Have a Merry Christmas!

I am going to base my decision on whether I plan to continue writing for Rowan Worldwide depending on what comes my way next semester.  I would love to meet more students from countries around the world that attend Rowan University.  I enjoyed meeting the exchange students that I did and learned a lot about their lives here, the country that they are from, and the culture they hold to all the while absorbing the American way of life.  I found that I have a great deal of respect for those who decide to study abroad; it really is a leap into an unfamiliar life. 

If you are an exchange student and would like to talk about your country, perhaps to let students know something going on where you are from that they may be unaware of (take a look at my feature on international news) or you would like to talk about your experience in the United States please feel to contact me anytime (including over break!) via Facebook.  In addition, if you are a Rowan student that has traveled abroad and would like to share your experience with me I would love to interview you and learn about the country through a traveler’s eyes.  Thank You.

Merry Christmas!

-Megan Bahoosh

While you were gone

Foreign exchange students study abroad for roughly eight months and while they are away the country they left behind continues to change.  Many students will return home to a different environment or a sinking economy, similar to that of the United States.  Those students from the U.S. who chose to study abroad will return home to a new president. This feature is a look at the current events in a few countries that are represented here at Rowan University by exchange students.

Vietnam

Photo by ThinhHoang

Khoa Hoang is an exchange student from Vietnam who has been living in the United States for five years.  Hoang said that the biggest news story right now is the Vietnam National Football Team, “the news about the team will be on every front page of the newspapers and magazines.” Vietnam defeated Malaysia with a 3-2 victory and is likely to advance to the 2008 Southeast Asian Suzuki Cup semifinals as reported by Quang Huy.  The team will play Laos on Friday, which will be an important game for them.  In an article on the Asean Football Federation website head coach Henrique Calisto says he won’t play the second string, ”We must win against Laos. It is very important that we beat them and it is because of that, we should not play with the second team.”  

            In the same article, the outcomes of the games ahead were predicted by a few. Thailand’s former striker Kiatisuk thinks that Vietnam may win (in the semi finals) but Thailand and Vietnam will meet again in the finals.  Laos’ head coach Saysana Sawatdee forecasts that Thailand will beat Vietnam 1-0, and Vietnams coach foresees a draw between his team and Thailand.

In The Whit this week

A World of Influence

                      A Look at International Students and Study Abroad

Take a look!

Meet Frans

Frans is 18 from Heemstede, Netherlands.

What are you studying and what do you want to do after college?

At Rowan I am undeclared but I enjoy sports journalism.  When I begin as a freshman at Rotterdam University I will be studying economics and law.

What was your reason for studying abroad in the U.S?

I wanted the experience of living abroad and I want to improve my English.

And it was it mandatory to learn English?

Yes.  We are such a small country it is imperative that we learn English because no one can understand us.

A gift from Mei

 

A Chinese bracelet from Mei.

Christmas break in Spain

Kristin MacLean is a junior studying Psychology with a minor in Spanish.  She is going to Spain over Christmas break.  I asked her the details of her trip as well as why she is going and what her plans are once she gets there; this is what she had to say.

The cost of the trip I’m going on is $1,525 including airfare, hotel, breakfast, but excludes excursions. I’m going to Lisbon, Portugal first and staying at Hotel Lutecia, only for a day though. Then I travel to Seville, Spain and I will be staying at Hotel Don Paco. I’m going with a big group of friends so hopefully I will not be too homesick. I could take 6 credits, but I’m only going to take 3 credits and I’m taking a theater class. The class is all about Spanish theater, Federico Garcia Lorca, and his plays. I’m going to Spain because I want to see if I can further my fluency in Spanish and I love Spanish culture; I have been studying it since freshman year of high school. I can read and speak Spanish very well and I’m almost fluent, however I have some problems with grammar and writing. Once I’m in Spain, I’m going to Madrid, Granada, and Cordoba. When I am in Spain I’m going to do some sightseeing, see some plays, and try to meet locals at bars, which are very popular for young people there. I would love to live in Spain for a little bit and possibly after college I might teach ESL to children over there. However, I think I would get homesick and could never stay there for longer than a few years. 

Inspiring or perhaps just interesting

For those Rowan students looking to be inspired by another’s tale of a life abroad, reading Lisa Lorenz’s articles depicting her life in London may worthwhile.  In her story Lisa, across the universe published in this weeks The Whit talks about her access to European countries while living in London. This past weekend she chose to visit Spain.

 ”We picked a direction and started walking; we didn’t know where we going, but it didn’t matter.”  

She will write about her life abroad in the feature section of The Whit for those who are interested.

Dinner and an interview

This interview was conducted over a homemade meal made by three exchange students from China.  Scarlett, Hope, and Mei had many things to say about their adapted American life as well as their Chinese heritage. What surprised me were their reasons for studying abroad in America, why they speak our language, and the contrast between Chinese food as I know it and traditional Chinese dinners.

Hope, Scarlett, and Mei

            I was invited to have a customary homemade dinner at Mei’s house along with her two roommates and fellow Chinese exchange students Scarlett and Hope.  Arriving about twenty minutes late after getting lost I was afraid I was going to offend some sort of Chinese cultural standard, but I was welcomed with smiles and dinner on the table.  As I sat down at their kitchen table I visually took in what I was being served for dinner.  I love trying new food yet I still had a smidge of hesitation, even though everything looked relatively normal.   

(back to front) grilled chicken with soy sauce, fried egg, potato’s and carrots,the fruit was dessert, and the two other dishes are beef carrots and peppers

The fried egg was my favorite dish, it was unique and quite spicy. The fruit for dessert surprised me a little I had this instantaneous need to buy them a box of Entamann’s. Fruit is a traditional dessert for them though. 

  As we ate, Scarlett and Hope talked to me about their life in China as well as their life in America at Rowan University. They told me their actual names are Kun Chang and Ma Baohui.  Scarlett chose her name because she liked the actor Josh Harnett and at the time he was dating actress Scarlett Johansson who she thought was very pretty.  I thought this way of finding a name was very interesting however, I could relate.  The first day of Spanish class my eighth grade year we were allowed to choose a name culturally suitable, I remember picking Margarita because I was fascinated that my name was an alcoholic beverage.  Hope chose her name because she liked the meaning and she compared the name to a sunrise.   

            I was curious to know a lot about exchange students but particularly, why students who live in another country choose to learn English, I understand it is a good language to know, but what is the sole reason for students to want to learn the English language?  Before I finished the question all three girls were nodding their heads saying the same thing, “We have to learn English and we have to know how to write in English too.  Our tests are given to us in English and if we want to attend a university in China or America we must know English.”  I proceeded to ask them why they chose to study abroad and why America?  I candidly told them that I would want to study abroad to experience life in an unfamiliar world and learn about the country’s history and culture, and hopefully master the language.  Although, they share similar feelings they had an added motive for coming to the United States.  We have better opportunities here; there are many more Universities in America then in China.  Scarlett noted, “It would be much harder for me to go to graduate school if I studied in China.”  According to Chinatoday.com the Chinese Ministry of Education in 2001 tallied 350,000 students were studying abroad.

Meet Berend

Berend Messelmans is from Oisterwijk Province in the Netherlands.

            Berend is attending Rowan University directly out of high school with a specialization in business administration.  When he returns to the Netherlands Berend will begin at Rotterdam University as a sophomore.  Through my discussion with Berend I found many aspects of his life fascinating.  At age 18 Berend has been to Belgium, France, Germany, United States, Denmark, England, U.S. Virgin Islands, Egypt, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland.  Along with being a worldly traveler Berend is fluent in German, French, English, and Dutch.  Having never traveled outside of the country and falling somewhere between mediocre and poor in Spanish all of this impressed me. 

Study Abroad Enhances Learning

On Monday November 10, 2008 G. Jeffrey MacDonald published an article for USA Today on how internships, community service, and studying abroad will augment a college experience. He wrote, “Through five courses, professor-led field trips, 10 days of independent travel and involvement in local religious life, students gain a better understanding of how all the pieces in their college educations fit together.”

On Abroad 101 blogger Mike101 wrote, “The resulting changes that study abroad prompts in global perspective, maturity, and awareness are undeniable.”

The term worldly came to my mind as I was reading these articles.  I am beginning to understand the importance of experiencing life as people live it in other countries.  It has also become clear to me, the value of learning the history and culture of other countries.  The best way to do so, or at least the most intriguing would be to experience life abroad firsthand.