Arrival: Host Country & Cultural Immersion

Arrival: Getting to Know San José, Costa Rica, By Anna Hedrick

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Arrival: Getting to Know San José

Anna

Tues. Jan. 9, 2024 — Today was my second day of class and my fourth day of being in Costa Rica! Everything is very new and I’m liking San José so far. My favorite aspects about San José are the historical sites, the weather, and the food options.

There are many sites to visit, including El Teatro Nacional (The National Theater – see photo below), which is an elegant, revered building that hosts plays, classical concerts, dance, and other major events. It was built in 1897, and architecturally reflects the lavish, neoclassical style of the 19th century. On my tour, we didn’t stay for long and saw only the lobby (see photo of statue below). I hope to return!

Also, the weather has been wonderful, since Costa Rica is located near the equator and is experiencing summer. It’s been a relief to escape the wind, rain and cold of Bellingham, and soak up the sun in Costa Rica. The humidity isn’t too bad either, as I originally thought. Temperatures and humidity may increase in coming months, though. I’m excited to develop my tan and break out my shorts! Some locals wear shorts, but it’s more common to see pants and nicer attire.

In addition, I’ve been enjoying the home cooked meals from my host mom (Mamá Tica) for breakfast and dinner. Lately, she’s made refried-bean stuffed empanadas, spinach omelettes wrapped in warm tortillas, yuca, and gallo pinto – a traditional Costa Rican dish of beans and rice. Mamá Tica is so sweet! I can’t wait to try some of the local restaurants too, and probably avoid the U.S. chains like KFC and McDonald’s. There’s a surprising amount of U.S. consumerism everywhere that I want to escape.

Everyday, I have a Spanish class from 9am-12noon at the University Veritas. This first week is just for international (study abroad) students, and next week, the local students officially start their semester with us. My Spanish class has only 7 people, and we’re squished into a tiny room on the second floor. The university is like a labyrinth with its confusing room numbers. Take this number for example: “225”. Unlike in the U.S. and other places, “225” does not mean the room is located on the second floor. The first number denotes the “zone”, the second number indicates the floor level, and the third number is the specific classroom number. On the first day of school, it took me a long time to find the classroom 229, because it was in an entirely different area than I thought. I went to the second floor and saw only classrooms in the 100-level, and had to ask someone for directions (in Spanish). Luckily, someone pointed me to a separate wing of the university, where zone 2 is situated. I’ll get the hang of it!

In terms of student life, I look forward to joining the tropical dance classes and cooking classes! They start next week. Also, University Veritas is an art and design school. Unfortunately, I cannot take more classes due to the structure of my program, but maybe there is a club I partake in. I’ve made several friends from different host universities across the U.S., so I’m building a community. I’m excited to meet local students in the coming months.

As mentioned earlier, one culture shock is how difficult it is to navigate the city. In Costa Rica, the streets are not labeled well and small signs that say “Avenue 32” for example, are plastered to the exterior walls of houses. Google Maps and Apple Maps are not very accurate, either. There have been multiple times when I’ve turned down the wrong street and headed in the wrong direction. Locals usually give directions using landmarks and the distance of how long it will take to commute from one reference point to another. My homestay is located in a neighborhood close to the university, and it took me a few days to learn the route, simply by memorizing the turns and reference points, and learning to cross the street (see earlier post for that explanation).

I did as much research as I could about the transportation in Costa Rica, and I knew before arriving that navigation might be a struggle. One can prepare and research for a trip, but first-hand experience is the best teacher. I’m trying to be patient with myself, because I’m in a new city and doing my best to adjust to these changes. It’s comforting to know that I’m well-supported by my program’s staff, as well and other students who are going through the same things. I’m lucky and grateful to be here! Tomorrow is a new day!

Host Country and Cultural Immersion – Study Abroad in South Korea, By Natalie Dacey

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Posted by Daceyn, March 4th, 2024

What are your favorite things about your host location thus far?

It’s hard to say what my favorite things are, but it can be summed up with this: South Korea has been brilliant!!

The natural scenery is beautiful, particularly the bamboo forest that I visited. Coming from Washington, I love views of nature and walking through the trees. Seeing a bamboo forest was on my list of things to do while in the country and I am so glad that I got to see one!! The city views shouldn’t be forgotten since once you get up high enough—like at Namsan Tower or Jeonil Building 245—looking out over the other buildings is very beautiful.

Other things that I’ve quite liked is having the opportunity to try different foods that I probably wouldn’t have been able to try in the US. As a somewhat picky eater, I usually don’t choose meals that I’m unfamiliar with, but being in a country that has such different meals, it forced me to step outside of my comfort zone and I have enjoyed most of what I’ve tried.

Tell us about the university, academic experience, the classes, student life, and clubs or activities you are involved with? How are the locals, are there any differences or similarities that have surprised you based on your expectations?

University is both similar and different than university in the US. There were a lot of little things that I didn’t expect to be different and that I had to adjust to. For example, classes in the US are the same amount of time regardless of what day of the week they are (i.e. a history class that goes from 10:00am to 12:00pm on Mondays will also go from 10:00am to 12:00pm on Wednesdays and Fridays too). At my host university however, the history class may run for two hours on Mondays but be only an hour for Wednesdays and Fridays. The times that classes are held is also rather different. Classes are listed in 50min blocks (MWF) and 75min blocks (TTH) and are numbered for each block. So, the history class would be Mon. 2 and 3, and Wed. + Fri. 2 as classes start at 9:00am. This was very confusing.

The locals are lovely and clearly understand that, as a foreigner, I don’t always understand what someone is saying or that they may need to repeat what they said. Oftentimes, they will know a few words in English relevant to their job and are able to tell you what they are asking. They also have no issue communicating through an app as they are very understanding since my host university has many international students.

Did you experience culture shock when you arrived in your host country? How did your expectations about your experience compare with the reality of your day-to-day life? Is there anything you wish you would have done or researched more to better prepare you for your experience?

Culture shock is given, regardless of the amount of research a person. There were so many little things that surprised me (like the aforementioned class things) that it took some time to get settled in despite what I already knew about. I kept my expectations realistic, especially for a country that is often sensationalized and seen to be as perfect, so my experience so far has mostly been what I expected except for the little things.

Life in Another Country: Settling in Japan, by Jade Harding

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By: Jade Harding

High rise buildings, walls of people, events for every season, massive gardens and surprisingly quaint parks; anything you have the will to look for.

Shinjuku image city tokyo cat

Settling-in

For a refresher: I studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan for half a year via an exchange program. There are a multitude of ways to study abroad and even more places to go, but I hope that by describing my time abroad, I can provide some expectations to people who are considering the same path. This is the post for anyone who wants an example of what studying abroad was actually like for someone who went to Tokyo.

I am generally a pretty quiet person, and if left to my own devices I’ll just stay home. I wanted to make my time in Japan a little different, using it as an opportunity to grow. A lot of people have some goals for their time abroad, and aside from academics I had two: exploration, and actually talking to people, which were especially important while settling in. 

Getting out there and exploring the city was a neverending font of fulfilling activities. Quick tip, if you expect to be doing some exploration and don’t have a portable power bank to charge your phone with, I recommend getting one. I didn’t until after arriving, but it saved me on multiple occasions. I was lucky enough to land in an incredibly walkable city with widespread access to public transport that is easy to learn and use, but spending a long time away from the house is bad for battery. It’s difficult to express the dynamic of the sheer density of Tokyo with its surprisingly tight scale, or at least that’s how it felt to me, an American used to having plenty of wide open space. You have access to just about anything you could want within an hour or two by train, or if you want to see the sights, a few hours by foot. Both are great! That is exactly how I spent my weekends, particularly in the early days of my program, getting a grasp of what the city is actually like by going to new places, from touristy spots like Asakusa or Ginza, quieter neighborhoods like Sangenjaya, or areas lively with locals like Kichijoji.

Inokashira Park

How did you get around?

It’s worth checking into the quality of public transport at your destination, or whether your program provides any transportation. An easy way to gauge the public transport is to find a bunch of places nearby you want to go to, and look into the travel time to get there using the different options available. In the case of my program, exchange students had the option to rent a bicycle, though I would say that you don’t need one given the walkability of the city. Whatever options there are, learn them and make full use to explore new places. That’s a big part of studying abroad, after all.

Finding opportunities to use Japanese

The other goal of actually talking to people had a lot to do with my study abroad location being a non-English speaking country. I won’t say that going straight abroad is the best way to learn a language from scratch, but if you go in with a strong foundation, it is easily the quickest way to increase your vocabulary and confidence with speaking. But, in order to do that, you have to actually interact with people (and things) in the language, without sticking inside a bubble of exchange students, and preferably without relying on English as a crutch—a language I assume you know if you are reading this. A quick way to find local students is to join a club. I did, and that was one of my best opportunities to interact with them outside of, say, structured events arranged for exchange students. Some programs may also put you into homestays, or, as my program did, a dorm that’s shared between exchange students and locals. That was an opportunity to see people every day and interact with them, and also helped get me out of my bubble.

Do I actually need to know Japanese?

As a tourist, you can get by in Japan with English alone. But, as a resident, especially for a longer period, you will have a tough time without speaking the native tongue. For this reason, a lot of longer programs will require a basic level of language ability, but bear in mind that textbook learning is different from the real thing.  I studied Japanese for about four years before my abroad program, and it benefitted me immensely. You do not need to be fluent in a language to study abroad, but the more you know, the more you can make use of it to make the time you spend abroad more effective. And if you are still relatively new to learning the language, adjust your expectations–don’t go in with the expectation of walking away fluent, just try to understand as much as you can and see how far you go.

Personally, being able to interact freely with locals, go out on my own with confidence that I could find my way or do what I wanted without needing help, and use that as an opportunity to strengthen my skills further was incredibly beneficial. 

Next time, I’ll talk about what changed as I continued with my program.

Settling in: host location, classes, and immersion – Prague, by McKenzie Harris

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McKenzie Harris: September 28th, 2023

After being here for almost four weeks, it sometimes feels like I have my neighborhood figured out. But I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of Prague and its mazes of streets. I’m excited to get to know the layout of the city and its activities better as the months go on. From what I’ve seen and explored so far, Prague never disappoints. From underground karaoke in an Irish pub, to the Mucha Museum, to Charles Bridge, every new experience sits glowing in my memories. And there’s always something more to do—to the point where the number of options and plans can actually be sort of stressful (more on that later). I’ve never lived in a big city, so the vibrant and constant energy here is new and fun for me to experience. To be fair, I think the frenetic pace of studying-abroad university students is probably not an accurate representation of all city life. For example, in my neighborhood, I’ll see parents bringing their kids to school or people walking their dogs and it reminds me that most of the people here are just living quiet lives with their families, just like anywhere else.

Since this is technically one of my official “arrival” posts for the travel writing program, I’ll summarize my experience so far with academics, students, extracurriculars, and getting settled into my life here.

^The view from my perch on the upper floor of the Prague Municipal Library^

Academics:

So far, my classes have been quite a lot of work. Home at Western, I’m used to having several classes made up of lectures, readings, and/or discussions, with an occasional exam or essay. Maybe once or less per quarter, I’d have a project or presentation. Here, however, all of my classes are largely project and presentation-based. Since projects are more work than writing for me, and I find presentations stressful, these classes will be a bigger burden than I’m used to in college. Before coming here, I promised myself that I would not let academics control my time here, because for once I’m in a position where I have more important things to do (experience a new city and culture, etc). I realized a few days ago, after a few weeks of diligently doing all of my optional readings and assignments, that I’ve neglected that goal. So I’ve decided to start doing the absolute bare minimum for my classes while still completing all of my graded assignments. (Sorry for any teachers or academic advisors at WWU who might be reading this). I don’t view this as me being careless or lazy; it’s just me straightening out my priorities a bit.

Another subject related to my academics here is that I like University of New York in Prague, but I should have done more research on the school before deciding on this program. One of the main reasons for me to study abroad was to experience my chosen subjects of study in a globally-minded way—to get a new perspective on psychology and environmental studies outside of the American education system. Unfortunately, UNYP is (as you can guess from the name) an American-style school, and I feel like I’m lacking the chance to learn from a European point of view. So for any prospective WWU EdAbroad students reading these blogs to help plan your trip, I highly recommend that you pay attention to the programs’ host schools in addition to the host city.

^From a recent daytrip to Kutna Hora–the St. Barbara’s Cathedral^

Activities outside of school:

In addition to socializing and exploring the city on my own time, I’ve been able to join a few extracurriculars which have added to my experiences here. My music psychology professor recently invited me to join a choir that he directs at a local school. We’ll be learning some Christmas carols to perform at a Christmas concert in December! This was so exciting for me because I’ve been missing music since I’ve been here.

UNYP also has an international friends club, which organizes events where study abroad students can meet locals and do fun things around town. My flatmates and I joined this club and have enjoyed their outings so far.

How I’ve been managing my time:

I’ve been trying to balance my priorities but it’s been a little difficult. One reason is that there’s a very tricky balance between making my experience here as full as possible, and making time for my mental health and rest. When in a city full of options (as I mentioned earlier), it can make me feel guilty to spend time resting at my apartment or doing homework. But I know that I need a lot of rest and quiet time as a person, and if I fill my days too intensely at the beginning of my trip, I might burn out and make myself stressed and sad later. So I’m trying to know when I should make extra plans and when I should take time to stay home. I haven’t really figured it out yet.

The other reason it’s difficult to decide on my plans is that I often find myself choosing between doing something I don’t feel like doing or alienating myself from my friends here. There’s a lot of social politics involved with missing group outings! So I’m working on knowing when to independently do what I want vs. when to do something I hadn’t planned to do for the sake of socializing. It’s hard to explain, but it’s been bothering me lately and I hope to resolve the issue eventually.

Overall, I’ve been really enjoying my time here, and I’ve made so many memories already that I can only look forward to all the ones I’ll make in the coming weeks.

^also from Kutna Hora–the statue walkway on top of the hill^

Arrival: Czech Republic: “I speak English like it’s my second language (and other post-arrival realizations)” by McKenzie Harris

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As of today, I’m officially two weeks into my stay here in Prague.

St. Nicholas Church in Hradcany

The last 14 days have been a whirlwind of new people and near-constant activity planning, mixed with hot afternoons where I melt into my bed and cease to exist for a few hours. I just got here, but I’ve also been here forever. Do you know that feeling?

As I’ve been adjusting to living here, I’ve noticed little things here and there about myself and about traveling/living in another country, so I thought I’d write some of them down in this blog. In the coming weeks, I’ll do a more specific description of my life here and how it compares to my plans and expectations, but for now, here are some of my first realizations.

^my phone’s best attempt at a nighttime picture of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle^

I speak English like it’s my second language.

I’ve gotten to talk to many non-native English speakers here, and I find it so interesting to listen to how they talk. While listening, though, I’ve gotten this feeling that I talk exactly like they do most of the time. I feel like it takes me a very long time to search for the right words to say, and I tend to pause a lot before speaking. I have no explanation, being a native English speaker, unlike my peers who are translating many languages in their heads. Maybe translating thoughts/feelings into words is a comparable task sometimes.

There’s something comforting about a warehouse full of unbridled consumerism…

After a week of shopping in cute neighborhood markets with unique and limited supplies, I can’t deny that I felt some relief stepping into a giant, impersonal, and commercialized chain store (Tesco). This was an unsettling realization because up until this trip, I thought myself immune to some of the basic American stereotypes, but here I was in week one wishing for the comfort of Target or Costco! I think I’m very used to only needing to shop in one place, and then not needing to shop for weeks because I could buy things in bulk. It’s a little awkward not knowing where to find things and knowing I’ll run out of things quickly. An unexpected adjustment for me will be learning how to shop in a way that better suits the norms here in Europe.

^St. Nicholas Church in Old Town Square^

If I had done this a year ago, I wouldn’t have been as homesick.

I’m very happy to be here, but I still feel very closely tied to my friends and family and home in America. It’s been a weight that I didn’t actually consider much when I first started planning this trip last year. I could explain it by saying that in the planning stages, I wouldn’t have accounted for homesickness because leaving was so far in the future. But I think another explanation is that I really wouldn’t have been as homesick a year ago. During the past year, I’ve become closer with my best friends and my boyfriend, and spent less time in my hometown than I wanted. I think the unexpected homesickness I feel is a product of having more things to love and miss than I planned. I’m looking forward to building familiarity here in Prague and hopefully loving it enough to miss it a lot when I leave!

The culture here is not just “Czech”.

I noticed this most clearly when I was walking through Vinohrady during a Mexican street market festival, eating a sushi burger (pictured above). I reminded myself that like any big city, Prague is a melting pot of many vibrant cultures and ethnicities. I’m so lucky to get to experience not only Czech culture (like trying svíčková for the first time, pictured above) but many of the subcultures of Prague as well.

^the view of Prague from an arrow slit in the wall of Prague Castle^

I’m not a tourist, but I’m not a resident either.

What am I then? I’m not sure, because it seems like studying abroad is such a specific and unique middle-ground between being a local and a visitor. I don’t have enough time to make this a home, but I’m not rushed for time. I still can’t speak the language, but I belong more than a tourist. I’m personally very excited to explore this transient but long-term experience, and I’m curious to see how I identify myself among tourists and residents as the months go on.

A few days ago, I was on a walk and came across two European tourists who asked me if I could help them with a few questions. They said they had arrived here two hours ago, and were curious about how to say “cheers” in czech, where to go clubbing, and where to find ATMs. I excitedly told them how to say cheers because I shockingly knew the answer (“na zdraví”). I only knew one club by name and didn’t know where the closest ATM was, but I told them there were many options in Old Town and recommended google maps for both.

After wishing them luck and walking away, I felt so proud of my somewhat unhelpful advice, and it reminded me of this one specific scene from The Great Gatsby:

“It was lonely for a day or so until one morning some man, more recently arrived than I, stopped me on the road. “How do you get to West Egg village?” he asked helplessly. I told him. And as I walked on I was lonely no longer. I was a guide, a pathfinder, an original settler. He had casually conferred on me the freedom of the neighborhood.”

I feel like that quote sums up my experience here pretty well, sarcasm and all.

(I’ve added many more pictures to my pictures section of the website, so I’m not putting a bunch at the end of this post like I did for the previous one)

Arrival: Czech Republic “The chronicles of traveling for 24 hours, and my first few jet-lagged days!” by McKenzie Harris

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Prague – Unsplash @ceye2eye

The chronicles of traveling for 24 hours, and my first few jet-lagged days!

At 4 am, bright (not) and early Saturday morning, my parents dropped me off at my hometown’s airport. By 7 am, I had landed in Seattle, where I settled in for a 7-hour layover. During my time haunting the airport, I practiced my Czech flashcards, watched Once Upon a Time, got food, started a new book, and generally wandered. The hours passed surprisingly quickly, probably because I was in a half-asleep fog the entire time.


The near sunrise of my early morning flight to Seattle.

My next flight was the longest leg of the journey, a 9ish hour flight to Paris. I knew it was important to sleep on this flight because I would be up for many hours after, which is probably why I couldn’t sleep a wink the entire time; murphy’s law and all that. Despite not really sleeping, I did spend most of the flight resting. Once I had landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport, I had an extremely tight layover that made the hour between landing and leaving for Prague very stressful. Thankfully, the airport seemed very well-organized and I made no wrong turns on my way to my connecting flight. I rushed through halls, up and down escalators, and bore the unbearable slowness of each line, without time for the bathroom or a single mistake, until finally I reached my gate. At the point I arrived, they had called all groups to board the plane. Once I was finally in my seat, sweaty and gross, my hands sort of shaking, it took basically the whole 2 hr flight to Prague for me to calm down. I was very excited to have made my flight on time, though. Seeing Europe below me, and the first glimpses of Prague (pictured below) also made me feel better.

At 11 am Europe time, which was 2 am to my body, I landed in Prague. This marked hour 23 of traveling (counting from when I woke up the morning before), but I wasn’t really letting myself be tired, because I still had one more leg of the journey to go and I couldn’t afford to stop functioning after I made it so far! I left my plane and stopped by the bathroom, where someone spoke to me in Czech for the first time. A woman told me thank you (“děkuju”) for holding the door, and it happened so fast I couldn’t say “není zač” in return, but it was exciting nonetheless.

Before continuing to the exit, I took a moment to get all of my immigration paperwork together because I assumed the Czech customs would be strict. These documents were my passport/visa, proof of my purpose of stay (acceptance letter), proof of accommodation, plane tickets home, and even proof of financial support. As it turned out, I didn’t need any of them; I walked straight to baggage claim and out of the airport. That was a little hard to wrap my head around, because up until that last checkpoint, I think part of me was still worried that something would go wrong and they wouldn’t let me in. I was met at the exit by a UNYP student shepherding a group of 7 new arrivals like me, who had flown in from the East US coast, South Korea, and more. We were shuttled to our apartments in small groups. I’ve since gotten to know all of these people at orientation and 2 of them coincidentally are also my flatmates! The group of visiting students is quite small (around 100), so it’s been nice to see the same people every day and build familiarity.

For the rest of my first day in Prague, I slooooowly unpacked my suitcases and decorated my side of the room, in between eating, a small shopping trip, and a walk to our school with my flatmates. In general, I was going through the motions in a sleep-deprived fog. It took me until the next morning to feel fully excited about being here.

The front steps of my host school.

Today was day 2 (“dva”) of orientation and day 3 (“tři”) of my trip. In the last 2 days, I’ve met many interesting and friendly fellow visiting students. I’ve also enjoyed some sightseeing with my 5 flatmates and other new friends. One of the most exciting things about this trip so far is that our apartment and school are located within walking distance of Prague’s most famous areas. In our walk to T-mobile to get sim cards, for example, we walked through Wenceslas Square and all the way into Old Town. While we were there, we walked a little further to pop by Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock—as if it was just a normal walk around the neighborhood! I’ve been in such awe over the beauty and architecture of the city, and it feels so fulfilling to see all of these famous things I’ve researched and seen pictures of.

I’ve definitely had moments where I’ve been homesick, felt tired and dizzy, or gotten overwhelmed at the prospect of 4 long months before me. But I brought many little reminders of home with me, and I hope I will eventually develop routines and familiarity that make Prague into a home as well.

Below are some pictures from my neighborhood, Vinohrady, a picture from a walk with my orientation group, and a video from Old Town Square. I have no pictures of the most famous things yet, because so far I’ve only walked through them without my nice camera. I also apologize for the poor picture quality—I don’t know how to upload pictures to WordPress without them turning grainy 🙁

Arrival – “Host Country & Cultural Immersion in Barcelona” By Brandon Beyler

Anna Sutherland

What are your favorite things about your host location thus far?


During my preliminary time in my host country, I have enjoyed Barcelona thoroughly; the city has much to offer in ways of socialization, culture, architecture, food, and nature and it makes for a fantastic whole. Foremost, I really like the beaches, and I seriously felt the energy of the Mediterranean atmosphere both in architecture, ambiance, and people while spending time near beach areas.

Read more: Arrival – “Host Country & Cultural Immersion in Barcelona” By Brandon Beyler

I was surprised by how much daytime and late-night activity there was considering it is nearing the end of tourist and the summer season. I also have liked the food; Paella was very interesting, and although It wasn’t my favorite food ever I could see myself liking it with more consumption, but tapas were fantastic and unique and live up to their international recognition and praise. I was also very happy with the sandwiches I have had in Barcelona, not only are they very cheap but they are of great quality and were delicious.

People are very nice here and were patient with my intermediate Spanish skills and lack of knowledge about the city. Also, I have liked my host family, it is a single lady, but she has been very nice, she makes great Spanish food for me and it has been very interesting and educational to chat with her, both learning about Barcelonan life and bettering my Spanish speaking abilities. One thing I really like about the homestay is that it is nice to feel like I’m truly living in Barcelona, like going to the nearby supermarkets, restaurants, and shops and using my Spanish-speaking skills to order and make conversation with locals.

I also really enjoyed the festival, La Merced, I went to in Barcelona. Holidays are serious in Barcelona as evidenced by the screen number of people at the events and in this, I thoroughly appreciated absorbing the sights and sounds of the parade, events, and resulting culture. It was sort of difficult to see the festivities due to the great number of people at the event along with the skinny streets of the old part of Barcelona (Gothic Quarter, where this part of the event was) many of which were closed off making it confusing for yearning onlookers. But upon seeing the parade and part of the human tower event it was surely worth the crowds and directional confusion because I got to see some of the most unique pieces of art and creations that I have ever seen in a procession. Much of the parade was characterized by the often strange looking Barcelonan heads and figures wearing Catalonian attire which was quite new for me along with the human towers were a wonderful and unique display of human ability.


I really enjoyed visiting the clear and warm beaches of Barcelona for the first time because I got to see not only the wonderful nature of Barcelona but how the city beautifully caters to their Mediterranean beach with nice and well-maintained beaches and beach parks. I was also pleasantly surprised by the size of the waves, with my earlier thinking that waves were much smaller in the Mediterranean. Also, in this area, I got a taste of the rich skate culture of Barcelona with many people skating around the beach areas and the skateparks and later I even got to see a youth skateboard competition at one of the inner-city parks.
I also enjoyed many of the bars and clubs that me and friends went to. I liked that they played a variety of Spanish and English music which I quite enjoyed. Just by being on the streets, you can see that the Barcelonan people, especially young people, love their nightlife. Although we see this in the US, Barcelona feels especially inundated with club and bargoers and a general party atmosphere.


Other magnificent sights I had the pleasure of seeing were the views of all of Barcelona and beyond from atop the bunkers in the mountains north of the main city, which puts into perspective the breath of the city and the beauty of its Mediterranean backdrop. Also, I got to see Sagrada Familia which was wonderful in its great size and attention to detail, something that you must see in person to give justice. I am eagerly awaiting its completion, as when I was here one part of the church was in its last phases of construction. While walking through Barcelona I happened to come across Casa Batllo, and I found that to be almost be something out of a fantasy movie, although characteristic of much of Catalonian, Barcelonan, and Spanish art and culture.


Tell us about the university, academic experience, the classes, student life, and clubs or activities you are involved with? How are the locals, are there any differences or similarities that have surprised you based on your expectations?


My host university is in the middle of the city, and this is a bit different from universities in the United States that are often found outside of the city, but I like it because of its integration with the wonderful city of Barcelona. The campus itself has cool architecture and features that make for a nice Barcelonan but modern aesthetic. It is located close to good restaurants (where you can get 2 great sandwiches for 11 euros), parks and beaches which is nice and seems to be well suited for university students. The university in general is relatively similar to that of a city college in the US, with helpful resources and staff, a good library and tech center, and classrooms of many sizes. As for the classes themselves, they are also relatively similar to those in the US, with frequent reading and some assignments, and it helps that most of the classes I am taking are delivered in English. As for the content of the courses they typically cover topics that relate more to Spain and include many EU/international perspectives, which has been a nice change for me academically and personally as my academic field deals with the differences that come from place and location and it generally makes me more considerate of other countries ideas. The teachers seem to be enthusiastic and their work and seem very happy to teach their courses and are able to teach with ease considering English is most of their second language. My Spanish language class has felt much different from Spanish language classes in the US; it feels like much more emphasis is put on learning the cultural and practical side of language, which makes sense because we are in Spain! My classes have had mostly English students but also some Indonesian students and even a Canadian! It is also interesting to see how the local students who go to my university act, communicate, and dress. I and other English students have found that they tend to dress nicer than students in the US. They all seem to travel in groups throughout the university and there is lots of congregation and socialization near the café areas in and around the university, whereas in the US people go to dorms and houses more often, though this follows the general trend of people in Spain mostly spending time with each other outside of the home.


Another thing that was very fun was playing soccer or fútbol through my study abroad provider. Even though I was mostly only playing with other American study abroad students it was still very fun and interesting to play soccer in Barcelona and to be surrounded by the feverous atmosphere of Spanish fútbol.


Did you experience culture shock when you arrived in your host country? How did your expectations about your experience compare with the reality of your day to day life? Is there anything you wish you would have done or researched more to better prepare you for your experience?


Fortunately, I did not get culture shock. The biggest shock has been the difference in grocery store food from that of the US. I love granola, and snack bars, and both of these are found in Barcelona with much lower variety, along with having a lower variety of gum and candy. I have found that Barcelona has a huge variety of tasty cookies and crackers, which has partially sufficed the lack of bars and granola. Another thing that was interesting was that I would have thought that the doctor would be relatively different from that of the US but from my experience so far, they are pretty similar, which for me is not a bad thing, I got great care. Though the medicine I received was significantly cheaper than that of the US. I was also pleasantly surprised by how cheap food and bottled water is here, but I also understand that water and electricity are very expensive in Barcelona so this may be a necessity.

One thing I didn’t necessarily anticipate is how loud Barcelona is at night, sometimes it makes it hard to sleep in the middle of the night, but I guess I can’t live in a lively party city like Barcelona and expect tranquil nights. The only thing I wish I had prepared more for was understanding public transport a little better. Sometimes I had trouble figuring out how to take to bus or find metro stops but with a little trial and error, I have been able to find my way around and understand the public transport system in Barcelona, including the metro, tram, trains, and busses, finding all to be effective and convenient!

New Zealand: Internship: Arrival by Emily Webster

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I ’m starting to get settled into Northcote College. Here’s what’s been going on!

During the week before school started, I attended a new staff meeting and an all staff meeting. I am very happy to be starting my internship at the beginning of their school year. It has helped me feel more integrated and I’ve gotten to be a part of events that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. I set up my schedule and which classes I’ll be working with for the term. I get to work with three different teachers for a variety of subjects:

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