I have been back in the States since May 1 but I refuse to let go of the recent international theme for my life. I returned to Clemson University in August to live in the Cultural Exchange Community (CEC) on campus. My suitemate Jennifer and I decided last year that we would live here since we were both interested in going abroad. We have both since been abroad and are now living here with two other wonderful young ladies. Jennifer's roommate is Alexandra from Canada. She is extremely bubbly and friendly. I can't imagine life without her in my apartment. My roommate is Pauline from France. She is super sweet and I love seeing her every day. Jenn and I couldn't have asked for better roommates!
Life in the CEC is so much fun. I think one thing that really amazes me is just how genuinely nice everyone is. There are people here from all over the world: America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America. I love how well everyone gets along and that everyone is able to have fun together even though we are all so different.
My favorite thing about living around so many foreigners is their accents. Foreign accents are absolutely amazing to me. I also think it's interesting when any of the students who speak English as a second language express feelings of inadequacy in speaking English. This just blows my mind because I know for a fact that I would be lucky to know one sentence of their language. As far as I'm concerned, they are all wonderful English speakers. I'm also really impressed with how diligent they are in their school work.
I love being able to talk to the international students about things that are different between here and where they're from. Some of the things that have come up... Sudents would never where pajama bottoms to class in Spain. The Europeans were so surprised to see girls wearing athletic shorts outside as normal clothes. Like I saw in Belgium, Europe and Canada employ reusable bags for grocery shopping. Also, Southern hospitality is something totally new to most of them.
One thing for sure that none of them have ever experienced before coming here is Clemson pride. They all comment about how nice everyone is and what a happy place Clemson is. I'm glad they all like it here. We love having them here as part of our community!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Videos
I've been home for quite a while now and I am a lot more comfortable being back in the States than I was at first. I just received an email requesting that we upload our videos to this blog so here they go... Of course, they could still be better. I feel like the audio leaves a lot to be desired but that's what happens when you're learning and working with this equipment. Overall, it was a fun project though.
This first video is about my experience abroad.
This next video is about Belgium--specifically Brussels, Belgium.
This last video is about business which is the field I was studying while abroad.
This first video is about my experience abroad.
This next video is about Belgium--specifically Brussels, Belgium.
This last video is about business which is the field I was studying while abroad.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Good American Experiences
Yesterday I went out to eat and to the mall with my mom and sister. While we were out, I did some things that I consider to be very American--things I wouldn't have been able to do in Europe.
For one thing, while we were out to eat we all received free refills on our drinks. This does not happen in Europe, you have to buy a new drink if you want more after the first time you run out. I also used the restroom at the restaurant without having to pay for it. I was pretty excited about that. Our waitress was also really nice which was a different from what I had experienced in Europe. Waiters and waitresses in Europe get paid at least minimum wage anyway so they don't have to earn tips. Needless to say, our servers in Europe did not have much incentive to be nice and quite often were pretty rude.
As we were walking around the mall, I rode on the left side of the escalator without being told "adroit!" In Europe, if you stand on an escalator, you stand on the right side so that people that are in a hurry can pass you on the left. If you are in their way, they will let you know. While shopping, I rounded prices up because once I got to the register I knew there would be tax added on. In Europe, their ridiculously high taxes are already added into all of their prices so that whatever it was marked at was exactly what you paid. I was also pretty excited to get around places in my own car rather than having to take some form of public transportation. I enjoy being able to go where I want when I want rather than having to waste time worrying about when the trams and metros are running.
I do miss Europe a bit but I'm glad to have the freedom that comes with living in America.
For one thing, while we were out to eat we all received free refills on our drinks. This does not happen in Europe, you have to buy a new drink if you want more after the first time you run out. I also used the restroom at the restaurant without having to pay for it. I was pretty excited about that. Our waitress was also really nice which was a different from what I had experienced in Europe. Waiters and waitresses in Europe get paid at least minimum wage anyway so they don't have to earn tips. Needless to say, our servers in Europe did not have much incentive to be nice and quite often were pretty rude.
As we were walking around the mall, I rode on the left side of the escalator without being told "adroit!" In Europe, if you stand on an escalator, you stand on the right side so that people that are in a hurry can pass you on the left. If you are in their way, they will let you know. While shopping, I rounded prices up because once I got to the register I knew there would be tax added on. In Europe, their ridiculously high taxes are already added into all of their prices so that whatever it was marked at was exactly what you paid. I was also pretty excited to get around places in my own car rather than having to take some form of public transportation. I enjoy being able to go where I want when I want rather than having to waste time worrying about when the trams and metros are running.
I do miss Europe a bit but I'm glad to have the freedom that comes with living in America.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
HOME
I am finally home from abroad! I'm super excited to be back in the States although I do miss Belgium at times. I think I actually went through more culture shock coming home than I did going abroad. It was like rediscovering my life all over again.
When I first stepped off of the plane, I was so excited to feel humidity again. But now that I've been back for a few days, it's really starting to hit me just how hot and sticky it actually gets here! I also forgot about how country people are in the South. It's weird to walk around and be able to understand conversations going on around you.
When I got home, my family and friends had a little surprise get together for me. This is the first time I haven't actually found out about a surprise party. I'm convinced that it's because I was out of the country during the planning.
So now it's back to normal American life. Of course I will never be the same after this trip. I feel like it was a major learning experience for me. I gained a lot of knowledge about life in general. I don't think it's an experience that I can really convey to anyone who wasn't there. People ask, "So how was your trip?" or they say, "Tell me how Belgium was." What are you supposed to say to that? Where would you even begin?
I am very grateful that I was able to have this opportunity to study abroad and learn more about the world. I'm also grateful to the people who made it possible... my parents, professors, and everyone else.
When I first stepped off of the plane, I was so excited to feel humidity again. But now that I've been back for a few days, it's really starting to hit me just how hot and sticky it actually gets here! I also forgot about how country people are in the South. It's weird to walk around and be able to understand conversations going on around you.
When I got home, my family and friends had a little surprise get together for me. This is the first time I haven't actually found out about a surprise party. I'm convinced that it's because I was out of the country during the planning.
So now it's back to normal American life. Of course I will never be the same after this trip. I feel like it was a major learning experience for me. I gained a lot of knowledge about life in general. I don't think it's an experience that I can really convey to anyone who wasn't there. People ask, "So how was your trip?" or they say, "Tell me how Belgium was." What are you supposed to say to that? Where would you even begin?
I am very grateful that I was able to have this opportunity to study abroad and learn more about the world. I'm also grateful to the people who made it possible... my parents, professors, and everyone else.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Italy = Love
I just got back from a trip to Rome and Venice. After this trip and my trip to Sardinia last weekend, I have decided that I absolutely love Italy and that it's my favorite country so far. The language is gorgeous, the people are nice, the landscape and architecture is breathtaking, and the food is delicious.
Sardinia is an island off the coast of Italy. We went there for our Easter break. It rained for most of the trip but we got one really good day of sun at the beach. It was pretty amazing to be on a Mediterranean beach. Easter morning we went to church at a Catholic church. It was an interesting experience. None of us really knew what was going on because it was all in Italian. That night we went to a club called La Siesta. Apparently it's some exclusive club that they were opening to the public for one night. It was pretty fun. My roommate and I took advantage of the salsa dancing there. The locals were amazing and we were nowhere near as good as them.
We were only back from Sardinia for a few days before leaving for Rome. I fell in love with Italy immediately. The countryside is so gorgeous. Everything is so green. The clouds were basically painted in the sky for the first day we were there.
It really enhanced the the Roman feel... gods on Mt. Olympus and all. The architecture was also amazingly majestic. We spent two days wandering around the city and seeing all the sites. We were amazed by all of the different types of people and what they were doing to make money. There were side walk artists, break dancing boys, jewelry makers, a man playing musical classes (true story--and he was good!), as well as many others. 
Most of these were really interesting but some of them were kind of annoying. One of my friends and I were basically made to buy roses from this one man. I really enjoyed the fashions in Rome. I could window shop there all day.
We spent one night at an airport in Rome before heading to Venice. We were all pretty tired by the time we got there but we spent a day wandering around the city. Venice was beautiful as well--very unique. We ate lots of gelato there. I think I had about 8 gelatoes during my time in Italy with at least one different flavor each time. We came to love the gelato. It was probably one of the best things about Italy.
Everyone was surprisingly excited to make it back to Brussels. We have about a week and a half until we go home. This is crunch week in our program so here we go!
Sardinia is an island off the coast of Italy. We went there for our Easter break. It rained for most of the trip but we got one really good day of sun at the beach. It was pretty amazing to be on a Mediterranean beach. Easter morning we went to church at a Catholic church. It was an interesting experience. None of us really knew what was going on because it was all in Italian. That night we went to a club called La Siesta. Apparently it's some exclusive club that they were opening to the public for one night. It was pretty fun. My roommate and I took advantage of the salsa dancing there. The locals were amazing and we were nowhere near as good as them.
We were only back from Sardinia for a few days before leaving for Rome. I fell in love with Italy immediately. The countryside is so gorgeous. Everything is so green. The clouds were basically painted in the sky for the first day we were there.
It really enhanced the the Roman feel... gods on Mt. Olympus and all. The architecture was also amazingly majestic. We spent two days wandering around the city and seeing all the sites. We were amazed by all of the different types of people and what they were doing to make money. There were side walk artists, break dancing boys, jewelry makers, a man playing musical classes (true story--and he was good!), as well as many others. 
Most of these were really interesting but some of them were kind of annoying. One of my friends and I were basically made to buy roses from this one man. I really enjoyed the fashions in Rome. I could window shop there all day.We spent one night at an airport in Rome before heading to Venice. We were all pretty tired by the time we got there but we spent a day wandering around the city. Venice was beautiful as well--very unique. We ate lots of gelato there. I think I had about 8 gelatoes during my time in Italy with at least one different flavor each time. We came to love the gelato. It was probably one of the best things about Italy.
Everyone was surprisingly excited to make it back to Brussels. We have about a week and a half until we go home. This is crunch week in our program so here we go!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Spring!
Things are FINALLY starting to get green around here!! It is so exciting to actually see color and feel warmth as we walk the streets of Brussels. It's kind of sad that we only have a little bit of time left when the weather actually gets nice. This weekend is the beginning of our Easter break. A few friends and I are going to Alghero, Sardinia (an Italian island) to spend the break. We leave in the morning and we're way excited! It should be an interesting vacation since Italy is a predominately Catholic country and this is Easter weekend. Hopefully we will see some cool stuff. I'll blog again when I get back.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
April Fool's Day
So today is April Fool's Day. I'm not sure if they even recognize this day in Belgium (I'll have to ask one of the locals eventually) but we have already had a few jokes within our little group of Americans here.
Nothing very interesting has really been happening lately. The weather is finally starting to warm up. We have had a lot of sunny days recently that are absolutely amazing. It's finally starting to act like spring around here and it reminds me so much of Carolina. This kind of weather is not something that any of us would have ever associated with Belgium up to this point.
Our second round of classes started recently, around the middle of March. I've just recently decided to drop my finance class because I just have too much on my plate right now. So I'm down to 15 hours. I absolutely love my law class though, it's so interesting!
I don't have much more traveling planned. I will be going to Italy twice in the middle of this month and I think that's it. I can't believe I only have one more month until I go home. This trip is flying by. I know it's going to be really weird to finally get home though.
Nothing very interesting has really been happening lately. The weather is finally starting to warm up. We have had a lot of sunny days recently that are absolutely amazing. It's finally starting to act like spring around here and it reminds me so much of Carolina. This kind of weather is not something that any of us would have ever associated with Belgium up to this point.
Our second round of classes started recently, around the middle of March. I've just recently decided to drop my finance class because I just have too much on my plate right now. So I'm down to 15 hours. I absolutely love my law class though, it's so interesting!
I don't have much more traveling planned. I will be going to Italy twice in the middle of this month and I think that's it. I can't believe I only have one more month until I go home. This trip is flying by. I know it's going to be really weird to finally get home though.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)