Author Archives: andermon

Finding Your Own Seoul

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Jordan Rodrigues majors in Liberal Studies. Last summer, she went abroad to South Korea to Dankook University. Read on to live vicariously through her experiences:

“What do you want to do before you die?”

“I want to travel.”

This is one of my answers to this frequently asked question. I’m still growing up and it seems that all my dreams are pretty unattainable at this point. I always come up with an excuse that holds me back from doing what I want to do. “I have school, I’m a college student in debt, I don’t know foreign languages, how would I even start?” But with a few signatures, advising meetings, and a reasonable amount of calling my mom for advice and planning, I found myself in South Korea during my sophomore-to-junior-year summer. It was my first time going to another country and my first time traveling by myself, but this quest for personal identity wasn’t burdensome at all. It was unforgettable.

A sunset pic of the Han River in Seoul. It’s a famous place and the scenery is beautiful.

So now the question becomes, what are you going to do there? Well, how many can say that they’ve been to a Korean Pop music concert in the Seoul Olympic Gymnastics Area? It was the best concert I’ve ever experienced. The fans were high energy, insanely organized with fan chants and banners to hold up all at once, and many had lightsticks that created a silver ocean. The concert was so energetic – I jumped to the music, held the lightstick digitally wired to my seat and the stage to change colors with the beat of the music, and laughed when the band members spoke to the audience. It’s true that music transcends language; it doesn’t take extreme brain power to have fun in such an environment.

This is a picture of the concert I went to with the silver ocean lightsticks and stage lights. Doesn’t it seem fun?

How can you travel anywhere without eating the local food? Authentic Korean BBQ in Korea is a must for anyone who loves meat and barbeque. You haven’t lived until you’ve had samgyeopsal fresh from the grill wrapped in lettuce with various sauces, kimchi, banchan, and vegetables. It was so mouth-watering, tender, and seasoned to Korean cuisine perfection. Korean food looks extremely spicy, but don’t be scared because there are options for everyone’s preference.

South Korea definitely knows how to have fun. Going to an amusement park needs to be added to your travel checklist. There are so many amusement parks for all ages including animation museums, water parks, and multiple theme parks. On my trip I visited Everland, which was also a zoo, and Lotte World. Lotte World is broken up into two parks: an outdoor Magic Island and a multi-story indoor Adventure. I only had time to play indoors, which was a great idea because it was insulated during the high heat of summer. One floor was connected to the Lotte Mall and the lowest floor had an ice skating rink right in the middle of the park! I stayed on the top two floors with bigger rides, food stalls, a live stage theater, and parades. After the night performance of the Let’s Dream parade, all the lights flickered to life and it was a very beautiful scene that seemed like it was straight out of the movies. There definitely was magic in the air.

The above is a picture of our last-day classroom party. These are the students I taught English to and three of my co-teachers.

I had such an amazing time and made quite a few friends I still stay in contact with over social media and international texting apps. I learned a lot about the culture and language while exploring a country new to me and also in the classes I took for four weeks. It may have been a little difficult taking my language in Korean, because the teachers didn’t speak English, but being immersed in the language in the classroom and outside really helped me get used to the speed and flow of conversation. I’m glad I chose the option to teach English for three weeks at the same university because I now have a new dream to move to South Korea after graduating to teach English for a year or two. I worked in a group of native English speakers from around the world to follow a conversational workbook for about 20 Korean university students. We also had to plan out-of-the-classroom activities to get to know each other and teach them about American culture.

I remember hiking to a nearby Buddhist temple and eating BBQ together. Another time, we had a picnic dinner at the park while playing games like Duck, Duck, Goose and Red Light, Green Light until evening, when we played with sparklers to teach the students about the Fourth of July. I definitely found new interests, friendships, knowledge, experiences, and a global citizenship as a traveler. Even if you have worries and might not be too sure, I hope you can take that step to find your own Seoul.

To learn more about the international opportunities available, click here!

My Bravest Adventure: Malaysia

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Chelsea Saelee studies Public Health with an Anthropology minor. Last fall, she interned abroad with the Women’s Aid Organisation in Malaysia through IE3 Global. Read on to learn about the specific challenges and rewards that internships abroad can offer:

On September 4th, 2016 I boarded a flight and traveled 8,000 miles to my bravest adventure. When I told my parents I decided to travel abroad for my internship, I don’t think traveling alone to Southeast Asia was what they had in mind. My family emigrated from Laos, a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, and growing up, I always heard stories about family struggles with money and the region’s endemic poverty. It pained me to know that my family once lived the way they did due to unfortunate circumstances and it hurt me even more that there are still people in the world who struggle every day to survive.

During high school, I had the opportunity to travel to neighboring countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam as part of an organized volunteer group. We spent two weeks visiting orphanages and the time spent with the children and local caretakers were some of the most treasured moments I have ever experienced. I remember returning to the U.S. feeling so grateful; that was the moment that sparked my interest in studying public health. When the opportunity to intern abroad through IE3 Global came, I discovered the Women’s Aid Organisation, a leading non-profit organization in Malaysia that provides shelter and resources for women and children who are victims of domestic violence.

 

Malaysia is a country with an incredibly rich history and culture. It is home to people of many ethnicities, traditions, and people. As I walked around and admired the capital city of Kuala Lumpur’s beautiful skyscrapers, I couldn’t help but to also notice the large amounts of people pan-handling on the streets. Handing over one or two ringgits didn’t seem like a big deal because it was the equivalent of 50 cents or so in the U.S. Out of curiosity, I brought up homelessness in Malaysia to a few clients and colleagues at the WAO shelter and was surprised at their instructions to never give out money again. They told me that often times, these individuals are set up by a wealthy boss or “owner” who collects the money earned at the end of the day in exchange for a roof over their head and mediocre food to keep them alive. I was shocked and upset that something so dangerous and cruel was happening nonchalantly to a great amount of people.

One night while walking with a friend, I noticed many people averting their eyes or making faces after looking at a man on the sidewalk. As we walked by him I noticed he wasn’t sitting on anything but the cold pavement and only had an empty paper cup nearby. There was a group of tourists walking behind us and just as we turned around, I noticed they had stopped and crouched down near the man. We walked over and that’s when I saw that he had a huge gash in his leg and his wound was pretty exposed. A woman asked us if we were local and if we could call for emergency and to all of our surprise, the elderly man started waving “no, no, no!” I couldn’t understand why he refused to let us call for help until I thought about the women at the shelter and wondered if perhaps this man was in a situation like they had described. We all stared at each other debating what to do and eventually decided to respect the man’s decision and leave him. The group left cash in his cup and he thanked them as they walked away. I noticed we had passed a convenience store along the way and my friend and I decided it was best not to give money but to purchase a few snacks and bandages instead. We returned, left the bag of items next to his paper cup, and walked away.

Choosing to intern abroad was an act of courage that I chose because I knew it was going to be challenging yet rewarding. Every difficult situation or task I encountered contributed the most to my gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to learn about the realities of the world, especially in impoverished areas. Whether it was spending time with the women in the shelter or handing water to a homeless disabled person on the street, each interaction I had empowered me to believe that small changes and contributions do make a difference in the world.  Having the opportunity to experience interning abroad in a new country with different people and their culture is something that I will always be grateful for. I landed in Malaysia full of curiosity and a willingness to learn and was given so much more along the way, which included the motivation to continue doing what I love: helping others.

To learn more about the international opportunities available, click here!

Changing Myself Abroad, and for the Future

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Nathaniel Ung studies Bio-engineering with a minor in Asian Languages and Cultures. In fall 2016, he traveled to Japan to study at Akita International University through IE3 Global. Read on for his reflections from his time abroad:

When I first arrived in Japan, I was sure of almost everything I would do there in four months. I would take my necessary courses for baccalaureate core, and some classes towards my minor in Japanese. I knew beforehand that I would not take anything for my Bio-engineering major, but looking back, a break from science courses wasn’t so bad. My study abroad allowed me to think about things outside of my major, and about what I can improve in myself, mainly my lack of interaction with peers. I have always been a quiet person who goes through the routine of school, looking at the computer for a couple hours, and doing the occasional volunteer activity, such as showing elementary students the applications of science in everyday life. However, Japan gave me opportunities that would go against my usual routine, and allowed me to figure out my interest in working abroad in Japan as either a teacher or an engineer.

I studied at Akita International University for four months as an exchange student, and those four months changed me, improving my outlook on the present and giving me more options for the future when I graduate. Even though AIU is in the countryside of Japan, I participated in many different activities. One I especially enjoyed was volunteering as part of the Research and Community Outreach Services (RCOS), a group within AIU that hosts many different projects within the local Akita community, such as weekend camps and English teaching. I loved teaching school children English, as many had a strong interest in learning the language. The kids were also excited to speak to me about America, and specifically the attractions Oregon has to offer if they ever choose to travel. They taught me how to play various games that really tested my language skills, such as their own version of rock-paper-scissors where the winner has to say a Japanese phrase and point in a direction. If the loser looks in that direction they lose, otherwise the game keeps going, but at a faster pace.

On the weekend camps with kids, I spent a total of four days teaching them how to write the lower case alphabet, with plenty of games to help them remember. I used a combination of English and Japanese to interact with them, and we all had fun playing games, learning, and cooking food. Although it was just me and other college students cooking barbecue, they enjoyed all of it. I also participated in the local rice harvesting, where locals showed students how to harvest rice, and cooked the crops for us to all indulge in together.

Of course, my experience wasn’t all about teaching; I enrolled in different courses to fulfill my OSU requirements. I took Japanese 206 at AIU because I had previous Japanese experience, but you can start learning Japanese there without prior knowledge. My class for example was taught entirely in Japanese—the teacher never spoke to us in English. When I came back to America, I was placed in the 300-level series of Japanese, which helps my minor a lot. One thing I should mention is that the campus is relatively small compared to OSU. With around 2000 students total in the university, including exchange students, I ended up getting to know my peers well. I got along well with my classmates in Japanese class, joking around in Japanese and even doing group skits for projects. For my baccalaureate courses, I took Sociology and a course about Social Movements. Discussions in these two course were interesting, as we spoke under different viewpoints: Japanese, American, European, or Indonesian, among many others. One discussion focused on the importance of seniority in different countries, and hearing some Japanese students actually detest the seniority system in their country was fascinating.

My time in Japan was amazing and opened my eyes to other things outside of America. Meeting new people, learning a new language and culture, and changing my school life for a short time allowed me to make some changes to my life here in Oregon. I try to plan my schedule better to include a social life, and I interact with more of my peers by going to movie nights or having meals together. My study abroad experience also got me thinking about applying for the JET Program—spending one year in Japan to teach English after graduation. I truly did enjoy teaching children, and being in a new country gave me new ideas about working in Japan for my major, or pursuing other work opportunities abroad. My time over there was short, but it gave me a new outlook for my major and the future.

To learn more about the international opportunities available, click here!

To See How Far I Could Go

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Savannah Stanton studies Renewable Materials with a Spanish minor. She completed an internship in Concepción, Chile with the College of Forestry in the summer of 2016. Read on to learn what memories highlighted her experience:

The fire is alit and dancing with fervor, feeding off the energy that radiates throughout the small quarters of the living room. Biting air slips through with each greeting at the door, and bundled faces filter in, receiving me with warm embraces and cheek kisses. Countless dishes pass through the narrow breezeway from the kitchen to awaiting mouths as everyone claims a chair or spot on the couch, arcing out like amphitheater seating in front of the television. Our boxer Tara makes the rounds, weaving between bodies, wiggling with excitement and grinning from all the attention. Laughter and the embellishing of old stories fill the air like jumbled clouds—a clamoring cacophony for my untrained ears, so I focus more on visual cues to traverse this new terrain. The crinkle of crow’s feet, a deep belly chuckle, the uncanny resemblance between certain attendees.

Just two days prior I was thousands of miles away. Tonight my surroundings so foreign and yet, I know I am home. I know that my journey is just getting started, and this is the first page. Refocusing my attention outward, I see the hour is nearly upon us as my little sister ties the Chilean flag with care across the window for good luck, the TV is switched to the proper channel, and drinks are in hand. The Copa America final is here, and Chile plans to defend its title against Argentina! Viva Chile!

(Left to right) Younger host sister, host mom, Savannah

Last summer, I flew south for the winter and roosted in Concepción, Chile for a 10-week internship experience with Alto Horizonte, a forest products company that aligned with both my degree in Renewable Materials and minor in Spanish. My second evening in the country was spent cheering on the Chilean national team to its second consecutive victory in Copa America with my new host family—a family from another hemisphere that excitedly embraced my presence and residence for the next three months—and their relatives and friends. I had plunged into a vibrant, bustling culture, and as I walked from baggage claim to meet my family the night before, I had smiled with a hope that the current would carry me on a spectacular journey. Looking back on that first full evening in Chile, I find myself reminiscing the connections, laughs, learning experiences, and hardships that unfolded throughout the weeks to follow.

Weekend vacation to Parque Nacional de Huerquehue

From an academic standpoint, I of course learned a plethora of things: from in-country language skills and industry terminology (in both English and Spanish), to the company’s operations, how their sawmills process, how international commercial trade functions in purchasing markets across the globe, and Chilean business regulations, to name a few. However, what I’m reminded of over and over are the stories I heard and the conversations in which I partook. It was these experiences that continue to shape my interactions and understanding in nearly all facets of my professional and personal life. Stories are meant to be experienced, not just listened to. They provide a window into the lives of others, and good storytellers can reach into your soul and evoke wonder, reflection, and understanding.

For me, there was one coworker named Juan Carlos, and although introverted in every sense of the word, he became my ‘buddy’ at work, making sure that I always had someone to go out to lunch with, providing support and feedback on my projects for the company, and being generally interested in listening to my story and sharing about his country and culture in exchange. We spent hours each week discussing politics and government policies, historical events, literature and the arts, wars, science and astronomy, culture, favorite foods, languages, the minutiae behind certain slang phrases—you name it!  He was a wealth of knowledge and sparked discussion over controversial topics between our fellow coworkers. He and my host family were such key parts to my integration into Chilean society, and were influential in shaping my holistic understanding and empathy for Chile. This family, these friends, and that company will always be a cherished part of my life, where I was introduced to a different perspective on the world and how things work.

Knowing what I do now about Chile, I’ll leave you all with this quote, written one day on the wall of the café we frequented for lunch when at the office in Concepción:

“It is far more important what you think of yourself than what others may think of you.”

It reminded me that this international internship was a chance for me to see how far I could go, and that the only limits that are imposed upon us are the ones we decide to apply. Live limitless and stray from the path on occasion. Sometimes that’s the only way we can see how far we’ve come and what might lie ahead!

To learn more about the international opportunities available, click here!