Author Archives: hayashi

IE3: The Hidden Gem of the Mediterranean

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Denise Risdon is a senior at Oregon State University, studying Anthropology and History. Currently, Denise is interning for Heritage Malta in Malta through IE3 Global Internships for six months. Below, Denise provides an update of her time abroad. (This blog was originally posted on the IE3 Field Note page).

After having some time to settle in to my host country of Malta, I have absolutely fallen in love with it. This little island is truly a hidden gem in the Mediterranean. The beauty can be found everywhere in this country, especially in the people, the architecture, the gardens and harbors. The capital city of Valletta is like an open air museum, full of history at every corner. It is this history that has brought me to Malta. I am interning with Heritage Malta, the National Agency for cultural heritage. I am placed at the National Archaeological Museum which is situated right in Valletta. At the museum, I am working in the section for Phoenician, Roman and Medieval archaeology and I could not ask for better curators in this department.

The work I have been doing is interesting. Before I learned of this internship, I must admit that I had little knowledge of this tiny little island and since my arrival I have basically had a giant history lesson on the entire country. The most exciting project I have been working on has been excavating the Roman Baths at Ghajn Tuffieha, which is located on the western side of the country next to two of Malta’s nicest beaches. This site is presumed to be dated from 50 – 100 AD and it was discovered in about 1929.

The site has been closed to the public due to the excavations going on. I feel enormously privileged to be working on a site like this. I have had the opportunity to take part in preserving history for future generations. The site consists of a number of rooms and many of them contained intricate geometrical patterned floor tiles made of marbles and stone. Sadly, the site is in pretty bad shape, and needs serious work, but I am proud to be a part of this project.

I never thought that I would actually be able to work doing my dream job, but here I am, on the other side of the world, loving every moment of my adventure. Unlike most interns, I will be staying here in Malta for six months and I will be able to really see what life is like in this amazing little place. I will be able to dive deeper into this culture and embrace it. I await any opportunity that comes my way with an open mind and a smile.

CIEE: Cape Town, Africa

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Jordan Machtelinckx is an International Ambassador for the office of International Degree and Education Abroad. He is a student at Oregon State University, majoring in Civil Engineering. Jordan studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, through CIEE. Below, he provides a reflection of what he learned from his experience abroad.

Every day while I was studying at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and living with my host family, I was observing and learning. A foreign environment made my senses acute to absorb as much information as possible. Learning is inevitable in that context, but understanding the dynamics I was observing took time.

Throughout my life and over the course of my travels, I’ve learned that at least half of the lessons I learn come about after my return home. After cultural immersion in South Africa, I didn’t realize how much I had learned until I got back into a familiar environment that, for the most part, remained constant during my absence. My home culture in Oregon acted as a control to help me understand what I had learned in my absence and measure how I had changed.

The most obvious way I saw that South Africa had changed me was in the form of patience. Not just temporal patience, but particularly situational and interpersonal patience. After having my outlook and personality stretched and reshaped during my immersion in so many cultures over the course of six months, I noticed that I couldn’t really find anything in my daily life back in Oregon that bothered me anymore; personalities, attitudes and actions that I didn’t understand before and that I used to find irritating now seemed to float by me without effect and usually resulted in only a smile on my face whose source I couldn’t identify.

Stunned at first that just about nothing managed to annoy me, it stimulated me to figure out why. Where did this patience come from? What had happened in the last six months to make me reach some sort of peace that I could see only indirectly? Even as I write this, months after my return and having pondered the thought constantly, I can turn up only a basic, indefinite answer – one that provokes additional questions more than it provides an answer to the original one. That answer is simply that I have become closer with myself, better friends with myself, even.

Throwing myself into an experience in which I had to provide all of my own strength and motivation has resulted in better self-understanding and acceptance of who I am. That’s logical enough. And I could have guessed that would happen before I left. But I didn’t expect it to result in a fundamental change in my daily outlook upon my return to Oregon. I still have a lot of understanding to reach with my experience in Cape Town, and a lot more travel in the future to stimulate more of this personal philosophy. As usual, the disparity between the plethora of questions and the handful of poorly articulated answers will serve as motivation to continue to explore physically, metaphysically and philosophically. But for now, I am quite content with this newly found peace, this traveler’s Zen.

Study Abroad in France

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Monica Larson is an International Ambassador in the office of International Degree and Education Abroad at Oregon State University. She is also a senior pursuing a degree in Zoology and a minor in French. Monica shares how her fascination with the French culture as a little girl took her half way across the world to study abroad at the Université Catholique de l’Ouestin in Angers, France, through AHA, and Contemporary French Studies Program in Paris, France, through CIEE.

Ever since I can remember, I have been fascinated by the French language. When I was younger, I thought the language had an intriguing sound. Little did I know how far that intrigue would take me – turns out it was half way across the world. I took French in high school, and my family participated in a program where we housed Charles Molia, who was from France, for one month during the summer. The month we had with him could not have been better. Since then, our family has met his family, and we are all very close and regularly talk to each other. This experience only enhanced my fascination with the French.

After this, I tried to learn as much as possible about French culture and society, but I knew that I would never truly get a grasp on it unless I went to France. For that reason, I studied abroad in Paris and Angers during the summer after my sophomore year.  In Paris, I took a French film course and explored the city as much as possible. I was there for Bastille Day (French Independence Day), so I was able to compare it to our Independence Day. I find it extremely interesting how cultures are so different from each other, but we are still closely linked to one another. I think it is a necessity to learn about the different cultures around the world, because there are so many different perspectives and we can learn so much from one another to make the world better.

In Angers, I took a language intensive program and learned French along with people from all around the world including Greece, Mexico, China, Ireland, Ukraine, Japan, Columbia, India, and Pakistan just to name a few.  I not only learned about the French culture, but also values and beliefs from other cultures from international classmates. I saw different issues in a whole new light.  It gave me a chance to discern what I value and believe. This is a great example of things you learn while studying abroad that were not the original goal, but great surprises.

From studying abroad in France I gained countless memories and friends that I will have for my entire life. Also, I learned about myself and what I want to do in life. I realized that I want to work in France one day at a zoo or aquarium.

 

I would definitely recommend studying abroad to anyone who is thinking about it because it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that you will never regret and always remember. In fact, I am planning on going abroad again. I am in the process of applying to the OUS program in Lyon, France, and will be there for a year. I am very excited to return to France to see what new adventures lay ahead.

France: University of Poitiers

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Larry Becker is an Associate Professor in Geography and Director of the Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Program at Oregon State University.  He spent a sabbatical year, August 2010 – July 2011, at the University of Poitiers in west-central France as a visiting scholar. Below he shares a brief glimpse into his life abroad.

From our university apartment for visiting researchers, my wife (Oregon State Geography instructor Laurie Yokoyama Becker) and our 12-year old daughter (Malia) looked over rooftops, across the shallow Clain River to the Roman era city center of Poitiers.

Sunrises and sunsets reflected on the faces of the 900-year-old Notre Dame La Grande.  This view resembled what the attacking Protestants would have seen in the late 16th century depicted in a wall-sized painting from the 1620s in the city museum.  A strong sense of place is ever-present!

Malia walked daily to school in the center—passing near the site of an enormous Roman amphitheater and a street that 800 years earlier was gated at night separating the Jewish residents from the surrounding Christian population.

The streets of today, though, caught her eye, with mouth-watering éclairs in windows and narrow passageways to share with cars.  I walked away from the city center in the opposite direction past a prison where French resistance fighters died during the WWII German occupation, and Walmart-sized mega-stores to the 1960s-era campus.  My colleagues in the Migration Studies Center where my office was located welcomed me and invited me to lunch for the best cafeteria food—choices of fresh fish, boeuf bourguignon, and salads.

For research, I traveled to Mali.  I interviewed villagers outside the capital Bamako to understand changes in their livelihoods.  The biggest change I found in a village where I lived 25 years ago, is that the sorghum and millet farmers are selling their ancestral land to urban speculators and those seeking a retirement home.

I flew to the north on the edge of the Sahara to visit Timbuktu with a German aid agency that invited me to visit a rice farming project.  Laurie remained in Poitiers teaching Oregon State E-campus courses from our apartment.  Returning to France, my family and I traveled by train to Toulouse, the Italian coast, Rome, Naples, and the Carnival in Venice.

Quelle année!  We met Oregon State students on a study abroad in Poitiers.  This is an experience for Oregon State students and faculty alike.

Study Abroad with SFS

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SFS – The School for Field Studies – is one of the official partners with OSU in study abroad.  All of the SFS programs are approved at OSU and available to all eligible students.

SFS creates transformative study abroad experiences through field-based learning and research. Our educational programs explore the human and ecological dimensions of the complex environmental problems faced by our local partners, contributing to sustainable solutions in the places where we live and work. The SFS community is part of a growing network of individuals and institutions committed to environmental stewardship. SFS is committed to preserving the ecological health and sustainability of the communities in which we work. SFS:

  • Identifies environmental issues critical to their communities
  • Develops research plans to address them
  • Provides high-quality results and recommendations that promote the sustainable use of natural resources upon which these communities depend

Making a Difference One Person, One Research Problem at a Time
Each one of us has a valuable role to play in helping to protect our environment for future generations of plant, animal, and human life on earth. Yet tackling big problems can seem daunting, and you might question your ability to make a difference. As an SFS student:

  • You will be part of an international research team working to solve it, whether you are replanting critically fragmented rainforests in Australia or helping Costa Rican farmers transition to organic agriculture.
  • You will develop leadership skills, build self-confidence, and discover the vital role you can play in the larger global community.
  • You will develop personal relationships with members of the local community, putting a human face on the environmental problems you are studying, which is often the most rewarding part of the SFS experience.
  • You will be challenged and inspired by the work you do. Your work will make a real difference in a local community and make a positive contribution toward the sustainable use of the world’s natural resources.

SFSprograms are high-quality interdisciplinary academic, undergraduate-level programs. SFS “classrooms” include coral reefs, rainforests, and African savannas; the focus of our research ranges from wildlife conservation to rainforest restoration.

SFS programs are designed to teach students about critical local environmental problems and train them to do field research that will help address these problems. Our faculty provide core lectures needed to understand the content areas pertinent to case study and research questions. Field exercises complement classroom lectures and help students to develop skills needed for Directed Research projects.

The School for Field Studies (SFS) awards over $300,000 in need-based scholarships and loans each year with roughly one third of SFS students receiving some type of aid.

Study Abroad with FLL – Chillán, Chile

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Lucía Robelo is a Spanish instructor at OSU, and the Program Coordinator for the Chillán study abroad program offered by the Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures.

OSU students participating in the Chillán study abroad program spend the entire fall term in Chile, and some students spend additional  1-3 weeks traveling in Chile and South America during their winter break. Every year we have had 2-3 students who decided to stay longer, for one or two more terms in Chile. These students have continued being full time OSU students and received Financial Aid by taking online classes during their extended stay in Chile. A few students even decided to live in Chile for a few years! Chile has many things students really love. Many of them say that they have never been so happy when they are in Chile. During their stay, students gain confidence in their oral skills and also work on their writing skills. They learn a lot about the Chilean culture as well as about themselves and their own culture. Before departing from OSU, students are paired up with a compañero or compañera chilena, that is a Chilean partner attending the Universidad del Bío Bío, where OSU students study in Chile.

Tara Hermens and her two moms: her Chilean mom and her American mom who came to Chile to visit her.

Program participants are the best ambassadors. For many of them, this program is their first trip abroad on their own, without their family. In Chile, they are welcomed by their host family from the moment they arrive in town, and stay with them for the entire three months. Besides the language learning opportunities, host families provide the main cultural context in which the students will function.  The bonds that develop between our OSU students and their host families are long-lasting.  The program includes three excursions, and host families regularly take their OSU host children on outings during their three-day weekends. Other times students plan their own weekend with their compañeros chilenos. Every year, students consistently state that the highlight of their experience was the relationship they developed with their host family.

For OSU students pursuing Bachelor of Art degrees, this program is all they need to complete the B.A. language requirement. The program has proven to be a favorite choice for students completing their Second-Year Spanish at OSU.

Ashlin Kneeland at the Chillán market with a Chilean “huaso” (a Chilean man wearing the typical attire)

As  the Chillán Program Coordinator at OSU, I teach the pre-departure spring orientation class. In this class, we talk about their fears and anxieties about their upcoming study abroad experience and ways of coping with them.  Past participants volunteer as TA’s for the class by sharing their enthusiasm and stories from their own experience. Statements like “I never knew that learning Spanish could be so much fun”, or “This has been the best experience of my life” are repeated every year.

Caleb Green enjoying his coffee in southern Chile.

I am happy to say that every year, when I see my students upon returning from Chile, their Spanish has improved so much that they want to speak only in Spanish with me. I hear them talking about Chile with a big grin on their face, telling me how much they miss Chile (“extraño mucho Chile”). I feel very fortunate to be in this role.  Those smiles are the best reward for me.

For more information, please contact Lucía Robelo, Program Coordinator, or visit the program website.

Read a blog entry by one of the Chillán  program participant.

Study Abroad with DHE

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The School of Design and Human Environment (DHE) – now part of the College of Business at OSU – offers a variety of international opportunities to DHE majors. Sandy Burnett is the DHE Internship Coordinator, and also serves as the central point of contact for international programs at DHE.

There are many international opportunities for students in the School of Design and Human Environment to take part in. These range from one week study tours to full term experiences studying at various universities abroad. Whether you want to get a quick glance at Asia’s fashion scene or immerse yourself in a full time international internship experience helping build a school out of recycled materials in Guatemala, there is an international opportunity available for any DHE major.

DHE STUDY TOURS: DHE study tours have gone to Europe and Asia. Typically, these study tours occur every other year, each tour alternating years.

The Art, Architecture and Dress Study Tour of Europe offers students a study of Europe’s 2000 years of architecture, interiors and dress. Students tour ancient ruins, Renaissance art and architecture, famous museums, and contemporary design in some of Western Europe’s most exciting cities. The group travels by trains, subways, boats, coaches, and planes while exploring London, Paris, Florence, and Rome.  The next tour is expected to be offered the Summer of 2014. For more information, please contact Elaine Pedersen in DHE.

The Hong Kong Fashion Week Study Tour is a 10 day study tour in, you guessed it, Hong Kong. A small group attends the Hong Kong Fashion Week tradeshow including live fashion shows, seminars, designer contests, while featuring the latest fabrics, materials and fashions for upcoming seasons. It is known worldwide for its large sourcing expo and is attended globally by top designers, manufacturers and retailers in the apparel and footwear industry. In addition to attending the tradeshow, the group visits the heart of Hong Kong’s fashion scene visiting key fashion markets, retailers and company site visits. Students also have the opportunity to study China’s tradition and culture while visiting museums, traditional monuments and cultural excursions all while eating Chinese traditional cuisine. Currently, a study tour of main land China is in the planning stages. For more information, please contact Sandy Burnett in DHE.