hot springs. They are one of the three natural springs in the world that you can sit in.

Lara: Then we recommend the hot springs on Green Island. What I definitely want to know. What was the party scene like in Taiwan?

Sami: Taiwan was wild. It was really wild. First of all, we were super lucky that everything was open - and not like in Germany when everything was closed. We were "a bit happy" (laughs). There are a few clubs in Taipei that we went to a lot. A few of them also had specials for foreigners. So, if you had a European passport, you didn't have to pay an entrance fee and you drank the whole night for free.

Lara: Also, a bit strange, isn't it?

Sami: Yes, I didn't question it. I just thought "thanks, I'll take it" (laughs) Otherwise the drinks weren't always that cheap, but the clubs were cool. You could party really well. There were also a few techno clubs, which I personally also celebrated a lot. So, it was a good time!

Lara: And house parties rather less, right?

Sami: Yes, very few, so I don't even know if I was ever at one. We often met for a pre-glow, but we never had a house party.

Lara: Now to the food. Well, it's a much more varied cuisine than in the U.S. now. What were your favorite dishes? Were there any vegetarian options?

Sami: Well, in Taipei you can get everything you want. Of course, a lot of Asian, a lot of noodles, ramen, a lot with meat, Korean BBQ. My favs were definitely dumplings with the Korean BBQ. Dumplings at #1! I could get into dumplings, I could eat them every day, they tasted so good to me. So, dumplings can just do it!

Lara: Did you eat a lot of hotpots, or less?

Sami: Chris took us to one of those hotpot places right at the beginning. But I have to say that I didn't like it that much. I thought Korean BBQ was really cool - you just order your meat, put it on the grill and it's done. It's also super cheap!

Lara: What can you expect in terms of price for a normal dinner?

Sami: For a normal dinner about 3 euros. But you also get something for 1.50 euros, so it's super cheap. If you once paid 6 euros, then that was already very much.

Lara: Wow, that's really very cheap! Was there also a lot of street food, or do you rather go to the restaurants?

Sami: Yes, there was also a lot of street food, either nearby or on the night markets, there was street food without end. But we didn't go there that often because it was usually further away.

Lara: Would you say that it was a spicy cuisine?

Sami: Mh, not necessarily. Well, of course there is that too, but I think there is something for everyone. Also, to your question about vegetarian, there's endless options.

Lara: Yeah great, we didn't have it at all, for example. That's why I always find it so interesting to hear how it was in Taiwan.

So now we could get a little insight into two countries. Would you like to compare again, or what did you like better in one country and in the other?

Sami: Well, what I liked better in Taiwan than in the USA were the prices. In the U.S., I spent a little more than I actually wanted to. And then I was able to save a little in Taiwan, because the food and the rent were cheaper - I thought that was great. In the U.S., I found the climate better because it was "normal" weather, because in Taiwan you were already sweating after a shower. In Taiwan, the connection to the people was better, we were a cool group where everyone got along really well. In the U.S., you tended to have a few people you got along with, which was also cool. But in Taiwan, it was just such a team spirit.

Lara: 3 more words for Taiwan.

Sami: If I would sum it up then: Dumplings, Corona paradise at that time and good friends.

Lara: 3 very nice words! Do you have anything else to add? Because we've been switching back and forth a lot now, maybe you can think of something else?

Sami: Yes, when I think about it. Earlier I told you that I could take 2 AWPFS in the USA - playing soccer and doing yoga. I forgot that I also had surfing as another subject. Every week once surfing, the last time I was surfing on 24.12 with Christmas hat and it was very cold.

Lara: If you draw 2 comparisons again, scale 1-10 where would you rank which country?

Sami: Let's start with the USA, I would give 9. It was a great time and California is the sunshine state of the USA and is super beautiful. Only because of the little things that were a bit stupid I would deduct one point. And straight 10 points to Taiwan, because that was just the perfect semester from front to back.

Lara: Yeah, everything sounds really cool, and I hope it wasn't a confusing episode for you, but an episode that you can take a lot from. If you have any questions you can always contact Sami, I will pass on his contact details. If you have any questions or want to contact us, you are welcome to do so. Either via email at bimdannmalweg.fwiwi@thws.de or via Instagram at fwiwi.thws. You can also contact us there if you want Sami's contact information. Right, hope you guys had an enjoyable time here with the episode. Thank you so much Sami for being there.

Sami: Thank you Lara, it was really nice to meet you. I am very excited.

Lara: Yes, I'm also very curious if we can cut out everything that we want to cut out (laughs). Then I would say until the next time, Ciao!