Side Trip to Sydney, Australia!

Submitted by Meg Bauer, Global Ambassador in Brisbane, Australia.

My dream of visiting Sydney, Australia came true!

Ever since I watched Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s movie “Our Lips Are Sealed,” I’ve always wanted to go to Sydney, Australia! I’ve dreamed of seeing the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Sydney, Australia

Meg in Sydney, Australia!

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The Most Interesting Facts About Singapore

Submitted by Alexandra Markus, Global Ambassador in Singapore: Spring 2012

Singapore MILO

Yummy treats, Singapore style!

It’s been a month since I returned from Singapore and I still miss it a ton. Studying abroad has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Although my grades are unlikely to be as good as expected due to the strict bell-curve and the high caliber of students, I met some amazing people whom I will never forget and hope to see again. Below are the most interesting facts about Singapore that I’ve learned during my time abroad. Take the opportunity to study in Singapore!

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Chengdu China: The Food!

The Food in Chengdu is: Hot, Oily, Hot

chengdu heaven twice cooked pork
photo credit:
goodiesfirst

 

List of Chengdu’s Famous Cuisines:

1) Hotpot (四川火锅)- which is basically oil or some sort of broth that is really hot and used for dipping like the American “melting pot” or like a fondue!

2) Twice Cooked Pork (pic above)

3) Mapo Tofu (回锅肉)

4) Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁)

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Study Abroad Nightlife on the Gold Coast of Australia

Submitted by Meg Bauer, our Global Ambassador on the Gold Coast of Brisbane, Australia.
Want to read more of Meg’s posts from Brisbane? Click here.
 
Gold Coast Australia

Hottest Nightclub in Australia!

The Gold Coast is always popping no matter what day of the week it is. I’ve never experienced such a crazy and busy nightlife before. It’s never boring!

 

Below you will see hot spots for everyday of the week:

 

 

Surfers Paradise is where the majority of the clubs/pubs/bars are. There’s one to fit everyones needs. If you never know where to go, just go to Surfers Paradise and walk around and you’ll find at least one place that is jamming that night.

 

Sunday: Waxy’s Irish Pub in Surfers Paradise. Every Sunday there’s $2.50 steaks and $2.00 beers. You can’t beat those prices! It’s an Irish Pub, so you know you’ll have a good time no matter what. Also, on Sunday’s they have live bands that play there a lot. When it gets crowded, they open up the second level of the pub, so the party never stops no matter how busy it gets.

 

Monday: SinCity in Surfers Paradise. Every Monday night is Industry night. SinCity is my favorite night club by far. The music is really good. They play alot of mixed stuff, which I love. Drinks are also pretty cheap. They always have specials too.  The dancing is alot like what you’ll find in the states.

 

 

Tuesday: Shooters Night Club in Surfers Paradise. Tuesday is Uni Night. All of the Uni students go here and get drink specials. Also, anytime you have no idea where to go, go to Shooters. It’s free entry all the time for Griffith Uni students as long as you show your id. The drinks might be a little more, but since you get in free, it evens itself out. The dancing and music are great too.

 

 

Wednesday: Escape Night Club in Surfers Paradise. There’s a $15.00 Cover Charge which includes your 1/2 shot basic spirits until midnight.

 

Thursday: Parkwood Tavern in Southport. This is within walking distance of Uni. Every Thursday is uni night. It’s free entry and it’s always busy then. It’s always crowded, when it’s one of the bigger places. It’s always a good time because it’s all uni students that go. There’s also really well-known Australian DJ’s here on Thursdays.
 
Friday: Melbas on the Park in Surfers Paradise. Every Friday night is Sweet Sensations Night. There’s topless men that walk around with sweet treats, like cupcakes, chocolates, and cookies. Ladies get in free all night. Everyone gets in free until ten. There’s also two levels at this club. Both are open at all times.
 

Saturday: Anywhere you go is great! All of the night clubs are busy. Saturday nights are of course the busiest! The Gold Coast is the place to be. You’ll always find the nightlife fun!

Want to read insider reviews from fellow study abroad students? Click here to find your perfect study abroad program!

 

Our Summer Global Ambassadors are HERE! Danielle in Chengdu, China

Streets of Chengdu, China

Streets of Chengdu, China

从美国去中国

English translation: From America to China

 

你好! = ni hao!

English translation: Hello!

 

My name is Danielle and I am from the famous GameCOCKS, the University of South Carolina!!

 

I am traveling today with USAC to Chengdu, China to study abroad for 5 weeks!

 

Background: As I asked fellow Chinese students and teachers, what Chengdu, China is known for they said two things!

 

1) PANDAS

2) DANG GOOD FOOD (I’m talking 5-star restaurant good)

My Goals: I have traveled multiple times and I want to share my adventurous, outgoing, and honest personality with you, so if you ever go to Chengdu, China, you know what to do, what not to do, and basically the inside secrets to conquer Chengdu, China!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mandaring Lettering

 

My attraction to China: My parents are actually Chinese descent. And they tried so very hard to teach me Mandarin (The Chinese Language) when I was little but like any little kid when your parents tell you to do something, you try your very hardest to resist and do anything else.

But when I came to college, I realized my passion for the Chinese language and culture and sort of reunited with my heritage because before college I had no idea that Beijing was China’s capital.

!oh jia wen (my Chinese name)

I even actually have an authentic Chinese name, oh jia wen. The funny part is my teammates back at USC couldn’t pronounce my Chinese name well and there were three Danielle’s on the team so after several failed attempts they starting calling me Oatza, their butchered version of my Chinese name, oh jia wen. And Oatza actually stuck so now I am called Oatza by my teammates and coaches everywhere I go on and off the field.

What am I going to blog about?

1)     The Academics and Language

2)    The Food

3)    Activities

4)    CrossFit Workouts

So stay tuned!!

Want to read insider reviews from fellow study abroad students? Click here to find your perfect study abroad program for you!

 

Study Abroad Changed Me

-Submitted by Caitlin Scalise, Abroad101’s Global Ambassador in Sorrento

Corso Italia

Corso Italia

I remember my first day in Sorrento, walking the unfamiliar streets, noticing immediately the slow rhythm of life.  I noticed a lot of Italian families walking together, stopping every so often to let their dog sniff the tree or to look at the new outfit adorning the mannequins in the many shops lining Corso Italia.  I even tried walking at the same leisurely pace, but felt it wasn’t possible to slow down that much! Continue reading

Australian English. Not quite American English.

Australian Crosswalk

A Crosswalk in Australia

-Submitted by Meg Bauer, Abroad101′s Global Ambassador at Griffith University in the Gold Coast, Australia

Australian English is almost the same as American English. It took me awhile to get used to however. They talk really fast here. Australians always tell me that Americans talk so slow.  I used to always feel bad for saying “what?” every time an Australian spoke to me, but I’m getting better now! Continue reading

What is Going On?? A Lesson on Australian Rugby

Just enjoying the game

Just enjoying the game

-Submitted by Meg Bauer, Abroad101’s Global Ambassador at Griffith University in the Gold Coast, Australia

This weekend I had the opportunity to go to the Gold Coast Titans game vs the Wests Tigers. The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby team. The club competes in Australia’s elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. There are two rugby leagues in Australia. One is the NRL and one is the AFL, Australian Rules Football. Then, there’s the Rugby Union.

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Semester at Sea–(Almost) Back Home!

-Submitted by Theresa Corelli, Abroad101’s Global Ambassador on Semester at Sea

After 11 long but wonderful days at sea, we finally got to get off the ship in Hilo, Hawaii- The Big Island! As we went through immigration it all hit me when the immigration officer said, “Welcome home Ms. Corelli.” Well, as close to home as I have been in a while. Back to the good ole United States…the land of the highest drinking age, yes I am underage once again!

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When Learning the Dialect Fails, Learning the Slang Prevails!

Signage in the Rome Airport

photo credit:
hithro

Submitted by Global Ambassador, Caitlin, in Sorrento , Italy

My ‘Italian Communication Survival Test’ began right before the third leg of my journey to Italy,when I landed in Rome’s main airport. Like many tests, this one left me especially exhausted,confidence-less, and in fear of my final grade.
My flight arrived over a half an hour late into Rome Fiumicino airport, and I only had about fifteen minutes to go through security, check-in with Alitalia, and get to my gate. The airport was not busy, and the tram only had two stops, so one would think that I would find my way just fine. However, knowing that I had very little room for error, I was in panic mode, and we all know that the worst thing to do is to panic. I successfully got through security, and even managed to ask the security guard where I was supposed to go (in Italian), but I must have misunderstood him in my state of disarray. I took a left turn instead of going straight, and ended up on the tram back to where I started. I had to go through security yet again, and of course it was the same exact people working the security line as before. I asked the samesecurity guard where to go, this time, trying not to panic so that I could actually hear what he was saying.

Watching the clock, I knew I had less than ten minutes to get to my gate, so I ran as fast as I could, asking directions along the way. By the fate of one Roman Emperor’s powerful thumb, I found my gate and was freed from the clenching grip of stress and fear. At my gate,I had to wait in a long line, sweaty, tired, and with stretched out jeans from all the travelling. Meanwhile, I was surrounded by all Italians, dressed in shiny puffer coats, fashionable leatherboots, and with designer suitcases, amidst their strong scented designer perfumes and cologne. I was the Barbarian in the midst of an all-Roman empire, which only made waiting in line seem like centuries. When it became my turn to give the emperor, or Alitalia man, my ticket, I realized I forgot to check-in! He even told me to run to get my ticket because the bus going to the plane was about to leave! It is never reassuring when someone tells you to run. But I ran, luggage in hand, feeling as if I was the young, underdog gladiator running with my silver sword, praying to survive my first battle in the Coliseum. I asked the Alitalia official for my ticket—allin Italian, mind you—and I even told her that I was running late—which was pointless becausetime is not money in Italy. She, going at the same speed as if I had an hour to wait, finally gave me my ticket, and I immediately sprinted (not even exaggerating, I was literally rivaling my former track team-mates) to my gate to get on the bus that brought me to the Alitalia plane. I made it! I was no longer the gladiator. I was the emperor…Marcus Aurelius II, if you will.

Italian Phrase Book

photo credit:
beautyredefined

Although my relief skyrocketed when I successfully made it on the plane in time, I was still standing in puddles of fear. I kept thinking of how out of place I felt upon arrival in Italy, and began to wonder if I would ever be able to practice my Italian, or if the people would just mark me as an American and only speak English to me. I sympathized with the Barbarians of Ancient Rome, who got their nickname “barbarian” because the foreign language they spoke sounded like that of baby talk, or “bar bar bar.” Thankfully, this fear dissipated when I landed in Naples Airport, and was greeted by the driver, Tony, who brought me to my home-stay. During our car ride, I spoke to Tony only in Italian. He encouraged me the whole entire ride to speak only in Italian, and told me something that changed my whole entire point of view. He was Virgil, the wise and intelligent guide, and I was Dante, the fearful and naïve student. He advised me, telling me that I cannot be afraid to make mistakes when speaking the language, because mistakes are inevitable and are actually useful tools to learn. “When you make mistakes,”he said, “people will most often correct you, and that is when you learn.” “Eventually,” he continued, “you pick up on the mistakes yourself and begin to self-correct…and this is the road to fluency”—or for Dante fans, this is the road to lingual ‘Paradise’. I felt even more at ease when he talked about his own fears when trying to speak English. He told me that he, too, fears making mistakes when speaking a foreign language, but in order to improve, this is a fear that one has to overcome. This little inspiration was everything I needed to build my confidence, and speaking Italian the rest of the ride only made concrete the fact that I would learn as much Italian as I could during this semester, and the more mistakes, the better.

It is already the middle of April, and looking back, I am proud to say that I have spoken Italian in many diverse situations, often making mistakes, but more importantly, learning from them. I quickly discovered that knowing some Italian helps, but only gets me so far in the region of Naples where I am studying. When the people of this region are not speaking in the incomprehensible Neapolitan dialect, they are speaking Italian with a Neapolitan accent. It is difficult to explain, but instead of the symphonious sounding phrases that resemble poetry tipping off the tongue, Neapolitan is colorful, loud, vibrant, and full of the phonetic “sh” sound.

SORRENTO: The streets

photo credit:
SowersPics

When I go to the Italian ‘bar’ during the day, or at night to watch a soccer match, all that I hear is Neapolitan dialect. Even at my internship, everyone speaks Neapolitan among one another,and I often am lost in translation. Being around the language for a few months now, I actually feel as if I am getting a Neapolitan accent! That is why I have most recently turned my study focus from Italian language to just plain slang! I never realized, but slang is often more usefulin most situations than the actual formal language! Here’s some slang and idioms to get you started:
1). In bocca al lupo- Good Luck (Literally means “in the mouth of the wolf” and can also beequated with the American saying “break a leg!”)

2). Essere nelle nuvole- to daydream (literally translated as “to be in the clouds”)

3). Beccare qualcuno- pronounced as BEH-CAH-REH KHWAL-KUNO and means “ to hit onsomeone/pick someone up” (beccare literally means to peck, haha!)

4). Sentire le farfalle nello stomaco- is the equivalent to the saying in English ”to feel butterfliesin the stomach”

5). Che palle!- It can be used to say “How boring!”, or can express boredom or annoyance ingeneral (literally means something quite different…so you may not want to say this in frontof the teacher, because it can come off a bit strong!). It is however used frequently amongfriends, often describing a boring class at school! Oh, and the most enjoying part of hearing thisterm is the hand gesture that goes along with it…which you can find everywhere on YouTube.

6). Ci vediamo dopo- pronounced CHEE VEH-DEE-AH-MOH DOH-POH and means “See youlater.” You can also say “ci vediamo” or “a dopo” which both mean basically the same thing.

7). Sono pazzo/a di te- It means “I’m crazy about you” (How romantic, right?!). If you arefemale, you’d say “Sono pazza di te” to someone, and if you are male, you’d say “Sono pazzo dite.”

8). Vattene!- “Get Lost!” (Can be used jokingly…or not so jokingly).

9). Su! Dai!- “Come on!” and is pronounced phonetically as: SUE! DYE!

10). Che schifo!- “Yuck/That’s Disgusting!” I have heard this most frequently out of any of theother expressions. It is usually the little girl that lives upstairs that uses it to express her hatred of peas when she has to eat them for dinner!
And to put it all together in my own mini Ital-English mini-drama:

Sono nelle nuvole. Sono pazza di te. When I see you, sento le farfalle nello mio stomaco.You said you liked me. You even told me you liked the poem I wrote for you. But I saw youbeccando (hitting on) another girl. Seriously?! Che schifo! Vattene! Ci vediamo never!
As you can see, some things are universal!
(note: this mini-drama is completely made up :P)