This One's for the Girls...

Today's post is going to be a little different. As you know, I'm here as a requirement of the Interior Design program. We must study abroad in the fall of our third year, and there are 10 third-year students. Ryann and I have been at this for almost two months now and, while I can't speak for her, I'm sure she'd agree that we are having the times of our lives! And now it's the UK girls' turns! Katie's already made it to Scotland safely, yay! The other 7 will be leaving in about a week. So, in honor of them setting out on this amazing journey, I thought I might offer a little advice just in case they were as terrified as I was about leaving the U.S.

1. Go ahead and cry. I made the mistake of letting my boyfriend, Steven, drop me off at the airport. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my mom and I would have cried had she dropped me off too, but over the past three years I've adapted to not being able to see her as much. I see Steven every day, and knowing that was about to end killed me. There was a long line at security so he walked me up as far as he could and I was a blubbering mess. I sniffled the entire "train" ride to the terminals. And when I got to my gate, I cried in the bathroom. The 14-hour plane ride to Doha helped because the crying made me tired. When I got to my hotel in Doha, I was so excited to skype him and call home... But my laptop died, my phone had 5% battery, and the converters didn't work for U.S. electronics. So, I cried there too. Another 12-hour flight later, I found myself in the room I'd be spending the next 5 months living in. I thought this point would be so comforting, but, again, I cried. The next morning came and I met my roommate. Emmi told me she cried the whole way here, too. Turns out, most of my friends did. And you know what? It helped. It helped me realize how much I value the people I left behind. It also helped me realize how scared I was, and by now I know that I conquered that fear. So grab some tissues on your way to security and let it all out.

2. Don't worry about the "unknown." The scariest part of traveling is that you are going to unknown places, dealing with unknown people, having to do unknown things; you don't know what to expect. In the months leading up to my departure, and the whole trip here, I worried about the smallest details that I honestly don't remember now. But trust me, you'll figure it out. And people will help you. I had friends who missed flights and ended up in totally foreign countries then finally arrived late. But they are here. And they have hilarious stories to tell. Don't sweat the small stuff-- it's part of the journey.

3. Separate. This may be the most important advice anyone could receive when studying abroad. "Luckily" enough, I came alone so I was forced to make new friends, and would you believe that I've made some of the best friends I'll ever have here? But, even we need to separate from time to time. By breaking away from the group, I've made friends from Germany, China, France, etc. I even have local friends with whom I'm going to St. Francis with for midterm recess. Katie, you're on your own for the first time-- embrace it. Girls, there are 7 of you and that makes it really easy to get comfortable in your own bubble. There's nothing wrong with spending time together; it's nice to have a group to come back to when you need someone who can relate to you. But don't waste your study abroad experience in that bubble. You have a year and a half together when we get home, use these few months to meet new people from all over the world that can enrich your life.

4. Say "yes!" I've met a lot of people and had a lot of incredible experiences in my nearly two months here, all because I kept an open mind and said "yes" to doing things I normally wouldn't. The number one thing when studying abroad is to stay open-minded and willing to try new things in order to absorb a new culture.

5. Keep in touch... but not too much. Homesickness is the worst part about studying abroad, that's a given. But you don't have to make yourself homesick. The first week will be hard, of course, so skype and call home as much as you want. But there will come a time when you'll have to break away from your computer so that you can get out and actually experience your new home. I've found the times I feel most homesick are when I'm skyping family and friends at home, or when I spend a rainy evening indoors on Facebook. Yes, it's always great to catch up with everyone and let them know how you're doing, but be cautious not to tie yourself back to home or else you'll make yourself miserable.

6. Write it down. While it's a little annoying that I have to take a break every day to write in this blog, I'm glad that it's one of my honors requirements because it documents my life here. Of course, you don't have to get a blog, but it's a great way to keep track of what you've been up to, and a good way to communicate with home without having to make yourself homesick like I talked about. If you're not interested in publicly displaying your life abroad, keep a small travel journal. You'll be able to write 3 or 4 pages a day for the first week or so because everything will be so new, but as time goes on you'll start to run out of material. Just take time to write down what you did that day, in maybe a sentence or two. Three months from now when you go home and are dying to go back abroad, you'll be able to re-live all your memories.


Now, I could go on and on about the little things that you should know, like looking right then left when you cross the street because they drive on the other side of  the road, or how some countries don't have your favorite foods, or how your dorm is not even remotely close to luxury living, etc, but those are fun things for you to find for yourself! I really hope this helps and can ease your mind a bit as you set off on the scariest but best journey ever! Please keep in touch-- we're lucky to have such a tight-knit group of 10! And I will see you all in London and Edinburgh in December! :)

Good luck and HAVE FUN!!!  :)

HIV Reflection: Week Two

I spent yesterday studying for my Afrikaans midterm today, so I apologize for not getting around to posting. However, it was well worth it-- I think I did really well!

As stated before, we work with a community partner in HIV class and today was another visit day. We had a lot of fun today brainstorming our products to spread awareness with the youth center. Below is my reflection, enjoy! :)


     We visited the youth outreach center for the second time today. Since we are already acquainted, our goal for the day was to work together with the employees to choose which product we should contribute in order to increase awareness of HIV in the outreach center. Prior to this morning's meeting, we divided ourselves into three smaller groups to brainstorm product ideas. The first group, my group, was to think of ideas of a game that the youth could play that would be interesting, educational, and, fun. We came up with the idea of a board game similar to Chutes N' Ladders and LIFE, in which the children would answer questions and make choices about scenarios involving HIV. The second group thought of ideas of something tangible the youth could keep and decided on making bracelets with the word "DARE" on them. This word represents the breaking of the stigmas surrounding HIV, and will be explained more later. The third and final group came up with a drama about HIV then turned it into a game in which the children would act out scenarios. After presenting our ideas to the employees and discussing the pros and cons, we decided that we will make a board game as well as the bracelets.
We think that it will be within our budget to make both the bracelets and the game, so the problem now is how to tie these concepts together. The bracelet group came up with a really great idea with the word "DARE." The message behind this word is that we want to break the stigmas associated with HIV. A lot of youth are too shy or embarrassed to talk about sex, and this leads to ignorance about safe sex and  HIV. Yes, facilities provide free condoms but we will never know if the youth utilize them. Yes, we have told them to have safe sex but we will never know if  they actually listen. And yes, there are clinics where you can receive free testing, but we will never be able to make anyone get tested, even if it is in his or her best interests. So, with the word "DARE" we want to show the youth that they should dare to break this miscommunication; they do not have to be afraid  to ask their caretakers about safe sex, HIV, tests, and treatments. Miscommunication leads to ignorance, and ignorance seems to be the biggest fueling factor behind the continuous spread of the virus.
We will incorporate "DARE" into our game by using the same colors for the game blocks as the beads on the bracelets: blue, red, green, and yellow. The red blocks will go to the red cards, which will be DARE cards. These DARE cards will represent a benefit of breaking stigmas and miscommunication; for example, a DARE card may read "You asked for a condom and practiced safe sex-- Congratulations! Move ahead 3 spaces." We chose to do this so that the game will promote positive behavior instead of focusing on the negatives of HIV. The caretakers thought it would be a good idea for us to give the bracelets at the completion of the game for the youth living there, and we will provide extra bracelets for the drop-in lunchtime group.
While a board game and bracelets aren't going to reshape the way all of South Africa views HIV, we hope that our efforts will produce a ripple effect. The board game will teach the youth about HIV and since they will have fun, they will want to play it. Plus, there will be enough cards for each category that they could play multiple times and each time would be different. With the bracelets, the youth will have something to hold on to, that is theirs to own, even after they leave the center. It will remind them of the things they have been taught about HIV and hopefully encourage them to make smart decisions. Also, the single word on the bracelet will be a conversation starter and will help them tell others what they have learned. Our mission is to educate youth on HIV and to empower them to make informed and wise decisions on their own, and for them to spread this knowledge and empowerment to their peers, creating a ripple effect long after we have left Stellenbosch.

The Battery Run-Around

Here in Africa, the easiest thing for international students to do is get a simple phone, similar to a "track" phone in America. Mine is a small Nokia with Cell-C as my carrier, and it is the most indestructible phone I've ever had. I've dropped it more times that I can count and it's still kickin'. But, Saturday night I dropped it and didn't realize that not all the pieces were there when I put it back together. Yep, I lost my battery.

With a normal phone, this wouldn't be a problem- I could plug it in to use it temporarily until I had a new battery. But I've been out of touch with everyone for 4 days now and it was about time to get a battery.

I left about an hour early for class today and went to the mall. I used the wrong entrance, had to walk all the way down the mall, down the steps, and back all the way down to get to Cell-C. They told me to try Game, which was near the entrance I came in at. I waited 15 minutes for someone to come to the counter, only to tell me they don't carry the battery I need, and sent me to the store next door or Vodacom. I tried the store next to them. They told me to leave the mall and go across the street. It sounded sketchy, but it turns out that guy across the street had exactly what I needed. But he only takes cash. So I tried the NedBank ATM-- out of service. Both of them. I ran inside to ABSA, waited in line, and finally had cash for my battery.

That's when you'd think the story ends. I wanted  to walk back through the mall since I had 10 minutes before Afrikaans started. So, I walk back into the mall, get all turned around, and go out the right exit but turn the wrong way. I was behind the mall on a street I've never been on, had to walk all the way back around the mall, passing the same exit I took, and finally to the proper street I needed to take me to class. Whew! Needless to say my feet are sore. Plus I only had 4 texts waiting for me, 2 of which were promotions from the company. From now on, that phone will be attached to a string around my wrist! Ok, maybe not, but I will definitely take better care of it!

Bring On Test Week!

I didn't think test week would actually affect the international students since we are in all IPSU classes, but I was wrong! While I only have one test this week, an Afrikaans midterm on Thursday, this week is affecting me in all kinds of ways.

First, Concordia has enforced a 24-hour quiet time until Saturday so that everyone can study. Not that I plan on being loud and disruptive, but it made me realize how serious test week is. It's very much like our dead week during finals-- and this is just midterm. Wow.

Next, a lot of my friends are in mainstream courses or have more intense classes than I do. Everyone's been busy studying or writing papers. The Germans, who study a ton normally, have been locked in their rooms since Thursday. Emmi stayed up all night writing a paper. Molly just finished a paper today. Lisa's been working on LSCE papers. Sooo needless to say, I'm pretty bored. I've been spending my time studying too, but when I take breaks I have no clue what to do with myself.

Finally, none of my groups for classes have time to meet with each other to get anything done. In HIV we have to visit our community partner on Thursday and present our ideas of "products." And Friday we have VCE again.

It's all going to be worth it by the end of the week when RECESS STARTS :) Stay tuned for our plans for that.. And wish me luck on my midterm Thursday! Til then... Shhh! It's Test Week! :(

Wine Society Formal

Friday evening, Lisa, Molly, and I went to the Wine Society formal closing function. We had no idea what to expect, as in how to dress, how many people were going to be there, what we'd be doing, etc. Lisa and I found dresses at a store called Skye London at the mall. We rushed to get ready around 5pm and left for the bus at 6:15. We were nervous when we saw that there weren't very many people on the bus, and later we came to realize that it was a much smaller function than what we expected, but it ended up being nicer that way.

The bus drove us to Tokara, a beautiful winery in the mountains with an amazing view. I had been there one other time when we went wine tasting so I was really excited for the girls to see it. Inside there's artwork everywhere (we actually had to sign a paper saying if we broke anything the society was not responsible!) and the room we were in had an industrial feel. It was very fancy and formal inside. There were 5 tables set up. We met with 2 other girls that are from South Africa, Sam and Rachel. We talked about school and the area and found out that Sam's brother is actually in America and she's studied there before too.

We were given 10 bottles of wine per table: 6 white and 4 red. I drank mostly red, but I tried the white at the end of the night and it was surprisingly refreshing. Our first course, the starter, came out around 8pm. It was a souffle with cheeses and vegetables surrounding it.

After starters the president, or chairman, and a few other executives gave speeches since it was their last time with the society. They introduced the new executives and then the main course was served. The main course was beef sirloin. They don't cook their meat as long here and I usually prefer mine medium well, but this was pink. It was good though, I actually enjoyed it a little juicy.

After the main course we were able to walk around and we went to the photo booth. We took pictures with the 2 girls we knew, then one by ourselves, and one with our waiter. We were called back early because dessert was served. We had malva pudding, which is really hard to describe but it was delicious!! It was two balls of something similar to chocolate cake with a square of something similar to merengue but tasted sweeter, like whipped cream. On top of that was a scoop of ice cream and white chocolate. I almost forgot to take a picture before I ate all of it!

Overall, we had a lot of fun. We'll definitely go back sometime so we can see the view during the day. We still had a nice view of the city and all the twinkling lights but we weren't able to capture it well in pictures. 

The view at night