Category Archives: Latin America

Location: Santo Domingo, DR

Avocado Sandwich

Now that you know a little bit about my life here, I’ll provide you with a bit more of a detailed update. I’m sure you would love hear about my classes, but instead I’m going to talk about a few of the things that I’ve been doing outside class.

Sosúa

The first day that we had to ourselves was spent in a town called Sosúa. We were on the beach the entire day, and I did not even get a chance to explore the town. However I was still so glad about escaping the cold weather of State College, it did not even matter for me. That whole day was a bit of a “this is it” moment for me. The fact that it was January and I was on a beautiful beach with some newly made friends all seemed a bit dreamlike to be honest. Since then I have been back to Sosúa twice, to a beach called Playa Alicia. From what I have seen myself, Playa Alicia seems to attract more tourists than locals, but definitely has opportunities to meet both when wondering into the town for lunch. My most recent time there was last Friday, which is where I took the picture below. As you might be able to see I am holding an avocado sandwich. However, the “avocado sandwich” concept is not a thing that people eat here. I wanted to keep it simple for lunch; something cheap that I could throw together and eat relatively easily while sitting down. Not to mention the avocados here are excellent so any chance you can eat one is a good opportunity. After some quick browsing in the local supermarket, I grabbed an avocado and a roll and ended up with this.

Sandwiche de Aguacate

It’s not difficult to see that I was immersed in a blissful moment. I was enjoying my avocado sandwich on a beach and it really was as simple as that. I had heard stories all last week from home of friends having to battle snow and wind chilled temps to get to class. This picture is a great image of why studying abroad can be a great experience at times. Now, of course I am taking classes here, as well as learning Spanish. But I am also having the time of my life here. What I am getting at is that studying abroad has the ability to give you moments like this that you simply wouldn’t get anywhere else, like at home.

Santo Domingo

Another trip that I did was an overnight excursion to the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo. Our first stop was a visit to an ingenio (sugar mill). This particular ingenio was the site of a slave driven revolution which ended up being the event that sparked the ridding of slavery for the entire island on which the Dominican Republic is situated. It was very humbling to be in the same spot of such an important event for the history of the Americas. Below I have a picture of the main building of the facility. The right half was restored to show what the building used to look like and the left half of the building has remained untouched.

IMG_0049

The second day of our excursion had a couple more things lined up for us. We took a walking tour around the Zona Colonial in the city of Santo Domingo, which has buildings and other incredible sites from the time of Columbus. We also went to a national park near Santo Domingo called Los Tres Ojos (The three eyes). It is an open air limestone cave with three small blueish green lakes. There were scenes from the Jurassic Park films that were shot here. Towards the end of the park, there was a pool that contained doctor fish. You may have heard about these fish as the ones that nibble dead skin off of your feet. I couldn’t resist after hearing this and had to dip my feet in for a few minutes. Sometimes it is the unexpected things while traveling that have the ability to turn a great day into an unforgettable one.

Playa Ensenada

The following weekend we took a day trip to a beach called Playa Ensenada. It is located on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, west of Puerto Plata. At Ensenada, we went snorkeling; a boat took us out to an area, far away from any land mass. The spot we were taken to was an oasis of very shallow water. We were able to stop there for a quick swim break before heading to our snorkeling destination. The reef was located off on a tiny, tiny island, which measured approximately 25yds x 15yds. It was a very cool site to see. There was barely enough room to walk on this island because of the amount of people and snorkeling gear occupying it. After getting adjusted to my gear, we swam out to the reef. It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. There were so many fish swimming past me as I floated along. The colors of the reef were absolutely exploding. I felt completely weightless as my body and the flexible parts of the reef seemed to grab the current and sway back and forth in unison. I tried snorkeling once as a kid and hated it, but my day at Ensenada completely changed my mind about it. I finished up the day with some beach side pescado frito (fried fish), and a really nice nap on the ride home. My day at Playa Ensenada was one of the best days I have had here so far.

Video of the Day

I know I said in my last post that I’ll have a photo every week, but a photo could not do this moment justice. On the property of the ingenio, we found these plants that had fern like leaves, and looked pretty normal otherwise. However, when you touched the leaves with your finger, the fern folded up immediately. Here is the video of this all taking place. See you next week!

MVI_0058


Location: Santo Domingo, DR

¡Nos vemos!

My name is Alison Roby, and I am just starting my blog now because I leave for South America this weekend! Because the seasons are opposite in South America, I do not begin my study abroad in Buenos Aires until February 21. This extra-long winter break allows me to do some traveling before I arrive to Argentina, so I am visiting Colombia for two weeks as well! I am so excited for these experiences and cannot wait to share them with you through this blog.

At Penn State, I study biomedical engineering, but this semester I will be studying Spanish in Buenos Aires, Argentina through IES. I wanted to study abroad in a Spanish speaking country to complete my Spanish minor. I chose to go to South America because I really wanted to immerse myself in a place I may never have the opportunity to go to in the future. In Spanish classes, I love the challenge of trying to articulate my ideas in another language. I am excited, and also anxious, to have to face this challenge when trying to buy lunch, take an exam at a local university, or communicate with my host family. But through these difficulties, I hope to  improve my fluency in Spanish.

After living in State College, I am looking forward to living and learning in an urban environment like Buenos Aires . I can’t wait to explore the markets of San Telmo and experience the bohemian vibe of Buenos Aires.  I am also interested to learn how politics shape Argentine culture, from the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo to the developing investigation into the death of the Argentine prosecutor, Nissman. Overall, I hope studying abroad expands my understanding of Argentina, the rest of the world, and my place within it.

I will be updating this blog weekly to share my academic, cultural, and political experiences and hope you enjoy reading my blog!


Location: Churchville, PA 18966

The Big 3

Today marks three weeks that I have been here in the Dominican Republic. As I look over my first two blog posts I realized that I really did not give too much background info on my living situation here. Now that I have been here for a little bit, many of my first impressions have subsided so I think I’ll be able to explain things to you in a better way than I would have done so before. I’ll explain the three main aspects of my daily life. For the rest of my time here, I will share a photo at the end of my posts with an interesting experience that I had and would like to share with you.

Home

I live in a neighborhood of Santiago called La Zurza II. It is a middle class neighborhood situated about a ten minute walk from the University. The houses in this neighborhood are beautiful. I don’t have too many photos of the houses here but I will be sure to take some and share them with you in future posts. I live with my host mom and my host brother, Jorge. Jorge is 12 years old. Last week, Jorge adopted a puppy Chihuahua, Nikki. At the moment she is about as big as a guinea pig, and couldn’t have more energy. She is very fun to play with and gives me another reason to love living here.

School

I take all my classes at the University close by. It’s called La Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, but since that is an absolute mouthful to say, we just say PUCMM in daily discussion (Pronounced PU-KA-MAI-MUH). I am majoring in business, so I cannot take classes which will count towards my major. However, I am minoring in Spanish, so I have come to a perfect place to focus on that. A few of the classes that I am taking are Dominican Folklore, Political Processes of the Dominican Republic, and of course Dance for Foreigners. These are all taught in Spanish by local professors. The professors here are very experienced at working with foreigners, so they are extremely patient and realize that struggling through conversation is the best way to learn a language.

Spanish

This brings me to the next aspect of my life here. You may be wondering how I could possibly live and function in a world where I can’t even use my own language. Well it’s not as scary as it seems, but still pretty tough. Although I have a couple years of classroom experience with Spanish, it’s a whole different ball game when you need to converse. As of now and for the most part, I am still hearing things in Spanish, translating into English, thinking of a response, then translating back to Spanish. Even then I still always seem to get something wrong. It can get frustrating at times, but I have wanted to learn Spanish for a while, so the fact that I can actually use it is a few years of hard work finally coming together. A whole day of classes thinking like this takes quite a toll on your head. However, it has definitely gotten easier since I’ve arrived. I can’t wait to see how much more my Spanish will improve while I am here, as it is more or less the inspiration behind my trip.

Photo of the week

IMG_0014

I apologize that this photo is a bit blurry. I came home from class one night, and my host mom had left dinner for me. Next to the plate there was a piece of tree bark on the table. As I looked closer I realized that it was actually a moth. I was instantly out of my comfort zone and started considering my options.  I’m usually pretty calm around bugs but this thing was huge! I carefully went to my room to grab my camera and something to use as a size comparison. All of what I just described amounted to this photo. See you next week!


Location: Santiago, DR

¡Bienvenido a la República Dominicana!

¡Hola!

Thank you taking the time to read this blog. My name is Kyle Gerardi and I will be studying in the Dominican Republic for the next few months. I am a junior business major with a possible Spanish minor. If you are reading because you are interested in studying abroad, I hope to give you good insight and an honest viewpoint about my experiences. If you are a friend or family member, I hope you will enjoy the ride as much as I will. If I do not explain something well, please do not hesitate to comment below, and I will try my best to get back to you.

I have been out of the country many times before, including a four­­ month trip to Switzerland a few years ago and a seven week trip to Scandinavia last summer.  I have kept a journal on each of my trips, and will do the same for this one. I always write an entry before I arrive, as well as an entry on my flight back home. My first post usually contains what I am feeling, or what I am nervous about. I also include expectations about where I am going and what I will experience. It sounds a bit corny, but the best part about the writing that I do is looking back on it months or years later. It is quite literally a window to your own past and you can see exactly how you used to think. Writing is just as good if not better for documenting the specific details of a trip as photos. However, looking at pictures can ignite memories that may have been forgotten.

One would think that pre-departure nerves decrease with each trip, but the exact opposite seemed to happen this time. This is my first trip where I am expected to use Spanish on a daily basis. Spanish is my second language, and I have only studied it for two years. I am very excited about this opportunity because I have many friends at Penn State who can speak more than one language. I always thought it was fascinating, and am finally able to try it out for myself.

Thanks again for taking the time to read this! See you soon!


Location: Santiago, Dominican Republic

Ready. Set. Let go…!

Off to B.A. copy.pdf

I’m sitting in an international airport alone, waiting to get on a flight that will take me to another CONTINENT. Wow. That’s pretty incredible.

 This trip is two years in the making, and it’s finally here. I’m about to study in another country, live with two strangers, and intern for a foreign company. …Sorry if I’m sounding redundant… I just can’t wrap my head around it.

 Somehow, I managed to pack my life into two suitcases…overweight though they may be. Now that I’ve handed them over, I finally have some time to reflect on how I ended up here.

 Coming to college, I didn’t know what I wanted to major in or even what student org.s I wanted to join. The only thing about which I was adamant was studying abroad. 

 I’ve always seemed to have an affinity for other cultures. Just take a look at the beautiful rainbow that comprises my friend circle, and you’ll know exactly what I mean. I’m passionate about connecting with others, and I think the fundamental way to do so is to speak the same language and experience their culture. 

I’ve been studying Spanish since 8th grade, so this journey is a leap toward my middle school goal of fluency and understanding. While my language skills are a bit rusty, my determination is stronger than ever. 

For a delayed introduction…I’m a rising Junior double majoring in Marketing and Broadcast Journalism with minors in Spanish and International Business. I’ll be participating in the Advanced Spanish Immersion program in the hope of honing my Spanish-speaking skills. When I’m not dreaming about adventures around the world, I’m either singing, acting, or… planning. I’m kind of a control freak, so this trip is completely out of my comfort zone!

I don’t know exactly what classes I’ll be taking or even when I’ll be returning to the states, but I’m actually excited by that. For once in my life, I’m ready to relinquish control. 

So, without further adieu, it’s time to say:

Ready. Set. Let go…!

 


Location: Dallas/Fort Worth Airport

Taxi Adventures

The title says it all 🙂 I am here in Puebla with a group of 8 other students, and for four weeks we had nothing but great luck with taxis. I mean, the occasional driver would shun us and drive away if we tried to bargain too low, but that was the extent of any misfortune. The day we visited Cholula though, the taxi Gods were not on our side.

The ride there was proceeding normally- we flagged the one of three taxi drivers waiting next to the curb, asked him the price, hopped in, and went on our way… until we hit standstill traffic. I was sitting in the front seat admiring the highway view when I noticed a rapid change in the driver’s facial expression from content to extremely distraught. He quickly looked over his shoulder and in the rearview mirror, then down at his wallet. He clicked the door open, and marched outside, swiftly and definitively, waving his arms as if he had just won the lottery, but with furrowed eyebrows that said something much different. We had been hit on the bumper by the car behind us, and the taxi driver was not happy. After three minutes of lecture, he returned to the car and inadvertently taught us some not-so-nice Spanish words (never to be said of course, only understood). The driver’s anger fizzled as we began moving again and we all burst out in laughter. We laughed and joked about the incident the rest of the ride. I’m sure the taxi driver appreciated that dent like he would the flu, but hey, at least it was a conversation starter! 🙂

Cholula was fun! We climbed the famous Great Pyramid, and saw the view from the top where a Church was built a hundred years ago. It was truly magnificent (Mexico is full of amazing views!!) Afterwards, we broke off into smaller groups to sight-see and buy refreshments. Another friend and I went to buy ice cream, and as we were talking, the nightly rain began to fall.

We decided to leave at around 8:30. After a 7 minute long search for a taxi in soggy sweatshirts and jeans, we finally spotted one. Again, we asked the price, hopped in, and went on our way. We told him we needed to go to “9B Sur, 43 Poniente in Puebla,” which he seemed fine with. He called his guide person (which many taxistas do) to ask for directions. My friend and I were chatting away, when we started to notice the time was going by a little too slowly. Looking around, the neon lights of the surrounding night clubs were anything but familiar. I reminded the driver, “Puebla, Se�or” and he replied that we were almost at 9 Sur. My friend and I exchanged knowing looks- we were lost. We told him we needed to go to Puebla and he repeated what he said, we were almost at 9 Sur… 9 Sur in ANOTHER town! We attempted to tell him that this was not the correct route, but he remained confused. Four weeks in Mexico still did not provide us with quite enough vocabulary to communicate our needs clearly. However, after about twenty minutes, our broken Spanish somehow got us to Angelopolis, the mall nearby to our neighborhood. The landmark was a relief and we told him we were close! (emphasis on the exclamation point). As we neared the correct street, our relief turned to shock as he drove straight past it. It took fifteen more minutes for us to process this incorrect direction (we were in shock for a bit), tell him we needed to turn around, and for us to actually arrive at our destination. Neither of us felt unsafe during that ride, but the experience was definitely an eye-opener!

Moral of the story: Taxi rides are good for learning both the map, and the language. Taxi problems, although take some extra time, enhance learning even more. Be open-minded to learning everything you can in your new country, and there will never be “problems,” only experiences and stories to tell!


Location: Puebla, Mexico

A Little Bit of Mexico City

For future reference, four days in Mexico City is enough time to see seven museums, an entire city of Aztec ruins, try about 9 different restaraunts, and buy as many souveneirs as your budget allows, but is still only enough time to merely scratch the surface of the city. I’m proud to say that our group proved this last weekend, but also glad to have many reasons to return. 

The first stop was Teotihuac�n, the ancient Aztec ruins that contain the largest pyramid in the western hemisphere, the Pyramid of the Sun. This was the kind of thing you see in post cards, or read a blurb about in seventh grade Spanish class, or even discover details about in Latin American history class. You marvel at its wonder, but never imagine actual escalating its rocky side. Thumbnail image for IMG_0977[1].JPG

This trip granted me the opportunity to climb this great structure to the top and witness its magnificent view. The Aztecs did not build this city, but found it abandoned and named the structures independently. I can only imagine how the Aztec people felt when they came upon this structure and climbed its heights. The experience in its entirety is truly mesmorizing.

We also visited Frida Khalo’s house, La Casa Azul. Frida’s infamous unibrow is the first thing that pops into most people’s heads when they hear her unique name. However, I recommend watching the movie, “Frida” for anyone looking to learn a little more about her. This dramatic film featuring Salma Hyek as Frida, presents the artist’s life story through her eyes, breaking through the front of her solemn work. Her life was a roller coaster, but her personality and artistic view makes her a true inspiration. Frida and Diego.jpg

The walls of her house were dotted with hundreds of works of her and Diego’s art. The house was beautiful, the perfect place for painting. It also presented Frida and Diego’s relationship in a way that emphasized not necessarily a mushy-gushy love, but more of an eternal care that each passionately possessed for one another. These artists are worth learning about, even if only for an interesting surprise.

This is a long entry, and trust me, I could write tons more about this trip! I will spare you the details however but inform you that El Museo Nacional de Antropolog�a is absolutely incredible, and requires about a full day, maybe two, to wholly appreciate its depth of information about Mexican Civilization history (which is very interesting). La Palacio Nacional features Diego’s last murals on its walls, which shows the history of Mexico in picture form if that’s more your style. Lastly, the “Basillica of our Lady Guadalupe” not only displays the religiosity of the nation, but also the city’s swampy foundation! (see photo)

Just a little taste of what Mexico City has to offer. The history of the city makes it especially unique, so in order to fully feel its charm, these types of attractions are definitely worth visiting!


Location: Prados Agua Azul, Puebla, Mexico

Salvador!

Hello everyone! My name is Cassie. I’m going to be a junior this coming fall and I’m majoring in Supply Chain Management with minors in International Business and Economics (I think). I’ve already been studying abroad for around two weeks now in Brazil. I’ve been to the cities of Salvador and Rio de Janeiro and to the island of Itaparica off of Salvador. I decided I wanted to come to Brazil to learn about a country so unique and unlike any other, and one that is extremely underrated and not as well known at that. I can say I’ve already accomplished that and fortunately I still have weeks left. As much as I love Europe, when I looked at programs for this summer I wanted something different. I wanted a program somewhere that I wouldn’t get to normally experience and one that I didn’t have 10 friends already applying for the trip. I wanted an experience unlike any other. Not only that, Brazil is a BRIC country which means it is one of the most rapidly developing countries in the world. It’s becoming an economic powerhouse and becoming an integral role in the business world. I also can’t forget to mention the World Cup is taking place in Brazil this summer and I’m living in one of the home cities. I’ve learned so much of this culture and it has really opened my eyes to so much. I hope to continue to learn about the culture and learn more Portuguese (I’m taking a class here in it). I’ve heard so many terrible things about the safety in Brazil but so far it’s all been wrong. As long as you use common sense and listen to what they tell you- it’s completely safe. I want to still believe that when I go home and be able to really enlighten people to what Brazil is really like, an amazing and beautiful country. 


Location: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Welcome to my GeoBlog!

Hello, friends!

My name is Amanda Dezamits and I am a senior studying Community, Environment, and Development – International Option in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Anthropology and Spanish in the College of Liberal Arts. Although I absolutely love studying at Penn State, I decided that for the Fall semester of 2013 I would apply for the CIEE Santiago, Chile Liberal Arts abroad program!

I chose to study abroad in Santiago, Chile for many reasons, but my top two were that one, I am a Spanish minor who has studied the language for nine years in total (but only two years in a university setting) and at this point can only improve if immersed into the language to learn “how real Spanish-speakers talk;” and two, as a person who absolutely loves the outdoors, Chile is an incredibly diverse country with their Atacama desert in the north, glaciers in the Patagonian region in the south, and everything else you can imagine in between! 

Overall I am thoroughly excited to begin my abroad journey. The only worries that plague me before leaving are understanding the dialect (since Chileans use a lot of slang) and immediately becoming accustomed to my surroundings. I suppose those are the worries of any study abroad student though!

As my abroad journey unfolds, make sure to come back to read up on experiences throughout the city, tips for travel in Chile, and anything else that comes to mind as I spend my next five months exploring a new culture and place!

Goodbye for now!
Amanda 


Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Bienvenidos a Santiago!

Hola a todos! I have finally arrived in Santiago, Chile after a four day flight delay which included me spending half a week at a hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. I did miss most of my orientations and tours of the city which is bittersweet because now I can take exploring the city in my own hands.

Today would be third day here but it seems like I have been here for much longer. The first day that I have arrived, I took a 4 hour long diagnostic Spanish exam and then went out at night to an area called Plaza Nunoa. One thing that is extremely different in this country is that the nightlife starts at around 1 or 2 AM and the bars/clubs remain open till 5 or 6 AM. Chileans party all night long!
The second day my host family – which consists of a host mom and host dad who are more welcoming than I have ever expected – took me to the mall to get a Chilean cell phone so I can be in contact with them and the rest of my friends. They also threw me a “welcoming party” which was a small BBQ with the rest of their family. That night, I also went out to an area called Bellavista which is the popular party spot for all gringos and once again, I did not arrive home till 5 AM.
999815_10151616768608661_862462720_n.jpg
                       (We were on a rooftop patio in Bellavista – this is the view)
Today was my day to relax and I have been contemplating what I want to gain from this trip. Chileans foster independence and you are required to learn how to ride the metro and the bus and get from point A to point B by yourself which can be quite difficult in this HUGE city. So the first item on my agenda is to learn how to get around and orient myself with the different areas of the city. My second task will be to socialize as much as possible – to make friends with Chileans, to talk to every person I meet so that I can improve my Spanish and hopefully meet some new people. Lastly, I want to learn the history of Santiago – I want to visit all the historic places and museums and just roam around the city until I feel comfortable here.
It’s been a great couple of days! I’ll keep you guys updated on the upcoming week 🙂

Location: Provedencia, Santiago