Study Abroad Bloggers On A Roll
AustraLearn, AsiaLearn, EuroLearn Student Stories File In From Fiji, United Kingdom, China, Australia and New Zealand
New videos, blog posts and photos are rolling in from the current participants of AustraLearn, AsiaLearn and EuroLearn study abroad programs, giving colorful glimpses of student experiences in other countries and among other cultures.
Here are a few of the highlights of the ongoing GlobaLinks Learning Abroad study abroad blogroll:
FIJI
South Dakota Student Shows First Days In Fiji
“So I left this,” Emily Wold, an AustraLearn video blogger studying abroad at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, says while panning her camera across a snow-covered landscape in the United States, “and came to this,” she adds, showing palm trees waving in the breeze along the Fijian coastline.
In her first video post, the Augustana College student provides a window into the AustraLearn Culture and Adventure program in Fiji with clips of native dances and ceremonies, as well as snorkeling.
“The program is designed to get us ready for our semester in Fiji,” says the philosophy/government/history triple major who will spend a semester studying in the South Pacific island nation. “We made friends and learned some new phrases like ‘Bula’ … and had a lot of fun along the way.”
In future video clips, Wold, who is treasurer of the Augie Green committee created by students to keep Augustana College Green, will explore the history of the Fijian government as well as sustainability in Fiji. Does it exist? Stay tuned …
UNITED KINGDOM
One image from a "photo war" between Leslie Pitman and other student photographers, as posted on Pitman's blog. Photo, Leslie Pitman.
Leslie Pitman’s “Something I Can Send You From Across The Sea”
Leslie Pitman of Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina is studying abroad at Kingston University in London through EuroLearn during the spring 2010 semester and documenting her time there with vivid photography and poetic writing.
Blog: Something I Can Send You From Across The Sea:
Excerpt: “Yesterday, we went to Oxford. And instead of conforming to the posh, elitist student image, we had a barbaric and uncivilized photo war. Here are the remains…from my eyes, anyway.”
CHINA
Suzanne Simpson’s “Dao of Wanderlust: Travels of a Daoist Scholar”
Suzanne Simpson, from the University of Northern Colorado, is blogging for AsiaLearn and is now studying for a semester at Sichuan University.
Blog: Dao of Wanderlust: Travels of a Daoist Scholar
Excerpt: “I’m a Tiger, so I’ve wanted to celebrate the Year of the Tiger in China for years. It is thrilling to travel around and see so many cute tiger decorations wherever I go. In honor of the Year of the Tiger, I created an amalgam of some of the best tigers I’ve seen during the past few weeks. (I actually have collected over 200 tiger pictures so far during this trip, so there is no way that I can share them all.)…”
NEW ZEALAND
Washington State University Student Showcases Culture and Adventure Program
Alanna Beason, an AustraLearn video blogger and photography major at Washington State University, shows scenes of Maori culture and first glimpses of New Zealand in her first video blog post. Beason is on a study-abroad and internship-abroad combination program and will take classes in photography and visual arts at AUT University.
“New Zealand has been a really amazing experience so far,” she says in her video segment. “The landscape and the people are wonderful and amazing – way beyond my expectations. Doing the Culture and Adventure Program definitely helped me prepare for a life here in New Zealand, and it really helps connect you to the locals and make friends here while we’re here at school, which is really great.”
AUSTRALIA
On a walk through downtown Melbourne, Chris Thele captured this colorful shot in a back alley. Photo, Chris Thele.
Chris Thele’s Blog
Chris Thele, a graduate in architectural studies from the University of Missouri, is studying to get a master of architecture degree at the University of Melbourne’s School of Design. In his blog, Thele writes with artistry about the people and places he encounters on streets of Melbourne and beyond.
Blog: Chris Thele’s Blog
Excerpt: “i found myself with some free time a few days back so i decided to have a ‘walkabout’, as they say, downtown…i really didn’t know where i was heading or where i even was half the time. it was a fortunate accident which led me down along the yarra river in the southbank area and along south wharf and the docklands. even managed to stumble across some pretty cool back alleys full of graffiti, sneaker shops and underground cafes. i prob spent a good 4 hours walking around.”
Kiki Wilson’s “Livin The Dream: 5 Months On the Gold Coast, Australia”
Kiki Wilson, a University of Colorado at Boulder student, is studying abroad at Griffith University – Gold Coast.
Blog: “Living The Dream: 5 Months On the Gold Coast, Australia”
Excerpt: “I’m already obsessed with this country. Although I’m not in Gold Coast yet, I love the culture and lifestyle that Australians live. Everything is very laidback and no problem. People are super nice and just really mellow to be around. I’ve realized that the U.S. is a very complicated place and a lot of the things we do are more complex than they should be. Very refreshing to be surrounded by a ‘no worries’ mentality. They often say “work to live, not live to work” which I totally love.”
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