Africa

Mid Program – Spain- “Morocco Journey” – By Anna Sutherland

Anna Sutherland
Chefchauoen, Morocco

Morocco (10/21/22-1-/23/22)

I can now say I have been to the continent of Africa and that I have visited three cities in Morocco. Each city more beautiful than the last, Tangier, Tetuan, and Chefchaouen.  We started off our journey to Morocco taking a bus very early Friday morning from Granada to Tarifa which was around a four-hour bus ride with a thirty-minute break in between at a rest stop. The rest stops in Spain are a different level of nice compared to the US I will say. After we arrived to Tarifa in the afternoon we went through customs and took a ferry from Tarifa, Spain to Tangier, Morocco which lasted around an hour. We then met our tour guide for the entirety of the trip a native Moroccan who grew up in Chefchaouen, a city famous for its blue walls and one of the cities we visited. We walked around the city of Tangier and learned about the Moroccan culture and historical significance of some buildings.

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Morocco Journey

Senegal: Post Program by Sage Romey

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I landed at JFK the day after Christmas. Speaking English with the immigration officer I rattled my list of 9 countries I’d been in in the past four months, and was surprised by the lack of reaction. (For those keeping score, Canada, Morocco, Senegal, Portugal, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Russia, USA.

 

 

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Senegal: End of Program by Sage Romey

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As I prepare to go home I find my self struggling with how I portray my time here. Before I left the trip was all I could talk to people about. I was so excited, and I had no idea what to expect. I know that this will forever be a part of my story, and I want to reflect it as honestly as possible.

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Senegal: Mid Program: “Alarm to Bedtime as a Study Abroad Student” by Sage Romey

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“By far the best way to learn a language is to live in it”

 I wake to the first few seconds of Amadou & Mariam’s Welcome to Mali, My roommate’s alarm. The first Lyrics are Africa, Africa, Africa, which is always a nice reminder in the morning. Wake up. « Where Am I? » Queue Lyrics. « Oh right, I’m in Senegal. » I lay in bed for a few moments feeling the heat of the night melt into the heat of the day. Pulling the mosquito net off my bed and tying it up I get ready for the day ahead.

Emma and I sit down and make our morning coffee (or hot coco) with powdered milk, and instant Nescafe from packets. The maid, Binta, comes in with 2 baguettes purchased at the boutique two doors over. We gingerly sip the coco and eat the bread with nutella, or sometimes jam or La Vache Qui Rit (Laughing Cow). We always find time moving faster than it should, and we dash off to school.

The walk to school takes about 15 minutes. We walk past the Police School a corner that borders a round about that is almost always at a standstill with traffic. Every taxi that passes us honks as if to say,  « White girls walking in this neighborhood? They must be lost. »  We avoid eye contact with the drivers, and nod off the ones who still think we need a ride.

Saying a prayer, or disregarding ones own life, we cross the road and take a shortcut through the Teachers college. « Do these guys even go to school? » Emma remarks, as we walk past the soccer players warming up in the field. There is almost always people playing there, except in the high heat of the day. Sometimes in formalized practices, sometimes just who ever wants to play.

 

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Senegal: Arrival: “Host Culture & Cultural Immersion” by Sage Romey

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“A huge part of this study abroad is focused on reflection on my place in the world and specifically in a world where I am the one with privilege to come somewhere where everyday I am confronted with things that make me uncomfortable. I have expressed before and I will express again how grateful I am for that, and I will do my best not to take my privilege for granted. With all this in mind, here’s my first few days in Senegal.”

 

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South Africa: Post Program Reflection: “Final Thoughts” by Daria Gausman

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Final thoughts

Now that I’ve been home a few weeks (didn’t mean to wait this long for my final post…oops), I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on my time spent in South Africa. I”m just going to respond directly to WWU’s prompts for this post because I feel like their questions address everything I want to talk about pretty well.

 

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South Africa: End of Program: “Totsiens, South Africa!” by Daria Gausman

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Totsiens, South Africa!

 

Totsiens means “goodbye” in Afrikaans, but I suppose “until next time” is what I’m really hoping for. These past couple of weeks have been absolutely amazing. Due to frantically finishing class assignments and then an incredible Garden Route Tour around the southern coastline (without my laptop or much wifi), I’ve neglected posting a bit. Hopefully this can sum everything up well. I finished my Philosophy and Ethics class with no trouble. It was quite interesting learning about different philosophical viewpoints like Utilitarianism and Deontology and tackling some controversial debate topics with these perspectives in mind. I’m really enjoying the open-book exams and 3-page final papers; wish my classes were always like that!

 

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South Africa: Mid Program: “Things are Starting to Feel Normal” by Daria Gausman

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Things are starting to feel normal

 

Today marks three weeks since I left Wenatchee to come study abroad, and just a couple days shy of a full three weeks in Stellenbosch. It’s a relief to say things are starting to feel somewhat comfortable and normal here. I have my close friends, I know the immediate area, and at least my weekdays have finally taken some form of routine here.

A typical day for me starts around 7:30 when I wake up for breakfast which is served in the dorms from 7:30-8:30. Breakfast is usually eggs cooked differently depending on the day, some kind of sausage or bacon, tomatoes or mushrooms, and toast. I haven’t quite gotten used to when they serve cold hotdogs as the sausage (seriously, they are absolutely hotdogs), but I think they’re growing on me. After that I walk to class which is about 10 minutes away. Sometimes the morning is a little chilly, but I like the quiet stillness of campus in the morning. The local students are finally starting to arrive since their classes start in a couple weeks. I take one class each week, and it goes from 9-10:30, tea break, 11-1:00, lunch, 2:00-4/5:00. The days are long, but I really lucked out with my Biodiversity class last week since I only had morning lecture and then excursions in the evening. I got to see beautiful coastlines, a botanical garden, a commercial protea farm, and even penguins and a zebra during the outings.

 

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South Africa: “What has Two Thumbs and Stomach Flu in the Airport?” by Daria Gausman

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https://darigoestoafrica.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/what-has-two-thumbs-and-stomach-flu-in-the-airport/

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)

 

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Tanzania: End of Program: Tara J Quattrone

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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.

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Tanzania: Mid Program: “A Day in the Life” by Tara Quattrone

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A Day in the Life

Every morning for the last month and a half I have woken up in my mosquito net bunk bed to the sounds of birds as the African sun rise makes the sky around me orange. The sun rises and sets much faster on the equator, also creating a much more dramatic coloration for this short time period. Most mornings I take a daily jog up to the Moyo hill (meaning heart in Swahili). This might be one of my favorite activities in this study abroad experience. I am alone which is rare here, and as I get to the top I get to see the Rhotia village below me along with the surrounding villages and mountains. I also get the view of the Manyara lake and conservation area where I got to see my first large African mammals. This open view makes me feel free and reminds me how special it is to be where I am at in that moment.

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2017 Video Contest Winner: Shelby Payne: “Together with Others” Kenya, 2016

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Check out my Video!

“Together, with others”. This was a common phrase among our wise friends in Kochia, Kenya; a rural village in western Kenya that sat alongside Lake Victoria. “Together, With Others” speaks on the idea that we must go through life, hand in hand. That we must work together, and work with others. During our unforgettable International Service Learning trip in Kochia, our team of 11 students from Western continued to learn the power of working together to create lasting friendships filled with joy, laughter, and purpose. This video reflects just that. It reflects the hands we held, the friendships we fostered, and the laughter we shared. Our team was consistently immersed in the fantastic, welcoming, and heart warming culture of Kenya as we continued to build upon friendships with Abba Integrated School of Excellence and Ombogo Girls Academy, both previous education partners of Western Washington University.

Tanzania: Pre-Departure: by Tara Quattrone

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Pre-Departure

In two days I leave for Tanzania, Africa where I will be studying abroad for the next four months. One of my biggest draws to participate in this study abroad is my desire to travel. I want to see the world, and Africa is somewhere I have never been. In this country in particular I feel the culture is so beautiful different that it appealed to me over other places. I feel like traveling gives you more ability to learn what the world is really about. Sometimes we get too stuck in our own little worlds we forget how many other little worlds are going on around us. Also how different these other little worlds can be. I want to show myself these new places, and ideas and see how I can grow and truly become who I want to be.

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