Bringing the learning home (Australian Learning & Teaching Council)

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The old and the new

Tower and neon sign

The old and the new

For me, the most interesting thing in coming to Europe was the sheer age of the places. On the way to Sweden I travelled through Krakow, Poland, a city with cobblestone streets, marketplaces, a castle and lots of ancient-looking statues. The paths and streets were probably older than any in Australia, possibly built before our country was even colonised. They also looked like they had not been maintained for this same length of time.

I have some interesting photos showing the age of that city.  This is not a photo of Krakow, though, since I have seen the same thing here in Umeå, but with an even more interesting twist:

For centuries, Umeå was a fairly small town in the sparsely populated north of Sweden. It was only in the past 50 years that it was strategically built up into a bigger city around this University where I am exchanging. The centre of town is thus filled with many delightful juxtapositions of old and new architecture as well as culture. This photo is showing a restaurant with a big spinning neon sign, which is built amongst several medieval-looking buildings like the one seen in the background.

There was an even bigger shock, though, regarding the intermixing of old and new; This came when I was admiring the large cathedral-like stone building in the centre of town. It had huge wooden doors and arched windows, pointed towers at the corners and a big clock tower in the middle. I asked a local what this building was: the church? Town hall? Nope, it’s a nightclub.

Posted by  |  September 3, 2010 | Categories: Sweden | 2 Comments

Shocking

This Photo is in Mexico on Roserito beach, we tried to sit down eat some food and drink a little, but that was interrupted every five seconds buy someone coming up to us and trying to sell us something.

We took it in our stride and just kept saying our “no thanks were fine” but these Mexicans were persistent! To try and get the deal they would send their children up to try and make us feel a little guilty.

One bloke finally tricked us by throwing these metal objects into our hands and telling us it was free. We were intrigued, so believed the man and tried it. The device ends up sending volts through your body to make all your muscles contract. It hurts big time. Yet it was kinda cool so we Ethan and I both did it again, this time for photo evidence for this blog.

After we were done the guy tried to hit us up for 4$ American. It was no longer free as he had first promised. However his slyness was matched by Ethans, Ethan gave him 50 cents Australian which the guy was very impressed with. He thought it was worth a lot of money because of its size and interesting shape.

my experience taught me that nothing in Mexico is free… just super cheap

Posted by  |  August 11, 2010 | Categories: I'm not from here, Mexico, Misunderstandings | 1 Comment

Golden Gate Bridge

Posted by  |  July 24, 2010 | Categories: The US | 3 Comments

Pre-departure cross cultural experience

I was at the Fullmoon Drumming at Northbeach tonight (still in Wollongong) and I started talking to young Chinese guy who was out here doing his Masters in Computer Science. The conversation was very funny and interesting but very confusing and difficult. It seemed like their wasn’t just a language barrier but a world view barrier. I couldn’t even describe to him what I study for example, (Bachelor of Arts/Sociology/Politics) because it seemed like he didn’t even have a concept of politics, the closest compromise we could come to was; “Law?” “Sort of, but i’m not going to be a lawyer”.

But he was absolutely lovely. So excited and interested in his own cross cultural experience, and me and Australia in general. He said he came out here alone too, and when I asked him if he was scared he replied “No i’m not scarey, just exciting” (sic). Apparently I should not be scared at all either, just “exciting”. I bashfully admit it was actually a beautiful little experience.

On another equally cheesey note; your little world gets more intense and beautiful when you know you’re about to leave it.

Posted by  |  July 23, 2010 | Categories: Predeparture | Tags: , | 1 Comment

Final Farewell – UOW study abroad students head overseas

Maureen, Rebekah, Liam, Hayden, Izzi, Darren, Karen, Lucy, Ashleigh, Holly and Natalie attend the last UOW photolanguage workshop before their departure OS.

Posted by  |  July 9, 2010 | Categories: Predeparture | Leave a comment

Another pre-departure workshop

Melissa, Mayu, Anastasia, Aranya, Laura, Olivia and Bronwyn

Posted by  |  July 6, 2010 | Categories: Predeparture | Leave a comment

VISA – if you know how to wait in line you’re halfway there.

Hi there,

I thought I would let the Oz Students Abroad know about my VISA adventure on Friday (02/07/2010). For those of you going to the US you know where I’m coming from. I know these blogs are supposed to have photos attached but since I was going to the American consulate I didn’t think a camera would be a good idea (they kept asking if I had a mobile phone, as if modern communication technology would be the end to us all!).

After successfully making my way to Martin Place and onto the MLC centre, (with minimal annoyance to the transit people ;D ) I realised I had about 45mins and I would still be early to my appointment. Being stuck in Sydney surrounded by shops like Tiffany and Co, Prada and Cartier with a lot of time on my hands was not good for my self control.

I moseyed on up to level 10 to begin the exciting VISA process! *insert sarcasm here*. I was greeted by some happy looking security guards covered in American flag stickers and put all my stuff through the x-ray scanner thingy (scanner thingy is now it’s official name) and successfully avoided the urge to crack a really bad taste joke which seems to come over me when I’m nervous. I waited in line and was called by a pleasant lady who seemed to be going for the world record in processing paper work, VISA ninja I tell you. It was then I noticed I had forgotten my HUGELY important self addressed enveloped and I needed to get a new photo taken…

This is where it started getting annoying, I had to haul ass all the way back down to the shopping centre and get a new envelope and photo and then haul ass all the way back to level 10 and go through the security check again, yep even the x-ray scanner thingy. I waited in line and talked to the VISA ninja again and then low and behold I had another line to wait in…

A group of us scared and confused looking VISA applicants were herded into an elevator and whizzed up to another level where apparently the ‘real interview’ happens. BING the doors open and we were greeted by President Obama’s smiling face…not actually him obviously, just a photo on the wall. I couldn’t decided whether I thought it was cute or cheesey, I guess he deserves his photo on the wall it is his consulate.

I went through a big heavy security door into a room with a big long counter, kinda like at the RTA, you take a ticket and try not to look bored while you wait to be served by an annoyed looking 40-something who you’ll annoy even more no matter what you do. I submitted my paperwork, scanned my fingerprints and sat back down to wait again. Finally my number was called and the ‘real interview’ began…This was it, I can’t screw up now, just answer the questions and you’ll be fine.

He asked me about three questions, pushed a few buttons and said “Okay Olivia, your VISA has been approved just move to the next window please and pay the fee and you’re done”. That was it?!, you’ve got to be kidding me! I gave him this look like I didn’t believe him and he just smiled politely and gestured to the next counter (I think he gets that look a lot) So I paid the fee and I was done. I walked out of the tower with the biggest smile on my face, I couldn’t get over how easy it was.

So that’s about it, my best advise for anyone going for a American J-1 VISA is make sure you have all the documents they tell you to have plus an extra American VISA photo (would have saved me tons of time) and you’ll do fine, all of the VISA people were really nice and it feels great to hear you’ve been approved!

Good luck!

Olivia xo

Posted by  |  July 3, 2010 | Categories: I wish someone had told me, Predeparture, The US | 5 Comments

Photolanguage workshop

Kelly, Danielle, Ben, Chris, Will, Kurt and Steve

A snapshot from today’s pre-departure workshop where photolanguage is used to augment self-reflection. This group of students are sojourning to Sweden, the Netherlands, USA, UK and Canada and photos will map their learning trajectory and anchor the change process.

Posted by  |  June 24, 2010 | Categories: Predeparture | Leave a comment

Talking the talk

On Tuesday I flew from Sydney back to Perth on a Qantas jet. The chief steward announced the menu selection over the intercom – butter chicken or salmon in a white sauce with vegetables – but by the time it arrived on the trolley we were offered the choice of ‘chook or fish’ by the very down-to-earth steward and not surprisingly, the Filipino family next to me had little idea what he was talking about. The same guy had previously asked his colleague if he could find any extra ‘blankies’ because one of the passengers was cold, and I was just waiting for him to ask if we wanted a bickie with our cuppas. It struck me that this comfortable informal ‘kidspeak’ is really typical of Aussie vernacular- it is not patronising, in the sense of treating (other) people as children but it is certainly an acknowledged Australian characteristic to reduce everyday discourse to the ‘informal’. It happens in different ways elsewhere of course, and I respond differently too. In the UK I have felt mildly affronted at being called ‘love’ in a supermarket, but equally, here in Australia, I generally take a back step when an American student calls me ‘professor’: who me? Murdoch is very much a ‘first names only’ campus. The way language is used is fundamental to culture, and the way we respond tell us something about our own. Why do I find the Oztalk, the bickies and blankies, so offputting – it is after all ‘my’ culture. Maybe there’s a bit of cultural cringe happening here, but it also reminds me that ‘culture’ is far more than just a set of ‘national’ attributes.

What do you think?

Posted by  |  June 23, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Welcome!

Welcome to the Bringing the Learning Home photo and reflective blog site. This is the place for you to post thoughts and images which capture something distinctive for you about your experience as a student abroad: a funny incident, something bizarre, something which caused you to reflect on how for you have traveled or maybe how far you still have to go. Or just something you want to share.

Welcome on board!
Greg Downey, Jan Gothard and Tonia Gray

Posted by  |  June 20, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment