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Life in Cambridge

October 8, 2015 / Emily Kunkle / 0 Comments

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here for nearly a month! In all honesty I’ve been putting off writing this first blog post because I’ve been so amazed by my experience here in Cambridge I haven’t known how to put it into words. But today I’m going to try my hardest to describe how fantastic this experience has been already.

The 9 of us arrived in Cambridge on August 27^th, ready to start our semester-long adventure in the UK. The first few weeks were filled with guided tours and orientation sessions to get us familiar with the area. While some tours seemed longer than others, I can say that the tours combined with our own time to explore was the perfect way to find our way around the city during the first few days.

In addition to life in Cambridge, the program through Valparaiso University, provides us a few class trips throughout the semester. Our first trip was a weekend spent in London. We spent our days, seeing all the main sites of London including The Tower of London, West Minster Abbey, The House of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral and a play at Shakepseare’s Globe Theatre. We also got the chance to take a boat tour down the Thames to the markets of Greenwich. It was an incredible but exhausting weekend filled with minor obstacles. I feel like this weekend trip was essential to have in the first few weeks of arriving because we were able to test our travel endurance. We got to run from train to train in the underground, checking to see which one is the right one to take. Because of this amazing weekend, no matter how draining it was, I got an idea of what London is really like. I know there is so much more to London than what we originally saw, but now I feel confident enough to go into the city and get my way around the Underground.

Since that first trip to London, our group has began planning our future weekend breaks, making sure we have back up plans for any of our travels. It’s been a semester of ups and downs, dealing with the stresses of travel and homesickness. However in the past month I can say that all of the ups have made all the downs worth it. Cambridge has already became a 2nd home for everyone in our cohort and I can’t wait to see what else the semester has to bring!

-Emily

Scuba Dive Certification

October 6, 2015 / Emily Davis / 0 Comments

This past weekend, I got my scuba diving certification! YAY!! So let me tell you about the process…

A week ago at the pool they had an event called try and dive. I went to that and thought it was pretty cool so I decided to get my certification!

Side note: A lot of places in Cairns (The Great Barrier Reef area) I’ve heard have a beginner intro dive and then have a small dive after. So, some places you do not necessarily have to be certified because they have an intro course. Being a certified diver I can go on with a group, instructor, or just go dive with a buddy. Obviously, I can’t go without going to a shop since I do not have my own gear.

The scuba dive club spots filled up pretty fast, so I did not think that I would be able to get certified. I went on the wait list and was able to get in! Friday, the first day of the certification, I started at the pool where I learned skills with about a three other people for a good three hours. We learned skills such as how to deflate our BCD when descending and when ascending we deflate but inflate at the surface of the water. We learned how to take our masks off under water and how to get the water out of your mask if you are under water and it falls off. If we lose our regulator, we learned how to grab for it on the back right side, how to check our air, take our gear off and on in the water, we practiced using our buddy’s alternative regulator, and learned many other signals.

On Saturday we headed to Tweed River. We took few cars to the shop and got all our gear situated and headed to the river. We learned more skills on the two separate dives we had that day while also seeing and feeding fish on the dive. A few of us saw a shark that was hiding back in a cave, which was pretty cool. A third year (a senior), who leads the scuba club has a GoPro which is basically an underwater selfie stick that is high quality. So he took pictures of us on Saturday which was nice of him so we didn’t have to worry about taking photos. Between all the days we also had a few quizzes to take online and in the shop. On Sunday we had two more dives at Tweed River where we only had a couple skills left to do. Keeping in mind these days were long and tiring. The gear is heavy and it is hard to get in and out of the water. By Sunday everyone was really getting the hang of things! Unfortunately on Sunday my mouth piece was broken on my first dive so I had to come up a little early with my buddy but on the second dive I was good, I ended up using my alternative regulator.

One of the girls from the shop who has her masters in scuba diving was super nice to me. She knew how I felt on my first dive that day, she said she was a mess on her dives for her certification. She said our group was doing really well except for the fact that they thought they lost one guy on Saturday. Short story, pretty much the guy lost his buddy and came up and looked around for 5 minutes and then went back down to find his buddy. That is a big NO NO. You do not go back down in the water. The instructors almost had heart attacks because they thought they lost him. They gave him a pretty hard time and said that next time he needs to wait for an instructor to come up. On Sunday I made a boo boo though. I was changing my air tank and my tank fell over onto the girl instructor from the shop. She had been so nice to me and I felt so bad. Luckily, I do not think she broke it was just very sore. There I go, I’m always breaking things!! BEWARE! 🙁

It was a pretty tiring weekend but I took my written test on Sunday and passed! I’M NOW CERTIFIED!

I’m onto week 4 of classes. Workload is starting to increase a little more but other than that I’m loving it! Hoping to do some fun stuff Wednesday thru Friday, like a beach day or just explore around the Gold Coast. The public transportation is so cheap and hey the beach is FREE!

Going to Moreton Island this coming weekend. It’s an island off of Brisbane where I will camp with a group overnight Saturday to Sunday.

Talk to you all later! Love you much,

Emily

Somehow Already ⅓ Through the Semester!

October 4, 2015 / Micah T / 0 Comments

I have done a lot of traveling over the past week! Friday, September 25th was the start of our group portion of the trip that began in Leipzig. Over the next few days we saw several places related to the Luther and Bach class we are taking back in Reutlingen. Kennth’s blog will include all of the details of the group trip, but on Wednesday morning Mackenzie, Jordan, Kelsey, and I went to Prague. It really is a beautiful city and very cheap too. At the restaurants we ate at beer was actually cheaper than a Coke or water of the same size! Finally, on Saturday the three of us took a day trip to Oktoberfest in Munich which was definitely an unforgettable experience!

It was a great time touring the Wartburg Castle in Eisenach, where Martin Luther hid for a period of time during the Reformation.

Kellie enjoying the stunning views of the countryside from the castle.

Later that day, we all toured the Bachhaus Museum where we had an opportunity to listen to several of Bach’s compositions in cool hanging chairs!

Nick checking out the printing press at the Augustinian monastery where Martin Luther became a monk.

After the tour of the monastery most of the group (including Professor Hansen!) took a ride on the spinning pendulum ride at the Erfurt Oktoberfest. Everyone made it without getting sick!

While exploring Erfurt later in the day the group I was with came across this swingset on top of an old fortress. The views of the city and distant countryside were beautiful!

Jordan, Mackenzie, and Kelsey enjoying the Charles Bridge band in Prague.

Jordan, Mackenzie, and Kelsey enjoying the famous Charles Bridge Band in Prague.

Pamplona

This past weekend, I visited Pamplona with a friend. You may not know anything about Pamplona, but don’t worry! I would love to let you in on Pamplona’s famous sites and festivals. This city is most known for its Festival de San Fermin which is also known as The Running of the Bulls. (I bet now you are saying, “Oh, that city!”) This festival happens every year from July 7-July 14 in the small city of Pamplona which is to the northwest of Zaragoza. The Festival de San Fermin is one of Spain’s most known festivals and people from around the world come to see the craziness that is the Running of the Bulls. My friend and I only visited for the day because it is not a very big city, and one day is enough to get the feel of Pamplona and visit its well-known spots. When we first arrived in Pamplona, we started out at the beginning of the route that the bulls run, “ruta de encierro”. This famous tradition started out of pure necessity as it was the way of getting the bulls to the bullfight located in the Plaza de Toros. People from the city would lead the bulls to the bullring starting the tradition. Later, the tradition of having them run through the streets was banned but still happened every year because it was so popular and unique. Since then, the ban has been lifted because it was practically impossible from having this tradition stopped and the festival now brings many visitors to the city each year. The actual route that the bulls take is very short, only 825 meters. There is one point in the route where the bulls have to complete a 90° turn, the Curva de Estafeta, which is quite dangerous. The end of the route is the Plaza de Toros which is a huge bullring. We were not able to get inside, but judging from the outside, it is huge and historic. If I were ever to go to the Festival of San Fermin, I would try to watch from a balcony overlooking the route. I think that would be the only way to actually see everything safe and sound!

The Monument to the Encierro (Bull Run)

The Plaza de Toros

The bulls run on this street during the Fesitval de San Fermin

The Plaza de Toros

The Monument to the Encierro (Bull Run)

We were very surprised to encounter a festival while we were in Pamplona. After some research, I found out that it was called the Fiestas de San Fermin Txikito which took place Friday through Sunday. This festival included music, concerts, activities, and much more. We walked into (quite literally) the festival in the morning when there was a parade of the “gigantes y cabezudos”. “Gigantes y cabezudos”, popular in Spanish festivals and parades, are giants and big heads that are worn during festivals. They usually wear traditional clothing and commemorate historical and acclaimed people. It was interesting to see this and hear everyone singing while a parade of sorts was going on. We picked a good day to visit Pamplona!

The Camino de Santiago goes through Pamplona and the city has many hostels and hiking stores to accommodate those who walk the Camino. The Camino de Santiago (St. James Path) is the name given to the multiple routes to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. People that walk the route are called “peregrinos” or pilgrims and can choose how long they walk which usually varies from a week to a few months. Many people walk the Camino for spiritual growth and understanding. People have been walking to the shrine of St. James for centuries, and now, people from around the world take part in walking this route. Some routes of the Camino also lead people through Zaragoza next to the famous Basilica del Pilar. While in Pamplona, we walked part of the Camino which is always very well marked. The shell is the symbol of the Camino because shells are commonly found in Galicia, where the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is located. Peregrinos often find shell markers on the sidewalks that lead them along their walk.

A sign showing the pilgrims/peregrinos where to go

The Camino along the ancient city walls

A sign showing the pilgrims/peregrinos where to go

We also spent some time at The Cathedral of Santa Maria which is very gorgeous. We loved looking at all the beautiful chapels and alters. There is also a museum included in this cathedral called the Museo Diocesano. This was also petty interesting as it included a variety of religious relics.

La Ciudadela, another famous site in Pamplona, is an enormous park that is almost as big as the city center itself. It was constructed for military uses centuries ago, but now is a huge grassy area. The unique thing about this park is that it not just flat, but is constructed from many layers. It’s actually quite difficult to describe, and therefore I will let the pictures do most of the writing. This place was quite fun to walk around it. Oftentimes we could not figure out how to get to another level of the park. La Ciudadela is also a great place to rest and catch some sun in the middle of a day of walking.

I obviously did not take this, but it shows a great view of La Ciudadela. http://www.aireg.es/la-ciudadela-de-pamplona/

I did not expect to learn as much as I did in Pamplona! I you are ever in Spain, I suggest spending a day or two in Pamplona to walk the route the bulls run and explore this charming city!

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Side Note: If you follow world news, you probably heard about the Catalonia voting which occurred on Sunday (9/27). Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain that is home to Barcelona. Catalonia has been trying to become an independent nation and this voting for seats might propel this into action. My professor said basically that the Catalonian party for separation (Junts per Si) won seats in the parliament, but it is still a long process if they are able to get independence. I have found two articles about this topic here and here. I am by no means qualified to inform others about Spanish politics and I think these will help you understand this subject if it interests you.

Protecting the Planet

September 27, 2015 / kprahlow / 0 Comments

In class this past week, we learned about the environment and sustainable development. Costa Rica really is a beautiful country with lots to offer to its citizens and tourists alike.

The first exhibit in the National Museum is a butterfly house, which clearly highlights the nation’s desire to be seen as an eco-friendly, green, and natural country.

But Costa Rica is not all mountain and beach; it has its fair share of big cities…

…that come with their fair share of pollution. The picture above was taken in a park in downtown Heredia, and piles of trash like this one are not an uncommon sight.

So what do we do about it? This week, we learned about things we can do to help alleviate the environmental problems faced in both Costa Rica and the United States. Above, you see the compost pile at Casa Adobe, where we take some of our classes. Composting organic waste means that less material is going into landfills, and you end up with your own fertilizer, which also lessens the need for chemical fertilizers.

Growing your own produce (or raising your own chickens like they do at Casa Adobe) is a great way to make your life more sustainable. And if that’s not possible, try buying local items–you’ll be cutting down on the fuel required to transport products thousands of miles and stimulating the local economy at the same time. Costa Rica has a long way to go before they reach their goal of becoming carbon-neutral, but every little bit helps protect the planet!

Australia Video Part 1

September 26, 2015 / Emily Davis / 0 Comments

An Open Letter to my Homestay Families Abroad

September 24, 2015 / studyabroad / 0 Comments

To Ma Chanza, Mama Bene, Visau, Kali, Damien, Valvuca, !Othema, Watson, Mama Catherine, and all of the other individuals who lovingly opened their homes to a foreign stranger, to those who fed me (usually too much!), to he who took me driving late at night around the township, to those who waited up for me to come home, to she who taught me how to bake fat cakes in the sun, to the small boy who jumped into my bed at 6am ready to play, to those who were patient with my awkward nature and unintentionally offensive behavior: I owe you (another) big fat thank you.

The words “Xie xie,” “Vinaka vaka levu,” “Eio,” “Asante sana,” or “Tangi unene” do not express the immense gratitude I feel towards you for calling me daughter.

I loved how content each of you were. I loved that when the sky was clear, you were all together, running outside or relaxing under the shade of a tree. I loved that the land you live on is meant to be walked on with bare feet. I loved the boisterous sounds of the school children. I loved the fresh fruit – mangoes, bananas, avocadoes – best enjoyed in the company of others, fruit juice dripping down your forearms. I loved the fragrant frangipane you wove in your hair. I loved the fireworks you watched as a family after overindulging on dumplings.

I did NOT love the roosters’ early morning cock-a-doodle-doo’s, though I suppose nothing is perfect.

But above all else, the feeling that sticks with me in my heart of hearts, the lesson I’m continuing to unpack even years later is this: the tangible, thick sense of community that hung in every corner of your home, and the doors that were always open to company, including mine. This idea of togetherness transcended the borders that divided the families that welcomed me.

Studying abroad is for learning by pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. It’s for being exposed to different ways of living. It’s for challenging your notions of self, for questioning our own culture, for growing your compassion. Thank you for giving me that and more.

Peace,

Megan, “Meihua,” “Luvequ,” “Meggie”

>> I anticipated learning a lot while studying abroad – but severely underestimated how much I would learn while doing my homestay. From the quiet pleasure of sitting in silence with my family to effective techniques for hand washing my clothes, no experience during my semester abroad was as impactful, confusing, uncomfortable, rewarding, or insightful as the few weeks living with my homestay family.

I won’t say that a homestay is a cake walk. It’s tough. It’s awkward. You feel FOMO from your other friends in their homestays. You milk goats (seriously, goats). You ride in donkey carts in the high noon heat. You are forced to eat first while your family members sit idly by and watch. You sit on the floor all the time. You run out of things to say. There are bugs, rats, cats, donkeys, puppies, chickens laying eggs in your bed.
It ain’t always pretty, but I’ll be darned if it wasn’t entirely worth it. Trust me: you’ll know what I’m talking about when you have your first “Is this my life?” moment when your family (and heart) grows despite being thousands of miles away from Valpo.

The Pyrenees/Los Pirineos

September 23, 2015 / Bethany Weiss / 1 Comment

On Sunday, a group from the University had organized a day trip to El Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido in the Pyrenees Mountains (Los Pirineos) which is in the north part of Spain and borders France. This park has 22 different hiking routes and is the second largest national park in Spain. I quickly signed up for this opportunity to go on a hike and get out of the city! While I am learning to love the city, I needed a break from Zaragoza and have been eager to see the countryside and mountains which I had been told about before coming to Spain. For someone who has only ever lived in flatlands, this trip seemed like it would be a fun and memorable experience.
Our group of over 100 foreign students left at 9:00 am for Ordesa which is about 167 kilometers (103.7 miles) north of Zaragoza. After a few stops and wrong turns, we finally arrived to the start of our hike at 2 pm. It was a little scary looking out the window and seeing the steep cliffs below. The roads were narrow with bends, twists, and curves so we were happy to arrive and ready to start the hike.

The view from the bus

At a stop before the hike

The hike was 17 kilometers (10.56 miles) total and had an elevation gain of about 500 meters (1640 feet). A majority of the time, we were walking along a stream which included waterfalls occasionally. The hike started out pretty flat, but that ended soon enough. Every corner and turn during the hike seemed more beautiful than the last one. When we were done with 2/3 of the way to the final waterfall, we stopped to have lunch by the stream. Some friends and I ate while sitting on top of the rocks in the water allowing our feet to take a break and feel the cold water. The rest was much needed and a great chance to take in the serenity of the land. After that, we set off to get to our destination before turning around to leave. The last 1/3 of the trail to the final point was definitely my favorite. After hiking some steep trails, the trail opened up to a huge valley with greens, streams, and more waterfalls. The scene was quite different from what we had been seeing the rest of the hike. This valley was very open and vast.

Where we stopped for lunch

The open valley

With friends from Germany and Italy

I have read that Spain is a pretty popular destination for hikers, and now having a bit of experience, I can absolutely agree. The hiking websites and books will tell you this, but I suggest hiking in the fall or spring. We went hiking on September 20 and it was the perfect day. It was warm, but there was a cool breeze throughout the day which did not make it hot. Any earlier in the summer probably would have had me complaining about the heat and the sun.

Our final spot before turning around was a grand waterfall at the edge of the valley. Many hikers continued on past this point, but it was very steep and for more experienced hikers. After some time spent here, we headed back. The way back took much less time because it was downhill. We got back to the buses at 8:30 and left shortly after. We returned to Zaragoza at midnight which was pretty tiring (it’s all ok though, I took a four hour siesta [nap] the next day). I’m so thankful I was given the opportunity to go hiking in Spain! If you are ever in Spain, please consider hiking a trail as there are many different trails with varying length and difficulty.

The waterfalls were gorgeous!

The final waterfall

First Week of Classes, Broadbeach, & The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

September 23, 2015 / Emily Davis / 0 Comments

Hey all,

So Wednesday through Friday is probably when I am going to be posting most of my blogs posts. The reason for the end of the week is because in the beginning of the week I have classes and schoolwork. I will be posting once a week to keep you all updated.

This past week I had my first full week of classes. Well a full week as in my normal Monday thru Wednesday class schedule. Like I said in my last post I am enjoying my classes so far and they are pretty interesting. I am already learning a lot in my design communications class. We learn about terms and art in lecture and get use to photoshop in the tutorial. I’ve already picked up some basic tools in photoshop and cannot wait to learn more in the next 11 weeks!

Last week on Saturday I went to Broadbeach with my Australian friend Georgia. The beach was pretty rough so we mainly just walked the beach while we were there and hung out. Georgia got in the water but she said the waves were very strong. I just dipped my feet in. We then took the bus back to campus which was only like a 15-20 minute bus ride away.

This past Sunday I visited the The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. This trip was included in my program. So the bus picked us up at Bond and it took us like 15-20 minutes to get to there. The first thing most of the group did was get pictures with a koala. Wow, was that an experience! They were so cute!! They had one out that people were holding and taking pictures with but then they got a second one out. I do not understand how they pick which koala to bring out but they brought out the one that was sleeping. Maybe they think they are more calm. The koalas seem pretty laid back there though. All I know is that I got the one that they just woke up and it started pooping. The woman was showing me how to hold the koala ( you put your hands together as if you are going to lift someone in cheer) and it started pooping so before I held the koala I let go because it was pooping. The lady was said, “That’s what they do, they poop.” I knew that! It just wouldn’t stop pooping. Anyways she let me pet it on the back and then I held it. They are pretty soft but they are a tad smelly. They have this sour sort of smell to them that just lingers in the area which they live.

After visiting the Koalas I went with a couple girls and looked at snakes and lizards. I’m not a huge fan of snakes so I didn’t take many pictures of them plus it was dark in that area. Side note, there are lizards everywhere which is kind of cool. After that we hopped on the train which can take people to many different stops. We got off at the third stop which was were the kangaroos were. MY FAVORITE! They were all just chilling in the grass when we got off the train. I saw some hopping but most of them were pretty mellow. So we got some pictures and selfies with them. They are soft and just the cutest creatures ever! We also ended up going in an area where they had more kangaroos it said they were red kangaroos. There was a cute little joey we got to see and one of the workers said it was about 8 months old. We also saw some other animals, even wombats! I’ll put some pictures below of them. Lastly we watched an aboriginal show which was cool. They performed a few dances and played the didgeridoo (most likely the world’s oldest instrument).

KANGAROO SELFIE!

JOEY 🙂

Talk to you soon,

Emily

Relaxing for a Weekend

September 21, 2015 / kprahlow / 0 Comments

We have completed three weeks of Spanish classes at the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica! To relax after these intense classes, we took a weekend trip to the cloud forest in Savegre.

The land there was absolutely beautiful, and it was a nice change of pace from the city.

We went with high school students from Sola Fe Lutheran Church, where our professors serve as pastor and music director.

It rains a lot in the cloud forest, so we passed the time by playing cards, which is quite the experience when only one person in the group is completely bilingual.

Getting to know each other was a great experience for all of us, and we had a lot of fun riding horses, bird watching, fishing, and playing soccer together.

Savegre is a beautiful place, but the people we shared it with made it even more beautiful!

Student Stories from Around the World