Europe Interview

 

The song is credited to danosongs.com 

Check out  http://ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/ for more information about study abroad

Square Dance in China

Scaling the Great Wall of China by morning. Square dancing in Beijing by evening. Who would have thought? I never imagined that's what I'd find myself doing this year, but that's exactly what happened, and I have witnesses just in case you don't believe me :)  In fact, here's a video to show you what can happen when you step out of your comfort zone. You can square dance in China too! NDSU offers study abroad trips to China, check out these sites to learn more about the wonderful opportunities, http://ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/  http://www.ndsu.edu/cgi/

The Great Wall of China

Square dancing in Tianamen Square

Beautiful Chinese square dancers!

-Joyana

Scenic Slideshow of Europe

Hey Everyone!
Check out this video I made of pictures from my trip their all my own. I credit the song to Free Royalty Free Music by DanoSongs.com. Also, check out http://ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/ for more information about how to study abroad. 

 

Why should you study abroad?

By: Mike Smith

Why should you study abroad? Studying abroad has a lot to offer, and it will complete your college experience. The experiences will be something you can bring back home, and you will use the rest of your life. The experiences are such as living in a foreign country, dealing with different languages, and that the other countries are not that different. Living in a foreign country you will have to adjust to fit in, in the foreign culture. Being loud, space bubbles, and cleanness are things that you will have to adapt too.

 You will notice that people from different cultures are not that much different from you and your friends. Although their foods, languages, and life styles are different their values and purpose in life are not so foreign from your own. With these examples just being a small sample of things you learn while studying abroad, they are experiences that will make you a better person and will give you a better appreciation of different cultures.

For information on this study abroad and future study abroad oppurtunites or even travel advise check out this blog http://ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/

Communicating in Europe can be difficult at times with there being some many different languages. After living there for 5 weeks though it makes you appreciate other people’s languages because it is the doorway to their culture. 

The Wonders of Paris

Paris is an amazing city. It has many wonders to discover within the city. I was only there for a short weekend but was able to find some places I will be coming back to in the future. The first and the most obvious is the Eiffel Tower of course. You must see it not only during the daytime but at nighttime to see it all lite up. Also for ten minutes each hour it sparkles and that is a extremely nice view. The third view of the tower is from the top of course. The picture below is taken from the very top. If you go to Paris, make sure you see it from one of these views or all three of them to get the full effect of Paris.

 Another wonder of Paris is putting your foot on the center of Paris. It is just a fun photo shot that makes you feel cool. Also when your walking around Paris you need to keep your eyes peeled for street performers. They just act like they are blending in with their surrounding but really they are putting on a show for anyone that notices. The Egyptian man would bow at you when you would put money in his cup.Than the

white man on the left was shooed away by the policeman before I could figure out what he was doing. Than there are dancing performers that will put on a show using a portable boombox attempting to stay away from the police as well. By the Eiffel Tower, there are guys that try to take your money but playing street games also. All these street performers are a fun wonder of Paris to take in.

 Another fun wonder is the face bridge. Henry the IV had a huge party for his friends and they drank all night long. At the end of the night everyone was intoxicated and he had portraits made of all his three hundred guests than looking at them the next morning he thought they were to funny not to share with everyone. So he had them set around this bridge they all look slightly different. It was a fun sight to see and was different from all the other bridges I have been seeing. 

 The last wonder I have for you from Paris is the Pont des Arts which is better known as the lock bridge. Lovers come here to lock away their love for eternity. They put their initials on the lock and throw the key in the river below. This bridge was made more famous by Sex and the City. Big and Carrie meet on this bridge after they had been broken up. This is a short summary of the wonders I discovered while I was in Paris and will hopefully be going back to see more. For more information about how this was all possible visit http://ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/ to find out about study aboard opportunities. 
-Caitlin :)

Why Study Abroad?

STUDY ABROAD

See similarities

Travel together

Unique understanding

Dissolve dilemmas

Youthful you

Abounding adventures

Build bridges

Radiate respect

Outstanding opportunities

Awaken awareness

Dig deeper

What's different in Europe?

By: Mike Smith

What should you expect when you travel to Europe? European's have a different culture than here in America.This makes daily activities such as eating, shopping, and transportation much different. Eating dinner in Europe is different because it focuses more on the social sit-down aspect rather than the idea to eat and run . Dinner takes two to three hours and most of the sit-down restaurants do not open till 7 at night. My study abroad group got taken out  to many dinner dates by Dr. Wright, our study abroad leader. Overall, I grew really fond of enjoying dinners that were more of a social experience, and I hope take this experience back too America.

Shopping in America you expect the stores to be big, clean, bright, and have good customer service; well none of this is what you should expect in European stores. Stores there are relatively dirty to American standards.  They are extremely small, no florescent light bulbs, and customer service is quite different. All businesses in Europe are located towards the center of cities so space is not as available.   This makes stores smaller and crowded. There are no Customer Service desks or people roaming the stores to help customers in Europe to get help you must go seek an employee. Once you find someone they do their best to help you. Not only are stores more dirty but everything in Europe is dirty.  There culture is not as concerned about cleanliness as Americans.  This is something that I hope to leave in Europe and not have to deal with at home. 

Transportation is different because not as many people have vehicles.  The vehicles are different, and parking is unique. A lot of Europeans do not own cars. They use bikes, train stations, and buses.  There are so many people that use bikes because gas in Europe is ridiculously high. You can take a train through the towns from spot to spot, or you can take it across Europe to any major cities. I found the train stations particularly handy. Since everything is crowded and gas prices are high in Europe most vehicles are small compact cars and are all stick shift. Parking is another challenge in Europe.  When Europeans are parallel parking there usually is not much space; therefore, they will bump the cars to make room for their own car. When you park you are suppose to leave your car in neutral and just use the parking brake, so that your transmission does not get ruined. 

For more information on this trip and future trips check out: http://ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/

Seeing the ocean for the first time :)

 The number one item on my bucket list was to see the ocean. I have been in love with the water since I was a little kid so one of the major benefits to the study abroad trip was checking the ocean off my bucket list! The very first trip to Bruges, Belgium we thought we could bike to the ocean. We all rented bikes and pedaled fast as possible 9 miles to come to realize we could not make it there in time, and had to turn around and slowly bike the 9 miles back. I have to say I was quite disappointed that my hopes were up. Needless to say I was really

climbed down into the rocks

 excited to see the ocean by the time we got to Ireland. When we were getting close winding through hills to get to the ocean edge my emotions were on edge. I just wanted that first glimpse to know what I have been missing all those years. Than everyone was pointing and I was missing it. I was looking for a patch of blue and couldn't spot it with my eyes. Than finally I saw the massive block of blue in the distance and all I wanted to do was get closer. Than we were finally there driving closer parking the bus. I was pretty much the first person off the bus to get to the ocean edge which was a journey through the wet grass and the rocks once you got closer. The very top picture is the first picture I took with the ocean and I was so excited to be experiencing it with the wind in my hair and not a care at all in the beautiful country of Ireland for the first time. I will have to say it was worth the wait in the long run. We than got free time to explore. I was so overexcited I was jumping around on the wet rocks and fell within

Cliffs of Moher

 the first five minutes of being there. My whole knee disappeared into a crevice in between two rocks. I had quite the bruise and quite of few cuts on my hands, but I did not even notice until later that day. In the moment, I was running on pure adrenaline. After taking all the pictures uptop I needed to get closer view so I decided to be adventurous and climb down into the rocks to get closer. That would be the second picture. When a wave would come I would get hit with the seawater the wind would catch. I was hoping to get soaked by a big wave but now came when I was down there sadly. After a really short time it seemed, we already had to

 load the bus. We than had to chill on the bus for a few more hours to get to another part of the ocean. Our second destination of the day was the Cliffs of Moher. These cliffs were breathtaking. The one guideline we were given for the hour and a half we spent there was not to go beyond the marked path. Pretty much the first thing I came to was a sign that was so stickered and written on I pretended like it didn't say "Do not enter" (sorry Dr.Wright) and went on. This picture was taken beyond the sign a little bit and I feel in love with the ocean all over again.

 The path that was not suppose to be on had many people walking up and down on it and there was a well worn path to follow also. I than started being adventurous with my pictures and got closer to the edge to get the next two pictures. But as I kept walking along the wind kept picking up and was threatening to blow me over so I finally decided to turn back and head back. The experience of seeing the ocean at both of these locations in

there is no more ledge!

the same day and having those locations be in Ireland made it my favorite place I have been to in my lifetime. I will recommend the Cliffs of Moher to anyone. I must thank CGI NDSU for letting me study abroad and experience the ocean for the first time! Check out the blog for CGI at http://ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/ to learn more about it. 
- Caitlin

Warning: Alphorns are not recommended to bring home as souvenirs.

Call the cows home! You may ask, but how? Well, if you are studying abroad in Switzerland, take the opportunity to toot your horn. Now, this isn’t just any horn. It is a massive wooden alphorn. Try your horn blowing skills out on one of these babies - trust me, it isn’t as easy as it may appear.

This is one of the many unique activities someone should participate in while visiting Europe. I enjoyed the opportunity to take a stab at making music with an alphorn while studying abroad, however, I don’t think any of the ears listening would have considered the noise I produced music. Our group was treated to a performance by a seasoned alphorn musician and we were all enthralled by his skills.

What better opportunity to see the world and experience something new than studying abroad? Check out North Dakota State University's Center for Global Initiatives to begin your experience of a lifetime, http://www.ndsu.edu/cgi/ and http://ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/. Amazing opportunities abound when people visit other parts of the world - so go blow your horn, alphorn that is!

                                      -Joyana

The 3 Best Sight-Seeing Regions in Europe

By: Mike Smith

During my study abroad trip I got to experience some of the top beautiful regions that earth has to offer. Although it was tough I have come up with the top 3 sight-seeing regions Europe has to offer, and that you should see at least once. I chose the top 3 by judging them on majestic, uniqueness, and beauty. We covered the countries of Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Switzerland. Some of the Honorable mentions are Loch Ness, Scotland Highlands, The Giant Causeway Stones, and the rolling hills of Ireland.

3.  Alsace region, France

The Alsace region is a world renowned wine region, known primarily for their white wines. The seven wines that are produce in the Alsace region are Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris, and Gewurztraminer.  Along the Alsace Wine Route you will see castles or ruins of castles on the mountainsides behind the small villages. Also along the lower end of the mountains there are endless fields of grape vines. The small villages are something out of the movies with small narrow streets, flowers hanging from every possible spot, and town markets offering you the best breads, cheeses, and wines.

2. Cliffs of Moher, Ireland

The Cliffs of Mohr are simply breath taking. After traveling from Dublin, the east side of Ireland, through the rolling green hills of Ireland to the west coastline where you get to beautiful Cliffs of Moher. Jutting straight out the ocean the Cliffs of Moher reach a height of 700 feet. Looking over the edge of the cliffs down to the water crashing into the rocks, still gives me chills. The epicness of cliffs can only experienced by a trip to them! (360 degree video link below)

1. Swiss Alps, Switzerland

Starting with the white snow tops turning into the green forestry and the picturesque lakes laying in between the Swiss Alps are simply the most majestic scenery. While staying in the Alps on our study abroad trip we were in the city of Interlaken. On each side of Interlaken there is a lake on the other two sides there are mountains, one of the mountains being the famous North Face. The North Face Mountain being recognizable because of the brand named after it is sought out by the most experienced mountain climbers. Also Interlaken has a lot to offer like canyoning, sky diving, bungee jumping, skiing, and para-gliding. Interlaken is not just for the extreme sports, but also for the peacefulness and its pure majestic views.

Thanks to Center for Global Initiatives for more information on the trip and future trips check out

http://www.ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/

Video links of Cliffs of Moher http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTkkZYEnNGw second video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORwHN85MzRY

The Top 3 Must See European Cities

By: Mike Smith

The European study abroad trip brought me too many unique cities in Europe, but I am going to give you a list of the top 3 cities. While in Europe, I traveled through the countries of Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Switzerland. While visiting these countries, I chose to go to the biggest most important cities that had a great deal of history. I truly enjoyed every city because they each offered something that extinguishes them from everywhere else. Food, beer, wine, monuments, fashion, history, and their culture made every city different from the next. These factors have helped me choose the top 3 must see European cities.

3. Dublin, Ireland

Coming in at number 3 is Doblin, Ireland. The city of Dublin reminded me of being back home in America. Their culture, fashion, and food were similar to America. If you are ever in Dublin I would recommend trying a steak that is 100% Irish beef. It has a distinctive taste that is full of flavor; it is making my mouth water thinking about it. Temple Street, which is in the center of town, is the place to go to the pubs and souvenirs shops. Temple Street is hoping at night with an endless amount of Irish pubs, fun people, and musicians.

2. Paris, France

There was never dull moment in Paris. Whether it was touring Eiffel Tower(video below), Louvre Museum, Cathedral of Notre Dame, and Arc de Triomphe I was constantly busy. Unfortunately, I was unable to visit the Palace of Versailles, which I heard was breath taking from a couple other students. Around the Hard Rock Café there are bars and nightclubs that are fun if you are into the nightlife. I would recommend trying the bread, crepes, and wine in Paris and also going to the Lock of Love Bridge at night is amazing!

1. Amsterdam, Netherlands

 Amsterdam is the Las Vegas of Europe! Its unique combination of Breweries, Canal tours, Museums, and a vibrant nightlife it distinguishes itself as the number 1 must see European City. During the day you are busy with touring the Heineken Brewery, Von Gou Museum (amazing art), Canal tours, and The Anna Frank House. All of these are must see attractions. Amsterdam is up all night with pubs, bars, and nightclubs being busy all days of the week. The one characteristic that separates Amsterdam though is the vibe of the people.  

Video of Eiffel Tower http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DdI4RPtVy9qA%26feature%3Dshare&h=LAQF46wD8AQFIhQA1typfr8nkVFfZrel4EKgqQoNEkPOVzw

second video

Video of Amsterdam http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DxAG9TO3IPCE%26feature%3Dshare&h=-AQH9OKfQAQFWFu73gQ-_9_CcrAtrNFKPxP5dzqz1hCQtug

For more information on study abroad and traveling tips check out http://www.ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/

Bunge Jumping Experience in Stockhorn, Switzerland

everyone had to squeeze in

 Switzerland was an amazingly beautiful country. When I realized they had many options for outdoor activities, I just knew I had to experience one of them if not multiple! My choices ranged from skydiving, para sailing, paragliding, bungee jumping, canyoning, and canyon jumping. Bungee jumping was on my bucket list since I was young, and I just knew I needed to do it while in Switzerland with all their scenic views. Only one other girl from the group was coming along to do the jump which sounded

the view from the gondola

good to me. I so didn't want to do it alone. Jen and I contacted the bungee jumping people and they came and picked up us right at our hotel. We than had to go to the headquarters for their business and sign forms saying we understand the risks of our decision to bungee jumping. Than we had a van ride winding through the mountains for 30 minutes. Next we got to ride a gondola up to the first stop. We than got to be harassed up and they told us what to do in German. We were attempting to translate for ourselves and the only thing we could figure out was if there was any questions at the end. So pretty much we laughed though the whole thing. Luckily someone came over and gave us the shortened version in English. We than got to experience the second gondola ride to which is where we are squeezed together (picture at top). We than got to wait for our turn two guys went, and than they switched bungee cords to my weight class. The girls in front of me would not go so I volunteered to go! I had to squeeze through everyone to get to the front. My feeling at that time was just pumped up to do it. I've been waiting all day for this exact moment. They finally got everything ready to go. Than they just had me step out and started counting down.... FOUR..............THREE ..............

 TWO.............................................ONE!  In that moment I was scared out of my mind as in the picture above^ I started screaming soon as I was about to jump.... Once my feet were clear and I started falling it was such a unique body experience. There was like zero gravity and just felt like I was flying.

 Than came the whiplash! I had no clue which way was up or which way was down. I was just enjoying the ride and finally stopped screaming my lungs out because I knew I was safe and everything worked how it should be. The view was absolutely breathtaking.

 But one thing for sure was we were insanely high up and got to jump quite a ways (425ft). Finally I came to stand still upside down this all felt like a lot longer but really it took about 45 seconds. The blood was rushing to my head and all I could think that was the coolest thing I have done by far. I was just in shock how it was so much fun and breathtaking when the boat came and I had to grab onto the pole to be lower into the boat.

When I got unconnected from the bungee cord, the guys told me I got a "wicked whiplash" in their words. I myself could not even tell how high up I went because it was hard to tell. All I knew I had a blast and ready to do the whole thing again. I will definitely be wanting to experience that high again in my lifetime but not sure if it will be able to be in such a beautiful place like Switzerland. I highly recommend this to anyone who is a risk/thrill seeker. I must thank NDSU Center for Global Initiatives for letting me experience Europe in 5 weeks :) You can get more information at http://ndsu-studyabroad.blogspot.com/
-Caitlin

go see the world & study abroad

The opportunity to study abroad is one that should not be passed up. Students are able to encounter new experiences only afforded in other countries. Being out of their comfort zone - through language, culture etc. -will probably be a new experience for students and it can be very transforming for them.

I would highly recommend that other students seek out a study abroad program while in college. Being immersed in a new place is exciting and can give people a new perspective on things. It's also less stressful when traveling with a group or program where many of the logistics, meals, and housing are planned out and taken care of. Students, venture out - go study abroad where you can see, learn, and experience many new things!

-Joyana