Month: October 2016

Hey everyone!

I finished my intensive language course last Thursday, and thank goodness, I passed! We were rewarded for a long month of work with a long weekend. My friends and I decided to take a bus-trip to Albufeira and Lagos, Portugal. We got to spend three days relaxing on the beach and seeing the little towns. We also got to go on a super fun speedboat ride on the ocean, and we also cruised around on a “pirate ship” (it was really just a big boat). From that boat, we got to jump off the side in the middle of the ocean and swim around! I feel so lucky to have these experiences.

On Monday, we started our classes that we’ll be taking for the next three months. I am taking Spanish Civilization and Culture, Political Systems of Spain and the EU, grammar, and a writing and speaking class. The political science class is especially interesting right now, because Spain doesn’t actually have a president. I’m not sure I totally understand why, but there is some blockage in the political system, and it’s been that way for a while. It’ll be cool to learn more about it!

This weekend we have Friday off again. I’ll be going with my friend Annie (who goes to school in Portland) to Barcelona. I can’t wait!

It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for almost 6 weeks! Hope you are all getting through midterms and enjoying the fall-ish weather there. (It’s still 86 degrees like every day here…) If you’re feeling down this week, remember, 8 DAYS ‘TIL HOCKEY SEASON!!!!

Besos,

Bix

Hej!

Another amazing week here in Denmark! Classes are ramping up, with midterms and papers due.  I feel like I’m back at Bucknell; whenever I’m not in class, I’m doing homework.  My field study this Wednesday was at a compulsory school in a “ghetto” part of Copenhagen.  As my professor put it, it is not a real “ghetto”, like we have in the states, but compared to surrounding areas, the part of Copenhagen is not super nice or safe.  Regardless of where the school was, I had a great time.  I got to see a grade zero class, the equivalent to our kindergarten classes in the states.  They were learning how to play chess when I got there.  They’re six.  Then I got to see some free-play and after-school activities, which consisted of playing “Vildkatten” (an intense board game of I Spy) and the card game War with a six year old.  Communication was difficult, for they have not had formal English lessons yet, but I was able to understand a girl in grade zero who was singing Radioactive.

It was rainy here this weekend, just like back home.  I went bowling with my host family, and I was surprised that I was not complete garbage at bowling.  I only had one turn where I got two gutter balls in a row, and I didn’t come in last place, so it was a good day!  I was faced with the great debate with my family this weekend: what is considered a burger versus a sandwich?  For me, a burger is a burger, like a patty thing made of any meat.  For my family, anything on a round, “burger” bun is considered a burger, including pulled pork.  We still do not agree, especially since they call a pulled pork sandwich a pulled pork burger, and they are completely wrong.  I then made beef BBQ for dinner on Sunday (like sloppy joe’s), which they proceeded to also call burgers because we got “American burger rolls”.  I will not stand down in my fight for the great debate.

Just to let you all know ahead of time, I will not be able to post next week.  I will be on a week long study tour in Warsaw, Poland.  With limited access to my laptop and internet, posting will be nearly impossible.  Don’t worry, my post the following week will be awesome, with plenty of pictures from my travels!!  I hope you guys are doing well back at school.  I miss you all, and I miss being with the team.  Have a great week!!

Hej hej!

Bethany

Howdy Doody!!

I hope everyone’s week has been spectacular.

This week has been a new adjustment, starting with moving into a homestay family in Kunming! My host family is wonderful, I have two very nice parents and a younger sister (11yrs) who happens to speak English very well, which is helpful when the parents speak Chinese a little too quickly for my taste!

Monday and Tuesday were spent in class, quizzes and assignments galore, and then on Wednesday we had a field trip! In the morning we went to a Traditional Chinese Medicinal Hospital where we received a lecture on TCM and then got a tour around the hospital. I got to try cupping, which is a glass that is heated on the inside and suctioned to your skin and left for a bit, then removed. It is supposed to help with muscle pain. For more information see Michael Phelps circa this olympics. That’s what those weird purple circles are! We also were able to see the apothecary side of medicine (see photos). I ate some ‘licorice’ and it tasted horrible and I spit it out. In the afternoon, we saw some people put on a crazy amount of makeup  and perform a Beijing Opera, I then donned some tradition clothing, but my voice is not as good.

On Saturday we departed for our “Yunnan Exploration” which is five days exploring wherever we want in Yunnan Province (where I am based). I am traveling with two other girls (Olivia and Alexandra). We left Saturday AM on a 8.5hr bus ride to XinJian, China (near Yuanyang if you were wondering). After some issues finding the bus station, where we were supposed to get off the bus and how to get to our hostel, we made it! Today we were off to see and explore the rice paddies (what this area is famous for). We found them (that wasn’t hard they are everywhere), and ended up hiking 14.5 miles (over 30,000 steps)! We are very exhausted, but are very happy with the trip so far! Off to find more rice paddies tomorrow!

P.S. This article was not in fact written by Elizabeth Ashley Wilkey as you probably assumed. All photos included were taken by Ms. Wilkey, but the article was written by one Olivia Stockly of the Bates College Women’s Rowing Team. Please do not get angry. Elizabeth is sorry.