“China. China, China China, China.” It almost sounds like a sentence, no?
The name itself carries so much context that an introduction is not quite needed. China, the home of the Great Wall. China, the land of almost unrivaled smog. China, a country of designer lovers, city dwellers, and factory workers, all of whom make this modern country possible.
But of course, there is a lot more to it than that.
“I need you,” newfound friend Javi asserts.
“Why do you need me?” I demand.
Javi: “Para cuidarte, amarte y estar a tu lado” — to take care of you, love you and be by your side. His words sound lovely but remarkably familiar. They come directly from music lyrics.
Tinged with sexism, many of my conversations with Dominican males took a — romantic turn. Out of nowhere, men love me, need me and miss me. One suggested that I make him “feel brand new” — straight from a 1973 Stylistics hit song. We listen to merengue and bachata music, traveling to daily excursions on our chartered bus. Sometimes, the lyrics are in English, unmistakable. Hence, I know the source of Javi’s quixotic lines.
Music profoundly impacts Dominican discourse.
I took it upon myself to learn another language during my academic year abroad. I have been living in Germany for 9 months so far, and my German is progressing every day.
My first semester here in Germany was dedicated to specifically learning the language, and I was able to get my German from A1 level to a B1 level in the time that I have been here. Due to the level of my language progression I was able to transfer to the University of Ulm, where I now take mathematics courses that will help towards graduation.
Continue reading “What’s it Like Taking Courses in a Foreign Language?”
I have noticed a few things about Chilean culture during my first month here. Here are 10 things that have stuck out to me during my time in Santiago.
When I first started looking at programs for my semester abroad, I never thought that I would end up in Asia. In fact, I had my heart set on either Spain or Australia for a while. However, when I stumbled across a program at National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, I just had to look into it.
At the time, Taiwan was quite mysterious to me. I had had layovers in the country, but had never stepped out of the airport. My extent of what I knew about the little island was that there was constant argument over whether Taiwan was a part of China or not, and that the main language spoken there was Mandarin Chinese. I’m not quite sure what it was about the program that won me over, but a little voice inside my head told me that this was the perfect place for me.
So, taking a huge leap of faith, I applied for the university, and started packing my things.
My time in Germany has just hit the halfway point and I have just completed my first semester abroad — oh how time flies by so fast!
My German has significantly improved since being in Germany; I was an A1 level speaker before leaving the U.S. and am now considered B1 level (that’s a massive jump in just one semester!). Not only that but as of today I have traveled to 15 different countries since leaving the U.S. That’s a great accomplish that I am very proud of!
Continue reading “Saying Goodbye to Tübingen, Saying Hello to my New Home in Ulm”
After a young friend and I finally went through the hassle of our home state’s airport check-in process a few months back, we began to discuss what crosses we would bear once we began classes at the University of Haifa International School in Israel.
Now mind you, she and I had to already overcome several obstacles during the process of planning our study abroad adventures. Here, I will digress a little and offer an example of a challenge I had to face in order to achieve the goal I’d set for myself.
Continue reading “Learning A New Language Is Like Climbing the Highest Mountain”
Ní hăo! Those were the only words I knew in Mandarin Chinese when I landed in China for my one year exchange program at Xiamen University. The language barrier became more and more apparent each day I spent here. Each simple task, such as ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions or shopping, became a whole new adventure of its own. Continue reading “Conquering the Language Barrier”
Not surprisingly, one of the hardest parts about studying abroad is being away from your family. Being away from them when I’m at school in San Diego is hard enough, but it’s a very difficult adjustment when you’re halfway across the world.
Unlike most study abroad kids, however, I can really relate to the country I’m in since both of my parents were born and raised in Italy. The best part? My parents showed up in Rome last week and we went on a little adventure down south. Continue reading “A Piece Of Home”
Welcome back to my blog on South Korean culture, food, and student life!
Before I get to the main dish of this post, let me give you a quick update on my crazy life over here. Continue reading “What’s For Dinner: Korean Barbecue”
The global experience, as told by SDSU students 