Blogs - Ann Halpin's Blog

So what do academic year students do over the holidays between semesters?  Find out below.....

So I've just had one of the greatest days, incorporated with one of the greatest meals of my life. When Kayla and I woke up this morning in Monmartre Paris, we laid awake in our private room, in our orange hostel, and realized that today marks our “halfaversary.” Exactly four and one half months ago I flew away from Salt Lake City and exactly four and one half months from today, our Granada stay is over. To celebrate we ate a delicious lunch of brie and bread and red wine, and then spent the afternoon meandering about Paris in search of the perfectly brilliant dinner neither of us can really afford at this point, to celebrate. Sure enough, following the advice of my froggy brother, we went to a restaurant sans neon sign and charming inviter in the doorway, one where they looked like they not only didn't cater to us, but they likely didn't want us there at all. (Though I must say, the bad French reputation is as far as I’m concerned complete rubbish. Everyone, once I try my broken French on them, has been sweet as I could ever hope).  So we had escargot, which was brilliant. I mean it's true that you could put enough basil and garlic and butter in anything (even snails) and it would be good. Kayla had halibut with a creme almond sauce and I had beef so rare and tender it practically fell apart on my plate just looking at it. We shared a bottle of good wine and for dessert we had split banana in dark chocolate. We strolled home on a cloud saying over and over "I can't believe this is our lives".

In brief; I spent a wonderful, homey Christmas in London. Though expensive, London was beautiful and fascinating, and the food was much better than I had anticipated and the people were so generous and kind. My favorite part was the mini universe I found inside the design of Shakespeare’s Globe. After that I met my Mom and David in Madrid, where we hung around for a couple of days before renting a car and driving South to Andalucia, so they could peer into my Graina life style. It was nice to see Spain and Granada with fresh, interested eyes. New Years Eve we piled with the masses into plaza Carmen and shoved a grape for every gong into our mouths at midnight. Mom and David retired early and I found myself trotting merrily home at about 9 the next day (It's the Spanish way! I’m telling you!) It was so lovely to see familiar faces. After a week of Granada with the rents we drove back to Madrid, where my new best friend showed me a great time and where I saw the awesome twisted darkness of Goya, and the shockingly futuristic Heronymous Bauche (not to mention, "the Maids of Honor").

Something I haven't mentioned is our excursions/weekend trips. My very first weekend here, I visited some tiny villages in Provence: L'isle-sur-la-sorgue, Fontaine de Vaucluse, Roussillon, and Gorde. They were neat... all really gorgeous, but in completely different ways.  The first one was built around a river and little streams. Almost like a mini Venice.  The second had the greenest water I've ever seen, due to the massive amount of plant life.  The water itself was probably clear, but the plants underneath made it look green.  The third was a red color due to oxidation of the stone they built it with (I believe that's the case), and the last is completely white stone and all on top of this hill.  It was cool to see more of Provence.  It was sorta crappy because we went on a Sunday, which is when entire towns shut down.  Aix pretty much does, aside from a market in the morning.  L'Isle-sur-la-Sourge had a massive market, but as the day went on, the towns were more and more dead.  No big deal... nice to not have crowds to deal with.

A couple of weekends ago, we went to Monaco, which is its own little country next to the France/Italy border.  I had no idea of what to expect.  There's the Monte Carlo casino, which is super famous, a royal family (which equals palace), and it's famous for some race... the racecar sort.  It was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous.  Right on the water, views every direction you looked.  We watched the changing of the guards at the palace.  I was taking some pictures and then a video and the cutest little old Italian woman in front of me forced me to exchange places with her so I could do my thing.  Whatta gal!  So I did my thing without people's head in my way.  Hypothesized that people in Monaco are most likely in impeccable shape because there are stairs EVERYWHERE.  To get from our bus to the palace, we had to climb about a million.  That is not an exaggeration.  We kept thinking they would be finished, and then there were twenty more flights.  And to get down to the city from the palace, there is an incredible amount of steps as well.  I wouldn't want to live there (it seems fake... with all the money from tourism and the casino and whatnot... everyone is rich, I'd say), but if I did... there is no doubt I'd have the fittest body ever. Anyway, did some wandering... discovered a table of oversized stuffed animals at a table in front of some cafe.  I don't even know about that, but took that moment to have a grand photo shoot.

We got back to the bus and drove over to the casino.  Yeah, it's rather immaculate.  I couldn't take pictures inside, but it was dripping in gold-colored everything.  And the toilets... they cleaned themselves!!  I wanted to take a video, but people kept coming.  There was this blue thing at the back of the toilet (like, if you sat on it... it'd be where the base of your back would be) that would pop out, then the toilet seat would unhook and rotate around, under this blue thing that cleaned it.  Does that even make sense?  It was like a record player... with the blue rectangular thing being the needle and the toilet seat being the record.  LOVED IT.  Wandered to the beach with Lindsey after being thoroughly amazed by a toilet, took some pebbles in a bag (as well as more pictures, naturally), and came back to Aix soon after that.

This past weekend, the kids who are in Paris with my same study abroad program came down to visit us.  There are 8 of us, 18 of them... only one guy in each group.  Ha!  We kept saying... 'Man, when will guys figure out that traveling to France is the way to go to meet girls??' It was cool meeting some other people though and knowing that I have people in Paris to hang out with if I go visit ever.

We visited Les Baux-de-Provence, which is ultra famous (or so I'm told) and has the remnants of this enormous middle ages castle, which we explored for a while.  There was one area where you went up these horridly worn stairs to this lookout point type place.  I, being the 'I'm scared of heights!!' one that I am, did pretty well with that. Only not.  When Lindsey started climbing on top of stuff for a photo opp, I about died.  I get really nervous about those things. And we were so high!!!  It was good for picture taking though.  And there are a bunch of olive bushes below.  [By the way, Provence is known for the olive oil and olives... they make me a happy girl.  I hate olives in the states, but they are just sooooooo much better here, as is olive oil!!!].

After sufficiently exhausted all  the castle had to offer, we traveled on to where Van Gogh was institutionalized, near St. Remy.  I guess there are still 100 people there being treated, but they have a special place for tourist visits to see when Van Gogh checked himself into , did over 100 paintings (I believe), and underwent crazy surprise cold bath treatments and whatnot.  And they had a mock setup of his room.  It was really amazing.  We moved into St. Remy next. First stop, chocolatier!!  This guy makes chocolate with all sorts of crazy stuff... Provençal herbes, clove and lemon, jasmine, lavender, rosemary, coffee and barley, thyme, szechwan pepper, violet... and you'd expect that to be absolutely disgusting mixed with chocolate, but it's not!!!  I suppose it's not too strong.  He didn't just stick cloves of pepper in the chocolate.  I bought a box for my host family and my real family (get ready, guys!  Though, it's not exciting flavors because I knew you'd be scared) and then some of the exciting kinds for myself.  Oh man... so good.

Alright, where did I leave off?  I've been making a list of things that I would like to share with the world, so I'll work off of that.  Man, I am behind.

I am coming to quite like Provence (my region in France... though I should probably just say France as a whole).  Okay, I always have.  But now I feel a little bit more adjusted.  Not like a native, as I am still awkward French speaker extraordinaire.  However, I know my way around and use the bus system around town now (though, that's really just to and from my house when I don't feel like walking or it's too dark).  It's neat.  I think I can understand a bit better than before because I am constantly learning new words.  Of course, most I forget almost immediately (seriously, memory, why must you ruin my life?!).  I have such a far way to go though, which never stops becoming obvious.  Being in the country you're learning the language of never allows you to become arrogant based on your language abilities.  You listen to the natives all the time and think, "Seriously... that is supposed to be me?"  It's a bit much.  I'm working on picking up more slang too.  It's hard because some words I can't tell how rude/informal/formal they are, and I don't want to offend anyone.  Not yet.  Haha.  Maybe later on when I get in a rage, I'll bust something out.  Yeah, right.  But Avery has mini-flash cards on a ring of cuss words/dirty phrases.  I really ought to get on that.

Remember how I said I'm adjusting more?  Apparently I look like it too (which is strange, but I don't believe I look terribly French... I'm lacking boots and tights, for one thing) because people always stop me and ask for directions in French.  You'd think by now I would've figured out how to get directions, but not really.  I generally tell them 'to the right,' 'to the left,' or 'over there' and hope that helps (usually I know where they want to go, more or less).  Last week I was walking to school and some guy in his car stopped, rolled down the window, and gave me a little, "Excusé moi, madamoiselle!" and then asked to find some parking lot.  I knew I'd seen the sign somewhere. I told him to the right.  Looked on my map later... definitely a 'to the left.'  I felt really bad, but I guess it was his fault for asking the foreigner... not that he knew.  Sorry, Mister Lostman!!

Another thing I've noticed being here is that the kids are SO into politics.  They are excited when a debate is on TV.  And I think... hm... I never even began noticing what was going on with the government until high school.  And for plenty of people, they still have no idea.  The presidental election is this year (not sure how much you've heard about that in the States), but it's a huge deal here.  Different from the US, as there isn't as much advertisement/campaigning stuff for candidates.  There are, instead, debates and interviews with all of them constantly.  And I'm learning who my host family likes and doesn't like.  Oh, and there's a woman running, Ségolène Royal.  She's with the socialist party, so super leftist.  And Jean-Marie le Pen is extreme right.  José Bové is... someone else.  Left party, I think.  There are seriously so many candidates.  Nicolas Sarkozy, right-wing and Minister of the Interior currently.  I have discovered that I have a really hard time focusing on le Pen when he talks.  We'll be watching him on TV and I just drift off, get interrupted with a 'You understand?' and then I explain I can't listen to him.  He's 79 or so and just blah.  So that's what I know right now.

Holly Warner, our Paris Director, emails students with all sorts of happenings in Paris.   I wanted to include a few so you can see what there is to do in Paris in the spring!

THE BIGGEST FARM IN EUROPE

Right here in Paris for 10 days starting Friday!  Let me explain -- every year, all the farmers from all over the country bring their best pigs, cows, bulls, ducks, chickens, goats and whatever to Paris for an ANNUAL BEAUTY CONTEST.  Also, there are contests for the best milk, the best honey, the best paté, etc.  And the best tractors, the best grass seed....sort of 4-H for those of you who live anywhere near the country, or Future Farmers of America.  BUT...this is all in Paris, at the Porte de Versailles.  It is really fantastically interesting -- and everyone there is giving out samples of jam and milk and cheese and foie gras and cider and walnuts....whatever it is they make or grow. 

The entry fee for students is about 7euros, but believe me...you'll get a taste of everything that this country is famous for, and lots of impressive samples to eat for the next two weeks, & brochures about holidays on the farm, and it is simply silly old fun.  Go for it. 

FASHION SHOWS

Students had the opportunity to attend several fashion shows and even act as dressers for the Elie Saab show (Halle Berry wears his designs).

WINE TASTING

This is my friend BENOIST (ancient spelling, usually BENOIT) the Caviste down the street from me.  He is hosting a Wine tasting on the dates mentioned below.......all you do is show up, meet the owner of the properties on which these wines are grown, taste a few....decide which you like best and buy a bottle!  The "farmer" will be happy to speak (in French, ususally, but you never know....) about the land he lives on, the process, etc.  It is fun, and a fun way to meet other French people.....

Erin sent me some posts from when she arrived in the fall and they really are wonderful so I wanted to include them here for you to read...

Everything is amazing, and life is excellent.  I attend the Centro de Lenguas Modernas  in the center of Granada.  There are many programs that feed into it.  Some have hundreds of students, mine only has three (including myself) which is nice because the two other girls are very nice and we've been getting along famously.  All of the excursions we have and program oriented activities are with the three of us and our director Jaime.  We're all already friends.

There isn't much of an industry in Granada, aside from educating foreigners and any derivative of that. Entonces, most of the natives all know each other and all know the school and the programs. The streets are mostly cobble stone and the majority of the buildings were constructed between the 15th and 17th centuries.  ¡Que bonita!   All streets lead to the center of town, so it's fairly difficult to get really, really lost. (Though the teenie windy side streets could potentially swallow you up).

The weekends are a madhouse.  Usually we go for dinner and tapas at 10:00 (and tapas are free with every drink, I've mostly stuck with Tinto Veranos, which is half red wine half lemonade  spritzer...mmm...) until 11-11:30 and then to bars at 12:00ish and then to clubs at....4:00!  4:00!  It's insane.  On Saturday night there were two old people dancing at 2:30 at a salsa club. This explains why everyone siestas from 2:00-5:00pm.  Nothing is open in those hours.  In fact it's difficult to say exactly when anything IS open as many shop owners will close down just, you know, cause they don't want to be open…

Last week I went to Karaoke night at an Irish pub very close to school.  Upon leaving the boss, a very nice man asked me if I was interested in a job.   Naturally I said yes and after meeting the next day it's been established that I will get paid bajo la mesa to play a show every Tuesday, and to DJ Karaoke night every Thursday, and DJ normal music on Wednesdays.  My only requirement is that I have to sing 5 or 6 times a night for Karaoke.  I get free drinks and on Saturday.  I can practice at the pub anytime I want and he's trying to negotiate getting me a keyboard.

Europe is a continent of festivals.  Whether they are celebrating film, wine, food, ancient traditions, or even pigs, festivals provide a great opportunity to experience a different aspect of the local culture.  Most Americans know about the Cannes Film Festival, the Venice Carnival, and Holy Week celebrations in Spain, but there are many smaller festivals with a lot to offer.

Many local festivals February through April are centered around Lent and Easter. New Orleans is not the only city that celebrates Mardi Gras, although it is more often called “carnaval” or “carnivale”.  One of our favorites is the Carnevale d’Ivrea, in the Piedmont region of Italy.  This event symbolizes the townspeople’s revolt against their ruler.  The fight for freedom is done with oranges, rather than the traditional rocks.  Carriages roll around with “townspeople” throwing oranges at the aristocracy (parade watchers) who are not wearing red.  It’s a wild, fun time and one not to be missed!

If drums are your thing, then La Tamborrada is for you.  San Sebastian, in northern Spain, hosts this very loud festival of high-decibel drumming.  From midnight to midnight, a parade of marchers winds through the town.  These drum and barrel corps represent the many gastronomic societies in San Sebastian, playing in honor of their patron saint, Donostia of San Sebastian.

For those who love their pigs, La Pourcailhade, Festival of the Pig, offers piglet races, music and dancing, as well as the national pig imitation competition.  This festival takes place in Trie Sur Baise, France, one of the largest pig-producing areas of the country. 

We’ve listed a few options for you to explore during your time abroad.  There are more festivals and events than we can list, so make sure to ask about local festivals when you are in your host city.  Go and enjoy the festivities!

Our Rome students visited Ronciglione over the weekend to experience their famous Carnival that takes place in the week leading up to Ash Wednesday.  Our Resident Director, Mary Handley, sent some photos of their daytrip that I wanted to share.  There were processions, marching bands and cheerleaders, and a famous horse race where riderless horses race through the medieval town.

I hope all students take advantage of the traditional festivals that take place in their host countries while they study abroad.  I will never forget attending the Carnival in Ivrea (Piedmont) in Italy way back when I studied abroad.  You sometimes see clips on this carnival in the news around this time of year - they have a battle of oranges.  If you don't wear red, you are pelted with the fruit.  I witnessed a woman in a fur coat (and no red) just get bombarded with oranges!   Which, of course, I thought was very funny at the time.....

Enjoy the photos!

 This is the procession of the horses and the Ronciglione banner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brandon, Cortny, Bruna, Mary , Luca, and Aldo all enjoying the day in Ronciglione.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The procession continues....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have changed our semester deadlines to three months prior to the program start date.  This change is effective immediately.   The reason for this change is to ensure that we could get students' visa documents to them in time for them to get their student visas. 

In another posting, I included information from Abroad View magazine.  In this posting, I want to highlight another on-line magazine for anyone interested in international study and travel - Glimpse Abroad:  http://www.glimpseabroad.org/.  Glimpse features articles from students and other travelers about their experiences abroad, as well as blogs and other information.  It's a fun site to visit.  You have to register to read some of the articles, but it's free and doesn't take long.  You can also sign up to get notification when new articles go up on the site.  Take a moment and check it out!

 My favorite thing about France (okay, just one of them...as there are many) is all of the dubbed TV shows. A few examples of the gems one can find in spectacularly dubbed French:

• The Simpsons (Les Simpsons) - Hugely popular with my host brothers, who are 9 and 14.
• 8 Simple Rules (Touche pas à mes filles)
• Next
• Baywatch (Alerte à Malibu) - My host mom was curious if everyone is actually beautiful like that in Malibu. I took that moment to explain botox and collagen and plastic surgery.
• Fresh Prince of BelAire (Le Prince de Bel-Aire)
• Friends
• Spin City
• ER (Urgences)
• Sister Sister
• For Your Love (Pour le Meilleur) - Have never seen this in English, but has some girl from 'Hanging with Mister Cooper,' clearly making it a winner.
• Wheel of Fortune (La Roue de la fortune) - Actually filmed in France, so all of the phrases are French and the Vanna White is this youngish woman with huge boobs.
• 1 vs. 100 (Un Contre 100) - Also filmed here. Don't understand the premise in English, and so it's just that much more fantastic here.
• Random shows with David Hasselhoff... disturbing

And, of course, there is pretty much every American movie ever...dubbed. Hilarious. I love you, France. I cannot communicate with your inhabitants terribly well, but at least I can watch shows on TV and pretend I know what's going on!

I've been mainly posting submissions from our students currently abroad, so thought I would add something both for them and for the students who are planning their study abroad experience now.  It's a very important topic (and one that gets students into trouble all the time):  Managing Your Money Abroad.

You’re ready to leave for your study abroad program (or are already there) and have about $500 each month that has to cover some of your meals and all your personal spending.  There’s so much you want to do you’re not sure how to do it all on a budget.  We’re here to give you some tips for managing your money abroad.

1. Keep an expense log:  write down everything you spend, no matter how small.  It’s amazing how much money you can spend on little things.
2. Exchange rates matter:  one euro is NOT the same as one dollar.  And one British pound is definitely not same as one dollar.  If the exchange rate for one euro is $1.22 and you buy a scarf that costs 25 euros, you actually spent $30.50.  This can add up over time!
3. Think before you buy:  Your first impulse may be to buy souvenirs during your first week abroad.  Don’t!  Take your time, explore the different markets, and compare prices before you decide what to buy.  And remember, you’ll need to find a place for it in your luggage once you have it.
4. Use discount cards:  There are a lot of great deals out there for students to travel inexpensively, but often you need to plan ahead.  Invest in the ISIC (International Student Identity Card) Card as it can provide you with up to 50% off point-to-point train tickets, free entries into many museums and lots of other discounts.  If you plan to stay in youth hostels, a Hostelling International (HI) card can be a lifesaver, especially in the summer.  In some of the more popular hostels, they will only accept people with the HI cards.  And, if you have an ID card from your host university, you will often receive many other travel discounts. 
5. Eat at home:  If you don’t have a meal plan with your housing and have cooking facilities, buy groceries to prepare your own food rather than going out all the time.  Eating out can quickly ruin your budget.  Spaghetti is inexpensive in all countries and is easy to make.  And, another benefit of buying your own groceries is that you will learn new vocabulary and gain a better insight into your host culture.  And by saving, you can dine out occasionally and have fun!
6. Stay local:  You went to France to study French.  Instead of trying to get to Spain, Italy, and beyond every weekend, take day trips to explore the wonders of France.  You’ll spend less money and gain a better perspective about the country. 
7. Plan one big trip:  Plan ahead for one bigger trip (about five to ten days) to visit one or two other countries that you really want to see.  Research in advance what the costs are, including housing, food, local transportation, nightlife, etc., so you know how much to budget. 
8. Take advantage of freebies:  There are always free things to do in cities—concerts, museums, festivals, etc.  Also, take advantage of the excursions and immersion activities sponsored by your study abroad program and host institution.  You will find that there are so many free things to do in your host city that you have to pick and choose! 

I hope these ideas will help you manage your money abroad so that you never find yourself with $10 left with three weeks to go before the program ends!

You have probably heard about Provence from books or movies, but nothing gets as good as the real thing. My study abroad group took the train down there for the weekend, and it was absolutely lovely.

We first went to a village with a population of only 400 people called Les Baux-de-Provence. It was so nice to experience fresh air and a simpler pace for a few days. There was great weather and it was perfect for walking around and exploring the village.  In another little town we visited, we discovered a great chocolate shop.  The shop is known for mixing local specialties with their chocolate (olives and lavender and popular in Provence).  I almost didn't try the chocolate with olives in it, but it was so good that I brought a box back to Paris with me! We spent the night in Aix-en-Provence, which is one of the biggest towns in the Provence region. It is full of fountains, every little square has a fountain of some sort. It is a big student town and we met up with the Abroadco group that is studying there and went out to dinner all together which was really fun.

 The next morning we headed to Marseille, which is one of the biggest cities in France and it is a very old city with many influences. It was part of the Greek empire and there are many ruins left from that era. It was established as a trading port city so, there are strongly felt influences from Africa and the Middle East. It is a city that is very alive, with such a different atmosphere from Paris.

It was overall such a nice weekend and it was so nice to see other parts of France. While I have loved everywhere I have been to visit thus far, I would not trade in living in Paris for anything.

The hardest thing is not knowing the language but we are getting around ok.  Rome is so beautliful and amazing!  I wish I could share it with all of you!  The women and men here are very stylish and only wear dark colors - black and brown.  We have been to the grocery store twice and both times it has been an experience.  You have to pay for a cart, weigh your own fruit and vegetables and pay for sacks to put your groceries in.  It is quite different.  We have seen a lot of the historic sites already such as the Pantheon, and Vatican which was absolutely amazing!!!!  I want to  go back like five times!  Brandon and I have been getting a cappucino e cornetto for breakfast every morning.  A cornetto is like a sweet crossant.   -Cortny

Alright! So now that Cortny has written her half, it is time for the real 411. When we got here I asked about calcio, which is the Italian name for soccer, the response i recieved was...Calcio has been banned for two weeks because a policeman was killed by a soccer hulligan who got out of control during a game, and threw a bomb at the policeman...that amazed me...that they would ban soccer in Italy. Anyway, Italy's rugby team lost to France 3-39 which really bugs me because it's the French! I could understnd the English or Irish, but the French, come on man! Also the coffee...is REALLY strong and REALLY good! I like it very much! Also, while Cortny is not looking, I will add that there are some very very attractive women in Italy!!  - Brandon

Now, for a few stories of this past week...

We have discovered this Greek guy in this sketchy alley who has the best food of my life.  Seriously.  I get this grilled sandwish with tzatziki sauce and mashed up eggplant and tomatoes and lettuce and it's CHEAP.  2.50 euros, sounds good to me!  (Most dinners here where you would sit down are at least 10 euros, it seems).  We made this discovery, George, Lindsey and I, when wandering around looking for cheap food (something we do often, as everything tends to be expensive here).  He just yelled at us to come inside of his tackily decorated (seriously, there is metallic wrapping paper hung up all over the place and random postcards taped up everywhere), tiny place and eat.  So we did.  He asked where we were from, and we told him.  Except I apparently said 'Colorado' incorrectly or too mumbly or something, so he taught me to do it better and made me repeat him until he was satisfied.  And then Lindsey was nervous to say New Jersey, but managed to get it out without him caring too much.  George and Lindsey ordered and then I was having the hardest time deciding, and he was just yelling out "Number four!!  Numéro quatre!" while he made theirs, which was what I ended up getting, sans meat style.  The entire time, he was yelling out random phrases in English and sometimes Spanish.  George asked him what his name was, and he said, "Greek boy!" (in English), which is especially neat because he's probably in his 50s.  There wasn't any seating inside, but there were white, plastic lawn chairs in the alley, which is where we sat, facing into his shop.  And he'd continue to yell things as we sat and ate.  And then yell at people who passed by.  And when we left, we got a lot of, "Hasta la vista"ing.  Haha. My absolutely favorite.

 

Patricia (host mother), my other favorite, is aware of Desperate Housewives and watches it (they have pretty much every American show dubbed into French... watched three episodes of the Simpsons today, which was just absolutely bizarre).  Anyway, she often refers to herself as a desperate housewife and was gone this weekend, so told me I got to take over for her, since I'll be the only female here.  She says men just don't get it and when Alain (her husband) has to occasionally take the boys to football (soccer, really) or horseback riding or whatever else, he gets a bit upset, even though she does it constantly, plus studies, plus works, plus cooks and cleans and etc.  But her sister comes over to clean her house every Tuesday and do laundry and whatnot.  I don't have class on Tuesday, so I met her this week (which Patricia was a bit worried about, as she warned me beforehand that she tears through the house with cleaning equipment). She was hilarious though and cleans Patricia's house because it helps her lose weight, she says.   

  

Okay, next story... the new fun game is to have

David (14 year old) speak English at dinner and I answer in French.  Patricia loves it. And some stuff translates so awkwardly-- they say 'I have hunger' and not, 'I am hungry', for example.  So David sometimes says it the wrong way and I am in charge of correcting him and then responding.  And Hugo has taken to shouting, 'I'm a big dog!' at the dinner table.  And last night, David asked Hugo 'Do you want me to kill you?'  Not sure what they're learning in school.  And Hugo (9 years old) takes Chinese.  The other night he was speaking in Chinese (during which he looks very focused and concerned) and I had no idea what was going on.  Everyone else apparently knows his phrases, and not me, so I got to guess the meaning.  The entertainment never ends.

  

I was worried about being a vegetarian in France, but have come to realize it's not a big deal, at least not in Aix.  They sell soy milk, tofu, and sorts of other soy products and things without meat or cheese.  I bought some tofu at the store, and Patricia thinks the name is hilarious because it's spelled 'tofou' and 'fou' in français means crazy and 'tu' (same sound as 'to') means you. So she takes the word to mean that I'm crazy, as it clearly refers to me. And I had to cook it, which went, um, okay. She liked it and then decided it was bland (because it was just plain stuff and I cooked it and suck, really... didn't know what I had to work with, so just put some garlic on it). I've since purchased only pre-seasoned tofu and other such products. And at dinner, she is continuing to make me eat too much.  She asks what I have for lunch all the time, which is usually nothing big... just like a crêpe with Nutella or a crossaint.  She thinks I may die.  And then Alain was in charge of meals this weekend (cause Patricia is off...somewhere) and was all sorts of stressed out because he is into meat and terrified of my diet.  It's quite funny.

I asked several of our students abroad to send contributions to my blog so they can share their experiences with us.  I'm posting the first ones from Aix and Rome today.  Over the semester check back for additional postings from these and students in other locations.

This notice just arrived in my inbox and I thought it would be something that the current and past study abroad students might be interested in. 

Dear Study Abroad Students,

 

 ABROAD VIEW, the global education magazine for students, is preparing a special section for its spring 2008 magazine. The section will focus on “The Gift of Study Abroad: Privilege, Responsibility, and Sustainability.”  We are interested in publishing student perspectives on how studying abroad can contribute to a sustainable global community and planet by examining the privilege and responsibility that comes along with the study abroad experience and by exploring the long-term impacts of study abroad on communities and environments. 

 

Also of interest would be articles by individuals or communities abroad that have had the experience of hosting students.  If you are a student who lived or is living with a host family or community, please pass this call for articles on or interview them.  If you would like suggestions for interview questions or need any assistance, please email us.

 

We are further seeking captivating, top-quality photos for the magazine to accompany articles and help illustrate this section.

 

Section Overview:

 

Those of us who have studied abroad have been given a great gift.  Blessed by a system that supports studying abroad and with money in our pockets (whether our own or from financial aid) we set off into the world to expand our minds. We arrive in cities and communities around the globe and are again gifted by our hosts. They teach us, put us up in their homes, provide for our comfort, and help us acquire that which we are seeking. In the context of the global community, we are extremely privileged in this way.

 

Yet, the study abroad experience is normally not presented as a gift.  Nor does there seem to be much conversation regarding the responsibility to acknowledge our privilege and to reciprocate this gift in some way.  With the looming problems of global climate change at our doorstep and with the myriad conversations around the topic of sustainability in all industries, we must inquire deeply into how we are contributing (or not) to a brighter future. Sustainability can only be achieved when we are living in an equitable local and global society that exists within the earth’s carrying capacity.

 

To this end, we are wondering: What are the implications of our study abroad experiences on the peoples and cultures of the places we visit?  How does the study abroad experience educate us about our role in the global community? What are the implications of our travel on the environment? How can we learn from our hosts to investigate ways in which we can achieve a more environmentally stable planet?

 

These and many other questions come to mind when we start to recognize the privilege and the implied responsibilities of our study abroad experiences. We are interested in the connections you are making between these concepts and how your study abroad experience can help us create a sustainable global society and earth.

 

Suggestions for articles from students:

 

1. How do you, as a current or returned study abroad student, see yourself differently (or not) than a tourist? Did you take certain measures to be more responsible abroad in terms of your cultural sensitivity, environmental awareness, and reciprocity?

 

 2. Do you view your abroad experience as having positively or negatively impacted your host community? In what ways have you or are you giving back to your host community (e.g. research, service projects, subsequent work/professional commitment, etc.)?  Please elaborate and provide tangible examples.

 

3. If your study abroad experience involved volunteering, conservation, social justice or humanitarian projects, etc. please tell us about this work in a compelling way.  Why did your engagement make (or not make) a difference?  To whom did it make a difference?

 

 4. Did you learn about ways in which others around the world are coping with and/or finding solutions to issues surrounding social inequity and environmental sustainability?  How has this awareness informed you and your role as a global citizen? Are you sharing these discoveries with others or pursuing a particular extracurricular activity, activism role, or future career path because of this experience?

 

5. How has your learning overseas translated into your lifestyle at home?

 

6. What are the direct environmental impacts of study abroad?  How do we deal with the pollution generated from all of these travels?

 

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We appreciate your participation, as we look into the future of how study abroad can contribute to a sustainable global society and earth.

 

 Articles should be 800-1400 words.  In addition to full-length articles, we also encourage inspirational quotes and/or tips for making study abroad more sustainable.

 

 All submissions are due by October 1, 2007 although early submissions are encouraged and appreciated by May 1, 2007 as articles are reviewed on a rolling basis.

 Email articles to closerlook@abroadviewmagazine.com <mailto:closerlook@abroadviewmagazine.com>.

 

 If you have any questions, please visit our web site at www.abroadviewmagazine.com <http://www.abroadviewmagazine.com>, send an email to closerlook@abroadviewmagazine.com <mailto:closerlook@abroadviewmagazine.com>. or call 802-442-4827.

Compensation for published articles is $25 and up to 10 contributor’s copies. Full credit is given to authors.

 

Coordinating this section are Abroad View Editorial Board members Astrid Jirka, Outreach Coordinator in the Office of International Programs at Ithaca College and Doug Reilly, Assistant Director for The Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Union College Partnership for Global Education.”  Sherry Schwartz is the director of the Abroad View Foundation.