A group of UW–Madison students, shown here in Beijing, is in China this summer on a new hybrid study abroad/service-learning program, “China: History and Modern Development of Environmental Health.” The program includes a faculty-led historical and environmental study trip through China, followed by an interdisciplinary team of students and faculty embarking on a service-learning field project focused on sustainable development and global health issues in Sichuan Province.

This new service-learning program is the result of nearly a year of work within the Division of International Studies, developing programming, partnerships, and funding.

UW students in Beijing

This photo was provided by Steven Olikara, center. Olikara, a political science and environmental studies major from Brookfield, Wisconsin, worked on development of this program in the Division’s International Internship Program, which was created with support through the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates.

Olikara says: “Developing such a program speaks to the UW’s unique entrepreneurial opportunities that promote innovation, service opportunities that highlight the Wisconsin Idea, and leadership opportunities that define the Wisconsin Experience for our students.”

“I know that international work experience is something that is increasingly sought after and not always easy to arrange,” says Amelia Coffey.

Coffey, a junior from Silver Spring, Maryland, majoring in history, counts herself fortunate to be among the many UW–Madison students who are combining learning and work experiences this summer through a variety of internships around the world.

This is the first in a series of reports in which current international interns from UW–Madison talk about their experiences from the field.

Coffey and Kirsten Moran, a junior from Lisle, Illinois, majoring in political science and history, are working June 17- July 8 as interns with the V&T Law Firm in Beijing.

Moran: “I was attracted to this internship because I am interested in international and environmental law,” says Moran. “Last summer, I worked at an environmental law firm in the Chicago and I was looking to learn about these issues at an international level. … This internship provides a phenomenal opportunity to learn about the business world in one of the premier international centers of the world.”

Coffey: “I thought that the fact that V&T in particular represents clients that are businesses in the United States was intriguing because it would give me an inside look at the interconnectedness of the world’s two largest economies. I think that that will be a great perspective to have in the coming years, as China inches closer to us in terms of power and influence.”

To prepare for their internships, both took a four-week course on Chinese culture and history through International Academic Programs.

Coffey: “I wanted to learn about China’s history and its culture. As a non-Chinese speaker, I knew that the amount of direct contact with Chinese people that I could expect to have on the trip would be limited. I was told that the employees at V&T whom we would be working with spoke English, so I thought that this would be a good way to have more direct interactions with native people.”

What were your initial impressions?

Moran: “When I arrived at V&T Law Firm, I was met by the welcoming and outgoing people that we would be working with for the next several weeks. They went out of their way to arrange a work station for us, ask us out to lunch, and help us with directions to sites in Beijing. I immediately noticed the professionalism of the staff, and was impressed by the wide array of clients that the law firm served, including Western companies like Microsoft and Abercrombie & Fitch.”

Coffey: “When I arrived at the firm, I was pleasantly surprised by how friendly and helpful everyone was. We are working primarily with a group of young, female secretaries and paralegals. My experience up to that point with young Chinese women was that they tended to be fairly quiet and not particularly confident talking to me, even if they spoke English very well. However, this group has been warm, relatively assertive, and encouraging. I was surprised that when they took us out to lunch they kept insisting that I was very good at using chopsticks (since I have previously only been told the opposite).”

Was there anything particularly surprising or different from your expectations?

Coffey: “I went into this experience with an open mind and few concrete expectations, knowing that this is the first time that UW students have done this internship and that details are rarely set in stone when international communication is involved.”

Moran: “I tried to go in without expectations, because I knew very little up front about what the internship position would entail. I was surprised when, on our first day, we were invited into a contract meeting regarding the flagship Abercrombie & Fitch store in China. We were told that we would be editing the English version of this contract and working with the team members to perfect it. I was excited for this opportunity because I would be able to work with the lawyers on the project and gain their perspective on different legal ideals between the United States and China.”

What has been your most challenging adjustment?

Moran: “The most challenging part of working at the law firm is the language barrier. While there are some members of the law firm who speak excellent English, I still find myself having trouble communicating what I mean to others. This is a challenge that I have not faced before, as all of my previous work experiences have been with people who are fluent in English.”

Coffey: “The most challenging adjustment has definitely been the language barrier. A good portion of our work thus far has involved correcting English translations of literature that the firm is distributing. This is difficult not only because there are many mistakes to correct, but, on top of that, the literature contains a good deal of corporate jargon that I am not familiar with. When I attempt to ask for assistance, communicating is often a challenge. I am not surprised by this; I did not expect everyone to speak perfect English, and I do think that this is a good exercise that will improve my communication skills. “

– by Kerry G. Hill

Elizabeth Chadwick

By Elizabeth Chadwick, IAP Study Abroad Correspondent

COUNTDOWN: ONE WEEK

I’m leaving in 7 days! I’m flying out of O’Hare on the 19th, with a 12 hour layover in London (Heathrow) and finally arriving in Cape Town on the 21st. The total trip duration will be about 31 hours..ugh! When I arrive in Cape Town there will be people from the university to pick me up. I’ll be staying in temporary housing for a few days while everyone else arrives, then I’ll move to my house. All of the international students are living in houses around campus. I’ll be living in a 5 person house in an area called Observatory (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observatory,_Cape_Town) . I don’t know any of the people who are living in my house yet-it could be students from anywhere in the world. Our first week will be attending an international student orientation. Our first day of classes isn’t until Feb. 8th.

PACKING!

For my birthday my mom bought be a really nice suitcase. She checked the airline’s size limitations for checked baggage…and then she bought the suitcase that maxed them out in every dimension (I love you mom!). British Airways only allows one free checked bag, thus the necessity for a suitcase that could comfortably fit a person inside (any takers?). I haven’t figured out everything I need to take yet…it’s hard to know what I’m going to need over the course of the next five months. All I know is that I have A LOT of laundry to do… The only things I have set aside so far are: important papers, computer lock, a frisbee, anti-malarials (for travel to north eastern S. Africa and outside S. Africa) and anti-diarrheals (cross your fingers that I won’t need these)…I’ve got a lot of work to do. There’s also a lot I need to do before I leave, mostly scholarship and financial aid stuff. Right now I’m feeling stressed about getting everything done, nervous about leaving, and excited for this new adventure.

The giant suitcase

I guess I should go get started then…I’ll try and keep you updated regularly from now on.

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

We arrived in the Cape Town airport early this morning, after watching the sunrise over the coast of Namibia. The UCT (University of Cape Town) people were at the airport to greet the ten of us coming from that flight. We took a bus to campus, about 20 minutes away. My very first impressions of Cape Town were that the African sun is very hot and that the landscape is beautiful. Also, the divide between “first world South Africa” and “third world South Africa” was evident almost immediately. On one side of the highway you see these huge houses all with pools in the backyard. On the other side you see little shanty houses with graffiti.

Once arriving at the UCT campus we went to the dorm we’re staying in for a few nights. Just as we were about to take the elevator up to our floor the power went out and one of our orientation leaders said very nonchalantly, “Ahh, the power is out. Welcome to Africa!” Thankfully for the people in the elevator at the time, the power came back on shortly. Because students were arriving all day today, and even tonight and tomorrow, we’ve been splitting into small groups and going out and about. Some of us went out to a cafe at Rondeboshe, a nice little quarter of the city and only a five minute walk from campus. It’s quite disorienting to see people driving on the other side of the road, making it necessary to take extra precautions when J-walking (very popular thing here I guess).

Later we took a tour of campus which is absolutely gorgeous. The campus is all on the side of Table Mountain and it’s split into lower campus, middle campus and upper campus. I think I probably climbed the equivalent of 10 Bascom hills getting from lower campus to upper campus. We also took a path up to the Cecil Rhodes memorial which is maybe a quarter up Table Mountain. From up there we had a great view of the Cape Town suburbs. The actual downtown is around the mountain from campus. When I was up there I nearly fainted from a combination of sleep deprivation, heat exhaustion, and dehydration. Thankfully I made it ok, but it was a harsh reminder that my body is not used to this sun or heat and I probably need to condition myself before hiking up all these places.

So far I’ve met a lot of very nice people. The other international study abroad students are mostly from the U.S. (and more from UW-Madison then anywhere else) followed by Norway, Sweden, and Germany. We’ve also had a chance to meet regular UCT students (our orientation leaders) from all around Southern Africa.

Here are a few new words for your enjoyment:

Plakkies = flip-flops in Afrikaans

Molo = hello in Xhosa

January 25, 2010

Cape Town is the most beautiful place in the world. People have told me this before but I didn’t really believe them. Trust me though, I can not imagine anything better.

I’ve moved into my semester house now. It is very nice and actually quite large. I’m living with three American girls and one Dutch guy. Two of the American girls aren’t here yet, but so far the three of us here get along really well. We just made dinner together tonight in our kitchen. Our kitchen window has a view of Devil’s Peak, part of the table mountain range. There are bars over every window and door. I have six keys to get into my room! There is also a front gate and an alarm system. The neighborhood (Observatory, “Obz”) is cool, but we can’t really walk outside at night (which is really the case most places here). Instead we have to take cabs or taxis everywhere (yes, there’s a difference between a cab and a taxi here). A cab is what we (Americans) think of as a cab or taxi, but a South African taxi is more of a mini-bus (seats 7-18) that is going in a general direction and you tell them what area you need to go to. They honk and yell out the window where they’re going and some play really loud music.

Today we took a tour of the cape peninsula with the international students and the orientation leaders, stopping at Simon’s Town to see penguins, a township called Ocean’s View for lunch, and Cape of Good Hope–the most southwestern part of Africa and also supposedly the place where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet.

Two orientation leaders, Tongs and Lu, posing in front of Camps Bay Beach

I wish you could all be here to see how beautiful it is…I don’t have any idea what I could write here that could possibly do justice to it-so look at the pictures!

Me at the top of Cape of Good Hope

I’m meeting a lot of really nice people, especially the orientation leaders. On the bus to the cape I was talking a lot with Tongs who is a third year UCT student from “Zim” (everyone calls Zimbabwe Zim here). He is also a microbiology major so we may end up being in the same class or studying together.

I still have two weeks until class starts-one week of orientation and one week free. I don’t know what I’m doing on my free week yet, but Jake (Wisco friend) and some other Int’l students and I might try to make a trip to JoBurg (Johannesburg) and Krueger National Park…we’ll see.

Here is so more South African lingo that I’ve learned:

Robots = stop lights
Howzit = Hi/how’s it going?
Bru = Bro
Ja = ya (Afrikaans)
Lekker = good/nice/tasty

Cliffs in Hout Bay

Classes

So my first day of classes went really well. I missed the bus to school so I was a bit late to my first class, but other than that everything went smoothly. My first class was Xhosa which was at 10, followed by ecology of vertebrates at 11, and microbial genetics at 12. My Xhosa lecture is the biggest (~80) and has a lot of international students. The professor seems very passionate and fun. One of her goals for the class was to help us make Xhosa speaking friends by the end of the semester. She also had us sing a Xhosa song. My vertebrates class is the smallest (~40) and has a few study abroad students. I’m a little bit nervous about this one because it seems like it will be pretty intense and has two practicals (labs) per week, most of which are dissections. My genetics lecture (~50) seems like it will be very interesting and fun. Also, there is only one other study abroad student. Overall I’m really happy with the courses I’ve chosen and I think this is going to be one hell of a semester. After classes I went to Jake and Zach’s house for dinner and then we attended UCT’s Big Bash concert together.

Also, I officially signed up to participate in UCT Habitat for Humanity, SHAWCO (science and math tutoring in a township) and the biology society. I also called a lady in charge of the medical sector of SHAWCO that works at mobile clinics in the townships. She said that I might be able to help with a group of medical students that helps patients in waiting rooms but she said that I would also have a chance to work with the doctors and help them too. They send groups of people to the clinic at night and I would do it once a week for a few hours. I’m waiting to hear back from her for more information…cross your fingers that it works out!

View in the mountains we hiked on Monday

Habitat for Humanity

This morning at 7:30 I met a small group (11) of UCT Habitat volunteers on campus. For the first time in anything I’ve done here I was the only study abroad student-which was awesome! We drove to the mostly black township of Mfuneli about 25 minutes away from campus. Most of the houses were just tin or wood sheds, but Habitat has built quite a few houses in the area. The house we worked at was already built and just needed to be painted. All of the neighborhood kids came over to play in the street in front of the house or to sit in the front and watch us. The house behind us was blaring some awesome South African rap/funk the whole morning.

View looking down into the city

While we were painting the primer, someone on a ladder above me knocked the paint over and it spilled all over my hair. Another student helped me to the sink (the sink and toilet are outside the houses) and tried to wash it out before it dried. It was already too late however, and none of the white paint would come out. The little kids started laughing so hard and everyone wanted to take a picture. There was nothing I could do so I just went back to work with this ridiculous white mess of hair. People starting worrying that I would have to cut all my hair off because it was so bad…but finally someone arrived with turpentine. However, apparently it may not be a good idea to put turpentine in your hair…so we stopped. Then one of the Xhosa house leaders stopped by and saw my hair and started freaking out. He called someone to ask what they should do and I overheard him say “My God, she looks worse than Storm from X-Men!” And thus it was from that point on that I was referred to as “Storm.” Finally a lady a few houses down came over with a bar of soap and a wash basin and she started washing my hair. Some of the kids came over to help too and another lady stopped by with a comb. It took one hour to get most of the paint out!

Stellenbosch vineyard that we biked through on Thursday

Most of the time everyone was just speaking Xhosa, but I also talked to the lady a bit and I told her I was learning Xhosa and I showed off the very few words I know so far. She was really excited that I was learning it and she ended up asking for my phone number and email so that she could quiz me later. Not all of the paint got out, it was still a mess but it was much better at least and I could go back to work. We ate lunch and played with the kids while we let the first coat dry. I sat down and all the little kids gathered around me to try and pick the dried paint flakes out of my hair! When we were finished with the final coat we all did a huddle together and the Xhosa house leader taught us a chant/dance that he made up. When we left all the kids wanted to give us hugs goodbye. If there is such a thing as the “real African experience” I’m pretty sure I had it today.

P.S.I don’t have any pics from the H4H build today, but someone else took some so if I can get a hold of them I’ll put them up in a later post.

Classes
Classes are in full swing now. My class schedule is quite hectic with most days going from 10-5. However, I am thoroughly enjoying my classes and I have some really great professors. My science classes are really interesting and they’re much smaller than I’m used to. My two science classes required that I purchase a lab coat and a dissection kit, so I’ll probably be doing some pretty cool lab (or practical as they call it here) stuff. I also just found out that my vertebrate class is going to have a field camp over the term break (aka spring break). This means that I won’t have an opportunity to travel around the country like some of the other SSA students, but it does mean that I’ll probably get to go camping in the mountains somewhere with my classmates and have an awesome opportunity to do some sort of cool research project

SHAWCO

I had my first SHAWCO training on Saturday morning. There are many different subgroups of SHAWCO and the one I’m volunteering with is called SMART (Student Mentored All Round Training). SMART teaches math and science to high schoolers in the township of Khayelitsha. I’ll be going out to Khayelitsha on Wednesday afternoons with a group of about 9 other UCT students. I’ll be teaching 10th grade science (physics and chemistry) to a group of about 4-5 students (the same students each week). We got a large workbook with lessons plans for guidance. I am so incredibly excited to tutor the kids, to get to know them, to empower and inspire them, and hopefully to help them be as passionate about science as I am. I’m a little nervous to tutor physics because it’s not my best subject, but with the manual I think I’ll be OK. I’m also thinking of what I want to do the first day…I think I’ll have them all do introductions, maybe an ice-breaker, then I think I’ll ask them to make goals for themselves and the group before we start. Oh! And I’m also excited to use my Xhosa!

Disas on the mountain

Also, I got more information about the medical SHAWCO group and I’m waiting to hear back when training is or what nights I’m going to work at the clinic. According to an email I got this is what we would be doing: “…WREMS is a sister project of SHAWCO’s dealing with Health Promotion and Education (it stands for Waiting Room Education by Medical Students). They go out on our clinics and do multi-media presentations on various things such as chronic lifestyle diseases, TB, HIV, STDs – all the way to “how to use an asthma pump correctly”. They do a presentation for about 20 minutes and then join the rest of the students working on the clinic, so you would get to observe and participate as much as you can with the patients as well.”

Extras

This morning I went on a hike to Suikerbossie Hill in the Table Mountain range with the UCT biology club AKA the ZooBots. We went in search of a famous South African flower called the Disa. The Disa is a type of orchid that blooms only for a very short period of time at the end of the summer. A group of ~20 of us hiked up the mountain for about 3 hours-through fynbos and forest-until finally we came upon this little corner in the cliffs that was just glowing with this beautiful red/pink flower. The whole area was absolutely beautiful, and although the streams were dry there was still water dripping down the mountain in some areas. We stopped and filled out water bottles at one of the little “waterfalls.” The ZooBots are a really fun group of people and I had a chance to make some new friends.

ZooBots filling their water bottles from the small mountain waterfall

On Saturday after SHAWCO training Jake and I went to Kirstenbosch gardens for Lu’s birthday party. There we met a bunch of the old orientation leaders (Emma, Dan, Tongs, Gary and Nancy) and played board games all together. For the game we played we had to describe the words on our card and get our team to guess them. It was fun, but some of the words/people/phrases were unique to South Africa and Jake and I had no idea what they were. After an embarrassing attempt to describe “The Big Hole,” we now know that it’s not just some large hole, but actually an old mining hole for diamonds/gold in Kimberly…oops. Afterwards a few of us toured around the gardens barefoot, did cartwheels across the lawn, walked in a stream, and chased Egyptian geese. Later that night I went downtown to see some free movies that were part of a mini-film festival about Nelson Mandela. The 20th anniversary of his release from prison was on Monday, so the festival was part of a commemoration to that. I learned a lot more about Mandela’s life during his imprisonment as well as what his family life was like. It was the perfect ending to another perfect day.

On Thursday I saw a west African drumming performance at a small bar on Obz. The drummers taught us some songs and the whole bar sang while they drummed. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing and I had another one of those “real Africa” experiences. Afterwards Jake and I and a few others went to tell the two drummers how much we enjoyed their performance and I learned that they were from Mali and Guinea. We learned that they live in Obz and we’re hoping that they’ll be willing to give us a drum lesson sometime. I also had the opportunity to speak French with them.

Perspectives

Playing games in Kirstenbosch

One of the things I’ve enjoyed here most is the diversity of people. In Cape Town there are people from all over South Africa and all over the continent. I’m meeting people who come from all sorts of places and it is so interesting to hear their stories. For instance, a friend from Zim told me that after all the inflation he got his bank statement which was for 16 quadrillion Zim dollars. Another friend from Botswana told me that he’d never heard of such a thing as a homeless person before coming to Cape Town (in Botswana everyone has a place to call home). It’s very cool to be here and just experience and learn about so many different places and cultures…it’s giving me a new perspective…

Finally, in case you were worried, my hair has made a near full recovery and is now paint-free.

Cheers

Liz

Grace Tran

By Grace Tran, IAP Study Abroad Correspondent

Trying to read Nabokov in his native tongue is comparable to a masochist gouging his eye out. It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye, and in this case, it’s a sad realization of how long it’s going to take for me to be able to somewhat master the language. Russia is full of debauchery and fun and all, but the language still remains a nightmare.

Case in point, we’re currently learning pre-fixed verbs of motion for the final time. For native speakers, all of this is intuitive. For foreigners, it’s one long, dull headache. For example, I’ve always learned that the prefix “вы-” means leaving (in the sense of leaving a room, or a house, but not to a far away destination – that’s what the prefix “у-” is for) and I never knew to pair it with the preposition в, which is for going into places. But on Friday, I learned that you can use “вы-” with “в″ in the sense of “let’s go out into ___,” and that its usage is dependent on context and what is supposed to be emphasized. But context is so difficult to understand, especially Russian context! I understand the meaning behind each prefix, but if I had to make up my own sentences (a.k.a speaking) I would be rendered mute. If this last paragraph didn’t make any sense, it’s because I don’t understand prefixed verbs of motion and it seems like I never will.

There’s a misconception that English is spoken everywhere. Here’s the truth – it’s not. I feel as if in Western Europe, one can always resort to English if need be. In St. Petersburg, such is not the case. While it has done wonders to my Russian, it’s also extremely frustrating at times. I cannot show my personality in this language. I know that it will take time, but I lack patience all the same.

Symbolic of how the language is kicking my butt.

The game of charades is getting awfully tiring, and muttering the phrase “I can’t explain” (не умею обьяснить) in defeat sure is an ego-killer. My pride and sense of self-worth have been trampled on and worn down into the ground. However, I have learned the words for “shark” (акула) and “hazelnut” (фондук)– that should count for something, right?

(I know I’m not giving myself enough credit – my comprehension has skyrocketed, and I speak much faster and less stilted than before. But still.)

“Just being able to go to Ghana at all was an invaluable experience. It was good overall, and although a lot of situations weren’t ideal, I learned a lot. And everything I did with the Beacon House Orphanage kids was invaluable – if I go back someday to Ghana, it will be for them.”
Kyle Walsh, UW–Madison junior
From La Crosse, WI

Why did you decide to study abroad?

In high school I loved languages and I figured that when I went to college my interest would eventually lead me to study abroad. But in a way, I never believed it would actually happen. I knew that if I wanted it to happen, it was now or never.

Where did you stay?
I stayed in the international dorms on the University of Ghana’s campus. The dorms were okay … livable … with no real problems.But we never had constant water or electricity especially during the hottest months. I had an American and two Nigerian roommates there. My Nigerian roommates and I got along really well – they were the closest people I got to know who weren’t American. But we never had constant water or electricity especially during the hottest months. I had an American and two Nigerian roommates there. My Nigerian roommates and I got along real

What advice would you give a person who is planning on traveling to Africa?

Try not to have many expectations – it’ll be easier and you’ll learn more if you can go there with an open mind and take your experience for what it’s worth. It doesn’t have to be a fun experience to be a good experience.

How did you afford a study abroad experience?

I qualified for two partial scholarships that paid about half of my costs, I could not have done it otherwise.

What were you doing while there (studying, internship etc.)?

Most of the time, I was working in an orphanage I started volunteering once a week a couple weeks after I got to Legon, then twice a week, then three times a week pretty soon I was spending most of my time there. I did all kinds of things from playing with the younger kids, to tutoring the older kids; to helping the woman who ran it move things. Near the end of my stay I started raising donations for the Beacon House orphanage from friends and families back home and I was able to buy them supplies before I left.

I also took a few classes there and participated in an internship which wasn’t the most pleasant experience. The first day I got to the school where I was doing my internship, the teacher I was supposed to help gave me the book turned to the page where they had left off. She barely gave me time to go over the material before handing her whole class over to me on that first day! I remember she told me, “if you don’t start now we won’t have time to finish the lesson!” so I just made it up as I went. All I had was chalk and a blackboard to teach 55 third-graders all by myself. The kids listened a lot better than I expected maybe because of me but maybe because of corporal punishment – when the teacher didn’t leave me with the full class she would sit there with her cane in hand ready to hit the first one out of line. This was hard to see even though I had been warned about it before I left.

And when you weren’t studying or working, what did you do in your free time?

I did a lot of traveling. I saw a monkey sanctuary where you get to feed the monkeys, and Kakum National Park where I went for a canopy walk. Some of these trips I did with the group, some of them with a couple of friends. We would travel in buses or trotros (minivans) that were way over capacity and broke down all the time to visit other African countries like Togo and Burkina Faso. It’s funny but we never feel in danger on these trips or in Ghana I was nervous before I left for Africa but once I got there it was fine.

What is the most invaluable experience that you had in Legon?

Just being able to go there at all was an invaluable experience. It was a good overall, and although a lot of situations weren’t ideal I learned a lot. And everything I did with the Beacon House Orphanage was invaluable – if I go back someday to Ghana it will be for them.

What was one of the most jarring experiences you had there? Why?

Electricity and water shortages were really hard to deal with, plus the very slow and casual pace of people there. In each dorm there was a porter and it was his responsibility to take care of the shortages. But because of the slow pace of life there, he would pretty much get to it when he felt like it. Sometimes we would have to live three or four days without running water.

What languages did you need there? Do you feel proficient in any other languages than English?

English is the national language in Ghana so I spoke it a lot even though sometimes the Ghanaians’ English was hard to understand because of their accent. I would speak a mix of English and Ewe (the local dialect) when I was out and about because showing that I knew Ewe helped me to barter – everything is negotiated in Ghana.

How do you think your experiences in Ghana will help you after you graduate? Do you plan on returning there?

I’ve become more patient and flexible in general. In Ghana, nothing was ever on time everyone was on their own schedule and that was normal. I would like to go back to Ghana but there are other places I want to visit before I go back there. Right now I’m actually thinking of doing half my student teaching requirement in Uganda.

What advice would you give a person who is planning on traveling to Africa?

Try not to have many expectations – it’ll be easier and you’ll learn more if you can go there with an open mind and take your experience for what it’s worth. It doesn’t have to be a fun experience to be a good experience.

2010 February 18

[NB: This interview first appeared in last week's Oconto Reporter.]

Ed Wallace

Ed Wallace, Oconto, WI native, is a senior majoring in Languages and Cultures of Asia (LCA) and English. Last year, he studied abroad in Varanasi, India on an intensive Hindi language and research program. He has recently been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to return to India to pursue his research on divorce law after he graduates.

Why did you decide to study abroad? Why India?

The first semester of my junior year I was taking Modern Indian Civilizations at the University of Wisconsin–Madison with Joe Elder who started the intensive Hindi language and research program in Varanasi. I was inspired by his life story and by the uniqueness of this program. I studied Rajasthani painting there with Mukund Lal, the last survivor in the line of Mogul painters and had one-on-one Hindi instruction for over a hundred hours. What other study abroad program offers you that? And then it just sort of happened, I decided I wanted to go there.

Where did you stay?

I stayed in Varanasi, on the roof of my Hindi instructor and his wife’s home. She spoke no English which pushed me to learn even more Hindi. My instructor had built two rooms up on his roof and I stayed in one of them. It was such a large room! With a bathroom and a view of the Ganga. It was a real luxury—in the room next to mine which was the same size, there were two families—15 people living in the same amount of space I had. From the roof next to mine kids would scream “color, color, color” all the time—they wanted paper and crayons. I gave them what I could. Even though I didn’t have any crayons I gave them my colored pens. The little kids would have class on the roof—their teacher was their 12-year-old sister.

What were you doing while there (studying, service learning, etc.)?

There were three components to what I was doing there: the first was intensive Hindi language class four days a week from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The second component was a tutorial where I learned about Mogul painting. My instructor, who is one of the most famous Mogul painters in India, didn’t speak English and while I painted he used to watch the NFL. The third was an independent fieldwork project. I focused my fieldwork on how marriage in India was changing. I interviewed six women, transcribed their interviews in Hindi, and then translated them into English. It was a sociolinguistic study because I focused on how they used language differently to answer the same questions. An interesting thing that I noticed was that they use “ego” to explain many of the changes that happen in their lives, like when kids rebel against their parents or someone disobeys the law. This world obviously comes from Sigmund Freud but how did it become such a big part of Hindi language, where did they pick this vocabulary up? I have obtained a Fulbright scholarship to go back and study divorce law after I graduate. If parents arrange marriages, couldn’t they also be responsible for arranging separations?

And when you weren’t studying?

I spent a lot of time on the steps along the Ganga River drinking Chai and having conversations with people I met there. Most of my conversations were in Hindi, but some of the people I met spoke English as well. It was there that we (me and a few other members of my group) met the unofficial tour guides who showed us around for months. They took us many places including their own homes where we shared meals with their families. We also went with the guides to waterfalls and on pilgrimages and ate chicken with them on Tuesdays that was so spicy I could barely eat it! Among the things the guides told us about was a palm reader who I went to see. He showed me pictures of himself with Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett whose palms he had also read. He told me that I was lacking ‘inner energy’ and wanted to prescribe me some pills to help me—I never took them.

What is one of your more memorable and/or invaluable experiences?

One of the most memorable moments was when I left Varanasi. My instructor’s wife gave me the bindi (dot on the forehead) for the first time and I saw her close her eyes and pray for me. She and her husband then took me to the airport in a car—I hadn’t been in one for over four months—and as I looked back out the window to watch my Hindi instructor who was following on a motorcycle I saw him stop in front of a temple and start to pray to Hanuman, the monkey God. I was touched. I knew he was praying for me, for a safe trip and for my future. This was the most emotionally important moment for me.

What was one of the most jarring experiences you’ve had there? Why?

When we went from Delhi to Varanasi—we had just arrived and we hadn’t been on a train before in India. This man who saw us (nine foreigners) started pointing to beggars and cripples while he was yelling at us. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and he kept screaming. He made us feel like we were responsible for it all. It was very troubling and I was so angry with him for blaming me for all this hardship. Also, it was hard when one of the travel agents who was about twenty-seven years old asked me aggressively “so what are you studying about my people?” I felt like we weren’t there to learn about them but to learn from each other.

Do you believe there is an importance in today’s world to be bilingual? What is the advantage of speaking Hindi over any other language?

Hindi is the third or fourth most spoken language in the world, and there has been a lot of discussion about India and China as emerging powers. But I also think it’s important because India has a long tradition of literature. I think bilingualism is really important today—it’s a crime that I was monolingual for so long.

How do you think these experiences will help you after you graduate?

My experience in Varanasi will help me when I go back with my Fulbright scholarship to have an enriching experience. The program changed everything for me, even my major—before I was only an English major and now I’ve added Languages and Cultures of Asia to my majors.

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

I want to teach and stay connected to India. I also love Wisconsin and could see myself teaching here.

What advice would you give a person who is planning on traveling abroad?

Because I was there for a full year rather than just a semester I really got a chance to discover Varanasi and India in a deep way—my experience would have been very different if I’d only been there for a semester.

If you’re going to go there give yourself enough time there to be challenged and to get beyond the initial physical and material discomfort. Once you get over that mental adjustment you will be able to really engage with the culture and people. You don’t remember it’s hot and that you’re sweaty all the time but those “moments of happiness” that make your experience so special. Also, language is so important—if you don’t have the language then you are setting yourself up for an uncomfortable experience.

Interview by Nina Gehan, Division of International Studies, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Read about more Badgers who have spent time in India.

Alice Toy is a senior from Waukesha, WI majoring in biology and French. Last year she studied in Lyon, France through the TransAtlantic Science Student Exchange Program (TASSEP). TASSEP is a consortium of universities from the European Union and the United States that has designed an academic year exchange program specifically for undergraduate science majors.

Why did you decide to study abroad with the TASSEP program in Lyon?

I have been studying French since I was little and I had so many images of the French culture from movies and pop culture. But I wanted the real experience. I also wanted to be able to continue my science education; it’s hard to find programs where you can study science and language together. A lot of people think that as a science major you can’t go abroad—that’s not true.

Sometimes I’m amazed at myself for knowing so little what to expect from this but still jumping right in, particularly since it was a different culture than the one I was used to and I was going to be gone from my home and family for so long.

Ecole Supérieure de Chimie Physique Electronique de Lyon (CPE) where Toy studied. (Credit: CPE)

Where did you stay?

I stayed in student housing. The majority of the other students staying there were from North Africa, but there were a lot of European students as well. I had a single room there with my own tiny bathroom and a little bed. There was a cafeteria where you could eat your meals and a grocery store nearby. It took me awhile to get up the courage to go out though—I spent the first few days living off Luna bars!

What were you doing while there (studying, internship, etc.)?

I studied at the Ecole Supérieure de Chimie Physique Electronique de Lyon (CPE) in Lyon. It took me a while to find the right classes and I had to be extra flexible. I learned that second-semester chemistry didn’t mean the same thing in France as it did back home. Also, all my classes were two hours long and I had class all day instead of a few hours a day like at UW–Madison. But we weren’t expected to do a lot of learning or reading on our own. I had to adapt to all these differences.

And when you weren’t studying or working, what did you do in your free time?

A cobblestone street in Lyon’s charming downtown area around the holidays.

I played a lot of badminton with my French-Chinese friend Lu. Lu was one of many French friends I made while I was in Lyon. We traveled a lot together around France and across Europe—it was cheap and easy. We usually tried to take the train but were able to get some really cheap airfare, too. When I had free time in Lyon, I would spend it visiting the city—it’s beautiful, with a lot of markets and museums. I also often visited with my French friends—we would usually alternate cooking at each other’s apartments, drink wine, and just talk.

What was one of the most jarring experiences you had there? Why?

The most frustrating aspect of being in France is dealing with the French administration system. Everything is complicated and seems to take a long time to do, from paying for housing and rent, to getting simple day-to-day questions answered. Over there, everyone is used to it. So you learn to just be patient.

Lyon, which is a vibrant city. (Credit: National Geographic Guide)

How do you think your international experience will prepare you for your future?

The year I spent in Lyon really improved my French. I’m interested in pursuing a career in public health and international health after I graduate. This will probably take me to Africa and there are a lot of Francophone countries there. French will be very useful to me if I end of up working in Africa.

What advice would you give a person who is planning on traveling to France?

Be patient and flexible and, even if you are just traveling there for a visit, expect it to be a little different than what you are used to here in the United States. The toilets might not be as roomy and convenient, eating at the restaurant might take a lot longer, and calling the phone company might be more complicated than you expected. The pace of life is different in France—people take their time—this can be a great experience if you let it.

Roby in Bamburi, which is a village near Mombasa, Kenya.

Bridget Roby, from St. Paul, Minnesota, is a UW–Madison senior, graduating with degrees in international studies and journalism, as well as a certificate in African Studies. She studied abroad during the spring of her junior year (2009) in Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya through the Minnesota Studies in International Development program (MSID) which is co-sponsored by UW–Madison. Roby says the experience changed her life and she can’t wait to get back. She will be enlisting in the Peace Corps next year.

Roby shares her most memorable experiences:

Why did you decide to study abroad with the MSID program?

I knew I wanted to have an international opportunity as an undergrad and that I wanted to participate in a different kind of program than a classic study abroad program. I wanted to immerse myself in a culture and to be in the developing part of the world because it would help me experience how the rest of the world lives.

The MSID program caught my interest because it focused on development work and provided me with a learning experience as well as a living experience with a Kenyan family. It was the perfect opportunity for me to get a feel for the rest of the world and learn more about it.

Why did you choose to go to Kenya?

I took six semesters of Spanish, but Latin American programs weren’t what I was interested in because I wanted to be engaged in something that was really off the beaten path. Although I didn’t have prior experience with Africa, Kenya seemed like a perfect fit.

What were you doing while there (studying, internship, etc.)?

Roby sits with a few girls from a program she volunteered for in Nairobi.

In Nairobi, I studied Swahili, development, Kenyan history, and current issues. In a small class, I also studied microeconomy and business. I also volunteered in the local community.

I interned with the Jumbe Organization, a small grassroots microfinance organization. Almost all the businesses we financed were run by women. One woman started a business selling water bottles on the street and she needed a loan to purchase a cooler, another started a fabric shop, and another started a convenience store.

I worked in the Jumbe office with one other full-time employee. My job duties included taking savings, bookkeeping, trips to the bank, and follow-ups on the women who had taken out loans to start their businesses. We only had one computer and I spent time trying to enter in all the data from our work as well.

And when you weren’t studying or working, what did you do in your free time?

I went on a few weekend trips with friends to Lamu, Tanzania, and Uganda. But mostly, I tried to hang out with my family. My host sister and I went dancing a few times—Kenyans love to dance and they will dance all night without even getting a glass of water because they can’t afford it. But most often just stayed home and played cards.

Where did you stay?

For the first seven weeks I stayed in Nairobi. Then I participated in a week-long orientation in Lake Nakuru National Park. I spent my last six weeks in Shanzu, a village on the coast near Mombasa where my internship was.

I would come home every night to Shanzu and to my family there. We lived in a small one-story cement house where I had my own room with a bed and a table. It was quite comfortable and although we didn’t have running water, we had minimal electricity. Mama had six kids and seven grandkids and they all lived together in houses around ours so there were always people coming in and out of our home.

Roby and her host family in their village Shanzu.

I loved my family!

We would spend a lot of time relaxing and eating together as a family. We would follow the shade during the day: moving from one cool place to another to eat and relax away from the hot sun. I felt like I was really part of the family, but a special guest at the same time. I am the first student they have welcomed into their home.

What is the most invaluable experience that you had in Nairobi and Mombasa?

Spending time with my family on the coast, coming home to them, having dinner, and sitting around in the living room was the most invaluable experience I had. I miss them a lot. If I could relive a day in Kenya I would spend it relaxing and eating with them. I hope I will be able to go back there sometime soon, which is one reason I applied to the Peace Corps.

What was one of the most jarring experiences you had there? Why?

The hardest time was in Nairobi. I had to switch host families there.

It’s a cultural practice in Kenya when you have enough money to hire a house help. But the mother in my first host family was disrespectful and mean with her house help. It was hard for me to live with. From a Kenyan perspective the house help was well off because she was getting income, housing and food. From their perspective you are doing these people a favor by hiring them. But I don’t think that means you have to treat them so poorly. It made it even harder because I got close to the house help—it’s so hard to be privileged, to see another person who has nothing and not be able to do anything. Some cultural things are hard to get used to. Apparently the house help left that family but she hasn’t found another job since.

What languages did you need there? Do you feel proficient in any other languages than English?

In Nairobi I didn’t need Swahili, but the farther away I got from the big city the more I needed it. It really depends on what region you are in. Most of the people from the Jumbe Organization understood English, but only spoke Swahili. I didn’t know any Swahili before I left for Kenya. I feel like I can get by with my Swahili skills now, but I can understand more than I can speak. I’ve decided to take Swahili here at UW–Madison now.

How do you think your experiences in Kenya will help you after you graduate? Do you plan on returning there?

It’s hard to overestimate how much it changed me, the way I view the world, and my place in it. I now definitely want to go into international development as a career. I also want to go back to East Africa to work.

What advice would you give a person who is planning on traveling to Africa?

Really try to experience every moment you have there, don’t waste your time talking to people at home. If you throw yourself into the life there you will fall in love with it and the people. Let the experience happen to you.

Kara Payne is a senior majoring in German and International Studies. Her emphasis is on Culture in the Age of Globalization with certificates in East Asian Studies and European Studies. She studied in Freiburg, Germany for the 2008-2009 school year as part of the Academic Year in Freiburg (AYF) Program.

Why did you choose to study abroad in Germany?

I started German in middle school, and decided to major in it sometime during high school. Going to the country was the next step.

Where did you stay and what was it like?

I stayed in a hybrid of a dorm and an apartment called a Wohnheimgemeinshaft. There were ten people on my floor – five Germans and four international students – and a total of about 30 people in the building. Since we all got hungry around the same time I usually had dinner with at least one or two of my floor mates. When the weather was nice we had barbecues at least once a week. We also took to studying together on our floor’s balcony. I spoke only German with them. Overall it was a very friendly, lively place to live and there was always someone around to chat with.

What were you doing while there (studying, service learning, etc.)?

I took classes at the Albert-Lüdwig University of Freiburg. They were in German, although I did take one class at the English department about German stereotypes in American media. Great Class!

And when you weren’t studying, what did you do?

I traveled quite a bit. I made it to London, Munich, Berlin, Paris, Aix-en-Provence, and Prague, as well as smaller cities around Freiburg. I also joined a theater group called the maniACTs, and ended up stage managing a production for them. Through the Tandem Program I met with a couple Germans and we would go to a cafe, a movie, the park–I would help them with their English and they would help me with my German. I joined the Society for English Literature in Freiburg which sounds really fancy, but basically amounted to a book club. It was a lot of fun. Other than that, I mostly hung out at cafes or shopped, or went for a walk in the Black Forest.

What was one of the most jarring experiences you had there?

Munich - Oktoberfest

I got mildly lost when I first arrived in Germany. I had gotten on the train in Frankfurt and had made my connection in Mannheim -the “most difficult part” – perfectly (a nice German lady even helped me with my luggage). Then, I heard the announcer say “The next stop in Freiburg” and I thought “Yes! I’m here!” I got off the train, walked down the stairs and realized that something wasn’t right. I was in Offenburg, the train stop before Freiburg, and what the announcer had actually said was “This is Offenburg, the next stop is Freiburg!” I bought a new ticket, and hopped onto the next train, only to realize I had bought the wrong one. The whole thing was a misunderstanding of German, partly because I was tired from the plane ride and partly because I was just not use to listening to native Germans speak German.

Do you feel proficient in German?

Although I had around eight years of study before I left, I definitely did not feel proficient. My speaking ability was terrible. I feel I’m effectively fluent in German now, although complex literature might still give me a hard time.

Do you believe there is an importance in today’s world to be bilingual? What is the advantage of speaking German?

The world is only getting smaller, and as far as English will get you (pretty much everywhere) being familiar with another language is still extremely important. It broadens your mind, and gives you a whole new perspective. German is still a top business language (the German economy is one of the largest in the world) and it makes English make a whole lot more sense.

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

In Germany teaching English! Or at least, that’s my plan. We’ll see what will actually happen.

Traveling by metro

What piece of advice would you give a person who is planning on traveling abroad?

Pack light! You’ll find you won’t need about half the stuff you bring.

Reported on by Nina Gehan

Karen Bien is a senior, double majoring in political science and history. She spent this past spring semester studying in Copenhagen, Denmark. Karen was the recipient of the ScanDesign Foundation Fellowship Program Scholarship. The foundation was established by Jens and Inger Bruun, who emigrated from Denmark to the United States in 1961. The mission of their foundation is to promote and strengthen the relationship and goodwill between their native Denmark and their adopted home, the United States.

What was your reason for going abroad?

Study abroad programs were a large factor in my decision making process for college, it was one of the reasons I applied to UW. Also, I’ve always wanted to travel and it made the most sense financially do to it while I was in college.

Where did you stay (dorm, apartment, etc.) and what was it like?

I lived in a student housing building called Signalhuset just south of the city center. It is probably what Danes would consider a dorm. It was a 300-person building, with half Danish and half international students. I lived in a four-bedroom apartment with two Danes and a Scottish girl.

While you were there did you do an internship, volunteer work, etc.?

No, but I traveled extensively through Europe. In addition to Denmark I was able to explore Poland, Sweden, Austria, France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

What was the most invaluable experience you had in Copenhagen?

Well, overall the program I exchanged with was direct enrollment. This meant I was immersed in classes with other Danish students. I did a lot of research on study abroad programs and learned that I wanted a full immersion program without the language component. Copenhagen was a perfect fit. For my life in the city and everyday activities, cooking dinner with friends were some of my fondest memories. In Denmark, going out to eat is expensive so most people cook every night. My roommates and I would try to prepare something every night and my friends and I would make internationally themed dinners. It was such a great way to get to know people and such a large part of Danish culture.

What was the most challenging experience you had there? Why?

I think it was the services I was used to in the United States compared to those in Denmark. It was hard to get used to going to a grocery store and asking where something was and the employees telling you that ‘it wasn’t in their area’ so they couldn’t help. Also, my laptop broke while I was in Copenhagen. It was a dilemma first because I needed to have a computer and there are not rental services in Denmark. Also the tax in Denmark is a minimum of 30 percent so I had to decide if I wanted to buy a more expensive computer in Copenhagen or have my parents save money, buy it in the U.S., but potentially have to pay the difference when it goes through customs.

What languages did you need there? Do you feel proficient in any other languages than English?

I took a three-week, pre-semester Danish language course. That would be my number one recommendation for students going to Copenhagen or to a country where they do not know the language. I met all of my close friends through the course and it allowed me to feel more comfortable when I was out running errands or interacting with native Danes. I think it is important when you are traveling to be respectful of the culture and to try to speak their language no matter how proficient you may be.

How do you think your experiences in Denmark will help you after you graduate? Do you plan to return?

I now know that I can live comfortably abroad. I can be away from my family for a long period of time. I would Skype with my family for a few minutes each day; they would know I was okay and I could update them on things going on in my life. I’m planning on doing a gap year after I graduate and during that time I would love to get back to Copenhagen.

What advice would you give a person who is planning to travel to Denmark?

It is a very expensive city and don’t plan on eating out, but it is clean and safe as well. The people are friendly and a trip there would not be stressful.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I hope to still be traveling and open-minded to whatever I encounter. I have thought about law school and maybe working in government, but my career path is uncertain.

Please tell me about any additional memorable moments you had abroad.

Okay, well I didn’t think this was that embarrassing or funny, but many of my international friends did and the incident became a running joke for the rest of the semester. There were twelve of us and we had just arrived in Warsaw, Poland. It was about midnight, we were starving and there didn’t seem to be any places open. I saw a police officer and waved him down to ask if he knew of any place that would be open in the city in a safe area. I could not escape the looks of shock, awe, and horror from most of my friends. It was an interesting experience because I thought nothing of it, but for many of my friends, in their cultures the police are not people who are seen has helpful for small community issues, as well as crime.

Karen Bien (second from the left) with friends in Copenhagen

What have you gained from these experiences?

Now that I’ve come back to Madison, I am more inclined to explore the unfamiliar restaurants, cafes, and shops here that I may not have otherwise done. The traveling aspect of my study abroad experience has followed me to Madison, which I think will end up enriching my time here even more. I also am able to adapt to different styles of academic programs. The University of Copenhagen was a different system because classes met once a week, teachers were not as forthcoming with their office hours, and there was usually just one paper to determine your semester grade.

Did you receive financial assistance to help fund your study abroad experience? What difference did that make in your plans while you were abroad?

Yes, I received the ScanDesign Foundation Scholarship for $5,500. I was very stingy for the first part of my time in Copenhagen. Things are very expensive, even basic items, and I could not justify spending the equivalent of $6.00 on a box of cereal even though it was the norm in Denmark. The scholarship allocated $500 for planned cultural outings. Myself, along with the other winners from UW, all went to a professional handball game, a soccer game, and to our coordinator’s summer house. There were three other winners. One studied in Århus, another was studying engineering in Copenhagen, and the other was at Copenhagen Business School. The money allowed me to bypass some of the stress that comes with spending money to travel and I got to indulge in a few more quality eating experiences that without the scholarship I wouldn’t have been able to have.

What would you like to say to a donor who contributed to your scholarship – the person who contributed to your study abroad experience?

My experience was made so much more culturally rewarding because I was able to spend money on activities I wouldn’t have otherwise, like going out to eat, traveling to the Danish countryside, seeing a movie, and going to sports events.

What would you say to a prospective donor, to encourage his or her support of the Study Abroad Fund?

I would say that it is such a fantastic educational opportunity. By supporting students you give them a whole different academic experience.