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Voyageur du Monde? (posted by Pierre en Suisse)

April 19, 2013

Zero: the number of foreign countries that I had ever visited before coming to Switzerland. Three: The number of countries I have visited (or lived in) so far by the time that I am writing this. Four: The number I will have reached by the end of this week when I head to another famous European destination! Compared to the “Pierre” I was before leaving the US, I am definitely on my way to becoming a voyageur mondial (global traveler)! This is far from being an actual title I can claim, I still have some other continents to get to, however it certainly feels this way, being so new to this whole traveling thing. After coming back from Italy during my Spring Break, I spent one day back in Switzerland before hopping on a plane to Barcelona!

I had quite a different experience in Barcelona compared to Italy, just from the standpoint of language. In Italy, I did not know a single word of Italian, which made me feel bad every time I needed to ask someone for English, and even worse when I was on a train and had no idea how to say “excuse me” or “I’m sorry!” However, after having a single year of Spanish combined with my French, I did pretty well in Spain. As Barcelona is in the Catalonian region of Spain, the people speak both Catalan and Spanish. Luckily, I was able to meet up with a friend I met at Richmond who comes from Barcelona and did a semester of exchange at U of R. She helped me out with some key phrases that I would need to know as well, and explained to me the language. She said that Catalan sounds like Italian, and has a lot of influence from the French language, such as some of the letters and even words, since the region is so close to the French border. Luckily, she also spent a great deal of time with me, showing me some of the streets and main areas that tourists would not normally go down on their own. In the sunlight, it was so easy for me to fall in love with such a beautiful place very quickly, when looking up around me and seeing the narrow streets lined by buildings with terraces and plants coming down from them, walking into a main square and seeing a group of people start performing a dance show, and then being introduced to the main tapas dishes of the region.

Managed to capture this image of the birds while in the oldest parts of the Barcelona. Completely fits my image of the stereotypical European image

Managed to capture this image of the birds while in the oldest part of the city. Completely fits my image of the stereotypical European image

My guide also explained to me one of the most notable features of the architecture in Barcelona. The modernist style is unlike anything I had ever seen before. Just like my friend told me, it is something you just have to see, and not anything that is easily explained, but with the help of my friends at Wikipedia I will attempt. The movement began towards the end of the 19^th century, and combines very rich, ornate decoration and detail, while preferring curves over straight lines. One of the most famous sights in Barcelona, the Basilica I Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia, designed by one of the most renowned modernist architechts, Antoni Gaudi, was designed and meant to feel like a forest on the inside, for example. Still unfinished, it was one of the most impressive sights I have ever seen!

Feel like you’re looking up into the tops of a manmade-forest? Well, this would be the inside of Gaudi’s famous Basilica!

Among other things that we did in Barcelona, aside from just seeing amazing architecture, I also got to tour the Olympic park where the city hosted the summer Olympics in 1992, in addition to finally seeing the beautiful Mediterranean Sea for the first time! While I know I am still so far away from being able to call myself a world traveler, it certainly is beginning to feel like it, having been exposed to two fairly different countries within the same week. Despite all the excitement of the travels, I still get beyond excited when I return to Switzerland, and feel back at ease with the language and get back to the certain degree of familiarity I have with what is still this foreign land. But in any case, the travels shall continue, so stay tuned for what is to come!

One of my famous images of the city, the fountains in this park were absolutely gorgeous!

Leave a Comment » | Peter in Switzerland, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Adventure, Culture, Food, Language, Public Transportation, Sightseeing, Switzerland, Travel | Permalink
Posted by PeterinSwitzerland

행복: Akaraka and Cheering Competition (posted by Indira in South Korea)

April 15, 2013

I always thought that U.S. universities put a high emphasis on school spirit with their mascots, cheerleaders, teams, etc. but I’ve never seen anything even close to the spirit Yonsei has. It is UNBELIEVABLE!

Everyone wears their fancy Yonsei jackets through the whole city with much pride and they display their love for the school they go to (students of other universities in Seoul do the same). The most impressive display of school spirit and pride, however, has to be the Akaraka and Cheering Competition. I have never seen students so involved and so happy to be part of a certain university.

In some of my earlier posts I wrote about how Yonsei and Korea University are two main rivals and they have all these amazing cheering songs where they talk about which school is better and how they are going to beat the other school. As part of our international student orientation we had an hour long cheering orientation during which we learned (or tried to learn) all the cheers and dances. It is really hard as the vast majority of the songs are in Korean so it’s very hard to follow. Dance, on the other hand, is much easier to follow as you just do what everyone else is doing.

Recently there was an event hosted in Yonsei University’s outdoor amphitheater – a cheering competition. Unfortunately, most of the exchange students had their Korean language course at this time or hadn’t heard about it at all, so it was only five of us who joined hundreds of Yonsei and Korea University students for an evening of cheering, singing, dancing, and fun. We got to the amphitheater pretty late and there were so many people: half of the amphitheater was all blue, and the other half started turning red. In less than a half an hour after we got there the amphitheater was completely full! It was very easy to spot the Yonsei students wearing blue and Korea University students wearing red. There would be one Korea song and the red half of the amphitheater would sing and dance and then the Yonsei students would get a chance to do the same. It was also fun when the Korea and Yonsei prince dressed in fun traditional looking costumes in the colors of their University talked about all the good things about their University thereby showing how bad the rival University is. All of this is of course just fun and helps students bond; both within the respective universities, but also between the two universities. I had so much fun participating in this event as it is a warm-up for the real cheering competition that will happen in May – Akaraka. I am so looking forward to that! 🙂

Full amphitheater for the Cheering Competition

Yonsei students dancing to one of the cheering songs

Even though the school spirit is on such a high level, the University sports are not that good on this level. Two of my friends and I went to a home basketball game between Yonsei and another Korean university and I was rather surprised to see how few supporters there were and the program was not on the level I would have expected. There were no cheerleaders at all! It was interesting to have this event and cheering competition and to compare them in my mind. We, however, enjoyed a good basketball game!

Yonsei basketball game

Now, I’ll leave Yonsei for a while to go and visit an island located about 1.5 hours from Seoul and I am really looking forward to exploring Korea!

2 Comments | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Culture, Friends, Host University, Language, Music, South Korea, Travel | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

Fast Trains to Fun Travels (posted by Pierre en Suisse)

April 10, 2013

Last week was my University’s spring break, or Easter Vacation as it is called here. It could mean only one thing: time to hop on a train and travel somewhere outside of Switzerland for the first time! Where did I pick you may be wondering? Italy! One of Switzerland’s border countries as well as language regions, Italy is also from where my family originates. I am quite proud to say that I am one hundred percent Italian when at home in the states. However, as an American abroad in Europe, I have realized there is a very different conception of nationality here than in the US; whereas it is not that common to be completely of one heritage in the US, here in Europe, to say to someone I am a hundred percent Italian usually means absolutely nothing. It was an interesting realization when I first explained that to someone!

To go to Italy, I hopped on a train the afternoon my classes had ended, and after traveling four hours through mountains, tunnels, and past various lakes, I found myself at my final destination, in Bologna. I am lucky to have a friend who is studying in Bologna whom I stayed with during my visit. No, Bolonga is not typically the first city that comes to mind when envisioning Italy, but I think it was quite an ideal destination. It is in the heart of the Emilia-Romagna region, and is home to some of the most famous Italian foods, such as the Bolognese sauce, the typical meat sauce that goes over some of the most stereotypically Italian pastas such as tortellini and lasagna, also specialties of the region. Tasting true Italian food was one of my main goals of the trip, and I definitely got my fill of it!

My first meal there was at a very traditional family-style restaurant that served the meal in different courses. Starting with anti pasti, the servers brought out massive plates that you take a bit of food from before passing it on to the rest of those at your table, until you have a full plate. This course can include things like prosciutto, salads, and other types of vegetables. Next up is the pasta course, called primi, followed by secondi, or the main dish of the meal, usually some kind of meat, and then finishing off with desert and then coffee. Due to the fact that we were already stuffed by the time we finished our primis, we decided not to get secondis, choosing desert instead. I won’t lie, even in Switzerland, the land of chocolate, I have never had more on my plate at one time than during this course, between the chocolate mousse, chocolate salami, chocolate sauce to go over one of the pastry, in addition to the other deserts. Don’t worry, Gelato came another time, I made sure I didn’t miss it when in Italy. After the experience I truly understood why my friend had warned me not to eat that day, knowing we would be having such a large meal at the restaurant.

My dessert plate

The next day, I found myself in Florence! My friend and I walked around the city and saw some of the major sights, such as the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, but unfortunately due to the long line and my lack of foresight, we did not have a reservation to go to the Museum where the famous statue of David is located, in addition to the Palazzo Vecchio, or the old town hall of Florence. There, I found among many other things, a map room which happened to be one of my favorite parts. Despite my excitement of being in Italy, I couldn’t help but locate Switzerland and Lausanne on the map of the francophone world.

One of my favorite parts of Bologna: the food markets. Loved the ambiance and just looking at the selection! This is just one of the many fresh produce stands located in the market.

One of my favorite parts of Bologna: the food markets. Loved the ambiance and just looking at the selection! This is just one of the fresh produce stands.

Upon returning to Bologna, I got a full on view of what I envisioned to be Italy one morning when it was sunny. Walking through the city’s colored porticos with the sun burning off any morning dew and fog and shining through the arches, there was nothing else like it. Until that is I climbed up on top of one of Bolonga’s famous two towers and got a full view of the city’s red roof tops and green rolling hills in the distance. The combination of the true Italian food and these images definitely met my expectations of what Italy should be, and I will say I am ready for round two to come at some point down the line. That visit will be to Rome, almost certainly, and then later on I hope to get to Venice. But alas, I am back in the wonderful land of the Swiss, and life could not possibly be better.

Bologna and some of the surrounding hills

2 Comments | Peter in Switzerland, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Culture, Food, Friends, Sightseeing, Switzerland, Travel | Permalink
Posted by PeterinSwitzerland

What’s hidden in the Cloud Forest? (posted by Blair in Ecuador)

April 10, 2013

At the beginning of the semester, we had the opportunity to spend a long weekend in the Bosque Nublado (Cloud Forest) of Intag in the Northern Sierra (mountain) region of Ecuador! On Saturday morning, 22 SIT gringos, Fabian (one of our directors), and Leonore (our other director)’s son, Nico, all piled on a bus. We drove for about five hours, an additional two hours than expected because there had been a landslide that blocked our highway. Fabian pointed out the Imbabura and Cotacachi Mountains/Volcanoes, telling us the indigenous legend of how the two fell in love and that when they have an argument, there’s a volcanic eruption.

When the bus stopped, we hopped out and tossed our bags into a truck, then started out on a walk. We walked for another hour, learning about the flora and fauna, the legends of the area, and a bit more about our plans for the weekend from Fabian. Along the way, we passed a bunch of horses tied up that were going to carry our stuff where the truck could no longer pass. There is no way to get in or out of this place without walking for half an hour, and that’s in good weather!

We arrived at La Florida, the hostería (a long-term resort-type lodging arrangement) to an already prepared, and much appreciated lunch of salad, veggie enchiladas with beans and rice, and oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies with tea and coffee! It was quite delicious; all the food comes from their fields, which operate with a very specific system of natural equilibrium. They don’t use any chemicals on the plants because it is the natural combination of distinct species that keeps weeds and bugs from taking over.

Arrival at the Bosque Nublado

After dividing into our cabins, we were walked through the set-up.

1. Electricity: La Florida has electricity in the main building, but it is simply nonsensical to install it everywhere, so we went to bed by candlelight for a week. I definitely suggest doing this, it was a wonderful experience.

2. Toilets: There are outhouses which have different underground levels where waste is broken down. They use a human waste composting system, so the waste is constantly mixed with very specific soil combinations to aid the breakdown process, and eventually used as fertilizer. This is one of the only places in Ecuador where toilet paper can go in the toilet!

3. Water: They receive their water from the nearby river, where it passes through a natural filtration system on its way to La Florida. However, this means the water heating system is the sun. If there is no sun, which is rather likely in rainy season, the water comes out fresh cold from the river.

The cabins also had wonderful hammocks hanging outside the rooms, which we promptly piled into and chattered the evening away about the beauty of our home for the weekend.

We had a discussion with Carlos, the owner of La Florida and a Cuban-American citizen who decided to move down here after he visited Intag’s Bosque Nublado once and fell in love. He now lives with his wife, a Spaniard, and they are working to save this section from mining destruction. Japanese, Canadian, and Chilean companies all want to come to Intag to mine for copper, even though the region has only .06% copper. This is the average percentage of copper stored in the ground throughout the entire world and extracting this tiny amount would cause more damage and create more waste product than the copper’s value. However, Intag is specifically being targeted because of Ecuador’s open trade agreements due its the neoliberal policies installed by Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and because of Intag’s low human population density.

However, Intag has many species unique to this area, many with medical uses, and possibly yet-undiscovered species, as we learned more about the next day. After a delicious breakfast of yogurt with fruit and granola, more fresh fruit on the side, bread, and real coffee, we set off for a hike through the primary forest. We learned of the interdependence of all the living organisms of the Cloud Forest, how each species is able to thrive because it relies on another for protection, because the existence of each species ensures that no one takes over, and because human interference has not yet taken place in this area. However, many plants have been extracted to create medicines, such as the face-numbing medicine you receive at the dentist that turns you into that person who is walking around poking yourself in the mouth to make sure it’s there.

Roberto, our guide, explains the medical uses of this giant-leafed plant, as well as how to roll the leaves into the shape of a ‘gun’

Roberto led us along, tromping across the river in our tall rubber boots to a part with many felled trees. He started hacking around with his machete until he found a specific tree, el Arból de Sangre del Drago (Drago Blood Tree). He cut a slice into it and a red blood-like substance started to pour onto his machete. Roberto then put this blood on his hand and explained that it can be eaten to cure stomach issues. As he started to rub it into his hand, the blood turned into a white cream, which can be used to disinfect and speed up the scabbing process of wounds, as well as used as a bug repellent and sunscreen. This one tree of the entire forest can be used for many purposes, but depends entirely on the existence of the other species throughout.

Arból de Sangre del Drago (Drago Blood Tree) bleeding onto Roberto's (our guide's) machete

Arból de Sangre del Drago (Drago Blood Tree) bleeding onto Roberto’s machete

The next evening, we had a seminar with a local group of women who use a reed plant of the forest and natural dyes to make different products (purses, placemats, bracelets, hats). These women are also working on an eco-tourism project to bring income to the community, as well as bring attention to the situation with the mining companies. Last year, a group of German volunteers just happened to record an interaction between a mining company and some community members on their iPhones, which they were then able to use with International Human Rights groups to win back their land rights.

On my last morning at La Florida, I woke up to a bunch of commotion outside my bedroom. Silvia, a birdwatcher had come to do her biannual research on hummingbirds and they had just caught a new species for the area. Silvia walked us through the different measurements on the bird and why they’re taken (predicting the age, assuring it does not have stomach issues, checking to see if it’s pregnant), then held the little colobrí (hummingbird) up to my ear so I could hear its blood coursing through its tiny little body. It was amazing! The bird actually flapped its wings in my ear, and hummingbirds can flap their wings 50-80 times per second! What an incredible experience.

This crazy little guy, fittingly named the Rhino Beetle, also got stuck in the bird net and was a pain to cut out because of all his sharp edges.

On our last morning, this crazy little guy, fittingly named the Rhino Beetle, also got stuck in the bird net and was a pain to cut out because of all his sharp edges.

2 Comments | Blair in Ecuador | Tagged: Adventure, Culture, Ecuador, Sightseeing | Permalink
Posted by blairinecuador

Yup, this is all real!! (posted by Pierre en Suisse)

March 29, 2013

Monday in my Swiss Politics seminar, I gave a presentation with a group for the first time since I have been here in Switzerland. Our presentation was only fifteen minutes, and was on the topic of a law that we had been studying for the past couple of weeks, and honestly it was one of the most interesting experiences I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t call this just any presentation, however I would instead refer to it as the presentation of realizations: realizations not solely focused on the topic of our work, but realizations really for me that this is not some fantasy land here, but it is real life. Real studying, real learning, real people seeking their degrees, real people working. Real people are living here doing normal every day things in Switzerland, just like what happens at home in the US.

Sometimes life here can honestly feel like I’m in a dream world that doesn’t really exist. Among some of my other exchange student friends, we often joke that Switzerland is just too perfect of a place. In fact, when I had first arrived here, I saw the water in a river by the university and it was so blue that I actually questioned whether it was highly polluted. The reality is that it is a great deal cleaner than what I’m used to seeing. The scenery is as picturesque as one could ever imagine. On a clear day, when walking pretty much anywhere in the city, just one look to the south and the view of the lake and magnificent snow-covered mountains just takes your breath away. The buildings in the city are real too. As an American, I’m used to really only seeing this style of architecture be replicated in places like an amusement park, or maybe more authentically in a major city. However, the medieval European style is everywhere here, as it is something we just try to copy in the US. Even the money here, being different and far more colorful than what I’m used to can sometimes feel fake, and just as if it’s out of a game like monopoly (this is not to say that I’m spending as if I’m in a game- Switzerland is too expensive to do so, and I’m not trying to run out of money to buy food). And what’s more is that again, people aren’t speaking the language that I am used to hearing. However, it is a language that I truly love and still feel in disbelief that I’m actually able to use it as a means of communication, not just something to study and enjoy hearing in a song or reading in a book, for example. So as foolish as it can really sound, the life here can honestly feel like I’m still asleep and just living in a European fantasy.

However, I think today when I presented in front of an audience of Francophones, it really hit me that no, this is real. I don’t know why it was speaking in front of a class that made me finally realize this. I’ve given countless presentations in my time as a student, however they’ve always been in English, or maybe French to an audience of other Anglophones learning French just like me. So when I was speaking today and opened with, “Sorry if my French hurts your ears” and was luckily greeted with some laughter and some compliments afterwards, it hit me that this time it was real. These people grow up thinking in this language, not in English. It is French that is the little voice in their head that shapes their thoughts and perceptions, not English like mine. It is French that shapes their personalities, and the way that they express themselves, not English like me. Just the thought of how something that we take so for granted each day, our simple means of expressing ourselves orally or written for so many different purposes, has such a profound impact on who we are. Again, language is something that truly fascinates me. The fact that I’m not yet at a level of French where I feel like it is true French, not just a set of words formulated into a structure very much like that of my own language, that I speak on a day to day basis, really struck me today when I was speaking in front of this class and realized that this was finally me using what I’ve learned to speak and present information to people whose minds speak to them differently. I hope this makes sense; it really has to do with thinking of how you speak to yourself in your head that amazes me, and to think that there are countless ways to do that is an idea that really came to light today.

SO I guess maybe after finally realizing that this is all real might mean that I’m officially habituated or adapted to the life here in Switzerland? I’d say no. Again, every day brings new experiences, but in a way that makes me excited to get up every day and go out exploring. It’s constantly learning time here, with the world around me as my classroom, library, or any other place you could think of as a place of learning. It is incredible, and again, I am so truly lucky to be here.

Leave a Comment » | Peter in Switzerland, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Academics, Adventure, Friends, Host University, Switzerland | Permalink
Posted by PeterinSwitzerland

서울의 노래: Classes, Museum, and Karaoke (posted by Indira in South Korea)

March 29, 2013

It has already been over a month since I got to Seoul and I really feel as if I’ve been here for much longer. It is funny how you can feel well-connected with a place and yet discover new things and faces of that place every single day. Seoul is definitely one of those places: being a huge city, you can always discover new corners, little shops, and amazing restaurants where you least expect to find them.

Past week was a little preview of how the next weeks are going to get: not enough time for all the exploring, traveling, and schoolwork I want/need to do. Last week I had my first assignments to hand in and I was pretty busy with school. It is now that I feel the big change from the system in Sweden – instead of focusing on one class at a time, I am all over the place, balancing 4 courses. This is actually good, as it will me help me get on track by the time I am back in Richmond. Speaking of Richmond, the fact that I will be returning to Richmond for my senior year is starting to hit me. The housing selection and coming course registration definitely make me feel nervous. On the one hand, I am excited to go back to Richmond and see all the people I haven’t seen in almost a year, but I also don’t want this year abroad to end, and most of all – the thought of me being a senior in August is rather scary.

Being abroad is one of the best things an undergraduate student can do and I would recommend it to everyone. It is unbelievable how much you learn about yourself and the world. The most amazing thing is the first-hand experience: sightseeing, learning the language, understanding the culture, meeting the people. I also love how all of my courses foster the first-hand experience. Even though I take a wide range of courses we always focus on Korea as our main example thereby gaining in-class knowledge, but as soon as you walk out of the lecture halls you can easily realize you are in the world you just read or heard about and you can go and explore it all. For my US-Korea relations class, for instance, the professors gave us 2 hours of lectures off so we could go the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History located near the City Hall. A few of my classmates and I went to the museum and actually had so much fun exploring the contemporary history of our temporary home. One of the most fascinating things in the museum was the 38th parallel that divides US and USSR zone. There were also a lot of other things to see and learn about Korea and how it has changed and progressed. There was even a huge section devoted to the technology development (including a super big screen where you could watch K-Pop videos, including “Gangnam Style”).

The 38th parallel, an imaginary line dividing the US and USSR zone (South and North Korea)

The 38th parallel dividing the US and USSR zone (South and North Korea)

I also really liked the part of the museum that represented the President’s office. We spent quite some time there taking pictures and looking around.

President's office in the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History

President’s office in the museum

And last week I went to the karaoke room with a group of my friends. Basically you rent a room for as much time as you want (usually 1 or 2 hours gives you enough times you sing your heart out), pick your song(s) and sing no matter how good or horrible you sound. It is actually quite entertaining and a great way to meet new people and bond with them!

Karaoke with some of my exchange student friends in Seoul

Karaoke with my friends

It is great when you find little things like karaoke rooms and a trip to museum to make your day. Seoul definitely is soulful, all you have to do is keep your eyes open! 🙂

Leave a Comment » | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Academics, Adventure, Culture, Friends, Host University, Music, Sightseeing, South Korea | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

Homesick? (posted by Pierre en Suisse)

March 22, 2013

It is unreal to me that I have been here already for eight weeks. I continuously keep track of the length of time that I’ve spent here, because whenever I meet someone, especially if they are Swiss, one of the first things they’ll ask is how long I’ve been here. With each passing week, as that number has grown larger, the question started to come up as to whether or not I was homesick at all. My answer? Nope, not really.

Switzerland certainly is a different place than the United States, in very simple ways. What I would normally use at home for a sandwich, for example, was called “sacrilege” by a Swiss friend, since the Swiss standard of bread is much higher than my own. It’s also starting to strike me just how old certain things can be here. While walking through the city, I could pass a site built in the medieval ages, any number of castles, or even a site with Ancient Roman Ruins! When I think about the fact that the first British settlers in the United States arrived in the 1600s, it is really quite impressive to think what an “old” building means to a European compared with me, as an American!

The variety of languages here never ceases to amaze me. Switzerland itself recognizes four national languages: French, German, Italian, and Romansh. But it doesn’t end there. Swiss German, I have been told, can be spoken differently depending on what region you are in, sometimes even by mountain valley. Swiss Germans write in High German, or standard German, but all speak differently. It is as if they could almost form 26 languages of their own, I have been told. But then it gets even more interesting to see the fact that in the Swiss Parliament, laws are written in French, German, and Italian. When I was doing a project for my Swiss Politics class, I had to learn about a law that was assigned to my group. I discovered that one word in the French version of the law, just in the title of it, was the subject of debate, at least among the francophone members of the Parliament. I wondered to myself if this happens in all of the languages, and if it does, just how amazing that truly is that the country can still function as smoothly as it does with all this diversity of language and thought. With diversity of language always comes diversity of culture, so it is an amazing feature of this country to notice the differences between all the different types of people that are here. I definitely came to question whether the political system in the US could handle something like two or even three national languages being used in the Congress, but given the drastically different size of the country the situation is entirely different.

Language is definitely one of the things that fascinates me the most about being here in Switzerland. I share a flat with a girl from Australia, another American, and then a girl from France and a Swiss guy too. As there are some differences between the French spoken in Switzerland and the French spoken in France, as someone learning the language I absolutely love listening to my flatmates point out their differences, just as I would when talking to someone in the states about the word “wicked” or “y’all”. One big difference in Switzerland is the way that they say numbers. The Swiss have a different way of saying 70, 80, and 90 than the French do, using a much shorter word for each. All of us exchange students really appreciate it because it can be a lot easier for us to say! But again, listening to the exchanges between some of the Swiss and the French about the nuances of their respective languages is always a great opporutunity for me to pull out my phone and continue adding to the massive list of words and phrases I have learned since I got here. If I don’t do that I usually forget, so with each day this list keeps expanding!

So going back to my question of whether or not I’ve missed home: I would have to say it’s hard to miss something that I’m so used to when I’m constantly exposed to new things, interesting people, and can practice my language skills. I’ve not been here long enough to find the mountains that lie just across the lake to be any bit normal, so whenever the sky is clear, they always remind me of how lucky I am to be in such a beautiful place, in a way that is completely different than what I have in Richmond. Am I starting to get adjusted to the life here? I don’t think it’s really possible, when each day comes with new challenges and new adventures and opportunities to learn. I think that is probably the most consistent aspect about life here. No matter what, I am always learning, and no matter what, I love every minute of it.

Leave a Comment » | Peter in Switzerland, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Culture, Friends, Housing, Language, Sightseeing, Switzerland | Permalink
Posted by PeterinSwitzerland

Highs and Lows (posted by Jimmy in England)

March 20, 2013

It is funny how in the course of two weeks you can go from incredible highs to devastating lows. On my last weekend before spring break, I took a three day trip into London with a few friends. I have been to London before, but only for day trips. Oxford is an hour and a half drive west of London, so buses conveniently run through the night. This time, I wanted to fully experience one of the most influential cities in the world. We stayed at the Club Quarters Hotel in the financial district, located within a five minute radius of the Thames, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Tower of London. When we settled in, I Googled “shows in London” looking to find a theatre performance for the evening, since London theatre is rivaled only by Broadway. However, the first thing that came up was “One Direction Concert-Tonight, 7:30p.m.” One Direction is the British version of the Backstreet Boys, and they are one of the biggest boy bands in the world right now. They have a few hit singles and their fan base tends to be 11-16 year old girls. Don’t judge me when I say that we impulsively bought tickets 20 rows from the stage for the concert that night! My friends and I quickly grabbed some food and took the tube to O2 arena, one of the major concert venues in Southeast London. I will be honest; these guys draw an unbelievable crowd. It was the first concert of their new tour and it was packed. I will gladly swallow my pride and say that this was one of the best experiences of my time at Oxford.

One Direction Concert

The next morning we set out to do all of the ‘touristy’ stuff. We attended Mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral, visited Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, the National Gallery and the London Eye. Needless to say, it was a LONG day. The architecture and beauty of the city is absolutely incredible. London is such a historic place and these landmarks speak to its amazing past. The following day, we took a 20 minute bus ride north of London to Warner Brothers Studios where we went on a four hour tour of the making of Harry Potter. I was a little skeptical when the ticket said that it would take 4 hours, but after having been through it, I completely understand why they say that. We made it through in 3 hours and 45 minutes, and I felt like we were going very quickly. The studios are amazing. They have props from every movie, the original sets, costumes, and everything that you could imagine. They even serve you Butterbeer! ( For what it is worth, I thought it was disgusting). After the tour, we headed back to Oxford and I spent my last week in the lab.

London Eye, a ferris wheel built in celebration of the millennium, from Buckingham Palace

London Eye from Buckingham Palace

One of the sets for Harry Potter

On Saturday, March 9^th, I flew into Richmond to be with the basketball team for Senior Night against Duquesne and the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Brooklyn. We left for Brooklyn on Tuesday and had our first game on Thursday at noon against Charlotte. As much as the previous weeks had been my best time at Oxford, this game was by far the most devastating sporting experience of my life. If you have not seen the highlights on ESPN or Richmondspiders.com, I suggest that you do. Let me paint the picture: we were up 63-60 with 5.9 seconds to go. It was Charlotte’s ball, and they were inbounding it underneath their basket and had to bring it up the court and shoot a three before time expired to try and tie the game. When teams are in this situation, they have two options- they can either play defense and let the team shoot a 3, or they can foul and send them to the free-throw line where the odds of tying the game are very slim. In order to tie the game, they would have to make the first free-throw, miss the second, get the offensive rebound, and score all in 5.9 seconds. All smart coaches foul in this situation because they are almost always guaranteed a win. In fact, I have never seen a situation where the team fouled and then lost. I have seen countless situations where the team does not foul, and the opposing team hits a three, sends it to overtime, and wins. Coach Mooney, one of the best coaches in the country, decided that we should foul. We fouled them with 4.9 seconds left in the game and sent one of their players to the free-throw line to shoot a one-and-one. The player made the first shot, and after the ball had gone in the basket, there was a tie-up between one of our players and one of the Charlotte players. At the end of the tie-up, our player extended his arm and as a result their player fell to the ground. A technical foul was immediately given, and the officials met at half-court for two minutes to go over the call. After the meeting, they decided to issue the technical, which resulted in two more shots (and the other one-and-on free throw) to Charlotte. At the end of the free throws, Charlotte was up 64-63 and had the ball as the result of the technical. Crazier things have happened in sports, so we still had a chance to win. We were down by one and planned on fouling, so that they would have to go to the free-throw line, and make two free-throws. We still would have had a chance to win. They inbounded the ball to half court, and we fouled. However, the player that we fouled did what every player in these situations does. He threw up the ball after we fouled him in an effort to gain three shots (since he was behind the three-point line because he was standing at half-court). In these situations, the refs never award the player three shots; they always call the one-and-one. However, the ref awarded Charlotte three shots, and as a result our coaches were a little angry. We received two more technicals for arguing the call, knowing that our fate was locked in when they were given three shots. At the end of it all, they were given 3 shots for the original foul, and 2 for each technical, giving them 7 more free throws. In a five second span, they shot 11 free throws and turned a 3 point loss into a 5 point win, ending our hopes at the Atlantic 10 Title and turning us away from the NCAA Tournament. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

I am five days removed from the game, and it still burns. I am currently on spring break and have travelled home to Buffalo, New York. I will visit Richmond soon for the UR Business Pitch Competition. We have entered Chance To Play into the competition and hopefully we can receive positive feedback. On April 17^th, I head back to England for my final 8 week term.

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Leave a Comment » | Jimmy in England, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Adventure, Culture, England, Friends, Music, Sightseeing, Travel | Permalink
Posted by JimmyinEngland

기초: Living in a Dorm, Classes, and Korea 101 (Posted by Indira in South Korea)

March 18, 2013

It’s been three weeks since I’ve come to Seoul and I have to admit that I’m getting used to it all. I figured out the shortest route to Sinchon (the area of the city where I live), I can communicate with shopkeepers by using the very limited Korean skills I have, and through hand motions, and I know what places I love going to eat at. Those are just some small things that make me feel more at home in Korea. I find it truly fascinating how quickly I can adapt to a new environment and embrace it as a place that I call home: going back to Yonsei University campus or to I-House is always referred to as going “back home.”

I really do feel comfortable in my dorm, going to classes, walking around Sinchon, using the subway, and simply living in Seoul. It feels that all the culture shock is wearing off as I have started accepting and appreciating all the differences around me. I am no longer shocked by a certain behavior, Korean über-politness, or crazy drivers. I am really starting to love this place!

Sunset over Sinchon

But, what makes me it love it? It’s simple – the people, the place, the atmosphere, and the dynamics.

I live in a dorm called International House where most of the exchange and/or international students live. My roommate is American; she is from San Francisco and I really enjoy sharing a room with her (she is the first roommate I have had in last 1.5 years). There are a whole lot of other people on our corridor and we share a bathroom and a really nice lounge area. All the girls I’ve met here are amazing and we all come from very diverse backgrounds (some of the nationalities represented on my floor are: American, Malaysian, Dutch, Indonesian, Chinese, Swedish, Vietnamese, Bosnian (I am the only Bosnian at Yonsei)). It is really nice that we have the lounge area (there are couches, a TV, and a small kitchen) as we get to hang out there and meet new people. Everybody is really respectful of each other’s needs and people are so nice. International House is connected to SK Global House (another dorm where exchange and/or international students live) so it’s easy to just walk through the building and go visit your friends who live in the other dorm. It is interesting that the floors in both dorms are gender specific and guys are not allowed on girls’ floors and vice versa. There are a lot of rather strict rules regarding the interaction between genders (there are even women’s and men’s laundry rooms!), but in case you want to hang out with your friends there are study rooms and lounges usually located on the first floor or in the basement.

A lot of my friends are shocked by the strict gender rules and almost always ask me whether the classes are gender specific too, but they are not. Classes are really relaxed and nice. Professors are very easy to approach and they are super helpful. As I am taking Study Abroad courses all of the students in my courses are exchange students so the classes are very diverse and it is easy to get, for example, the German, Australian, Canadian or Indian perspective on a certain issue or topic. Classes are organized in a way that there is a short class (50 min) and a long class (2×50 min). Usually the long class is used for a very interactive lecture, while the short class is used for workshops and seminars. I really like this set up. In most of my classes I don’t have a real in-class midterm or a final, but I do have to write quite some papers, memos, and reports. The professors try to make the classes very interesting by incorporating group work. Last week, for example, in my U.S.-Korea Relations class we were divided in 8 groups where each group represents a certain country with a specific power. Then we had to form alliances with other countries and fight a war. This workshop helped us understand the importance of strategic thinking and what lies behind the alliances and friendships between the countries. Apart from that, it was such a fun activity and time flew by!

As we are having really nice weather and a plenty of sunshine, I spent some time walking around the campus and discovering new areas I like. Yonsei campus is really beautiful, especially the park located in the middle (kind of like the lake in the middle of the UR campus) and the huge outdoor stadium built in the Greek style (in essence it is like a much bigger Greek Theater with more concrete and less green areas). The campus is super big and so beautiful!

The outdoor stadium

Beautiful Central Library

It really feels like this place is growing on me and I like that feeling. 🙂

Leave a Comment » | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Academics, Adventure, Culture, Friends, Host University, Housing, South Korea | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

Suivre: to follow (Posted by Pierre en Suisse)

March 8, 2013

As I am writing this, my third week of the semester here at the University of Lausanne is coming to a close. What this means is that the first real week of classes has just finished. At UNIL, there is a two week grace period to try out all the classes you’d like. Unlike at UR where you need to register the semester before and classes often fill up, at UNIL, you can go to any course or seminar you want for the first two weeks without signing up for it to decide if you will take it or not. It provides the opportunity for the professor to really go over what the course will be like, present the syllabus, and also present the grading method. There are several different ways that a student can be evaluated here, depending on the format of the course even. There are two different types of courses that students can take at UNIL, or at least in the faculty (school) of political science: courses, or seminars. Courses are generally lecture style with a large number of students, where the professor presents the information, people can ask questions, and there is minimal interaction in many cases. At the end of the course, students take some form of an exam. Like at Richmond, this can be a formal written exam, a written paper that is due on a certain date, or alternatively, an oral exam with the professor. Sometimes, there is no exam but students are just regularly evaluated throughout the semester. In courses, the entire final grade can be based on the exam result. This is something that is very intimidating for me, as I get nervous when a final exam at Richmond is worth thirty percent of my grade, never mind eighty percent or more! Alternatively, students can take seminar courses. Seminars are very similar to the classes at Richmond, where there’s a lot of discussion, group work, presentations, however the only difference is that there’s no final grade at the end. Students get evaluated essentially pass/fail, with an attestation if the student passes, or an “échec” if not.

Going back to the title of this blog post: suivre, meaning “to follow.” In French, one says “je vais suivre ce cours” which technically means I am going to follow this course, rather than how in English we would say “I am taking this course.” For my program, I decided to suivre (take) two courses and two seminars in the Political Science faculty, and two courses in the French as a Foreign Language faculty. Yes, this sounds like a lot since four or five courses is the normal load at Richmond, but typically students can take as many as seven courses here! My classes are all instructed in French. The only difference is that in the political science faculty, the classes are catered to native French speakers. This is definitely where I find the verb choice to be quite ironic. Rather than me saying to myself, “oh yeah I’m taking this course,” I really will start thinking, “oh I’m following this course! Wait, but am I really following what the professor is saying?” I don’t, however, regret for a second taking the courses in French. Because the French I have been learning at Richmond for the past two and a half years is very scholastic French, I can generally follow the professors quite well. They use the same very formal register of the language when instructing that my professors at Richmond use. However, they do speak a bit faster. Luckily as well, many of the terms that are used in a French sociology text for example are very similar to words in English, so I can pretty easily figure things out when doing assignments or just in general listening in class.

So what am I actually taking now that my two week trial period is done? A mix of sociology courses, one political science course, and two French as a foreign language classes. To highlight some of them, my political science class is called Swiss Politics, since I figured it would be a good idea to learn about the country I am studying in while I am here. I also am in a course called Sociology of Work, which I think is going to be absolutely fascinating to learn about all of the trends in history and what it really means to work. I am also really excited about my French Structuration and Production class, one of the French as a foreign language courses, because the professor really teaches it with the goal of helping us develop a more familiar, casual register of the language for our every day interactions. We are constantly telling stories in class of mistakes we may have made with the language in different situations, pointing out what we learned from those mistakes, listening to music in French to see just how different the casual language is compared to the scholarly French, and many other activities to develop a different level of understanding of French. I will say for sure it is going well, and it is definitely helping me to become much more comfortable in the different situations I face, which is after all the goal of the course! Well that’s all for now! As I have learned to say here, à la prochaine! (Until next time!)