Alicia Catalano: Hopeless Wanderer

Living on my own in a foreign country has surpassed all of my expectations. I’ve only been here a month and a half and its crazy how much I’ve already learnt about myself. I’ve had to exercise patience and understanding, especially living in a house full of people from different cultures who have different communication styles. I am thankful for this experience because patience is something that I really need to work on. I find it so interesting how we automatically click with people from similar cultures, who have similar communication styles. I’ve grown really close with the other North Americans here already and I see other close relationships forming between the other exchange students who come from the same culture. I get along really well with the other exchange students as well but moving forward I want to make much more of an effort to really get to know them on a personal level. I think doing this will make my experience even more life changing than it already has been.

 

Geneva

During my first month and a half here I’ve really tried to take advantage of getting to see Switzerland. It’s a beautiful country and it never ceases to amaze me how close all the cities are to each other. Not at all like Canada. I just have to hop on a train for half an hour to an hour and I can be in most of the major cities. So convenient! The weather here hasn’t been what I expected though. I thought it would be a lot like Vancouver but it’s been freezing! However, I’ve been told by the Swiss that this is unusual. Hopefully it starts to warm up so I can see the rest of the Swiss cities on my list without my hands freezing every time I go to take a picture!

 

Luzern

Now that I’m almost satisfied with the amount I’ve seen within Switzerland, I look forward to traveling throughout Europe. I went to Munich a few weeks ago and it was amazing. There’s so much history to take in and sites to see in the Bavarian city, I could have spent weeks there but was limited to only four days. It’s a place I definitely plan to return to and I plan to see much more of Germany while I’m over here. Now that I have a taste of travelling outside of Switzerland I can’t wait to do more. I’m excited to see as many countries and take in as many cultures as I can while over here!

 
Like I said before, this has already been such an amazing learning experience and I’ve only been here a month and a half. I can already feel my priorities in life starting to change. It’s scary but also exciting at the same time! Living and going to school here is so different than anything I’ve ever known and I can feel the way I look at things starting to change. Traveling has a degree of uncertainty to it that I love. There’s always something unexpected that happens and I’ve had to learn to adapt to and make the best of these situations. Coming over here I’ve been forced into total independence and I’m loving every minute of it. I can’t wait for what’s to come!

Samantha McGregor: Permanently Lost in Translation

Arriving back in Innsbruck I am filled with feelings of excitment, terror of the unknown and the realization of how far from home I really am. When we first arrived in Innsbruck over a month ago, I did not get a real idea of the city, as we set off for our adventure all I could think was "what did I get myself into, I am so screwed". 

I picked up Stanley at the train station and we headed off to get the keys to our dorms and move in. The city of Innsbruck is beautiful, and we knew that we were not located near the city centre and that was okay. But as we put the address into the GPS we realized we were not going to be staying in the picturesque core of the city and rather located in Innsbruck's version of East Van, or the ghetto. 

The dorm is old and grungy but for some reason I love it. What used to be a hotel has been converted into a dorm with 20 or so rooms per floor, a kitchen for each floor and common room filled with work out equipment, TVs and couches.  

After a trip to the local Ikea, the dorm feels more like home. I have a child's blanket that makes me laugh and Lime green everywhere. From my room back home to the Icefields, and now here it's inevitable, Green whether by choice or not I am stuck with. 

Stanley and I decided to go exploring. We hopped on a bus that we could only hope would bring us into the city. After a few minutes of confusion and walking circles we made it into town. Innsbruck is everything and more that I was hoping. The city core is beautiful, old buildings mixed in with new. We stumbled upon the golden roof. Right at the end of Maria-Theresien-Straße. The main shopping street.

The View of the River and Mountains from the City Centre
 

With some luck, more confusion and not being able to figure out how to open the bus doors we made it back to our dorm. Met some of our flat mates, and headed off to bed. Orientation in the morning. Lets See what happens!

Prior to leaving for this adventure I had an idea of how many countries would be represented within our program but really I had no Idea. Orientation was filled with so many languages that there was a little comfort in knowing that I spoke English better than most yet a moment of disappointment that I never learnt another language.

Lesson One from Austria: Do not "forget" to do your Spanish homework, do not sleep during class, and always study for exams.

Every place is represented, over 50 languages present

After a day spent touring the school, having our always glorious School ID card photos taken we set off for a Tyrolean lunch at a restaurant near the Golden Roof. Now, 8 Americans and 2 Canadian all of which do not speak Austrian do not make for a splendid time for the server. One extra drink, and a plate of food no one ordered we finally ate our meals and got to know each other.

Forward 5 hours and we are at The Galaway Irish Pub across the street from MCI. "Orientation" continued on with 50+ people shoved into a small basement room with a band singing 80% of the words to Mumford and Sons and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
 

After discovering a new favorite drink...Magners Irish Cider, having friends think they are in fact at the Mumford and Sons concert and not a grungy pub it was time to call it a night.

 

It was hard saying bye, yet exhilarating, tt made this entire experience finally feel real. I am in fact living in Austria and not just visiting. No more waking up at 7am to my St. Bernard breathing in my face to let her out, no more hopping in the truck to go see friends. Instead I am looking at maps, trying to figure out what the German gibberish actually says, getting lost in random cities and studying international tourism....internationally....

 

Hello Austria, I am definitely no longer in Kansas
 

Tyler Belich: Finally, My Time Has Come!

After a day of travel by plane and train I find myself staring at a concrete monastery… This is where I will be spending the next six months of my life, Franziskushaus, and I could not be happier. I arrived with Harleen and Alicia five days before orientation. It was not raining like in Vancouver but we did find snow and minus degree weather. Instantly thought, I did not pack for snow but at least my spring cloths will be clean when it warms up.  We were able to get situated and learn our way around town. This was not too hard because the other students were very helpful and Dullekin/ Olten is not that big. Surprisingly, I did not get too home sick. I am guessing it is because the first weekend I was off to Zurich to watch hockey, which made me feel right at home. Orientation was on the 18^th and was followed by two weeks of trial classes… take note Canada. This let us see what we were getting into and let us cater a schedule that fit our personal needs aka travel!!!

 

Grindelwald

After the first meek of trial classes we found it necessary to reward ourselves by going snowboarding, so off to Grindelwald to boarded the Swiss Alps. Oh and did I mention we are not the only Canadians. There are seven of us here from Canada, which made it feel even more like home.  After a long day of boarding and a night in a hostel it was back to reality or at least semi reality, my last week of trial classes. I find the classes to be similar to our classes at Capilano. Small, interactive classes which so far are quite interesting.

 

So far the only thing I have an issues with in Switzerland is to cost of being a foreign student, even more so the cost of being a foreign student over the age of 25. Since I am over 25, 26 to be exact, I am unable to get the same train/ bus passes as the students that are under 25. Really its not that big of a deal, I just need something to write that was informative or frustrating because so far this experience has been life changing and positive.

 

Zurich Lions

Fast-forward two weeks, and I have registered for my classes, traveled to Munich or as the locals call it München, I seem to be finding my grove. The Swiss life is very simple and I love that coming from a big busy city. Learning to live with less and being self-sufficient is something that everyone should experience. I know that this experience will change me for the best!

 

Well this is it so far, off to Madrid this weekend for more suffering. Hope all is well in Canada because in Switzerland, life just keeps getting better.

Tyler Belich: 8 things people should know before Studying Abroad in Switzerland

1.      Almost everything is closed on Sundays

2.      Leave yourself extra time to get places because all your travel is by bus, train and walking.

3.      Meat is expensive but it is free range.

4.      Raclette looks and smells terrible but is quite tasty.

5.      Eggs area not refrigerated.

6.      The service industry in no way compares to Canada and there is nothing you can do about it.

7.      The travel and sights are out of this world.

8.      The Swiss students are friendly, helpful and very welcoming.

Caitlin Rowe: Keep Smiling!

  

Before leaving for my semester abroad in England, I was sure that there would be a seamless transition. I didn’t really think about the challenges or difficulties I may face in a new place, despite having read all about them. I understood culture shock, I knew what signs to look for, and I was convinced it wouldn’t happen to me! After all, I’ve done plenty of travelling and been to new places on my own. Surely life in England wouldn’t be that different.

However, arriving in the middle of winter and battling illness made adjustments a little bit more difficult. I felt underwhelmed by the small size of the town of Hatfield, compared to my home in bustling downtown Vancouver. I found solace in frequent day trips to London, soaking in the excitement of being in one of the world’s greatest cities. Classes were (and still are!) tough, with a very different structure than my tourism courses back at Capilano. However, I made an effort to meet with my professors and get involved in our tutorials, despite being the only tourism exchange student in my modules

I soon realized that in order to truly make the most of my time here, I must rely on the kind and wonderful people around me. My flat-mates and new friends have made my experience so much richer and fulfilling as we bond over shared meals, card games or trips to the pub. I have made some amazing friends from all over the world and learned a lot about cultural communication in the process. Whether I’m sharing cooking tips with the girls from China or learning about traditional wedding customs in Jordan, I have found that learning about different cultures is one of the most rewarding aspects of studying abroad.

 

While I still have many more weeks to enjoy my experience, I know I will be sad to see it come to an end - four months is just not long enough! J  I hope that everyone who is going to study abroad will try and remember that the experience is always worth it, even when you have bad days. Just keep smiling and trying new things and your semester abroad will be incredible.

 

Nick Stefan: Adventures on the Vietnam Field School

Why did you choose to participate in this field school?
My reasoning for why I chose to participate in a field school, and why I chose to participate in the Vietnam field school, are different. First of all, I had the amazing opportunity to spend all last summer studying French at UQAC, in Chicoutimi, Quebec. Having almost completely finished my degree at Capilano University, this was my first time ever ‘studying abroad’, and for that matter, living on my own. The experience was indescribable. Any slight feeling of homesickness, was so quickly made forgotten by the presence of your newly adopted family of friends, who are all there doing the same thing you are.

Coming from all different parts of Canada, we were all in the same boat, and that automatically fueled the reason to create friendships and bonds, and have the time of your life while still obtaining perfectly good credits. When it was all said and done, and I was back at Capilano University, sitting, watching the rain pour down as it typically does, I thought to myself that I was two semesters away from graduating, and I wanted to make what was left of my schooling count; the only option was to partake in another study abroad opportunity!

The field schools are significantly more affordable in both aspects of cost and time. With no commitment being more than 3 weeks long, and little to no school being missed because of the dates they run on, the field school was the perfect option for me and I never regretted making that decision. Why I chose the Vietnam field school, however, was because I was planning my next vacation when I received an email notifying me about the opportunity. Literally, in a matter of seconds, I responded confirming my interest because I had never been to Asia before, and I know that of all the field schools being offered, Vietnam seemed to be the most exotic and I considered whether or not I could ever have seen myself going there on my own terms.

My decision to go with Vietnam proved to be so right because I loved it so much, including everything that the field school introduced me to about it, and I know I will go back.

What was the most memorable highlight?
Though I guess you can argue that this isn’t a highlight, because I did not share this moment with anyone else on the tour, but on our third last day in Vietnam, we had just finished biking roughly 20km around an island that required boats to get to, and we had just made it back to the bus. I got off my bike, and set off not more than 100m away from the group to take a look around. I had no idea where I was, more than just in regard to the name of the town, but geographically speaking.

We had just finished biking for several hours, had taken two boats, and all from a point that we initially started off at, being 4 hours south of Saigon. It was really something special, and usually my favorite thing to do while travelling, to step away from what’s going on and just realize where you are.

The field school was packed full of beneficial and fun activities, but this was an opportunity to make your own experience out of it. I realized that everything around me was totally different from my comfort zone, and that everything was totally unidentifiable, but I was pretty ok with that. That, and Cole had his birthday while on the trip so we took him to the 52^nd floor of the Bitexco Financial Tower’s skybar, and partied (responsibly) overlooking a 360degree view of Saigon at night, in a bar practically all to ourselves. It was unreal.

What would be some tips or advice to prospective participants?
This is the most important question to me, as I now understand the importance of considerations and advice when deciding where and whether you should go. Assumingly, if you’re attending university, you have an open mind and willing to learn, and that is the optimistic view inherent of most students. However, this is not always the case, and you need to understand and justify your reasons for signing up for a field school. It is not for everyone, based on your current state of mind, and your progression in your studies.

Consider taking a field school later on in your studies when your schedule is more relaxed and accommodating of it, and you are confident in yourself that you’re mentally prepared for the culture shock! It is not a vacation, it is in fact work, and you are representing not only yourself, but Capilano University, and even Canada. But should you be up for the challenge, it is going to be an experience that you will never forget; just make sure you take part in the right experience!

If you are new to travelling, it is so important to picture yourself in that culture, before you go. You know yourself pretty well, and you understand your comfort zone. Can you picture yourself being in that country? If so, then prepare yourself, consider taking the oh-so-beneficial IBUS 255 and IBUS 434 cross cultural business classes where the knowledge you gain there will be so insightful to your travels, you have no idea. You wouldn’t believe the difference of impression it makes on you when you properly great, or interact with locals, keeping their customs in mind, because of course… Even though we’re all people, our cultures are all different!

Don’t be that guy who thinks what works in Canada, will work abroad, nobody likes that guy, and besides, you’re in another country! The whole point of how awesome this experience is, is to eat, live, and breath as they do for the short period of time that you’re there. Do your best to always keep those considerations in mind. Canada is a pretty relaxed and accommodating county; if you wouldn’t act that way in Canada, I suggest you don’t act that way anywhere abroad. But I’m sure you’ll do fine. Remember your pleases and thank yous, it’s probably best that you learn it in their language though, always keep a pen on hand, and even a journal so that you can jot down all the cool stuff that you’re going to want to remember to brag about to your friends and family when you get back home.

Go in with an open mind, and do your best to prevent resorting back to North American familiarities while you’re there, it’ll be over in no time, and you’ll be back home before you know it. Sigh, take me back with you!    

Katie Razavi: All In the First Month…

Studying abroad at a school in Europe is such an amazing opportunity. You get to become a part of a new place as you settle into your own town, but at the same time, you have the ability to visit so many new places. I’ve been here for about a month now I have already visited three different countries: England, Belgium, and of course, the Netherlands. And next week I’ll be off to Austria, and soon after, to France.

One of my favorite things has been meeting new people from so many different places. The ways of life and cultural differences, no matter how slight or vast, are incredibly interesting to watch and be a part of. 

Another great part is trying to many different types of cuisine. They really like their frites and mayonnaise here. I haven’t yet tried the national dish of pickled herring and onions, and I am hesitant but I am going to do it before I come home! Coffee here is also amazing – its not as available, but when you find it, you can just tell that there has been more care put into it.

I’ve been all around my little town, its beautiful and has great beaches, and biking everywhere is really fun. But be warned, the wind here is insane. Make sure you bring a good windbreaker when you come! Other than the wind, the weather here is pretty much the same as Vancouver. It changes every five minutes.