The Berenkuil is the bicycle and pedestrian underpass of the big roundabout at the southeast corner of the university. “I like to race by the graffiti on my bike. It’s weird how this art just appears out of nowhere. One of these nights I want to go and take pictures of the artists doing their thing. I think it’s great that there are a number of places in Eindhoven where graffiti is legal.”

Pagán is originally from Ocean Springs in Mississippi. He has moved around the US and also lived in Germany. He spent four years in Maastricht working on a psychology degree before he came to Eindhoven to work at USI 1.5 years ago. “My home town has no skyscrapers or tall buildings and it’s much smaller than Eindhoven. It’s typical small-town USA. I mainly miss my friends and family”, he says. “My first impression of Eindhoven was that it was new and shiny and very different from Maastricht, which is very old and has a great amicable ambiance. In Dutch I would say Maastricht is ‘gezellig’. Maastricht is more familiar to me because I spent longer there and know more people. Still, I could grow to love Eindhoven if I stayed longer.” Pagán has just moved to Venlo for his internship at Océ.

Another part of Eindhoven Pagán really likes is the Kleine Berg, Grote Berg and Bergstraat. This corner of town has a number of pubs, restaurants and interesting shops, e.g. a specialist record store, comic store, smart shop, jewellers, clothing and outlet stores, antique shops etc. The area also seems to be a magnet for hairdressers. According to Pagán it has an artsy, cultural feeling to it. “I always recommend the Bagel Shop. In the summer it’s nice to sit at one of the pavement tables and watch the world go by. It’s always a great place to get something good to eat and have a conversation”, he says. “I also like to browse the shops for interesting accessories and shoes. But my budget isn’t always up to my level of desire…”

Pagan says he enjoys the lifestyle in Europe more than in the US and is planning to stay for a while yet. USI graduates usually have no trouble finding jobs./.