Wofford College - Study Abroad

A Short Ramble and a Roman Conquest

   

Adrienne Hamm--CIEE Language and Culture, Ferrara, Italy

It’s been several weeks since I last posted and I do apologize.  Considering the lax sense of time in

Ferrara

, these last two weeks have proven extremely hectic.  We finished our intensive Italian class last Friday with a written and oral exam, and only a week and a half before that, we had a midterm.  We basically squished a whole semester into 3 weeks.  Yesterday, however, began a normal semester and I once again can breathe calmly.  I’ll take 4 classes—Italian Civilization and Culture, Contemporary Italian History, an Italian Literature class, and of course, an Italian language class.  I look forward to all of them and I don’t think any of them will bore me. 

Sentimental Rambling

Ferrara

still captivates me and I hope it always does.  Quaint cobblestone streets and welcoming street-side cafes.  Beautiful sunsets—a golden sky streaked with red. Hopeful of a successful capture, bambini chasing pigeons in front of the cathedral.  Old men discussing politics and the Ferraran society over cups of espresso.   Young couples cycling down the street yet hand in hand.  Vendors setting out their best fruits, meats, and bread while customers carefully choose from the vibrant variety of colors, smells, and tastes.  In

Italy

, every red is redder; every blue, bluer.  Every emotion has emphasis, sometimes with truth, sometimes with exaggeration.  Dress is classy, even when casual.  Every step an Italian takes is relaxed yet confident—the epitome of suave.  The old and the new collide into a beautiful swirl of traditions and novelty.  Businessmen stop in front of a centuries old cathedral as they close a deal.  Brand new Fiats park next to bikes worn from years of experience on

Ferrara

’s streets.  So much history, so many stories, countless memories haunt this elegant and charming city.

On to

Rome

Ahh, enough of sentimental reflections.  I have much more to discuss J  For example, this past weekend, I took my very first train ride, and I loved it!  We traveled from

Ferrara

to

Rome

which meant approximately four hours on a train speeding through the gorgeous countryside.   

Speaking of

Rome

…Talk about an amazing city!!  So much to see and do!  So much history right there, in front of our faces.  Centuries frozen in the monuments only inches away from us.  Along with four wonderful and fun young ladies, I tried to conquer

Rome

in a 2 ½ day/2 night adventure.  Take a breath of relief--

Rome

still stands.  In fact, based on how well we slept at night, I think

Rome

conquered us, and its bus system most definitely did.   

Rome

has many great attributes, but its bus system confused us horribly.  The Romans, however, make up for it with their hospitality and willingness to help five Americans find their way around the city.  It was absolutely breathtaking to walk outside the metro station and see the Coliseum just on the other side of the street!  Or to sit on the very steps where Audrey Hepburn took her Roman holiday.  To stand inside St. Peter’s Basilica with only a pane of glass separating us from Michelangelo’s Pieta.  Everywhere we turned, we saw history.

On the flip side,

Rome

has way too many tourists, too many people fluent in English.  After life in

Ferrara

where few locals speak English well, the acts of hearing English regularly, approaching vendors who greet us in our native language instead of theirs, and reading menus with English translations ironically proved very foreign.  I had fully adjusted to hearing Italian, even though I couldn’t understand it.  At times it felt as if the train from

Ferrara

had bypassed

Rome

and, in a phenomenal feat, crossed the

Atlantic

.  Overall, however, the city possessed plenty of Italian charm and has already begun calling me to return.

As for now, I must grant Rome a raincheck and instead write an essay in Italian on my experience in Ferrara thus far.  I have a feeling that I'll have plenty of wonderful anecdotes about which to write. 

Arrivederci in cielo!  (extremely rough translation—until we meet again.  Gotta love idioms!)

J Adrienne

       

New Perspectives

Hello again from France!! Life here is getting into a rythm..finally! We (Elizabeth Lamance, Geoff Taylor, Brook Greer and I) all started classes last week here at IES in Nantes, but most of us didn't really start classes at the University of Nantes until this week. Let's just say that the university system here is very different from ours. But its not that bad. First of all, it makes more room for independance. The professors here don't give us set reading lists or reading schedules. They expect us to be in class, listen to lecture, ask questions if necessary, and turn in maybe one or two assignments a semester. We have midterms and finals for each class, but otherwise we're on our own. It was a little disconcerting at first not having an assingment list, or anything really, to prepare me for class, but I am learning to be more independant in seeking out the information that I need. Work is more satisfying that way I think.
Because I live practically in the IES center I decided to take only two classes here this semester. For anyone who maybe thinking about studying abroad with a program like IES, I would suggest that they do the same. Three of my other four classes are at the University and the other, I am happy to say, is at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. This gives me the chance to really interact with French students without having the protection/safety net of other Americans around me. I have observed that, when mixed thoroughly, Americans and the French kinda react like oil and water. That is not to say that we are unkind to each other, we just clump up. But when one or two Americans are in a group of Frenchmen and women, they get a little more exposure. This is what I aim for. It is really amazing to talk to them and compare/contrast our lifestyles versus theirs, our stereotypes versus theirs and so on. They are completely fascinated by the fraternity/sorority traditions in US colleges. Beneath their cool and oftentimes seemingly indifferent veneers, they are really some of the nicest people I've ever met. It is also interesting to note just how similar we are to the French, and really everyone, just because we call ourselves human too.
More along the lines of culture, people never really stop moving here. The French are really energetic compared to Americans. Though it is true that most of them do not go to the gym everyday for an hour or two, their lives revolve around movement. They are always powerwalking to the next tram station, or running to catch the bus at the corner, or skipping with young children in the park. Just as an example, to get to my classes at the university I have to walk to the Place Commerce (15 min) get on the tram and walk another 10 min to get to my classroom from the station. I have to walk another 10-15 min to get to the nearest store: the Monoprix, 5 min to the nearest bakery, 20 min to the post office etc. It is not so difficult to spend 2-3 hours walking just to do errands here. But I like it. Some of my happiest moments are spent in transition from one class to another on the sidewalks of Nantes. In the Place Royale (about a 10 min walk from the center), there is always one violinist playing for money in a black tophat and penstriped vest, and sometimes I'll run into artwork done overnight in chalk by some anonymous artist. The colors are always bright, even when its cloudy. There are always beautiful fountains to look at or intricate details on the sides of buildings to absorb.
One of my favorite experiences that I've had so far is RUGBY!! Yes, that's right. The world rugby cup is being held here in France, and it is bigger than the Superbowl. Last weekend on Friday and Saturday nights, big screens as big as the sides of small buildings went up all over the city. Cafe and restaurant owners all donated chairs. Students, children, buisnessmen, old men, women, everyone joined together in the different squares around the city to watch the games together. All over the city, rugby announcements were being made over loudspeakers attached to the screens and people were singing national anthems and just having a great time in general, in unison. I loved it! Too bad I didn't have my camera with me, but I'll get some pictures this Saturday.
Two weekends ago, just to make a quick note, Geoff, Elizabeth, and I went to a little town called Clisson. It was awesome!! There was a castle in ruin there in the center of the town. Inside of the ruins, in one of the courtyards, a marionnette sp? company was putting on a show, medieval style, for a bunch of children and their parents. The stage and the puppets were perfectly and meticulously dressed. There isn't much like that in the US, so I appreciated it!
In general, I am doing great! I hope everyone at home is too; I miss you all!! This next week is looking busy, which I like. I'll write again later!

à bientôt! Grands bisous de France!
Jordan Rawl

Western Uganda and Rwanda Excursion

Michael Vaughn - Development Studies, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

I just got back yesterday from a week in western Uganda and Rwanda. It was incredible.

We first set out to Mbarara, a city near the hometown of President Museveni. Mbarara reminded me of an African version of Spartanburg - big enough to be interesting and small enough to feel home-y. I think that when our independent study projects start in a few weeks, I will be moving there for the duration of the project.

We visited a Rwandese refugee camp in Uganda that was located close to Mbarara. The camp housed Hutu refugees from the 1994 genocide. Yes.. Hutus. It was a very strange experience because the UNHCR and other relief agencies are funnelling money into camps that exist to house killers trying to escape the Rwandese justice system. It was very sad to see the children and the women and the conditions they were living in. The men, however, seemed to have no guilt and no real desire to return to Rwanda. They made false statements about the (nonexistent) Tutsi population in the camp and spent most of their time complaining about the conditions they lived in. However, those conditions were better than most agrarian Ugandan or Rwandese people - if they didn't produce enough food on the land that was provided to them for free by the Ugandan government, the UN subsidized them with rations. There is no such thing as social security in East Africa - unless you're a killer. Granted, many of them may not have been participants in the genocide, but it was tremendously emotional and unsettling to be in a situation where I knew that several of the people I was conversing with had been a part of one of the most brutal events in human history.

We crossed the border the next day into Rwanda and headed straight for Kigali. Kigali is a beautiful city - much cleaner, nicer, safer, and less polluted than Uganda. It made us question corruption in government in Uganda that much more that President Kagame of Rwanda had been able to impact so much development in such a short time. We got to see Kagame and his motorcade while driving in the city.

We headed first to the Kigali Genocide Memorial. This site was a museum dedicated to both the dead and living victims of the 1994 genocide. There were several mass graves that housed the remains of thousands of people. It was a beautiful place and an amazing tribute to both the Tutsi and Hutu victims of the genocide.

We went to two other genocide memorial sites outside of Kigali, both churches. One church - roughly the size of one floor of the Daniel Building - held 10,000 people inside of it and 30,000 more on its grounds. There were five survivors out of these. Most of these individuals that have been able to be found are buried here. There were crypts that housed tens of thousands of skulls and bones. Seeing these things was one of the most difficult experiences I have ever had. The other site was even smaller and an estimated 15,000 people died there. The clothes of those that had died were kept in both of these sites. What was jarring was that the clothes looked so new still. It was hard in some ways to really accept that the things I was seeing were real.. but the clothes looked brand new, only covered in blood.

Back in Uganda, we visited a United Nations Millenium Village Project at Ruhira, one of more than a dozen pilot programs for Millenium Development Goals tasks in Africa. It was very interesting to see what the UN has been able to do - the village has been impacted greatly.

Next, we we went to Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. We took a boat ride on a channel from Lake Albert and saw massive herds of buffalo and countless schools of hippos within 20 feet of our boat. When we returned to the hostel we were staying at, we were warned to watch out for lions and hippos at night because they frequently came and sat on the porches of the hotel. The power went out later in the night - typical anywhere in Uganda - and we all laughed at ourselves because our first reaction was not to be angry that the power was out, but to try and figure out how we'd see the lions that may have come for a visit. We were outside hanging out later in the evening and three hippos did actually walk up to very close to where we were. This was amazing and we got some awesome pictures. Although we were warned that they are very dangerous, we were able to get fairly close to them. The next morning, we took a safari and got to drive across the savannah while sitting on top of vans. We saw lions, elephants, baboons, gazelles, buffalo, Uganda cranes, and many other amazing animals.

I am back in Kampala now for two weeks and about to start the public health focus program academically. I hope everyone is doing well at home!

Conversations with Spainards: Learning to have a wordly perspective

Learning about the world through conversations with Spaniards and other international students
    My first couple of weeks in Spain have mainly consisted of getting adjusted to the Spanish culture, eating dinner after ten o'clock, and adjusting to speaking and thinking primarily in Spanish. Now that I am more settled, I have really started to understand what this study abroad experience is going to mean to me.
     I live in the "residencias" which are like really really nice dorms. My apartment has room for eight people so we have lots of roommates. I live with one other American girl from Colorado, two Korean girls (one of which is my actual roommate), and the rest are Spaniards. We have all gotten past the basic introductions and have really started to become friends. The other day at dinner, one of our roommates got the courage to ask Molly (my roommate from Colorado) and I some questions that seemed to be weighing heavily on everyone's minds.
    They had lots of questions about the "American way of life," Americans' views on the world, stereotypes, and other issues that were related to politics and the way of life in America. When we left to study abroad, we were all told that we would be kind of like ambassadors for America. I didn't really believe that my presence would be important or change anyone's opinion but it is really nice to know that I have. My roommates had never met Americans (my University is near Madrid but it is actually in a relatively small place).
    We talked for literally hours about stereotypes and which ones are wrong (most of them) and which ones are somewhat true. We explained, or tried to at least, how our government works, why Americans work so much, why everyone is told that Americans are fat, ....
    We also got a chance to talk to our roommates about issues in their countries. Our Spanish roommates explained the motives of the terrorist group ETA from the northern part of Spain who want to be a separate country, our Korean roommates explained some of the hardships that they have faced as far as racism and also as far as issues within Korea.
    It was so interesting to talk to everyone about the issues that are most prominent in their home country and also for all of us to realize that we are ALL falsely stereotyped. It has truly been a growing experience and I look forward to learning more about the world from my international friends.

Trips this week   
    On a lighter note, my roommate and I went to Valencia this weekend. Valencia is about four hours straight east from Madrid on the Mediterranean coast. The beach was beautiful and we tasted paella in the town where it originated. We attended our first futbol game (soccer is a forbidden word in this country), and spent lots of time at the beach. We went to the cathedral where the Holy Grail is kept which as pretty fantastic as well.
    This weekend we are going to Toledo on Friday, Avila on Saturday, and spending some time in Madrid on Sunday. I'll send more updates soon.

Hvod kommer du fra?

Hvod kommer du fra? I come from the USA. (In case you didn’t get it, that means “where do you come from” in Danish). Other than the Danish signs everywhere, things here are pretty easy and have been for the past three weeks. I got here on August 26^th and I actually originally wrote this blog the first week but the website did something funky and I lost it. Anyhow, since I’m a little sick today, I decided I’d use my missed class time to go ahead and finally update Wofford on the going on of Denmark. It is a very amazing country since almost everyone here speaks pretty good English. There are some you have to work with, but hey I’m surprised even half the population speaks English as well as they do. I actually recently dropped my Danish class for another class that seemed more exciting to me. The reason for that was because a Dane on the bus home from school one day told me that the Danish language was too hard to learn to speak and quite useless to learn since most everyone speaks English and as far as the world is concerned the Danish language is spoken by too few people to really matter. Well, that was quite demoralizing and led to me dropping Danish. I do remember my numbers and the phrase that started this blog though because they bring about an interesting thought.

I’ve heard scary stories about people going to other countries and the people of those countries become xenophobic just like what some Americans still do today. Well let me tell you that though the Danes seem almost entirely Scandinavian White, I feel totally comfortable living among them. They mostly seem to be friendly and accepting of different people as long as those different people don’t try to change Denmark too much. For instance, jaywalking is highly offensive here, mainly on major streets and in the downtown area. You have to wait for the little green man to flash on the screen so you can walk across. Also, never walk in the biking lane. Those bikers will give you the nastiest looks this side of the Atlantic. They will also ding their bells like crazy and zoom by so close that it is obvious they wanted to hit you for not following the rules! Anyhow, beyond this, not much is different here. You wake up, go to school, come home, maybe go see some sites and check out some Danish food or just hang out with the people in your housing. There are a few Danes in our housing and they seem pretty cool. I also get to spend time with the other students from all over the US and other parts of the world. All in all, there are nearly 500 DIS students this semester and most of them seem to enjoy their programs.

         Now, let me tell you about my biggest culture shock moment. The Danes will walk into shops and leave their babies outside in strollers. They claim it is to let the babies get some sun since I’ve only seen it happen on the fairly sunny days. However, to anyone from our part of the world, that could easily be seen as neglect in caring for the child. This is something I will never be able to accept, but it seems that the society has a lot of built in trust. Let me also tell you that public transportation is kind of fun. I just like to figure out stuff and change trains and busses to get where I’m going, though most of the time I just take one bus straight to my classes. Anyhow, I’m sure anyone who grew up in a city in the US understands public transportation. I enjoy it to an extent, but I prefer being able to drive myself around places. Call it selfish if you want, it just feels nice for me to have my own private vehicle.

         Let’s get to the good stuff. I’m enrolled in the Marine Biology program here in Denmark. It is amazing to say the least. I do wish one of my classes was a little less boring, but I’m sure it will pick up as we get out of the introduction classes. It is difficult to gauge where different people are since some have never taken any basic Zoology or Ecology courses where as others are masters in marine life. The classes here have to adjust to that by teaching the basics first and then getting into the real detail that the classes are made for. This past weekend we had a short study tour that took us around Denmark. We got to collect samples and analyze what kinds of animals lived where and why they lived in their specific habitats. Collecting samples is really fun for me. I put on the wader and headed into the water with my small collection tool. I don’t have any pictures of this because the professors took the pictures, but I will try and get them to you next time! Anyhow, the next day we went to this town called Skagen (pronounced Skane). Skagen is at the northern tip of Denmark where the Kattegat and the Skagerrak meet. Those are the two Danish seas that surround the tip of Denmark. Anyhow, it looks really cool because the peninsula juts out in between them and is partially land covered by water. The reason it looks cool is because the two sets of waves crash into each other, creating this great clashing of seas at the tip of northern Denmark. We also got to go in a ferry that was massive enough to load our entire bus on to.

Here is a picture of the lighthouse at Skagen.

Anyhow, I'll have more next time. I think I'm going to go do a bit of sightseeing around Copenhagen this week and this time I will take my camera so you can see more of the city. I also hope to have some pictures of our sample collecting, etc. Until next time, hej hej. (That is pronounced hi hi and means goodbye! To say hello, just say it once and you are good to go. Next time you say hi to someone, be proud that you just spoke some Danish.)

~Prashant Patel

Happy Ramadan!!

It has been three weeks here in Amman, Jordan for me. My last two weeks have been spent in Colloquial Arabic classes getting a grasp on the language. I passed the class and can now carry on a very basic conversation about time, food, location, or colors. But I think that the class was very good for a beginner in the Arabic language. I feel more comfortable getting around the city on my own now because I know how to give directions in Arabic.
This past Thursday was the beginning of Ramadan here in Amman. If you are not sure of what Ramadan is, it is the holy month in Islam. For the month all faithful Muslims will fast from food, drink, and smoking during the daylight. Each morning Muslim families will wake up while the sun is still down and prepare a feast for breakfast. And then once the sun goes down the family comes together again for dinner. The month symbolizes the time that the prophet Muhammad spent fasting in the wilderness while receiving the revelations of Allah. For a non-Muslim living in a Muslim country it is vital to remain respectful of this month of fasting. I will not be able to drink water or eat lunch in public. Even chewing gum can be seen as a sign of disrespect. For the month students will be on a shortened schedule for classes. Our classes will start at nine every morning and will be adjourned by two in the afternoon at the latest. Most of the businesses and offices adhere to these hours of operation as well. So there will be no late night runs to the “French Wal-mart” near my apartment. Of course there is some special consideration for me during Ramadan since I am a Western tourist, but I do not wish to advantage of this. I believe that fully respecting an Islamic believers’ choice to fast is an integral part of studying abroad in a Muslim country. I know that it will take some getting used to but I am going to try not to drink water in public or even reach for that stick of gum after class.

So to start Ramadan off I spent the majority of this past weekend doing some water hiking and camping. A group of seven students left early Friday morning and traveled about two hours South to Wadi ibn Hammad. This little river starts near the town of Kerak and ends about ten km East of the Dead Sea. If you are not sure what water hiking is then I will briefly explain. Water hiking is trekking through and around sources of water, sometimes wading, swimming or climbing up or down waterfalls to continue. The hike was about a total of 20 km roundtrip. We stopped at numerous waterfalls where we sat under them and received natural massages or we climbed up them and rappelled back down. By the halfway point of our hike we climbed to the top of the canyon to get a better look at the Dead Sea. On the way back we opted for the more challenging route. We climbed up the other side of the canyon and trekked through grazing lands and then back down the side of the canyon once we saw a crack big enough for our packs and us to fit down. We eventually made it back towards the top where we set up camp on a large boulder over looking a small rapid. After sleeping under the Milky Way we packed up camp and headed for the Dead Sea by way of our van.
The Dead Sea was truly amazing. I still cannot believe the way that we floated so easily in the water. Some of us even tried to touch the bottom but quickly found that it was impossible. And after stinging from the salt water in all of our hiking scratches for about 20 minutes we proceeded to cover ourselves in mud and let it bake on. I am sure that many people have seen the kiosks in malls that sell the Dead Sea products guaranteed to rejuvenate your skin. I cannot speak for those companies selling those products. But I can say that my skin has never felt so soft before. So I would suggest ignoring the kiosks in the mall and heading straight for your travel agent to book your vacation here at the Dead Sea.

:: Joshua

A riot, an illness, a monsoon, and.. a really good time?

Michael Vaughn - Kampala, Uganda - Development Studies at Makerere University

I have lots of stories for you guys. Plus, can we start using headings like the one I've used here? This blog is sort of confusing.

Family/Home

I have moved in with my host family. My parents are Sarah and Elly Senoga. I have 3 host brothers called Richard, Brian, and Aaron (21, 20, and 11 respectively). Richard and Brian study at Makerere University (where I am also taking classes) although Richard lives on campus. We also have an aunt, Justine, who lives with us, along with her daughter Shamin. All these are in addition to our houseboy and housegirl (servants) who are called Entegge and Molly. It makes for a pretty large household but the family is very tight-knit. I share a room with Brian.

My mom is a nurse and my dad is a businessman. I'd say our family is fairly representative of the (albeit small) Ugandan middle class. Our house is fairly large although the electricity goes off at least three  days a week and we have no indoor plumbing. We do have running water but our bathroom consists of a shower room (as in bucket showers) and a pit latrine. I really am not a fan of pit latrines, it turns out. However, my family makes up for these shortcomings with their hospitality and by feeding me massive quantities of food.

I got sick this week and my mom took awesome care of me with lots of traditional and modern healthcare techniques. I am the only person I know who could come to equatorial Africa and manage to get a cold. However, it was not malaria, so for that I am grateful.

My family is of the Buganda tribe. The Buganda dominate most of Uganda and are the most prevalent in the southern and central parts of Uganda. Their language is Luganda and that is what I am learning in classes. The Buganda tribe consists of 56 clans. The members of clans must marry outside their own clans and lineage is patriarchal. My mother is Buffalo clan and my father (as well as the rest of the family) is Mfumbe. The elders of the clan assign names to all members reflecting Buganda heritage as well as a personality trait. They have assigned the name Walusimbe to me; this approximately means "will be rich." I was somewhat insulted when I got it (I thought it was a reflection of my muzungu/white person status) but they normally give names reflecting future success.

University

I am studying development studies while I am here at Makerere University. Makerere is a very large school and classes have been awesome. We have had some amazing speakers come so far including an official from the Ministry of Health and the leader of the opposition in the Ugandan parliament. We have also gotten to go on some awesome excursions to visit nonprofit organizations around Kampala including the Single Parents Association of Uganda, Mwanumugimu (a children's malnutrition center), and others. We have also gotten to visit cultural sites like the National Museum of Uganda and the Kasubi tombs where Buganda royalty are buried (also the location of the world's largest thatched hut, which was pretty cool). We are heading to Mbarara (western Uganda) and Rwanda next week. We will get to see the capital of Rwanda, Kigali, as well as all the major genocide memorial sites. I am very excited about this. Classes are very long - 2 hours of Luganda in the morning, an hour and a half of a guest lecturer, and then another 2 hours of lecture. I usually get home from school around 5-7 p.m.

Kampala

So my feelings of safety were a little sturdier than they should've been - I've had a few people attempt (unsuccessfully) to pickpocket me. However, it's nothing that you wouldn't encounter in an American city of Kampala's size. It rains nearly every day lately which Ugandans attribute to global warming (the rainy season is supposed to be in May and essentially didn't happen this year, choosing to happen now instead). There was a riot at the taxi park that I use over the government's decision to sell off a market surrounding the park to a private investor, pushing out all the longtime vendors that had previously operated businesses there. This riot went on for 2-3 days with the roads blocked off, lots of people teargassed, and lots of military/police involvement. The government seems to be backing down on this and a "ceasefire" was declared yesterday.

Government

The government in Uganda is monumentally corrupt. President Museveni is widely regarded to have stolen the last election and there are widespread allegations of misuse of foreign aid and other funds at all levels of government.

One of the biggest issues facing Uganda right now is the advent of CHOGM in November. CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government) is a bi-yearly meeting of heads of state of all former UK colonies and protectorates. Uganda is one of those nations and Kampala was chosen as the site for the 2007 CHOGM meeting. The government is cleaning up as much of the city as possible to prepare for the arrival of Queen Elizabeth and the other heads of state. In the process, they are harassing, displacing, and imprisoning the city's homeless and street vendors. 40% of the 2007 governmental budget is being spent on CHOGM preparations and there is a huge media drive to brainwash people into "embracing CHOGM" and convince them to forget the insanity of this spending. The government is advocating for emphasis on CHOGM using the theory that it will bring in short-term economic gain and attention to Ugandan plights. However, with the way the government is curtaining the poverty and problems in this country, an increase in foreign aid cannot be expected; the heads of state and the Queen herself will see a sanitized Uganda that is in no way representative of this country. The economic influx will also be shortlived - CHOGM is here for only three days.

Peers

I have had a great time getting to know my classmates. We have gone out together on several occasions and had an amazing time. There are people from all walks of life and they are all very smart and dedicated. A lot of us have been struck down by stomach illnesses but as a whole we're faring fairly well.

General

I miss: my family, my friends back home, cheese (Ugandans don't eat it), broadband Internet, my cell phone, and WOFFORD.

I love: the climate, the fact that I see monkeys on a regular basis, Tusker's (come to Africa and find out), surprising Ugandans by speaking Luganda, teaching my little brother to read, my mom's skepticism of American clothing, and the future of this country.

I was able to go to the Uganda v. Niger soccer match last weekend. We got bumped up to VIP because of a connection our friend had and sat behind a very famous Ugandan girl group. Uganda dominated and we were a big hit in our Uganda Cranes jerseys. It was like being a celebrity.. seriously. We were on the news that night and one of our group was in the newspaper.

I got my head shaven and I have a beard.. really.

My first two weeks in Spain

Location
    I am studying in an intensive language program in Alcala de Henares which is about a 20 minute commute east of Madrid. The town is rather small but definitely has a separate identity from Madrid. It is quaint and their claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of Cervantes (the author of Don Quiote).It has been wonderful to be so close to Madrid not only because Madrid is a beautiful city, but also because it is very easy to catch a train, bus, or plane, to anywhere in Spain from Madrid. So far I have only visited Segovia but I plan on going to Valencia (on the Mediterranean Coast) this weekend.

Culture Shock and Spanish Customs
    Being in a foreign country is hard  especially because I arrived very jet lagged. The six hour time difference between here and the East Coast is more difficult than I expected. I haven't completely adjusted to the time difference yet and I have been here for two weeks now.
    Not only is there a time difference, Spaniards have a very different schedule than I am used to. Most days we go to class from 9 until 2 and then everything closes (including schools, banks, the post office...) until around 5 pm for SIESTA which is a custom that I am definitely a big fan of. After siesta, the shops all reopen but the concept of time is relative here....appointments made for 5 pm might mean 5 or they might mean 6...it's not a big deal here.
    We eat breakfast every morning around 8, lunch around 2, and dinner around 10 (which is considered EARLY). This has been quite an adjustment as at Wofford, Burwell opens for dinner at 5 PM. Then everyone goes out around midnight-even children and grandparents. Many of the young people stay out until 8 in the morning but I don't think that I will ever be able to do that.
    Other than the strange schedule, I have had to learn to understand what the Spanish people know as "piropos" which are essentially "catcalls." Here in Spain this is considered COMPLETELY NORMAL but, I have to admit, I think it is still pretty rude. Especially being blonde and fair skinned, I get a lot of attention but it is harmless and I have to remember that it is part of their culture even if I don't like it.
    The only other thing that was hard for me to adjust to was the concept of "personal space." By this I mean that "personal space" does NOT EXIST in

Spain. Instead of a handshake, you greet people with a kiss on each cheek and when people are talking to you it is completely normal for them to be literally 5 inches from your face. I am adjusting to all of these things and even learning to like some of them.

Having Fun and Learning Too
    It has been so much fun to travel around

Madrid and Alcala but also to

Segovia and plan many other trips. It is very strange to be able to go to

Toledo for the day or to go see Roman ruins. The time scale here is so much more grand than in "the states" because

Europe is just so much older. I love the huge buildings which are so beautiful. Even the post office in

Madrid is gorgeous.
    We get a history lesson everywhere we go whether we want to or not. All of the monuments and buildings have meaning and history which is important to the identity of the town/city. I've learned a lot about Cervantes and Cisneros who are honored everywhere in this region.
    We American students are also adjusting to the metric system...celcius is the hardest for most of us but we are adjusting...hopefully by December we will be experts.

Classes   
    My classes are all taught in Spanish and so far I have learned a lot. All of my professors are very knowledgeable and are also aware that English is our primary language. They help us with the vocabulary and also with the material but it is very strange: we have no textbooks at all.
    We learn by asking our professors questions and by listening in class but that is all. We have no reading assignments (what a change from Wofford!) and really no official homework but we are encouraged to ask our Spanish friends and roommates about anything that we might not have understood.

I will write again soon and hopefully include a picture but the internet is not great here and currently I am unable to upload a picture.

Week one in France...done.

Wow! I am terribly sorry to be so late in getting one of these posts out! I left the US for Nantes, France last Tuesday the 4th of September. I arrived in France on Wednesday the 5th at Charles de Gaulle airport. Let me warn you, for those who are thinking of passing through there, that CDG airport in France is the most confusing place that I've ever had the displeasure of hauling luggage through. Anyway, thankfully I didn't have to go too far to catch my train to Nantes. I would have to say that I am still, after a week of being here, in my adjustment stage. The living conditions are not unbearable, but they are certainly not American. In America we think nothing of taking a shower(one that involves a shower spout actually attached to the wall) at anytime of the day. We can get food at any time, and real protein in the form of red meat doesnt cost the equivalent of 35$. Here, if I smile at anyone it implies that I know them personally. If a female smiles at a male, even in passing on the street, it implies a certain level of interest on the part of the female that could get her into trouble with said male. Things usually close at 10:00 pm, and transportation via buses and trams can be something of a rat race. To be honest, the hardest adjustments in studying abroad are the cultural ones, not the linguistic ones. At least for me this is true. Adjusting is made even more difficult when all of my thoughts during my quiet times at night focus on what I have left behind. It seems that life moves in a true circle for me right now. In the morning I wake up refreshed and content and ready to take on the challenges of orientation in a foreign country. I spend all day with my IES friends ( including Elizabeth LaMance, Geoff Taylor, Brook Greer and two sisters Brittany and Ashley Holtgrewe from St. Louis ). Then at night each of us must return to our homestays. Usually when a person retires and goes home for the day, they return to a sanctuary called home. There they can relax, be quiet and wind down. This is not true for us. The nights spent with our French families are often the most intense moments of the day. It is during these times when I want most to be home. But, I came here to learn this language and this culture, and I know that each day will get easier as I habituate myself to France, the land of the three holy C's: chocolate, coffee and cheese! haha. Yes, there are upsides to being away from the US. This country is beautiful! I think that the small towns and the countryside are my favorite places to find surprises. Last weekend, during our orientation in Vannes, we stopped by a little town called Rochefort en Terre. It was so quaint and the little church in the center of the town is truly inspiring! Much love to all of you at home! I'll keep writing.

Sorry! I'll have to get a picture for you later... gotta go to more orientation classes!

The Italian Clock

Since my arrival in beautiful Italy a week ago, I’ve consistently had to adjust to the change in time.  By time, I don’t mean the six-hour gap between Ferraraand Wofford; the difference in time proves much more complex than a little jet lag.  I’ve always heard that time moves much more slowly in Europe, but Ferrara ’s relaxed atmosphere has come as a bittersweet (but much more sweet than bitter) shock. 

In Ferrara (as in most of Italyso I have heard), lives revolve a very flexible schedule.  Most shops don’t open until around 9am, and then they close again around 12:30pm.  After a break for lunch and an afternoon nap, they reopen around 4pm and end the day about 7pm.  Saturday’s hours vary significantly from store to store and only a few businesses open on Sunday. 

Of course, I love the siesta!!  Wofford should look into scheduling one daily.  I think I can speak for most students when I say that we Terriers would definitely appreciate it.  Unfortunately, the limited hours can crush the plans of a procrastinator like me.  With the absence of 24 hour Wal-Marts, late night errands cease to exist.

Shopkeepers, with their matter-of-fact but jovial attitudes, promise ordered merchandise will arrive the next day, yet my friend’s phone still hasn’t appeared though the merchant has told her “Damoni” (tomorrow) for the past three days.  It explains why I still have no Internet in my apartment and shouldn’t expect it for another 2 weeks.  Surprisingly, the scarcity of Internet has not proven much of an issue.  The citizens of Ferrara don’t expect me to check my email twenty times in one day, and the break from Facebook has helped with my addiction. Living in Ferrara for only a few days has proven that life can exist at a slow pace and still produce wonderful results.  The Italians don’t work 20 hours a day, but they do work hard and whatever they do, they do it well. 

Meetings seldom begin on time.  Honestly, though, I haven’t found anything unappealing about this aspect of Italy’s definition of time.  I find it especially helpful when we studenti inglese have gotten lost once again on the cobblestone streets of Ferrara.

Italy has a different view on time than the U.S.  In America, we must schedule every second.  We mustn’t leave a minute open.  Italians, however, take the time to smell caffé espresso, to enjoy the scenery provided by La Castella and Il Duomo.  Italians appreciate the sweetness of life.  Maybe we Americans, too, should slow down our clocks and embrace the serenity of La Dolce Vita. 

Ciao!

:) Adrienne

PS  Look forward to some pictures of beautiful Ferrara in the next post!