Allegheny College Study Abroad Fall 2007

I never really thought too much about the diversity of Spain until I began to hear my host father tell me how diverse the county was. I thought "you call this diverse? You need to walk down a New York City Street." Spain, particularly southern Spain, is very much the same. When we talk about diversity, the first think we consider is the color of our skin, and Spain certainly lacks diversity in this respect. However, I think Spainards define diversity along different lines than the average American. Here there are many Romanian, gypsies, South Americans, and TONS of tourists. This is Spain's diversity. Even more, even the Spanish people are not all alike Spain is about the size of Texas, but it has huge regional dialects, different languages, and many different types of people. This past weekend I traveled to Barcelona, and this was the most culturally diverse city I have seen here in Spain. It was very cosmopolitan, and it reminded me very much of the US. I have a Spanish Civilization class, and through this class, I have learned that Spainards are just as diverse as Americans, perhaps even more so. There are several federally recognized languages, and for this there is a great separatist movement in several different parts of the country, especially in Pais Vasco, Galecia, and Catalunya. I think that if Americans stopped defining diversity by the color of people's skin, we would create a totally different perspective on diversity. Perhaps a majority of Allegheny students would even begin to classify our campus as diverse. The thing that I have learned most about diversity from Spain is that diversity exists in how each person defines themselves,not in the perspectives of others.

Posted by Brandon Tirpak at 3:16 PM | Permalink

Diversity for me is a variety of people, ideas, desires, beliefs, and goals. In the United States diversity is constantly on the news and on people's minds. We are always searching for obtaining greater diversity and looking for new points of view. When I first came to Spain I expected to see this diversity, but the reality was the opposite. Here in Andalucia most people have similar fashion and looks. If you are blond you can expect to receive comments on the streets. People easily pick you out of crowds as American, and it is interesting to find yourself outside the norm. The term they coin for foreigners is guiri. They also have a stereotypical image of what a guiri is. There is little diversity in what you are allowed to study as a student. When I speak to adults here and I tell them that Im a biochemistry major and spanish minor, they are shocked. The ability to combine two drastically different studies here is impossible. In this way I have really learned to value the diversity that exists in the United States. We are allowed to study a wide range of topics, and also are exposed to diverse groups of ideas and people.
The small amount of diversity here is brought about by the younger crowd. They are interested in new cultures, foods, and entertainment. In this way you can start to see Spain diversifying. New restaurants, shops, and bars are available. This change in diversity has been a shock to me. It has made me value greatly what diversity we have, and also helped me to understand the situation here.

Posted by Thomas Rodgers at 1:52 PM | Permalink

Diversity is more than differences in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, abilities, or beliefs. To me, diversity encompasses celebrating, accepting, and respecting those differences. I was surprised to find that Australia does not respect differences in people. In the past two weeks the newspapers have had headlines about leading politicians saying, “Women can’t do the job better than men.” Australia’s Prime Minister, John Howard, recently reduced the number of African refugees allowed into the country by 70%. Why? One simple word: race. The starkest example of diversity, or lack of, is the relationship between Aboriginal people and westernized Australians. Aboriginals in Australia are being treated much like African Americans were treated in the 1960’s. In Townsville, people with Aboriginal features are still refused service in petrol stations, racially targeted by law enforcement, and given different treatment. Though this is not legally sanctioned, it is definitely considered socially acceptable in the westernized community. Though I know racism still exists, I never encountered it so blatantly at home, nor was it a common place occurrence. Living in Australia has made me realize how important it is that everyone is treated equally and with respect, no matter how they appear, what they believe, or how they act. I’ve been given a unique opportunity to get to know an Aboriginal man named Rusty Butler and hear his perspectives on current treatment of minorities in Australia, particularly those with black skin and Aboriginal features. I think it has become all too clear to me how when respect is not given, divisions quickly rise and people quickly become aggressive. If Australia isn’t quick to learn the value of diversity I think it will have an uprising of people who have been disrespected for far too long.

Posted by Erin Horning at 9:15 AM | Permalink

At my host family, I live with two other people; one is German and the other is from Mexico. Friday night, my German housemates parents were visiting from Germany. We all ate a traditional french meal together and as I sat at dinner with his parents, him,myself and my host parents I realized I was the only person whose native language was english. It was the most incredible experience to be listening to German, French and English being spoken to try to communicate with everyone in the room at the same time. With this experience, I have come to a new definition for diversity which is walking into a room where not everyone speaks english because english might not be the main language spoken in peoples respective countries,contrary to what most english speaking countries sometimes believe. I, as an International student and as an American have now realiwed that fact and instead of shying away from it will bask in it because instances like Friday night might not happen again. For the first time in my life, I am living in a place where I am the foreigner and I dont speak the language natively. I now realize how hard it is to not only learn another language but use it in a place that is foreign to them. I am now grateful that for once I am the one with the different clothes, accent and culture. I am the one struggling with the language barrier and trying to fit into a culture that I am not accustomed to. Diversity, I now believe is the celebration of having to communicate in another language with someone from a different country. To speak to someone in another language other than english is not only a great experience but also a challenge and I now relish that said challenge.

Posted by Kristin Isabelli at 8:21 AM | Permalink

As a society and culture, Seville and Andalusia is not very diverse. The majority of Sevilla's population is dark skinned people originally from the Moors, including Morocco and Africa. The majority is Catholic some practicing more than others and most people come from a similar socio-economic level. As American students because of the differences in our physical appearances, it is difficult to blend into Sevilla’s culture. We look and tend to dress American, and most of the Spanish citizens can tell we are American students because of the way we act, dress and look. Although it is not the diversity that I was used to this summer in inner city Boston, I do see Asian shops and restaurants. When I visited Cordoba I saw an ancient Islam Mosque. It was very interesting learning about the Arabic influence on Andalusia. This past weekend I went to Barcelona which is in the north of Spain. As a larger city and a city with a seaport, the cultural population was very mixed and diverse, including people of all skin types. For the first time this semester in Barcelona I felt as if I fit in and belonged there.

I can only imagine through my experience here how it must feel for minorities in our country. A part of us all want to blend in, and we forget that during these travels sometimes we can’t. But I have learned to accept my new role here. I enjoy practicing Spanish and English with a lot of my Spanish friends. I am different as an American here in Spain and as much as I wanted and hoped to become Spanish I realize this is impossible and very naïve. Instead I am enjoying their culture and trying to stop judging and critiquing our differences. I may not personally believe in some of the politics and customs here but experiencing them does not mean I support them; I am just taking every opportunity. Sevilla’s lack of diversity has helped me understand one of the wonderful aspects of the United States which is that we are a melting pot of many different people from different cultures. These past two months abroad have helped me understanding this culture but it has also made me appreciate my own.

Posted by Alexandra Papa at 7:00 AM | Permalink

I would begin by defining diversity as unique, different, variety, and in this case a variety of different cultures and races. I do believe that Townsville, Australia is more diverse than my hometown in Ohio or Allegheny College. There are many more Asian inspired restaurants and populations, being closer to Asia. Aboriginals, natives to the land, are another common ethnic group. On campus at James Cook, you can find students studying from all over the world. Much different from Allegheny where I know many more people who are sent overseas to study than who have come there to study. I have become friends with people from Mexico, Germany, Australia, Japan, Vietnam, and the U.S. since being here. However, I think my biggest realization after being in Australia is not so much how diverse the population is, but how the culture views diversity. The area of Townsville is much like going in a time warp back into the United States in the 1960’s. The general, white, western population is openly racist towards the Aborigines. On a bus ride with another American woman from Oregon who moved over here three years ago with her husband, she began talking to me about my experiences over here and race was a major issue she brought up. We both talked about how hurtful it is for us to hear people openly saying racist remarks or jokes about the black population. Every time I hear some of my friends say racist remarks I cringe and instantly think, “you aren’t allowed to say that!” I was told by an Australian at my college that the reason the United States has more crime is because we have more black people and they are the reason for crime and violence. We have come so far past all of that racial segregation in the United States that it hurts me to hear these things. It made me appreciate that while although there are still racial divides in the U.S., we are much more accepting of it. I do sometimes think that whenever I hear these remarks, it would be like living in the U.S. in the 60’s. And it is sad that these are the only mentalities that these people have ever learned. It made me proud to think that we are not so closed minded, and it was one time I was really happy to be American.

Posted by Theresa Clem at 2:11 AM | Permalink

Before arriving in Australia, I had the notion in my mind that I would be "that American" on campus, that my accent would stand out and I'd be a subject of interest due to my different cultural background. I was very surprised to arrive at JCU to be surrounded by hundreds of Americans just like me. At first, I felt a bit disappointed in the number of Americans on the campus, but after a few weeks I realized how great it was to meet not only heaps of Australians, but also Americans from all over the States that brought all sorts of diversity to the table. I define diversity as not only a racial, religious or geographical descriptor, but also as a descriptor of personal history and experiences. Apart from the differences in cultural I've become accustomed to with life in Australia, I've grown close with Americans across the US who have taught me things about myself through our shared experience here in Australia. I've learned much about my personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as my limits and how far I can push them. So, although JCU doesn't deliver diversity in the traditional sense, the kind of diversity it does bring to the table is just as life changing and it can serve as a fantastic tool for self-discovery.

Posted by Bethany Perkins at 8:02 PM | Permalink

There are 15 of us in this program, yet it is one of the most diverse group of people I have ever been part of us. Everyone is from different parts of the United States and we all definitely have different things about us. The most obvious difference between groups of people here is the way that we all approach school. Some people are very relaxed and laid back about classes here. For example, it is not unusual, infact it is the norm, to see everyone drinking every night and spending every night drinking. And if there is studying going on, a beer is always in hand. Then there are some people who study until the late hours of the morning. It really is cut about ½ and ½.
The lab is really laid back; classes aren’t nearly as demanding as Allegheny. Yet I am still learning a ton of information I would never get to experience back at Allegheny. That relaxed feeling is definitely brought back to the undergrads, and it makes it a whole new experience for us.
I’ve learned that I work way too hard sometimes. I realized that if I am relaxed about learning and absorb the information while I’m in the class, I would be fine. At Allegheny I usually just copy notes down and don’t really think about them until it’s time to study. Here, the professors force you to pay attention and think about what you’re learning while you’re hearing it. I’m hoping that I can bring this learning skill back with me to Allegheny so maybe I won’t be so stressed out about classes.

Posted by Katherine Kump at 4:22 PM | Permalink

Rarely does one find much extensive diversity in any given town in America. Most of the diversity seems to come from the large cities, where people of other nationalities, races, cultures, and religions seem to collect. The U.S. is so vast and pretty isolated except for the southern Mexican bottom and the northern Canadian top, which still only provides for two major diversities. However, even though Great Britain is quite isolated (as it is an island), it is still so close to all the different parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia.
True, Allegheny college and most small or little-known cities in America offer some diversity, what with individuals' lifestyles, religious beliefs, cultures and backgrounds but it doesn't seem to offer the same diversity that even this small town of Lancaster, England offers. Diversity is the norm here -- walking to class I will usually hear several conversations each spoken in a different language. There are social clubs and groups dedicated to a vast array of different hobbies, talents, religious beliefs, cultural activities, etc. I have met people at Lancaster University from all over the world, from California to Australia, that have offered me an insight to diversity.
Coming from a small town in the U.S., I don't get to see much diversity. Sure, I see many races - caucasian, Asian, African American, etc. But simply race does not account for diversity. America is known as "the melting pot", so while we may all be different races, we are all still Americans. However, over here, you will meet people that live in Asia, the Middle East, or Eastern Europe that have come here to study and that bring with them their culture, beliefs, and lifestyles. It is not all melted into one nation with differences amongst it, but it is many different nations that come together to share with eachother while gaining a good education.
Diversity to me is the ability to have many differences (other than the color of your skin) among others that you exist with while maintaining your identity, and to accept everyone's differences in a large mutual relationship of learning and understanding and enjoying.

Posted by Ashton Kohler at 2:19 PM | Permalink

When I read the prompt for this blog, my first thought was that diversity meant race. So, I immediately started writing:
Coming from the hugely diverse (hahaha) Allegheny College, being at James Cook University feels just like home. During orientation, we were told that there were international students here from over 50 countries; except for a German girl and two Japanese girls I see in the dining hall sometimes, the only people I ever see are Aussies and Americans. One of my housemates is from Ohio and is dating a girl who's here from Pitt; my closest friends here are from Wisconsin, California, and Brisbane. It's not exactly unfamiliar territory.

But then I thought about some more recent experiences with diversity:
Last week, I participated in a focus group discussion with just over a dozen other international students. The first question our group leader asked was where we were from, and I was surprised: we were all from either New York, the northern Midwest, the west coast, or Germany. I wasn't expecting such a narrow sample of locations, but we each came to JCU with different expectations and histories. Some people were bored out of their minds here in Townsville; others were having the time of their life. Some of us couldn't stand the humidity; some were here purely because it's the complete opposite of what they're used to. Over the course of an hour, we all got to know a little bit about each other and what brought us to JCU, and it was a really neat experience.

So I suppose my definition of diversity would involve personal histories: what brought international (and local!) students here, and what made them stay. Regarding what I've learned about myself...I made the right decision in coming here. I was really unsure about that for a while, but I've had an incredible experience here and I'm not ready to go home next month.

Posted by Rachel Clark at 9:03 AM | Permalink

I used to always complain with my friends in high school about how white our school was. They all ended up going to large universities and have had more contact with people from different countries, backgrounds, races, religions, and other cultural differences (how I define diversity) than I thought I would ever experience. Then I came to Angers. There are people from over 20 countries at CIDEF this semester, all in one place for the same period of time, which makes it the most diverse place I have ever been.
Friday, my professor was asking us about our home country’s policy on welfare. I looked around the room and realized that I’m the only American in my class. There’s a girl from Croatia, a Canadian, and the rest are Asian. It was the most amazing and exhilarating realization I have ever had in my life. Of course, I’m not just a minority when I’m in class. Just being an American in France gives me that classification.
I never expected to want to be a minority before—after all, I hate when I’m the only girl in a place filled with guys. Being a part of a minority usually translates to discrimination, isolation, and loss of voice. However, during my time here, I have discovered that sometimes being in the majority can mean the exact same thing. When you’re one of a billion Americans in a group of a billion and one, your voice becomes a whisper. People assume that your observations, attitude, even personal background are the same as every other American. Though most people don’t succumb to thinking as narrow-minded as all that, I have experienced it on a couple of occasions, and it’s not fun, to say the least.
Experiencing such diversity means coming to terms with possibly having to be a minority. I now better understand what it’s like to actually be a minority, and can use this experience as a vantage point to reach out to others.

Posted by Susannah Bender at 12:22 PM | Permalink

I woke up one day about a week ago feeling sick and decided not to go to classes. Although it was not a huge deal to me (I had expected to get sick at some point during my stay in this country), my host mom worried a great deal over me. She spent the entire day doting on me and giving me remedies such as oregano tea. This was weird for me because I am not used to living at home and therefore do not usually have someone to take care of me when I am sick. At times I only wanted to be left alone; I felt like I was being treated like a child. However, my host sister (who is 30 and lives with us along with her 2 children) had been sick the week before and received the same treatment from our mother.
I realized from this that in this country and many others in the world children are considered children until they are married and have their own families, and sometimes even after that. My host mom always talks about how strange it is that all the students she has had don't live with their parents in the United States. Here young people almost always live at home because they typically don't have enough money to live on their own and it makes more sense to stay with their parents until they get married. Furthermore, neither the children nor the parents seem to mind it. In the United States people of our generation feel such a strong necessity to be independent from their parents and create their own lives far away from their roots. I had never thought about this as being unique to our culture or about why young Americans have a completely different attitude about independence and the value of family than young people in other countries.

Posted by Nikki Cash at 2:38 PM | Permalink

In the context of Kenya, I would define diversity as a multiplicity of ethnic and political differences. Within its colonial borders, Kenya contains 42 different ethnic groups; this is the true diversity within the country. I find the diversity here much richer than at home. People are always proud to tell you that they come from Western or Yanza Province. I will use the term diversity in this light. I have learned so much from the deep engrained cultural divides in Kenya. People put their tribe first, and their country second. If you ask someone what they are, they will not say Kenyan, but rather Luo, or Kikuyu. I came to realize that this seems to be a lot of the problem with voting and issues of government in Kenya. People will always vote along these tribal lines and very rarely break out of this mold. The problem then is clear, issues are not considered, but rather minds are made up before candidates are chosen. This diversity has truly allowed me to go from being the muzungu (white person) to an actual Kenyan. What I mean is that you can always talk to a native about politics or where he/she is from because they love to tell a foreigner of their rich background. It is a great conversation starter and once you ask about the upcoming election, good luck ending the conversation. Other than the obvious race issue, the rich cultural diversity within Kenya has taught me so much. I now truly appreciate my own culture and especially the ability to hold an election and not have to worry about tribal violence. In the areas of the country where the votes seem to be split, there has been violence and it is getting worse. I now appreciate my own system more than ever. I have also learned to be more critical of my politicians and what they have to say, this comes from living with my host family. My parents are Luo and support the Luo opposition candidate Raila Odinga in the upcoming December general elections. I listen to my host-Dad sit and talk about this candidate like he is some sort of god and savior for Kenya. I now feel that when thinking about politicians, you have to take everything with a grain of salt. My parents think that Raila Odinga will be able to deliver Kenya a new de-centralized form of government, eradicate poverty and lower the unemployment rate in just fiver years if he is elected. I have seen enough to realize that this cannot be done in such a short time span. People here are quite progressive and want to fix their country, but they want to do it overnight. This is not possible. The diversity here has been eye-opening and really allowed me to immerse myself.

Posted by Michael Rooney at 8:19 AM | Permalink

For one of my classes I have a language learning project which is to attend Catholic Mass. Catholicism is Spain's national religion and the purpose of our project is to engage ourselves in experiences that expose us to Spanish culture. I will attend Mass weekly, researching its history and current importance, and question locals about their religious opinions. Last night my roommate and I were the only two foreigners in the local church. Although we stood out our fellow worshipers recognized our desire to learn and experience their culture. I could understand most of the prayers and was getting into the rhythm and routine of the service, when all the sudden I fainted. It was so hot and very crowded in the small capilla (chapel). My roommate caught me and right away a medico (doctor) was giving instructions to all the people around me. They lifted my legs, set me in a chair; women were fanning me on both sides and told me to take off my sweater. Congregants offered to buy me food and a soda. The doctor wanted to take me to the hospital. I was fine and walked home shortly after but their kindness was not forgotten. They could have been angry and upset at an outsider disrupting their sacred Mass. Instead they all stopped their prayers to help me. Their compassion reminded me why I am studying abroad and learning a new culture.
Many Americans are content with their individual ways and do not want to learn new things. These Spaniards saw my interest and were there to help someone in need. Sometimes on more difficult days, such as this one, I forget that even people very different from myself can also be so similar by being caring and compassionate. This experience helped me
understand that I don't believe the world should learn English and accommodate to American standards. I broke the stereotype as do a lot of the students studying abroad, I attended Mass to learn more about them and their culture. The people in church also broke my stereotype of Spanish people, they were caring and not expecting me to understand every word, phrase, custom and routine action that is very unfamiliar to me but second nature to them. Although to many this experience may seem insignificant, I saw understanding and compassion in their eyes and acceptance of me, someone from another country. They saw a person just like themselves, a person in need. We exchanged a lot in this single moment and this experience alone makes this semester worthwhile it is something I will always remember.

Posted by Alexandra Papa at 5:03 AM | Permalink

This past weekend I had my homestay. It was only two days, one night, but it was absolutely amazing!!!! I left wishing that my homestay was a week longer. I had a typical Costa Rican family, Roxanna the wife, Daniel the husband, and their 16-year-old son Carlos. It was my first time that I was forced to use only Spanish, because the only Spanish they knew was the small bit that Carlos learned in school, which wasn't all that much. It was exhilarating! I was so proud of myself that I was capable of carrying on a meaningful conversation with these people in Spanish. Being with them gave me the "inside scoop" on the average Costa Rican life. To them, the entire neighborhood was family. Neighbors from nearby houses came and went like the house was theirs, and likewise with their houses. Each meal was at a different person's house, with everyone helping make each meal. The neighborhood children all hung out with each other, regardless of age. Even though Carlos, my host "brother" was only 16, he had friends who came over ranging from age 13 to 28. It was a completely new experience for me, but fabulous!! Ticos, what Costa Ricans typically call themselves, are so accepting. They're in general, the nicest people I have ever met. They all took me in as one of them, and were interested in my family, my hometown, the US, my friends, everything about me. Just as I wanted to know everything about them. They took me to "Bella Vista", a local hangout with an absolutely gorgeous pool, and tennis courts, and soccer fields, which was only a 5-minute walk from my school, but I never knew existed, where ticos hang out in their spare time. They taught me Costa Rican slang, and I taught them various words and customs from my home. I was very sad when I was over, but I definitely plan on visiting them in my spare time. I only wish that I had met them sooner, so I could have more time to spend with them. This was an amazing experience, that I will treasure forever!!!

Describe an encounter with someone from your host culture that you feel reflected what you would describe as a meaningful and reciprocal cultural trade. What did you learn about your culture as well as the host culture from this exchange, that you were unaware of before.

I want you to obviously select an experience that would not be part of the stereotypical tourist exchange.

Pictures of your own would be great. Please size them and upload them before you begin to type in text.

Posted by Eliza Czolowski at 9:26 PM | Permalink

This past weekend I had my homestay. It was only two days, one night, but it was absolutely amazing!!!! I left wishing that my homestay was a week longer. I had a typical Costa Rican family, Roxanna the wife, Daniel the husband, and their 16-year-old son Carlos. It was my first time that I was forced to use only Spanish, because the only Spanish they knew was the small bit that Carlos learned in school, which wasn't all that much. It was exhilarating! I was so proud of myself that I was capable of carrying on a meaningful conversation with these people in Spanish. Being with them gave me the "inside scoop" on the average Costa Rican life. To them, the entire neighborhood was family. Neighbors from nearby houses came and went like the house was theirs, and likewise with their houses. Each meal was at a different person's house, with everyone helping make each meal. The neighborhood children all hung out with each other, regardless of age. Even though Carlos, my host "brother" was only 16, he had friends who came over ranging from age 13 to 28. It was a completely new experience for me, but fabulous!! Ticos, what Costa Ricans typically call themselves, are so accepting. They're in general, the nicest people I have ever met. They all took me in as one of them, and were interested in my family, my hometown, the US, my friends, everything about me. Just as I wanted to know everything about them. They took me to "Bella Vista", a local hangout with an absolutely gorgeous pool, and tennis courts, and soccer fields, which was only a 5-minute walk from my school, but I never knew existed, where ticos hang out in their spare time. They taught me Costa Rican slang, and I taught them various words and customs from my home. I was very sad when I was over, but I definitely plan on visiting them in my spare time. I only wish that I had met them sooner, so I could have more time to spend with them. This was an amazing experience, that I will treasure forever!!!

Posted by Eliza Czolowski at 9:26 PM | Permalink

I think diversity is the same anywhere; no matter where you go things and people are different than what is normal for yourself. For me, diversity is the opposite of who and what I am. Living in Germany has given me a greater appreciation of myself. Through recognizing the differences in others, I have come to see myself in a new light, especially in terms of beliefs. Living in Cologne especially has given me the diversity of living in a city of millions of people, something that until now was outside of my comfort zone. If someone would have asked me before I left what I thought of city life, a majority of my reply would have been negative. But since I moved here, my opinion of city life has changed. I still wouldn't want to spend my whole life here, but as a student it is not half bad!

Posted by Meghan Fatzinger at 1:16 PM | Permalink

Image Source: www.thamesvalley.police.uk/.../div2.htm

Defining Diversity

How would you characterize diversity in your new space? What have you learned about yourself through this awareness of diversity that you were not appreciative of before? Please make sure you define how you are using the term diversity before you venture deeper into the blog :)

Photos are appreciated as always.

DUE DATE: NOV.4, 2007

Posted by Ishita Sinha Roy at 12:00 PM | Permalink

My English friend Adam and I were recently talking about the cultural differences between the States and England. He studied abroad at UCLA last year recalled how he was popular in his hall at school because he was English. And it’s true, Americans really like English accents and culture. And I was a bit jealous of his situation, because as an American in England, I am a bit intimidated when speaking to English strangers because I feel that I have to do everything in my power to reverse the stereotype that Americans are loud, obnoxious, and ignorant. Although Adam occasionally teases me about being an unrefined American, he assured me that most English individuals think of Americans in a fond light, even if they don’t appreciate our government’s policies. I thanked him for reassuring me, and said, “Well, I can’t be too bad, you’re my friend, and Pip too…I have convinced at least two English individuals that Americans aren't so bad.” As I said two, I held up my index and middle finger, in the typical way Americans do in order to indicate the number two. Adam told me to put my hand down. One day maybe I will remember to stop unintentionally flicking him off.

Posted by Erin O'Boyle at 10:21 AM | Permalink

Last week I went to the “Today” Show at the NBC studio in New York to interview one of the co-anchors, Hoda Kotb. This notion that Americans live an extremely fast paced lifestyle was attested as soon as I walked through those studio doors. The studio, to my surprise, was a lot smaller then I thought and was filled to capacity with producers, cameramen, make-up people and assistants. The atmosphere was chaotic. Everyone was constantly running around shouting directions, not stopping once the whole morning to catch their breaths. Kotb, who hosts the eleventh hour of the “Today” show and is a Dateline NBC correspondent, ran from floor to floor all morning, rushing to get to her segments. One minute she was interviewing a celebrity stylist about her new book and the next minute she was introducing an up-and-coming singer. Right before a segment, one of the producers would shove a script and bio of the person into her hand and she would have all of thirty seconds to skim over the material before sitting down with her interviewee. However, from a viewers’ perspective, all you would see is a composed and conversant host talking with their guest; very impressive. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Kotb after the show to talk with her about her crazy lifestyle. Kotb is at the studio every weekday from 5 am to 4 pm, and sometimes longer, to host the show and prepare for future segments. When she is not doing the “Today” show she is on assignments oversees in places like Afghanistan and the West Bank, reporting for Dateline NBC. One of her biggest challenges, she says, is prioritizing her time between work and family. As a bystander, you could tell that everyone in that studio was running on a high energized battery that was constantly going and going. The last time I visited Germany, the one thing that surprised me the most was how many adults went to happy hour after work during the week. Even at 10 pm, you would see people out with their coworkers, friends or families enjoying the evening together, laughing and talking over a few drinks or dinner. People over there were just a lot more at ease and allowed themselves to unwind after work. One thing I have noticed in my time in Washington and New York is how long people stay at work. I still cannot believe people here get to work at 8 in the morning and stay at the office until 8 or 9 pm—this is quite alarming to me. People in the states are just so fast paced and wanting to work their way up their career ladder that they do not take a step back to slow down and breathe. I just wonder how long Americans can keep living like this. Now I know why there are so many people with high blood pressure and stress-related illnesses.

Posted by Elizabeth Andrews at 10:05 AM | Permalink

Here in Spain I have an intercambio, which is conversation exchange partner. My intercambio is a 22-year-old girl from another part of Spain, but she is a student at the University of Seville. This is great because we already have something in common because of our current education, and I´ve learned a lot about the education system in Spain as compared to the US. Overall, I´ve learned that one of the biggest differences between the education system of Spain and that of the US is that before they can enter the university, students here have to take an exam that determines what they are allowed to study. Unlike Allegheny, they don´t have the option to try out different majors and change their minds several times before declaring. They also don´t really have the option of changing careers later in life; it just isn´t done here. This is so different from the US, where people can decide to change their careers as many times as they want in life until they are happy. Learning about this difference has opened my eyes and made me realize that I shouldn´t take my freedom in education for granted.

Posted by Wendy Paddock at 2:37 PM | Permalink

I was fortuante to be able to hang out with some kids my age here in Spain. My roommate here has what we call an intercambio, who practices Spanish with you and in turn you help them with their English. Her intercambio invited us to a carnival, where the traditional aspects of Spain would be represented.

I sat in a tent at this fair for about 3 hours, just chatting and having food and drinks. I saw the beautiful flamenco dresses and all of the dancing that the natives of Spain did. It was so amazing, and I had a great time. I chatted with a big group of Spaniards and it was great because we were the only Americans at this fair, so we had to rely on our language ability. I felt like I was given a great gift by being invited to something that most Americans will never even know happens in the smaller towns of Spain.

I learned a lot about cultural norms at this excursion, such as dress, dance and food. I learned about the ferias of Spain and how everyone goes to them, skips work, and generally has a good time. They are such a big part of their culture, that no matter what the cost of the dress or the food, it is important and really fun to go to these types of events.

I learned that America can be just like Spain. We have our barbeques, the Forth of July, and things that everyone participates in as well as Spain. It seemed that maybe America and Spain weren´t so far away from eachother, maybe I could put a little more effort into drawing some commonalities instead of concentrating on how they were so different and how that frustrated me. I felt realy comfortable and at home at this fair because it was just so much fun. I hope to experience more of this while I am here.

Posted by Margaret Hiestand at 1:47 PM | Permalink

One night I was talking to my host father about what I want to do in my future and we got onto the concept of marriage. He was shocked at how I, and most people in the United States, am going about marriage. I explained to him the typical man proposes with a diamond ring, and either the girl’s family or the couple pays for the wedding. He explained to me how it works in Kenya. The husband-to-be has to pay a dowry of however much the girl’s father says. It is usually 13 cows that is paid and the father can ask for up to 50,000 US dollars in addition to the cows. The man’s whole community comes together to help his raise the needed funds and he goes to the girl’s father’s house to present the dowry. The father has the right to accept the man and allow is daughter to get married, or to reject him. I learned from this how traditional a culture this was, and how the family plays a very large part in someone’s life. I also realized in my own culture how independent people are, and how an individual in the United States has absolute control over their lives. One reason this conversation was so special and enlightening was because we were not supposed to talk about it. Significant others are a very controversial matter, and most families are not willing to talk openly about relationships. So through this I learned about the host culture, but also about the effect of westernization. If westernization had not taken place in Kenya I probably would have never had that conversation because it would be considered too taboo especially for a girl and her father to talk about.

Posted by Caroline Lewis at 10:07 AM | Permalink

Over fall holiday I had an opportunity to travel home with my friend, Buggy, to Dimbulah. Never heard of it? That’s because it is a tiny town in Queensland that is at least 1 hour away from any other town, where cows wander freely across the road, where there is one gas station, one grocery, and one hair salon. Most of the people in the area are farmers and they’re either related or close to it. Buggy and introduced me to her entire family (which was most of the town) and half of them still spoke Italian because they are first generation Australians. Her family is fiercely strong and independent. For example, they told me about flood season when they are completely penned in on all sides by rising water. I was warned about snake bites because if you get bit, you probably won’t survive to see a hospital with anti- venom because they are simply too far away. Buggy’s family showed me what it is like – the beauty and the hardships to live on a farm in the Queensland outback. I think Buggy’s family reminded me of what I loved about people in Nicaragua: by focusing on the important things in life such as family and health, keeping track of who makes the most money or, in the case of Australians, who drives the best Ute doesn’t really matter. Buggy’s family in Dimbulah has very small town Australia culture and it definitely reminded me of what I value most in my own.

Posted by Erin Horning at 5:08 AM | Permalink

I and a dozen other exchange students had the opportunity to go to a high school in the area and converse with students who were in 9th grade. The objective was to give us an opportunity to see how the education system works in France, and also at the same time-share our experiences as exchange students, and answer their questions about our country. The atmosphere in the classrooms was vivified. The talking, the laughing, the professor begging for silence, weren’t any different from what I have experienced in the United States, typical 14 and 15 years old. Well, except that these 14 and 15 years old were, what we would consider in United States, “overdressed” for typical 9th graders. After presenting ourselves, we took questions from them. At first their questions were the kind I was expected: what kind of sport do you play? What is your favorite movie? Why? How does American people perceive the French people? After a short silence, a student on my right asked me: what is your opinion on the current situation of the real estate market in the United States? Seeing the confusion in our eyes, he explained to us of what situation he was referring to: There are a lot of foreclosures in the United States because Americans are buying houses they cannot afford. The banks in return are obliged to borrow money from international banks to meet with the demands. That was when I remembered I saw a documentary about this issue. But since I didn’t pay much attention to it, I didn’t know more than that 14 years old who live thousand of miles away from the United States. Therefore I couldn’t really say anything, except “it is really a sad thing. The U.S. government is adopting measures to prevent too many foreclosures in the future.” Was that last sentence true? Maybe, I don’t know. I had to make up something not to feel embarrassed. The rest of the class started to ask us question on political issue: where do you stand on the war in Iraq? How is the United States fighting global warming? Etc. In the midst of all the questions, the bell rang; it was time for them to go to “récreation”.
That day I learned a couple things: First, never underestimate someone, even if that person is years younger than you. Second, besides the “Hollywoodienne” culture, French teenagers do care about other issues related to America.

Posted by Emerson Leroy at 5:07 AM | Permalink

Well it is kind of hard to have a culture trade when you are still in the United States, however I just got back from Panama and that allows for some culture trades. I was in Bocas del Toro for 10 days taking a tropical marine ecology class. It was by far the most pretty place I have been. It's a unique tropical place, because when you are on the beach you don't see the vast ocean, you see dense rainforests and breath taking landscape.
Aside from doing research on crab orientation, we got the chance to go into town quite a bit and go shopping, go to bars etc. I have never taken spanish before, and in Bocas, no one really speaks english. A couple of store owners and bar tenders here and there, but for the most part I had a really hard time trying to communicate. I picked up on the language a little but definitely not enough to let me have a conversation with a local. One day I was in a store buying a t-shirt for my dad. I was trying to talk to the sales owner because he asked what I was looking for (I think). And then he noticed I didn't speak spanish very well. And he went on to tell me how much he appreciated me trying to speak spanish and how a lot of tourist come in and are snotty and disrespectful towards him. He talked about how certain nationalities have different ways of treating him and how some were more rude than others-I wont mention which ones just because it is really prejudice. But he was just saying that most tourists just come in for what they want, buy it, and then leave, not speaking a word. He said he likes to talk to people, hear where they are from, what they're doing here etc. Now it took us about 20-30 minutes to actually understand what eachother were saying, but we just laughed at eachother trying to understand one another. After I left that store I realized how much the people of Bocas and I'm sure other places in the world, appreciate us just trying to speak their language. I think sometimes Americans just speak english because they think everyone should speak it, or at least be able to hold a conversation in it. A lot of places I have visited do speak english, but I was proud of Bocas for sticking to spanish! They should! Why should they have to speak english so us tourists can have a better time understanding them. Throughout the trip I found that people were much more receptive to me when I tried to speak spanish. I even spoke spanish to the US customs guy on the way back into the country because I was so used to trying and figure out how to speak the language. whoops! So my advice, which I'm sure most of you guys abroad know, is try and speak the language, even if its just saying hi or thank you; it'll get you a lot further!

Posted by Katherine Kump at 8:40 PM | Permalink

In my two + months in England, I've found that my most meaningful exchanges have been as simple as conversation. One of the best parts about living on Lancaster's campus with all the British undergraduates and other international students is that you're constantly surrounded with other students who come from different backgrounds and have different experiences than you. And though it's a bit hard at first, I've found that some of my best experiences have come from just talking to my classmates, flat mates, people in the pubs, etc. I actually became pretty good friends with a British bloke (Rich) for this very reason. During freshers' week, I decided to go on my college pub crawl to try and get to know some new people. While most of the freshers (new to campus and the drinking scene) spent most of their time (and money) drinking the night away, I noticed that one of the freshers' reps was pretty quiet, mostly staying by himself, and without a drink in his hand. Also sober, I went up and started talking to him, starting by asking why he wasn't drinking. He easily countered my question by pointing out my lack of drink, and we fell into easy conversation. Responsible for the safe transport of the first years, he wasn't supposed to be drinking. I explained my year as an RA and offered my sympathy for being one of the only sober people around sometimes. What began with small talks and jokes turned into a pretty intellectual conversation about the difference between the social atmosphere at American vs. British Universities, specifically with respect to attitudes about drinking. Most of their first year social events focus around, or certainly include drinking, while most of our events try to promote alternatives. It was at this point that I had to admit, of course, that underage drinking still went on despite this. It was interesting both to him and to me, that the drinking scene was such a prominent part of University life for both of our cultures, even though we came at them from completely different angles. Since that night, I hang out with Rich and his mates on a regular basis, and we've found many other subtle differences between our similar cultures. It's amazing what you learn, sometimes, just talking to people, over something so common place as a drink. Or as the case may be, the lack thereof.

Posted by Angela Ames at 7:28 PM | Permalink

My Anthropology tutorial (aka small discussion group to cover lecture material in depth) consists of several young American students, several young Australian students, a few older Australian students, and an older Scottish student. Needless to say, we have a multitude of opinions and perspectives during discussions. Toward the beginning of the semester, we were discussing fieldwork and how our own cultural biases can influence the way we view and study other cultures different from our own. Although I can't remember the exact conversation (it was ten weeks ago), it was really neat to get an idea of where everyone in that class comes from, and how we see other cultures compared to our own. Rereading the prompt, I realize that this exchange didn't describe how I learned about my own and other cultures, but it really helped me gain a greater understanding of the sheer number of other cultural perspectives and ideals I would face while studying here.

Posted by Rachel Clark at 9:43 AM | Permalink

Although I didn't experience this culture trade in a single encounter, it has become increasingly apparent over the past two months. The most stand-out culture trade I've noticed has to do with views regarding education and the education system. In America, it has become almost implicitly understood that kids go to elementary, middle and high school and then continue on to study undergraduate, and perhaps even post graduate education. For me, there was never any question about whether or not I'd go to college, and now there's no question about whether or not I'm going to pursue my master's degree, and getting high marks and maintaining a strong GPA by spending hours on my schoolwork are quite important to me.
This strong focus on education is different in Australia. High school graduates do not necessarily go on to universities, and it is even less likely to assume that college graduates go on to complete postgraduate work. Although education is encouraged and appreciated here, it doesn't receive the same, almost obsession, it does in the states. Here, students make the most of their youthful years and travel around, enjoying being young and taking as much time as necessary to complete any post-high school studies, while in the states, we spend all of our youth firmly in the education system, trying to get our various degrees as fast as possible. This difference mirrors the difference between the societies and cultures of these two countries; the states is much more money- and prestige-driven, while Australia is more laid-back and relaxed, going with the flow.

Posted by Bethany Perkins at 5:46 AM | Permalink

On my recent spring break trip to Sydney, myself and a group of my American girlfriends went out on the town. All of us have become obsessed with Australian fashion and each of us was wearing an outfit bought in an Australian boutique. As we were leaving a club down an escalator, a group of Australian men were entering the club and yelled out to us, “Americans! Where are you girls going?” Each of us looked at each other dumbfounded. None of us had even opened our mouths to say a word, all of us were dressed in Australian clothing, and we were leaving a popular Australian hangout. How in the world did they know we were Americans? When arriving back to my Uni in Townsville, I asked a group of my male Australian friends if they could tell just by looking at me that I was American. Their instant answer was yes. As our conversation continued on, I learned a lot about body image in the Australian culture. While both America and Australia are westernized societies, there is large difference in how we view beauty. For me personally, when looking around during my walk to class, I could not tell the difference between an Australian and an American just by looking. But my friends’ responses were that Americans have bigger eyes, rosy cheeks, and perfect teeth. As my one friend pointed out to me, I have the same smile in every single picture, something I never paid any attention too. They said that American girls exercise and are skinny because they work-out. They told me that Australian girls are only skinny because they would rather not eat then exercise. Australian girls are usually pale and strive to be tan like Americans. After this discussion, I had a Communications class on body image in the media. When we were discussing the ideal Australian female body I was shocked to hear the same things that my friends were telling me. The ideal female would be tan, skinny but not muscular, have a sense of humor, etc. It really opened my eyes to the fact that in a society that is so similar, our ideas of perfection could be so different. I still don’t really see these differences for myself to this day. In my opinion, it is just a stereotype that is based off of a small group of people. I guess no matter how immersed you become into another culture, you always carry a part of your home culture with you that sets you apart in a crowd.

Posted by Theresa Clem at 1:11 AM | Permalink

In Spain, we have someone that is called our intercambio. They are a person around our age, from Spain that has an interest in learning English. I am lucky enough to have two intercambios, one 22 and the other 20. My experience in culture trade occurred with my intercambio Ana who is 20 years old. Now age is what is of key importance in this. While talking to my intercambio in a bar, I used the phrase "Cuando yo era muy joven...." which translates in enlgish to "when I was very young. She immediately and without doubt corrected me, stating that this was not appropriate since I am indeed still very young. For a good 20 minutes we talked about what it meant to be young. Also how each culture treats us and how that treatment is different.
In Spain the truth is that 20 years old, is very young. In my opinion 20 in Spain equals 15 in the United States. You are still babied by your parents, teachers give you slack, and there is a general thought that you are going to make stupid mistakes. In my host home my host mom constantly advises my roommate and I about childish things. Also it is not uncommon for kids to stay with their parents till past 30! My host brother for example is 26 and still lives with us. He sleeps in late and has little responsibility. It is not to say that one side is better than the other, just that they are very different.
This conversation with my intercambio, in a way shook that ground I was on. It challenged a view of myself and it did the same for her. I always thought something such as age was universal, but like many things I am learning that is not the case.

Posted by Thomas Rodgers at 3:26 PM | Permalink

Taking that first step out of Gatwick International Airport, I was amazed at how much England resembled the United States. People were briskly walking along the sidewalks, traffic was lurching along on the roads, and street vendors lined up to offer delicious snacks and reading materials. It was almost as if I had flown 8 hours only to arrive in an exact duplicate of America. As time went on, however, I began to recognize the obvious cultural differences, such as the currency and food. Despite the fact that the people had remarkable accents and drove on the wrong side of the road, everything had a feeling of familiarity about it.

What I failed to see in those first few weeks, however, were the subtle differences in behavior and manner that existed between me and the Brits. Numerous attempts to be polite and orderly, either in offering myapologies to someone I knocked into on the sidewalk or queuing up to place an order at the bar, were greeted with disdain and shock. The cold, indifferent responses of the people I encountered made me feel unwelcome and alone. I could not understand why everyone was so taken aback by my offers of common courtesy. For a while, I believed it to be a response to my being an American.

As term progressed, I began asking my flat mates and friends why these things were happening. I just could not understand it. The townspeople seemed friendly enough and were glad to help out. Some were even eager to hear more about life in America and spoke to me as if they had known me for years, providing details about their families, careers, and life experiences. Finally, I realized that the majority of the “cold” and indifferent” behavior I had experienced had occurred on campus. The students at the University were truly the people making me feel awkward and isolated.

The fact of the matter is, the exchanges between random students are much more formal here. Strangers simply do not converse with one another, even to say ‘Bless you’ or ‘Excuse me’. Of course, people become familiarized in the setting of the classroom and living arrangements. It is a seemingly different story for the international students on campus though. The English students are friendly, but too preoccupied in their own lives to make many efforts towards knowing you. The task of blending into the tightly woven community of English students is difficult, particularly because no one encourages you to make the effort.

Such experiences have taught me to love the connection and familiarity that I experience in the states. I used to cringe when a stranger would attempt to make small talk with me in the doctor’s office or on the train. Now I yearn for contact with others, even strangers. The ability to talk comfortably to the person beside you or to compliment an individual is vital to our sense of self. That brief bond between people feeds our need or recognition and gives us an indication that we do in fact exist. Living in a new environment, without any close contacts, I have come to appreciate even the slightest bit of recognition from a stranger, in hopes that they might help me establish my identity here in the United Kingdom.

Posted by Caroline Hilty at 11:14 AM | Permalink

My most memorable cultural trade during my time here occured two weeks ago when my host sister came home from University with her boyfriend Mathias. We ended up hitting it off and going to my host brothers first "going away to college" party. Amidst the drinking and multiple fumbling, half-drunken German conversations I attempted, I found Mathias again. We began to speak in half English, half German about the problems of the world, as two young people, both American and German. When he spoke about his time in San Francisco and in turn I about my time here in Cologne, I began to form clearer ideas of what the differences between us really meant. I realized that Germany gives its people the opportunity as children to explore the world, and that we are very unaccommodating in the States towards this kind of learning. When he was speaking in fluent English his opinion of the world, I realized that that was the exact thing I want to do with my German education here. Even though I started later than he did and it can be kind of discouraging to live among a heavily bilingual populous, now is my chance and so I must take it now. This one conversation changed my outlook drastically on my learning here and I mean to follow through on my goal.

Posted by Andrew Busch at 10:24 AM | Permalink

I don't think that I could really say that I've had only one interesting interaction with other people while I've been here, but one does stand out among the others. One evening, I went to dinner with a few friends, one of them from America and the other two from Germany. We ran into a man who was a native speaker, but also of middle eastern decent. We thought nothing of it, of course, but he decided to approach us. My German friend, being the joker that he is, decided to act as though he was American and that I was German. The man said to him, “Oh! You are from America! I would love to go see America, but I am afraid!” When my friend asked why, he replied, “Americans don’t like people like me and I don’t think I would be welcome there.” This comment made me think a lot about the way that America is handling middle eastern affairs. It is quite sad to think that this man might literally be afraid to come to a country which claims itself to be free.

Posted by Crystal Swesey at 10:07 AM | Permalink

While studying in France for the past month and a half, I have had LOTS of cultural trades with many people though I have to say that one experience has stood out in my mind. During September, I was taking about six hours of french classes every day, and then I had to go back to my host family and speak french at dinner for about 1.5 hours. Needless to say, I was literally exhausted at the end of each day! So whenever I got together with my American friends, (sorry Dauta, but..) we would speak English together because our brains were so overworked from all the french all day long. After the first few weeks, we started to notice that a lot of people stared at us a lot. Which I thought was odd at first, but eventually I got used to it. Though I have to say that I did not understand at all why people stared at us. None of us did, we just figured it was because either we looked different or they could hear our English from across the four lane street...
So I was talking to my host mother and she asked me why I don’t speak French all the time with my American friends and my American housemate. I tried to explain to her how hard it is to speak French all day long, so when I’m with my friends, I want a break from French, so we speak English. And she still didn’t seem to understand, saying that we should speak French all the time, which made me very frustrated! I was so frustrated with her because I had been working so hard to try to understand her culture and her customs, along with her language at the same time, all while I am about 3,000 miles away from my family and fr