arrival in costa rica

Posted on September 23, 2012 by pricemv

I arrived in Costa Rica in the night time so when I looked out of the plane window I could see all of the twinkly lights in San Jose. It was beautiful! More and more Spanish was being used as well. The drive to the school from the airport was probably one of the most terrifying things I have ever experienced. When I met my tica mama I quickly realized that she spoke as much English as I did Spanish… which is close to none. It was frustrating not being able to communicate with her, especially because I knew that I need to learn Spanish rather than the other way around. However, she was very kind and was able to get major concepts across with a lot of charades. My roommate arrived later and was able to help translate a little. Koryn

This is my new home 🙂

Suspending Disbelief

Posted on September 20, 2012 by pricemv

I am tired. I got up at 4:00 in the morning so at 7 I could get on a 5-hour flight to New Jersey. I waited for 4 hours in New Jersey, then sat on a plane to England for 6 hours. Let’s see…do our maths…5 plus 4 plus 6 equals 15! Which leaves 7 hours out of the day for sleeping! Which is ideal, but in reality I’d probably stay up for another hour or two. So add waiting on the tarmac, going through customs, waiting in the special airport waiting spot…time to go to bed!

WRONG. (I can’t find color or font size change on here, so just imagine fiery red font. Very dramatic.) It is now 7:00 in the morning again, and there are things to do. (I’m not complaining, I’m just dramatizing for the entertainment of the reader.)

Interestingly, it’s 7:30 (pm now, but 11:30 in the am for you) and I’m thinking I could go to bed soon. This never happens.

So, I’m supposed to write about the scene that greeted me upon my arrival in England, but honestly, that’s not much to talk about. Ok, wait. Back up. I would like to talk about the scene in which the plane came low enough for me to finally see England, not when I first set foot in England, because that was just walking for a long time in the morning with a bunch of other tired people.

I was a little disappointed leaving New Jersey, because the sun set just before the plane took off, and I had never flown over the ocean before. I wanted to see the Atlantic, but the hours of darkness coincided almost perfectly with our journey over it. I could just make out the horizon as we flew across the edges of Ireland. Turns out I couldn’t have seen anything anyway: as the sun rose I saw that there was a thick cloud layer over everything. No breaks. We crossed Ireland and got closer and closer to Manchester, and finally started our descent. We broke through the cloud cover–wisps tangling in the wings of the plane and leaving torn streaks behind–but I still couldn’t see anything. The light was dim and everything was grey. We got lower and lower, and suddenly I could see yellow lights springing up in the grey below, so clear and distinct I could have counted them.

And there was England. And it was raining. I couldn’t have planned it more perfectly. Little cities with tall brick houses and cul-de-sacs and cars driving on the left side of the road. It was the cars that did it. Watching them driving the way they did in movies, it was real, something that existed my world, and the rain. It was brilliant. I didn’t realize how much I had missed the rain until I saw it slicking the streets beneath the left-side drivers. I was staring dazedly out the window when the man next to me said, “Welcome to England, in the rain.” He sounded like he was from the Manchester area himself, and hearing his voice as he acknowledged and accepted my foreignness (I know, silly word, but real) completed that perfect picture. I didn’t take any photos then; the beauty of the city below couldn’t be captured through the thick airplane window, but I have pictures from touring the city of Ormskirk later that day, and many of the feelings that overwhelmed me on the plane were rekindled during that walk.

I guess one of my biggest surprises was finding that England (or at least, Ormskirk) was almost just as I imagined it. The city was brilliant. The old brick buildings built tall instead of wide, cobbled side roads lined with shops, gates proclaiming the names of the houses they enclose–it was all of my favorite things about England, the best way I could imagine it, there in Ormskirk, in the grey and drizzle (which I honestly love). Even the people there look as if they belong there; I couldn’t imagine them in any other spot but there. It seems so old-fashioned and removed, I felt guilty taking pictures. I felt that this wasn’t really meant for tourists, that we would only soil their culture, make it less good. It was so beautiful, I wanted suddenly to live there and be a part of them.

It feels magical, and it still doesn’t quite make sense, that I am, in fact, in England. Right now. I am in England right now. I’m always surprised when a passerby speaks with an English accent, and so I’ve been wandering in a constant state of startlement (another silly, but real, word) today. It really is as beautiful as I thought it was. It’s magical, so am I magical? I’ll go with it. Good night. Marissa

Dear London, I have arrived!

Posted on September 19, 2012 by pricemv

Well today was quite a day. I arrived at Heathrow at 7am so I knew I had a long day ahead but luckily I was able to sleep a bit on the flight over. After getting my bags and taking the heathrow express to paddington station I walked right to the hostel. It was only a ten minute walk but it was rough with all my luggage! Check-in wasn’t until 11:00 so I decided to go ahead and hop out on the town. I had done my research beforehand and knew there was a tour bus stop at the corner of Hyde park, down the road a bit from my hostel. I enjoyed walking through Hyde park, it was amazing to see such a large green space with so many things to do. There were horses on horse trails, dogs running through the dog park, and runners and bikers everywhere!

This lady had over 10 dogs! I think there must be some professional dog walkers that go to Hyde park because there were several people carting around large numbers of dogs.

I suppose the biggest thing I noticed after landing was the immense amount of people bustling around London. There were so many people everywhere, and they were all so fashionable! I think this may be because in many of the big cities people tend to dress up a bit more for a day -or night- on the town. It was also fun to meet all the other tourists from all over the world and see them enjoying their time just as much as I was. Of course I got to see all the sites, and thoroughly enjoyed my whirlwind tour of London!

The only negative thing I can think of since my arrival has been the fact that one has to pay for public restrooms, but having traveled around Europe before I accept it and always make sure to have my change handy!

Tomorrow I am off to experience the Harry Potter Studio Tour, and I can’t wait! I am now heading off to bed so I can wake up get going tomorrow on day 2 of my big adventure. I hope you are all well and having a blast!

Summer

The first few days in Budapest!

Posted on September 4, 2012 by pricemv

Greetings All and welcome to my journey in Budapest!

Upon arrival in Budapest, I felt the full range of the emotional spectrum. Of course I was excited… It was the most overpowering emotion, but I was also very scared. I have never lived alone in my life, let alone in a foreign country! It was overwhelming trying to keep my emotions in check… I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! I was so happy to finally be here!

I was greeted by my program director in the airport. She even had a sign with my name on it, I felt like a celebrity! She helped me gather my bags and take them to her car. She drove me to my apartment, which seemed like forever away from the airport! I sat in the backseat trying to absorb it all… I was searching for useful shops or landmarks I wanted to visit… I soon encountered what will be the main challenge I will have to overcome: I know absolutely no Hungarian!

When I got to my apartment, it was already dark… So I didn’t get the chance to appreciate the beauty. It is definitely bigger than expected. I am looking forward to putting a few little decorations up to make it my own.

My first full day in Budapest, I was able to buy a few groceries and go exploring! I met up with one of my friends for dinner, I couldn’t read the menu… I did understand “gnocchi” and “pesto”, so that is what I had for my first meal!

That night, we went to city park with some other people from my program. We were able to see a beautiful “castle”, where no royalty has stayed in but is still considered a castle. It was really, really pretty at night and I wish this picture could capture the beauty.

Later, after walking through the park, we found a Hungarian band playing American music! It was quite entertaining and we had a blast listening to American rock classics! It was a great way to bond with the people in my program.

The first few days I have spent in Budapest have been everything I could hope for. It is scary being such a small person in such a large city, but I know that I will soon call it my home. The Hungarians I have met have all been very friendly and welcoming. I hope to meet more so that I can find all the great local places.

Until next time, I’ll be hitting the pavement with my map in hand and hopefully getting lost in all the treasures this place has to offer!

Viszlát!

Molly

Hey Jude

Posted on July 25, 2012 by pricemv

Once the plane landed at Heathrow, I knew I was home. There was never a difficult adjustment to be made in this new yet all so unfamiliar city. From the outside it looks exactly like any city I used to live in or travel to back home. Busy people, large shops, quaint coffee spots, angry cars, loud buses, and fast undergrounds were all too familiar to me. The large difference seemed to be the emotional perks of finally being in London after all these years of dreaming it.

When I got all settled in it seemed more real. Thankfully the rooms are single person and spacious.

I’ve noticed not only is it hard to understand the older people because their accents are much more heavy, but I feel embarrassed to speak to people with my American accents. In my mind, the British accent is the epitome of intelligence and class, and the American accent is quite the opposite. So when I speak to people I try not to speak too much for fear of sounding, for lack of a better word, like a dumb American. Also, their juices are very different from our juices back home. It seems all their juices are carbonated, so an apple juice tastes like apple juice and a Sprite, a lemonade tastes like a Sprite and a lemon in it, and their orange juice is just Orangina. I spoke to a lady about the cultural difference between England and America and she found it incredibly odd that juice would not be carbonated. She didn’t understand because she thought that meant they would all be the same but flat, so I tried to explain that they are not flat because they were never carbonated in the first place. She found that very weird. I also very much enjoy the idea of renting a bicycle for a pound and riding it around town and dropping it off anywhere with another bike rental stop. I wish we had that in America, i plan to use those at some point.

I’m still exited to see what else I can learn and do while I’m here.
Allison

What Began as a Trying and Stressful Trip Ended with Four Kisses

Posted on July 23, 2012 by pricemv

Mark Twain once said

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

That’s the spirit I began this trip with when I had my sister drop me off at the Portland airport at 4 a.m. to catch my 6 o’clock flight. Because Portland is an hour drive for us, this resulted in my waking at 2 a.m. to get ready, after having finally fallen asleep at 11 the night before. So on 3 hours sleep, I showed up at the airport to discover that my flight had been cancelled last minute. In the midst of a mass of angry people, I sat around for 8 hours before being able to catch a flight out.

Tired and hungry, I arrived in Houston to discover that my connecting flight was delayed another hour and a half. Within the first 10 minutes at the airport I encountered no less than 8 people grumpily attending their business with others. My combination of hours without food, 3 hours of sleep, and the stress of a cancelled flight, delayed flight, and negative energy in this place feeling so far from home finally got to me. I missed my family and I started to wonder if I had made the right decision in studying abroad. I tearfully tried to Skype my husband, only to discover that the Houston airport, unlike Portland, does not offer free wifi to its travelers. I was very, very low already, and I hadn’t even left the States.

My 10 hour flight to Buenos Aires now left at 10 p.m. and arrived at 10 a.m. local time the following morning. Several factors led to very little rest throughout the night, and my fears began to compound. I stared out into the inky black night, watching the steady pulse of the airplane’s light fight nearly constant wing wobbling turbulance. It was a disturblingly fitting metaphor to my situation. There was a part of me, growing bigger and darker as the minutes slowly passed, wishing I could turn back time and not sign on for this study abroad adventure. The fight was already feeling like too much.

As I gazed out at the eastern sky, a sliver of dark purple light began to appear on the horizon around 5 a.m. As it crept up and began to illuminate the area in front of me I saw for the first time the lines of landscape below me. We were flying over Peru, and the contours below me were peaks of the foothills of the Andes mountains! I was looking at the Peruvian Andes, colored in various tones of pink, purple, and blue. It was one of the most gorgeous things I have ever seen. As the sun continued to rise I was mesmerized, all the while thinking in disbelief “I am watching a sunrise over South America”. South America, something that had previously existed only in stories of rainforests, tropical animals, and exotic adventures was unfolding like a magical storybook miles below me. I was in complete awe, and began to once again feel my sense of adventure awakening.

After maneuvering through immigration and customs in Beunos Aires with relative ease, my luck continued as I found the counter for the bus company and purchased my ticket successfully en Espanol. Aside from getting brutally ripped off while exchanging dollars for pesos (something my new Argentinean friends have relentlessly continued to shake their heads and cluck in disgust at), my experience was improving. I had entered an unfamiliar country, begun to converse with others in a foreign language, and was about to board a bus which would carry me to my ultimate destination city.

A woman sat down next to me, and the bus took off on our 4 hour journey to La Cuidad de Rosario. I was exhausted, and contemplated plugging into my iPod and observing the new landscape. Instead, I did something unprecedented for me: I turned to my seat partner, opened my mouth, and began a tentative conversation in Spanish. My new friend, Susana, didn’t speak a word of English.

Throughout the next 4 hours I made my first Argentinean friends. Susana, it turned out, was a schoolteacher who had lived her entire life in Rosario. She was returning with her 2 friends (also schoolteachers) from a short getaway (we are currently in the middle of the Argentinean schools’ winter vacation). We talked about our towns, cultures, teaching experiences, and food. She pointed things out along the way from the perspective of a lifelong resident (“see that billboard for alfajores? Alfajores are special cookies in Argentina. They are wonderful. You must make sure to try many different kinds while you’re here!”)

By the time we arrived in Rosario I had become the unofficial adoptee of the teachers on the bus. Everytime someone else spoke to me, they assisted and rapidly helped me when my words did not come freely. As we were dropped off one by one throughout the city (I was last on the bus) they made sure to point out landmarks and all the little things that residents see as most important in their hometown. As a result of their conversations with me, I made several more friends. They left me with contact information, huge hugs, and kisses on my cheek. As I pulled away in the bus from each drop off, they stood on the curb frantically waving and shouting “chau, chau” with passion.

And so, I arrived at my hotel no longer a stranger in a new city. After all, how can one be a stranger with such a fantastic handful of local friends? I had now been kissed by no less than four residents of Rosario. What began as a lonely morning on a shaky plane in the darkness of unchartered waters ended with new friendships and beautiful gestures of love.

Lao Tzu said

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

Well, my journey of several thousand miles quickly followed that first step with kisses, hugs, passionate conversations and new friendships. Hola Argentina!

Jessie

Here at long last!

Posted on July 16, 2012 by pricemv

Well, I am finally in Australia! It is crazy to say that. It was a long 3 flights and a very taxing couple of days, but it is all worth it now. I had no trouble with my flights except when I got into Sydney. I stood in line for immigration and border patrol for over an hour which delayed me a lot and I had to be put on the next flight because my bags were not to the counter in time. At the time I was freaking out but I met a very nice pilot (the one flying my plane) who helped me call my instructor and let him know that I would be a few minutes late getting into Brisbane. The first thing I noticed was that they do not treat tourists as “tourists”. They are very pleased to help and happy to meet a new person. This was my first impression in the airports because while I was in LA I was told I could not be helped and to go find someone who worked in that area. When I arrived in Sydney the very nice lady walked me through everything and took me to the area I need to go. She did not act put out or like it was a burden like the guy in LA.

I was picked up by one of my instructors Sonyaa. Let me tell you now, she is going to make this trip awesome. She is probably about 65 and is full of life. She drives like a crazy person and if definitely a character. She is going to be teaching us about Australia’s environment. Once I finally got to campus (the car ride seemed to take forever) the first thing I did was call home and let my mom know I was safe and sound. Then I hooked up my laptop for internet and posted to facebook. It sounds a little dumb, but honestly, how many times do you get to say “I’m in Australia” for a status update? Not very often. After all of this was done I showered and changed and went to get some lunch. I am a little shocked by how small the portions are and how expensive they are. I had the “beefy nachos” which had quite a lot of food, but that was it. That was supposed to last me all day with no snacks in between. Dinner was a lot smaller than lunch and it was only one entrée. Back home we have dinner plus fruits and veggies and maybe some dessert. While I was looking around people were eating just one plate and calling it good. I will have to get used to eating smaller portions and carrying snacks because stores are not open when I am hungry.

I have found people are very nice here. I have had to ask about a million questions, some not so intelligent sounding but every time the person just smiles and answers the question. The best thing that I have discovered about Australia is how relaxed and happy they are. I noticed right away the difference on my long flight from LA to Sydney (16 hours!) the difference between Americans and Australians. The Americans mostly kept to themselves and if a stranger talked to them it was short conversation. The Australians however, wanted to talk. As soon as they found out I was American they wanted to know where I was from, why I was traveling, etc. They also offered me an abundance of information of things to say and things to do. For example: saying I am mad has to be done just right. If it is said wrong it means you are beyond drunk and need to be put out of your misery.

Sometimes it is hard to make out the accents here. Yes, they speak English but the wording and the accents combined make it difficult sometimes. I have had to ask more than once for someone to repeat themselves and they always laugh and joke that they have a country bumpkin accent. Some of the words are different here. My favorite so far is the “zebra crossing” pronounced “zebraa” not “zeebra”. It is simply the crosswalk. There are also “lifts” which are elevators. Little things like that, that make it different than home. I also learned you do not say the number 0 like an “o” it is “zero”.

This is some of my group. We take cabs everywhere.

So far I do not have a lot of questions except why are stores closed to early??? I am used to stores closing around 9-11 depending on the day. I went to the mall with some friends last night and it closed 10 minutes after we got there. It was 5:30 in the evening! I have a feeling this summer is going to be an early one for the sole fact that there is nothing to do at night and we have early classes anyways. As of now, I really like it here. The university is beautiful and the people friendly. I hope this 4 weeks is as good as the first day! Katherine

This is a beach called Surfer’s Paradise, which is part of the Gold Coast region. This is one of the many beaches we will be visiting and I cannot wait!

London Calling

Posted on July 12, 2012 by pricemv

: The City Somehow becomes even more gorgeous at twilight.

I apologize for sounding a bit frazzled in this post, but that is due to the fact that I am currently in London, England! Also it’s because WordPress just deleted a very large post I was about to publish. There have been many things happening all at once, but I will try to just stick to a few highlights. Here we go!

: Everything looks like it’s out of a fairy story…

Highlight 1: The Campus

This place is so gorgeous! I know that seems to be a given, seeing as it’s London, but it’s even more lovely in person. I’m currently residing at King’s College Hampstead, which is just a bus and a tube ride away from The City of London. For those of you who didn’t know (like me), London is a large area encompassing a lot more space than The City of London. The City of London includes Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, The London Eye, The Houses of Parliament, Piccadilly Circus, ect. King’s College itself is only about ten buildings at most, all of which lie along Kidderpore road. The weather has been wonderful with only a few large outbreaks of rain while we’ve been outdoors. This has been heaven-sent after seeing the devastation in the mid-west from forest fires this year. The Oregonians on this trip have been laughing to ourselves about bringing the weather with us from home and I can’t tell if the rest of the group is more excited at the prospect of cool, wet weather or they’re afraid they haven’t brought the proper clothes.

Highlight 2: The City of London

Even though I’ve already been here almost a week, I’m still in a state of shock. The main things I’ve learned so far (that have stuck in my mind) are the schedule of the classes, how to navigate the tube well enough not to end up on the complete opposite side of town, and how to open the doors around campus. The public transportation is fantastic here, but it’s mostly a matter of others waiting for me. In London, it is impossible to navigate in a large group, or even a small group sometimes, without getting in someone’s way. I swear I’ve stood in front of someone that was in a dire need to get somewhere at least once a day. Every time I feel so bad, but everyone else seems to think nothing of it. I suppose that’s part of the culture shock of entering such a large city after getting used to a small college town where I smile at everyone I pass on the street. However, other than that, London is spectacular. I’ve cried out of pure emotion on many occasions. The first time was when we drove over Abbey Road, and the second was when I was in the Serpentine Gallery looking at a piece with John Lennon’s footprints on it. Both times the reason for my tears was that I realized once again what an important and amazing place I’m in. This happened again when we had lunch at Speedy’s cafe, the place where much of Sherlock is filmed. England holds so much intrigue for me and I think that I definitely made the right choice to come here.

So far I’ve also done 6 of the things on my list of “Things I must try or do while abroad”

Find out what a Jammy Dodger is

– They are small cookies with jam in the center. They are mediocre for my taste.

Drink real English tea at tea time

– I had a tea at a cafe down the street. It was milk tea with sugar, the favorite of Queen Elizabeth II.

Ride a double-decker

– I have ridden a double-decker almost every day since we’ve been here. “Double-deckers are cool! It’s a bus… with a ladder!” (Well, stairs)

Search for the Doctor

– I have searched the town up and down for five days looking for Doctor Who things (as well as the man himself), but to no avail. There is a surprisingly small amount of fandom merchandise (unless you count the gift shop of the Sherlock Holmes Museum, but that’s to be expected). However, I do have a crack in my wall that looks exactly like the one in the show! I’m hoping that if I ask Santa to send me a police man, Matt Smith will arrive outside my door.

Don’t Blink

– Not only have I been keeping an eye out for Weeping Angels, but I also kept telling myself as the plane was first landing in London that I couldn’t risk blinking and missing my first glimpse of London. Coincidentally, that was very difficult and resulted seeing stars for a while due to the bright white clouds that were covering any view of England.

Ride on the Underground

– Riding on the Tube is very hard to avoid if you want to get anywhere in London. It’s basically like the Max line we have at home only easier and more crowded.

Highlight 3: Cultural Differences

You may think of this as a lowlight, but I consider cultural differences future funny stories. “This one time in London…” So, I’ve noticed many small things in England that are different than America, but there are some major ones as well.

One is the tourist traps. We were having a wonderful time on the South Bank in the festival and waiting for the Eye when this random guy dressed as a gorilla comes up to us and pretends to choke one of us (as a joke), and tells us to take pictures. He goes up to about three of us and we take pictures, thinking it’s kind of funny… until he tried to feel one of the girls up. We refused to take pictures of that. Then he comes for me. I blocked him, but he hugged me anyway. Then, when he finished, he asks for money! I told him repeatedly that I only have a visa (which was a complete lie). Little tip for tourists in London; be wary as this happens a lot. However, that was, thankfully, the only truly unpleasant one so far.

The food has definitely the best cultural difference. I’ve yet to come across a food I didn’t like here in England. One of my frequented favorites has been baguettes and tea. Here the common tea is milk tea (usually with mounds of sugar) and I’ve come to love it in small doses. Baguettes are literally sandwiches with baguettes instead of bread. There are lots of roots in other cultures when it comes to food in London, mostly middle-eastern, French, and Italian that I’ve noticed. It’s wonderful to have so many choices just down the street from the campus! Today I had a lovely mozzarella and dried tomato baguette with a smoothie down at a place called “Brioche”. (Just a hint to those of you on this trip reading this; you really want to try their smoothies before we leave. They’re fantastic.) The snack foods here are even more diverse! My new favorite is Jaffa Cakes, which I have been inhaling at an alarming rate. I’ve also learned a bit about the differences between juice and water flavoring (squash)… the hard way.

The last and final difference is the amount of tourists. I’ve seen very few tourists in Oregon in my lifetime and most of them are in Portland. In London, one of the biggest cultural centers of the world, visitors from other countries are commonplace. Much of the time I try not to fit into that stereotypical idea of an American tourist that many Londoners seem to have. Don’t get me wrong, they’re very nice to tourists, but I’ve grown accustomed to that look of “oh, you poor thing, you don’t know what a pence looks like” or “oh, you poor dear, you’ve never rode the tube in your life, have you?” The best advice I can give on the subject? There are many things I have seen and done that seem to work.

1. Don’t try to hide your accent.

It’s not only hard to do, but sometimes it sounds like an insult. You may think you’ve got an amazing fake British accent pinned down and you’ll blend right in, but people will notice and they will give you weird looks.

2. Don’t panic

Traveling on the tube and through a crowded town can be scary! We’ve been warned time and time again about the possibility of pick-pockets and muggers and just all-around terrifying stories that make you want to lock yourself in your room. It’s true, stuff can happen, but that shouldn’t stop you from having a good time. Just make sure your belongings are always in sight, that your wallet and passport are in a secure place that is hard to hide getting to (like in a zippered pouch on the inside of a backpack), and maybe keep your hand on your tube pass as often as possible. To be in London is kind of intimidating, but you can’t let fear outweigh the fun you’re having!

3. Don’t be afraid to be a tourist sometimes

This may sound completely opposite of my previous statement, but you are a tourist and there’s no denying that. All I can say is be a tourist that re-defines the meaning of the word. Be courteous, try new things, and learn as much as you can! People expect Americans to come here, but make sure you leave them with the pleasant memory of that nice college student who was so excited about the English culture. That’s at least what I’m trying to do.

I hope that some of this comes in handy to you!

I’ve really got to rest my back now; London does a number on your muscles. I’ll see you soon! Becky

Arrival in Costa Rica

Posted on July 10, 2012 by pricemv

All of my flights went smoothly and before I knew it I was in Costa Rica. Within the airport it was hard to differentiate between Ticos (Costa Ricans) and tourists because they are very similar in appearance. Customs was a breeze and my friend Megan and I walked out of the airport where we were bombarded by more Taxi drivers than you could shake a stick at. We walked confidently by them however as they hounded us for rides, we knew that someone in the crowded walkway would be holding a sign for us.

Shortly we found our group and we were whisked away in a van towards the center of the city. On the way in, there were plenty of signs advertising foreign products and restaurants ( for example, Coca Cola and Taco Bell). The highways and roads are mostly skinny with small cars. What was striking was all of the people walking everywhere. I and the other international students in the van noted how full all of the public parks and squares were as we went by.

We were all dropped off at the front of our host families’ houses. We noticed many houses had more than one secure gate to the front door, every window was encased in iron bars, and fences surround the perimeters of the houses. On top of that, some of them had barbwire. This made all of us a little curious about the safety of our neighborhoods. Later it would be explained to us in orientation that it was not because that the neighborhoods were unsafe but that Ticos are very precautious and not big risk-takers.

Es todo para ahora.

Hasta pronto, Kelsey

France at last!

Posted on July 10, 2012 by pricemv

I arrived in Paris by train rather than by plane because I flew in to London Heathrow rather than Paris Charles de Gaule. This was my first time riding on a train like the Eurostar trains, but it was also the first time I had traveled so far by myself. Coming in to the train station was overwhelming because it was busy, crowded, and completely in French. Finally entering the country was exciting and frightening, but my lack of proficiency with French was making me more and more nervous. I understood enough of the signs to make my way towards the metro and wait in the long line to buy my metro ticket to move around Paris. The train station I took from Paris to Angers (Gare Monparnasse) was different than the train station I look into Paris from London (Gare du Nord). The whole experience was over stimulating, and as it was early in the morning, I was even more overwhelmed by the information I was processing. I had been excited for studying abroad, but my arrival in Paris made the reality of the situation sink in and I became ecstatic about being in France. I loved to see that even in the train stations, there are little shops that sell French food like baguettes and croissants and even some Paris merchandise with little pictures of the Eiffel Tower. The single most frightening factor of arriving was trying to find out where I was supposed to go in a mass of people, all in a hurry and walking with confidence as to their destination. People seemed distant from each other, and this have something to do with it being such a large city or perhaps it is the normal in France.

This picture is of the train station, these people are waiting by this giant board that shows the platform for each scheduled train. The catch? The platform is only displayed 20 minutes before departure so people gather right under the sign so that as soon as the platform is revealed, people scurry over and begin boarding.

My time on the train to Angers went by quickly and I was greeted at the train station by the coordinator of my program as well as by my host dad. There are three of us staying at the same house, and I was the first to arrive, I had first pick of the bedrooms. I picked one upstairs, and it is shows in the following pictures:

My pretty bed 🙂

What you see upon entering the room, these cool windows with electric shades! You just push a button to close them, and you can completely block out the sun or leave some coming in.

My view out of my bedroom window

My armoir and desk, important for all the studying I will be doing!

The first day was extremely exhausting and I was excited for the other girls to arrive as to have some break from speaking French, and to not be the person of sole attention from my host parents. They have a lot of questions (which is great!), but all of the thinking in French is very tiring already! Only four more week in Angers!

Maggie

WOU Students Abroad

Tag Archives: Arrival