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정신이 충만한: Big City Life, Spicy Food, Classes, and Uppsala Reunion (posted by Indira in South Korea)

March 8, 2013

It’s my second week in Seoul and I’m starting to get used to life in the big city. It is crazy how everything here seems to go so fast and everyone is in rush. The city is so lively and something is always going on whether its 4:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. It can be truly overwhelming. I find it funny that now I live in a city that has almost three times more inhabitants than my entire country. It’s really insane!

After days of fighting against the spicy food I’m starting to give in: I’m experimenting and testing how I react to certain spicy foods (many say they don’t find it spicy, but I have major issues eating it). It’s usually funny for the people I’m with – I can’t resist coughing and making faces when I eat something spicy. It’s going to be a long way before I’m able to eat kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage) like everyone else. But I’m getting there!

Last week I managed to go with a group of exchange students to the immigration office and apply for an alien card. Basically, anyone staying longer than 90 days in Korea must apply for one. We were stuck at the immigration office for about three hours. There is so much waiting and a gazillion administrative things to do. We were lucky to have Leo, an American-Korean student, to take us there and help us out. I really appreciate it when I have a Korean speaker around! It was also great that the person working at the counter figured out we were all exchange students from Yonsei so we didn’t have to go through the process individually, but as a group, which cut down our waiting time. It took us almost that entire day to sort the immigration things out, but we are finally done! All that’s left to do is to wait for the cards to be mailed to us. I really don’t think I’d be able to go through the whole process again!

Subway in Seoul (on our way to the immigration office)

Before school started this week, the Yonsei International Committee organized many welcome events such as parties and dinner. There was even a party for all exchange students at the universities in Seoul so we could get to know more people.

There were also a lot of events held related to the Mentors Club. The Mentors Club is the equivalent of UR’s Ambassador Club: exchange students are paired up with a Korean student who will help them adapt to the new environment and show them the best of the Korean life, culture, language, and traditions. Mentors and mentees are then grouped in cells (groups of about 25 people) that do things together, go out for dinner, or attend some cultural events. Last Friday some of my cell members and I met for dinner to learn more about Korean cuisine and traditions. We had some dish with chicken and vegetables (relatively spicy I’d say, but nobody else really agreed with me) and then we had this huge pancake with sea food (I loved it! It was so delicious and not spicy at all so I was able to eat loads of it) and makkoli (very refreshing beverage made out of rice). It was really fun (apart from the fact I wasn’t able to eat much of the food we were served)! And my mentor is really amazing. His name is Junhyung and he’s a senior at Yonsei with a great passion for djing. He’s also the leader of the cell so he’s in charge of organizing events. I loved how during that cell evening we were all able to get to know each other better and to learn more about Korea.

Seafood pancake and makkoli

Inevitably all the tours, new climate and environment, and very cold weather took their toll on me and I got sick (I know I was in Sweden last semester in temperatures of -8F and I didn’t get sick, but Korea is something different). It was frustrating being in bed the past few days; I just got here and I wanted to go out, explore Korea, and meet new people, but instead I was chained to the bed by my fever and cough. At least I did get better in time for school!

This week is the first week of classes. Initially I was registered for four classes: US-Korea Relations, International Conflicts and Cooperation, Free Trade Agreements, and German Romanticism (this one has a funny story behind it). I thought of taking Beginner Korean, but I just wasn’t able to fit it in my schedule. That is why I will participate in FLE (free language exchange) where I will be paired with a person who will teach me Korean and I will teach them one of the languages I speak. I am really looking forward to the program to start!

All of my classes seem really good and I like them, particularly Free Trade Agreements as the professor seems to be so passionate and knowledgeable about the topic (she used to work in this field in the US, Korea, and China) and as I don’t really know much about anything related to economics, this will be a new experience for me. All the classes I am taking are in the “Study Abroad” department and basically all students in the classes are exchange and/or international students.

German would have been the only class I would be taking outside the “Study Abroad” department if it wasn’t for a big misunderstanding I had about this class. On Tuesday I was supposed to have my first German class and I went to the assigned classroom. The professor comes in and starts lecturing. IN KOREAN! I was so shocked. That was supposed to be a 300-level language class that at UR would be taught entirely in German, but Yonsei is apparently much different than UR when it comes to foreign languages. I was really sad as I was looking forward to my first German class in over a year. I had to improvise and get an override for the Modern Korean History class (also in the “Study Abroad” department). Now I am all set for the school!

Classes are structurally similar to UR classes as the final grade is based on attendance and participation, essays, projects, a midterm, and a final (unlike in Sweden where the final exam is 100% of the final grade). As this was the first week of classes we didn’t do much, just general introduction and course related explanations. Next week real lectures start.

The absolute highlight of this week was an Uppsala reunion I had with three Korean students I met while we were on exchange at Uppsala University – Taesung (he picked me up at the airport), Suji (she helped me get a Korean phone), and Eun Chong (back in Sweden we were in the same project group for one of our classes so we used to spend a lot of time together). In the spirit of the country (or the region) that bonded us, we went to the Scandinavian Design House near the Gangnam area (yes, like the “Gangnam Style” song). The was a Fika – Swedish Coffee Break café where we could get Swedish coffee, tea (or some other beverage) and typical Swedish cookies, cakes, and pastries (you can read more about the tradition of fika in the blog I was writing about my time in Uppsala last semester). We had kanelbulle and semla! They were so good – I really felt like I was partially back in Sweden. The most amazing part was seeing the three people who helped me make my decision about the spring semester study abroad destination and who helped me settle in once I got to Seoul. It was such a great afternoon and I had so much fun with Taesung, Suji, and Eun Chong. This was also kind of a farewell party as Taesung is leaving this weekend for Germany where he will be doing an internship until Fall.

My Korean friends who I met in Sweden – Teasung and Suji (Eun Chong
left before we took the picture) – in front of the Fika place

I guess now I have a bit more time to enjoy before the schoolwork kicks in, so I’m looking forward to the weekend! 🙂

1 Comment | Indira in South Korea | Tagged: Academics, Culture, Food, Friends, Host University, South Korea, Sweden | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

Uncomfortable, and savoring it! (posted by Blair in Ecuador)

March 6, 2013

I often feel uncomfortable.

I stick out like a sore thumb, walking down the street in my sneakers and backpack, while Ecuadorians pass in heels with their pocketbooks clutched tightly to their sides and wiping my blonde hair out of my face after a bus soars past. The stares, car honks, hisses, catcalls, and whistles ensure that my attempt of ‘avoid eye contact and if you can’t see them, they’re certainly not staring at you’ does not work. They make me feel a bit uncomfortable.

I typically walk home from school with my gringo neighbor, Nick, and one or more gringa girls who live nearby as well; we generally get a few honks and plenty of stares, but it is easy enough to ignore them and continue our group conversation. However, one day last week, I walked home alone to stop off at the grocery store. I had nothing to distract me from the expressions of attention being paid to me. I was making sure to stare straight ahead at my path on the sidewalk (which is actually essential to walking the sidewalks of Quito, there are bumps, cracks, small and large holes, chunks of missing sidewalk, trash and dog poop cluttering the sidewalks), but I could still feel the stares coming from all sides. Walking along a main road, I heard a chorus of honks, but knew better than to turn my head for any one of them. When I got to my bus stop, three middle-aged men hissed and clicked as I walked by. And sure enough, when I got off the bus and was heading into my neighborhood, a kind gentleman leaned out the bus window as it pulled away and whistled his approval of my backpack (certainly nothing else, right?). That day, there was no conversation to drown out the noises, there was no group to retreat into. I felt very uncomfortable.

Last weekend, I was in a group of new Ecudorian friends I met through my cousin. I missed a part of the conversation and I wasn’t sure whether to laugh along with the group as they very easily might be laughing at me – something I did, something I said, or just because someone cracked a gringa joke (more or less your classic blonde jokes).

Although I have an absolutely wonderful homestay family with an incredible house, delicious food, and a luxorious room, to retreat to my home would involve a couple hours on a plane. Living only about 45 minutes from University of Richmond is something I have always taken for granted. Any time I just need to get away from UR, I hop in my car and head home, where I get a big hug from my doofus dog, an even bigger one from my mom, a wonderful night’s sleep in my own bed, and some steaming blueberry pancakes in the morning. The flight home from Quito, Ecuador would be a bit more than 45 minutes.

It’s these moments that (well, first I laugh to myself, then…) I remind myself that I may never get this opportunity again. How many more times will I get to say that I feel uncomfortable and have very little control over changing it? Sure, I can go abroad and say, “wow, when will I have the chance to travel throughout all of South America, see Igazú Falls and Patagonia, lay out on the beaches and go to the Rain Forest, and come home with pictures of beautiful places” but, personally, I want my abroad experience to include truly experiencing a bit of the culture. I want to be able to tell the stories of the people in my pictures, to talk of my conversations with my sister when we went hiking that time, and to be able to share what I’ve learned about the struggles that the Ecuadorians of the Oriente are facing.

More than that, there are many people who do not have the opportunity to study abroad, to experience a different culture, and to feel completely and utterly uncomfortable in that culture. I am so incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity, to feel this feeling.

On the other hand, there are international students at UofR who are certainly going through this entire process in my culture. These students certainly have moments when they feel students’ stares all around them, they don’t know whether to laugh, and they feel that they don’t have anywhere to call home. Let’s look out for these students, help them to understand our converstaions and our culture, see if we can’t help them to feel more comfortable, maybe even to feel at home.

Now what about the “and savoring it!” part then? When I do realize they’re laughing at me, I first remind myself what our director told us: “The Ecuadorian government lets in hundreds of thousands of US tourists each year for two reasons: first, they provide income for many Ecuadorians and second, they are a source of entertainment for the rest of us.” With this in mind, I proceed to tell one of two jokes I have now mastered in Spanish, depending on the audience. That way, we can all laugh together (though they’re certainly still laughing at my horrible accent).

Finally, at the end of the day, no matter how frustrated I was that afternoon with the ridiculous catcall or at dinner when I couldn’t follow the conversation, I always remember that I will never feel quite this same type of uncomfortable again for a long time. And it’s the rain that helps us see and feel the sun, right?

Some of the group went to Crepes & Waffles for Hannah's birthday, where we felt right at home in our gringa group; all white foreigners! ...and the chocolate crepes didn't hurt.

Some of the group went to Crepes & Waffles for Hannah’s birthday, where we felt right at home in our gringa group! …and the chocolate crepes didn’t hurt.

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness

because it shows me the stars.” -Og Mandino

Leave a Comment » | Blair in Ecuador, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Culture, Language, Public Transportation | Permalink
Posted by blairinecuador

시작: Culture shocked, confused, surprised, amazed (Indira in South Korea)

March 1, 2013

Wow. I can’t believe that I got to Seoul a week ago. It seems as if it happened so much longer ago, and yet it feels like yesterday. This past week has been such a roller-coaster of culture shock and first-hand learning about Korea and Yonsei University.

I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous about going somewhere than during my layover in Frankfurt. I had about 4 hours before I had to board the plane for Seoul. I used that time to talk to my family and friends who showed me incredible support that I needed so much at that moment. I was excited to get to Korea, but also afraid of how I might adjust to everything. After all, I’ve never been to Asia before and I knew almost nothing about Korea, not to mention that I don’t speak a word of Korean. I think what made me so nervous is that never before have I been to a country whose local language I didn’t speak even just a little bit or where I couldn’t rely on English to get around. And leaving Europe was weird. I spent the last 10 months in Europe, had a great time back home in Bosnia, and the most memorable semester at Uppsala University in Sweden. It felt like I was leaving behind all those great memories and yet I carried great expectations for Korea and my semester at Yonsei.

After a 10 hour flight we finally landed at Seoul Incheon airport. I was super tired, and had to go through immigration and claim my baggage. I have never been at a bigger airport (or maybe Incheon airport seemed so big because I arrived exhausted and had to drag my luggage from one part of the airport to the other) and it all seemed confusing, but I managed to get on the subway to Seoul. I have arranged with a Korean friend I met in Sweden, Taesung, to pick me up at Sincheon station in the area where Yonsei University is located. I got a chance to figure out the subway system here right away and after an hour of traveling I met Taesung. I don’t think I have ever been happier to hear someone call my name. I felt so relieved when I finally met him as that meant that I had come to the right place and I didn’t get lost. He helped me get a cab and took me to my dorm, International House. Walking down the hall I saw two Swedish names at one of the doors and I met the Swedish girls who live there immediately. It made me so happy since it kind of prolonged my ‘Swedish experience’ and that meant that I will have someone to practice my Swedish with! After I found my room and dropped off my luggage, Teasung took me out to the city so we walked around a lot, got fika (my favorite Swedish tradition) for the sake of the amazing semester in Uppsala, and tried to figure out how can I get a Korean phone (as my European phone doesn’t work with a Korean sim card). I can’t even start to explain how happy I was to have Taesung here the first day I got to Seoul. He helped me so much in a place that I found so confusing.

Over the past few days I have met a lot of exchange students as we all live in two dorms that are connected – SK Global and International House. Oh, and we had such an interesting orientation. Apart from the regular talk about culture, immigration, health, and academic matters, we had a “cheering orientation.” Yonsei is big on cheers! There are three big university rivals in Seoul – Yonsei University, Korea University, and Seoul National University. Yonsei’s biggest rival is Korea University so we spent about an hour learning the dance and cheers that would intimidate the students of Korea University. One of the cheering songs was about Yonsei beating and stomping Korea University. Even though it kind of sounds brutal, the cheers are amazing and you can feel the school spirit everywhere. The funny thing is that all the Koreans I met in Sweden attend Korea University so we are kind of rivals now.

During the orientation we saw a lot of performances, including K-Pop. It is unbelievable how everyone here is obsessed with K-Pop. We saw two school dance groups dance to some K-Pop songs, and of course the grand finale was a joint performance to Psy’s “Gangnam Style.”

Yonsei International Committee also organized the City Tours for the exchange students so we were able to visit places such as Gyeongbukgang Palace, Ewha Village, Tteok Museum, Ssamzigil, Namsangol, Hanok Village, Cheongwadae Sarangchae, Bukchon Hanok Village and much more. It was really great as we were able to learn more about Korean history, learn how to write our names in hangeul (Korean alphabet), and see the Blue House (basically a Korean version of the White House). I really enjoyed the tours as it was both bonding time with our new ‘home’ and with other exchange students.

My tour group in one of the most popular streets in Bukchon Hanok Village

A view of the Gyeongbok Palace and the City of Seoul

I also met with Sheetal, another UofR student who is here for a year (she was at Yonsei last semester too). We went out for a dinner a couple of times and we went to a Cat Cafe. Yes, a cat cafe. Basically, there is a cafe with a whole lot of cats in it and everything is organized in a way that it serves the cats – they are free to go anywhere, sleep, play, eat; it’s almost a heaven for cats, really. It was interesting going there and I had great time. And hanging out with Sheetal is great as we have so much in common and we can always talk about Richmond related things. Also, since she was here last semester, she is such a great help with everything. I’m really happy she’s around.

One of the cats at the Cat Cafe

There is another UR student here, Patrick. I still haven’t met him, but I hope to do so soon. And there are a whole lot of Virginians here: I remember meeting people from Norfolk and Alexandria, and a few other places around Virginia.

After a week in Korea I can say that I have eaten a whole lot rice (I don’t think I have ever had this much rice before haha), made new friends, but also experienced a lot of things that culture shocked me:

Food is so spicy! Ok, I knew this was going to happen, but I really can’t eat spicy food, and it’s always a challenge to find something on the menu that isn’t too spicy.
People here are obsessed with the technology. On the subway from the airport to the Sincheon station there was a group of Chinese tourists sitting opposite of me and they were all using their tablets, phones, cameras – there was no conversation going on. The same thing is true for Koreans. This really struck me as surprising!
K-Pop everywhere – really! Everywhere you go you can hear K-Pop music blasting and K-Pop faces are everywhere advertising a whole lot of things (not that I know who they are, but other people who do, talk about it)
A lot of people here smoke cigarettes. Smoking is allowed in public spaces and even in clubs. Very few places have designated smoking areas. There are some streets that are partially non-smoking and there are signs indicating that. But I really think this is so shocking especially after spending so much time in Europe since people don’t really smoke in public spaces (especially in Sweden, as the most of them use snus)
I have to give Koreans credit for one thing – they are extremely fashionable. Everyone cares about how they look, and they all have the latest shoes and follow the latest fashion trends. It’s unbelievable; I thought that Swedes are fashionable, but this is a whole new level.
Holding hands – everyone holds hands. It’s just a thing here. Even guy friends do so.
American stores and chain restaurants are everywhere saluting to globalization. I don’t think I’ve seen this many Starbucks cafes even in the States (but Koreans do love coffee).
Crazy drivers – be super careful when crossing the street as some drivers don’t care even if it’s a red light, especially taxi and scooter drivers. Keep your eyes open and triple-check when crossing smaller streets.
Toilet paper. I think it will take quite some time to get used to this (in case I ever do), but since sewage system in Seoul is really old and toilets can clog easily in all places there are signs saying to throw the toilet paper in the bin, and not flush it. It is really a challenge not to flush it, though.

So far Korea’s been very interesting, and I’m really looking forward to see how will my first week of classes end up being.

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

Alpsolutely Amazing! (posted by Pierre en Suisse)

March 1, 2013

Okay, so quick confession: I have been to the Alps so far about three times and I have yet to actually write about it. When I say I have been to the Alps three times, I am talking about skiing. What’s it like here in Europe? Well my title says a lot, because it is just incredible!

I had always planned on doing some skiing while in Switzerland, but I honestly had no idea what to expect, aside from huge mountains of course. I have skied my entire life but mostly on the East Coast, and have been out west before as well. As many of my friends know, I could tell you basically anything you would want to know about North American skiing, but Europe was a mystery! Someone had told me once that Europeans spend more time just relaxing while at the mountains and skiing every now and then. Someone else had also told me that in Europe you spend half the day going up the mountain and the other half actually skiing down. Both of these myths have not ended up being my actual experience. However, I can happily report that skiing here is better than I could have ever imagined! I’ll do my best to actually describe it, but I warn you it is difficult to put into words.

Because Switzerland is a country completely connected by rails, the ski day starts for us with a train ride into the mountains. The first morning I went, I was on the train at 6:30 in the morning while it was still completely dark. About an hour later, when the sun began to rise my view from the train window was just the silhouettes of the jagged summits and snow-covered peaks of the mountains. Once off the train, we always have to take a connector bus or an additional train to get to the actual mountain. I won’t lie, Swiss engineering is impressive. The first place that I went to, or “station” as it is called in French, was really far from the train and required a bus ride to get there. The roads are a continuous series of windy turns as you head up the steep sides of the mountain. In many instances, there need to be tunnels to get around. Whatever the case, I couldn’t help but wonder how people were able to live in this country before the modern technology that was put in place to simply move around. It was impressive to see what people are capable of doing! This may be worth looking into more, but hopefully it is done in the most environmentally conscious manner possible.

The actual skiing is completely different than what I am used to. As soon as you get to the top of one of these mountains, you are above tree line. That means it is completely wide open, unlike what I am used to where there are trees lining the trails. You can also be at the top just looking at glaciers all around you. These can be quite scary but at the same time amazingly impressive to just see the blue crystallized ice that has been there for such a long time! It is also deceiving for me of how high these mountains are. Because everything is in metrics here, I’ll be at the top of a mountain and everyone around me will be gawking at the fact that they are 3500 meters in the air! The first time this happened, we literally rode the highest mountain subway in the world. It was an actual train to carry skiers through a tunnel to the very top of the skiable area. When we got to the top, we had to walk up a set of stairs to get out of the “metro.” It hit me just how high we were when I got light headed and had to sit for a while to adjust to breathing the thin air. While waiting, I looked on my phone for the conversion and realized that we had started out at 5,905 feet at the base of the mountain, and by the time we were at the top, we were almost 11,500 feet high. Like I said, the elevation really hit me when we were at the top. But the views are unreal! Everything at the top is so open! From one of the places, I could see Italy at the top! At another one, I could see France (even though I can see France every day just across the lake). It is simply a magnificent scene; pictures cannot do it justice.

Skiing adventures will keep coming, and I will say I am especially excited for next weekend, when we will have a three day trip planned by the exchange student association here in Lausanne. Because skiing is literally such a part of the culture here in Switzerland, they said it was necessary for them to host one. I’m excited! But that’s all for now! Until next time, à bien tôt!

Leave a Comment » | Peter in Switzerland, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Adventure, Culture, Friends, Public Transportation, Sports, Switzerland | Permalink
Posted by PeterinSwitzerland

Reintroduction (Jimmy in England)

February 27, 2013

Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Jimmy Maiarana and I am a junior at the University of Richmond. I am spending this year studying abroad in the biomedical sciences division of the University of Oxford. I wrote my last post on December 15 and took a long desired trip home to Buffalo, New York for winter break. I was originally supposed to continue blogging on January 10 in anticipation for my next two terms at Oxford, but today is February 26 and this is my first blog. I apologize to my viewers and to the University of Richmond International Education Department for this long absence. Allow me to use this time to fill in some gaps.

Before I left for winter break in early December, I had an interview with Dr. Jim Thomson in the Steve Davies group at the Chemistry Research Laboratory of Oxford. Steve Davies is the Waynflete Professor of Chemistry at Oxford and he is a genius. He founded two organic chemistry research companies, Oxford Asymmetry and Oxford Diversity, back in the early 90s and sold them for £316 million in 2000. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Tetrahedron: Asymmetry, an international journal that presents research on asymmetry in chemistry. Upon my return from winter break, I had a second interview. This time, it was with Dr. Davies. I sat down in his office at 9:15 a.m. on my first Monday back to England. His presence is felt anywhere he goes, and as I walked in he motioned for me to sit down and then asked, “What do you know?” I proceeded to explain my chemistry experience that I had received from Dr. Downey and Dr. Myers at the University of Richmond. After talking for what felt like hours, but in reality was probably less than 45 seconds, Dr. Davies stopped me and asked, “Do you know that you are in the best chemistry research laboratory in the world?” I could feel the mood in the room lighten a little, so I laughed and responded, “Yes.” He said, “No, I am serious. You are in the best research lab in the world. It’s time to get to work.” I left his office with a big grin on my face knowing that most of my next three months would be spent in his building.

The Chemistry Research Laboratory of Oxford

A picture of me posted on the “Academic Visitor” section of the Davies Group website

Most of the students that work in this lab are Ph.D candidates and post grads. They arrive at the lab by 8 a.m. and leave after 6pm. Many of them come in on weekends as well. I have never seen such commitment in any field of work. These men and women love what they do and it shows in their results. There is also a high level of attention to detail. A minor mistake could lower yields and cost lots of money. I can now see why students that are placed in this environment succeed after college. They are challenged every day and they must raise their standards to such a high degree of excellence that they are bound to succeed. I have been working in this lab for seven weeks and most of my time has been spent there. On weekends I have been catching up on my actual tutorial work (I am still taking the normal major and minor tutorials). Needless to say, this term has been very busy but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Over the course of the next few posts I will explain some of the other activities that I have enjoyed and let you in on new insights in the lab. Again, I would like to apologize for my absence, but I am back now! Have a great day, and I will write again soon.

“To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men- that is genius. Speak your latent conviction, and it shall be the universal sense; for the inmost in due time becomes the outmost.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance

1 Comment | Jimmy in England, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Academics, England, Host University | Permalink
Posted by JimmyinEngland

Education and Experience (Posted by Blair in Ecuador)

February 25, 2013

We have now successfully made it through the first week of classes! For the SIT program, we have a Spanish Exam at the beginning of the semester, in which our language level is determined. In this SIT Ecuador program, the Spanish instruction is done through a program called Experiment in International Learning (EIL). EIL has a staff of Ecuadorian professors who have Spanish instruction education and experience. EIL also helped SIT with the homestay placements, so the Spanish classes sometimes incorporate specific interactions with the homestay families.

The yellow bus gang is ready for our first day of school!

On Monday, we were placed in our different classes; ours is the biggest class. We are seven girls sitting around our square table with Profe Vladimir at the white board at the front. School is in some extra classrooms of a state pre-school/childcare facility, so there is a picture of the pope and some holy crosses scattered throughout the room. The general class layout is a two hour segment of grammar, followed by an hour and a half of cultural learning, then a final hour of vocabulary and slang. We have breaks between each section and chow down some snacks brought by the EIL program, usually typical Ecuadorian food.

For instance, on Monday, we went over the subjunctive and conditional tenses, ate an Ecuadorian bread-wrapped-in-a-leaf snack called quimbolitos, read about the Incan history of the Valley of Los Chillos, then learned about the history of Ecuadorian slang and its connection to Kichwa, the language of the Incans.

On Wednesday, after learning about connecting words in the morning, we watched an Ecuadorian movie named “Qué tan lejos” about the journey of an Ecuadorian girl to get to Cuenca and break up a wedding. Throughout the whole movie, we were asked to write down Ecuadorian slang and our profe paused it every once in a while to make sure we were clear on what was happening. He also paused at points to talk about the Ecuadorian landscapes we were seeing and the different cultural aspects, such as the music, and political connections with the roadblock. We finished the day off with a game: each person chooses a Hispanic character, writes it on a piece of paper, and tapes it to their neighbor’s head. Everyone then has to ask questions to determine who they are. The best part was that our profe, the only guy in the room, was the only female character: Dora la Exploradora.

Class photo after the game, still with our character nametags

We also have special days that provide a different type of learning. On Thursday, we had a mini learning excursion into a nearby town, Sangolquí. We went to the church in the center plaza, where our professor told us about how the Spaniards used the Catholic church, from the architecture of the actual building to the masses and ceremonies held inside, to assert their control over indigenous Ecuadorians. Afterward, we went to the town park and library, where we read a bit about the history of the town and checked out the library. Sangolquí is a small town, much like Ashland, Virginia. However, its library is one floor of a tiny building with about 5 small bookshelves, 3 computers, and a stack of newspapers. Our profe was explaining that reading is not a popular activity among any age group, which is reflected in this library. We then went to the town market, where we spoke with some of the vendors about their sales, which have gone down significantly with the installment of a Wal-mart brand supermarket, MegaMaxi.

Profe Vladimir and class heading into Sangolquí Church

A tiny selection of the wide array of fruits, veggies, and other produce items at the main Feria of Sangolquí

We also have had a couple academic seminars during this week. We have a 20 Questions activity that we have to complete throughout the semester. It is an opportunity for cross-cultural learning, with questions from “How much importance do people place on appearances?” to “What does it mean to be a part of a family?” and “How can you ascertain the importance of God in people’s lives?” There are four parts to the assignment: the first part is observations of how people naturally behave, followed by explanations of why this might be the case. The hard part is that we then have to talk with two or more people about what they think of our observations and explanations, but without simply asking them the question. The final section is reflections, in which we discuss how willing people were to actually converse on the subject and how the culture ties into the question and answers.

At first, I really felt this was a silly assignment, it seemed we could learn more simply observing and that the conversations would be uncomfortable. However, I have realized that the assignment leads to an essential learning and very informative conversations. People are generally very willing to talk about the question, they are often interested to know what I think and sometimes see an aspect of their own culture for the first time.

This program ensures that we are always learning. From waking up and insisting that I do not need to eat three pieces of bread with ham and egg along with my fruit and smoothie for breakfast, to navigating my way back home in the evening and attempting to discuss the day around the dinner table, Spanish class is the least learning of it all! More than just taking in information, we’re forced to analyze and use it every single day. I have to remember that my profe said that we do not throw things in Ecuador because it’s seen as rude, as well as the warning we received during a 20 Questions Seminar about lending things because you might not see them again.

The only source of knowledge is experience. -Albert Einstein

Leave a Comment » | Blair in Ecuador, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Academics, Culture, Ecuador, Food, Friends, Language, Sightseeing | Permalink
Posted by blairinecuador

Living, Learning, Loving (Posted by Blair in Ecuador)

February 22, 2013

The homestays are a very important aspect of the SIT program. I think the experience of living in a different culture almost requires this aspect. The families help us a lot with our Spanish language skills, as well as cultural behavior learning, information about Ecuadorian society, and, obviously, the quintessential family love and caring. I can go to my mamá when I have a headache, when I’m frustrated with my classes, even when I feel really confused about being here in Ecuador.

More than just living with a family, we often have homework assignments that incorporate them. Sometimes it’s something as simple as talking with them about an Ecuadorian movie we’re watching or a news item we talked about in class. Later in the semester, we have to write a Personal-National History Essay about a historical event in Ecuador that also affected some family member of ours and how his/her personal account compared to the history books. These little assignments help us learn about the history and culture, as well as to form a closer relationship with our family members.

Living in a homestay certainly has its difficulties as well. It sounds so silly, but after “moving out of the house” into university housing, I felt that I was in control of my life: how I spend my time, what and when I eat, when I sleep, when I get to simply have some alone time. This homestay is quite an adjustment. Now, I depend on my host mamá for my food, for clean clothes, and for help in absolutely every part of life.

Mamá prepares and serves us all the food, sets and clears the table, washes the dishes, stores the food, and the kitchen is spotless again before I know it. Still not sure how she does that… I still don’t know how to boil some water for tea on the gas stove because she’s in the kitchen asking what I would like before I can even find the kettle!

I have washed my own clothes for myself at home since I was about 14, when thought I was too grown-up to have my mom do my laundry (I don’t remember her objecting too much). I have no idea how to wash clothes here… and the machine is even in English! Apparently you have to hook up some hoses though, lesson learned. But my mamá simply insists upon doing it.

I went to the pharmacy with my mamá the other day when we were running some errands and I remembered I ran out of band-aids. When I went to buy them, not only did I have to ask my mamá how to say band-aid, she had to explain to me that No, you don’t buy an entire box of band-aids, who would possibly need that many? About 10 minutes of explanation later, we left the pharmacy with 5 individual band-aids.

Apart from Band-aid runs, we get to go out with our families and they show us around their city. We went on Saturday afternoon to the Virgen de El Panecillo, a hill in the center of Quito where a priest built a large Virgin Mary back in 1976. From that point, you can see all around the city of Quito, much like the panoramic view I got to see from the Volcanic mountain hike on my first day here [see Centers of the World (Posted by Blair in Ecuador)].

The Virgen de El Panecillo from directly beneath, after climbing many flights of stairs for a better view of the city

My host dad pointing out the historical churches of Quito's Old Town, after climbing to get a better view of the city

My dad pointing out the historical churches of Quito’s Old Town

We also got to go to Molinuco Falls on Sunday, which is a HUGE waterfall at the end of a lovely hike. The walk there includes smaller waterfalls, some pools where you can swim, even a ‘Meditation Pond!’ For an idea of the size and force of this waterfall, you should know that I could feel the mist from where I was standing in the photo below!

The GIANT Cascada Molinuco

The option to live in a different culture, in a society different from mine, to share with the people of that society, and to live for some time in a different country is a rare opportunity. Not everyone can spend a year of their life hopping between countries due to their committments. I believe many people also prefer to stay in their safe and comfortable space. However, the information and the lessons that I will have learned by the end of the program, whether learned in the classroom, in the daily activities of my family, or during the excursions we take, will make this an unforgetable semester.

“Go to the people. Live with them. Learn from them. Love them.” Lao Tzu

P.S. My family prefers that I do not write about them personally in this blog. We will also be living with a family in a different section of Quito beginning in March and I hope to be able to talk a bit about them.

1 Comment | Blair in Ecuador, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Academics, Adventure, Culture, Ecuador, Host Family, Housing, Language, Sightseeing | Permalink
Posted by blairinecuador

Bernin it up! (posted by Pierre en Suisse)

February 22, 2013

Bonjour à toutes et tous! This is to say, hello to all ! This is typically how emails that I receive from the University begin. For those of you who are not familiar with the French language, toutes and tous both mean “all,” so essentially I just said hello to all! However, in French there are also the different genders. As such, it is necessary in various circumstances to use both the masculine and feminine forms when sending mass emails or writing to many people! It doesn’t happen all the time, but it does often with official emails. Hope you enjoyed your free French lesson of the day!

What a whirlwind the past two weeks have been. To sum it up really fast before reading on, I have experienced fondue and the festival known as Carnaval. Within the course of a quick four days, I feel as if I got a lot of Swiss culture really fast, but it was all amazing! I will start with the food.

Last week, I went out to fondue with my cours de vacances class, which you may remember reading about in my last entry. Fondue is a very traditional Swiss meal. It is not the typical chocolate fondue that we like to think of using fruit, although one can find it. Rather the Swiss eat bread, a mixture of cheese, and then finish the meal off with wine or tea. The cheeses most typically used are gruyere and emmenthal, melted together in a pot. At the restaurant, we were presented with a plate of bread, and it is your job to take a piece, break it up, put it onto the “fork” and cover it in cheese.

Cheese for the fondue!

The utensil used was something that I’m used to roasting marshmallows on. It is also critical to make sure you don’t delicately or lightly cover it just to taste the cheese. It was completely obvious to all Swiss people around me that it was my first time eating fondue. I was instructed by a friend who comes from the German part of Switzerland to completely sink the piece of bread into the cheese, then pull it out and let the excess cheese fall off. One also must pay close attention that the bread doesn’t fall off of the “fork” because then the person who lost it needs to either sing or do some other embarrassing task that the table decides. Luckily, this didn’t happen to me. When the cheese is all gone, there is usually some burned cheese left on the bottom of the fondue bowl. According to the fondue experts, this is the best part, and cannot be left! I tried it and must say I loved it. While this entire meal is going on, you need to drink either white wine or tea with the fondue. Otherwise, your stomach is going to be left to digest a block of cheese. While it was very filling and unlike anything else I’ve ever eaten, I did absolutely love it and I am excited for the next time I’ll get to try it!

The food experience certainly doesn’t stop there. This weekend I also got to go to a Swiss festival known as Carnaval! It is very similar to the idea of Mardi Gras, though it happens throughout the country on various dates, beginning anywhere from the weekend before Ash Wednesday to the end of May in some cases. On Saturday morning, a friend and I hopped on a train and headed into Bern for Carnaval in the Swiss capitol city. After a breathtaking train ride through the mountains, we arrived in the city, without a single idea of where to go! Our friend who had planned it wasn’t able to go at the last minute, so we had to improvise in order to figure out where to go. The one thing we did know about Carnaval is that people would be dressed in very colorful costumes. Luckily, we saw some people dressed up for the party and followed them from the train station into the city, until we found where we were supposed to be. Along the way, we saw some of the famous sites such as the Swiss Parliament building, and the most elaborate clock tower I have ever seen (so far). Included in this tour was trying probably way too much food that we found at various street vendors lining the main street of the festival. We ate things such as tarte flambée, crêpes, and of course, German sausage. With our stomachs filled, we lined the street with the rest of the carnaval-goers! In Bern, it is tradition to commence carnaval celebrations with a freeing of the bear that had been captured and held in prison for its winter sleep, and so the parade begins with the bear leading the way.

Parade starts when the bear comes marching through the street!

After the mascot passes through the street, there are marching bands dressed unlike anything you will ever see in your life, playing all kinds of music, and throwing candy to the crowds. There is also a lot of confetti throwing. If you ever go to a Carnaval in Switzerland, don’t be surprised when a kid maybe as young as six year old looks up at you, takes a handful of confetti from a bag, and throws it right up at you with a huge triumphant smile. People usually have confetti of their own to throw right back at whoever throws it at them, but my friend and I didn’t know about this before everything began, so we generally just laughed with surprise when we would get covered in all sorts of colors. I absolutely loved Bern! The city was truly quite beautiful and the festival was amazingly fun!

So many colors!

There were many creatures like this who also joined in throwing confetti

Probably my favorite site at Carnaval was this lady, who was dressed like a snail and walking at the same speed as a snail (despite kids throwing confetti at her the whole time)

This week has been the first week of classes. Stay tuned for my next post to hear about just how very different of an experience trying to get settled into classes here at a large university has been, and also to get a glimpse of some photos of the Alps, as this weekend I’m headed skiing! Thanks for reading, and à bien tôt!

1 Comment | Peter in Switzerland, Spring 2013 | Tagged: Academics, Adventure, Culture, Food, Friends, Language, Music, Public Transportation, Sightseeing, Switzerland, Travel | Permalink
Posted by PeterinSwitzerland

곧: Countdown to Seoul (posted by Indira in South Korea)

February 18, 2013

Thinking of Seoul many words come to my mind, but the loudest for sure is 곧 (god) meaning “soon” since I am leaving home in less than a week to start my semester abroad in South Korea.

I am Indira and I am a junior. I am a double major in International Studies and German Studies. This semester I will be studying abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. Ever since I decided to go to South Korea, I am asked “Why?” more often than anything else. But really, why South Korea?

Well, I am from Bosnia and Herzegovina, I study in the US, last semester I studied abroad in Sweden, I’ve been to most of the European countries, speak multiple languages fluently, and study International Studies – very international, right? So why not expand on the internationality and step out of that frame? I think that is one of the most core reasons I decided to go to South Korea. Actually it was the internationalism that brought me on the path to Korea – while in Sweden I met a lot of students from all over the world, including Korea. Talking to them about Seoul and the Korean culture made me start thinking more about it and I decided to apply to Yonsei University. Basically, had I not studied abroad in Sweden I wouldn’t have met people who would made me think about a whole new set of possibilities and opportunities and I would probably not be going to South Korea this semester.

South Korea is a country like no other: economically it is very much like the US or Western Europe since it is so advanced, but culturally it fits perfectly in the frame of an Asian country – customs and tradition play an important role. Seoul itself is a reflection of this rather specific union of modern and traditional space that is truly fascinating. Living and studying in a country such as Korea and experiencing it from the perspective of an exchange student is definitely another reason why I chose to study abroad at Yonsei. I think that getting familiar with Korea, the way the system works, the culture, and the language is also going to solidify my International Studies major giving it a whole new dimension.

The main reason, however, why I decided to study abroad at Yonsei University is to step out of my comfort zone. I believe that we can only challenge ourselves and find out about ourselves when outside our comfort zone. Most of my life has been spent stepping outside of my comfort zone, but I think that going to Korea is going to be the biggest thing I’ve done so far. I do not speak a word of Korean, I’ve never been to that part of the world, and I don’t really understand the culture – I think it should pose a challenge that I will learn a lot from.

Even the period before leaving for Korea has taught me lot: for example, I learned that there is no issue that the OIE (Office of International Education at my University) cannot help with. Being a citizen of Bosnia it was quite a challenge to get my student visa. I needed a whole lot of documents I didn’t have and I had to go to Croatia to apply for and pick up my visa. The last month was filled with a gazillion of emails and phone calls exchanged between Bosnia, Croatia, the US, and South Korea. That is actually when it hit me that starting in less than a week I am going to be all about balancing my life on three continents and at least 6 countries. That is going to be another challenge I am looking forward to, to be honest. I think it’ll teach me more about being a true global citizen.

Now, all the problems are solved – I got my housing assignment (I’ll be living in International House on campus and I’ll have a roommate. Roommates are assigned randomly and I won’t get to know her until I get to Seoul), I got my visa, and my flight is booked. I leave on Wednesday and I definitely should start thinking about packing soon. Wow, I can’t believe I’ll have to pack again. Once I get to Korea it’ll be the 5th country I’ve lived in in the past 10 months!

Right now I will just try to enjoy my last days home and simply prepare for a once in a lifetime adventure! 🙂

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

Courses, Travels, and Cheese (posted by Pierre en Suisse)

February 13, 2013

Salut! I am now entering my third week here in Switzerland, and I can comfortably say that I’m getting settled into life here. Over the past two weeks, I have been participating in the University of Lausanne’s cours de vacances (vacation course). The course is designed for people of all ages and all levels of French who wish to improve their French language skills. There are three different levels, and I am in the class which is essentially been a preparatory course for taking classes in French at a Francophone university for students whose maternal language is not French. The class has students from all over the world; I have met people from the German part of Switzerland, Russia, Australia, Mexico, and other places, of a variety of ages as well. I am on the younger end of the spectrum, as the course is open to people of all ages who wish to improve their French. With such a diversity of people, it is pretty amazing to hear all the languages that can be spoken at once. One morning in particular, I remember reading an article in English while having a conversation in French at the same time, and hearing people speaking German around me; while all this was happening, one Russian girl even began speaking to another in Russian at one point to figure out how to say something in French. Yes, it can be a tad confusing at times but overall I think it is amazing.

One day after class last week I hopped on a train to go to Geneva. The university has a program that pairs exchange students with Swiss students to introduce us to Switzerland and help us get adjusted as well. My partner lives in Geneva right now. Luckily, the Swiss rail system is incredible, and after a quick half hour train ride without a single stop from Lausanne and some really pretty views of the snow-covered Swiss countryside, I was back in Geneva! This time I got to see more than just the inside of the airport; I got almost a full tour around the city! I learned quite a bit about the city that I didn’t realize before, such as the fact that the famous philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau was born there, and not in Paris as many people believe. I got to see his statue, and also the entire city from the top of a church roof!

Statue of Jean Jacques Rousseau in Geneva

Went to the top of this church in Geneva and got a view of the entire city

This is a rare occurrence in Switzerland at this time of year, because of how much it likes to rain and be cloudy in these parts during the winter. The city seems like quite a great place to live! There are a ton of parks, places to go swimming, and beautiful views.

View of Geneva from the top of the church

The city’s public transportation network, just like that of the other places in Switzerland I have seen, was also quite interesting. There were buses and trams, which were a new site to me. I am extremely interested in urban studies, and as such it was really cool for me to see how advanced the city was in its transportation network. I’ve found that its the same in Lausanne. The metro lines are always running on time, and are so very clean and up to date. The buses even generally run on time, except for a few very rare times that they have been one or two minutes off in the morning rush to work and in my case, school. The Swiss stereotype of being on time definitely holds true!

I am also happy to report that the chocolate has been incredible, as I was expecting. I will admit I never go a single day without it. While prices of basically everything are really expensive here, the grocery stores always have bargain products which are still an incredible quality, and cost far less than the rest of the selection. I won’t lie though, going to the small patisseries and fromageries is my favorite shopping experience. My flatmate and I walked into a patisserie one morning for croissants for breakfast, and we essentially began drooling over everything we saw. The assortment of breakfast foods and breads just looked so good! The two ladies who I am assuming owned the store saw the looks on our faces and had to ask us if everything was okay, we were just so excited! We explained how we were here on exchange and this was our first time in Switzerland with a selection like what was there. We got pain au chocolate aka croissant-like bread filled with chocolate, and then a croissant au jambon which is a croissant filled with ham and cheese. Another time, I visited a small cheese shop, called a fromagerie to buy local cheese. I had asked a Swiss person for some advice on what to buy since there are just so many cheeses, and I wanted to try something really local to the area. Armed with some recommendations, I went in and was still overwhelmed, but I explained to the shop owner in French that I was American and I was here for studies and was investigating cheese. He helped me out quite a bit with the different types of cheeses and sold me two very traditional cheeses, called emmental and gruyere, just to start me off. He also explained to me that it would be a good idea to start off with lighter cheeses before moving on to the stronger stuff, so I really appreciated his advice! I made a second trip back there after I finished my first cheeses and they remembered my face and helped me buy other types after I told them what I liked! Can’t beat service like that!

Needless to say, life so far in Switzerland has been great! I am enjoying my time here immensely, and am really looking forward to next week when I will be starting real classes here at UNIL. I have some ideas of what I will take, but nothing set in stone just yet. More on that next time though!