Alyssa in New Zealand: Three days before departure

July 2, 2013

When it comes to traveling across the globe, you really can’t afford to forget to bring anything. I run through a mental checklist at least five times each day. Yet, I still have this gut feeling that I’m inevitably going to leave something behind (which is usually the case).

Everything that I plan on bringing with me is currently laid out on my bedroom floor. Or at least…I think it’s everything.

I’ve traveled many times before. Packing is practically a second nature to me.  However, I’ve had to take on a slightly new approach to packing when it comes to preparing to live across the world for the next five months, which is something I have definitely never done before. I find myself taking out extra clothes that I don’t necessarily need and consolidating all my essentials in unusual ways. In some way, it’s been stressful. Not stressful to do, but stressful to think about. How am I supposed to fit five months worth of living into three pieces of luggage? How is that a reasonable thing to pull off?

DSC_0275

Working on getting five months into just three suitcases

I have always enjoyed traveling far away from home. Leaving Boston has never been hard, for I know what it’s like to be away from home. I’ve ventured out to Spain, France, Italy, Vietnam and Ireland. Homesickness is not a feeling that I come across often.  As my departure gets closer, I don’t think leaving home is going to be difficult for me this Sunday either, which is when I leave for New Zealand. So no, I was not exaggerating when I said that I would be traveling across the globe. I’ve traveled far, but I’ve never traveled this far before. Soon enough, I will be arriving in Dunedin and ready to study for a semester at the University of Otago.

Being primarily a biology major on the pre-P.A. track (and a journalism major as well), my choices were limited when I was choosing where to study abroad. I was almost afraid that I wouldn’t be able to find a program suitable enough to help me fulfill my major requirements. However, when I came across an institution that offered appropriate science classes for me to take in New Zealand, everything seemed to fall into place.

While abroad, I plan on taking courses that include evolution, microbiology and music (for my Visual Arts requirement at Richmond). Now that I will be able to take biology courses and not fall behind in the major going into my junior year, there are other priorities that I have in mind as well…

My bucket list for New Zealand continues to grow longer and longer. I keep finding more and more things to add to it. Much of it consists of a lot of traveling, exploring and adventure. Glow worms, hiking, glaciers, volcanoes and the Adventure Capital of the World lie ahead in my future. I can only hope that I have enough time to do it all. Luckily, I will be living with a Kiwi host (a New Zealand student studying at University of Otago) throughout my stay, so she will be able to give me extra tips and pointers (my other three roommates are from Australia, Norway and Hungary). Keep in mind that my bucket list is not restricted to New Zealand, for I plan on making my way to Australia and Fiji as well.

After six weeks of working hard and preparation at home, it would be an understatement to say that I am eager and anxious to leave. I almost find it hard to believe that this is actually happening. This entire experience already seems so surreal and yet, this is only the beginning.

On Sunday, I will fly from Boston to my first destination, San Francisco. From there, I will fly for thirteen hours and eventually land in the north island of New Zealand in Auckland for my second layover. Finally, I will fly to the south island to Dunedin, where I will arrive at on July 2. Maybe then the fear and nervousness will hit me…but I highly doubt that.

As I prepare to depart the U.S., I am promising myself to take advantage of my time on the other side of the world. This is my chance to see everything that takes my breath away. Explore the wonders of the country.

If something is left behind in Boston, I’ll find a way to get by.  Forgetting something should be the least of my concerns. In fact, the only thing I should be focused on is making it over there so that I can finally begin my adventure.

Leave a Comment » | Alyssa in New Zealand, Fall 2013 | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by gunvillealyssa

Cambodia: Heat, Tuk Tuks, Temples, and Discovering the Country (posted by Indira in South Korea)

June 11, 2013

This semester I spent in South Korea and it was my very first visit to Asia. This continent has always been something different and somewhat far, but once I was in one of the Asian countries I tried to do my best to see as much as possible of it. Even though I decided to spend quite some time traveling in South Korea and discovering the beauties of this amazing country, I also knew I wanted a big trip to some other Asian country. Luckily two of my friends were of the same opinion so we planned a week long trip to Cambodia, a country I actually never even thought of visiting up until we started discussing the possibility of it.

Denis, Michael, and I were all very excited to board our Korean Air flight (definitely the best airline I flew with so far) to Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital. We left Seoul on Friday afternoon and embarked on the adventure of lifetime. We landed around 10pm Phnom Penh time and were instantly greeted by the heat and humidity. It was quite a shock, I have to admit! A temperature of almost 100 degrees and humid air made it hard to breathe, but one can get used to it after a while. After going through immigration, getting our arrival visas, and making it through Customs, the biggest culture shock of my life took place (and we haven’t even left the airport, mind you). It was really interesting seeing all the tuk-tuks (the most common means of transportation in Cambodia) waiting for their customers, people trying to sell you all kinds of products for a super low price just to make enough for living, and the general atmosphere. We took a short cab ride to the place where we would stay that night before we headed to Siem Reap the morning after. On our arrival we also tried some Khmer (local Cambodian cuisine) so we had some soup, which pretty much discouraged us from trying anything else local.

On Saturday we traveled from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap by bus. This was not a really good idea. Very cheap, but not a good idea (that is why on the way back we got a private car: A bit more expensive, but much faster and comfortable). We spent over 8 hours in the bus with almost completely broken air conditioner. I tried to sleep through most of the trip in order to avoid the heat. Once we arrived to Siem Reap we were overwhelmed by all the tuk-tuk drivers who wanted to take us to our hotel and be our tour guides for the time we stayed in Siem Reap (there are not that many tourists in Cambodia at this time since it gets too hot and humid and the wet season is starting).

During our 4 day stay in Siem Reap we visited all the major temples including Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm, and Angkor Thom. It is amazing to see how an ancient civilization managed to build such impressive temples a 1000 years ago but this beautiful country is facing such poverty nowadays. The temples we visited were by all means fascinating and something that is worth seeing just to understand how small a human being is compared to what he can make.

Ta Prohm temple, Tomb Raider

Ta Prohm temple, used in the film “Tomb Raider”

We also went to see the sun rise at Angkor Wat but unfortunately due to bad weather we weren’t able to see it. Another day we tried to see the sunset at Phnom Bakheng, a temple located on the top of the hill. We actually rode an elephant to the top of the hill and it was quite an interesting and fun experience. Unfortunately, there was no spectacular sunset that we were expecting due to the fact it was cloudy. Nevertheless, we had fun since the view of the jungle and Angkor Thom was very nice. Siem Reap is a really great place to visit as you can see the temples, but also get a more up-to-date Cambodia experience since the city is quite modern. Most of the city, however, caters to the tourists so there are lot of shops where you can buy souvenirs and there are plenty of western restaurants. We also went to see the floating village located on the lake just outside the city.

riding the elephant

Riding the elephant

floating village

The floating village

Our last day we spent in Phnom Penh visiting the Royal Palace and the Killing Fields. It is quite a contrast to see the streets of the Phnom Penh and then the riches of the Royal Palace. It is very beautiful and worth a visit!  Visiting the Killing Fields was a very emotional experience since I learned more about the genocide that happened during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. Seeing the mass graves, the killing tree where babies were killed, and hearing personal stories of the people who survived the atrocities of Pol Pot’s regime was very moving and I learned  a lot. Even though it was very hard being there, I am happy we got to visit the Killing Fields and learn more about the history of this beautiful Asian country.

royal palace

The Royal Palace

killing tree

The Killing Tree

Once you get past the humidity and heat, and get used to the tuk-tuk rides, it is very easy to enjoy Cambodia. No matter whether you visit the temples, the Killing Fields, or just engage in a conversation with the friendly locals (they all speak at least some English!) the beauty and the rich (no matter whether gloomy or fascinating) history of Cambodia shows through. The most impressive part was meeting Cambodians who are so helpful and have this great will to live and to be happy. Cambodia won my heart and it is definitely a country that I would visit again and recommend others to visit. This trip is surely one of the biggest highlights of my semester.

Leave a Comment » | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

제주도: Jeju Island is a Heaven on Earth (posted by Indira in South Korea)

May 31, 2013

As the time I have left in Korea is slipping out of my hands like the grains of sand, I definitely try my best to balance traveling and school. Korea is such an amazing country and I don’t think that a lifetime of traveling and exploring would be enough to see everything the place I now call home has to offer. Knowing that I have about 3 weeks left and so much to see, do, and experience, and also to make sure I finish all my assignments on time is somewhat putting me under pressure. But the motto should be “work hard, explore hard” and it is all possible.

Last weekend a group of 15 of my friends and I decided to go and see Jeju-do, an island that contains the natural World Heritage Site Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tube. The entire Island is dominated by the Halla Mountain (Halla-San) and there are many beautiful waterfalls, caves, cliffs, and beaches to see and spend time exploring. The island itself is located to the south of the Korean peninsula and it undoubtedly offers a scenery that is truly unforgettable.

Out trip started by taking a plane (fairly inexpensive one hour fight) Seoul to Jeju City from where we took a two hour bus ride (5000 won = less than 5 dollars) to Segowipo, a city in the south of the island. It is interesting that the Jeju Island consists of two cities only: The entire north part of the city is Jeju-City and the south half is Segowipo. We stayed in Segowipo as most of the tourist attractions are located there. First day we went to one of the waterfalls that is very close to the harbor. The area is really beautiful and there are quite some tourists. Afterwards we went for a lunch at one of the numerous Korean restaurants serving famous Jeju black pork, which was by all means delicious.

pork

Jeju black pork

Afternoon was reserved for a lazy day at the Jungmun beach, which is one of the most famous beaches in Jeju. Since everything on the island is located somewhat far from each other taking a cab or a bus is highly necessary. Beach was about an hour or so from the city. Even though the swimming season was not open and the water was cold some people were brave enough to swim. I didn’t dare to do so. Laying in the sun was also nice  and relaxing! Since Jeju is in the south, it is much warmer and sunnier there so it was perfect weather for sunbathing and frisbee on the beach.

frisbee

Playing frisbee on the beach

The second day at Jeju was by far the most intense day of my life. Hallu-San is 2000m high mountain and smaller group of us decided to hike up to the top to see the crater. After about 5 hours of hiking steep mountain in extremely high temperatures, I made it to the top! This was one of the biggest challenges of my life and I was actually able to prove myself wrong (I am not much of a person who does sport or exercise, but I definitely did manage to hike up to the top of one of the tallest mountains in Korea). Since it is a drought season we were not able to see beautiful lake in the crater (Google “Hallu-San” and you’ll know what I’m talking about) and the view was blocked by the clouds of smog. It was very disappointing not to be able to get any reward after enduring so much pain to hike up the mountain. The hike down was, however, really nice and the trail was very beautiful, which somewhat made up for the bad summit. The aftermath came right after I made it down to the starting point 8.5 hours after the hike started – my whole body was aching. Despite my muscles being sore and my ankles swollen, this was definitely one of the most interesting experiences that will shape my semester in Korea and the idea of pushing personal borders. It is good knowing that I can challenge myself and actually win the challenge.

trail

Trail down the Hallu-San

Our last day in Jeju we spent visiting yet another waterfall, which was very hidden. We heard from the locals that it is a great spot to visit and not so many tourists know about it. The small waterfall hidden from the world was definitely one of the most beautiful wonders of nature I’ve ever seen. We spent quite some time there climbing the rocks and swimming in the crystal clear water. The rest of the trip we spent in Jeju City exploring the cuisine of the region.

waterfall

Hidden waterfall

Overall, Jeju is definitely worth a visit and I am so happy I managed to visit this island before leaving Korea. Coming back to Seoul was a bit hard since we were welcomed by rain and loads of schoolwork. Now I am trying to finish everything before I leave for an adventure to Cambodia on Friday. I can’t even put into words how excited I am about this upcoming trip! 🙂

Leave a Comment » | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

부산: Buddha’s Birthday and a Weekend Trip to Busan (posted by Indira in South Korea)

May 27, 2013

Last week was sure a week without much sleep and a lot of going on. Friday right after Akaraka it was Buddha’s Birthday so there were no classes and the weekend after a group of my friends and I decided to go exploring Korea so we visited country’s second biggest city – Busan (or Pusan, depending on the spelling).

Even though it was Buddha’s Birthday last week there was a huge festival in the honor of this holiday on the streets of Seoul about a week earlier. It was really something else. It was one of those experiences that make me extremely happy that I decided to study abroad at Yonsei and in a country I knew nothing about and that is so much different from anything I’ve ever experienced. So many citizens took part in the festival processions wearing traditional costumes, playing different instruments, controlling big sculptures that were lit up etc. It was really great to see how much pride Koreans take in this holiday. One of my favorite parts of the procession was the dragon who was breathing fire! It was amazing. And the unity of the people was also something that I enjoyed very much. After the procession we went to the temple that was really nicely decorated and enjoyed the events happening there. Choosing Korea as my Spring semester study abroad location was definitely the right decision and everyday I am happier and happier I decided to come  on exchange here.

Dragon at Buddha birthday

Dragon breathing fire at Buddha’s birthday

Temple

The decorated temple

Even though Seoul is very metropolitan and traditional at the same time and it offers a wide range of events, it is always nice to also explore other parts of this country. Busan is the second biggest city in Korea located about a three hour train ride in the Southeast. One of my friends was participating in a Frisbee tournament in Busan past weekend so some of us decided to join and explore the city as well. Traveling on a train in Korea is very convenient (for foreigners I definitely recommend getting a Korail Pass that will allow you to travel on any train for the amount of days you chose). Busan was an interesting city. We visited a temple, UN cemetery,  a bridge, and we walked around and explored the city. It was actually nice to see another Korean city besides Seoul and I have to admit that I like Seoul better. This may be due to the fact that Seoul became my home and I spent past three months in this city. One thing I really liked about Busan was how much more tamed the taxi drivers were: No one drove through red light or was driving extremely fast like they do it in Seoul. In general, Busan has a completely different atmosphere than Seoul: It is less metropolitan and yet it still is a big city with everything a city should have. Busan is worth a visit, for sure!

Apart from sightseeing and walking around Busan, we also spent some time on the Dadaepo beach where my friend played frisbee. Being a European, frisbee is not that known in Europe and I never thought it was a real sport. The way I saw it was more as a hobby or recreation, not a real competitive sport. Last weekend I was proved wrong. People played with so much passion and dedication, but there was no tension at all. People on the opposite teams were friends and they enjoyed each others’ company. It was definitely a much different experience from what I would have ever expected. The best thing is that my friend’s team actually won the tournament, which made watching my first frisbee games that much more special. I also got a chance to meet a lot of people, many Americans and Canadians (since frisbee is mainly popular in this part of the world), who either study or work in Korea (many of them teach English here). Overall, it was a really good weekend and I learned/experienced some new things.

Beach in Busan

Dadaepo Beach in Busan

Since the end of the semester is approaching I also have quite some work to do: I have final presentations and papers due almost every week so it is really hard to balance traveling and school. Even though it is hard to do it, it is by no means impossible. Doing more work over the weekdays gives me weekends off and I can travel. This weekend I am heading to Jeju Island, a beautiful island in the south. I am very excited for it as I’ve heard from so many people that it is one of the most beautiful places they have ever seen. Let’s see how it ends up being! 🙂

Leave a Comment » | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

Profiter (posted by Pierre en Suisse)

May 16, 2013

Hello, once again, from Switzerland. A few weeks have passed since my last journey outside of the country, which means that recently my time has been spent en profitant de la Suisse. The title of this blog, Profiter (pronounced like prof-eet-ay), is the French verb to mean to benefit from, or to take advantage of. In adding de la Suisse, I mean to say that I have spent the past few weeks in Switzerland  taking part in more of what my European home has to offer. From bake sales to road races and group hikes, the past few weeks have been pretty action packed, but I am not complaining one bit.

Two weeks following the Monument 10k in Richmond–a race I have always wanted to partake in–I ran in the Lausanne 20km, which I ran instead as my first road race. It is called the 20km because the main race is that distance, however I only ran 10km because I was running it with my University team, the Social Erasmus Committee. If you are like me and thought at first that Social Erasmus meant organizing social events, well, this is only partially correct. I serve on this committee here in Lausanne, which is responsible for organizing community service and volunteering events for exchange students. Together, we decided to run as a fundraiser, and it turned out to be a great event. While this was my first time ever competing as a runner, I grew up a swimmer, so I am very familiar with racing. What I wasn’t familiar with were French motivational expressions, since I had never heard any before. That changed during the race when I heard spectators who lined the streets shouting out to everyone, “Allez! Voici! Allez!” It was a shock at first to hear my name called out several times, but then I remembered people could read it from my number on my shirt! I must say, I quite enjoyed hearing the cheers in a foreign language.

The weekend following the race, the committee put together a bake sale, or vente de patisseries as it is called in French. We sold different desserts and delicacies from all around the world, and collected money for a children’s association here in Lausanne. I must say, we had quite the spread before us. We had fresh, homemade tiramisu, a “tarte aux pommes,” which is basically an apple pie of sorts, but different from our American version, and my contribution of chocolate chip cookies, just to name a few. Since I am quite accustomed to at least saying hello to people as they pass by when I am working a stand, a few of the other volunteers and I began to say bonjour to people in the streets. We were quickly stopped by our Swiss friend who was working with us. She explained that she felt like it wasn’t a good idea because she thought it would be bothersome to people and make them feel uncomfortable rather than more willing to stop and look at what we had. This wasn’t really something that people did in Switzerland, she told us. Instead, we ended up gathering everyone’s attention with, I kid you not, a mix of amateur musical performances orchestrated by our iPods and own voices with words on the screen, which was met with many laughs, and smiles, and even the participation of some kids who passed us. At first I was puzzled by the idea that we couldn’t say hi to people, but instead could dance in the streets. But, because we were all having so much fun and bringing people to our stand, I didn’t question it.

The view from our stand at the bake sale

The view from our stand at the bake sale

While still staying in Switzerland, it was about time to take a quick journey out of Lausanne. The following weekend the exchange association had organized a hiking trip to a location north of Lausanne. We headed up to a place called Creux du Van, a rocky circular formation that was cut into what appeared to be some form of a mountain that became a complete plateau on top. We would stand just along the edge and be able to look down into what was an abyss of trees and straight, vertical rock from the top, in addition to seeing the valley and surrounding villages and very small cities in the distance. It was absolutely gorgeous. Although we weren’t very high up by the standards of other Swiss mountains, there was still some snow at the top in the middle of May. It was an incredible sight for me to see snow this late in the year. I did learn that this winter has been particularly snowy and cold across Europe (much like I read happened in the United States), so this too was abnormal. However, being the winter enthusiast that I am, I was not saddened by the sight.

View from Creux du Van

View from Creux du Van

While exams are now beginning to approach, my time in Switzerland is still not complete. I have about two more months here, as my exam schedule extends pretty late in the semester. I guess this means only one thing: I will have more time to continue exploring this wonderful country I have come to love so much. I will be sure to profite bien from every opportunity that comes my way, as a reward for getting school work and studying done. Until next time…

Leave a Comment » | Peter in Switzerland, Spring 2013 | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by PeterinSwitzerland

City of dreams! (posted by Pierre en Suisse)

April 26, 2013

Salut tout le monde! If you remember reading my last post, Voyageur du monde, you may remember that I hinted at another upcoming voyage, but I did not reveal my destination. My country count is now officially at four, as I just returned from a trip to Paris! What a weekend that was! Before heading off, I had quite a few expectations of the city, all of which are possibly the most cliché images one could produce of the city. This included wanting to eat crêpes at the Eifel Tower, hearing accordion players at various street corners, and going on long walks through the city’s gardens and famous streets, namely the Champs Elysée. But against all the stereotypes, I was most excited about just being in the presence of such history and culture. Not to mention the fact that I’d be able to visit a European capital city with such importance for politics, finance, and culture.

As always, the first thing that I was super excited about upon arriving in Paris was the fact that I could speak the language of the country. I didn’t have to ask someone at an information window to speak English, but instead, me and my friends who traveled together (other exchange students at UNIL) could all pose our questions in French and continue practicing our language skills. I also have to say that knowing the language definitely enriched the experience for me. The first site we visited was the city catacombs. Buried 45 million years under the Earth, the catacombs are the city’s former stone mines where the materials to build structures like Notre Dame Cathedral were taken from. As a more touristy twist, they have been turned into the burial site of more than six million people. Posted throughout the catacombs were writings, in both French and Latin, with very thought provoking quotes about human nature. Without knowledge of French, I would have missed out on what became my favorite part of the catacombs!

The entrance into the tomb area of the catacombs, underground in Paris

The entrance into the tomb area of the catacombs

Of course, our tour of the city moved above ground after our first stop. We later found ourselves visiting an old train station turned museum, le Musée d’Orsay, where we saw the works of some famous artists I had first learned about in elementary school, such as Monet! My group and I had all decided that it was a necessity to go to a museum in Paris, even though not all of us were crazed for looking at art, just because it was such an important part of the city.

Right in the heart of the city, Paris, with the Louvre and the river Seine in sight

Right in the heart of the city, with the Louvre and the river Seine in sight

We found ourselves right downtown in the city when we left the museum, and by that point we all had food on our mind. After meeting up with a friend from France who had studied abroad at U of R last semester, we went off for our first real adventure into French cuisine. Luckily, our local was able to help us out with choosing some of the more traditional French dishes. I definitely branched out when I chose a duck dish for my dinner, and tasted my friend’s dish. She had ordered something called tartare de boeuf, which is essentially raw, ground meat with various seasonings for flavor. If you thought sushi is a terrifying concept, think again. I was at first really hesitant to try this, since all of my prior food knowledge was telling me something like this needed to be cooked, but I figured if French people can eat it, so could I, so I decided to be open and try it. I rewarded myself afterwards with crêpes, and then we finally made our way to the Eifel Tower.

And of course Paris' most famous site, the Eiffel Tower!

And of course Paris’ most famous site!

That being just our first day in Paris, it would require a much longer post for me to recount everything that we did during this trip. Four days in the city gave us the opportunity to see and do so many things, from just aimless touring to visiting some historical museums as well, notably L’Hôtel des Invalides, a a military hospital that Louis XIV ordered to be built for his forces in 1670. In some of the areas where the walls were newly renovated, it became so easy to place yourself in this time period, and feel like you were a part of it for a moment. It was an amazing feeling, when looking up at all of the stone walls and blue roofs. We also got to see the tomb of Napoleon in Les Invalides, which for a history nerd such as myself was pretty exciting.

Did Paris live up to my expectations? It certainly did, and then some. In the end, I don’t think that I embodied the clichés that I felt like I would before heading off, minus the fact that me and my group all bought berets the very last day and wore them through the airport and all the way back to Lausanne. I do count on the fact that I will be back there one day, but as always, coming back to Lausanne a third time from a trip abroad helped to solidify just how special I regard this city and country, as my first ever home away from home.

Leave a Comment » | Peter in Switzerland, Spring 2013 | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by PeterinSwitzerland

여행: A Weekend Trip to Muuido and Silmido, Silkworms, and Korean Hospitality (posted by Indira in South Korea)

April 19, 2013

If you ever get sick and tired of Seoul (which is by any means absolutely IMPOSSIBLE) or you just need a couple of days away from the big city, the rush, and the notion of being busy all the time, you can always take a trip. A group of eight exchange students at my host University – including myself – decided to take advantage of a free weekend and go on a trip to a nearby island – Muuido. Muuido is a small island located about a 15-minute ferry ride from Incheon (which is a city located an hour subway ride from Yonsei University) and it is the perfect getaway place for a weekend: you can go hiking, climb the rocks on the beach, walk around, ride horses, go zip-lining and much more!

Our trip started with an early Saturday morning gathering in the SK Global House (one of the student dorms) lobby, meeting some people at the subway station, and a long subway ride to Incheon airport. From there we took a bus to the place where we hopped on a ferry that took us to Muuido. Upon our arrival we noticed many stands and Koreans willing to sell corncobs and silkworms (!). Being tourists, we got a cup-full of silkworms. A very bad idea, I may add. Only three of the people from our group were brave enough to try the silkworms: it must have been one of the worst things they have tried, according to their faces and their reactions (which made me happy to be one of the group who didn’t dare to try weird smelling silkworms). Unfortunately, the silkworm adventure did not end here. Right after we tried the silkworms, the bus that was supposed to take us to the other side of the island, where the beach is, arrived. So we got on it (with the cup of silkworms, which ended up being the worst decision possible). The bus was full! Crowded! It was so hard to stand while being pushed from all sides and, of course, my motion sickness kicked in, especially since the silkworm smell was so overwhelming. I honestly don’t know how I survived the 30 minute bus ride which definitely was the worst bus ride ever, but the torture stopped once we reached our bus stop close to the beach entrance. I have never felt move relieved or happier to get off a bus and get some fresh air!

My friends - Denis (France), Jina (Germany) and Mike (USA) - eating silkworms on our way to our weekend getaway

My friends – Denis (France), Jina (Germany) and Mike (USA) – eating silkworms

Since we arrived to the island during the low tide we used this chance to climb the rocks along the beach and enjoy some amazing views (despite the fact it was very cloudy) right after getting a quick lunch. It was so much fun climbing big rocks and racing to see who would make it to the top first. Afterwards we went on a three hour hike to the top of the island. That was a challenge for me. I am not really a person who does sports, but I very much enjoyed this hike. The reward – the view from the top – made me forget the pain and the thought of how sore I was going to be the next day. It also happened to snow for a couple of minutes while we were on the top, which made this experience so much more unique and special. When we got back to our huts on the beach we got dinner and then made a bonfire. It definitely was a day of new experiences and bonding with people I had met fairly recently (some of them I met that day).

Rocks we climbed along the beach on Muuido when the tide was low, on our first day on the island

Rocks we climbed along the beach on Muuido when the tide was low

The second day of our weekend trip we went back to the bus stop thinking we would have to endure another horrible bus ride in order to get to Silmido, a small island that you can walk over to when the tide is low. Luckily, we met the most amazing, generous, and hospitable group of Koreans ever. Jina, a German-Korean girl who speaks perfect Korean (it’s very useful to have her around as it is much easier to get by with someone who speaks the local language), approached the group of Koreans to ask them about the bus and they happened to be producers of a Korean TV broadcaster KBS, and after a short conversation they gave us traditional Korean snacks and offered us a ride to Silmido as they were heading there too. KBS had rented a whole bus for the crew and they had nine free spots on the bus, which worked out extremely well for us (there were eight of us). Their generosity did not stop there: once we arrived to Silmido they invited us to join their barbecue on the island. They were so welcoming and warm. I couldn’t believe that a group of people would be so nice to eight strangers they had just randomly met on an island. Afterwards we walked over to Silmido, picked up some trash (since it was what the KBS producers did), and then joined in for an afternoon of games (frisbee and a sport that is a mixture of volleyball and soccer). As if that was not enough, the KBS crew gave us a ride back to Seoul for free. We were all very much surprised and happy about meeting the greatest group of people possible. They definitely made our weekend trip that much more enjoyable.

Enjoying the barbecue provided by the KBS producers, the most generous and amazing group of people I have ever met. KBS is a Korean television broadcaster

Enjoying the barbecue provided by the KBS producers, the most generous and amazing group of people I have ever met

Coming back to Seoul meant that we had to get back to school and our regular everyday duties and work, but this weekend will definitely be one of the best weekends in Korea. Not only have I experienced so many new things and seen a new side to this country I now call home, but I have also met an amazing group of people who will always be on my mind when I meet strangers that might need help or are on a search for good time. 🙂

1 Comment | Indira in South Korea, Spring 2013 | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

Preparations for the 3rd Term (posted by Jimmy in England)

April 19, 2013

I last left you at the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Brooklyn, following a devastating Spider loss to Charlotte in the opening round of the postseason. After the game, I headed home for two weeks to relax and decompress after an eight week term and a week of basketball. Prior to attending Oxford for my first term, I thought that eight weeks were simply too short and that the six-week breaks between trimesters was way too long. After having been through two terms and two breaks, the system that they have is perfect. During the terms, students do not sleep much. In response to this I spent the first two weeks at home recovering with 10 and 11 hours of sleep per night. I also was able to celebrate Easter with my family for the first time in my college career. I missed Thanksgiving, but celebrated Easter, so it all works out, right? After this two-week stay at home, and feeling rejuvenated to take on the world again, I headed back down to my second home. I came back to the University of Richmond for a few reasons.  Reason 1- I love this place. Reason 2- Chance to Play, the organization that my best friends and I started this summer, was competing in the annual UR Business Pitch Competition. Reason 3- Basketball workouts. Reason 4 (Tie)- Pigroast, my 21st birthday and the Kappa Kappa Gatsby social! It doesn’t get better than that!

View from atop the Greek Theatre at the University of Richmond

View from atop the Greek Theatre

Perfect scenery from the bridge on Westhampton Lake at the University of Richmond

Perfect scenery from the bridge on Westhampton Lake

After spending 17 days in Richmond, I am ready to go back to England for my 3rd and final term of this year. So, as I look forward into these last eight weeks, what’s the play?

I like to group my plans into three areas- academic, cultural, and social. Let’s start with the academic side of things. I will continue my research in the Davies group working with some brilliant organic chemists from around the world. I want to make progress on my project and continue to learn as much organic chemistry as I can. On the tutorial side of things, I will be taking a major course of Advanced Organic Synthesis and a minor course of Modern British Drama/Performance. I couldn’t be happier with my courses this term. I get to study organic chemistry and act! I am transferring the Modern British Drama/Performance class as my Visual and Performing Arts general education requirement. I received an email this morning from my tutor outlining my first assignment. I have to read the play ‘Arcadia’ by Tom Stoppard, write a 2500 word essay on the idea of ‘Misinterpretation’ and be ready to recite specific lines from the play. It’s going to be a great term!

On the cultural side of things, I have two goals. I have spent 16 weeks in England already and believe that I am getting accustomed to their way of life. I want to better my understanding of their culture and immerse myself further. I also want to test the waters in a new culture. I have not travelled much outside of England, so this term I plan on visiting France and experiencing a glimpse of their culture. I know that a few days in a country like France cannot do it justice, but it will have to do.

And lastly, on the social side of things, I want to have a great time with the friends that I have made in England. People have said that the abroad experience is the best of their college career. So far, it has been for me. In these last weeks, it is time to live it up, enjoy the ride, and learn what I can. Tomorrow I fly from Richmond to Dulles and then Dulles to Heathrow.  It is weird to think that less than seven months ago, I was scared and nervous going into unknown territory across the Atlantic.  This third time, I feel ready to go.  Let’s do this!

“The fulfilled life is a consequence, a gratifying byproduct. It’s what happens when you’re thinking about more important things. Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. Go to Paris to be in Paris, not to cross it off your list and congratulate yourself for being worldly. Exercise free will and creative, independent thought not for the satisfactions they will bring you, but for the good they will do others, the rest of the 6.8 billion–and those who will follow them. And then you too will discover the great and curious truth of the human experience is that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself. The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you’re not special. Because everyone is.” – David McCullough, Jr

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

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 19th 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, La Sagrada Familia!

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!

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: , , , , , , , | 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 between Yonsei and a rival university

Full amphitheater for the Cheering Competition

Yonsei students dancing to one of the cheering songs at a 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 which I attended with a friend

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: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by indirainsouthkorea

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »