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The Thing I Liked Most About Oktoberfest Was the Ice Cream

October 5, 2018 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Emma Hecht

Location: Ireland/Switzerland/Germany

Two weekends ago, late on a Saturday night, I flew into the Shannon airport in Ireland and got into a cab with three other Valpo students and our very Irish cab driver. He was one of the nicest, funniest people I’ve ever met, but I had absolutely no idea what he was saying for at least a quarter of the drive. Most of his sentences went something like this: “Oh! Yeah, ye hmnhmnhmn Limerick!” Yes, Irish people do say “ye” for “you.” And yes, they’re mumblers (disclaimer: in my own personal experience). We made it to our hotel just fine and the next morning (the morning of our only full day in Ireland) and woke up at a nice and early 10:30 am to take a three- hour bus trip to the Cliffs of Moher. As I ambled off the bus, still trying to wake up from my nap, I was stunned at how beautiful the Cliffs were. They span a little under nine miles long, are over seven hundred feet tall, are over three hundred million years old, and have starred in movies like Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince and The Princess Bride. Maroon 5 even filmed a music video there. And, as my words are totally insufficient to describe them:

(Photos above by Mark Young, markyoungphoto.com)

We spent our entire day at the cliffs, only heading back into Limerick when we thought we were going to pass out from hunger. After scarfing down our late dinner, we headed back to the hotel to go to sleep before we had to get up at 4:45 am to make our flight back to London. Last weekend was another excursion—this time to Salzburg, Austria and Munich, Germany. My friend Claire and I went to Salzburg specifically to do The Sound of Music tour, which is hands down the most touristy thing I’ve experienced since I’ve been in Europe (the bus was packed full of Americans). When we arrived at our Airbnb, our hosts, Luke and Jenny, said that they had never seen The Sound of Music… and apparently, that’s typical for Austrians. Pictured below is one of our stops, which we made not for The Sound of Music, but for the beautiful Austrian view.

Our next stop was Munich for the first day of Oktoberfest. Just a five-minute walk from where we had just gotten off our train, we stood and watched the long parade of floats and bands, which led to the tent where the opening ceremony occurs (in which the mayor taps the first keg with a loud pop and says “O’zapft is”. “It’s open.”

Throughout the day, we walked around. In and out of different beer/food tents, in between amusement park rides, by food stands selling schnitzel and heart-shaped gingerbread cookies. Inside the tents, there was live music, everyone standing on tables… we got to witness over five thousand drunk Germans singing (at the top of their lungs) John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

This weekend we’re off on a class trip to Stratford-upon-Avon and Bath, both located in central England.

Financial Advice from Germany

October 4, 2018 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Michael Boyaijan

Location: Reutlingen, Germany

Guten Tag reader, and welcome to my blog! For the past month, I have had the pleasure of studying abroad in Reutlingen, Germany. Throughout my time here I’ve seen many amazing places, made lots of friends, and already had numerous unforgettable experiences. Although there is so much to share, I have decided that the focus of my blog will be more financially-based. For many people, myself included, money plays a large role in whether one can afford to study abroad at all. Although Valpo gives out an estimation of what a student will spend studying abroad, expenses are different for each student. This semester, I will be reporting my personal budget and expenditures so that you, the reader, can get a real-feel for what it costs to study abroad in Reutlingen, Germany. Along with this, I will be explaining things I learn and mistakes that I make.

I started my semester with a budget of $3,133. Like I said before, expenses vary from person to person. Some people spend a lot of money, and some people don’t. At the same time, what people choose to spend their money on varies drastically. What I did not know is that Germany is primarily a cash-based society. Yes, credit and debit cards do exist here, but for everyday purchases (i.e., groceries, public transportation, etc.) Germans generally use cash. With that being said, here is tip #1: Open a bank account/get a credit card that has little to no foreign transaction fees. I have a Chase College account and every time I take out money from an ATM, I get charged a small fee. Additionally, the conversion rate from US dollars to euros varies. So far, I have paid for everything in cash. The amount of cash that I have taken out is $781.80. I have used that cash for groceries, trips, souvenirs, a guitar, and meals out. So far, of the $781.80, I have used $675, leaving me with $106.80 that will still be used. My current budget is now $2,458.

For the first month, we spent a lot of time going on group trips and excursions, rather than in class. As a business student at the ESB Business school here, my classes only recently began. Going forward, I expect to spend less money as I will be doing less travelling, and I will not be buying another guitar. I hope you find this post useful in your decision to study abroad! Tschüss!

My Adventure in the Great Country of Ireland

October 2, 2018 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Ulises E. Hernandez

Location: Limerick, Ireland

A few weeks ago, I was able to experience one of the most amazing weekends of my life because I had the opportunity to visit the famous Cliffs of Moher. Ireland, like all countries in Europe, has been shaped by war and by many devastating events. I didn’t know a whole lot about Ireland before visiting that truly amazing country, other than the stereotypes that all Irish like beer, the color green, and leprechauns. During our visit, I got to learn a lot about Ireland thanks to our fantastic and very funny tour guide. According to the guide, the Irish have faced very difficult times due to the English. Not only were they banned at one point for practicing their religion, but they also lost their land to the point where they couldn’t even grow their own food to feed their people. Due to this unfortunate event, the Irish were forced to rely on potatoes as their main source of food which caused a famine that killed thousands of people. It is sad to hear how history shapes people’s nations, but thanks to its magnificent and beautiful natural scenery, Ireland has received many immigrants and a lot of tourists from all over the world which has helped their economy tremendously.

When it comes to people’s identity, the Irish are very different in comparison to the English or even the American people. Not only do they have a very unique accent, but they also tend to be very outgoing and surprisingly happy people. The very first person that I got to meet was our taxi driver. He was an old gentleman with a caring heart, a great sense of humor and overall a great representation of the Irish people. The difference between the Irish and the English is shocking. Based on what I have seen, the English tend to be very reserved and private, which is the complete opposite of the Irish. Regardless of who you are, based on my experience, they treat you like family and they make sure that you feel welcome at all times regardless of where you are. That’s something that I have not experienced to the same level in England, and it’s not that the English are rude people, it’s all due to people’s identities that are shaped by culture and traditions. Based on the people that I talked to, the Irish do not like the English due to the unfortunate events that I mentioned earlier but they are still very welcoming since many people within our tour were English and they received the same treatment as we did.

The pubs and city life in Ireland are very similar to the English. My great friend Ben and I spent the night at a town very similar to Cambridge called Limerick. Even though this small city is not a college town, it still provides its locals with a large selection of pubs, malls, and a great transportation system. Limerick also holds a lot of historical landmarks similar to Cambridge. This town is home to many churches, castles, museums, and historically significant pubs which make the locals very proud to share with the tourists. A very similar problem Ireland and England face is their infrastructure. When I say infrastructure, I don’t refer to their buildings, but their lack of roads that are capable of accommodating the needs of small and large vehicles. Our bus driver had a very difficult time navigating through many of the local and country roads due to how narrow the roads were paved, which is also a problem that I have noticed in England as well. Even though this is just an everyday life struggle for them, the Irish make the most out of what they have and based on what I saw they tend to look at things through a more humorous point of view.

Overall, I had a very wonderful and welcoming experience in Ireland which is something that not everyone shares when visiting a foreign country regardless of your ethnic origin. The Irish are very wonderful and joyful people that are willing to share their culture and beautiful country with the rest of the world. I hope to come back to Ireland at some point in my life and bring my loved ones along so that they too can experience the breathtaking natural scenery that Ireland has to offer.

My First Month Abroad: Reutlingen, Berlin, and Ireland

October 1, 2018 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Mark Young

Location: Germany/Ireland

One of our first days in Reutlingen we climbed Georgenberg, a nearby mountain with a beautiful panoramic view of Reutlingen and the surrounding towns. Nearly all of the houses here have red roof.

Walking through the city provides many gorgeous views of the natural and man-made landscape. Houses often have neatly paired stone and vines which give off a rustic and aged feeling.

The dogs are extremely well trained here — many are walked without leashes. This good boy was waiting outside a cafe for its owner.

We visited Tubingen in our first week here. Tubingen is home to the University of Tubingen which causes the city’s population to be one-third student. It is a very pretty and historic city.

Just a short walk from the dorm you can find many gorgeous views of the Swabian Jura.

Our first trip was to Berlin. This is the Altes Museum at night. Hitler once addressed mass rallies up to a million people on the steps of the museum. It now holds antique paintings, drawings, and other classical pieces of art or history.

This is the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. It contains 2,711 slabs of concrete arranged in a grid. It was designed to replicate the Mt. Olive Cemetery.

We also visited Sanssouci, the summer palace of Frederick the Great. It is often considered the German Versailles.

After our trip to Berlin, I went to Ireland, with a two day delay in Mallorca, Spain. The rocky coastline of the Celtic Sea was gorgeous and sublime.

As if the rest of the coast wasn’t magnificent enough, the Cliffs of Moher commanded respect and admiration. Standing next to such a sheer drop-off was both terrifying and exciting.

Back in Reutlingen, a couple friends and I climbed another mountain and watched as the sun set over the city from a ruined castle’s tower.

The one month I’ve been in Reutlingen has been wonderful. While language barriers can sometimes cause minor issues, the people are accomodating and friendly; the city is historic and pretty; and the landscape is a nice change from the plains of Indiana.

The First Month

October 1, 2018 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Liam Bodlak

Location: Germany/Denmark

I’ve been in Germany for about a month now, and it already sort of feels like home. My classes started today, and while being the only American in my Business Stats class is kind of weird, it’s not too bad. I’ve been traveling a lot, meeting people from all sorts of different backgrounds, and learning a lot about Europe in general. I had a lot of time to do what I want given that I’ve only had two classes up until now, but even with a full course load my schedule isn’t too terrible. Not speaking German has definitely been an issue, but I’m learning a little bit every day, and most people here speak a little bit of English anyways.

So far I’ve been to a number of places in Europe, both within and out of Germany. First, I was in Berlin for about a week, then I spent the weekend in Copenhagen. Both places were amazing, filled with culture, nightlife, and great people. Berlin especially has great historical significance. We went to a number of WW2 monuments, and the tone of it intrigued me greatly. As Americans, we have such a positive view of World War 2 because we won in just about every regard possible. The US benefited from that war more than anyone, and we’re proud of that to this day. However, the Germans suffered the greatest defeat of the war, and the tone of their monuments reflect that. They’re somber, reflective, and show a country that wants to move strongly forward without forgetting its dark past.

The Berlin Wall was also incredible. So much has been said about the wall, its significance, and its eventual tearing down. But one thing stood out to me when I was looking at the wall. There was a lot of graffiti on the wall, some of it political, some of it apolitical. One piece of graffiti stuck with me, however, and I still think about it now two weeks after leaving Berlin. The message reads “ TO ASTRID, MAYBE SOMEDAY WE’LL BE TOGETHER ”. It’s not clear who wrote this, or when it was written. It’s heartbreaking to imagine someone who misses someone else badly enough to get near the top of the wall and write a note that might not even reach its recipient. I figured that, with the amount of people who saw this message every day, and the far reach that social media has, that someone would have found the story behind it. However, doing research on the message just leads to tourists taking pictures of it. It sounds sentimental, and I doubt that any sort of conclusion will come on what happened to these people, but I can’t help but wonder if the writer of this message ever found Astrid, and if that someday ever came.

Then we went to Copenhagen, which was a fun experience even if it was only for two days. We marched with the Danish army through the streets for the changing of the guard, got lunch on the Nyhavn waterfront, and wound up bar hopping in the city for a little bit. We weren’t there too long, but even so, I can honestly say that Copenhagen is one of the most aesthetically beautiful cities I’ve been to.

After a few days back in Reutlingen, we were back traveling again, this time to Leipzig. I honestly didn’t expect Leipzig to be as much fun as Berlin given its size (Leipzig is slightly less populous than Milwaukee) but it’s an amazing city. The nightlife was surprisingly great, every club we went to had great music and fun people, and the cities small size worked to our advantage, as everywhere we went was within walking distance. After Leipzig me and three friends went to Munich to partake in Oktoberfest for a day. It absolutely lived up to my expectations, the vibe there was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. The Scottish guys I hung out with there had been there for three days, and if I have the opportunity I definitely want to spend a week or so there. I had an amazing experience, but I feel like I barely scratched the surface of Munich Oktoberfest.

So, all in all, it’s been a fun month. I’m looking forward to the rest of this semester, and all the traveling, experiences, and growth that comes with it. I’ll be keeping this blog updated regularly, so hopefully you’ll all be hearing from me again soon. Tschuss!

No, I Didn’t Meet the Queen

September 26, 2018 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Emma Hecht

Location: London, England

I arrived here in Cambridge on August 23rd and even though I’ve been here for a little over a month, I still haven’t acquired a British accent, which has been on the top of my to-do list since I started reading Harry Potter in the 5th grade. Despite this, my 33 days in Europe has been extremely productive, eye-opening, and full of wonder in different ways.

One of the first nights I was here, my friend Claire and I went to a pub down the road, The Mitre. We walked in and stood by the door for a good thirty seconds, wondering if someone would come and take us to a table. Around the thirty-first second, it became increasingly apparent that we were on our own. To confirm this, we approached the bartender and asked, “Do we seat ourselves?” She replied with a turn of phrase odd to the American ear, “Oh yes you absolutely can do so.” So, we found a corner table and sat and sat, waiting for our waitress. She came up to us after a good bit of waiting and took our drink and food order, both of which were out in record time. We scarfed it all up, talked for a bit, and then sat and sat and sat, waiting for our bill. After an hour and a half of sitting and not seeing our waitress anywhere, I got up and walked around, trying to spot her. After determining that she forgot about us and went home, I went back to the bartender and asked if we could pay her at her register. We could, so we did. And left a 20% tip to which she responded with a surprised, “Oh wow, that’s so kind of you!”

Rules for eating in a pub (which we learned the following day):

You seat yourself.
You go to the bartender to order.
You go to the bartender to pay.
You don’t have to tip your waitress.

Pictured here: the traditional English meal I ordered at The Mitre after I told myself I couldn’t get macaroni and cheese because I can’t eat the same things I eat in the United States when I’m in England.

In Cambridge, classes don’t begin until late September/early October (excluding our British Life and Culture class, which is taken through Valpo and began when we arrived), so I’ve had quite a lot of time to wander around the city. Boots serves as the UK Walgreen’s, and I do most of my grocery shopping at Sainsbury’s or Aldi. The architecture is incredible, every piece of every building carefully formed, uniting to make magnificent buildings. One day I took a book and read for a few hours (well, read for an hour, napped for a couple more) in front of St. John’s college on the River Cam (pictured below).

We’ve also gone over to London a couple times, visiting the Churchill War Rooms, Piccadilly Circus (not a circus as I thought it would be, rather an English Time’s Square that for some reason hosts a three-story M&M’s store), the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe (to see a three hour performance of Othello, for which we were in the standing court—a great performance that also greatly tired my legs), Borough Market, Westminster Abbey (where we got to see Stephen Hawking’s stone, just put in two-three weeks previous to our visit), Kensington Palace, and Buckingham Palace (a portion of it pictured below—and no, I didn’t meet the Queen).

While I enjoyed London, at times it feels just like any other metropolitan city, like being in Chicago or NYC. However, I love being in Cambridge (so far—we’ll see how I’m doing later when the stress of classes sets in). The town, while it is big, just feels friendly and welcoming, a perfect home for four months abroad.

Study Abroad in Reutlingen Germany

September 21, 2018 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Shannon Ilg

Location: Reutlingen Germany

I had never set foot outside the United States before, and now I’m here, in Europe, where I don’t speak the language and it’s great! I have really enjoyed getting to know the area and it’s already beginning to feel like home.

Below is a collection of pictures I took daily of the beautiful, strange, and mundane for me, your good-ol’ average Valpo student. I hope you can take a moment to see and appreciate the little things I have photographed and maybe even be inspired to take on your own journey!

August 29, 2018

At the first night in Reutlingen, I was already amazed! The windows have no screens and they have a three-position handle that allows you to open them in two different ways: either wide open or cracked open at the top. You can also see the shade halfway down which comes in handy if you want your room pitch black in the middle of the day! It’s perfect for when you really just don’t want to get out of bed on a Sunday morning.

It’s also a good time to note the lack of air conditioning here in Germany. It’s really speaks for the environmental appreciation here, that harmful chemicals are not needed everywhere just to cool down a space. You just open the window and turn on a fan!

August 30, 2018

Believe it or not, these are the refrigerators. But they look so much like regular cabinets! Each is shared with four people on the floor, and the far-right bottom one is the freezer to share with all 16 people. On the left you can see the ‘gelber sack’, or yellow bag. It is the start of the intense garbage disposal process here. There are approximately a billion different categories that you can separate your garbage into including this bag, which is where you put any packaging, plastic or otherwise. Other separations include the bio waste, for any fruit or vegetable garbage, paper, batteries, and the restmull (everything else). There is also one day a year where old Christmas trees are collected, at least that is what I hear.

August 31, 2018

I am just surprised at how the cinder blocks are different. Not a big discovery, but it is certainly an interesting difference. Of course, the first couple days here I saw many subtle differences that you wouldn’t quite expect.

September 1, 2018

Here you can see the fountain statue in the middle of the square downtown. In the back is one of many beautiful examples of old German architecture. Some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue.

September 2, 2018

This is the view from the balcony on my floor. It’s especially beautiful with the fog rolling into the foothills.

September 3, 2018

Our first city outside Reutlingen! Tubingen according to our guide was named the most beautiful city in Germany. It was truly beautiful, even though it was a bit overcast the day we went. But we got a lovely tour and a nice dinner.

September 4, 2018

Meet the Doner! It’s like a Gyro, but with beef and cabbage instead of lamb and cucumber. They’re quite delicious, and not too expensive. They are the go-to food for college students here because it’s so close to campus. It’s also really interesting to see so many of these outlets scattered throughout the different cities in Germany.

September 5, 2018

There are so many beautiful flowers everywhere! Many locals make a point to take very good care of their gardens. It is always really nice to be going for a walk and to pass yard after yard of various plants and flowers that are all so different from the ones that I’m used to.

September 6, 2018

It’s so funny to me how the peanut butter is sold as an American food, with the flag on it. For the record, the sliced white bread also has an American flag on it!

September 7, 2018

Once again, an example of the beautiful and well-kept gardens. These plants are particularly interesting to me, not only because they are so pleasant to look at, but they are so subtly different from the plants I see back in the United States.

September 8, 2018

This was our first walk through Berlin! The city was so different and exciting! Pointing into the sky you can see the Fernsehturm, a very distinctive tower in Berlin. You can see it from very far away and it was nice to know while wandering around that you could never get too lost as long as you could find your way back to the tower.

September 9, 2018

Here are the beautiful details of a bridge in Berlin overlooking a canal. You can tell how great the weather is!

September 10, 2018

This is just some of the beautiful street art in the city. This guy had actually made two different versions of this on two separate days, and after a little while I noticed that there were actually several other faded versions all across the square.

Ooh, also a funny side story. On the top left corner of this picture you can see a pole about three feet high intended to stop vehicles from driving into the square. Anyways, when you are walking in a group of 20+ people, these little buggers come out of nowhere and will knock you right in the hip if you’re not careful. Take it from me… I finally began to notice them after running into them like four or five times.

September 11, 2018

This is just a picture of me, enjoying the sights Berlin has to offer! I was enjoying some street food from near our hotel. I had what is called ‘currywurst’; essentially it’s a sausage with barbecue sauce and curry powder and they taste absolutely amazing. And because it’s street food, they’re inexpensive, quick, and delicious. Hence my happy smile!

September 12, 2018

Our last day in Berlin came with a couple museums, including this industrial museum. In the picture is the proof that a teardrop shape has the best aerodynamics, at least of these four shapes. In this museum there were also really old trains and boats of all sizes—one of which was actually a shipwreck.

September 13, 2018

This was the trip from Germany to Denmark, where our train got a nice ride in the hull of a Ferry! I’ll say that again for those in the back… One moment I was on a train, the next we drove directly onto the ferry. What precision boating skills that takes to be able to have the train so well lined up with the boat! It was really nice, as well, to get off the train and stretch out a bit, while also getting to see the beautiful skies and waves.

September 14, 2018

Next stop, Copenhagen! It was interesting to be walking along minding our own business and then BAM, we followed the Royal Guard for 45 minutes to the changing of the guards! It really was quite the unintentional, free tour. We ended up seeing a lot of pretty scenery through the city following the guard. Afterwards, we got fish from a nice little shop on a canal, and let me tell you… if you ever get the chance, spare the time and eat some fish from Copenhagen!

September 15, 2018

Fancy that! Another country and yet another kind of window! Still no screens, but this time there are two windows: one opens to the inside, one to the outside. I suppose it could keep the house more insulated in the colder winter months. This might actually be valuable since Denmark is so far north. The difference in temperature even now is a lot from Copenhagen back to Reutlingen and it took me by surprise. It wasn’t quite cold, but long sleeves were comfortable.

September 16, 2018

Just a note: the drying machines aren’t super great, and we get to pretty much hang dry all of our clothes. Once again, here in Germany it is a lot more environment friendly, and not using dryers as much is a big effect of that. Dryers use a lot of electricity and honestly tossing your clothes on a drying rack for a few hours does the job. Plus, your clothes won’t shrink or wear out as fast.

September 17, 2018

This is just a friendly bright-colored bug of some kind walking along.

The bug culture here in Germany is a little different… As the windows are open all of the time and there are no screens, bees and other insects can fly in and out at their leisure. It is a little different, but I don’t mind it to be quite honest. I mean, catch me the day a giant spider comes waltzing in through my wide open window and maybe it will be a different story, but for now, I kind of like the bees that occasionally visit while I’m just working on homework or making dinner. They really are harmless and having them everywhere kind of gives me an appreciation for the natural world that I never would have thought would be an effect of going abroad.

September 18, 2018

I must say, there sure are a lot of hills back in Reutlingen! What you can see in this picture is effectively a third of the height of this hill. I definitely could have used some physical training before coming here, but it really makes you appreciate the agility of the locals, who spend a lot of time either walking up an down hills or using bicycles, often electric bicycles.

Let’s just take a moment for the electric bicycles – I honestly did not know that those were invented. I suppose it makes sense… electric scooters, electric cars… of course there are electric bicycles… Anyways, the first week or so I was really impressed because I would see person after person glide up a giant hill with ease and I just thought they were just that strong because they were used to the hills. Alas, they were just all using electric bicycles. Not that it is really less impressive: they still have to pedal a lot for those hills, but just not quite as much as I thought they were.

Beauty Amidst Pain

September 18, 2018 / studyabroad / 1 Comment

Author: Maddie Morehead

Location: Namibia/ South Africa

Going into my study abroad journey, I had no idea what to expect. Before deciding to study in Namibia, I would not have even been able to point it out on a map. I also had very little knowledge of the colonization that took place in Southern Africa apart from my seventh grade teachings of the Berlin Conference and Scramble for Africa. One privilege of living in the U.S. is that we often don’t find ourselves wanting or needing to know about the current circumstances of the world around us because America is typically the spotlight of the world for many, and because of this, we often make ill-informed assumptions about the world around us. However, throughout my travels in Southern Africa I have seen beautiful landscapes and have met beautiful people that have been able to contribute to my learning and understanding of Southern Africa and the rest of the world.

Cape Town is a wonderful example of both the ugly and the beautiful simultaneously represented in one place. Cape Town is located on the west coast of South Africa. It is a city located between the Atlantic Ocean and a large mountain range. It is filled with lively streets of restaurants, bars, malls, shops, and people from all over the world. At first glance, it is difficult to see the rich, yet turbulent, history that lives within the streets of Cape Town – a history that many people of South Africa are still in the process of healing from.

During our stay in Cape Town, we headed by boat to Robben Island, an island off the coast of Cape Town where political prisoners including Nelson Mandela were kept during the time of Apartheid. What was once a prison town has now been turned into a commercialized tourist area. We first were taken on a bus tour of the island and shown a church where weddings are now frequently held, a quarry where prisoners were forced to mine for limestone in unbearable conditions, and Robert Subukwe’s house – a prison designated solely for Subukwe’s solitary confinement where he was silenced so that he could not influence anyone else in the prison. (What a guy, right??) The history of the island was heart-wrenching, yet the flowers were in full bloom and the view of Cape Town’s Table Mountain from the island was breathtaking. After the bus ride, we met an ex political prisoner who gave us a tour of the prison where he once was held captive. During the tour, he was asked how he feels about giving tours of a place he was once imprisoned. He responded by saying, “At first, I didn’t want to do it, but my family wanted me to because I was unemployed. But over time it has been a healing process for me to talk about my experience over and over again.” He told us that it took him about two years before he was completely comfortable with sharing his story. Hearing, his story I can’t imagine what it was like to transition into life outside of Robben Island after being locked up and mistreated for many years. The whole experience was a little unsettling and left me questioning what action I can take in order to current injustices that people experience on a daily basis.

The amazing Lucy Campbell is another individual we encountered during the week who uses her voice and her story as an instrument for healing. Lucy gives regular tours to people from all over the world, representing the indigenous Khoi people of South Africa and sharing the brutal history of Cape Town and slavery during early colonialism. Walking through the city, Lucy pointed out the history of colonialism that remains to this day. Part of the tour included a stop at the Slave Tree Memorial, a mere stump in the middle of the street. Lucy explained how this memorial is the only symbol honoring slaves and the hardships they endured when just down the street, large statues of white slave owners still look down on the city, haunting the people of Cape Town with its daunting history. Lucy shared that there are parts of the tour that send chills through her spine still to this day. We were able to empathize with her story and feel how the history of Cape Town impacts her daily. While many people visit Cape Town for the beautiful scenery, Lucy is committed to not allowing the history of her indigenous people die out by speaking truth to visitors from around the globe. You can tell by the way she speaks that she is passionate about what she does and the change she is making by sharing her story. During our tour, she ignited a light in all of us to stand up for what we believe in. Giving tours and sharing the history of Cape Town is her process of healing, and a powerful one at that.

The District Six museum also offered many stories sharing the history of people who were forced from their homes. We were able to talk to Joe Schaffers, a full time educator at the museum. He shares his story of District Six, where he lived for 28 years before moving to the Cape Flats, also known as ‘apartheid’s dumping grounds,’ an area designated for non-whites once District Six was declared a whites only area by the government in 1966. On the floor of the museum was a street map of District Six where former residents are able to come and mark where their houses used to be before being bulldozed, a powerful demonstration in order to share the story of thousands. It amazes me that people were able to do such a horrendous thing such as force people to relocate without considering the lives affected by this. Walking through the museum, I could feel the hurt that they felt, seeing long forgotten objects that once belonged in the houses that no longer exist.

And this is just Cape Town. In Johannesburg, we were able to talk to and make friends with historians, political leaders, and people who experienced violence during times of uprisings against apartheid, where children risked their lives for change. Here we visited multiple museums and had our very first home-stay before heading to the Eastern Cape where we talked to political science students at Fort Hare University, where Nelson Mandela attended university and where many students actively protest against school policies today. It is beautiful to be able to hear about the hardships that people have faced and how it has influenced them and inspired them to take action. Through listening to their stories and ideologies I am able to empathize and connect with these individuals. I am able to feel the pain that they feel and understand what moved them to make a difference and continue to share their stories every day. Their stories are inspiring, moving, and they challenge me to use my voice and make a difference not only in my life, but in the lives of others as well.

Exploring the city of London

September 17, 2018 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Ulises E. Hernandez
Location London, United Kingdom

One of the classes that you are required to take as part of the Study Abroad Program when you come to the United Kingdom is British Life and Culture. In this course, you get to learn many types of literature and social aspects in the English way of life not only through assignments and readings but also through field trips. One of the very first field trips that we experienced as a class was visiting the great city of London. From Cambridge to London we took the train and we got to see the great grassy planes and traditional small English towns during our 50-minute ride. Once we arrived at the iconic King’s Cross Station in London, we had the chance to walk through the streets of London and really get experience not only the tourist-oriented destinations of the city but also many of the areas where the locals reside. London in many aspects is not only a very welcoming city but also very unique due to its breathtaking history and its very diverse population. While in London, we visited the British Museum, The Churchill War Rooms Museum, The Tate Modern Museum, The Shakespeare Globe, and St. Paul’s Cathedral which were all located in the heart of London. In every single one of those destinations, priceless artifacts are carefully preserved, stored, and put on display for millions of people to see. My personal favorite Museum was the British Museum because it not only included art from the United Kingdom, but also a large variety of historical items from around the world.

The United Kingdom is very famous around the world for their Royal public figures. As a group, we got the chance to visit many of the Royal Palace’s which included the Buckingham Palace and the Kensington Palace which are both surrounded by beautiful parks. One of my favorite parks is Palace green, which as mentioned earlier, is located beside Kensington Palace. This park not only attracts a lot of tourists, but also many of the locals go there in the evening to feed the birds, play volleyball, run, play cricket, or just to walk through the beautiful and colorful gardens. As we made our way back to our hostel, we also passed the Palace of Westminster which is the house of parliament and also home to the very famous Big Bens clock tower. Unfortunately, large parts of the palace including Big Ben is going through a major repairment project and we did not get to experience the true magnificence of this iconic building.

The trip wouldn’t be successful without talking about food. As previously mentioned, London is very diverse and everywhere you turn, you are given the chance to experience food from all over the world. A great place to truly experience this opportunity would be the street markets. In the markets, hundreds of vendors sell their fresh homemade products and most of them offer free samples of different types of jams, cheese, meats, fish, fruits, drinks, dairy products, and a wide variety of other cooked dishes. Overall, I had a wonderful experience in the great city of London and I would highly encourage more students to join the study abroad program.

Roots

September 10, 2018 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

Author: Grace Erickson
Location: Windhoek, Namibia

In my colonized mind, I saw Africa as a whole continent. In my colonized mind, I saw everyone in Africa as totally different from me since they were coming from another culture. In my colonized mind, in my colonized mind, in my colonized mind… Traveling from South Africa, to Eastern Cape, to Cape Town, to (finally) Namibia has already changed who I am forever. While it has been difficult at times to realize how much growth I still have ahead of me, my experience thus far has also prompted me to better the world in ways that I had never even considered before. It is painful to have a greater awareness of the fact that not everyone on our lovely Earth is always being heard equally, but I now know that learning about the injustices of the world is the first step to changing them. The very best lessons and memories I have, have come from being pushed beyond my comfort zone. Amidst the challenging intellectual and emotional times here, there are sprinkled moments of beautiful serenity and friendship. One of my favorite moments from the cohort’s fieldtrips was Freedom Park in South Africa where there was a spiritual reflection space. It was a location that was meant to help you find your headspace to reflect on our ancestors whom had sacrificed everything during their tireless work to fight oppression. Sitting barefoot on the ground in front of the monument, I found myself sinking into my meditative state. I lost track of time as I was hugged by the whisper of spirits around me.

I found myself feeling exceptionally whole during my time in the mountains at Elundini. The fog drifted over the side of the mountain as dogs, chickens, cows, sheep, pigs, and goats galloped around us. I looked through the window while making homemade bread and felt one with the foggy froth of fog above us. To actually make your own bread, gather firewood from the forest, then actually bake it over a fire, is something I never would have made the time for in the US. The lack of any rush in daily life has been dreamlike after living somewhere that emphasizes the importance of making use of every moment.

During my homestay in Pimville, Soweto, my sweet friends Zama and Faith reiterated this by chiding us for walking too fast on the way to the grocery store, not packing a million activities into one day, and encouraging us to relax. Their spirit and friendship, both with each other and us, lives with me to this day. Our memory of simply going to the park is one that makes me glow with joy.

The last moment I would like to share from my first leg of this journey is from appreciating art. Once again, I found myself surprised at my own surprise that there were so many similarities to my own art, and that which I saw in a museum that is thousands of miles away from my home. While speaking with an art director at an art center in Katutura, he emphasized again and again the importance of knowing your roots. We may all come from different places, but we are the same material. The beauty and depth of many of the pieces empowered me to continue to look within myself for what I was meant to create in order to make my impact, both here, and eventually back where I came from.

Student Stories from Around the World