Tag Archives: Abroad Blog of the Week

Abroad Blog(s) of the Week: Ones to Watch

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This week I thought I would do something a bit different and highlight a few blogs that I’ve been following. What each of these bloggers have in common is that they are preparing to study abroad. They come from various places and each is headed some place different, but all of them are taking a great deal of time and effort to prepare for their journey, which I hope leads to a great abroad blog. Here are some new ones to add to your reader:

Mary in Haifa

Like me, Mary is a study abroad professional. She travels the country helping students study abroad affordably in really interesting locations. Mary is taking a year leave from work to study abroad again (jealous), but this time, she’s doing her Master’s degree in Haifa, Israel in Holocaust Studies. Mary’s blog has so much depth already because she knows what she is getting herself into. She is prepared and has even reached out to the local roller derby team in Haifa to meet friends. This is definitely one to add to your blog roll for this fall.

FREEdom Abroad

I happen to have the privilege of being the advisor to the lovely blogger of FREEdom Abroad. Katie is first headed to London at the end of July for a semester abroad with our university, then will be traveling through Asia independently, and she’ll finish out the year with a semester in Budapest, Hungary. As a journalism major, Katie’s writing is interesting and inquisitive. She is constantly wanting to try something new and she is highly adventurous (sometimes to the dismay of her study abroad advisor!).

Turkish Musings

This blog is written by Hayley, a senior at Grand Valley State University headed to Turkey for the semester. Hayley’s prep has been extensive. She posts regularly and goes into detail into everything from learning the Turkish alphabet, saying goodbye to friends, and the visa and financial aid process. I’ve allow noticed that Hayley is pretty active in the blogosphere and is reading a lot of abroad blogs to prepare. I’m pretty eager for Hayley to go abroad to read her personal Turkish musings. One more fun fact about Hayley – she’s a regional official for the US Figure Skating Association.

Adelaide for a Year

I’ve only been following Anthony of Adelaide for a Year for a about a week but I’ve enjoyed going back through this prep posts. From Essex, UK, Anthony just arrived in Australia to spend a year studying at Flinders University in Adelaide. There are so few men that study abroad and blog about it that I was excited to find Anthony’s site. His new camera seems to be serving him well and I really appreciated his first post about leaving home. Now that he’s just arrive in Adelaide, I’m sure he’ll have some great pictures up soon.

Abroad Blog of the Week: The Parallel Life

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I started following The Parallel Life a few weeks ago through a chain of Versatile Blogger posts. They are living one of my secret dreams – a thirty-something couple who quit their jobs, saved their money, and are traveling the world for an indefinite amount of time. There blog shares their adventures and great tips if you want to recreate their journey. I was able to catch up with the bloggers, Ashley and Justin, for a virtual drink in Mumbai. Cheers!

Where are you now and what was your last meal?

We are in Mumbai, India at the moment.  Honestly, I have no idea what our last meal was.  No, really, I have no idea.  We don’t have much experience with Indian food, though we’ve eaten it a number of times back home with friends, we just are never in charge of the ordering so we never remember what the dishes are called.  We stopped in a random restaurant for lunch and, not surprisingly, didn’t have a clue what anything on the menu was. We ended up just going roulette style and picked two dishes at random.  We know they were vegetarian, rice on the side, one was definitely a curry of some kind, and they were delicious!

What are the best and most challenging aspects of traveling with your spouse?

The best thing is that we get to spend so much time experiencing all these new places together. It’s hard to believe now, but there were weeks when we were living in New York where we were so busy that we barely saw each other except for a few minutes of overlapping schedules either late at night or early in the morning.  Now we get to hang out all the time!  That’s sort of the most challenging thing also…we have to hang out all the time.  We both had a great set of friends back home and we spent lots of time being social, sometimes together but often with our own separate groups of friends.  Now, it’s just us.  Sure, we meet loads of people along the way in hostels and whatnot (and we’ve met some truly great people that we know we’ll be friends with for years to come), but on a day to day basis it’s only the two of us.  We have nowhere to turn on days when we are really grating on each other’s nerves, so that’s taught us a lot about being patient with each other and learning how to avoid big meltdowns.

What tips would you give on saving money for a trip like yours?

For us, the first thing we had to do was get a realistic grasp of what was coming in and out, budget wise, each month.  Once we sat down and really looked at our financial situation we were able to get an idea of what we might be able to set aside each month with a few changes to our spending habits.  Set a goal for yourself, and really commit to it.  I think that’s the hardest part – the commitment.  If you want to save big and you don’t make a lot of money, you are going to have to sacrifice some things, but keep in mind that there’s a bigger picture and that small sacrifices add up to huge rewards in the end.  We changed little things, like making coffee at home instead of buying it on the way to work, that saved more that you might expect.  We also changed some big things, like that I got a second job once night a week, that helped boost our income.  I wrote a whole post about this before we left (back when my mom was our only reader) and you can find it here:http://theparallellife.com/2011/09/20/how-we-saved-for-our-rtw-trip-part-i-trimming-the-fat/  It says part 1 because I always meant to write another post on how to actually make a budget in the first place…I should probably get on that!

Of all the places you’ve visited so far, if you could go back to just one spot, where would it be and why?

Gah!  This is like the “If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life…” question!  There are so many places that we have loved visiting, it’s practically impossible to pick one.  At this moment though, I’d pick the southern coast of Turkey.  It’s got fantastically beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean, great food, nice people and ancient ruins all over the place.  Justin would like to chime in that while he also loved the coast of Turkey, he might pick Buenos Aires, Argentina.   He liked the European feel of the city, the nightlife and of course, the steaks.

Ashley and Justin at Iguazu Falls

Thanks for the interview, Ashley and Justin!

Abroad Blog of the Week: The Cantaloupe Tales

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When I came upon The Cantaloupe Tales a few weeks ago, I was reading through study abroad posts on WordPress. It’s my favorite tag as I do love me a good ole study abroad blog – one that has pictures of the Eiffel Tour or the experience of a student eating her first Italian gelato. But what I enjoy the most is when I find ones that are unique, filled with character, and so funny that I almost wet my pants.  Well, Cantaloupe Tales is one of those blogs.  The blogger, Katie, is witty. She can tell a great story and has made me laugh to the point that Hubby has come in our office to see what is going on. If you’re having a bad day, read this post from Katie. I promise you’ll be tearing up from laughter by the end.  Katie’s humor doesn’t end there. I have had the wonderful privilege of emailing with her and she answered a few questions about her blog and experience in Morocco.  I hope you will enjoy her writing as much as I do.

Katie from the Cantaloupe Tales

Why did you name your blog The Cantaloupe Tales?

You know, I don’t really have a good reason, except that it was the first thing that popped into my head when I sat down to create it in January. Maybe I got confused between which snack I wanted to eat and what I wanted to name this new blog; I do that sort of thing when I’m hungry. It also sort of sounds like the Canterbury Tales, which makes me sound educated and clever. The first post is called “A Melancholy Tale,” (get it?) and it’s a very short, very dumb story full of puns about two star-crossed lovers who also happen to be melons. The last line is: “‘I love my melon lover,’ sobbed the melon, “but now we cantaloupe!”  I know, I know. I can’t believe I have readers either.

What surprised you most about Morocco?

Healthcare. Is. So. Cheap. (For US-ians, anyway). When I came down with intestinal parasites (avoid those), I dragged myself out of bed to a private practice Moroccan doctor, who made us wait forever but only cost 200 dirhams (approximately exactly $22.7110). Then I went to the pharmacy and got my meds. Long story short, you just walk in and tell them what’s wrong with you. For Moroccans, I know that this isn’t exactly chump change, but as someone whose paycheck (when employed) comes in dollars, it was a bit of a relief. Also: don’t eat unwashed salads. Parasites suck (ugh, literally. Ugh, get me off the Internet).

Also, when inside a Moroccan family’s house, everyone wears their pajamas all the time. One gets dressed to go out. Brilliant! It was fantastic. Bring your jammies.

Did you pick up any local habits/customs while living abroad?

I read this question to my mother, who laughingly replied, “Well, look at what you’re wearing!” She was right: I’m wearing a Moroccan gandora, which is a traditional garment that my host family gave me the day before I left Morocco. I also wear harem pants now. Other than my increasingly dubious wardrobe, though, it’s hard to say: when living in Morocco, I picked up plenty. I ate with my hands, mastered the squat toilet and bucket operation, and grew accustomed to haggling in the souk. Lots of small things come to mind, tiny and huge lifestyle changes that add up to making a new home as the months pass.

What have I brought back to the U.S., of all these customs and habits? I’m still not sure. People use forks and toilet paper, and it’d be crazy to try to haggle at Target. I like to think I’ve brought back something, though. A puffy Hello Kitty bathrobe? That little purple rug? I’ll let you know when I figure it out.

From your experience, was it harder to go to Morocco or to come back home?

BOTH. I know that’s sort of a weenie answer, but let me explain. I struggled with adjusting to Morocco: I missed my friends, culture shock, the works. Yet adjust I did, and as my airplane departed Casablanca, the last thing I wanted to do was completely change my way of life—again. I love Morocco and its rich culture, history, politics, and mostly, its people. Slipping into all of my old U.S. habits was easier than forming new Morocco habits had been, but once home, I realized that nobody (except for a select few) knew or really cared about Morocco. That’s been weird.

So both were challenging in different ways. No matter which way the cookie crumbles, though, you’ll forget where your comfort zone was and replace it with some good, wholesome awkwardness. I’d do it all again, and not change a thing. Well, except for waiting so long to see a doctor about those parasites. Seriously.

What three pieces of advice would you give someone who was planning to live/study in Morocco?

1.     Travel as much as you can, Morocco has pretty great public transit. Go to Chefchaouen and Asilah! Climb Mount Toubkal! Run around on beaches! Play soccer with Moroccan kids!

2.     Don’t be too paranoid about people ripping you off in the souk. Get some ballpark prices from Moroccans for certain items, and haggle away! Don’t be shy! But honestly, you’ll end up paying a bit more for some things because you’re foreign anyway. When it’s a difference of 10 dirhams, what’s one more dollar to you? You’re boosting their economy. Smile. Make friends with the shopkeepers. Have a ball.

3.      Learn Darija and talk to people. All the time. Never stop talking to people! Ladies, just ignore the catcallers, but talk to people! That’s the point, right? Crossing cultural and linguistic boundaries. Seriously, learn Darija. It’s fun. Chat ‘em up! Good luck! Have fun!

4.     I know you said three, but I just thought of an important one. Bring hand sanitizer. There’s never soap, and when you’re using a bucket and water, you’ll want to wash your hands thoroughly. Oh, yeah, and eat lots of couscous. Go to a wedding. Beware of leben. Okay, I’m done. Thanks for reading!

Thanks for the interview, Katie!

Abroad Blog of the Week: Travel Thayer

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If you have ever considered teaching abroad and want to know what it’s really all about,  check out this week’s Abroad Blog of the Week: Travel Thayer. The blogger, Michael, has now been teaching English abroad at an elementary school in Jochiwon, South Korea for right at a month and in his blog shares the details of teaching, living, and learning in Korea.  For anyone contemplating teaching abroad, the blog has great posts about classroom management, the experience of being a new teacher, and adjusting to living in a country where you don’t speak the language.  What I like best about Travel Thayer’s posts is that they are regular, detailed, and seem to reflect his true experience.

I caught up with Michael via Gmail last week and was able to ask a few questions about being an ESL teacher in Jochiwon. Here’s what he had to say:

What countries did you consider when you were looking for teaching positions abroad?

I had been thinking about teaching English abroad ever since my 2008 summer internship in Hangzhou, China where I taught English at a middle school summer camp.  Once I finished my Bachelors I looked into three countries for teaching: Japan, Korea, and China. I researched these countries simply because they were places that I was interested in spending time learning language, eating food, and experiencing the culture.

After much research I finally decided on Korea for several reasons.  Korea is one of the highest paying countries for English teachers; an entry-level teacher with only a Bachelors can find jobs paying about 2,000,000 Won per month for public schools and about 2,200,000 Won per month for private “Hagwon” schools.  Korea also provides free housing in every job offer I have seen.  I believe that this is also very common in Japan.  You still have to pay for utilities, but free housing is a great bonus!  The third economical reason I chose Korea is because the cost of living is very affordable, especially on an English teacher’s salary!

I believe that Korea and Japan offer similar contracts in terms of free housing and pay, but from my research I have found that Japan’s cost of living can be very high.  China is a wonderful country that I have spent about 6 months studying in, but I simply could not afford to live there on the salary that the English teachers are paid.  Perhaps if I had less student loans. . .

How did you decide to take the placement in Korea?

My first step after deciding which country I wanted to work in was to figure out which school I wanted to work for.  It can be an incredibly daunting task if you are not prepared!  There are probably thousands of different schools in Korea, some of them good, others have very poor reviews.  It is important to thoroughly research a school that is offering you a job and ask if you can speak with current foreign English teachers.
How do you find these schools in the first place? To be honest I did not go out looking for individual schools.  I simply put my resume up on an ESL teacher forum that several schools use to find new teachers.  It was not until later that I found the recruiting agency that I used to land my current job.  Recruiting agencies can be extremely helpful, especially if you have never taught overseas before! They help you with everything from how to get all of your documents completed and certified, to preparing you for your interview with your potential school.  Be sure you find an agency that is looking out for you and not simply trying to fill a quota of teachers.  I had an excellent experience with Footprints Recruiting, but I have friends who used Korean Horizons and had great things to say.

Lastly I want to talk about public schools and private “Hagwon” schools.  Public schools are government-funded and organized, much like public schools are in the United States.  Private schools are “for profit” schools.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it seems to be more likely to lead to a bad situation. Most of the bad stories that I have read about come from people teaching in hagwons.  This being said, I have friends who teach in great hagwons and are very happy with their placement!  Each person lives their own experience, some people are more culturally adaptive than others though. I think the most important thing is to be open to new things and smile!

Now that you’ve been in a Korea for a month, what do you love so far?

So far I love everything! I love the food, the people, my co-workers, my students, my apartment, and my city!  I have a hard time thinking of things that I do not like about Korea.  Even for the two weeks I was sick with a very stubborn cold I was happy about where I am.

Specifically though, the food is absolutely wonderful!  I am a very adventurous eater, and I love trying new food.  Some of my favorite foods here are duck, hot pot, and gimbap (Korean version of sushi).

I really must say how grateful I am for the kindness of the everyday Korean person. My language skills are very poor right now as I am a beginner, so the patience and kindness really helps.

What has surprised you the most?

What surprised me the most is how kind most people are here.  A long time ago Korea was known by China as “The courteous people of the East”.  I have to say that from my experience that this is very true! It is, of course, important to be courteous in return.

Also the number of Christian churches here is very surprising.  I had read that Christianity is quite popular here in Korea, but I never imagined to see so many churches!  When you look down on my city at night-time you can see all of the red crosses (neon lights).

What are three items that you brought with you from home that you just couldn’t live without?

My computer, my camera, and deodorant.  I do not really need any of these things to live, but they are things that I do enjoy and appreciate a great deal.  Technology is very well advanced in Korea; I am always finding new things in shops that I had never seen in the West.  That being said, computers are more expensive here in Korea.  I really enjoy taking pictures, writing about them, and sharing them with others; there was no way I was going to leave my camera at home.  Deodorant may sound a little funny, but it is not as easy to find here; when you do, it is much more expensive than back home.  I ran across the same issue in China where I paid about five dollars for a tiny roll-on deodorant.  This time I came well prepared!

What words of wisdom would you give to a recent study abroad returnee interested in teaching abroad?

The absolutely most important thing I can think of is to arrive with a smile on your face and an open mind!  If you have already been traveling, your mind has probably been opened a bit; keep it that way!  The worst thing you can do is to shut out experiences because you think that they are weird or embarrassing.  By being narrow-minded you will not reap the full benefit of the experience and you may even offend people.

Make sure that you actually want to teach; don’t think of teaching abroad as a vacation.  My regular schedule is about 22 classes per week.  I am at school from 8:30am-4:40pm (6pm on Tuesdays), but since I enjoy teaching I love coming to work.

If you are serious about teaching abroad I would highly recommend taking a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course.  There are several of these courses offered online, but be sure that you take one that is at least 100 hours.  By doing this you will gain a great deal of information on how to teach English to students with a different native language. As an added benefit, most schools offer a higher wage to those who are TEFL certified.

As far as schools go, research them!  I spent at least 3 hours every day for about a month prior to my arrival researching schools, contracts, issues people had, and simply life in Korea. Also, buy a book about the culture of the country you plan on going to.  This is probably one of the best ways to avoid the brunt of culture shock. Either before you leave, or once you get to the country, try to learn at least some of the language!  It makes an incredibly good impression if you are able to say “hello”, “goodbye”, and “thank you” correctly in the native language.

Michael with two of his students

 Thanks, Michael, for the interview!

Abroad Blog of the Week: If You Ever Find Yourself In…

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In my search for the Abroad Blog of the Week, I’ve been reading dozens of travel blogs over the past few days.  Some were written by first-time travelers, while others documented the wanderings of what I would call professional globe trotters. But there was one travel blog this week really caught my eye: If You Ever Find Yourself In…  The blog of two well-traveled sisters and their mom, If You Ever Find Yourself In… takes a different approach to sharing their global adventures.  Rather than just retelling their story, the three South African bloggers take on the role of a tour guide.  The women share what you could do in Copenhagen, Prague, Apricena, etc. They focus a good bit on nature, exploring outside of the city, and participating in local events. If I ever do find myself in Copenhagen, Prague, Apricena, etc., I will certainly look to this blog for thoughtful advice on how I should spend my time.

If you ever find yourself in Apricena, visit the historical city of Vico.

Abroad Blog of the Week: Healing Pilgrim

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I’ve been reading through dozens of blogs this week but wasn’t finding anything that really stood out to me until I came upon Healing Pilgrim.  The blogger, Amit, writes from Bali where she volunteers, explores, and heals from a traumatic accident she experienced while cycling through Cambodia in 2009. She shares her journey of rehabilitation in a foreign country as well as the culture, travel and awakening she has experienced along the way.  She is detailed in her stories and explanations and her blog provides great insight into traditional and herbal medicine, the religious and spiritual traditions, and the way of everyday life in Bali. Browsing through the past few months of her posts, Healing Pilgrim reads as both a personal narrative but also a cultural guide to a beautiful part of the world. If you are interested in learning about non-Western medicine, Southeast Asia, or just are looking for something a bit different to add to your Google Reader, I would recommend giving Healing Pilgrim a try.

Abroad Blog of the Week: Soulshine Traveler

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If you are looking for adventurous inspiration, Soulshine Traveler is a blog you should definitely check out.  Taking a year off from the corporate world starting last October, Meghan is traversing the globe on the roads less traveled and serving along the way. Currently she is in the small city of Yaroslavl, Russia with Cross-Cultural Solutions (a great international volunteer organization!) working in the community for the next two months.  I’ve only been onto this blog for about 2 weeks but here is what I love so far:

  1. Soulshine’s photos would make just about anyone want to go to Russia.  Unfortunately Russia is usually not on the top of someone’s travel bucket list but I think Meghan’s photos may just be the nudge someone would need to add it to the list. For example (wow, right?):     
  2. Each week on Soulshine Traveler, Meghan shares a variety of online resources she has stumbled upon pertaining to her interests, travel, other blogs, etc. Check out her most recent Dose of Soulshine – the Diary of Foreign Language Class Clown is a good one.
  3. Meghan is an excellent storyteller. I have never been to Russia, however, when I read her last post I could imagine myself in Yaroslavl. Her travel stories are a fond reminder of my own independent global adventures and are truly a delight to read.
  4. But what I think I love most I found out last night in a message from Meghan. She shared with me that she never studied abroad but that perhaps this year of traveling is making up for that.  I have so many students that think once college comes and goes, their chance at seeing the world is over.  I think Soulshine Traveler is indication that this simply is not true. It serves as a good reminder to me (and I hope you) that the world is only a decision away.

Abroad Blog of the Week: Fluent in 3 Months

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I came across Fluent in 3 Months this past week when a friend posted on his Facebook 29 Life Lesson in Traveling the World 8 Years Straight. The blogger, Benny, has been traversing the globe for (you guessed it!) 8 years and learning new languages along the way.  His blog is funny, insightful, and he brings in a variety of guest bloggers to spice it up.  I thoroughly enjoyed this Life Lessons list and think there is a lot to be appreciated from his experiences.  All 29 are pretty good but these were the ones that resonated with me the most:

1. Everyone everywhere basically wants the same thing

100% true

5. Seek out people with different beliefs and views of the world to yours and get to know their side of the story

It was actually at Emory University as a college student that I learned the value of this principle.  Having grown up in a sheltered suburb of Atlanta with little diversity, I started college incredibly closed-minded.  Surrounded and forced to interact with students who were of various faiths, sexual preferences, socio-economic statuses, and ethnicities, I finally was able to realized how really we are so similar and my role is to love, not judge.

15. Modern foreign culture does not have to satisfy your stereotypes

This one and number 5 go so hand-in-hand. I find it is so easy to stereotype other cultures and try to fit a whole county into a nice little box. Not only have I succumb to this abroad, but I’ve also been guilty here in the U.S. Think about the common stereotypes we have in the U.S.: people of certain ethnicities can’t drive; people from a certain country are here illegally; or this certain people group is lazy. If I take the time to get to know people, the likelihood that I will try to fit them into a box severely decreases. 

20. Wear sunscreen

Of course I have to agree with this one…my hubby is a dermatologist

23. Making new friends is easy and so is appreciating your current ones

This one reminded me of a recent experience.  I was at a wedding a few weeks ago by myself and the woman next to me befriended me.  We had little in common – I knew the bride, she knew the groom; we were probably 20 years apart in age; she’s a nurse, I’m a study abroad advisor; the list goes on.  But despite our differences, she saw a young woman on her own and decided to pull me in her circle. I cannot express how thankful I was. It made me really think about how I act when I am in the position of comfort.  Do I invite outsiders in, especially those of different cultures? I’m not as consistent as I would like…but I do hope to improve.

Abroad Blog of the Week: My Embassy Letters

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I love themes – theme parties, theme parks, and of course theme posts!  Since I can’t travel abroad right now, I enjoy living vicariously through others’ blogs as they galavant around the world.  Thus the theme – Abroad Blog of the Week!

Although I follow a good number of abroad blogs, not many have brought a smirk to my face like My Embassy Letters.  The blogger, Barbara, went to Jordan this past fall and though her blog is no longer active, it is still one of my favorites.  First, Barbara is extremely witty and brutally honest – both make her blog entertaining and worthy of being added to my Google Reader.  Second, I don’t know much about Jordan so I’ve learned a lot from reading My Embassy Letters and thoroughly enjoyed the stories of living with a Muslim Jordanian family.

But my favorite post is Barbara’s last with a list of thoughts on going home.  I connected with so many of these from my own study abroad experience, expect I think Barbara probably says them much more eloquently than I would have at age 21.  Anyway, here are some of my favorites:

  • You can’t run away from life.  Life follows you.  Sometimes you can put it on hold for a very short while, but it will still be there.

    This is not Barbara

  • In light of above, you can use struggle and hard times to get stronger.  Sometime you can feel yourself toughening up.
  • Maybe devices that save time and labor are not all they are cracked up to be.  There is a beauty in work.
  • Language is beautiful, and powerful.
  • All cultures have good and bad things about them; some should be loved, some should be scorned. America is not as bad as I thought it was when I left.
  • Sometimes I wonder if coming abroad teaches you more about a foreign place, or about the place you left.
  • There are too many problems to fix in the world, but we have to keep trying because there is no other option.

Thanks to Barbara and My Embassy Letters!