Never give up !

I know that i need to write this, but still have no idea where is the beginning...

We, erasmus studnets, are usually trying to find an appartment/room/ sth like that to rent for the time of our staying in another country. Most of universities has also dormitories. Unfortunately, Catolica in Porto, doesn't have. This is the reason why we had to find an appartment.

We started looking it in December, we didn't want to do this at the last moment because in that time we had a session, exams etc. We were writing to many polish students whose were in that time in Porto. It's a really good solution - believe me. We found an appartment, signed the commitment (ALWAYS REMEBER TO SIGN A COMMITMENT), payed 100 euro in advanced (it supposed to be a half of our June's rent)....and finally came at appartment....

The conditions were not the worst but not the best : smell, old furnitures, our roommate with his unexpected friend and of course the cold. The temperature was usually above 10-15 degrees inside and we felt the wind at our chicks at night. We couldn't get the keys until we paid for February...but all the banks were closed at weekends. Our owner - JOSE BETTENCOURT - is living in Finland, has some firned here to fix sth in app and taking care of it. we wanted to get the heater..we payed a lot and instead of 3 people in app, we had 5. Finally he agreed do give us heater and discount. When we paid him for February 200 euro/each..he changed his mind...just like that. Then we wanted to move out - hope it's obviously why. He didn't allow us to do this. After some days he told us to move out and he'll give us our money back. We said - perfect!
We were looking for another app since the begginning actually so we had sth in advance.
From 11 till 13th of February, here in Portugal, is carnival. Everything is almost the same like in Rio.....it was amazing: music, colours, energy...we wanted to see how it is so on Monday we went for a party.
When we wanted to come back we were waiting for night bus, but it never showed up...so almost all the way by our foot, really tired, came back home - uphill. (every street in Porto is uphill or downhill). At the door was a card with annoucement : "you didn't move out so the locks were changed, you can take yours things at 8 a.m."

It was 5 a.m. I won't describe our reaction, never wish to my enemies to be in other country, without phone, money, anything...at 5 a.m. We didn't find police at our street so I broke the glass in the door and get into app (shouting and screaming and ringing for 30 minutes didn't wake up anyone..)
We called the police, our parents and fo course the embasay. It was 12th of Feb. and almost everything in Porto was closed because of the carnival. We packed our things, Agnieszka went to tourist police station:

PORTO - Esquadra de Turismo

Rua Clube dos Fenianos, nº 11
4000-172 PORTO

Tel.: 222081833
Fax.: 223326480
 Email.: prtetur@psp.pt

I 've started to look for any app to move out immediatly. Then, in the afternoon, Agnieszka's buddy - Sara, took care of us. She and her father (lawyer) helped us with the police, found an app, let us try to eat all frasezinhas and probably trying now to get our money back. The owner of our previous app is only available through facebook, he's criminalist and has now many of such a cases at the police.

In this moment we are cheated for 300 euro. We're living 15 minutes walking from our university, our friends from Poland are in the neighbourhood, we can see ocean and Douro every day. We're safe and our new app is almost like in Poland... :)

If anyone of you thought that my erasmus is like omq, wonderful, etc.....no it's not. Even before coming here it was like a hell to arrange matters connected with university, banks, our health...after arriving here it was also a hell. We hoped that it's now finally over and we have a chance for fresh, new beginning.

We want you to be careful in the future, have in mind our story and remember to never give up! There's always a solution...just need to find it.

Any questions? -> http://portostories@gmail.com

Xoxo,
Justine :)))