Second Week in London!

Hello all!

I have learned many new items following British culture in my mere two weeks of attendance,you can see a different in speech and the written word all around the city in its people and signs. For example they use alternative words for insults, clothing, and phrasing such as knickers for panties. It is interesting to see the contrast in language as both the British and Americans speech English, however use different words for different meanings. You can see the roots of the linguistics’ and at what point the two split in history; it is more apparent being within the city.

British culture additionally has scenery of different that provides to its surrounding culture. The buildings in many of the neighborhoods, even though some are new and involve more modern looks, hold the structure of its original design. Some even have the old stones in which they were originally built as well. It gives London a sense of timelessness as some portion seems to have been stopped in the 18th century, or even earlier. This is additionally seen in the British Museum and the artifacts that it holds. There are many pieces, not only from the Kingdom, but from all over the world that attribute to the culture and it’s since of timelessness and maintain an aura of medieval. The collection of artifacts plays into the intelligence of the people within the city as well. The British seem to value intelligence in the early years of its community. Museums are maintained and multiplied throughout the kingdom, and schools are required to send their students to their grounds. To this point it would seem that the British schooling system is substantially different, and clearly more defined.  Most general courses are accomplished in the early stages of school, and upon entering college fine focus their skills for future career. Schools in the area are of a higher degree, and are generally in the Ivy League range. The college courses do not contain lectures required for a grade or graduation, as grades are no longer distributed and examinations lasting many days determine whether a degree is given.  I find the system of the schooling for the British the most interesting, and would like the Americans to adopt the system. It is a strong portion of the British culture and the types of individuals it produces to the outside world.

The last item of the British culture that was intriguing was their view on alcohol. It is not forbidden to the younger portions of the community as all ages are allowed in at all times. It is also considered normal to go to the pub after work for a drink, or have a drink during dinner. In the British culture drinking is a social item of interest, not a method of becoming obnoxious as is “normal” in American society. Many things in British culture that are forbidden in American culture are made differently because they do not adhere to obnoxious behavior or try to “hide” like to younger generation. You can assume that the idea of adulthood is made known early on. Overall there are many items of interest that make up the British Culture that have shaped my perspective, however the journey continues in its quest to further my knowledge!

 

Week 3 in Spain

Hola!

I am starting to feel like a month in Barcelona is the perfect amount of time! You can see all of the gorgeous sites, you can enjoy the weather, but just when you start to get homesick, you only have 5 days left! Luckily for me, I get to stay a few extra days because my parents decided to come visit spain as well. So even though I will be traveling en extra two and a half weeks in Europe, at least it will be with people I’m familiar with.

I made an effort to visit the beach more, and its so worth it. The water is warm but refreshing, the sun is hot, but there is a constant breeze too cool you off. I really like the fact that not once haveI felt nervous or uncomfortable here, either traveling by myself or in groups. I can’t believe I was so worried about safety!

Im also coming to the realization that I have to ay goodbye to some really awesome people… My Aussie roommates are hilarious and so easy to get along with, and with my two west coast friends I feel like we have known each other forever! And another girl from Ohio is one of the sweetest yet craziest people I know! Goodbyes are always hard, but not knowing when I will see these people again is tough.

On the bright side, I real have enjoyed my cross-cultural psych class. The teacher is very laid back, and discussions are very much directed by us students. It is one of the first psych classes that I truly wake up excited to go to!

Anyways, it is bitter-sweet that I am in my last week of the program, but I anticipate that it will be one of the most memorable things I do in life <3

Adios! Chao!

London week 2

So, I have finished my second week here in London. It has had its ups and down. On the plus side I got to travel to Scotland this last weekend and I got to see the beauty that it holds. I finally got to ride on a open air double-decker bus. I took a tour of Scotland while sitting on the top of the bus. It was really nice not to have to take pictures through a window.

I climbed a hill called The Tor. it is a 518 foot hill and the climb is almost vertical, but I made it to the top and the view was well worth the climb.

I have made some really great new friends, many of whom I am already Facebook friends with. they are the kind of people that I know I will keep in touch with for a very long time.

On the down side, I learned that even with all its benefits, the train transportation isn’t always the best. I was stuck on the train for an extra 2 1/2 hours on my way back from Scotland due to electrical problems. 2 1/2 hours is a long time when you can’t really get up to move, there are screaming kids, and no bathrooms. But I made it back in one piece. Then, while changing lines on the tube some one stole my plug adapter out of my back-pack. they aren’t kidding when they say watch your stuff carefully on the platform.

All in all it has been a great trip. I have learned a lot and see a lot and I still have two more weeks to go!

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The End, and the Beginning, of Another Amazing Week

Before I start throwing out all the words, here are some visuals to help describe my adventures for the last week!

British Museum- Armor  Platform 9 and 3-4 Vegetarian English Breakfast- Glastonbury  Arthur and GuinevereGlastonbury Tor- Group  Bagpiper

Hot Sass in Scotland Scotland- A View from Above

 

From left to right, and up to down. (1) Armor from the period of Roman Britain (what the Hobbits may have had in their collection, and what Arthur and Lancelot would have worn: British Museum, London. (2) Headed to Hogwarts, at platform 9 and 3/4: King’s Cross Station. (3) The Traditional English Breakfast, with Vegetarian Sausage: Glastonbury. (4) The (supposed) original tomb of the legendary Arthur and Guinevere: Glastonbury Abbey. (5) A group selfie, with Glastonbury in the background: Glastonbury Tor. (6) A bagpiper: Edinburgh, Scotland. (7) Glorious Hot Sauce: Edinburgh: Scotland. (8) The view from above: Edinburgh: Scotland.


After a little over two full weeks in London, I am feeling pretty run down, and starting to get a bit homesick. But even though it has been overwhelming, I am having the time of my life.The trips never end! With two classes, I am going on about three to four excursions per week. This last week, I went to the British museum (3 times!), the British Library, Glastonbury (the first burial site of the legendary Arthur and Guinevere), Lacock (a village where some Harry Potter scenes were filmed), and Scotland (a personal trip). I didn’t think that it was possible, but I had even more fun this week than I did last week. I was able to admire many items and locations that inspired my inner (or outer, it is obvious) English nerd.

One of my the fun locations for this last week was the British Museum, three times. Now, this may seem like overkill, but I still have not seen everything that that museum has to offer! It is the biggest building I have ever been in, and more items stored than would fit in our university. Someone could go there every day of the week, and still not feel as though they had seen everything, not to mention they change the exhibits often. You would think that such an awesome museum would be expensive, but entrance was free! Of course, I still had to buy some books at the gift shop, since I didn’t have to spend money on admission. 😉 I also bought some books at the British Library, which was the most amazing archival/English experience that I have ever had. Our class explored the treasures room, which includes such original documents as Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre (My absolute favorite novel) and Beowulf, written in Old English (My favorite Epic).

Glastonbury was absolutely beautiful. I got to see the ruins of the Glastonbury Abbey, as well as the tomb that the legendary Arthur and Guinevere would have been buried in (of course, this is all legend). And I also got to climb up to the Tor, in which one can see to “the ends of the earth.” I am not exaggerating when I say that this was the most beautiful view that I have ever laid eyes upon; I felt like I was on top of the world: it actually inspired some tears.

Lacock was a cute little village, which is apparently a prime filming spot, as there was filming going on during our visit. This cut off our access to the Harry Potter film sites that we had come to see, but it was still fun to explore pieces of the little village. I had some delicious dark chocolate, and took a picture as an English prisoner.

Scotland was my favorite trip. Although Edinburgh is also metropolitan, it was much quieter and less crowded than London. Also, residents have worked very hard to protect the look of the city; new construction has to fit in with the old buildings. This makes it very fun to visit, as you really get the feel of a complete city, rather than the parts and pieces that arise in London. I also appreciated Scotland because the people there were much nicer; they smiled at us, an occurrence that is rare in London. I was also able to hear multiple Scottish accents; it is easy to tell which accents come from a “higher” class. Hearing the “lower” class accents made me feel like a fit in a little more, since I always feel like I am mumbling in London; I couldn’t understand the “lower” accents that ran together. Now I know how Londoners feel when I talk to them; I should get a cone installed on my neck…

I am still discovering cultural differences, every single day. One of these was quite shocking. This last weekend, I decided to chop all my hair off in Scotland, (don’t worry, I have been planning on doing this for forever,) but I could not find a barber shop that would serve me. Apparently, even with a short cut, barbers only cut male hair in Scotland. When I did find an actual hair salon, a woman, not a man, had to cut my hair. This was pretty surprising to me, as it is not like this in Oregon. I felt a little bit oppressed, even though I know that this was not the intent.

Even though I am feeling a tad homesick, since I never have time to sit down and just relax, I can’t picture living in the states for the rest of my life. As I stated in my last post, I am seriously considering graduate school in the United Kingdom. And even if this does not happen, I will definitely be coming back to visit even more places next year, such as Ireland and Paris.

Finally Home

It feels really good to be home to be honest. I missed my family and friends, so it’s nice to see them again. However, there also has been some adjusting that I am currently doing. First off, I had to stay in a hotel an extra day after the rest of the group left Ireland as I had arranged my flight to leave a day later. It was quite unusual for me to be on my own like that. However, I still had a great time as I visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Trinity College, and other sites in Dublin. Fortunately, I made it back to the states without any trouble. Another struggle adjusting to life back home is the time zone difference. The difference between Oregon and Ireland is eight hours, so that is a big difference. I think I’ve adjusted now at this point, but it took quite a few days. I would wake up really early and still feel exhausted at the end of the day. I’ve also struggled getting used to not having to do something everyday. It’s quite a bit more boring here than in Ireland. I’m so used to everything here, so I find it a lot less interesting here in Monmouth. Finally, I’m getting used to remembering to do more homework. I have an essay to write before the end of August. I need to write it soon so that I don’t forget all the details from my trip. Thankfully, I have photographic proof of what I did, so that’ll help. I loved that I was able to do this, and I hope to someday go back to Ireland someday.

Week 2 & 3 Zamora

I have been so busy that I forget I need to post every week. My second week in my program we spend  doing a workshop with local people who perform traditional dances. I learned about the culture and what parts of Spain each dance comes from. We learned to play a few of the instruments and some of my classmates even tried on the traditional clothes. The dances were fun to learn and it gave me a taste of how people celebrate certain events with dance.

My classmates and I also took a trip up to Gijon, Spain for the weekend. We went to enjoy the beach and to visit another part of Spain. I fell in love with this area. I was beautiful and had a lot of history. The weather was a nice change too.

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The third week we had two excursions to Pereruela and Toro. In Pereruela we visited a pottery workshop. I got to see from the mixing of the material to making different types of pots, pans, and ovens. I also got a chance to try and make my own dish, which turned to to look more like a donut. In Toro we visited a old convent and a winery.

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My Spanish has been improving. I can now communicate my basic needs and am able to get by. I love that I am force to put my Spanish vocabulary to use. I am great at ordering un café con leche, and whatever needs I need at the store. I still have the feeling that I am not here in Spain. Maybe it will hit me once I return back home. I feel comfortable here and know my surrounding really well. I have made some great friends and they help me feel at home here. My one goal is to hope that I will continue to speak Spanish back in the states.

Week 2

WOU blog writer Courtney Richardson reporting in from the last week. Saturday I flew out to Dublin and made a pit stop at the Hard Rock Cafe before catching a train to Galway. I spent the night in a hostel which was an interesting experience that I’m glad I got, but I definitely prefer hotels. Sunday I hung out with the lovely Jen Hight and we tromped around Galway for a while before I had to catch a plane back to London. Monday we had our class at the British library so that we could see their Magna Carta exhibit, it was pretty cool but I liked seeing the old English copy of Beowulf more. That night I went shopping with some friends and found the Disney store, which was great for me…but maybe not so great for my wallet. Tuesday brought another field trip, this time out to Windsor castle and Runnymede because this week was all about the Magna Carta, literally, only the Magna Carta. Windsor was cool, except for the part where I ended up sunburned. At Runnymede we saw the JFK memorial that the Brits put up, the Magna Carta memorial that the American bar association put up, and the Air Force memorial. There was so much climbing, my legs still hurt, but the views were incredible. Wednesday was class and a nice relaxing day in to recover from Tuesday. Thursday I spent with Jen Hight again, but this time in London. And I finally got to go see Westminster Abbey, although I think I was more excited by the fact that Jeremy irons was the narrator of the audio guide than I was about the stuff in there. Friday started way too early but I was going to Scotland so it was worth it. Saturday we had a free day to tromp around Edinburgh, I might’ve gotten lost, we won’t talk about it. We also saw Edinburgh castle which was pretty cool. Sunday we came back to London, but not until after we saw Alnwick castle. Now that is how a castle should look. I’ll report back later with more adventures, but first have some pictures.

 

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Panoramic view from Alnwick

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Panoramic view of Alnwick

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Window in Westminster, featuring Henry VIII

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Window in Westminster featuring Elizabeth I

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Panoramic view from the air forces memorial

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Yeah, no explanation needed here

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Found this pub in Galway, shitty picture but it’s Richardson’s

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Did I mention that I found a storm trooper in Edinburgh? Because I did, and it was awesome

 

Pre-Departure

Hello there!

My name is Estely Carranza and I will be participating in the Study Abroad trip to China, to study Traditional Chinese Medicine. I leave tomorrow morning and I am beyond excited, yet very nervous at the same time. I am very eager to try new foods, and learn and in live in a new culture. I’m not sure what sorts of foods will be available, but I hope it looks like the food in the picture. I hope that the people are friendly and approachable, as I try to learn the language. I also have heard that its very humid, so I hope that I can endure and adjust to the change in climate. Overall I am ecstatic to be in a new country and hope that you follow me on my journey as I experience learning about  Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and their culture as well.

  herbal medicine (TCM) 

Germany Awaits

I have about a week until I have to leave for Germany. I have been so excited to go to Germany but as each day passes I become a little more and more nervous. I feel like there is still so much to do and so many bills to pay. Although I am trying to prepare myself for Germany, it seems much harder than I would have expected. I have been studying about German culture for the last six years and I still feel like there is so much to learn. The best way to learn is to surround myself in their culture. I cannot wait to get better, maybe even fluent, at speaking german. I am most excited to see the world and escape the United States. I want to play soccer, fussball,over there everyday. I believe that will be the easiest way for me to meet people and make new friends. I do not drink often and when I do it is only a small amount so that makes me nervous about drinking Germanys fine brews. Public intoxication is looked down upon in Germany compared to the U.S. where people are so drunk, they cannot even figure out how to stand. Small cultural differences like this are what interest me about going abroad.
I have a week after the program ends to travel and see what I can. Any suggestions to visit in or near Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany? I would love to visit neighboring towns and villages or even Lake Constance (Bodensee). How about some tips for preparing to study abroad? Any information is good information.

Pre trip.. Pre flight.. Anxiety!

Less than three days until I am in China, well at least I hope I am counting right. Anyways.. I am so very excited! I cannot wait to arrive and be swamped by the new culture. I am definitely apprehensive about the warm weather and humidity, I’m more a cold person. I have heard so many stereotypes..
Like the smog will be choking you and
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the traffic will last all day. Most of the time I hear you drive forever to get nowhere.
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I think I will be fine though, because of how awesome my TCM class will be. I think I will have a ton of fun because I am going into this so excited. I plan to wake up every day and look at all the great things I will be experiencing. No negative thoughts whatsoever. Well, at least I can hope, right?
Anyway.. Until I’m in China,
Farewell!!