In the span of a couple of weeks, I have checked off so many things from my bucket list. I have found a good group of friends with the same sense of adventure. We have gone on hikes and camping trips. One trip that amazed me was far south of New Zealand in the Catlins. This coastal region is filled with amazing waterfalls and wildlife. We saw penguins, seals, and dolphins during just a 3-day camping trip. We took our boogie boards and wet suits at Curio Bay and swam with the Hector dolphin colony. As we rode the waves, they would rush right past us. It was truly an amazing site.
Dolphin swimming a wave in Curio Bay, New Zealand
After seeing the dolphins, we went to Nugget Point to see an iconic lighthouse and some seals. There were at least 50 seals playing in the pools below. They were hard to spot, but once you saw one, you saw many more.
Nugget Point LighthouseMe at Nugget Point Lookout
I have really gone out of my comfort zone and am willing to try just about anything here. I came in with an adventurous attitude, and New Zealand has matched it with flying colors. I joined the kayak club here, and we had to take lessons on how to roll a kayak. It is a fun new skill that I had no idea about. I also participate in the premier football (soccer) club here at Otago University.
Another club I have joined is the Otago bike club. There are so many fun communities within Dunedin and so much to do. I finally have a routine with my classes and really try to study during the week so my weekends remain free. My next adventure takes me to Queenstown and Wanaka.
I am enrolled in Waiata Te Tīmatange, which is a Māori song and performing arts class. It is by far my favorite class and teaches me so much about the culture and the language. Each waiata (song) we are taught reveals a new understanding of the Māori worldview and their customs. We recently learned a waiata tangi, a song of mourning. Next, we are learning a waiata aroha, a welcoming song. We are learning a total of five Māori songs and dances to perform in our end-of-semester concert. Pre-colonization, the Māori language was strictly oral; nothing was written down. All of their genealogy and creation stories were passed down through songs and dances. This practice is utilized in our class. We learn the songs in a dark room where the instructor repeats the lines over and over again. We are never handed the words in writing. I actually learn the words and their meaning quicker this way and I think it will last longer in my long-term memory. I look forward to all of the waiata and haka performances we will learn.
Here are some words in te reo I have learned:
aroha – love, compassion
whakapapa – layers of geneology
whānau – family
manaakitanga – kindess, generosity
In addition to school, I am exploring more and more of Dunedin. The weather is a lot like Oregon, sometimes it’s sunny, and then sometimes rainy and cold. We are going into autumn and the leaves are slightly changing. The other day I went to see the Pukekura Blue Penguins. They are the smallest penguins in the world. At dusk, these penguins make their way onto land to rest for the night. At the top of the Dunedin peninsula, these penguins waddled home. They are in their molting their feathers and replacing them with new ones.
Wow! I will definitely say that these past few weeks have been a lot of work with very limited enjoyment. When committing to studying abroad, I knew that exam season would probably be the worst part of the experience. However, now that I have gotten past all of my mid-term assignments, I can say that I feel pretty content with my progress in each of my classes!
This midterm season, I had three presentations and an exam, which wouldn’t have been too challenging if they were all in English. Even though the Spanish aspect of the midterms made me continuously stressed for two solid weeks, I now feel a lot prouder of my abilities, both academically and inter-relationally. One aspect that I did find enjoyable was the broad range of topics that my presentations covered: the history/evolution of Ecuador once becoming an independent republic, the impact of mystification and reproduction in art, and (my personal favorite) Taylor Swift. For five whole minutes, I got to show off my inner-swiftie conjointly with my Spanish speaking abilities, which I haven’t had an opportunity to do so until now! In regard to my one exam on Baroque art, I think it went really well considering that there was a large percentage of lecture content present; my Spanish comprehension skills really worked in my favor here!
A photographic project for my Language and Cinema classThe on-campus meditation centerMe and my Taylor Swift presentationWe love celebrating Profe Karla’s birthday!
Between study sessions and practicing presentations, I was able to find some enjoyment in exploring Ecuador! For one day, my friend Leena and I took a very impromptu trip to Papallacta to enjoy some hot springs. I absolutely love rural Ecuador; there are so many hills and trees, which give off so much tranquility! It definitely resembles a bit of Southern Oregon, but with a lot more greenery; I felt very at home on this trip! Overall, it was nice to just slow down the fast-paced student lifestyle and catch up with a good friend.
Entry way of the Papallacta hot springsHot springs of PapallactaLake-scene in rural EcuadorI (safely) jumped a guard-rail to take this photo
Besides Papallacta, I also had the chance to visit La Carolina’s botanical garden, which was so cool! In general, when most people enter La Carolina, they forget (at least a little bit) that they’re surrounded by city-life. However, when entering the garden itself, all thoughts regarding the “outside” world become nonexistent and the focus is directed towards what is visually present.
Since Ecuador has a large variety of orchid species, they were scattered throughout the entire garden, which was nice to experience. There was also a section of the garden dedicated to the senses, which grouped together herbs and other potently smelling plants. For the first time, I smelled pure lemongrass, which has now become my new favorite smell!
After this excursion, Oliver, Blue, and I sat near a lagoon in La Carolina, where we ended up buying pies from a few Ecuadorian Scouts (which are very similar to the U.S. Boy/Girl Scouts). From them, I ended up getting an apple pie, which had some abnormally great crust!
Just one (of many) plants in the Botanical GardenA beautiful pond in the Botanical GardenAnother Ecuadorian flower (with a bee)These are the biggest ducks I’ve ever seen!
For the past few weeks, I’ve also been trying to put extra effort towards improving my Spanish comprehension skills. With this goal in mind, I have so far watched three-of-the-four Shrek movies with Spanish sound/subtitles. A lot of the international students agree that Shrek in Spanish is a lot better than Shrek in English. I, however, can’t really add anything to this argument, as I (fun fact) had never actually watched Shrek until a few weeks ago, and therefore have never seen the English version. I will say though, that Spanish Shrek is really funny, and I 100 percent recommend it!
It took me a week to get over a nasty cold which disappointed me because I had planned to explore more. However, I seemed to get over my sickness at the perfect time. When I arose from my cave for class on Monday I discovered that the cherry blossoms had bloomed.
So pretty!Sunny Seoul Street!
The walk to class was so beautiful and many people stopped to take pictures. I never got the chance to see the blossoms back home in Portland so I was amazed. The sunny street with the blossoms felt nice and cozy despite being in such a big city. Seoul takes a lot of pride in keeping its trees healthy throughout the winter.
Since the weather had me in such a good mood I decided to do some exploring!
Religion Is Everywhere.Multi-Level Stores Are Common.
I was so surprised when I found this church close to my apartment. I had heard that many people in Korea are religious but for some reason, I did not expect the building to look like this. In contrast to the other buildings, it stands out with the brick and style it is built in. I had never seen a church that big in person and I stared at it for a few minutes as people passed by.
Then I finally decided to stop at 2 stores that I walk by every day. One was a clothing store called MIIGWECH. Everything was so cute and I bought 2 shirts and a skirt.
Do You Think It’s Cute?
After that, I went to the beauty store that I have heard many Koreans talk about. OliveYoung was more than just makeup and I found myself buying more than I intended. I ended up buying an eyebrow pencil, body scrub, face masks, deodorant, and a drink. The total was about the same as the clothing store. I’m not sure if that is a good thing just yet but I did enjoy myself. Of course, I did stumble over my words at the register as she asked if I wanted a bag twice and then if I had any points.
Success! Made It Out Alive!
It took me a bit to find my footing, but I feel as if I’ve finally caught some traction.
Gracie
In Ireland, St. Paddy’s Day is a bank holiday, so government buildings are closed, schools have the day off, and locals and tourists alike line the streets of Galway for celebration, myself among them.
people lined up to watch the paradekicking off the parade with “Saint Patrick”the parade’s grand marshals
The main attraction of the day was the parade, an hour and a half long affair winding down the streets of Galway. I managed to snag a spot near the courthouse, which gave a pretty good view of all the parade entries. The parade had loads of different entries, such as sports clubs, performing arts groups, local businesses, schools, and multicultural groups. What started as a rainy day turned sunny as soon as the parade started, and it started raining again as soon as the parade ended. Even the weather here knows not to ruin a good St. Paddy’s Day celebration.
Galway Sea Scoutsmedieval re-enactorsStar Wars x St. Paddy’s DayGalway’s Filipino Irish Communitystilt performer
After the day’s main festivity, I wandered downtown for some lunch, and it was by far the busiest I had ever seen the Latin Quarter. Most restaurants and pubs had set up extra seating outside to accommodate this increase, which also made things a bit more crowded.
so many people out and about!Irish figure dancingrestaurants downtown put up decor for the occasion!
I finished my celebrating by watching some live Irish figure dancing in Eyre Square as an attempt to wait out the rain before walking home.
Ireland spares no expense at celebrating this holiday, and there are more community events throughout the weekend that I hope to check out!
When an American study abroad student finds herself with the capability to purchase a €20 plane ticket to London, what better idea than to take a whirlwind, 24 hour trip? This was my exact thought a few weekends ago, and I’m here to take y’all on the journey with me 🙂
My day started with a 1 AM alarm to walk to the Galway Coach Station for the 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Dublin Airport. Security was a breeze (they let you keep your shoes on, which is a mindboggling level of leniency compared to strict TSA guidelines in the states), and, after a short flight, I landed in London Stansted Airport, which is 45 minutes north of downtown London.
sunrise on the plane! The airplane gods gave me a window seat there and on the way back 🙂the train station in downtown London
After arriving downtown, I quickly realized that the best way to navigate London is via the London Underground, or the “Tube”. The Underground is one of the most expertly laid out public transportation systems I have ever seen (NYC Subway please take notes), and is very easy to navigate. A few stops later, I arrived at my first destination of the day: the Victoria & Albert Museum.
the entrance to the V&A museuma costume from Six: the Musical!the theatre & performance wing had interactive stations for each kind of technical theater, which, as a theatre major, made me smile a bita costume from Harlequinade, one of my favorite balletsthe evolution of a pointe shoe: from a shoe last to early pointe shoes to the modern day design
Most museums in London offer free general admission, and the V&A is no different. With 4 floors full of different exhibit rooms, I could’ve spent multiple days there and still not seen the full collection. Unfortunately, I had to play a game of museum speed-run, so I picked the exhibits I felt would excite me most, namely the theatre & performance wing and their temporary exhibit on African fashion.
the V&A museum has the original “Harry Styles” cardigan, the pattern of which went viral after the designer released it for free during COVID lockdownthe entrance to the African fashion exhibitsome highlights from the African fashion exhibit
After my museum perusing, I grabbed lunch nearby and hopped on the tube to head towards my second stop of the day, but not before making a quick detour to see Buckingham Palace. I then arrived at the Harold Pinter Theatre to watch Sam Steiner’s Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons on London’s West End (Broadway’s British equivalent).
the gates to Buckingham Palacethe marquee at the Harold Pinter Theatre
By the time I finished the show, it was already dark and most of the museums were closed, so I killed time before my next scheduled stop by watching a movie in a nearby cinema and grabbing a quick bite to eat at a Japanese/Asian fusion restaurant nearby.
my dinner at aforementioned restaurant
My last stop of the night was the concert hall at The King’s Place downtown to watch a performance by the vocal group HOWL. They performed a mix of original choral compositions and British/Scottish folk songs, and it definitely ranks among the top live performances I’ve seen. I was also met with an unexpected surprise at the performance, as one of my favorite music artists had stopped by to sing the closing number (a piece he had composed) with them.
waiting for the concert to start! Props to the lighting designer for their stunning work during the show 🙂HOWL performing part of their seta picture with Cosmo Sheldrake, one of my favorite music artists
My 24 hours came to an end much the same way it began, only in reverse order. The tube to the train station, the train station to the airport, and the airport to a bus back to Galway, where I promptly fell asleep.
I may have ended my trip to London catching some z’s, but it was far from a snooze-worthy adventure. I hope to travel more domestically and internationally in my remaining time here. But, for now, I bid you farewell 🙂
Before classes started I signed up for a tour of the campus to help me get accustomed to the campus. Yonsei’s campus has an underground level with many access points. I got lost trying to find where my tour would meet until I took an escalator to a basement level. I then found the Global Lounge and there were other international students waiting. One of the first things we were shown was the Yonsei Co-Op.
So Many Cool Things!
This store has SO MUCH I was honestly shocked. They sell clothes, stationery, and humidifiers. They even rent out laptops and other electronics. Everyone gets their Yonsei letterman jacket here.
After that our guide took us to the well-known sites on the campus.
The Symbol Of Yonsei. The Underwood Building.
This is the building in all of the promotional videos and as the tour was going many people were taking graduation photos there. It is one of the oldest buildings and as spring comes it will be covered in Ivy.
Historic Underwood Statue.
Apparently, this is the 3rd Underwood statue they have had as during the second world war they melted it down for bullets, then the Japanese took it down when they were occupying Korea. However, the podium the statue is on is the original and even has bullet holes from the Korean War.
As I began to settle in and go to classes I learned that I have not walked this much in a while. My Korean language class is farther than most and takes 30 minutes to walk there. However, the view from the New Millenium building is gorgeous.
Seoul Views.
I have also ventured out to the shopping area to a store named Daiso which is very popular. This store has most of what you would need and is inexpensive. My navigation app confused me as I was taken down alleys and side streets trying to find this store.
Is This The Right Way?
Exiting this sidestreet, I looked around unsure where the store is and find it immediately to my left. I have now gone to this store a few times and feel like a professional navigating these streets. I’m beginning to feel more comfortable and hope to explore more soon!
Man! It is crazy to think that I’ve been navigating student life in Ecuador for almost two months now! Each day, I become more in awe with what this country has to offer, especially with its cultural practices, social norms, and naturalistic attractions!
Experiencing El Día de San Valentín (Valentine’s Day) in Ecuador was definitely an unfamiliar, but heartwarming experience. Since Valentine’s Day was on a Tuesday this year, I spent a majority of the holiday on campus, where I got to celebrate with my exchange friends and witness many pure interactions between couples. On campus, there was a very potent atmosphere of affection! Throughout the day, I probably saw close to ninety percent of students carrying at least one flower, let alone giant bouquets. It was very easy to get into the San Valentín spirit, as there were booths throughout campus selling goodies/treats and doing seasonal activities. Of course, my friends and I took advantage of the cotton candy machine, which was so worth it after spending three solid hours in classes! I also saw two couples get “fake married” and one couple become “fake engaged” using paper engagement rings, which was so pure!
Besides spending the holiday with my friends, I also went to Dunkin’ Donuts and treated myself to a long-awaited coffee and donut. Witnessing the transparent love on this Valentine’s Day was very joyful for me, as Valentine’s Day can sometimes be overlooked in the US. However, since the students at USFQ are relatively affectionate towards one another, I knew that Valentine’s Day was going to be flamboyant!
My friends and I on Valentine’s DayOne (of many) outdoor Valentine’s Day boothsValentine’s Day facetime with my dog
I have also had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate Carnaval, which is celebrated nationwide. Although each place has its own significance of Carnaval, most places in Ecuador consider it a holiday for celebrating water, prosperity, and life itself. Leena, who is an exchange student from Finland, and I spent four days in Ambato, which has one of the largest Carnaval celebrations in Ecuador. While in Ambato, we watched two parades, which were filled with floats made from local flowers and fruits, lots of dancing, and cultural representation of various neighboring countries. I even got invited to dance with a performer in the parade, which was a bit scary just because I’m not a dancer, but it was both fun and memorable! We also got to experience traditional markets and Salsa concerts, all while being sprayed with a lot of foam (this is very traditional to Carnaval). With as much fun as I was having, I just had to take it down a notch by getting food poisoning. Sunday night and the following Monday morning were extremely rough, but it didn’t ruin my experience and I was back to exploring by Monday night!
CevichePart of the Ambato ParadeFlower decor on Ambato parade floatsMore from the Ambato paradeA tradition of Carnaval; wearing a face mask that resembles another human face.The foam attacks in Ambato
In general, student life is going well! I now feel adjusted to all of my classes; I’m even feeling a bit “confused”, as my schoolwork has slowed down a bit and I don’t know what all to do with my newly gained free time. I have also been talking more to local students, which has definitely helped me feel a bit more at-home. I even ride the bus home now with a local student after our History of Baroque Art class. She even has offered to teach me “Cuarenta”, which is a national Ecuadorian card game.
Alongside talking to my classmates, I have also begun to speak during classes, which has probably been the hardest part of my academic experience here. However, the encouragement that I’ve received through my classmates has been astronomical; there was even one time where a group of students verbally cheered me on while I was presenting a summarized interpretation of an artwork.
The mall-portion of campusMy favorite part of campusTwo exchange students giving a verbal presentation on “automotivación”
I am also really happy with how far my Spanish proficiency has progressed! Although it isn’t exactly perfect, it is a lot better since arriving in Ecuador, which is the important part! One thing that I have learned though, which has been a bit of a challenge, is that locals sometimes will be very blunt about their methods of encouragement. My host mom does a really great job of taking care of me, but she has made some comments about my speaking abilities, which between language barriers and cultural differences, has come off a bit hurtful. Approaching this has been a bit difficult, but knowing that she has my best interest at heart has really helped shift my perspective.
I am on day 3 of my classes, and I am enjoying all of them. Each course is so different from the others that it keeps me engaged and enthusiastic. I am taking geography, microbiology, Māori society, and Māori performing arts courses. Otago is a massive university with 20,000 students, so understandably, the lecture halls are filled with many people. However, I donʻt feel like a number here. The professors are so nice, knowledgeable, and approachable. They are experts in their field and passionately share the content. In some of my classes, the professor changes every few weeks or even every class. The University brings professors in that know so much about the topic we are learning.
My Māori performing arts class is really going to push me out of my comfort zone. Our final ‘exam’ includes performing a concert at the end of the semester. Our first class taught us some te reo Māori (the Māori language). I have a background in knowing the Hawaiian language and was not surprised by how similar the words and sentence structures are. I feel like this is the best way to learn about the land I am on and the people that originate here. I connect deeply with the Māori culture as I pick up on the similar facets between it and Hawai’i.
At the end of my school days, I find a flatmate to head to the campus gym. For the first two weeks, they offer free fitness classes like spin, yoga, boxing, and pump. They are so fun and really get your heart going. I also signed up for the canoe and tramping (hiking) clubs and am trying out for the football (soccer) club. With so much to do here, I will not be bored. I am sure making the most of my time here in Otago.
This is my first entry, and I already have much to share. I flew into the south island of Dunedin, New Zealand (Aotearoa) on February 17th. Until then, I spent a week exploring the North Island of Aotearoa. I am attending the University of Otago for the semester. Last week was our orientation week, and the school offered many activities. In the span of 7 days, I have gone on 10+ adventures already.
The Octagon is in the center of the city. It is a 30-minute walk from my flat. It just so happened that an annual bagpipe festival was going on the day we explored the Octagon. Dunedin has a rich Scottish history and is a place for many Scottish buildings and events.
A 15-minute walk from campus, I happened to stumble upon the botanical gardens. With 26 hectares to explore, I will be going multiple times to be able to see it. I do plan on visiting the tropical nursery once winter sets in.
Exploring Dunedin Botanical gardens and seeing the rolling hills and hydrangeas.
Growing up in Hawaiʻi, New Zealand feels so familiar to me. I think of New Zealand as a bigger Hawaiʻi. The Māori and Hawaiian cultures are so similar, I can easily pick up on some of the Māori words and customs. Another refreshing similarity is the kind-hearted people I met during my travels. It has been so easy to strike up conversations. Finally, an added bonus is the beaches. Although the water is cold, I know it’s been a great summer day when we spend hours at the beach.
Enjoying the sunset at St. Kilda beach.
In my flat, I live with 5 other international students and a Kiwi host. Every night around 7 pm, we have group dinners. We each reflect on our day or strike up an exciting topic. Learning how some of our cultures overlap or are completely different is fascinating. I am teaching one of my flatmates Hawaiian as she teaches me Spanish. For my shared dinner, I cooked one of my favorite Hawaiian dishes – shoyu chicken. I can gladly say that they all LOVED it!
Cooking shoyu chicken for my flatmates.
Rugby is my new favorite sport. During O-week, a professional rugby game was taking place in Dunedin. The enclosed stadium is a 10-minute walk from my flat. The student section is called “The Zoo,” and it was filled with blue and yellow students on Saturday. Dunedin’s team is the Highlanders.
Enjoying the Highlander v. the Blues rugby game.
Thanks to the great friends I have made in 1 week, I’ve got to see some spectacular places. The natural wonders surrounding Dunedin amaze me (go to #10).
Signal Hill to see Dunedin’s cityscape
Signal Hill at night
Bike Thrifting at the Otago University thrift store. All I had to do was fix up the tire treads myself then I got the bike for $20.
The bike I thrifted for $20.
Otago International Food Festival and Saturday Farmers Market
A steep 1.5 mile hike to Tunnel Beach
Me at Tunnel Beach
Hiking down to Tunnel Beach
The stairs to Tunnel Beach.
Finally, at tunnel beach, surrounded by sea cliffs.
Chasing the Aurora Australis – Southern Lights at midnight. This was a bucket list item of mine, and seeing these lights amazed me.
Seeing the southern lights for the first time.
