This video captured the NGO internship experiences of 10 WWU students at the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, RPC from April 18, 2017 to April 25th, 2017.
Author: wwuedabroad
Tanzania: Post Program Reflection: “Postcards From Africa” by Tara J. Quattrone
http://taraspostcards.blogspot.com/
Postcards From Africa
I have now been home from Tanzania for a few weeks. It’s interesting writing this now because it feels as though this program was now months ago, although it hasn’t been very long.
South Africa: “What has Two Thumbs and Stomach Flu in the Airport?” by Daria Gausman
What has two thumbs and stomach flu in the airport?
That’s right. Me. Welcome to international traveling?? TMI warning for this post – it’s going to get gross and I’m going to question why I’m even putting this on the internet. If you don’t want to read about my sick day then read the next paragraph about my little excursion in Germany, then stop and know that I am alive, I am ok, and the worst seems to be over. For the rest of you who like gross stories, are secretly upset with me and want to read about my misery, or are simply too curious to turn back now, here goes. (Sorry in advance for typos and such. I get comma happy sometimes and I didn’t have much time for editing this one)
South Africa: Pre-Departure: “It’s Finally Time” by Daria Gausman
Costa Rica: Pre-Departure: “Departure Anticipation” by Savannah Daniels
https://wp.wwu.edu/puravidadaniels/
Departure Anticipation!
Here are some things I’ve been thinking about:
- What do you hope to gain and how much research have you done on your host country and culture that will better prepare you for this experience?
- I hope to gain many things, mostly knowledge of Costa Rican historical impacts, the social dynamics of the Costa Rican people and a deep appreciation for Costa Rican Culture! I have done an immense amount of research in several areas surrounding Costa Rican life, food, historical context and current legislation. I know that this research is not the entirety of the country, as well as surrounding countries.
- What are you most excited about? What are you most scared or nervous about?
- I’m most excited about the food, language, and people. Specifically, I am very excited about Afro-Latinx communities in Costa Rica. I know that within Costa Rican culture there are different segments of the culture that vary between populations, and I intend on learning about this differences. I’m also nervous about the entire experience! An excited, joyful nervousness, but nervousness none-the-less.
- What strategies have you implemented that will allow you to overcome these challenges and take full advantage of your opportunities?
- Since I have completed so much research on Costa Rica, I have a better basis of comfort for myself. Things like gestures, cultural norms, slang, and social disparities are all things in the back of my head to the coming experience. These researched areas will not overshadow my interactions but they will give me a little more confidence with social interactions.
Denmark: Arrival: “Summer in Copenhagen” by Megan Dale
I have now been in Copenhagen for about 2 ½ days now and I have never felt so comfortable in a new place so fast. The Danes have been so welcoming (in there own, uniquely Danish way, but I’ll get to that later). I have been so astounded by everything around me. I have never even been to Europe so this is all so new. I’ve already done so much and eaten so much good food (like the hotdog from a street cart pictured here that I was told was a MUST and it definitely was).
South Korea: Post Program Reflection: “Now that I’m Home” by Allison Ogle
Germany: Arrival: “Week 1” by Joyia Squires
France: Pre-Departure: “The Start of Something Great” by Sebastian Zgirski
https://sebiontheworld.wordpress.com/2017/05/30/the-start-of-something-great/
Hello!!! Thank you so much for deciding to read this blog, it means the world to me! As I finish up my spring quarter here at Western Washington University, I find myself extremely excited for the journey I’m about to undertake. This summer I will finally be fulfilling one of my childhood dreams of going to France. I will be studying abroad in Lyon, France, for 4 and a half weeks earning credit for my French minor and traveling as much as possible. After the end of my program, I intend to travel for a bit and make my way to Poland where I will visit family and an old childhood friend for a few weeks, and then finally head back to the States. This will leave me with about 2 months in Europe.
Denmark: Pre-Departure: “June in Copenhagen” by Megan Dale
https://juneincopenhagen.tumblr.com/
One week from tomorrow I am driving up to Vancouver, BC to catch a flight early the next morning to Copenhagen, Denmark. WOW! To see this all come together has been so surreal to me. It still doesn’t feel real. I’m pretty sure it won’t feel real until I am sitting on that plane. Maybe not even until I touchdown in Copenhagen (honestly though, maybe not even then).
Germany: Pre-Departure: “In Preparation” by Joyia Squires
Spain: Vlog: A Year in Seville, Spain by Leah Sharaby
This post comes to us from student blogger in Seville, Leah Sharaby. Leah is a linguistics major from Western Washington University. She was in Seville for the academic year and captured one second each day from the whole year abroad. The video below is a compilation of those little moments:
England: Post Program Reflection: “Hello From the Other Side” by Mikayla Lawrence
Asia: “How I Planned for Travel Outside my Program” by Rachelle Spencer
One of the best things my grandfather ever had me do was make a budget sheet for my study abroad program to Japan. I knew when I studied abroad that I definitely wanted to see other parts of the country because at the time I didn’t know when or if I would have the chance to go back. However, I am also a very spontaneous person and I don’t often plan things out beforehand. So when my grandfather first told me about his conditional contribution to my cause, my first reaction was “Ugh, what a pain!”
South Korea: End of Program: “I’m Almost Home” by Allison Ogle
I think that in coming home, I might experience a bit of reverse culture shock. I feel that I have grown a lot as a person and as a teacher. One thing that will be interesting to readjust to will be eating all of my meals with a fork instead chopsticks and a spoon. I’m not overly concerned about reverse culture shock as I have maintained connections with my family and friends back home but I will have to wait and see how or if reverse culture shock will really affect me and to what degree. I’m hoping that this blog as well as the reflections that I kept during my teaching will support me in both sharing my experiences and transitioning back into my home culture. I also took many pictures to document my daily life so that I can share this experience with both my family and my friends.
In order to keep my study abroad experience as a key factor in my life, I hope to continue to foster the relationships that I have developed here both in professional relationships I have made in the school and the more personal relationships that I have maintained with family of my friends in the United States. I also hope that in the next 5-10 years I can return to Korea and teach again. There are many programs to facilitate this within Korea. I think that it would be a great way to continue to grow as both an educator and as a person. I also hope to continue to develop my Korean language skill. I am able to read Hangul (written Korean) and I can understand a small amount of what I read. I can also understand more that is said to me particularly in regards to food but I am not particularly skilled at speaking or writing Korean. My productive skills are lacking but I would hope that by the time that I might return to Korea my skills would improve a bit! I also plan to find ways to incorporate what I have learned particularly about English language learners in my school into my own future classroom and to use that knowledge to better my skill as a teacher.
South Korea: End of Program: “Things I Do and Will Miss” Allison Ogle
Korea and the United states have several things in common but there are a lot of things that are different. There are things I can get and do in the United States that I cannot get or do here as well, there are things I can get and do here that I cannot get or do easily in the United States.
Tanzania: End of Program: Tara J Quattrone
End of Program
Looking at the calendar I see almost four months that have passed by, and only 5 days left in my program. It’s hard to remember how it felt when I first got here. I have watched the land turn from sunny dusty days, into a rainy green land. Part of me never wants to leave, although part of me is so ready to go. I miss being in the United States, I miss my life there, and all the people! I miss the food so much!! I can’t wait to go to a restaurant and get whatever food I want, and go home and eat cereal! I miss rock climbing, hiking and the nature of the Pacific North West. I miss my freedom to make my day into whatever I want it to be, along with the freedom of my car and the ability to walk wherever I want. I miss my friends and family.
England: End of Program: “Just Hold On, We’re Going Home,” by Mikayla Lawrence
One week left. I knew it would fly by, but why didn’t anyone tell me just how quickly? I’m just now getting really acquainted with my life in London, and now I have to say goodbye to it. But, no matter how sad I am, and how weird it will be to return home, I can’t deny that I’m looking forward to the moment I land in Seattle. I miss my family and friends, and the familiarity of my hometown, and the way I can guilelessly watch TV in my living room without feeling like I should be out doing something. God, I miss The Bachelor.
South Korea: Mid Program: “My Neighborhood and a Day in My Life” by Allison Ogle
My Neighborhood and a Day in My Life
4/11/2017
In Korea, there is a large population and very little space. This means that there are many apartment complexes with many floors. I live in a small apartment complex and I am on the third floor in this walk-up. My apartment building is one of many in the neighborhood that are all sandwiched together. The streets are also quite small. They can fit about one car! I’m also quite close to a subway station. I am probably a 1 minute walk away from the subway! Overall, my neighborhood is pretty quiet and very chill, even though we are very close to a busy main street.
South Korea: Post Program: “A Year Later” by Taiya Brown
A Year Later
I often look at my Facebook feed and can’t believe that it’s been over a year since I first arrived in Seoul. It feels like only yesterday that I took hundreds of pictures with my new and adventurous friends. I often feel like it was a dream because the whole experience was surreal, and the only thing that reminds me that it really happened is the fact that I’m still paying for it a year later (that and all the pictures). Thinking about going back makes me feel nervous all over again for the same things I was nervous for in the first place, but then I have to just laugh at myself because nothing was ever as big of a barrier as I expected it to be. I thought the language barrier would be scary, and if anything it’s nice not knowing what everyone is talking about all the time. I miss the experiences I had in Korea and I miss being able to experience something new every day.