Wofford College - Study Abroad

Mexico City

I got back late Sunday night after a riveting weekend in Mexico city.  My first impression of the city was not exactly a good one.  Coming down the long, straight highway into the Distrito Federal you can see a cloud of smog over the city.  It hovers there so contently, almost as if it were trying to keep out any clean air that might even be thinking about penetrating the lungs of the people.  Mexico City is one of the biggest cities in the world, so would not even begin to claim that what I saw was an accurate representation of the city, but from the parts I did see, other than the air, it was sparkly clean.

We arrived Friday afternoon after about five hours in the van, most of which I spent reading a book called "My Ishmael,"  which I like so far.  After thoroughly befuddling ourselves at a buffet, we visited the national palace and cathedral nearby.  I also visited the largest photography exhibit I've ever seen in my life in the plaza next to the hostel.  The photos had nothing to do with Mexico, rather how humans interact with animals, but hey, it was free, and anything free for a student usually means I can make myself be entertained by it.

We went to the Teotihuacan/Aztec temples about an hour outside the city on Saturday, which was certainly the highlight of the trip.  I was previously unaware that the temples were not built by the Aztecs, but rather by the Teotihuacans, hundreds of years before the Aztecs found them overgrown near they mountains.  They thought they were left by the gods and decided to inhabit them.  Knowing that an ancient people found something from another ancient people makes my perception of time feel quite minuscule.

This is the world's slowest internet connection, and an top of that I have to go pick up a professor from Spain to take her to my house for lunch.  She is here on business checking out some CIEE programs in Mexico.  I hope to add pictures to this blog later today after meeting with the professor.

In response to a Wofford professors question, there seems to be no reason for the amazing color of the houses.  I asked my host parents about it this morning over breakfast, and to their knowledge, the colors have no symbolism.   They mentioned that as far back as they can remember, even as kids, the houses have always been colorful.

Off to lunch...I hope there is guacamole.

John

Un poco de todo...

Hola amigos! We have done a LOT in the short three and a half weeks we´ve been here, and I think I have stuffed more info into my brain than I ever have!

Travel:

We travel about half the time in this program, which is awesome because Bolivia is so diverse that it is necessary to travel everywhere in order to completely understand the ins and outs of everything in this country! We have already been to Oruro, Tarata, Potosi, and Sucre, and will be going to Tiwanaku, Copacabana, La Paz, a rural village stay (we all have different spots so we don´t know where yet), Tarija, Santa Cruz, and somewhere else that I can´t remember. This will all take place within two and a half months so you can imagine how busy we´ve been!

Workload:

I have a lot of schoolwork to do, but its so good because I have learned so much. We have class (when we are in town) from 9-12:30 and 2:45-6:30 everyday. In the morning it is a Culture and Development class or a field study seminar. In the afternoons we have grammar classes, which have been awesome. I have a great spanish teacher, Chi Chi, who is so amazing. I have learned so much from her, and my spanish has improved a BAZILLION times! It of course helps to be able to practice 24/7!

Food:

I know, I know...I wrote about this last time, but its a HUGE part of the culture here. Just thought I´d tell you guys about the weird things I have eaten (and some of it thrown up). First, corn is really big here and we had corn juice at lunch the other day. I don´t really recommend it, but my host family loves it...and I made the mistake of saying "sí, me gusta" in order to be polite the first time...we now drink it alot. Weird meats: pigs feet and ears (threw up...I could not get the thought of the live pig out of my head...they were also cold), coneja (look it up....fortunately I only had to taste this because it had its ears, teeth, body, everything still there!), and llama! I actually really really liked the llama...it was finally a meat without a ton of fat on it!

Tarata:

We had a rural drop off in this village. Me and my partner, Suma, got very lost in the mountains after we had found our original location. What we thought would take 10 mins ended up taking an hour and 10 mins to make it to the lunch location. It was, however, a great hike with beautiful scenery (as always).

Potosi:

This was probably one of the coolest and most educational trips. Potosi is the highest city in the world (no worries, I wasn´t super bothered by the altitude aside from the occasional headache), and was at one point in time also the richest city in the world. Now, its one of the poorest mining towns ever, and is quickly depleting in resources. Over 8 million people have died there, 2500 kids work there (in conditions which I will explain), and there is not much money to be made. It is more or less the only type of work to be found in this town. People who work in the mines basically have a death sentence between 35-45 due to sillacosis. We actually got to go down into the mines, which was one of the scariest things ever. We went down five levels, but there are fifteen in Cerro Rico (the mine we entered). The first time he pointed to the tiny whole we were going to climb down to make it to the next level, I thought he was joking. (I actually laughed out loud...not an intelligent decision) We also had to climb out...someone pointed out that it was "a lot like caving, except more educational". I honestly have no idea how people work in conditions like that all day long...sometimes on 24 hour shifts. They eat coca leaves to get rid of the hunger pains and headaches and for energy. We actually brought the miners gifts of coca leaves and dynamite (I definitely gave some dynamite! way more fun...). It is also interesting what they believe in down there. They believe that outside the mine God is in control, but inside the mine is the world of the Tio ("tee-owe")(or devil). They have statues of "tios" on each level with offerings in order to keep them safe. They also have blood stains on the entrance of the mine where they offer llama blood every few months.

Attn Spanish Professors: "The Devil´s Miner" is an awesome documentary that you would love...great for classes!

Sucre:

Wow, sorry that last one was so long...just a very interesting place! Sucre was much more Europeanized...I actually didn´t even feel much like I was in Bolivia anymore...especially after just leaving Potosi. Sucre is the home of the Constitutional Assembly, but they had just finished meeting so we didn´t get to see much with that. We visited lots of museums, had ice cream in the plaza, and I bought a really cool painting that will go awesome in the (hopefully) apartment next year!

Adjustment:

I am definitely adjusting very well. My host family is awesome, which makes a big difference. I am starting to get used to the pace of things down here, slowly but surely...and the constant spanish is no longer a source of headache. The spanish has definitely taken over aside from the other day. We were at a cafe, everyone had ordered (in spanish), and when she came to me I started talking to her in english...I didn´t even realize it til everyone started laughing! You win some, you lose some I guess. I have found an awesome church here, where I have met some awesome Bolivian friends my age! The people in my program are also really nice...we are all so different, with so many different backgrounds, and it makes for a great group dynamic.

Interesting Situations:

I´m not exactly sure how I´m going to get to class on Monday. The micro (which I usually take) will not be there as the drivers are on strike. There is also no gas right now due to a problem in the Chapare, and taxis are scarce...hopefully there will be gas again by Monday...otherwise I may be walking a very long way to the center of town! There is also a big deal here right now about the US embassy. A fulbright scholar has come out and said that the embassy asked them to report any cubans or venezuelans they come into contact with...since then, many peace corps members in bolivia (who already don´t have a great rep here due to past grievances) have come out and said the same thing. Its been all over the local news, and will be interesting to see how Bolivians view any "gringo" in the country. No worries though, nothing bad has happened and it should be fine!!

Other than that, driving through the mountains is like driving through a postcard, and any city is like stepping into a documentary. It really is beautiful here! I miss you all very much and can´t wait to hear from you all soon! If I haven´t responded to your email, I promise I will...it just takes me awhile!

un besito,

Kristen

Feeling like home and really good pizza...from a cafeteria!

So you know when you are out and about in the city that you live in, just minding your business when you run into someone you know, you chat for a few minutes, and then go on your merry way? Well it happened to me yesterday (Monday)!  I was walking out of the University cafeteria with Lizzie when I ran into a friend I met at church!  We did the whole French kisses-on-the-cheek thing, for a few minutes we talked about classes and the food, and then left.  It was a tiny thing, but so fun to run into someone in FRANCE that I knew not from my program. 

Now about this pizza: the restaurant universitaire, or RU, serves extremely cheap meals, 2,40 euros, each to students everyday, but they dole out much more than you expect.  Lizzie and I thought we would try the pizza line because we had the time.  But you don't just get a slice of pizza--you get a whole, fairly large-sized plate sized pizza that is fresh! And that is not even the end of it: you also get your choice of three of the following: baguette roll, salad, fruit, or dessert.  I don't know how they do it, but it was amazing!  It is probably a good thing the university is decent tram ride away, and my class there is only once a week.

For my lunches on the other 4 school days, IES Nantes has a kitchen with cabinets, two fridges, two microwaves, and a toaster over in it for students to keep food and cook lunches.  So I've mostly had some vegetable soup, a kiwi, some Camembert on toast and yogurt for my lunches!  That is pretty simple to make and cheap too!

Good luck finding deals at wal-mart, publix, and food lion (my personal favorite)! Much love to y'all at Wofford!

Off to a good start

Well, the semester in Mexico is certainly off to a good start.  Saturday morning the other students and I met in front of the basilica in downtown Guanajuato to head out for a tour of the town.  It was only our second day and I was trying to be outgoing, so I approached a girl in the group and asked her how she was enjoying her host family.  She stared at me blankly for about five seconds before bursting into tears.  That made me feel absolutely splendid.

The unnamed girl eventually recovered and had a good next couple of days, and no, I didn't make her cry again.  Aside from that, this semester really is off to a great start.  Spanish here is much different than I was expecting, but certainly in a pleasant way.  Unlike the Chileans, the Mexicans enjoy pronunciation and speaking at a normal pace, both of which I also enjoy.  The Mexicans and I are going to hit it off big time.

The city is incredible.  Each house is painted a bright, loud color.  It's funny how in the US if one house does that it gets called ugly or weird, but if every house is covered in lime green, orange, or pink paint, it seems normal.  Only the plain brick house stands out as weird.

During our tour we went about an hour from Guanajuato to the geographical center of Mexico, where I saw a very, very large statue of Jesus.  After seeing the center of Mexico and the most impressive Jesus statue I've ever seen, we returned to Guanajuato where I had dinner with my host family.  I think it is going to be a good semester.  The spanish placement test was today and classes start tomorrow at nine.  Can't wait.

Language barriers and taxis don´t mix!

Buenas tardes!

I just thought I´d share with everyone a funny story that happened to me last night. Being from South Carolina, I have never really had to take a taxi. Here in Cochabamba, however, it is one of the main forms of transportation. Until last night, I had successfully avoided using a taxi...preferring the over-crowded "micros" (mee-crows, kind of a mini-bus) as the Cochabambinos call them.

To give you some background, everyone has been thoroughly briefed to under no circumstances take anything other than the "radio taxi" employed by our specific homestay families. Though taxis are a common form of transportation, the non-radio taxis can be dangerous, especially at night.

So, last night I´m feeling particularly independent. I was turning 21 at midnight, we were all out together, and I was determined to return home at a decent hour without waking my familia boliviana. So at 1AM (for all you parents reading, this is actually quite a decent hour for a college student in a city that never sleeps!) I call the company of my specific radio taxi, and ask them to pick me up in front of Club Tirana, en el Prado.

Here is where the miscommunication starts. The woman repeats what I said (or so I thought) and then asks "adonde?". Being the educated spanish student that I am, and feeling rather proud that I am able to talk to this barely audible woman over the phone in spanish, I tell her my home address: "Pasaje J. de los Rios, casas gemelas, familia Aguirre". We hang up, and I go to the street to wait for the taxi with my friends.

30 minutes goes by and still no taxi. This is pretty normal, but I was feeling a little nervous about it...so I took my phone out to call the company and make sure they were coming. When I look at my phone I have about five missed calls from my host mom! I call her back and discover that the taxi is outside of our house (now 1:30 in the morning) honking the horn!

I apparently told the woman to come to my house and then to take us to El Prado. Well, my host mom goes out and tells him exactly where we are. He begins to drive to El Prado.

20 minutes later, we see a taxi: "Radio Taxi: Ciudad Jardin"...that´s us! So we all get in the taxi, feeling relieved that the taxi finally came. We get about five minutes down the road, and my host mom calls again. "Where are you?" she asks. I confidently tell her that we are on our way home in the taxi. "Which taxi?" she asks. Again, I proudly say "Radio Taxi: Ciudad Jardin". She then asks for the number...

As I´m sure you´ve already guessed, we were in the wrong taxi. Not only did we not get in ours, but we got in someone else´s who had also called! Fortunately the cab driver decided to take us anyway, just for a lot more money!

When I finally arrived home at 2:30AM my host parents were laughing so hard they could barely breathe. This was a relief as I thought they would be very unhappy with the interruption of sleep, and problems that I had caused. Quite the contrary, however!

I honestly felt so bad, but I did learn the hard way exactly what to say and when to say it when calling a radio taxi. My host dad took the opportunity to teach me a new word this morning: "castigada".  After last night I am now a "castigada," a prisoner! He is never letting me out of the house again...at least not when a taxi is involved!

One month later...Dominican-style

So, one month in the Dominican Republic, and I'm still alive! That's something, right? And one month later, I'm finally tackling my first blog. Let's just say I have no internet in my house and that's a slight adjustment from my usual compulsive e-mail checking and facebooking. Right now, as I begin this blog I am actually sitting in my Spanish course here in the FLACSO building. It's ok-we're taking a break. No worries- I haven't completely adopted the Dominican attitude of lax scheduling and non-existent punctuality. To give you an idea of just how unorganized some things can be here, I still haven't started two of my classes yet because the university adopted a new system which has caused mayhem in the registration and scheduling process. Can you imagine Wofford starting 3 weeks late because of a new scheduling process? Frustrating overall, but in the meantime, I've been enjoying a little extra leisure time! Always nice, right?

In order to avoid rambling too much, I'll break the past month down into sections for you, places I've been, frustrations I've encountered. So sorry that there are no pictures now, but I'm having slight technical difficulties and will try to get you a visual very soon!

Psst...Gringa, Rubia, Sweetheart!
When you're a white woman living in a machismo country, you quickly become aware of yourself and your surroundings. Walking around the city, the "piropos," or cat calls, can be endless and sometimes, all you want is to not be noticed. Gringo is the spanish word for any North American, rubia means blonde or white and mixed in with the bits and pieces of English that the men on the streets know, you've got yourself a wide vocabulary to construct piropos. The machismo culture is so deeply ingrained here that even twelve year olds will call out at you. Which is more funny than anything else. Until you think of that 12 year old in about 5 years. Then you just get frustrated with the culture. But that's the thing, it is just the culture and all you can do is try to understand it and live with it. Walking down the streets, I just try to not make too much eye contact (which is hard when you come from place like Wofford where you just smile and wave to everybody) and look like I know where I'm going (which is also hard when you have my horrible sense of direction).

A la playa!
I have to say, my favorite thing about the Dominican so far is the beaches! Where else can you pay less than $2 to hop on a bus to a beautiful Caribbean beach only 20 minutes away? With their white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and Europeans in speedos, there's no better place to relax. But be warned, the sun is fierce. On a weekend trip to Las Terrenas in Samana, I have already learned firsthand. Take the 45 sunscreen and apply liberally..and then reapply!
Playa Boca Chica is the closest, but also the most crowded. But for good reason- it's one of the most gorgeous beaches I have ever seen. Unfortunately it is also known for its booming sex tourism industry. A shame, but the Dominican still has lots of problems to work out and this is just one of them.

Orientation
Remember back to the beginning of freshman year when you were thrown into a whirl-wind of orientation activities? I have to say I never anticipated another orientation so intense. Here they oriented us and took us on trips all over the city to try to help us find our way around and ease us into the city. There's really no easy or quick way to ease a Wofford girl used to her slow southern pace into the craziness of Santo Domingo, but the staff here did a pretty good job and really took care of us that first week. So to anybody considering studying abroad, don't worry too much-there will be well trained people waiting for you at the other end of your flight.

Well, if you've made it this far, thanks for reading and I'll get back to you with some pictures soon! Now it's time for me to head off for home before the sun starts to go down. (No walking around by yourself after dark here! Calling a taxi is necessary, which gets muy caro.) So for now I'm off. If you have no Spring Break plans yet and would like a place with lots of sun and beaches, spring for the DR. You won't regret it!

Adios mis amigos,
Emily

a little bit of culture shock, and a LOT of learning!

So, I'm here in Cochabamba and I'm finally getting used to things. I was definitely a little homesick the first couple of days, but I think that's absolutely normal. There is so much I have experienced just in a week that I feel like it has already been a year (except of course when I have no idea what someone is saying or end up somewhere I don't know, and have no idea how to get back!). You can pick whichever sections you want to read. Hope you enjoy!

Traffic:
Traffic signs here are merely for decorations, and seatbelts are completely optional.

Airplanes, bus rides, and altitude sickness:

So, seeing as how my dad was a pilot I have traveled a lot and never gotten sick. Not true this time. As soon as we landed in Santa Cruz from Miami, I got sick. And then, as soon as we landed in Cochabamba from Santa Cruz, I got sick again. Then, this past weekend, the five hour curvy bus ride through the Andes about did me in. When we arrived in Oruro finally, I wasn´t even ready to experience Carnaval...I just wanted to lay down!! There were definitely lots of us who got sick. The altitude was also not very good for anyone. There were lots of headaches and upset stomachs and fatigue!

Food:

Bolivians, especially Cochabambinos (as they call themselves), eat ALOT! They eat breakfast (usually bread, cheese, warm milk, fruit, and coffee or tee), then a snack (these things called saltenas), then a HUGE lunch with the whole family, then a snack in the afternoon, then dinner (which usually isn´t too much more than bread and fruit and maybe some cereal). And I have honestly not eaten as much red meat and potatoes in my life as I have here. I feel like that´s what they serve at every meal! There are also some things that I don´t know what they are. I just choose not to ask and eat it anyway. Sometimes its just better not to know what you´re eating!

Showers:

This is one thing I don´t know that I will ever get used to. The warmest I´ve gotten a shower since I´ve been here is room temperature...maybe. It´s definitely an adjustment, but absolutely incentive to take REALLY quick showers! Meagan, you will be happy to know that there hasn´t been a shower over 7 mins!

The Scenery:

It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL here! The mountains are all around, and everything is so green. And if its not green, its colorful. There are so many trees and flowers here that I have never seen before. The people also wear lots of colors. Many people dress very distinctly Bolivian, with lots of colors and clothes with Andean influence. There are murals all over the walls of anything and everything you can think of. The plazas and parks are full of familys and people who will randomly get up and start speaking about something. There was a preacher in the plaza the other day, and a rights activist another.

My Host Family:

They are awesome! I am definitely one of the lucky ones. I have a host dad (Freddy), a host mom (Norka), and a host sister (Paola, 16). They have been so welcoming and so helpful with everything! They correct my spanish, but are also very encouraging. They have a beautiful house, and I was definitely lucky enough to get a wealthier family that has running water and electricity at all times of the day. Some of the people in my program weren´t so lucky! We live right next door to my host mom´s twin, who has a German wife and two small children. And the best part? We have a dog! His name is Moli, and it is so comforting to have a pet! haha. They also have a garden with lots of flowers and lemon trees.

Laundry:

Yep, you wash your clothes outside in a basin and then hang them up to dry. Some of you right now are wondering how on earth I am going to survive. Let me tell you, in just a few days I have definitely learned to adjust quickly! The only annoyance is that it rains everyday here so its really rather difficult to actually dry your clothes!

Carnaval:

This past weekend, my group went to Carnaval in Oruro. This was definitely one of the craziest experiences I have ever had in my entire life. There are people EVERYWHERE, and the party is literally all weekend. We got there friday night at 11:30 pm and there were millions of people in the street. Then, the parade started the next morning at 6 in the morning, and didn´t stop until 4 in the morning. And then, they only took a four hour break. It started right back up again at 8 the next morning! The costumes were beautiful though! I have honestly never seen so many colors and costumes, heard so many songs and other noises, or experiences anything more crazy. Everything throws globos (water balloons) and espuma (foam) and by the end of the day you are soaking wet, and freezing cold! (and you obviously can´t count on the shower to warm you up! haha. It was absolutely an experience of a lifetime! I´ll have to send pictures later!

Military:

This is probaby one of the hardest things to get used to as well. On almost every corner there are military officers with machine guns, and some just have bats. They are even in the airports. It kinda scared me at first, but I´m getting more used to it now.

Safety:

So far I have been ok, but many people in my group have gotten pick-pocketed. From some of the stories I´ve heard though they are lucky that this is all that happened to them. My host family is very insistent about safety because it is a little dangerous here in Cochabamba, especially for "los gringos," as we are called. There is just a lot of crime, but as long as we are in groups it is fine! I definitely won´t be going anywhere by myself though!! One of the guys in my program lives a few streets over and we are going to ride to and from class together everyday.

I miss everyone very much and hope to talk to all of you very soon!
Kristen

"Those who says sunshine brings happiness have never danced in the rain." -unknown

When living in Nantes, France, the attitude of the above quote is required!  Thankfully, because I thrive with the sunshine and take the rain with less enthusiasm, this semester has given me plenty of sunny days to balance out the rainy ones!  However, the rain makes the places like the Jardin des Plantes, that I have enjoyed exploring in the sunshine, as green and as beautiful in February as I'm sure it will be in April.  The rain makes the balconies of skinny French apartments glisten as it drips from the twisting ironwork.  The rain makes a cup of tea all the more comforting, and a game of rugby on television all the more exciting?!  I've been here a month and am still in awe that I get to do what I am doing. 

Life isn't without its frustrations of wanting to be at one level of speaking a language that is not your first and just having to be patient and diligent enough to be there one day, of having your jeans forever stretched out because your host family may not have a dryer (not complaining, just a fact you may not realize, and a tip for those of you interested in coming to Nantes to make sure you bring a belt!), and of having to adjust schedules so that you can keep in touch with friends and family who are 6 and 7 hours behind you in their days. 

It is a joy take each day at a time here, though.  I come from a fairly slow-paced life, so the tempo of the french culture was not much of a shock to me as it was to some.  The food is an experience in itself!  Meals at home are relatively simple, and I have enjoyed having to be brave some nights and completely comfortable other nights.  Last night the 'main dish' was a bowl of beets and a bowl of lentils, neither of which had I eaten plain!  The night before that was a cooked macaroni with ham.  So different, and so good!

This past weekend I spent running from one thing to the next! Friday night I watched the French mega-film "Asterix aux Jeux Olympiques" and ate at a creperie.  Saturday I played basketball with 4 French friends and a Brazilian friend, met a Lizzie and a British friend for a walk along the Erdre river, and then went to the Folle Journee (a classical music gala in Nantes).  Life in France sure is exciting! I know y'all started your Spring semester yesterday, so I hope it starts out wonderfully!