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Month: December 2017

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By keeganblogsfromabroad

Since my last post was about Light Night it only seems fitting that I should follow it up with a post about the Christmas market which it kicked off. Edinburgh's Christmas market is amazing. Set up in a green space next to Princes Street and Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station it offers food, rides, and many many vendors. The atmosphere, especially after dark (the sun sets before 4 pm these days) is festive and amazing. Music echos around as people bustle about, stopping at stands to look at nutcrackers or hats for sale. It is regrettable that quite a few of the stands sell the same goods obviously from the same supplier but there is still a vast diversity of wares offered. There is also a variety in food offered, bratwurst is the most ubiquitous dish and sold almost everywhere. Other German dishes accompany it but are not sold by quite as many stands.

There are also quite a few crepe stands despite the crepe being French and not German. After 8pm they start IDing all the entrants because alcohol is served within the premises of the market. My younger brother, who with my parents was visiting me for thanksgiving, and I were stopped on our way back in after buying bratwurst just outside the market but being over 18 I had no problems and once I explained we weren't planning on drinking the guard merely told me that my brother would have to stick with me (I'm not sure how that changes anything but I'm sure glad he could reenter.) Its still feels strange to be old enough to get into age limited bars and pubs even though I'm only 20. As someone who doesn't drink I don't need to enter one often but when I do I just hope that whomever is guarding the door will accept my Wisconsin drivers license for what it is.

I think that the atmosphere of the Christmas Market is far superior to the content of the market itself. Despite the cold temperatures (its hovering about freezing these days but the wind never stops) hundreds of people flock to the market to eat, shop, and have fun. The lights are beautiful in the dark November night. The heavenly smells waft around and bait you into buying the overpriced food (I'm not insulting the quality, it was one very good bratwurst, just saying it could definitely be cheaper.) Some of the goods are high quality, others not so much, almost everything is expensive. My mom found an "Edinburgh" glass candle holder that she liked until I realized that they all featured a typo and the word Edinburgh was missing its H.

...continue reading "Christmas Market"

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By mariekevanhaaren

The Great Ocean Road is a long road stretching westward from Melbourne, filled with beautiful views and quaint beach towns. The main attraction is close to the end of the road: Twelve Apostles, a collection of what was once twelve huge rocks jutting out of the ocean. However, it takes around four hours to reach these huge cliffs, and there’s lots of opportunities to stop along the way. The following are my favorite places to stop:

  1. Anglesea Golf Course

This is a must see for some up close and personal time with kangaroos! If you park in the parking lot and make your way to the right of the clubhouse (if you are facing it) you can wonder off into the course and should be able to find some kangaroos!

  1. Lorne

The next stop is a town called Lorne. There are a lot of great places to stop and hike here. I did a short hike through the forest that ended at the Erskine Falls, a beautiful waterfall, and it was definitely worth the stop. In addition, a lot of cockatoos fly around here as well, and it’s a great spot to stop and bird watch.

  1. Kennet River

This is a little stop on the side of the road near a cafe called Kafe Koala. You can usually spot some koalas in the trees, as well as colorful parrots and cockatoos. When we stopped here we were lucky enough to run into a tour guide who was feeding all the birds so we got up close and personal with them. It’s definitely an awesome spot to stop to check out some of Australia’s wildlife.

...continue reading "Great Ocean Road"

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By paigebradford

Art de vivre à la Française translates to the “French art of living” and is somewhat seen as a celebration of living in the present moment in French society. The expression was coined by the French and refers to a unique set of characteristics which surround the French way of living. The French desire for fine living has touched almost every aspect of human life, whether its fashion, sport, gastronomy, conversation, and leisure the French have their ways.

One major aspect I have learned in my studies of French society is how the quality of life in France is equal to, and arguable better than that of any other country in the world. The housing, food, health care, educational system and their general state of well-being are evident for the great majority of the French. Sure, there are undeniable challenges and flaws France must face as it moves ahead in the world, but that’s not what this post is about, this post is about how the art of living in France is unique and has a difficult time being replicated elsewhere in the world.

One of my main preconceptions before arriving in France was how French people are known for having a laid-back attitude towards daily life. The 35-hour work week, five weeks of paid vacation and another two weeks of paid holidays may add to the French’s easy going life style, but whatever the cause I particularly saw this trait in the way French people eat meals and dine out. There is convivial nature surrounding meal times in France, for most workers get long lunch breaks giving them enough time to come home and have a sit-down meal with their family. From the sit down meals I have had with my host family the average amount of time spend sitting at the table just eating and talking is around an hour and a half.

...continue reading "Art de Vivre à la Française"

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By mariacort3s

Welp! So exactly two weeks until I leave Cameroon. I won't be going back to the USA, rather I'll be going to Portugal where my aunt lives and then going to Italy for three days to meet up with my best friend Emilio who is studying there and my best friend Wendy who is coming from her program in Jordan and then I'll leave back to Portugal to make my way to  the United States.

Wow, it just feels weird to realize how quick these past few months have gone by. I've gotten used to be being on this side of the world as strange as that sounds. It feels surreal to have to go back. As exhausted as I am and as ready as I am to eat Colombian food and sleep in my own bed, I will miss Cameroon with all my heart. These past few days as I focus on finishing my final assignment, my head is also preparing to leave. How will I explain this experience to people? I am not sure.

Summer going to 11th grade, I spent six weeks in Portugal with my aunt and when I returned everyone was so excited to know how it was and even to that I couldn't respond with a simple answer, all I would say is that it was amazing and you should just experience it yourself. As for Cameroon, where I have been for more than three months and have made amazing relationships with people, I would need a moment of your life to explain.

I'm not sure if everyone experience in study abroad are all this life changing, but even despite all the bad, all the identity crises, all the sicknesses, the people I have met, the lives I got to experience, the knowledge I gained is are all unforgettable and has truly changed the way I see the world.

...continue reading "Wealth in being alive"

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By austineliasdejesus

If you’re anything like me, and in many respects I hope you’re not, you’re excited to travel all over Europe during your semester abroad. And, you can. You can travel all over Europe during your time here, but no matter how hard you try to save money, no matter how many friends you split Airbnb’s and meals with and whatever weirdly timed flights you take, those travel costs will rack up. However, if you’re studying in a country like the U.K., you’re lucky to live in a place that has a ton of great cities within it. These cities have their own cultures and atmospheres, so you’re still going to expanding your worldview. We shouldn’t treat nations and their people as monoliths, and traveling to different towns and cities within your home country will help dissemble that limited view. Here are some great trips you can take in the U.K.

1. Bath

You’ve probably heard of Bath. Not to be snarky, but it’s the place with the baths. The Roman baths. It’s a really charming small town and there’s some really nice nature scenery here. And it’s relatively close to London so you can make a day trip out of this and save a good amount of money.

2. Brighton Beach

Brighton will rejuvenate you. The peddled beach is expansive and fun to just hang around at, the pier is beautiful, and there are some great small restaurants and pubs lining the streets. And, the whole trip—if you choose to stay for only a day—will run you about £20.

...continue reading "Save Some Money, Travel Within the U.K. "

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By Kellie Bancalari

My time in Rwanda is quickly coming to an end, but not without wrapping up my research on the coexistence of free speech and state stability in post-genocide Rwanda.

This Friday marked the final day of my internship with Rwanda's leading english daily, The New Times. For the past month, I have interned with the news team and covered a myriad of topics and events including, the Africa Day of Information, the training of top officials on nuclear security, and even a UN FAO treaty signing on genetically modified plants. One of the coolest assignments I had while on the job was shooting a short-documentary on two brothers who fought off their killers during the genocide.

Through the internship, I was able to fully understand the current state of the media in Rwanda and how journalists here conduct their work. This internship served as an integral part of my research as I was able to observe how the post-genocide environment journalists operate in is affecting their work.

One of the findings during this observation period was how the media has been an integral part of the healing and reconciliation process of Rwanda. The stories that are published in nearly all of the Rwandan newspapers are focused on topics of reconciliation between people and the overall development of the country. These stories, my colleagues at The New Times have told me, help fight genocide ideology and bring the people of Rwanda together as one people (instead of divisions in the ethnic groups like in the past).

...continue reading "Free Speech vs State Stability: A Rwandan Case Study"

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One week until I leave Uganda. It’s incredible how fast the time has flown this semester. One of the parts of this program that has had the biggest impact on my time here has been my homestay family. Throughout this trip, they have gone above and beyond to make me feel comfortable and have really made this country feel like home for me. My family (baganda wange in Luganda) is comprised of my mom, my dad, my sister who is 16 and my four brothers who are 20, 18, 12, and 7. Having such a big family, and one with such a different culture than I’m used to, was intimidating at first, but they were so welcoming that my fear was quickly replaced with a sense of belonging.

My first few weeks my family was amazing while I lived in their home. We had dinner together every night, where we exchanged stories about our days, talked politics, and explained our respective home countries to each other. My younger brothers always provided entertainment. My mom was the center of my family, and was as much a mother figure to me as my mom at home is. She was always there to help when I needed her, gave me the best advice and friendly conversations, and even drove me to the hospital at 3:00 am every morning for a week while I was sick. I love every member of my family and there is no other family I would have rather spent my time in Uganda with.

During the second six-week period of our semester, we were all doing independent research projects and we moved out of our homestays so that we could be closer to where we had to work. Even though I wasn’t living with them anymore, my family always checked in on me, and always had room for me if I wanted to come over. I would make the trek to their house every Sunday for family lunch, to catch up with my mom and two brothers around my age, and to play with my younger brothers. Every Sunday over my large steaming plate of matoke and g-nut sauce, the sense of home I had during the first six weeks would return and it was always hard to leave.

...continue reading "Baganda Wange"

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By jlee4946

With nearly 3 months in Korea coming to a close, I think I can narrow down 5 of my favorite things to do here.

1. Coin Karaoke (코인노래방): As you may well know, karaoke, or noraebang, in Korea is extremely popular. However, something that's been of fashion or "유행" here is coin karaoke, where you go into the booths that can cozily fit 3 people and each song you sing is about $0.25, although some of them are $0.50. So even if you sing 20 songs, that's still only $5 and over an hour's worth of entertainment. Affordable and enjoyable, best of both worlds!

2. Claw Machine (인형뽑기): My favorite thing to waste money on in Korea doesn't even guarantee an end product. It's the stuffed animal claw machines that I rarely see in the US anymore. In Korea, however, there are entire rooms dedicated to these claw machines, in addition to a variety of selection at arcades. For me, the problem is when I first grab the stuffed animal, I do really well. I bring it really close to the drop box. But then that's where I struggle and spend 1000 won bills (similar to $1) one after another.

3. Street market (시장): So when I got notified that I didn't get a dorm assignment at SNU for the semester, I found a place to stay in a place called Nak-Seong-Dae (낙성대). At first, I was honestly kind of peeved because dorms are SO much cheaper, SO close to campus and just convenient as an exchange student. However, I'm so thankful now that I have my own place in Nakseongdae. There's a street market less than a 10 minute walk from my house filled with traditional Korean foods such as rice cakes and street foods such as spicy rice cakes, fish cake, kimbap, etc., fresh baked bread, even Japanese takoyaki, baked chestnuts, fresh fish, butcheries, sashimi and family owned restaurants. It's such a unique experience walking down the street with grandmas smiling at you that give you a few more pieces of spicy rice cake or people shouting out different prices for fresh fish.

...continue reading "Top 5 Things to Do"

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By gwrobinkim

In my original post, I defined myself in my own words: a third-culture Korean American. After reviewing and reflecting on what I wrote in that post, I’ve realized how much has changed in the three months of being here. I still stand by what I said before, I still identify as a third-culture Korean American.

However, my time here has made me learn a lot about both my identity and community back home. And by “back home,” I mean that figuratively. Like most people, I have several groups of people that come to mind when I think about my community: my family, my university friends, my high school friends, and my middle school friends. Looking at this, my community isn’t centered in one area.

...continue reading "Defining Identity and Community: Mid-Semester Reflection"

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By czhangangel

Studying abroad is a decision that allows yourself to experience the world, be independent, meet different people, adapt to different living, learn about different culture, etc. During time abroad, one will adopt an optimistic, out-going, and relaxed attitude. Your focus turns from school to experiencing as most as you can by traveling the world and making new friends. The overall experience can be addicting and lull one into extending their study abroad experience – at least for me, it did.

I was very tempted to proceed with the process to extend my stay in Hong, but for the first time, I felt held back for once. I thought this situation only happens to those who are “grown up”, or those with responsibilities. “Grownups” have responsibilities to answer to such as family, friends, jobs, and opportunities that should be seized. It is very selfish and immature to just enjoy life without responsibilities – to leave everything behind – because there are people that care about you and want you in their lives, and there are people you will care about too. I asked myself, “Have I ‘grown’ that much to have these responsibilities – to have to make a decision like this?” I understand that studying abroad is a growing experience, but I didn’t realize how much one can grow.

The responsibilities that I believe I personally have are sick family that I must see and take care of, departing friends that I must see, credits I must take to graduate, and jobs and internships to apply for. I had to understand that the study abroad life is not long-term; home is because that is where your past and near future lies. Time flies and things change will you are away and does not wait for you; and the longer you are away, the more you have to “catch up” and accept changes that have occurred. There are future opportunities to come back to your place of study abroad to work or vacation since the location itself will never move.

...continue reading "A Pull From Across the World: To Go or to Stay?"

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